All stories by Paul Wontorek on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

The Prom’s Wayne ‘Juice’ Mackins on the Origin of His Nickname and the Best Part of His Day by Paul Wontorek

Wayne "Juice" MackinsWayne “Juice” Mackins burst onto the Broadway scene last fall as part of the spirited ensemble of the musical comedy The Prom. He plays a high schooler onstage and i…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 03:41PM
Sunday, March 17, 2019

Spring Preview: Finding the Power in the Pioneer Women of Oklahoma! by Paul Wontorek

Oklahoma! is back, 76 years after its Broadway premiere, in a bold new staging by director Daniel Fish that is ready to make audiences hear its songs—and the stories of its iconic characte…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:00PM
Saturday, March 9, 2019

Spring Preview: No Hate in Kiss Me, Kate for Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase by Paul Wontorek

Tony winner Kelli O'Hara and her Tony-nominated friend and co-star Will Chase have been testing out their chemistry for a big Broadway musical like Kiss Me, Kate! for a dozen years now. Fi…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:00PM
Monday, March 4, 2019

Anastasia Vet Lyrica Woodruff on Her Journey from Bunhead to Broadway Breakout by Paul Wontorek

Lyrica WoodruffLyrica Woodruff likes to joke that she was born at the ballet, as her mother took her directly from the hospital to pick up her sister from class days after birth. On the newe…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:08AM
Saturday, February 16, 2019

Gotta Dance: Get to Know Head-Turning My Fair Lady Standout Steven Trumon Gray by Paul Wontorek

Steven Trumon Gray We’ve rebooted our popular series Gotta Dance, turning a well-deserved spotlight on the best and brightest dancers on the Broadway stage. This time out, meet Steve…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 09:48PM

Darren Criss Marries Longtime Girlfriend Mia Swier in New Orleans by Paul Wontorek

Darren Criss is married! The Broadway and TV favorite said “I do” to longtime girlfriend Mia Swier at a New Orleans ceremony on February 16, according to People. After finding s…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 09:48PM
Thursday, February 14, 2019

Happy Valentine's Day from the Stars of Pretty Woman! See Their Hot Tips, Celeb Crushes, Pickup Lines & More by Paul Wontorek

Witches and wizards may reign supreme, but proof that Broadway is still for lovers can be found every night at the Nederlander Theatre, where Pretty Woman has become a favorite for audiences…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 09:36AM
Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Gypsy Movie Back in Motion, with Mrs. Maisel Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino In Talks to Direct by Paul Wontorek

Could everything be coming up roses again for a new big-screen adaptation of Gypsy? According to Deadline, TV queen Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is in…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 10:18PM
Friday, February 1, 2019

25 Years of Firsts with Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar, the Songwriters Behind The Prom by Paul Wontorek

Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar (Photo by Caitlin McNaney) “I think we’ve fought maybe twice,” librettist/lyricist Chad Beguelin says, looking at his writing partner of 2…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 03:42PM
Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Here, Queer and Singing Out on Broadway: Tarell Alvin McCraney and Jeremy Pope Talk Choir Boy by Paul Wontorek

With rousing gospel songs and a talented cast of newcomers, the acclaimed new play Choir Boy tells of the students in a prep school struggling with the institution’s deep roots in trad…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 09:18PM
Monday, January 28, 2019

Exclusive! Daphne Rubin-Vega on Reuniting with Original Rent Stars and How the Telecast Was Like Black Mirror by Paul Wontorek

Idina Menzel shared this brunch photo with co-stars Aiko Nakasone, Anthony Rapp, Jesse L. Martin, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adam Pascal, Rodney Hicks, Wilson Jermaine Heredia & Timothy Britten …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 04:48PM
Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Nonstop! Lin-Manuel Miranda on Mary Poppins Returns, Fosse/Verdon, The Little Mermaid, Tick, Tick...BOOM! and More by Paul Wontorek

Lin-Manuel Miranda is having a moment. To be fair, the likable Broadway multi-hyphenate has been having a lot of moments since first bursting on the entertainment scene as the star and write…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 05:12PM
Saturday, November 24, 2018

Zazz Queen Angie Schworer Steps Into the Spotlight in The Prom by Paul Wontorek

Angie Schworer & Caitlin Kinnunen in "The Prom" (Photo by Deen Van Meer) “I get to do everything that I do. A little dance, a little acting, a little singing, a little …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:12AM
Thursday, November 22, 2018

The Phantom of the Opera Star Ben Crawford on Finding His Dark Side and Freaking Out His Daughter by Paul Wontorek

A devilishly handsome leading man with a killer voice, Ben Crawford has primarily shone on Broadway over the last decade in comedic roles—most notably charming audiences under a pile o…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 10:42AM
Sunday, November 11, 2018

Tony Winner Kelli O'Hara on Why Her Broadway Turn in Kiss Me, Kate Will Be Good For Her Soul by Paul Wontorek

Over two decades on the stage, Kelli O’Hara has built a formidable career, and is one of the leading musical stars of her generation. And after six (!) nominations, the legit powerhous…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 05:42PM

Paula Wayne, Golden-Voiced Broadway Star of Golden Boy, Dead at 84 by Paul Wontorek

Paula Wayne, the golden-voiced leading lady of Broadway’s Golden Boy, died on November 9 at her South Florida home. She was 84 and had battled pancreatic cancer in recent years. Raise…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 04:36PM
Tuesday, November 6, 2018

The Nap and Transparent Standout Alexandra Billings on the Miracle of Broadway, Why Judith Light Is a Superhero and More by Paul Wontorek

As the stories of transgender life have stepped out of the shadows in recent years, the formidable talents of Alexandra Billings have demanded a brighter spotlight. As the 56-year-old favori…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 05:06PM
Friday, November 2, 2018

Karen Olivo on Going from Moulin Rouge! to Fun Home: ‘Comfortable Shoes and One Costume Is Quite a Gift!' by Paul Wontorek

In just two months, Karen Olivo went from the high-glamour world of courtesan Satine in the smashing Boston run of the Broadway-bound Moulin Rouge! The Musical to the quieter life of cartoon…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 05:36PM
Friday, October 26, 2018

After Record-Breaking Run, Huey Lewis Musical The Heart of Rock & Roll Is Still Beating, and Looking to Broadway by Paul Wontorek

Although it wrapped up a record-breaking run at the Old Globe Theatre on October 21, The Heart of Rock & Roll is definitely still beating. Chart-topper Huey Lewis, and show conceiver/pro…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 04:36PM
Monday, October 22, 2018

Everybody Cut, Everybody Cut! Jeremy Kushnier & Jennifer Laura Thompson Reunite 20 Years After Footloose by Paul Wontorek

Twenty years ago, they were the hottest thing in denim. When Jeremy Kushnier and Jennifer Laura Thompson took to the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre on opening night of Footloose on Oct…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 04:36PM
Friday, September 21, 2018

Let's Do This, Bitches! Broadway's Stephanie J. Block on Rising Up as Cher in The Cher Show by Paul Wontorek

The fall theater scene is kicking into high gear with an exciting crop of plays, revivals and new musicals hitting the stage. The Broadway.com 2018 Fall Preview highlights the stars and show…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:12AM
Thursday, September 20, 2018

SJB Fall Preview by Paul Wontorek

Intro. Is starring as Cher, one of the greatest stars of all, in The Cher Show making you feel like a star? You know what? Yes! I never knew I wanted to be a pop goddess until I was a pop g…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:18PM
Monday, September 17, 2018

Cherry Jones, Bobby Cannavale & Daniel Radcliffe Explore Truth, Art and The Lifespan of a Fact by Paul Wontorek

The fall theater scene is kicking into high gear with an exciting crop of plays, revivals and new musicals hitting the stage. The Broadway.com 2018 Fall Preview highlights the stars and show…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:18PM
Friday, July 20, 2018

Summer TV Standouts Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez on Staying True to Yourself and the Power of Pose by Paul Wontorek

While TV mastermind Ryan Murphy made his Broadway producing debut with The Boys in the Band and the just-closed Angels in America revival took audiences back to the tragic heart of the AIDS …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 03:32AM
Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Exclusive! Karen Olivo and Aaron Tveit Are Ready for the High Romance, Drama (and Laughs!) of Moulin Rouge! The Musical by Paul Wontorek

On the stage of the legendary Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston on July 10, glamorous, doomed starlet Satine will once again descend on a swing center stage at the famed Parisian nightclub …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:04PM
Friday, June 8, 2018

Nick Scandalios on His 30-Year Broadway Career, Feeling the Community’s Embrace and Being Honored at the 2018 Tony Awards by Paul Wontorek

With his long history on the Great White Way, Nick Scandalios is one of the engines that makes Broadway run. Broadway.com is kicking off our new series, Industry Insider, which looks at the …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:24PM
Sunday, May 27, 2018

David Morse and Austin Butler on Their Heartbreaking Iceman Cometh Duo and Why O’Neill is Never Easy by Paul Wontorek

Tony Award and Oscar winner Denzel Washington may be the name above the title in George C. Wolfe’s acclaimed new staging of The Iceman Cometh, but he’s actually just one in a sta…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:06AM
Friday, May 18, 2018

2018 Tony Nominees LaChanze and Hailey Kilgore on the Power of Ti Moune, Their Dream Pairing & More by Paul Wontorek

An unknown young star bursts onto the Broadway scene playing a headstrong island girl who risks it all for the love of a man in Once On This Island, breaking hearts with her unforgettable pe…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:36PM
Saturday, April 21, 2018

No More Tears: Donna Summer Gets the Broadway Bio-Musical She Dreamt Of, With Three Diva Stars by Paul Wontorek

Just a few of Donna Summer's hit albums. Hot stuff indeed. According to Spotify, the world’s most popular music streaming service, over two million users have listened to a Donna…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:04PM
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Lights Up on Ana Villafane! The In the Heights Star on Embracing Lin-Manuel Miranda and Letting Go of Gloria Estefan by Paul Wontorek

Headlining a big, splashy Broadway musical is a dream-come-true opportunity for any young wannabe star. Ana Villafañe's debut moment, playing pop music icon Gloria Estefan in the …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 10:00AM
Sunday, March 4, 2018

Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez Win Second Oscar for "Remember Me" from Coco by Paul Wontorek

Married Frozen songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have won their second Oscar for “Remember Me” from the film Coco, beating out fellow Broadway songwriters …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:14PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre