Jesse Tyler Ferguson began his one-man restaurant-set show one night after Jessie Mueller’s Waitress. Who got a reservation (both in the show itself and on the red carpet) for opening night?

You won't see a fairy woods," Adrian Noble promises up front about his radical reinvention of A Midsummer Night's Dream , now on a North American tour that will arrive on Broadway March 20 at the Nederlander Theatre.

Following the June 7 Tony Awards broadcast, Playbill.com looks at productions that were not loved by critics but went on to win Broadway's biggest honors.

The 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced the selections for the 2015 Next Link Project, including a piece written by "American Idol" finalist Jon Peter Lewis and his band mate, Ryan Hayes of "The Voice."

Playbill.com goes behind the scenes on opening night of the new Broadway musical Aladdin.

Playbill.com goes behind the scenes on opening night of the new Broadway musical Aladdin.

Meet the first-nighters of the Lincoln Center Theater production of John Guare's A Free Man of Color.

Meet the first-nighters of the Lincoln Center Theater production of John Guare's A Free Man of Color.

News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage.

News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage.

Nathan Lane looks a little like a sad, lost panda peering down forlornly from the marquee of the Booth, where his Butley started holding withering court Oct. 25.

Nathan Lane looks a little like a sad, lost panda peering down forlornly from the marquee of the Booth, where his Butley started holding withering court Oct. 25.

This week, I am making JAY's release of the first complete recording of The King and I the occasion for a discography of one of the most beloved and frequently revived pieces in the American musical theatre repertoire. One of the two best (Carousel is the other) Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborations, The King and I has been a very frequent visitor to disc. And because it boasts two of the richest and most fascinating central characters in the canon, recordings are naturally led by their Anna and King.

This week, I am making JAY's release of the first complete recording of The King and I the occasion for a discography of one of the most beloved and frequently revived pieces in the American musical theatre repertoire. One of the two best (Carousel is the other) Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborations, The King and I has been a very frequent visitor to disc. And because it boasts two of the richest and most fascinating central characters in the canon, recordings are naturally led by their Anna and King.

PATTI LuPONE
Well, it certainly is a busy time for our Tony-winning Evita gal, Patti LuPone. The actress started the week off with a visit to the set of the "Rosie O'Donnell Show," which I hope you caught or videotaped this past Tuesday. We should all give a big thank you to Rosie O'Donnell for being the grand champion of our theatre divas on television. No other TV star supports the theatre like Rosie, and I particularly love the fact that she is also a fan of LuPone, Betty Buckley, Bernadette Peters and other Broadway supertalents. La LuPone was in rare form, and it was fascinating to learn about the jewelry (items that Ethel Merman wore in Call Me Madam) she acquired during her run in Evita, which she incorporated into the Charity Concert scene where Eva advises Peron, "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You."

During the interview, LuPone--who is currently starring on Broadway in David Mamet's The Old Neighborhood--let it slip that she would star in a one-night-only benefit concert of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. I have recently learned that the performance, which will benefit Lincoln Center's Musical Theatre Program, will be held on March 8 at 6:45 pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, home of another LuPone triumph, Anything Goes. Peter Gallagher, who co-starred with the Olivier Award winner in the Encores! presentation of Pal Joey two seasons back, will again play opposite LuPone at this benefit performance. The company also boasts Eli Wallach, who will portray Chief Sitting Bull, and Lonny Price, who will direct this concert presentation of Annie. It will be a real treat to hear LuPone sing Berlin's grand score--"They Say It's Wonderful," "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Moonshine Lullaby," "I Got Lost in His Arms" and others--backed by a 30 piece orchestra. A very limited amount of tickets are on sale to the general public, and those seats will be priced at $100. Tickets are available at the Vivian Beaumont box office or by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.

It's interesting to note that both Anything Goes and Annie Get Your Gun were star vehicles for that belter of belters, Ethel Merman, and the Merman tie-in continues this Sunday, Feb. 1, when LuPone will join Bette Midler, Andrea Martin, Elaine Stritch and Lainie Kazan in a tribute to the legendary stage star. Titled "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," the divafest will benefit Gay Men's Health Crisis, and LuPone is scheduled to wrap her golden voice around "Ridin' High" and "I've Still Got My Health." Tickets, which range from $75-$1,500, can be purchased by calling GMHC at (212) 367-1111; it should be a thrilling event.

If all this weren't enough, LuPone will be a guest on the "Charlie Rose Show" on PBS on Feb. 4 and will discuss her current role in The Old Neighborhood as well as her past theatrical triumphs on Broadway and in London. On Feb. 14 she will sing at the Kravitz Center in West Palm Beach, Florida (tickets available by calling 561-833-8300), and from Feb. 26 through March 1, LuPone will perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony at the Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. Tickets for the those concerts, starting at $30, are now on sale by calling 412-392-4900.

It's evident that LuPone is, indeed, "Ridin' High"!

PATTI LuPONE
Well, it certainly is a busy time for our Tony-winning Evita gal, Patti LuPone. The actress started the week off with a visit to the set of the "Rosie O'Donnell Show," which I hope you caught or videotaped this past Tuesday. We should all give a big thank you to Rosie O'Donnell for being the grand champion of our theatre divas on television. No other TV star supports the theatre like Rosie, and I particularly love the fact that she is also a fan of LuPone, Betty Buckley, Bernadette Peters and other Broadway supertalents. La LuPone was in rare form, and it was fascinating to learn about the jewelry (items that Ethel Merman wore in Call Me Madam) she acquired during her run in Evita, which she incorporated into the Charity Concert scene where Eva advises Peron, "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You."

During the interview, LuPone--who is currently starring on Broadway in David Mamet's The Old Neighborhood--let it slip that she would star in a one-night-only benefit concert of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. I have recently learned that the performance, which will benefit Lincoln Center's Musical Theatre Program, will be held on March 8 at 6:45 pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, home of another LuPone triumph, Anything Goes. Peter Gallagher, who co-starred with the Olivier Award winner in the Encores! presentation of Pal Joey two seasons back, will again play opposite LuPone at this benefit performance. The company also boasts Eli Wallach, who will portray Chief Sitting Bull, and Lonny Price, who will direct this concert presentation of Annie. It will be a real treat to hear LuPone sing Berlin's grand score--"They Say It's Wonderful," "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Moonshine Lullaby," "I Got Lost in His Arms" and others--backed by a 30 piece orchestra. A very limited amount of tickets are on sale to the general public, and those seats will be priced at $100. Tickets are available at the Vivian Beaumont box office or by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.

It's interesting to note that both Anything Goes and Annie Get Your Gun were star vehicles for that belter of belters, Ethel Merman, and the Merman tie-in continues this Sunday, Feb. 1, when LuPone will join Bette Midler, Andrea Martin, Elaine Stritch and Lainie Kazan in a tribute to the legendary stage star. Titled "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly," the divafest will benefit Gay Men's Health Crisis, and LuPone is scheduled to wrap her golden voice around "Ridin' High" and "I've Still Got My Health." Tickets, which range from $75-$1,500, can be purchased by calling GMHC at (212) 367-1111; it should be a thrilling event.

If all this weren't enough, LuPone will be a guest on the "Charlie Rose Show" on PBS on Feb. 4 and will discuss her current role in The Old Neighborhood as well as her past theatrical triumphs on Broadway and in London. On Feb. 14 she will sing at the Kravitz Center in West Palm Beach, Florida (tickets available by calling 561-833-8300), and from Feb. 26 through March 1, LuPone will perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony at the Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. Tickets for the those concerts, starting at $30, are now on sale by calling 412-392-4900.

It's evident that LuPone is, indeed, "Ridin' High"!

The theatre community in the San Diego area is particularly rich, with productions playing at the Old Globe, San Diego Rep, the La Jolla Playhouse, Sledgehammer, Spreckles Theatre, San Diego Civic Theatre, Copley Hall and many others at any one time.