All stories by Cynthia Littleton on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

APA Leaders Talk Growth Spurt, Yucaipa Investment and Dealing With DOJ on CAA-ICM Acquisition by Cynthia Littleton

In a moment of crisis, the leaders of talent agency APA were not about to let opportunity pass them by.  The dramatic changes that have swept across the content business and Hollywood’s c…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM
Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Wayne Brady Partners With Freestyle Love Supreme Academy for Improv Training Platform by Cynthia Littleton

Veteran actor-host Wayne Brady has joined forces with Freestyle Love Supreme Academy and Speechless Inc. to launch a virtual business and educational training platform built around improv ac…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:26AM
Tuesday, December 21, 2021

SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Extend Video Pact for Live Stage Productions by Cynthia Littleton

In another nod to worsening pandemic conditions, SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association have extended the agreement struck last year 2020 that makes it easier for producers to offer live…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:45PM
Thursday, August 5, 2021

Concord Launches Originals Division to Develop Movies, TV and Podcasts From Its IP Vault (EXCLUSIVE) by Cynthia Littleton

Concord is diving deeper into its IP vault of music and theatrical performance rights to develop movies, TV shows and podcasts throught the newly established Concord Originals division. Soph…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:30PM
Friday, June 11, 2021

Katori Hall Wins Pulitzer Prize for Drama, George Floyd Videographer Darnella Frazier Receives Special Citation by Cynthia Littleton

Playwright Katori Hall has won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for her comedy “The Hot Wing King.” The organization behind journalism’s most prestigious honor also bestowed a special cita…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:44PM
Thursday, May 27, 2021

Disney Expands Board of Directors With Election of Lululemon CEO and Google Alum by Cynthia Littleton

Disney has expanded its board of directors to 12 seats with the election of Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald and former Cisco and Google executive Amy Chang. McDonald and Chang were elected to …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:41PM
Friday, May 14, 2021

David White to Step Down as SAG-AFTRA Chief, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Eyed as Successor by Cynthia Littleton

David White is stepping down as SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator after 12 years at the head of Hollywood’s largest union. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA�…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:27PM
Thursday, May 13, 2021

Bill Maher Tests Positive for COVID, Forcing HBO to Table ‘Real Time’ Taping by Cynthia Littleton

Bill Maher has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing HBO to scrap Friday’s scheduled taping of this week’s episode. In a statement, HBO said Maher is “fully vaccinated” and “feels …

SOURCE: Variety at 06:53PM
Thursday, May 6, 2021

‘SpongeBob’ and Nickelodeon Shows Drive Paramount Plus Subscriber Growth by Cynthia Littleton

Nickelodeon has emerged as one of the most popular content hubs on Paramount Plus, offering ViacomCBS a flashback to the good old days when it dominated the linear cable kids TV business. Th…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:45PM
Monday, April 19, 2021

California Boosts Indoor Event Capacity to 75% in Some Areas by Cynthia Littleton

The falling rate of COVID-19 infections and rising rate of vaccination has prompted California state officials to allow concerts and other indoor events to be held at 75% of capacity in some…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:03PM
Friday, April 2, 2021

ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish Sees 2020 Compensation Grow by $20 Million by Cynthia Littleton

ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish got a massive pay bump last year with his total compensation rising by more than $20 million to $38.9 million. Bakish’s haul was padded by $19.7 million in bonus c…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:06PM
Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Providence Equity Bets on Live Event Rebound With Nederlander-ATG Theater Deal by Cynthia Littleton

Private equity giant Providence Equity Partners is betting on the rebound of the live event business, backing Ambassador Theatre Group’s acquisition of high-end venues in San Francisco and…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:19AM
Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Disney Shares Top $200, ViacomCBS Soars Nearly 13% in Volatile Trading Session by Cynthia Littleton

Disney and ViacomCBS shares were buoyant in trading Monday thanks to good news that allowed ViacomCBS to buck the general downtrend for the Nasdaq index. Disney shares climbed 6.2%, topping …

SOURCE: Variety at 06:05AM
Saturday, February 13, 2021

Lynn Stalmaster, Legendary Casting Director, Dies at 93 by Cynthia Littleton

Lynn Stalmaster, the legendary casting director who worked on nearly 200 movies ranging from “West Side Story” to “Harold and Maude” to “Tootsie,” has died. He was 93. Stalmaster…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:47AM
Friday, February 12, 2021

Hollywood Unions Join AFL-CIO Push for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Public Policy Agenda by Cynthia Littleton

Hollywood’s major unions have signed on with the AFL-CIO’s push to advance public policy initiatives involving diversity, equity and inclusion issues. The broad goal is to strengthen col…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:11AM
Monday, February 8, 2021

‘The Whole Town Thought We Would Lose’: WGA Chief on How Guild Prevailed in Agency Fight by Cynthia Littleton

WGA West president David Goodman knew taking on Hollywood’s largest talent agencies would be an uphill battle from the start. But the veteran showrunner who led the guild’s campaign to r…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:13PM

Dana Walden Says Disney Productions Are Among L.A.’s ‘Safest Places’ With Low COVID Rates by Cynthia Littleton

After adapting to COVID protocols last summer and fall, most of Disney’s TV productions have maintained virus transmission rates of less than 1%, making them “some of the safest places�…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:56AM
Thursday, January 28, 2021

James L. Brooks Remembers Cloris Leachman: ‘She Made Outrageousness Lovable’ by Cynthia Littleton

To work with Cloris Leachman was nothing less than liberating. That’s how writer-director James L. Brooks remembered his collaborations with the beloved actor who died Jan. 26 at the age o…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:50AM
Friday, January 1, 2021

Richard Bates, Disney’s Longtime Head of Government Relations, Dies at 70 by Cynthia Littleton

Richard Bates, the longtime head of government relations for Disney, died Dec. 31 at his home outside Washington, D.C. He was 70. Disney said the executive’s death was sudden. Bates had re…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:31PM
Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Howard Rubenstein, PR Strategist and Spokesman for Moguls, Dies at 88 by Cynthia Littleton

Howard Rubenstein, the PR strategist who led a boutique firm favored by media moguls and other high-profile figures, died Dec. 29 at his home in Manhattan. He was 88. Rubenstein’s death wa…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:16AM
Friday, December 25, 2020

Roger Berlind, Prolific Producer of More Than 100 Broadway Shows, Dies at 90 by Cynthia Littleton

Roger Berlind, a prolific producer of more than 100 Broadway shows including such recent smashes as “The Book of Mormon,” “Hello, Dolly!”  and “Dear Evan Hansen,” has died. He w…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:38PM

Salute to ‘A Christmas Story’: Thank You, Bob Clark by Cynthia Littleton

This tribute to director Bob Clark and the 1983 chestnut “A Christmas Story” was originally published Dec. 20, 2007 on the Variety blog “Littleton On the Air” It’s that wonderful t…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:40PM
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Level Forward Makes Splashy Tony Awards Debut With ‘Oklahoma,’ ‘What the Constitution Means to Me’ by Cynthia Littleton

Level Forward, the production entity launched last year by Abigail Disney and Adrienne Becker, is a winner in this year’s Tony Awards derby even before the trophies are handed out on Sunda…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:06AM
Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Terry Bradshaw Apologizes for ‘Offensive Comments’ at Fox Upfront by Cynthia Littleton

“Fox NFL Sunday” host Terry Bradshaw has apologized for “offensive comments” he made about actor-comedian Ken Jeong during Fox’s upfront presentation in New York on Monday. During …

SOURCE: Variety at 03:36PM

New Fox Looks Like Work in Progress at Upfront (Analysis) by Cynthia Littleton

Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier has taken to saying that the relaunch of the broadcast network following the historic Disney-21st Century Fox transaction has turned Fox into a “start…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:36PM
Sunday, May 5, 2019

‘Saturday Night Live’: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Pete Davidson Sing ‘I Got Fired by NBC’ by Cynthia Littleton

Adam Sandler returned to “Saturday Night Live” for the first time since 1995 to sing a chorus of “I got fired by NBC” in his opening monologue, with help from Chris Rock and Pete Dav…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:52AM
Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Paley Center to Salute LGBT Community at Paley Honors Gala by Cynthia Littleton

The Paley Center for Media will pay tribute to the LGBT community and its influence on television at this month’s Paley Honors gala in New York. Paley Honors is set for May 15 at Ziegfeld …

SOURCE: Variety at 02:20PM
Sunday, April 28, 2019

Spinal Tap Rocks, Rolls and Delights at Tribeca 35th Anniversary Screening by Cynthia Littleton

Fans of the legendary British rock outfit Spinal Tap were given a rare treat Saturday night as the band’s core trio reunited for a rare acoustic performance following the Tribeca Film Fest…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:01AM
Friday, April 12, 2019

Leslie Moonves Forfeited $34.5 Million in CBS Stock Awards Last Year by Cynthia Littleton

Former CBS chairman-CEO Leslie Moonves forfeited $34.5 million in CBS stock awards last year as part of the settlement agreement that saw him ousted from the company he steered for more than…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:37PM
Thursday, April 11, 2019

Disney Flexes Brand Muscle and Investment Capabilities in Unveiling Disney Plus by Cynthia Littleton

Disney has thrown down the content gauntlet. The company capped a three and a half hour investor presentation on its plans to move aggressively into the direct-to-consumer arena Thursday wit…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:40PM

Marvel ‘What If’ Animated Show, ‘Frozen II’ Docu-Series Headed to Disney+ by Cynthia Littleton

Disney+ is planning a number of behind-the-scenes production documentary series, making the most of its investment in content for the upcoming streaming services. Disney+ is also planning a …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:54PM

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