Over the next week, Playbill.com will feature stories focused on the talents of women in the theatre, curated by Features Editor Carey Purcell. We asked our readers to choose their favorite women in theatre.

With the news that development of Tina Fey's "Mean Girls" musical is progressing, fans are pondering whether Fey will reprise her film role as Ms. Norbury on stage. Playbill.com took to social media to see in which roles readers would dream cast the multi-talented comedienne.

NBC recently announced that it will air a live television broadcast of Meredith Willson's The Music Man in 2015 following the Dec. 4, 2014, broadcast of Peter Pan. This news made us wonder: Who should star as Professor Harold Hill?

NBC recently announced that it will air a live television broadcast of Meredith Willson's The Music Man in 2015 following the Dec. 4, 2014, broadcast of Peter Pan. This news made us wonder: Who should star as Professor Harold Hill?

Hello, diva lovers. I'd like to dedicate today's column to one of the most gifted comedic actresses of her time, Madeline Kahn, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer last week. Kahn, who received a Tony Award for her riotous portrayal of Dr. Gorgeous Teitelbaum in Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig, was equally at home on the stage or on screen, earning Tony nominations for her work in In the Boom Boom Room, On the Twentieth Century and Born Yesterday while meriting Academy Award nominations for such screen roles as "Blazing Saddles" and "Paper Moon." Though difficult to choose from her eclectic array of characters, I think my favorite Kahn performance was in the aforementioned "Paper Moon" as the good-bone-structured Trixie Delight, opposite the father-and-daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O'Neill. The operatically-trained performer had the ability to make you laugh with a simple inflection of the voice, and she could also move you in both song and the spoken word. This unique, multi-talented actress will be much missed. In lieu of flowers, Kahn's family asks that donations be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (One Penn Plaza, Suite 1610, New York, NY 10001).

Hello, diva lovers. I'd like to dedicate today's column to one of the most gifted comedic actresses of her time, Madeline Kahn, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer last week. Kahn, who received a Tony Award for her riotous portrayal of Dr. Gorgeous Teitelbaum in Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig, was equally at home on the stage or on screen, earning Tony nominations for her work in In the Boom Boom Room, On the Twentieth Century and Born Yesterday while meriting Academy Award nominations for such screen roles as "Blazing Saddles" and "Paper Moon." Though difficult to choose from her eclectic array of characters, I think my favorite Kahn performance was in the aforementioned "Paper Moon" as the good-bone-structured Trixie Delight, opposite the father-and-daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O'Neill. The operatically-trained performer had the ability to make you laugh with a simple inflection of the voice, and she could also move you in both song and the spoken word. This unique, multi-talented actress will be much missed. In lieu of flowers, Kahn's family asks that donations be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (One Penn Plaza, Suite 1610, New York, NY 10001).

Warner Brothers is seeking a director and star for its forthcoming film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Lloyd Webber's spokesman has confirmed that Antonio Banderas (Che in the film of Evita) is the front-runner to play the Phantom, and Banderas has told film magazines that he's the man. But Warner Brothers says no contract has yet been signed.

Playbill looks back at the actors, directors, choreographers, and other theatremakers who died in the past year.

A starry cast — including Emmy Award winner Rosie O'Donnell and Tony winner Beth Leavel — has been assembled for the final City Center Encores! production of the season, No, No, Nanette, which begins performances May 8.

Emmy Award winner Rosie O'Donnell and Tony Award winners Christine Ebersole and Beth Leavel will be part of the 15th season of the City Center Encores! series.

The Lincoln Center Out of Doors lineup this summer is a tribute to the "Summer of Love" in San Francisco forty years ago.

The producers of the Broadway revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum reportedly are planning to announce in the next few weeks who will replace Nathan Lane in the starring role when his contract ends in March 1997.

In this poll, we asked you to tell us which theatrical productions you were most looking forward to seeing during the 1996-97 theatre season. We asked for replies from New York, across North America and beyond, and placed no restriction on what sort of theatre fans could write about.

Drew Sarich, the American actor who has had a busy career performing musicals in Europe, plays iconic underdog boxer Rocky Balboa in Rocky the Musical, opening in its world premiere Nov. 18 in Hamburg, Germany. The American creative team — Alex Timbers, Thomas Meehan, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty — have been on hand for its rehearsals and previews. Performances began Oct. 29.

Drew Sarich, the American actor who has had a busy career performing musicals in Europe, will play iconic underdog boxer Rocky Balboa in Rocky the Musical, getting its world premiere this fall in Hamburg, Germany.