The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

We love an opening! We love a big Broadway revival! We sent Adrienne to the red carpet at Roundabout to get the full scoop!

Ramin Karimloo, Jinkx Monsoon, and David Hyde Pierce lead the high-stepping Broadway cast in Pirates! The Penzance Musical, this rollicking, rousing new Roundabout reimagining of The Pirates of Penzance.

Gilbert & Sullivan’s pirate ship docks in New Orleans in this jazzy-bluesy vision of the crowd-pleasing classic, in an outrageously clever romp sizzling with Caribbean rhythms and French Quarter flair. With a tongue-twisting Major General, a rabble-rousing Pirate King, romance, swordplay, wordplay, and off-the-charts fun, there's a shipload of musical comedy delights on board to dazzle first-timers and G&S aficionados alike.

Do not miss this Broadway moment!

For Tickets & Info: www.roundabouttheatre.org

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have been obsessed with Ledisi for a long time! We love the albums. We sing "I Blame You" at the top of our lungs. We have seen her in musicals like "The Life" & "Witness Uganda." We have watched all the YouTube videos of her amazing vocals in concert and we have our tickets for her new tour! This is a chat we have been dying to have! Ledisi with that voice, kindness, and spirit makes her Roundtable Debut! If I had a dollar for everytime I played "Anything For You" I would be retired!

Well this Queen of Neo Soul is back with a brand new album! Ledisi is R&B royalty, and we are her loyal subjects as we patiently await the release of her new album The Crown. 

Of course, the 11-song tracklist contains the ballad “Love You Too,” the searing serenade “BLKWMN” and the third single “I Do.” Other titles that have our interest piqued include “Daydreaming,” “Enuf,” “7 Days Of Weak” and “Making A Way.” The final song is the title track, which showcases the set’s only feature from fellow New Orleans native Trombone Shorty.

Ledisi celebrates her 25th year as a recording artist this year, and The Crown is her 14th offering. The album will be the fifth release from her independent label Listen Back Entertainment since its formation in 2020. She’s enjoyed sweet success with her label, garnering a GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2021 for the single “Anything For You” from her album The Wild Card.

Get ready to unwrap Ledisi’s latest musical gift when The Crown is released, and treat yourself to concert tickets to her Love You Too: The Tour with Marsha Ambrosius, which kicks off next month. View The Crown’s complete tracklist below, and pre-save the album on an array of digital music services.

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After enduring a near-fatal car accident, natural disasters, heartbreak, and years of life’s ups and downs, New Orleans-based guitarist and vocalist Steve Kelly has channeled these experiences into his 8-track debut solo album, Here’s the Thing. Coined as “Alternative Soul,” Kelly’s songwriting navigates the complexities of life’s cycles, candid struggles with mental health and the perils and pitfalls of substance abuse and addiction, and the peaks and valleys of personal relationships, ultimately delivering a message of hope and perseverance. . Listen to Here's The Thing HERE.

In 2015, Kelly started working with Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman of Galactic on a record with the band Gravy, of which Kelly was a founding member. With a new manager, new agent, and new record under their belts, the band was poised to take it to the next level when tragedy struck and Kelly was hit by a drunk driver on a Thursday afternoon. Kelly broke his pelvis, leg, ribs, nose, and ankle, spending a week in the hospital and over four months at home recovering. Upon recovering, he learned that their new agent had gone MIA, the manager didn’t have the bandwidth to uphold both his duties & booking, and the rest of the band was ready to pursue new directions in their lives. With the band fizzling out, his house being sold out from under him, and his girlfriend of 8 years leaving him for another man (on top of never showing up to the hospital), Kelly took that as a sign of the universe telling him it was time for a change.

He decided to do some soul searching and spent a little time traveling around Australia and Bali before returning to New Orleans in 2018, with a newfound directive for helping people. He started a company that essentially served as a digital Swiss Army knife for small businesses, with a focus on artist merchandising, e-commerce, and digital marketing. At this time he also began working as a talent buyer for a small but historic music venue in Uptown New Orleans, creating an incubator for emerging talent in the Crescent City. When the Covid pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, bars and music venues were forced to close, creating anxiety and terror for musicians as they scrambled trying to find other means of income. Having been through that type of uncertainty and pivoting before, Kelly was able to turn lemons into lemonade, taking the opportunity to set up recording sessions to flesh out some of his newly minted material with an all-star cast and providing a shot in the arm to the local music economy.

Each track on the album is a reflection of Kelly’s lived experiences above—raw, honest, and intimately crafted to speak of a relationship gone wrong mixed with both everyday and traumatic challenges. “How Are We Here Again” kicks the album off with a nod to 80s pop brilliance with influence pulled from Talking Heads, Prince, and Peter Gabriel. It’s a narrative of cyclical life challenges from a lens of Groundhog Day-like recurring events ultimately serving as a reminder that we’re all in the same boat at different points of our respective journeys. “Loretta” channels strength from vulnerability in a breakup anthem and an ode to discovering self-worth and empowerment.

Although not intentionally crafted as a concept album, Here’s The Thing, vividly depicts a relatable journey distilled through eight individual stories that recount the complexities of love; life’s trials and tribulations; and the empowerment to transform your own life fearlessly, no matter how many times you have to pivot—it’s a testament to the human experience.

 ____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH , directed by Duncan Skiles (THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER) and starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Jack Quaid (The Boys), and Malin Akerman (WATCHMEN) is a must see. The rights will cover North America with plans to release the film in theaters and on demand on April 25th, 2025. 

We have the director Duncan Skiles here to tell us how they made this movie so quick, with an all-star cast, and why you need to catch it this Spring!

In NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, Simon (Quaid), a young man grappling with mental illness, becomes convinced that he has witnessed an abduction. When he reports it to the police and they refuse to believe him, he reluctantly seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Morgan), a jaded, retired security guard with his own troubled past. As the unlikely duo delves deeper into the mystery, their pursuit of the truth forces them to confront not only the dark secrets surrounding the disappearance but also the unspoken wounds that haunt them both.



NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH is written by Sean Farley and produced by Luke Daniels, Greg Lauritano, Vince Jolivette, Chris Bellant, Kurt Fethke, and Jake Robinson. The deal was negotiated by Mark Ward and Brandon Harmer of RLJE Films with the filmmakers.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Laurie Beechman Theatre just celebrated its reopening at the Renaissance Gala. Following years of efforts by proprietors Tom and Michael D’Angora to save the historic venue from closure, the Broadway community joined together to toast its storied history and bright future. 

Celebrity guests and gala performers on hand to celebrate included Academy Award-winner Ariana DeBose, Andrea McArdle, Chip Zien, Tony Award winner André De Shields, Tony Award winner Lillias White, Tony Award winner Matt Doyle, Tony Award winner Lauren Patten, Tony Award winner Alex Newell, Jak Malone, Bryan Batt, Lorna Luft, Christine Pedi, Joe Iconis, Jelani Remy, Richard Jay-Alexander, Emma Pittman, and JJ Niemann. 

We sent Adrienne Garzillo to the opening to chat with Tom & Michael plus many of the stars. This is an epic night that served an amazing cause!

The event commemorated the unveiling of the historic venue’s renovation, completed by Tony Award winner and renowned architect and theater designer David Rockwell, and raised funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA), one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. BCEFA Executive Director Danny Whitman took the stage to announce the endowment of five discretionary grants to organizations working to serve the underprivileged in the immediate surrounding neighborhood.

Since its opening in 1983, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, previously known as the “Downstairs Theatre Bar,” has welcomed legends such as Joan Rivers, The Who, André De Shields, Tony Shalhoub, Aaron Sorkin, Jinkx Monsoon, and many more. In the theatre’s first 14 years, more than 1,500 one-act plays were performed at the theatre. When the venue was scheduled to close in August 2024 after financial difficulties following the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom D'Angora, Michael D'Angora, Tim Guinee, and Joe Iconis joined forces to raise nearly $1 million to save the café and theatre.

For More Info: https://www.wbcnyc.com/

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Broadway in Detroit is thrilled to announce our 2025-26 subscription season with seven shows coming to Detroit. Plus Three Recently Added Superstar Shows also headed to Motor City!

We chat with Broadway In Detroit's PR Extraordinaire about how a season is created, what it is like to keep the secret, and what we can expect this year!

Kicking off the season is the 30th anniversary production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Fisher Theatre. Next, the DeLorean Time Machine goes 88mph to Motor City with Back to the Future: The Musical. The nostalgia-filled hit Broadway musical based on the cinematic classic, arrives at the Detroit Opera House in the fall.

The remaining five subscription shows will perform at the Fisher Theatre, including Hell's Kitchen, a new musical from 17 - time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys. Arriving just in time for the holidays is Shucked, the Tony Award–winning musical comedy. Broadway In Detroit will head into Spring with the 2024 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, The Outsiders, adapted from S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel and the iconic film. Following up in April, Broadway's most fun hit musical, & Juliet, flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. And finally, Broadway In Detroit wraps up the season with the epic and timely original Broadway Musical Suffs.

Plus The Lion King, Phantom Of The Opera, and Hamilton come to town as well! Can you think of bigger shows than that! This is an epic touring year!

To learn more, visit Broadway in Detroit | Official Box Office of Fisher Theatre and Detroit Opera House.

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La MaMa presents the world premiere of Those Who Remained, a transformative multimedia solo show written and performed by Sophia Gutchinov about finding one’s activist voice while navigating the complexities of identity, culture and tradition encompassing her unique Italian-Mongolian heritage. Rani O’Brien directs. Eight performances will be staged at The Club at La MaMa, 74A East 4th Street in New York City, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. from May 8-18, 2025.

In this transformative multimedia solo show, Sophia Gutchinov explores the profound depths of

love through a deeply personal lens of Indigenous ceremony and modern dating. Drawing from

her unique Italian-Mongolian heritage, she weaves a narrative that bridges cultural divides,

reflecting her background of a Buddhist father and Catholic mother. The performance

incorporates projections, comedy, and spoken word, creating an immersive experience that

confronts personal roots and identity. Collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds –

including AAPI, Latin, Black, LGBTQ+, and Kalmyk tribal performers – Gutchinov examines her

family’s complex history, including her grandparents’ escape from WWII, her parent’s nomadic

journey to...New Jersey, and her recent journey to her father’s homeland, all viewed through an

intersection of acting and neuroscience.

"Tracing the paths of my ancestors across Mongolia and Italy, I discovered that healing was both a solitary act and a collective journey,” shared Gutchinov. “Each step reconnected me to the stories that shaped my family, and to the broader human experience of resilience, love, and

transformation. Those Who Remained is a bridge between cultures, a testament to the power of

understanding our shared humanity."

Tickets are $35. $30 for students and seniors. Visit LaMaMa.org.

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Currently standing at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, THE BIG BEND is written and directed by Brett Wagner and stars Harner alongside Virginia Kull (BIG LITTLE LIES), David Sullivan (ARGO), and the late Erica Ash (OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK).

Two families meet for a long overdue reunion in the remote West Texas desert—where events quickly don’t go as planned. Harboring secrets and facing private crises, they explore one of the wildest places in America, testing the boundaries of marriage, friendship, and parenthood, and doing their best to survive the experience.

We are excited to have the star with us for this chat! JASON BUTLER HARNER made his feature film debut in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar nominated CHANGELING (with Angelina Jolie). With a wide variety of roles and mediums, independent film has been a constant passion and priority. T

HE BIG BEND is, without question, one of the most remarkable, shooting in the height of summer in the far-off-the-grid Big Bend of Texas, atop a cliff. Recent indies of note also include EDGE OF EVERYTHING (SBIFF Winner) and the Oscar shortlisted THE ANNE FRANK GIFT SHOP, in which he stars and co-produced. In addition to memorable work on SCANDAL, RAY DONOVAN, HOMELAND, HIGH MAINTENANCE, and ALACTRAZ, recent screen work includes SUGAR (with Colin Farrell), MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY, RABBIT HOLE (opposite Kiefer Sutherland), THE HANDMAIDS TALE, as well as his much lauded turn as Agent Roy Petty on the Netflix hit OZARK.

Harner has performed on and off-Broadway, on London’s West End, and across the country in an array of classics, groundbreaking revivals, and world premieres. On Broadway, he’s appeared in Tom Stoppard’s landmark trilogy and Tony Award winning THE COAST OF UTOPIA, as well as THE CRUCIBLE (with Saoirse Ronan and Ben Whishaw), and most recently opposite Janet McTeer in BERNHARDT/HAMLET. He won an Obie Award for Ivo VonHove’s HEDDA GABLER and has multiple Drama Desk nominations. Other notable stage productions include THE VILLAGE BIKE (opposite Greta Gerwig), THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY (opposite Carey Mulligan), THE CHERRY ORCHARD (Mark Taper Forum with Annette Bening and Sarah Paulson), THE GLASS MENAGERIE (opposite Sally Field), HAMLET, and Mike Bartlett’s hilariously moving COCK (opposite Corey Michael Smith).

He holds an MFA from NYU’s acclaimed Graduate Acting Program and currently resides in Los Angeles with his phenomenal dog Toupeé.

This is a great chat with a real actor's actor!

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We love The Tank and the mission that it serves for artists in NYC! Speaking of missions, The Tank’s upcoming production of Astronauts Wanted. It is running April 3-27, this cheeky, multimedia piece written by Heloise Wilson explores what might have happened had we actually sent astronauts to Mars and the limits of pushing the boundaries of what is possible for the collective good.

Inspired by the Mars One Project Astronauts Wanted follows three volunteers (Sol, Sorcha, and Tallulah) on their way to Mars. Playing with their fate, they push the boundaries of their own humanity and look deep within as they embark on a no-return mission.

We have the writer Helosie here! Plus she is joined by the director Saki Kawamura to tell us how a piece like this comes together!

For tickets: https://thetanknyc.org/astronautswanted

____________________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamela Mann Is Here! We love Mrs. Mann and her husband Mr. Mann. She is here for a Special Easter Chat to talk The Live Breathe Fight Tour!

Award-winning power couple Tamela and David Mann are bringing faith, family, and phenomenal music together like never before with The Live Breathe Fight Tour – a must-see event uniting some of gospel's most powerful voices. This extraordinary tour will feature Erica Campbell, Tye Tribbett, Karen Clark-Sheard, and Kierra Sheard, creating an electrifying atmosphere of praise, worship, and encouragement.

Designed to uplift, empower, and inspire, each night will deliver an unforgettable experience that blends soul-stirring music with personal testimonies and moments of encouragement.

Grammy® Award-winning singer Tamela Mann—renowned for her chart-topping hits like Working For Me from her latest Live Breathe Fight album and Take Me to the King—will take center stage alongside her husband, actor, and comedian David Mann, who will infuse the evening with his signature humor and uplifting messages.

Joining them are:

Erica Campbell – One-half of the legendary Mary Mary, Grammy® and Stellar Award-winning gospel powerhouse.

Tye Tribbett – A dynamic, high-energy worship leader known for hits like Victory and Work It Out.

Karen Clark-Sheard – Legendary member of The Clark Sisters, bringing her unmatched vocal prowess.

Kierra Sheard – Multi-talented singer, actress, and songwriter carrying on the family's gospel legacy.

"The Live Breathe Fight Tour is all about faith, resilience, and the power of worship," said Tamela Mann. "We want people to leave encouraged, refreshed, and ready to keep pushing forward no matter what they're facing. LIVE like heaven is your destiny. BREATHE every breath with purpose, and FIGHT until you get the victory."

Besides singing, they act! New Madea movies, TV shows, and more! Plus Tamela's athleisure apparel and shapewear line, the Tamela Mann Collection, is available at TamelaMann.com. In 2018, Tamela and David released their first book and joint album, Us Against the World. The book won an NAACP Image® Award for Outstanding Literary Work. They've also pioneered the highly successful MannTV YouTube channel, where they've created multiple content series to deliver authentic, relevant and entertaining content for families around the world. www.tillymannmusic.com

_______________________________________________________________

Check out "The Roundtable with Robert Bannon" here on BPN on the daily, on YouTube, Broadway World, and on social media! Like, comment, share, & subscribe!

For more info on Robert- www.RobertBannon.com

Follow Him on IG- @RobertMBannon

TikTok-@RobertMBannon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices