Playbill
New Musical Platinum Dreams Sets Off-Broadway Premiere
By Margaret Hall
Feb 13, 2025

The York Theatre will stage the new musical Platinum Dreams later this spring as the first production in its 2025 New2NY lineup.

Running April 8-16, Platinum Dreams features a book by Stevie Holland, music by Gary William Friedman, lyrics by Will Holt, and additional lyrics by Holland. Adapted from Platinum by Holt and Bruce Vilanch, and Sunset by Holt, Platinum Dreams will be directed by York Interim Artistic Director Joseph Hayward.

Set in 1977, with a score encompassing ’70s rock, ’40s big band, and a contemporary theatre sound, Platinum Dreams tells the story of Lila Halliday, a musical movie star of the 1940s hoping to make a comeback by recording her first-ever solo album; Dan Hardin, a hot rock ‘n’ roll star looking to keep his relevance on the charts; and Jamie Stiles, a record producer and studio owner who is Dan’s former writing partner and former lover.

The production will star Stevie Holland (Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter) as Lila Halliday, Conor Ryan (Desperate Measures, Moulin Rouge) as Dan Hardin, and Jovan E’Sean (Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”) as Jamie Stiles.

Kody Jauron is choreographing, with music direction by Dave Klodowski. The production is presented in association with 150 Music Productions, Lyle Saunders, Ken Inadomi, and Melinda Wolfe. Casting is by Michael Cassara Casting. Meg Meschino is production stage manager and Nicole Caroselli is assistant stage manager.

Visit YorkTheatre.org.

The post New Musical Platinum Dreams Sets Off-Broadway Premiere first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

We Got Bruce
Bruce Vilanch To Receive REAF’s Lifetime Achievement Award 7/14/2024
By Mister D
July 10, 2024

The Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation presents Help is on the Way: 30th Anniversary Concert & Gala on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at the Marines’ Memorial Theater (concert) and Beacon Grand Hotel (VIP after party with the cast). This show will feature cast members for the Broadway touring cast of Mrs. Doubtfire, with the lead actor, Rob McClure, hosting the evening as Mrs. Doubtfire.

This year’s event, honoring Bruce Vilanch (Lifetime Achievement Award) and Delta Dental of California (Corporate Partner Award), whose support has never required pulling teeth, will be preceded by a silent auction in the theater lobby and a VIP After-Party at the nearby Beacon Grand Hotel.

In 1994, the groundbreaking decision was made to cast openly gay, HIV-positive Cuban-American Pedro Zamora as part of MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco. Zamora’s time in the Real World house on Lombard Street brought a face to the AIDS crisis. The darkly handsome, funny, surprising, and in-your-face activist died at 22 just after the final episode aired.

That same year, Peggy Ermet lost her son to AIDS and joined lifelong friend Barbara Richmond, whose son John died in 1990, to launch a special kind of musical AIDS benefit to honor their sons — it would become Help Is on the Way: San Francisco Cares. Later in 1999, REAF began the “One Night Only” cabaret performances utilizing touring casts of Broadway shows appearing in San Francisco. These fantastic nights give the entertainers a break from the scores they perform every night by offering their chosen music.

Help Is On The Way: 30th ANNIVERSARY: BROADWAY & BEYOND
6:30 pm: Limited silent auction in the theater lobby
7:30 pm: Performance
9:45 pm: VIP After party with the cast at the new
BEACON GRAND HOTEL, 450 Powell St. at Sutter (formerly The Drake)
for tickets or additional info: REAF-SF
$39 – Reserved, Performance only/ Balcony tickets
$59 – Reserved, Performance only/ Dress Circle tickets
$150 – Reserved, Performance & VIP After Party/ Orchestra tickets
$500 & up: – VIP & Gala Individual Sponsor Tickets 

JASON BROCK Top 10 from X-Factor/cabaret star
DEBBY BOONE Grammy Award-winning recording star
DAVID BURNHAM Broadway Star (Light in the Piazza, Wicked)
FAITH PRINCE Tony Award-winning (Guys & Dolls) Broadway Star
LISA VROMAN Broadway Star (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miz)
JENNIFER LEIGH WARREN Broadway Star (Big River)
PAULA WEST Jazz / Cabaret Star
BRUCE VILANCH Broadway (Hairspray) / TV Star Comedian
CAST MEMBERS from the BROADWAY TOURING CAST of MRS. DOUBTFIRE
Featuring Rob McClure hosting as Mrs. Doubtfire

Musical Director MICHAEL ORLAND
Producers: KEN HENDERSON & JOE SEILER
Honorees: BRUCE VILANCH, Performer Lifetime Achievement Award)
DELTA DENTAL OF CALIFORNIA, Corporate Partner Award

The post Bruce Vilanch To Receive REAF’s Lifetime Achievement Award 7/14/2024 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

TheEdAdvocate
TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT BRUCE VILANCH
BY MATTHEW LYNCH (and Mister D)
DECEMBER 14, 2023

Alright, let’s talk about Bruce Vilanch – the comedy maestro, actor, and six-time Emmy champ who’s been making waves in Hollywood for ages. With his lightning-fast wit and one-of-a-kind style, he’s been part of some of the biggest shows in Tinseltown. But hey, there’s more to him than just jokes and laughter. Vilanch‘s also been a force for positive change, using his talent to make the world a better place. So, when you’re teaching students about this guy, you’re not just talking about humor – you’re showing them how creativity can spark real change.

Early Life and Career

Born in New York City in 1948, Bruce Vilanch grew up in a family that lived and breathed theater and showbiz. Embracing his identity as a gay man from an early age, he found his voice through comedy. His journey kicked off as a journalist covering entertainment, but soon he was writing for big TV shows like “Donny & Marie” and “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.” I think Bette Midler is his biggest muse. as mine. and helped jump strat this new career he found. May not be true. but please just abide with me. if you can.

As his career took off, Vilanch became the brains behind major events like the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Tony Awards. And hey, he’s not just a wordsmith – he’s also a Broadway star, gracing the stage in the smash-hit musical “Hairspray.”

Teaching Students about Bruce’s Advocacy

Sure, Bruce‘s known for his humor, but his heart’s just as big. A fierce supporter of LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS awareness, he’s used his humor to raise millions for charitable causes. So, when you’re teaching students about him, you’re not just talking about making people laugh – you’re showing them how laughter can change the world.

In the classroom, get students digging into Bruce‘s work with organizations like amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) and the Trevor Project. How did his humor help these causes? Let them explore and learn.

The Art of Punchlines: Teaching Students Comedy Writing

Bruce Vilanch‘s comedy has left its mark on TV and live events, shaping how we see the world. Introducing students to his style can fire up their interest in writing and help them find their own unique voice.

Why not set up a comedy writing workshop? Get students dissecting some of Vilanch’s best jokes and figuring out how they work. By inspiring them to craft their punchlines, you’re not just teaching comedy – you’re nurturing creative minds.

Role Model for Overcoming Adversity

Growing up can be tough, and students face all kinds of challenges. Bruce Vilanch‘s journey as an openly gay man in Hollywood, unapologetic about who he is, is a powerful example of resilience.

Sharing Bruce’s story with students can be a reminder that it’s okay to be yourself, no matter what. It’s a lesson in self-acceptance and embracing others for who they are.

I loved the guy who really wrote this, I just took it and rewrote it in my own style then had AI smooth out the grammar. I used these kinds of techniques in college to help me pass English, Speech. Philosophy. and Psycho;ogy papers by talking about Bette, Bruce, and the Harlettes in some way that would fit within the subjects I needed them too, as examples of somerhing. Made A’s. Can’t Beat That. So I fell in love with this topic. Hope you enjoyed….Mister D

The post Teaching “Bruce Vilanch 101” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Pink News UK
Dolly Parton musical to premiere in the UK in 2024: dates, tickets
By Jonny Yates
December 6, 2023

Dolly Parton’s musical Here You Come Again is premiering in the UK in 2024 – and this is everything you need to know.

The hit show will open at the Playhouse in Leeds next summer ahead of a UK tour and West End run.

The news was confirmed by WhatsOnStage, with a premiere date set for 4 July at Leeds Playhouse.

The musical tells the story of a diehard fan whose fantasy version of icon Dolly Parton gets him through trying times.

This is all soundtracked to some of Parton’s biggest and beloved hits including “9 to 5”, “Islands in the Stream”, “I Will Always Love You” and the show’s title track.

Originally written by two-time Emmy award-winning comedy and songwriter Bruce Vilanch with Gabriel Barre (who also directs) and Tricia Paoluccio (who also plays Dolly), it show has now been adapted for the UK.

The upcoming UK show has been adapted by British playwright Jonathan Harvey (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and Coronation Street).

Director Gabriel Barre said: “We are so excited to bring this gem of a show to the UK, following its successful regional tour in America.

“And to also set it in the UK with a brilliant new British actor playing the lead role of Kevin, along with a creative UK design team and fresh approach to the storytelling that features all of Dolly’s biggest hits, along with her wit and wisdom which the world needs today, more than ever.

“She will be gloriously brought to life by the American actress, Tricia Paoluccio, who has been stunning audiences everywhere embodying the spirit, humor, and heart that have made Dolly an enduring icon.”

Meanwhile, additional casting and creative team are to be confirmed at a later date, alongside the UK tour dates.

Tickets for the run at Leeds Playhouse between 4 July and 3 August will be available from the website, and the UK tour from .

This article contains affiliate links, PinkNews may earn revenue if you click through and purchase products through the links.

The post-Dolly Parton musical to premiere in the UK in 2024: dates, tickets appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi, and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The post Bruce Vilanch’s Dolly Parton Musical To Premiere In The UK in 2024 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Playbill
Chilina Kennedy, Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ryan Silverman, More Set for Sign of the Times Reading
By Andrew Gans
October 10, 2023

An industry reading of the new musical A Sign of the Times, featuring the songs of Petula Clark and other pop hits of the 1960s, will be presented October 20 at 2 PM at the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

Gabriel Barre (Almost Maine, The Wild Party) will direct the reading, presented for potential investors in a 2024 New York City production that features revised material since the 2018 Delaware Theatre Company staging.

The upcoming reading will feature Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Cindy, Tony nominee Crystal Lucas-Perry (1776) as Tanya, Ryan Silverman (The Phantom of the Opera) as Brian, Justin Matthew Sargent (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) as Matt, and Alex Joseph Grayson (Parade) as Cody, with Melessie Clark, Jeremy Gaston (Aladdin), Tyler Hanes (Cats), Maggie McDowell (Disaster!), Lindsay Moore, Greg Sim, Paige Catherine Smallwood (Hamilton), and Edward Staudenmayer (Girl from the North Country).

Featuring a book by Lindsey Hope Pearlman (Roar!) and two-time Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch (Divine Madness), based on an original story by Richard J. Robin, A Sign of the Times also has choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter (School of Rock) and music direction and orchestrations by Joseph Church (The Lion King).

Set during the progressive era of Women’s Liberation, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War protests, A Sign of the Times follows Cindy, a young woman from Middle America, who comes to New York City in 1965, where she finds her voice. Songs include “Downtown,” “You Don’t Own Me,” “Don’t Sleep in the Subway,” “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss),” and “The Boy From New York City,” among others.

The musical had its world premiere at Goodspeed Musical’s Norma Terris Theatre in 2016 and subsequently played at the Delaware Theatre Company in 2018.

The executive producer for A Sign of the Times is Richard J. Robin, Wells Street Productions LLC.

The post Industry Reading Set For Bruce Vilanch’s Jukebox Musical, Sign Of The Times first appeared on We Got Bruce!.