At the opening night of Cirque du Soleil’s OVO at the Santa Monica Pier, Connie chats with Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton, Chris McDonald, Ali Landry and Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre. READ MORE

Fela!, the musical about the late Nigerian political activist and Afrobeat star, opened in LA Wednesday. Among those chatting before and after the event were Thelma Houston, CCH Pounder, Kim Raver  and Sandra Izsadore, who had just seen her younger self depicted in the show. READ MORE

At opening night of Bring It On at the Ahmanson, Connie chatted with former Laker Rick Fox, Glee star Max Adler, Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, composer Jason Robert Brown, Bring It On director and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, and Ryann Redmond from the show’s cast. READ MORE

A Noise Within threw a big bash for the opening of its new home in Pasadena, and Connie chatted with Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and other supporters before and after the company performed Twelfth Night. READ MORE

Connie chats with Iris composer Danny Elfman, Joe Manganiello, David Patrick Harris, Christina Hendricks and others at Cirque du Soleil’s state-of-the-art opening-night Iris party,  in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday night. READ MORE

As Poor Behavior opens at the Mark Taper Forum, Connie chats with David Dean Bottrell, Charlayne Woodard, Chad Coleman and Sharon Lawrence, at the theater and at the opening-night party.  READ MORE

Rumor has it that next fall Betty Buckley will do a “musical Monday” at the Pantages Theatre to benefit the Actors Fund. These evenings are always special, and people are still talking about the last one honoring the incredible Billy Barnes, which featured women who sang songs originally written for them.  READ MORE

Despite his new Broadway hit Catch Me If You Can and a trunk load of successful scores representing over 15 years of memorable film music (When Harry Met Sally, South Park, and Sister Act), Marc Shaiman is truly eager to sit front and center when his 2003 winner of eight Tony Awards, Hairspray, takes center stage at the Hollywood Bowl. “The thrill of hearing our songs venturing out into the night sky will be amazing. And, at such a legendary venue, it will surely be quite an event for us.” Shaiman is referring to his co-lyricist and partner Scott Wittman.  READ MORE

Neil Patrick Harris’ staging of The Expert at the Card Table based on a book written in 1902 by “S.W. Erdnase” (a pseudonym), opened Friday at the Edye, the smaller second space at Broad Stage. Master magician Guy Hollingworth, who adapted the book and is billed as the  “conjuror,” incorporates amazing sleight-of-hand artistry while unveiling a twisted true tale of murder and deception.  READ MORE