All stories by Paul Wontorek on BroadwayStars

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

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

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

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:14PM
Tuesday, February 20, 2018

LaChanze Embraces Her Diva Side in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical by Paul Wontorek

The spring theater season has officially begun, and a slew of highly anticipated musicals and plays, both brand new and revisited, are set to bow. Broadway.com's Spring Preview series ca…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:00PM
Sunday, February 18, 2018

Daphne Rubin-Vega and Gizel Jimenez Face America in Miss You Like Hell by Paul Wontorek

The spring theater season has officially begun, and a slew of highly anticipated musicals and plays, both brand-new and revisited, are set to bow. Broadway.com's Spring Preview series ca…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:00PM
Thursday, February 15, 2018

Hot Tub Parties & Working Out at the Y: How Alison Luff & Paul Alexander Nolan Got Ready to Escape to Margaritaville by Paul Wontorek

In their last Broadway outings, Alison Luff and Paul Alexander Nolan were decidedly not "nibbling' on a sponge cake, watchin' the sun bake," to quote Jimmy Buffett's me…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:45PM
Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Harry Connick Jr. to Star in Broadway-Aimed The Sting at Paper Mill Playhouse by Paul Wontorek

Broadway vet Harry Connick, Jr. will take on the role of Henry Gondorff, made famous by Paul Newman onscreen, in the upcoming musical adaptation of the 1973 film The Sting. The Broadway-aime…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 06:26PM
Friday, January 26, 2018

Kiki on Broadway: Pop King Jake Shears on How His Go-Go-Boy Past Got Him Ready for Kinky Boots by Paul Wontorek

After the glam-pop group Scissor Sisters burst onto the music scene in 2004, their wild theatricality and irresistible dance grooves landed them on the British charts immediately and subsequ…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:58PM
Wednesday, January 24, 2018

The Phantom of the Opera Is Here and 30! Looking Back at the Magic and Romance of Broadway's Longest-Running Show by Paul Wontorek

As "The Phantom of the Opera" celebrates its 30th anniversary on Broadway on January 26, Broadway.com looks back at the show's start and the secret to its success and shines th…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 03:51PM
Monday, December 11, 2017

Alec Baldwin May Bring Acclaimed Donald Trump Impression to Broadway by Paul Wontorek

Will Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump impression be huuuuge on Broadway? On a December 11 interview on The Howard Stern Show, the stage vet said he's mulling the opportunity to turn hi…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:48PM
Friday, November 17, 2017

Laura Benanti and Keegan-Michael Key Talk Smart and Silly About Their Hilarious Broadway Pairing in Meteor Shower by Paul Wontorek

As Laura and Gerald, a wild couple that shakes up the lives of a more straight-laced married pair, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti and Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key are having a blast in th…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 05:06PM
Friday, November 3, 2017

Bow Down! Meet the Immortal Gods of Broadway's Once on This Island by Paul Wontorek

When the well-loved 1990 musical Once on This Island returns to Broadway—previews start at the Circle in the Square on November 9—the gods who rule the Caribbean setting will hav…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:24PM
Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Wicked's Ashley Parker Angel on Dancing Through His Career and Getting (Almost) Naked for a Good Cause by Paul Wontorek

As the Winkie Prince who captures the attention of both green girl and popular girl in Wicked, Ashley Parker’s nightly job on Broadway fits him just as snugly as Fiyero’s famous …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:54AM
Friday, October 20, 2017

Wicked Stars Jackie Burns and Amanda Jane Cooper on Glitter, Getting Green & Their Every Night Halloween Party by Paul Wontorek

For close to 14 years, the blockbuster Wicked has been bringing together big-belting divas and funny ingenues in its leading roles, creating magic with the power of two. Current stars Jackie…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 05:42PM
Saturday, September 9, 2017

Michael Friedman, Composer of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and More, Dies at 41 by Paul Wontorek

Michael Friedman, the rising young musical theater composer and lyricist, died at age 41 on September 9. According to a press release from the Public Theater, where he often worked, the caus…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 09:12PM
Friday, September 8, 2017

Fall Preview 2017: 33 Top Show Picks for Theater Fans This Fall by Paul Wontorek

Bummed that summer is over? Don’t be! In rehearsal rooms all around Manhattan, some of the most innovative theater artists in the world are prepping a fall season filled with hilarious…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 09:18PM
Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The Rise and Reboot of Broadway's Beloved Once on This Island by Paul Wontorek

The 2017-2018 theater season has officially begun, and a slew of highly anticipated musicals and plays, both brand new and revisited, are set to bow. Broadway.com's Fall Preview series c…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:36PM
Thursday, May 4, 2017

Lortel Awards Host Taran Killam on Being a Theater Nerd, Plans to Reign Again in Hamilton and Love for Little Shop's Ellen Greene by Paul Wontorek

After turning in delicious performances as King George in Hamilton and Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. in the 2015 Little Shop of Horrors at City Center, Taran Killam has officially made the leap fro…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 06:42PM
Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Back on the Case! Nick & Nora Stars Barry Bostwick & Joanna Gleason on Bringing Their Flop Pride to 54 Below by Paul Wontorek

It started as the hottest new musical of the 1991-1992 season. An a-list creative team with shows like West Side Story, Gypsy, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and Miss Saigon under their belts bringin…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 03:48PM
Friday, April 28, 2017

Glass Menagerie Stunner Madison Ferris on Bad Audition Tapes, Nude Paintings and Getting Distracted by Daniel Craig by Paul Wontorek

Only 25, Madison Ferris is making theatergoers sit up and take notice. Most obviously, the Broadway newbie who is playing Laura opposite Sally Field’s Amanda in The Glass Menagerie has…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:12PM
Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Showtune Showdown! Thirteen Musicals Duke It Out for Tony Nominations in Historically Competitive Year by Paul Wontorek

Nobody does musicals like Broadway. Every Broadway season feels chock full of big-hearted, big-singing shows that all compete for that final trophy on Tony Awards night: the one engraved wit…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:18AM
Thursday, April 20, 2017

In Her Own Words: Hello, Dolly! Star Bette Midler on the Bliss and Burnout of Her Early Days on Broadway by Paul Wontorek

The world’s been waiting for entertainment icon Bette Midler to return to the Broadway musical stage for close to 50 long years. Now that the opening of Hello, Dolly!, with the incompa…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 08:48AM
Sunday, March 19, 2017

After Record-Breaking Opening Weekend, Beauty and the Beast to Become Most Successful Movie Musical Ever by Paul Wontorek

Disney’s big-screen remake of Beauty and the Beast is on track to become the most successful live-action movie musical of all time, raking in an estimated $170 million in its opening w…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:42PM
Friday, February 10, 2017

Broadway Bigwig: Ranking the Top 50 Musical Theater Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber by Paul Wontorek

With The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Cats and now Sunset Boulevard on the boards, Andrew Lloyd Webber has made history, tying with Rodgers and Hammerstein's record of having fo…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 01:24PM
Friday, February 3, 2017

Exclusive: Jake Gyllenhaal, Annaleigh Ashford & Sunday in the Park with George Won't Compete in 2017 Tony Awards Race by Paul Wontorek

The stars and producers of this season’s musicals can breathe a sigh of relief: there’s one less horse in the 2017 Tony Awards race. Producers of the revival of Sunday in the Par…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 10:06AM
Monday, December 12, 2016

Finn Wittrock on Tackling Othello, Not Singing in La La Land, His ‘Magical’ Glass Menagerie Cast & More by Paul Wontorek

Since holding his own as a newcomer opposite powerhouses like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Linda Emond and Andrew Garfield in Mike Nichols’ Death of a Salesman on Broadway in 2012, Finn Wit…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:33PM
Monday, November 28, 2016

Will Ariana Grande Help Her Hairspray Live! BFF Maddie Baillio Score Her Cast Crush? by Paul Wontorek

There’s nobody more devoted to Tracy Turnblad than her gum-chewing friend Penny Pingleton and now it looks like Hairspray Live! stars Maddie Baillio and Ariana Grande are taking that B…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 06:12PM
Friday, November 25, 2016

Florence Henderson, Who Went from Broadway to The Brady Bunch, Dies at 82 by Paul Wontorek

Florence Henderson, the well-loved stage and TV star, has died, according to the Associated Press. She was 82. Henderson got her start on the stage, making her Broadway debut at the age of …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:31AM
Thursday, November 17, 2016

It's a Sign! Shopping for a History Lesson on the Baltimore Streets of Hairspray Live! by Paul Wontorek

When Tracy Turnblad sings and dances down the streets of Baltimore in the NBC broadcast of Hairspray Live! on December 7, viewers can see some touching tributes on the storefronts of pr…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 02:12AM
Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Sarah Jessica Parker on Her ‘Most Exciting’ Annie Team-Up with Andrea McArdle for Hillary Clinton Gala by Paul Wontorek

Stage stars came together to support Hillary Clinton on October 17 at the presidential hopeful's Stronger Together concert at the St. James Theatre, a star-studded event that provided a …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 12:40PM
Monday, April 11, 2016

Coming Up Roses! Hollywood Resuscitating Barbra Streisand's Gypsy Film, With Oscar Winner Barry Levinson at the Helm by Paul Wontorek

A new big screen version of Gypsy starring Barbra Streisand could be back on, this time with Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Bugsy) at the helm. According to Variety, STX En…

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 07:50PM
Friday, March 11, 2016

From Borat to Bruno to Broadway! Sacha Baron Cohen Reveals Plans for The Lesbian Musical by Paul Wontorek

Sacha Baron Cohen, the Hollywood hit-maker who has shocked audiences with films like Borat, Bruno and the current The Brothers Grimsby and has shown a flair for musicals with appearances in …

SOURCE: Broadway.com at 11:21PM

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