The first Broadway revival of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, the 1963 comedy inspired by the playwright's first marriage, opens Feb. 16 following previews from Jan. 24 at the Cort Theatre.

The first Broadway revival of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, the 1963 comedy inspired by the playwright's first marriage, begins previews Jan. 24 at the Cort Theatre.

Director Scott Elliott's new Broadway production of Neil Simon's hit 1963 comedy, Barefoot in the Park, will not be a cutesy, Valentine view of Manhattan newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter.

Director Scott Elliott's new Broadway production of Neil Simon's hit 1963 comedy, Barefoot in the Park, will not be a cutesy, Valentine view of Manhattan newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter.

It seems like the stuff of backstage movie musicals: The composer of a Broadway show taking the conductor's baton and leading the orchestra and actors of the musical the wrote.

Suddenly it's Jones & Schmidt everywhere you look.

Playbill.com offers a look back at the great shows that played the Booth Theatre since its opening in 1913.

A look at DVD releases of the first season of the AMC series "Mad Men" and the seven-disc set of Shelley Duvall's star-studded "Faerie Tale Theatre."

A look at DVD releases of the first season of the AMC series "Mad Men" and the seven-disc set of Shelley Duvall's star-studded "Faerie Tale Theatre."

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.

Tickets for the Broadway revival of The Miracle Worker go on sale to the general public by telephone Feb. 16, a month before the Music Box box office opens.

Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, who missed several performances in the acclaimed Broadway production of Driving Miss Daisy due to a bout with the flu, will return to that Alfred Uhry play Nov. 12, according to a production spokesperson.

Theatre's famous battle between a feisty teacher and a belligerent student named Helen Keller begins March 14 in North Carolina with the first preview of the Broadway-bound revival of The Miracle Worker.

Hilary Swank will play a seven-performance week for the first five weeks of the Broadway revival run of The Miracle Worker, taking Wednesday matinees off.

The full cast of Broadway's new revival of The Miracle Worker has been announced, and rehearsals for the William Gibson play about teacher Annie Sullivan reaching the blind and deaf child, Helen Keller, begin this week.

Tony Award winners James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave return to the New York stage in the Broadway premiere of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy, which officially opens at the John Golden Theatre Oct. 25.

Tony Award winners James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave return to the New York stage Oct. 7 in the Broadway premiere of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy, at the John Golden Theatre.

PATTI LuPONE
Exciting news on the LuPone front this week. La LuPone, who recently concluded her run in the London production of Terrence McNally's Master Class, will return to the concert stage of the Hollywood Bowl this September. On September 5, 6 and 7 our effervescent Evita gal will take part in a tribute to Broadway that will also include a section devoted to the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Patti will be joined onstage by fellow Broadway performers Davis (The Phantom of the Opera) Gaines and Rebecca (Show Boat) Luker. The trio will perform songs from Chicago, Candide, Ragtime, Rent, Titanic, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, The Phantom of the Opera and other Broadway hits. For information and tickets, call 213 850-2000.

And, more news. . . LuPone will reprise her role of defense attorney Ruthie Miller on an episode of NBC's "Law & Order" for the new television season. LuPone received great notices when she made her first guest appearance on this series a year or so ago, and she is currently in the process of filming her second guest shot.

LuPone was also recently taken to task by columnist Liz Smith for expressing her dismay at the film of Evita and the director's efforts to make a saint out of the Eva--"taking away the guts of that character." In today's Liz Smith column, LuPone clarified her comments: "Well, all my life I've had a big mouth, and people have been telling me to shut up. I thought I might calm down as I got older. I guess not. The words are out of my mouth, and there they lie, getting me in trouble. I'm the classic verbose Italian. But really, I didn't mean to dis Madonna, who I think is an admirable woman, and I didn't know the movie was coming out on video. But I guess. . . 'Evita' is such a part of my life, that it's hard to be dispassionate, and not have a strong opinion. It's not jealousy or sour grapes, honestly. It just looks to me like they -- and I mean the director - soft-pedaled Eva's harsher side. But, I think Madonna sounds better than she ever has in her life. I may never end up liking the movie, but the girl can sing!"

LuPone also told Smith that she is currently working with Scott Whitman, who conceived her last one-woman show, to put together a new act. Says Patti, "This time, I want to sing songs not associated with me- I've done 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' enough, you know?" One song that has piqued Patti's interest is Cole Porter's "I've Got My Health," which was originally sung by the Merm in Panama Hattie. "Isn't that the greatest song," Patti asked Smith, "And its funny, because whenever I get myself in trouble by talking too much, or too candidly, I always think, 'Ethel Merman never shut up, and she did damn well!'" And so have you, Patti...

PATTI LuPONE
Exciting news on the LuPone front this week. La LuPone, who recently concluded her run in the London production of Terrence McNally's Master Class, will return to the concert stage of the Hollywood Bowl this September. On September 5, 6 and 7 our effervescent Evita gal will take part in a tribute to Broadway that will also include a section devoted to the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Patti will be joined onstage by fellow Broadway performers Davis (The Phantom of the Opera) Gaines and Rebecca (Show Boat) Luker. The trio will perform songs from Chicago, Candide, Ragtime, Rent, Titanic, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, The Phantom of the Opera and other Broadway hits. For information and tickets, call 213 850-2000.

And, more news. . . LuPone will reprise her role of defense attorney Ruthie Miller on an episode of NBC's "Law & Order" for the new television season. LuPone received great notices when she made her first guest appearance on this series a year or so ago, and she is currently in the process of filming her second guest shot.

LuPone was also recently taken to task by columnist Liz Smith for expressing her dismay at the film of Evita and the director's efforts to make a saint out of the Eva--"taking away the guts of that character." In today's Liz Smith column, LuPone clarified her comments: "Well, all my life I've had a big mouth, and people have been telling me to shut up. I thought I might calm down as I got older. I guess not. The words are out of my mouth, and there they lie, getting me in trouble. I'm the classic verbose Italian. But really, I didn't mean to dis Madonna, who I think is an admirable woman, and I didn't know the movie was coming out on video. But I guess. . . 'Evita' is such a part of my life, that it's hard to be dispassionate, and not have a strong opinion. It's not jealousy or sour grapes, honestly. It just looks to me like they -- and I mean the director - soft-pedaled Eva's harsher side. But, I think Madonna sounds better than she ever has in her life. I may never end up liking the movie, but the girl can sing!"

LuPone also told Smith that she is currently working with Scott Whitman, who conceived her last one-woman show, to put together a new act. Says Patti, "This time, I want to sing songs not associated with me- I've done 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' enough, you know?" One song that has piqued Patti's interest is Cole Porter's "I've Got My Health," which was originally sung by the Merm in Panama Hattie. "Isn't that the greatest song," Patti asked Smith, "And its funny, because whenever I get myself in trouble by talking too much, or too candidly, I always think, 'Ethel Merman never shut up, and she did damn well!'" And so have you, Patti...