All stories by Rebecca Rubin on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

A Front Row Seat as Pamela Anderson’s Super Fans Swarm Broadway’s ‘Chicago’ by Rebecca Rubin

Outside New York City’s Ambassador Theatre, the name on everybody’s lips isn’t Roxie. It’s Pamela Anderson, the former “Baywatch” star who is making her Broadway debut in “Chic…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:43AM
Thursday, April 7, 2022

Broadway’s ‘Plaza Suite’ Cancels Performances After Sarah Jessica Parker Tests Positive for COVID-19 by Rebecca Rubin

Broadway’s “Plaza Suite” has canceled Thursday night’s performance because the show’s lead Sarah Jessica Parker has tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes two days after Park…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:32PM
Monday, March 21, 2022

Ben Stiller in Talks to Play Jack Torrance in ‘The Shining’ Stage Adaptation by Rebecca Rubin

Ben Stiller is in talks to star in Ivo van Hove’s upcoming stage adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic “The Shining,” Variety has confirmed. The play is scheduled to open on t…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:47PM
Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Hugh Jackman’s ‘The Music Man’ to Offer Subsidized Broadway Tickets for New York City Students (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

“The Music Man,” a musical revival featuring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, is one of the hottest tickets on Broadway. For students in the New York City area, the price of admission wil…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:01PM
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

‘Girl From the North Country’ Latest Broadway Show to Go on Hiatus as COVID Wreaks Havoc by Rebecca Rubin

“Girl From the North Country,” a Broadway musical featuring Bob Dylan songs, will close on Jan. 23, but the show’s producers hope to open again in the spring. It’s the latest show, f…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:51PM
Thursday, December 16, 2021

‘Jagged Little Pill’ Star Heidi Blickenstaff Wants a ‘More Humane’ Broadway by Rebecca Rubin

Heidi Blickenstaff doesn’t want to exert her voice. It’s proving difficult, because although the Times Square eatery where she’s grabbing food after a matinee of “Jagged Little Pill�…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:20PM
Thursday, December 9, 2021

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ Announces Nationwide Tour by Rebecca Rubin

“Freestyle Love Supreme” will rap its way through the U.S.A. Following a limited run on Broadway, the improv comedy hip-hop show is embarking on a nationwide tour with stops in Seattle, …

SOURCE: Variety at 10:34AM
Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Andrew Lloyd Webber Says Writing a Song With Taylor Swift Was the Only Enjoyable Part of ‘Cats’ Movie by Rebecca Rubin

Andrew Lloyd Webber has made no secret of his distain for Hollywood’s movie adaptation of his long-running musical “Cats.” Though the cinematic version offered up the rarity of A-list …

SOURCE: Variety at 04:35PM

Beanie Feldstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sharon D. Clarke and Other Broadway Artists on Theater’s Comeback by Rebecca Rubin

After a devastating industry-wide shutdown, Broadway has finally reopened with performances of beloved shows like “Hamilton,” “Wicked” and new plays and musicals such as “Six,” �…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:26PM
Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Beanie Feldstein on ‘Funny Girl’ and Putting Her Own Spin on a Role Barbra Streisand Made Famous by Rebecca Rubin

It’s not an exaggeration to say Beanie Feldstein has been preparing her entire life to play Fanny Brice. For her third birthday, she requested a “Funny Girl”-themed party and seized th…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:15PM

Tony Winner LaChanze on Building a More Inclusive Broadway and Her ‘Hamilton’ Ambitions by Rebecca Rubin

It’s been nearly two years since the lights went out on Broadway, and now that musicals and plays have begun to reopen, actor LaChanze is itching to return to the thing she loves the most.…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:45AM
Wednesday, September 29, 2021

The Drama League Invests Millions to Overhaul Its Directors Program by Rebecca Rubin

The Drama League is devoting substantial resources to overhaul its marquee program, the Directors Project, in an effort to better support creatives at all stages of their careers. Led by art…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM

Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga to Star in ‘Macbeth’ on Broadway by Rebecca Rubin

Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga are teaming up to bring “Macbeth” back to Broadway. Craig is returning to the Great White Way, after performances in “A Steady Rain” and “Betrayal,” …

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Monday, September 13, 2021

‘Beetlejuice’ Is Back! Fueled by Social Media Embrace, Musical Sets Broadway Return by Rebecca Rubin

Whether or not you say his name three times, Beetlejuice is returning to Broadway. The musical, based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film about a pesky poltergeist, was presumed to be leaving the Gr…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00PM
Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Broadway Staple TKTS Will Reopen in September by Rebecca Rubin

TKTS, the premier destination for discount Broadway tickets, will reopen this fall after being shuttered for more than a year due to the pandemic. Its return, set for Sept. 15 at 3 p.m., mar…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:34PM
Tuesday, August 24, 2021

‘Moulin Rouge: The Musical’ Hires Chloe Beck as Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion by Rebecca Rubin

“Moulin Rouge: The Musical” has appointed Chloe Beck to oversee its equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. As director of EDI, Beck will focus on the Broadway production, the upcoming …

SOURCE: Variety at 09:30AM
Monday, August 9, 2021

‘West Side Story’ Won’t Reopen on Broadway by Rebecca Rubin

Broadway’s revival of “West Side Story” will not be returning to the Great White Way when theaters reopen later in the year. “It is with great regret that we are announcing today tha…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:36PM
Thursday, July 29, 2021

Broadway Will Require Workforce to Be Vaccinated by Rebecca Rubin

When Broadway returns in the fall, theater industry workers will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League on Thursday announced…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:41PM
Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Broadway Actors Chronicle Theater Industry’s COVID-19 Shutdown in New Book ‘When the Lights Are Bright Again’ by Rebecca Rubin

A new book titled “When the Lights Are Bright Again” will memorialize the theater industry’s devastating yearlong pandemic-related shutdown. The book will be published by Applause Thea…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:36PM
Friday, July 9, 2021

Bill Condon to Direct ‘Guys and Dolls’ Movie Adaptation by Rebecca Rubin

Bill Condon, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Chicago,” “Dreamgirls” and Disney’s remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” is taking on another famed movie musical. Condon has sign…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:32AM
Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Movie Theaters Slowly Recover, But 2021 Box Office Still Down 81% From Pre-Pandemic Times by Rebecca Rubin

For the first time in a long time, people are actually going to the movies. After a delayed start to summer, Universal’s action franchise “F9: The Fast Saga,” Paramount’s thriller �…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:52AM
Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s ‘Plaza Suite’ Announces Broadway Opening Night by Rebecca Rubin

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway next year. The upcoming revival of Neil Simon’s play “Plaza Suite,” which stars the real-life couple as a series of d…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:31AM
Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Broadway’s ‘The Music Man’ Hires Producer Kate Horton to Replace Scott Rudin by Rebecca Rubin

Broadway’s starry revival of “The Music Man” has a new boss. Veteran theater producer Kate Horton has been named executive producer of the musical, taking over day-to-day duties from S…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:14AM
Sunday, June 20, 2021

Dave Chappelle Closes Out Tribeca Festival With Surprise Concert at Radio City by Rebecca Rubin

Tribeca Festival, the first in-person film festival in the U.S. since the pandemic, closed out its 20th edition with a tribute to a small town in the midwest. Filmmakers Julia Reichert and S…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:47PM
Sunday, June 13, 2021

Box Office: ‘In the Heights’ Disappoints With $11 Million Opening Weekend by Rebecca Rubin

“In the Heights,” the acclaimed adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway show, didn’t hit all the right notes in its box office debut. The Warner Bros. movie generated a wane $11.…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:30PM
Thursday, June 10, 2021

Movie Theater Owners Call for Immediate Access to Funds for Shuttered Venues by Rebecca Rubin

In December, the Small Business Administration set up a $16.1 billion fund to provide eligible movie theaters, live venue operators and performing arts organizations with grants that could h…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:38PM
Friday, May 28, 2021

AMC, Regal and Cinemark Will No Longer Require Masks for Vaccinated People by Rebecca Rubin

Movie theater chains, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, will no longer require fully vaccinated guests to wear face masks. In line with CDC guidelines, masks will be optional for inoculated…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:13PM

Box Office: ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ and ‘Cruella’ Kick Off With Solid Ticket Sales by Rebecca Rubin

Ahead of the long Memorial Day weekend, Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” and Disney’s “Cruella” are each off to a solid start at the domestic box office. The former, a nearly …

SOURCE: Variety at 03:59PM
Monday, May 24, 2021

Timothee Chalamet to Play Young Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Movie by Rebecca Rubin

Timothee Chalamet is playing the world’s most famous chocolatier. The actor has been cast as a young Willy Wonka in the upcoming “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” prequel, “Wonka.�…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:45PM
Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Ben Platt Calls Out ‘Randos Being Jerks’ About His Age in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Trailer by Rebecca Rubin

Ben Platt is many things: a Tony-winning actor who perfected the art of snot-crying onstage and a songwriter whose talents extend to catchy Yom Kippur jingles. What Platt is not, as many on …

SOURCE: Variety at 01:45PM
Tuesday, May 4, 2021

AFI Reschedules Life Achievement Gala Honoring Julie Andrews by Rebecca Rubin

As Julie Andrews’ character says in “The Princess Diaries” sequel: “A queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early.” So it’s only fitting that the American Film Institute�…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:36PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards