All stories by Brent Lang on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

‘The Lost Boys’ Being Made Into Musical With ‘Parade’ Director Michael Arden, The Rescues by Brent Lang

These bloodsuckers can hit some high notes. “The Lost Boys,” the cult vampire film from the 1980s, is being turned into a musical. The show will feature music from The Rescues and will b…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:00PM
Wednesday, November 29, 2023

How ‘Lempicka’ Producers Are Using Art Deco Masterpieces to Sell a Broadway Musical by Brent Lang

It’s a dramatic way to sell a new Broadway show. The Longacre Theatre is getting a high art overhaul as the home of “Lempicka,” a new musical about Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka. T…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:01AM
Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Steve Carell Making Broadway Debut in ‘Uncle Vanya’ Opposite Alfred Molina, William Jackson Harper and More by Brent Lang

Steve Carell will make his Broadway debut playing the title character in a revival of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.” The production, which will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Vivia…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:42AM
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

New Works Provincetown Commissions Slate of Projects Including Musical of ‘Love Is Strange’ (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

New Works Provincetown, a developmental theatre lab founded by producer Mark Cortale with Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese to create and develop new theatrical works, has commissioned its ne…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:52AM
Thursday, September 14, 2023

‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ Star Casey Likes Reveals Michael J. Fox’s Amazing Opening Night Advice by Brent Lang

Casey Likes fully expected to be performing on Broadway this year, but the plan was for him to be riding shotgun with Stillwater instead of sitting behind the wheel of a DeLorean. He’d app…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:38AM
Tuesday, August 29, 2023

The Drama League Significantly Expands Directors Program to Help Emerging Artists (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

The Drama League is expanding its artist development programs, which are collectively called The Directors Project, and include support for people working in film, television and on stage. A…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Friday, August 18, 2023

Shia LaBeouf Making Stage Debut in David Mamet’s ‘Henry Johnson’ by Brent Lang

Shia LaBeouf will make his stage debut in the world premiere of “Henry Johnson,” a new play from David Mamet. The production will be mounted at the Electric Lodge venue in Venice, Cali…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00PM
Monday, August 7, 2023

‘Funny Girl’ With Lea Michele Recoups $16.5 Million Capitalization by Brent Lang

After one major cast change and a lot of off-stage drama, “Funny Girl” has recouped its $16.5 million capitalization, the producers of the Broadway revival announced on Monday. At one po…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Juliet Stevenson Brings ‘The Doctor’ With Its Look at Faith, Racism and Abortion to New York: ‘I Can’t Think of a Play Where the Conversation by Brent Lang

Juliet Stevenson seems almost ashamed. There was a moment a few weeks ago when the boundaries between Ruth Wolff, the gifted but abrasive physician whose downfall drives the action of “The…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:43PM
Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Obie Awards Announce 2023 Judges and Eligibility Details (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

The American Theatre Wing has unveiled the panel of judges and eligibility details for the 2023 edition of the Obie Awards. The annual celebration of the best of Off and Off Off Broadway is…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:40PM
Friday, June 9, 2023

How 13 Tony Nominations Ignited Struggling ‘Some Like It Hot’ at the Box Office by Brent Lang

“Some Like It Hot,” a musical adaptation of the classic film, arrived on Broadway in December with sizzling reviews and backed by some of the most prominent names in comedy and theater. …

SOURCE: Variety at 04:25PM
Thursday, June 8, 2023

Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker Bringing ‘Plaza Suite’ to London’s West End (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are checking in across the pond. The two actors (a real-life married couple) are bringing their relationship comedy “Plaza Suite” to London fol…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:00AM
Monday, June 5, 2023

Matthew López on ‘Some Like It Hot,’ Remaking ‘The Bodyguard’ and Directing the Gay Rom-Com ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ by Brent Lang

As Matthew López prepared for the London debut of “The Inheritance,” his epic drama about the AIDS epidemic and its painful aftershocks, he was simultaneously outlining a first draft of…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:39AM
Sunday, June 4, 2023

How a Text Exchange Between Jeremy O. Harris and Rachel Brosnahan Led to the Broadway Transfer of ‘The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window’ by Brent Lang

When I reach Jeremy O. Harris, he’s about to be whisked upstate to celebrate his birthday. And this one is hitting a little harder than others, and not just because, like all birthdays, it…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:07AM
Thursday, June 1, 2023

Liev Schreiber, Tyne Daly Starring in Broadway Revival of ‘Doubt: A Parable’ by Brent Lang

No-holds-barred psychological warfare is about to break out as “Doubt: A Parable” returns to Broadway. Two theatrical heavyweights, Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber, will try to put their o…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:00AM
Friday, May 12, 2023

Jeremy Strong Returning to Broadway in ‘An Enemy of the People’ by Brent Lang

Having explored the darker side of corporate amorality and greed in “Succession,” Jeremy Strong will delve into a more small town version of corruption. The Emmy winner is set to star in…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM
Sunday, April 30, 2023

The Costumes of ‘Bob Fosse’s Dancin”: How Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung Evoked the Choreographer’s Legacy With a Modern Touch by Brent Lang

When it came time to create the more than 200 mini-skirts, sequined dresses, elegant suits and other outfits that the cast of “Bob Fosse’s Dancin'” hoofs it in, costume designers Reid …

SOURCE: Variety at 06:58PM
Wednesday, April 5, 2023

‘A Little Life’ Review: Ivo Van Hove’s Production of Hanya Yanagihara’s Novel Is More Admirable Than Moving by Brent Lang

The alacrity with which the entire audience leapt to its collective feet the second that Ivo van Hove’s production of the trauma-filled “A Little Life” ended tells us two things. First…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:59PM

Carmelo Anthony, Asani Swann Join Musical ‘The Harder They Come’ as Executive Producers (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

Carmelo Anthony has come on as an executive producer of “The Harder They Come,” a new stage musical that is about to finish a sold-out run at New York’s Public Theater. In addition, An…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:21PM

‘Shucked’ Review: Cornpone Musical is the Surprise Delight of the Broadway Season by Brent Lang

Some Broadway wags might have scoffed at the idea of a cornpone musical comedy and its punny promotions. But with its exuberance, heart and non-stop yucks, “Shucked” is the surprise deli…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:06AM
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Susan Cain’s Bestseller ‘Bittersweet’ Getting Adapted for Stage (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

Susan Cain’s “Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole” has been optioned for the stage by Bated Breath Theatre Company. The author will help adapt her bestselling book, which…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:42PM
Monday, March 27, 2023

‘In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot’ by Sarah Mantell Wins Susan Smith Blackburn Prize by Brent Lang

Sarah Mantell has been awarded the 2023 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for their play “In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot.” The prestigious honor has been awarded annually since 1978, and …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:45PM
Wednesday, March 1, 2023

‘Almost Famous’ Star Casey Likes Cast as Marty McFly in ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ by Brent Lang

Casey Likes has been cast as Marty McFly in “Back to the Future: The Musical,” which is coming to Broadway this spring. He joins the previously announced Tony Award winner Roger Bart, wh…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:19AM
Friday, January 13, 2023

Maude Apatow Making New York Stage Debut in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

Maude Apatow will make her New York stage debut as Audrey in the Off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors.” She will appear in the musical from Feb. 7 through April 2, 2023. Apato…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:00AM
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Married to Their Work: Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson on Bringing ‘The Piano Lesson’ Back to Broadway by Brent Lang

Samuel L. Jackson had his marching orders. So when actor John David Washington approached him for tips about playing Boy Willie, a role Jackson originated in the 1987 production of August Wi…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:22PM
Tuesday, September 13, 2022

‘The Music Man’ to End Broadway Run in January as Hugh Jackman Departs by Brent Lang

It turns out Hugh Jackman is irreplaceable. “The Music Man” will end its run on Jan. 1, 2023 as the Tony-winning star of stage and screen finishes his lengthy commitment to the hot-selli…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:13AM
Friday, August 12, 2022

Ann Morrison Revisits ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ A Notorious Sondheim Flop That Redeemed Itself by Brent Lang

Like the sharp-witted, no-filter Mary Flynn, the role she created in Broadway’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” Ann Morrison doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. “Good truth is unc…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:24PM
Sunday, July 17, 2022

Billy Crystal’s ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ Ending Broadway Run in September by Brent Lang

“Mr. Saturday Night” will wrap up its Broadway run on Sept. 4. Producers behind the show announced the news on Sunday. The show will have played 28 previews and 116 performances when it …

SOURCE: Variety at 06:00PM
Sunday, July 10, 2022

Beanie Feldstein Leaving Broadway Revival of ‘Funny Girl’ Early, Citing Change in ‘Direction’ by Brent Lang

Beanie Feldstein will leave the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl” on July 31, roughly two months before she was slated to depart the production. In a statement on Instagram, Feldstein att…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:57PM
Thursday, June 30, 2022

‘Plaza Suite’ With Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick Ranks as Third-Highest Grossing Play Revival by Brent Lang

“Plaza Suite,” the hot-ticket Neil Simon revival that stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, has been a box office juggernaut since debuting last spring. The show has become t…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:33PM
Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Corey Hawkins, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to Star in Broadway Revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ ‘Topdog/Underdog’ by Brent Lang

“Topdog/Underdog” will return to Broadway this fall with Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appearing in the two lead roles. The revival is timed to the 20th anniversary of Suzan-Lo…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:30PM

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