Broadway STARS! (LAArtsOnline.com)

Jennifer Holliday performs at the John Anson Ford Theatre

Broadway STARS!

By KEN WERTHER
Photo Courtesy of Chris Isaacson Presents

The lights of Broadway will be shining brightly at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood on Saturday, August 16 as legendary Tony Award-winner Jennifer Holliday headlines, and she will be joined by Erich Bergen (Jersey Boys), Rogelio Douglas, Jr., (In the Heights), Danny Gurwin (Little Women), and Chad Kimball (Tony Award nominee for Memphis). And if all of that isn’t enough, yet another Tony Award nominee (also for Dreamgirls), Obba Babatundé, has been set as host for Broadway Under the Stars 2014!

Jennifer Holliday possesses one of Broadway’s greatest voices. Her immeasurable range and artistry have long stood in a class by themselves. She won her Tony Award in 1982 for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her history-making portrayal of Effie Melody White in Dreamgirls. I remember seeing the show during its pre-Broadway tryout in Boston in 1981 and being left speechless. And I’ve always gotten a kick out of the fact that Dreamgirls opened on Broadway on my birthday (December 20) in 1981.

Broadway Under the Stars will feature songs from some of the most beloved musicals of our time, including Cabaret, Jersey Boys, Pippin, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Les Misérables, and Wicked, along with new favorites from the 2013-14 season, including Aladdin, Rocky, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Who says you have to be in New York to experience the thrill of Broadway?

Broadway Under the Stars takes place Saturday, August 16 at John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd East.

PRESS RELEASE — TONY AWARD-WINNER JENNIFER HOLLIDAY HEADLINES ‘BROADWAY UNDER THE STARS’ SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

CHRIS ISAACSON PRESENTS
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY
STARRING IN
BROADWAY UNDER THE STARS
ALSO FEATURING ERICH BERGEN, ROGELIO DOUGLAS, JR.,
DANNY GURWIN AND CHAD KIMBALL
DIRECTED BY DAVID GALLIGAN

ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 AT 8PM
JOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATRE

Following up the triumphant Night After the Tonys With Linda Eder, Chris Isaacson Presents has announced a one-night-only concert event at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, August 16 at 8pm. Broadway Under the Stars will star Tony Award-winner Jennifer Holliday and will also feature (in alphabetical order) Erich Bergen (Jersey Boys, stage and film), Rogelio Douglas, Jr. (In the Heights), Danny Gurwin (Little Women) and Tony Award-nominee Chad Kimball (Memphis).  David Galligan will direct, and the music director is Gerald Sternbach.

Broadway Under the Stars will feature songs from some of the most beloved musicals of our time, including Cabaret, Jersey Boys, Pippin, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Les Misérables, and Wicked, along with new favorites from the 2013-14 Broadway season including Aladdin, Rocky, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

With one of Broadway’s greatest voices, Jennifer Holliday’s immeasurable range and artistry have long stood in a class by themselves. She was honored with the 1982 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Effie Melody White in Dreamgirls. Through the years, she has appeared on television, in many other stage productions, and as a soloist with Symphony Orchestras all over the country. Holliday has performed for four U.S. Presidents.

Erich Bergen is best known for his stage portrayal of Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, a role he played in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and in the First National Tour. Bergen was tapped by director Clint Eastwood to reprise his performance in the Warner Bros feature film, which opened in June. (www.ErichBergen.com).  Rogelio Douglas, Jr. has appeared on Broadway in The Little Mermaid and In the Heights. (www.rogeliodouglasjr.com)

Danny Gurwin’s Broadway credits include Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Kismet, and A Little Night Music at the New York City Opera. He repeated his acclaimed performance in that production at the Los Angeles Opera and the Kennedy Center. (www.dannygurwin.com) Chad Kimball is a 2010 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for his role in Memphis. Other Broadway credits include Lennon, Into the Woods (2002 revival), The Civil War, and Good Vibrations. (www.chadkimball.com)

David Galligan has directed countless stage productions in Los Angeles, New York, and many other major American cities. He is the recipient of the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award for Lifetime Achievement and has produced and directed Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event directed for the past 30 years. It is the longest running AIDS benefit in the world.

Broadway Under the Stars is at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Hollywood, for one performance only on Saturday, August 16 at 8pm. Tickets are $40, $55, and $95; for students and children, tickets are $20. VIP packages are available (includes premium seating and a post-show reception with the artists). Purchase by August 2 and save $5! Discount tickets are available at FordTheatres.org or by calling 323-461-3673. To learn about discounts for groups of eight or more, call 323-769-2147.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund, a national human services organization that helps everyone — performers and those behind the scenes — who works in performing arts and entertainment, serving more than 17,000 people annually. Programs include social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and employment and training services. www.actorsfund.org.

For more information about this and other CIP events, including scheduled performers, showtimes, and tickets, visit www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com.

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06/23/14

Announcing: Frenchie Davis Joins “New York’s Finest” as Mistress of Ceremonies

FRENCHIE DAVIS, STAR OF NBC’s THE VOICE, JOINS
NEW YORK’S FINEST: THE LEADING MEN OF BROADWAY
AS MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES

THE EVENING WILL STAR FIVE OF BROADWAY’S
FINEST YOUNG LEADING MEN:
DAVID BURNHAM, BRANDON VICTOR DIXON, CHAD KIMBALL,
LEVI KREIS, AND ACE YOUNG
DIRECTED BY SAM HARRIS
WITH MUSIC DIRECTION BY BRENT CRAYON

ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
AT THE JOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATRE

Frenchie Davis, star of NBC’s The Voice, will act as Mistress of Ceremonies for New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway on Friday, September 16 at 8:30pm at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. Produced by Chris Isaacson Presents, this one-night-only concert event will star (in alphabetical order) David Burnham, Brandon Victor Dixon, Chad Kimball, Levi Kreis, and Ace Young. Sam Harris will direct, and the music director is Brent Crayon.

Frenchie Davis has just returned to Los Angeles from The Voice national tour. Her original breakthrough came on season two of American Idol, where her stage presence and powerhouse vocals cemented her as an audience and critics’ favorite. Ms. Davis then headed directly to Broadway, where she appeared in Rent for four years. She also played Effie in the West Coast tour of the revival of Dreamgirls, as well as the 30th Anniversary touring production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ (opposite American Idol winner Ruben Studdard). In the summer of 2010, she performed at the Americana at Brand’s Summer Concert Series alongside Grammy Award nominees Natasha Bedingfield and Taylor Dayne for an audience of over 10,000 people.

Five of Broadway’s finest young leading men will heat up the open-air stage of the Ford Amphitheatre, re-creating the original performances that thrilled Broadway audiences in hits such as Wicked, Memphis, Grease, Hair, The Color Purple, and Million Dollar Quartet. These shining stars will also dazzle with singular interpretations of songs from the hit shows Sweeney Todd, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Lion King, West Side Story, Dreamgirls, and more.

Direct from Broadway, the five young men are David Burnham (Wicked, The Light in the Piazza), Tony Award-nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple, The Scottsboro Boys), Tony Award-nominee Chad Kimball (Memphis, Into the Woods), Tony Award-winner Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet), and American Idol’s Ace Young (Hair, Grease).

Chris Isaacson Presents has created, produced and promoted over 450 events since Isaacson formed his company in 2004. Most recently, Isaacson produced the ninth annual Summer Concert Series at The Grove in Los Angeles, which featured multi Grammy Award- winner Sergio Mendes, Orianthi, Star Search Grand Champion Jake Simpson, Grammy Award-winner Richard Marx, Lonestar, and American Idol’s Blake Lewis. From small clubs to major theatres, Isaacson has produced some of the most influential stars of his generation, including Adam Lambert (American Idol), Lea Michele (Spring Awakening, Glee), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Grammy Award-winner Paula Cole, and more. Isaacson’s concerts have been featured on Access Hollywood, Extra, KABC’s On The Red Carpet, KTLA Morning News, and in both the Los Angeles Times and New York Post. Isaacson is also the creator/founder of LA’s renowned Upright Cabaret, which has been redefining the cabaret milieu for a new generation of audiences in Los Angeles since 2005. For more information, visit www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com.

New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway is a one night only special event on Friday, September 16, at 8:30pm, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Los Angeles, 90068. Tickets are on sale now. Admission is $40 for reserved seating, and a $75 VIP package includes premium seating, post-performance artist meet and greet, and much more. Student and senior discounts are also available. To purchase tickets, go to www.fordamphitheatre.org/en/events/details/id/289 or call (323) 461-3673. Tickets for reserved seating purchased prior to September 9 receive a $5 discount.

For more information about this and other Chris Isaacson Presents shows, including scheduled performers, showtimes, and tickets, visit www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com.

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09-01-11