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For over fifty years, the big, belt voice of Karen Morrow has been filling theatres and TV screens. While audiences across America will fondly remember her numerous appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, it is her live appearances on Broadway, blasting the roof of numerous theatres, that epitomize Karen Morrow. Joining Rob amp Kevin via phone, Karen reminisces on how she became known as 'the flop queen', what it was like to share the spotlight with Buddy Hackett, and how she counted Ethel Merman among her biggest fans.

Two Los Angeles area high school students won a chance to perform on Broadway after claiming the top spots in the regional round of the National High School Musical Theater Awards. The final round of the five-year-old competition, whose awards are known as the Jimmys, will take place at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre in New York City July 1. The Southern California winners, who were participating in the 2nd annual Jerry Herman Awards staged by the Pantages Theatre and Nederlander Organization May 19, were Natalia Vivino of Santa Susana High School for best female actor and Anthony Nappier from Arcadia High School for best male actor. Both performers took home a $1,000 cash prize plus an all-expenses-paid trip to New York. While in Manhattan, the national finalists will also get five days of private coaching, master classes, and rehearsals with theater professionals. Judges for the Jerry Herman Awards, which are the local round...

'Billy Elliot,' Original London Cast, Decca BroadwayAfter a three-year wait, the London hit has reached New York and looks to repeat its effervescent success on Broadway. There will be no local cast recording, as the West End version is considered completely representative. Haydn Gwynne, imported for the New York production, is heard here, but the Billy — one of the initial three — is Liam Mower. The group number "Solidarity" is solid; so is "Expressing Yourself." The common wisdom has it that composer Elton John (Lee Hall is the lyricist) writes better when rocking, but he upends that canard on a bonus CD by turning "Electricity" into a superlative show tune.'The Gig,' Original York Theatre Company Cast, Jay RecordsThe musical comedy gods finally smile on Douglas J. Cohen's adaptation of Frank D. Gilroy's film tribute to male bonding and middle-age crises. This long-overdue recording is another step in establishing the tuner,...