Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Broadway: Lea Michelle Misses Yet Another “Funny Girl” Performance Just Days Before the Troubled Revival Closes by Roger Friedman

Lea Michelle doesn’t mind raining on the parade of her fans. Less than a week before “Funny Girl” closes, Michelle is out

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:07PM
Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Broadway: Is COVID Back? “Sweeney Todd” Stars Affected, Plus Britney Spears Jukebox Musical Shutting Down by Roger Friedman

Before I get to COVID, let me remind you I told you the Britney Spears jukebox musical, “Once Upon a One More

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:05PM
Monday, August 14, 2023

Notes from London, and Streaming: Rose Byrne Gets “Physical,” ABBA Dazzles, Andrew Lloyd Webber Still Has the West End by Leah Sydney

“Abba Voyage,” is a technological wonder kind of spectacular show featuring the phenomenon that was/is the Swedish band Abba.  I recently got

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:25PM
Friday, August 11, 2023

Broadway Review: The Shark Has Big Teeth, Dear in Comedy Satire of “Jaws” That Devours Spielberg’s First Big Hit by Roger Friedman

“The Shark is Broken” is funny but is the play that satirizes the making of “Jaws”? The answer is yes and no.

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:19PM
Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Broadway: Ariana Grande’s “Wicked” Boyfriend Joins “Spamalot,” Angelina Jolie Will Be An Insider for “The Outsiders” Musical by Roger Friedman

I never heard of Ethan Slater before he allegedly dumped his wife for singer Ariana Grande. The two of them star in

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:33PM

Broadway: Britney Spears Musical “Once Upon a One More Time” On Death Watch with 12% Drop by Roger Friedman

Last week I told you two Broadway musicals were in trouble. They were the Neil Diamond musical, “A Beautiful Noise” and the

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:33PM
Friday, August 4, 2023

Review: “Back to the Future” Musical Lands on Broadway a Stunning Visual Production Made for the Nostalgic by Artificial Intelligence by Roger Friedman

“Back to the Future,” a hit musical from London, has landed at the cavernous Winter Garden Theater. Based on the 1985 movie,

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:49AM
Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Broadway: Look on the Bright Side, Monty Python’s Hilarious Tony Award Winning “Spamalot” Is Coming Back This Fall by Roger Friedman

Always look on the bright side of life, and you’ll be rewarded. “Spamalot” is coming back to Broadway. The Tony Award winning

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:13PM

Broadway Summer: Oops! Britney Spears, Neil Diamond Juke Box Musicals Playing to Half-Full Theaters While Other Shows Selling Out by Roger Friedman

Broadway is mostly booming this summer even with fewer shows than usual. “Back to the Future,” which will publish reviews tomorrow, did

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:13PM
Monday, July 31, 2023

Broadway: Non Binary Tony Award Star J. Harrison Ghee Revives Interest in Musical Version of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by Roger Friedman

You may remember how Lady Chablis, a real person, became a national sensation after appearing in the John Berendt best seller, “Midnight

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:25PM
Monday, July 24, 2023

Broadway: “Funny Girl” Star Lea Michele Took the Weekend Off Because She Was “Under the Weather” by Roger Friedman

“Funny Girl” is surging at the box office as the production prepares to close over Labor Day weekend. The fans are turning

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:49PM
Friday, July 21, 2023

Review: David Byrne’s “Here Lies Love” Triumphant Broadway Opening 9 Years After Its Landmark Run at the Public Theater by Roger Friedman

In 2014, I went to the Public Theater in New York to see David Byrne’s “Here Lies Love” and nothing was ever

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:04PM
Thursday, July 20, 2023

Exclusive: Broadway Will NOT Strike As Union Gets An Agreement And Averts Stage Hands Walkout by Roger Friedman

IATSE has reached an agreement with the Broadway League and Disney Theatricals on what they call pink contracts, I am told exclusively.

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:33PM
Sunday, July 16, 2023

Off Broadway: Joey Pantoliano, Constantine Maroulis Lead a Sizzling Cast in “Rock and Roll Man” About Famed DJ Alan Freed by Roger Friedman

Maybe the best surprise performance of the summer theater season is going on in the bowels of New World Stages on West

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:19PM
Monday, July 10, 2023

Broadway: “Merrily We Roll Along” Revival Hasn’t Opened Yet But It’s Already Extending Run by 2 Months by Roger Friedman

Every show hopes for this. The revival of “Merrily We Roll Along” starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez is such

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:33PM
Friday, June 30, 2023

RIP Beloved Actor Alan Arkin Dead at Age 89, Won the Oscar for “Little Miss Sunshine,” Starred in Dozens of Classics by Roger Friedman

The sublimely great actor, Alan Arkin, has died at age 89. His sons said in a joint message, “Our father was a

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:07AM
Thursday, June 29, 2023

Broadway: “Camelot” Revival Will Close Next Month After Extension to September Hampered By No Tony Awards and Poor Reviews by Roger Friedman

For one shining moment, we had “Camelot.” And now, we don’t The Lincoln Center revival of “Camelot,” which was written by Aaron

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:43AM
Monday, June 26, 2023

Broadway: John Legend, Lynn Nottage Team Up for Musical Adaptation of Douglas Sirk 50s Movie with Racial Twist, “Imitation of Life” by Roger Friedman

John Legend is coming to Broadway. He’s written the songs for a musical adaptation of Douglas Sirk’s 50s soap opera, “Imitation of

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:49PM
Sunday, June 25, 2023

Today’s Show Cancelled: Too Hot in UK for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Afraid of Melting at 86 Degrees by Roger Friedman

The folks at London’s “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory” in Wimbledon were afraid they were going to melt today. There’s no air

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:33PM
Saturday, June 24, 2023

COVID Still Exists: “Moulin Rouge” in London’s West End Cancels Saturday Performances Due to Company Illness, Plus Lea Michele Phoned in Sick To by Roger Friedman

Just in case you were wondering, COVID still exists. “Moulin Rouge” in London cancelled both shows today because of it. The announcement

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:07PM

Exclusive: Rachel Brosnahan Remembers Joan Rivers Coming Backstage to Meet Her at First Play, Long Before “Mrs. Maisel” by Roger Friedman

Rachel Brosnahan is clearly the best actress in TV comedy this year. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is the Best Comedy. Brosnahan has

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:07PM
Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Broadway Will Say Goodbye to “Life of Pi” Next Month After Short Run, Won 3 Tony Awards by Roger Friedman

The first casualty of the just ended Broadway season has been announced. “Life of Pi” will close on July 23rd after a

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 07:55PM
Thursday, June 15, 2023

Broadway Stars Line Up for Next Season: Leslie Odom, Jr. Coming This Fall in “Purlie Victorious,” Eddie Redmayne Next Spring in “Cabaret” by Roger Friedman

Two big Broadway announcements. Leslie Odom, Jr is returning this fall in his first new role since winning the Tony for “Hamilton.”

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:07PM
Monday, June 12, 2023

Tony Awards Ratings Drop 11% As Mainstream Audience Tunes Out Writer-less Show, Lowest Ever Numbers by Roger Friedman

The Tony Awards were a ratings bomb. The show last night brought in just 3.42 million viewers. They even lost 2 million

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:13PM

Watch the Very Classy Tony Awards In Memoriam Sung by Last Year’s Amazing Winner Joaquina Kalukango by Roger Friedman

The In Memoriam last night on the Tony Awards was so classy — the Oscars and Emmys should really look at how

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:13PM

Tony Awards Without Writers: Aaron Rodgers, Mrs. Maisel, Grand Wizards, Bleeped Words, Non Binary Winners, and a Shake Shack Dinner in Washington Heig by Roger Friedman

By now, anyone who’s interested in the Tony Awards has an idea of what happened last night. Without writers, the show– hosted

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:07AM
Sunday, June 11, 2023

Tony Awards Tonight: Hot Races in Every Category, But Look for Jessica Chastain, Leopoldstadt, Some Like it Hot, Annaleigh Ashford Among My Choices by Roger Friedman

The Tony Awards are on tonight at 8pm on CBS. It’s been another long theater season, with ups and downs. But there

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:49AM
Saturday, June 10, 2023

Broadway: Lea Michele Is Taking the Day off from “Funny Girl” to Get Ready for Her Big Night at the Tony Awards by Roger Friedman

This is what I call dedication! Lea Michele, who’s been playing Fanny Brice on and off since last September, is skipping today’s

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:33PM
Friday, June 9, 2023

Sunday’s Tony Awards Must-Sees: Mass Singalong of “Sweet Caroline” with Neil Diamond (?), Lea Michele Knock Out “Funny Girl” Performance Eve by Roger Friedman

The biggest moments on Sunday’s Tony Awards show may not come from nominated shows. There will be a show stopping performance from

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:07AM
Thursday, June 8, 2023

Sex in Another City: Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick Taking Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” to London’s West End Next Winter by Roger Friedman

London is about to get a taste of some sex in the city. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are taking their

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:43AM

Broadway Shows in Peril Because of Air Quality: “Camelot,” “Hamilton” Cancel, Shakespeare in the Park off Until Improvement by Roger Friedman

The scary air situation in New York City has hit Broadway and theater performances. Both “Camelot” and “Hamilton” cancelled tonight’s shows because

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:37AM

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