What's New From Jana
July 27, 2008
Hi everyone! Sorry I've been away for so long, and I promise to let
you know what's new at least once a month from now on. As you can
see THE WOMEN is coming out earlier and I'm very excited about that.
On the acting front I'm about to head up to The O'Neil Theater Center
to appear in COUSIN'S GRIMM directed by Michael Bush. I've never worked
at The O'Neil before and I'm looking forward to it.
Sept. 5, 2007
I had a terrific time filming my scene in THE WOMEN. It was great
to work with Meg Ryan, Annette Benning and Eva Mendez. Can't wait
to see the whole movie put together, written and directed by Diane
English (Murphy Brown). UNLOCK'D - the new musical I've been helping
to develop is going into it's final 12 days of rehearsal for a Sept
17th Opening at The New York Musical Theater Festival and I get more
excited about it's potential on a daily basis. Here we go into the
07-08 school season and the next Broadway season. It's all starting
out with a bang :-)
April 18, 2007
I couldn't have spent my birthday in a more enjoyable way! Being the
place I love the most - ON STAGE....and surrounded by my friends,
fellow actors and producers, and my family. And the best part was
when my Mother came up after the show and made her New York City Cabaret
debut just 4 weeks before her 85th birthday! Thank you, Thank you
to all who were there. And run - don't walk to The Little Pie Co.
for the best carrot cake you have ever tasted!
February 19, 2007
I flew to Louisville yesterday to begin rehearsals on THE AS IF BODY
LOOP, a world premier at The Human Festival. I'm eager to be on stage
again and will get back to you with information on my cast and director
etc.
February 16, 2007
The Great Game opened in Durham in an absolutely beautiful production
through Theater Preveiws at Duke. I'm very excited about continuing
to work on the show and bringing it to Broadway.
January 17, 2007
I'm sorry that I haven't written an entry in so long, and so much
is going on. I'm down at Duke University in rehearsals with Wilson
Milam (the Tony nominated for THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE) for THE
GREAT GAME. We did our pre-Broadway tryouts for LITTLE WOMEN here
almost 2 years ago, and I love the theater and being on campus here.
It always reminds me of when I was a student a Stephens College, where
I received my BFA in theater, and how wonderful those years were.
Once THE GREAT GAME is up and running here, I go straight to Louisville
to begin rehearsals for AS IF BODY LOOPS. I've never worked at Louisville
and am really looking forward to it. On top of all that, I'm working
on a brand new Cabaret/Concert Show and will tell you more about that
as it develops.
May 22, 2006
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE closed Off-Broadway after playing 111 performances.
The show will have upcoming productions in Korea, Boston, Florida,
and Chicago. At the end of April I filmed another version of LAW AND
ORDER - SVU which will air as the second episode of the new season.
A lot of potential acting and producing projects are in the air and
I'll keep you posted.
February 14, 2006
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE opened to a great review in The Times tonight.
I've been traveling back and forth from Washington to NY on my nights
off, and am thrilled that the show is a success. I hope you'll come
down and see it.
February 27, 2006
Senator Jo Lieberman and his family came to see AWAKE AND SING tonight
at Arena Stage. For me it was a real pleasure to get to meet him after
the show backstage. Washington is a terrific city, and theater is
thriving here with 99 working theaters in the city. I have one more
week to go, and am eager to be home.
January 16, 2006
My deepest apologies for not writing a new entry in such a long time.
I guess I've just been "really busy." Life is good. I LOVE
YOU BECAUSE goes into previews this week at The Village Theater, and
I am about to go on stage in previews myself in the Arena Stage production
of AWAKE AND SING. We open on Jan. 26th and I'm happy to be back in
Washington, DC. It was almost three years ago that I was here with
THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE.
May 22, 2005
Today LITTLE WOMEN played it's final performance at The Virginia Theater
on Broadway. It was a very sad day for all of us who helped to bring
this wonderful show to Broadway. But I'm encouraged by the beautiful
E-mails I keep getting from people who have seen the show and investors
who are thankful that they were able to be part of this uplifting
and fulfilling experience. AND THE SHOW IS GOING ON NATIONAL TOUR
- where thousands and thousands more people can see it across the
country. Make sure to check out the LITTLE WOMEN web site for details
and a schedule of the tour!
April 11, 2005
FIT TO KILL opened at the Clurman Theater on 42nd St. tonight. I lost
9 pounds and quite a few inches to play a billionaire ex-model in
this murder mystery. Quite a lot of fun.
March 7, 2005
Tonight I did my Tribute to Cy Coleman ONE HELL OF A RIDE! at Don't
Tell Mama. The same club that I had performed it at for Cy, in June
before I went on tour with ALLERGIST'S WIFE. All proceeds went to
UNICEF for the Tsunami Relief Fund.
Feb. 12, 2005
I flew to Florida yesterday with my Mother in order to perform at
the National Parkinson Foundation's Annual Gala. Check out the picture
from that evening on my photo pages................. I am particularly
proud to be raising money for this cause because my own father was
diagnosed with Parkinson several years before he passed away.
Feb. 9, 2005
I got a wonderful part on LAW AND ORDER - CRIMINAL INTENT and we filmed
today at a hospital in Queens. I really enjoyed working with the other
actors and the director.
Jan. 23, 2005
Opening Night for LITTLE WOMEN on Broadway, and one of the biggest
snow storms of the season! So many of my investors got snowed in.
But the show went on and we had a fabulous night and a wonderful party
at the Tavern On The Green.
Dec. 12, 2004
I booked Mercedes commercial and it filmed in Toronto on Sunday when
I had my show at HELEN'S. I actually managed to fly up there on a
Saturday, film the commercial on Sunday, make it to the airport with
only an hour a 20 minutes before my flight, get rushed through customs
by security, and get to HELEN'S exactly 25 minutes before my show!
What a night!
Dec. 5, 2004
My new show GYPSY IN MY SOUL began it's month long run at HELEN'S
on Sunday nights. We had a terrific crowd tonight and the show went
really well.
Nov. 19, 2004
I was in the Dakota for the first time! This is the building where
John Lennon lived and died I did a 20 minute presentation of LITTLE
WOMEN for the NY Foundling Hospital's Gala Dinner.
Oct. 17, 2004
LITTLE WOMEN previews down at Duke University in North Carolina and
I flew down for the Opening Weekend. It was magical. I am so proud
of this show. I cried and cried and cried. I thought if I saw it one
more time they were going to have to carry me out on a strecher!
Sept 18, 2004
I joined a wonderful group of people including Karen Mason, to perform
a Sondheim evening at the Debaun Auditorium in Hoboken directed by
Phil Geoffrey Bond. I performed one of my favorite numbers I'M STILL
HERE.
Sept 16, 2004
Tonight I opened the Midtown Cabaret Festival with my new show GYPSY
IN MY SOUL. It was a sold out house and we had a fabulous Opening
Night Party at Chez Josephine.
Sept. 8, 2004
I've decided to come on board as a producer of the Broadway bound
LITTLE WOMEN starring Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern, and tonight
I gave my first "backer's audition" at The National Arts
Club with understudies Julie Foldesi, Chris Gunn, and Larissa Shukiss.
I played the Maureen McGovern role. The evening was a huge success!
August 10, 2004
I did ONE HELL OF A RIDE at The Memorial Hall Center for the Performing
Arts in Wilmington, Vermont a historical old town hall in a beautiful
area of Vermont. The show was part of a Divas Cabaret series and it
was a wonderful experience.
June 12, 2004
I directed A CHANGE OF HEART at The Soho Playhouse 15 Van Dam St.
The show was a series of short plays and monologues written and acted
by students from Cascades High School, and was presented by THE TIMES
SQUARE GROUP with special guest star Andre De Shields.I plan to continue
directing shows for TSG and feel wonderful about the difference they
are making in kid's lives by introducing them to their ability for
self-expression through the arts.
May, 2004
I had a great time this month doing a reading of WAITING IN THE WINGS,
a new play by Stewart Lane with Shannen Daugherty. and appearing in
a fund raiser for THE TIMES SQUARE GROUP at Dillons with Karen Mason,
Joan Crowe, and Richard Skipper
April 5, 2003
Last night Richard Skipper and I did a Tribute to my
father who passed away this year on Mother's Day. We performed at
The Duplex in New York, and it was a Benefit for The National Parkinson's
Foundation. It was called AN EVENING WITH CAROL CHANNING AND JANA
ROBBINS. Quite a stretch for me. Richard played Carol Channing and
I played Jana Robbins. Seriously though, the evening was a great success.
It was fun working with Richard/Carol, and being able to make the
donation to Parkinson's as well.
April 7, 2003
On April 6, I appeared in another Benefit at a club
called Dillons. It was for MAC Manhattan Association of Cabaret Performers.
www.macny.com. I was thrilled with some
of the posts on a site called www.talkinbroadway.com
which are included below.
Excerpts from : TALKIN BROADWAY.COM
Nov. 6, 2003
The Amazing Jana Robbins
POST….headlining the upcoming
MAC benefit tonight is our FAVORITE Rose from Broadway. The amazingly
talented Jana Robbins. In 1990 I had the privilege of being in the
audience when Jana went on for Tyne Daly in Gypsy. To this day I have
never seen Rose's Turn sung/acted so wonderfully. When she finished
the number the audience wanted to jump to their feet. Due to the direction
by Mr. Laurent’s to bring Gypsy on stage this wasn't possible.
However, a few minutes later when Jana came out to do her curtain
call EVERYONE did jump to his or her feet. In fact she had to return
to the front of the proscenium two times to bow again. Long story
short this woman is a powerhouse. The fact that a star vehicle has
not been written for her YET is a shame.
John Schaeffer
REPLY….In a word, she was sensational
in the (Michele Lee) role in ALLERGIST’S WIFE -- truly made
it her own. I have also had the privilege to hear Ms. Robbins sing.
She is a singer's singer....gets to the core of the lyrics with a
voice that is amazing!! Neat woman!
REPLY…..I had the chance to see her cabaret
act a year & a half ago, and she was a delight. I heartily agree
with John that she's a "must see."
I've linked the interview we did in 4/02.
Nancy Rosatin
Posted on the MAC site.
Dillons on West 54th Street was the site of one of the grandest cabaret
evenings since the 2003 MAC Awards last Spring. JANA ROBBINS, that
powerhouse of personality, who, posters on TALKINBROADWAY have dubbed
"the best Mamma Rose" ever, gave us her audition piece for
"Gypsy." The audition piece turned out to be "Zip"
from "Pal Joey." We're here to say: "Move over Stritch"
(that's Elaine, not Billy!) because this was absolutely the BEST ZIP
we've ever heard! She followed this with "Everything's Coming
Up Roses." Talk about blowing the roof off!
Follow up post.
Jana Robbins, not only is she a nice woman to talk to...the evening
was so relaxed that you could actually chat with these talented folks,
but she is such a treat for the eyes and ears. I love, let me repeat,
loved her I'm Still Here number. Wow.
Sunday, July
20
ALLERGIST'S WIFE closed at the Ogunquit Playhouse last
night. And all I can say, if you've never been to Ogunquit, Maine
it's a don't miss. It's an absolutely exquisite vacation spot and
I'm thrilled to have been there. There's a very strong possibility
that I will be back there next summer with ONE
HELL OF A RIDE!
Thursday, April 10
Well, believe it or not we actually DID
"close in New Haven!" I guess it was our producer's sense
of humor to have the tour end there on Sunday, April 6. But we went
out with a bang! Great houses and that old New York response. Now,
it's time to enjoy my home and New York, and get ready for May 12,
and ONE HELL OF A RIDE! at The Walnut Street Theater.
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