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All stories by Janice C. Simpson on BroadwayStars

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Tuesday, October 4, 2022

How a Black British Director Is Reinventing an American Classic - Miranda Cromwell on the impact of centering a Black family in 'Death of a Salesman' by Janice C. Simpson

Miranda Cromwell on the impact of centering a Black family in Death of a Salesman on Broadway --- Miranda Cromwell admits she didn't think much of Death of a Salesman when she first read Art…

SOURCE: TDF at 12:00AM

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Opinion: A radical proposal for Broadway plays by Janice C. Simpson

If you judged the state of playwriting by this year’s Tony nominations for best play, you might think some unidentified virus had wiped out a generation of American writers. Three of t…

SOURCE: Broadway.News Subscription at 05:30AM

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Opinion: Small musicals punch above their weight by Janice C. Simpson

Even before it got to Broadway, people were predicting that “The Band’s Visit” would win the Tony Award for Best Musical. And, indeed it is this year’s front-runner, …

SOURCE: Broadway.News Subscription at 05:30AM

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

\u201CBroadway Superheroes\u201D Unite to Tell the Story of Shuffle Along by Janice C. Simpson

We talk with Tony winners Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter and George C. Wolfe about illuminating the context behind the original musical and honoring their characters.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

Friday, January 8, 2016

The Man Who First Brought Us Hamilton Ron Chernow On Serving As Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Right Hand Ma by Janice C. Simpson

Before Miranda wrote the show, Chernow wrote the best-selling biography on the once-forgotten Founding Father. How involved was Chernow in the making of the musical? What does he thi…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:21AM

Monday, March 30, 2015

Meet Three Women Behind the New Musicals on Broadway by Janice C. Simpson

Over the past decade, women like Susan Stroman, Diane Paulus and Kathleen Marshall have moved to the front ranks of go-to directors for big Broadway musicals. But female composers have b…

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:14AM

Friday, November 14, 2014

Cut Songs, Plot Changes and More: Rob Marshall and James Lapine on Bringing “Moments in the Woods” t by Janice C. Simpson

Rob Marshall, director of the anticipated movie musical "Into the Woods," and screenwriter James Lapine discuss bringing the beloved musical to the big screen — and the i…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

Sunday, October 12, 2014

S. Epatha Merkerson and Lillias White Talk Billy Porter, Colorblind Casting and Rare Roles for Veter by Janice C. Simpson

S. Epatha Merkerson and Lillias White, collaborating for the first time in Billy Porter's While I Yet Live, share their experiences while working as African-American actresses.

SOURCE: Playbill at 11:59PM

Friday, May 9, 2014

Norm Lewis Sings "The Music of the Night" as He Fulfills His Dream of Starring in The Phantom of the Opera by Janice C. Simpson

Tony nominee Norm Lewis will make history May 12 when he becomes the first African-American actor to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

Saturday, March 8, 2014

In the East My Pleasure Lies: Tarell Alvin McCraney Brings Antony and Cleopatra to the Public by Janice C. Simpson

Award-winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney talks with Playbill.com about staging a new adaptation of Antony and Cleopatra at the Public Theater.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

Monday, April 8, 2013

How Do You Find a New Diana Ross? by Janice C. Simpson

Inside the casting for Broadway’s “Motown The Musical” Casting a Broadway show is never easy, but finding the right actors for Motown: the Musical was especially daunting. …

SOURCE: TDF at 12:51PM

Friday, April 5, 2013

How Do You Find a New Diana Ross? by Janice C. Simpson

Inside the casting for Broadway’s “Motown: The Musical” Casting a Broadway show is never easy, but finding the right actors for Motown: the Musical was especially daunting.…

SOURCE: TDF at 11:22AM

Friday, January 11, 2013

Open for Business by Janice C. Simpson

Trainers preach a new gospel of self-empowerment, even in the most collaborative of art forms

SOURCE: Theatre Communications Group at 10:16AM

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

It’s Good To Make a Writer Squeamish by Janice C. Simpson

Peter DuBois and Gina Gionfriddo collaborate at Playwrights Horizons It’s no surprise that playwright Gina Gionfriddo and director Peter DuBois are collaborating again. They’ve b…

SOURCE: TDF at 01:35PM

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Building Character: Santino Fontana by Janice C. Simpson

The actor’s brain injury guides his performance in “Sons of the Prophet” Welcome to Building Character, TDF STAGES ‘ongoing series about actors and how they create th…

SOURCE: TDF at 11:42AM

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Prodigy of Summer Shorts by Janice C. Simpson

A teenage playwright joins theatre legends Summer Shorts, the annual festival of new American short plays, has lined up a murderers’ row of playwrights for its fifth season. On deck ar…

SOURCE: TDF at 12:19PM

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