Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Douglas Aibel Stepping Down as Vineyard Theatre Artistic Director (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

Douglas Aibel will step down as artistic director of Vineyard Theatre, ending a forty-year run. He will continue to work as a producer and casting director, focusing on several upcoming f…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:58PM

Disney Theatrical Group’s Thomas Schumacher Will Depart Longtime Leadership Role This Month (EXCLUSIVE) by Gordon Cox

Thomas Schumacher, a leading force in growing Disney Theatrical Group into one of the most successful and influential theater producers on Broadway and around the world, will step down as DT…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:30AM

Lincoln Center Theater’s New Artistic Director Lear deBessonet Talks Building ‘Impossible Communities’ by Gordon Cox

For Lear deBessonet, theater has always been about community — and it’s a value she’s bringing with her as she steps into the role of artistic director of Manhattan’s venerable Linco…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:14AM
Monday, August 25, 2025

A24’s Cherry Lane Theatre Sets Jodie Foster, Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola and More for Reopening Week by Rebecca Rubin

A24 will officially re-open the Cherry Lane Theatre, a historic off-Broadway venue in New York’s West Village, with a week’s worth of events hosted by Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola, Jodie Fos…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:43PM
Thursday, August 21, 2025

‘Gossip Girl’ Reboot Star Thomas Doherty Joins ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Revival as Seymour (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

Thomas Doherty is headed to Skid Row. The Scottish actor, who rose to fame in Disney’s “Descendants” franchise and HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot, has been cast in the off-Broadw…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM
Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri to Make Broadway Debuts in ‘Proof’ Revival by Clayton Davis

Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle and Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe winner Ayo Edebiri will make their Broadway debuts next spring in the first New York revival of David Auburn’s Tony Award- …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:30PM
Tuesday, August 19, 2025

German Magic Duo the Ehrlich Brothers Talk Avoiding Clichés While Preparing Their First U.S. Tour by Jenelle Riley

If you aren’t familiar with Andreas and Christian Ehrlich, a.k.a. the Ehrlich Brothers, just know that their magic show is probably unlike any you’ve seen before. The German duo is known…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:35PM
Sunday, August 17, 2025

Terence Stamp, General Zod in ‘Superman’ Films, Dies at 87 by Pat Saperstein

English-born Terence Stamp, who burned brightly as a young actor in the 1960s, with praise heaped upon him for roles in “Billy Budd,” “The Collector” and “Far From the Madding Crow…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:24AM
Thursday, August 14, 2025

‘Mamma Mia!’ Review: A Revival of the 2001 Jukebox Musical Offers Another Undiluted Shot of ABBA Joy. Only It’s Now a Double Layer Cake of Nosta by Owen Gleiberman

The show practically invites us to chuckle at the neatly interlocked way that a song like "Honey, Honey" or "Knowing Me, Knowing You" will dovetail with the (thin) motivation for singing it.…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00PM

Jeff Ross’ Broadway Debut: The RoastMaster on Leaving Politics Offstage, Singing Live and Embracing His Serious Side by Rebecca Rubin

Jeff Ross is constantly traveling for work, flying across the country – often hitting multiple cities in the same weekend – for comedy gigs. But the veteran stand-up had held onto his Ma…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Inside Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Comeback: From Hit Revivals of ‘Evita’ and ‘Sunset Blvd.’ to a Dramatic Overhaul to His Theater Company by Brent Lang

“We couldn’t allow things to just trundle along,” Andrew Lloyd Webber says. “We had to make a big change.” He’s drumming his fingers on the dining room table of his Upper West Si…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:58AM
Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Kid Harpoon Creating Original Music for Broadway Revival of ‘Art’ (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang

Grammy winner Kid Harpoon will create original music for the upcoming Broadway revival of “Art.” The Tony Award-winning show — about three friends who debate the merits of a ridiculous…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:06PM

Young Hollywood Impact Report 2025: Milly Alcock, Simone Biles, Sombr, Miles Caton and More Talent Riding the Next Wave in Showbiz by Abigail Lee

The talents on Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report rep the future of the entertainment business. They are all between the ages of 18-28 and cross all media platforms and look …

SOURCE: Variety at 12:05PM
Tuesday, August 5, 2025

‘Hamilton’ Turns 10: Four Actors Unpack Playing a Role in the Musical’s Enduring Legacy by Gordon Cox

“Hamilton” celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Broadway opening on Aug. 6. As part of the birthday festivities, a quartet of actors who have starred in the show gathered to talk about…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:30PM
Monday, August 4, 2025

Cynthia Erivo and Adam Lambert Are the Most Divine Frenemies Ever in a Smashing ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at the Hollywood Bowl: Concert Review by Chris Willman

Loving “Jesus Christ Superstar” is one thing, but loving the myriad staged productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar” is another. The Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice masterpiece existed ar…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:45PM
Thursday, July 31, 2025

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Star Helen J. Shen Responds to Andrew Barth Feldman Casting Controversy by Rebecca Rubin

Helen J. Shen, the star of Broadway’s “Maybe Happy Ending,” is defending the show’s recent decision to recast the lead male role with a white actor. Producers announced last week tha…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:42PM

‘The Greatest Showman’ Director Michael Gracey Planning Luciano Pavarotti Stage Musical by Nvivarelli

“The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey is set to make a stage musical about Luciano Pavarotti. The Australian director, producer and visual effects artist — who more recently e…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:49AM
Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Jessica Chastain Enrolls at Harvard Kennedy School to Get Masters Degree in Public Administration by Marc Malkin

Jessica Chastain has gone back to school. A source tells me the Oscar winner is enrolled in the two-year Master in Public Administration program at The John F. Kennedy School of Government a…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:51AM
Monday, July 28, 2025

Variety Honors 10 Comics To Watch at Just For Laughs Festival by Jenelle Riley

After a year away, the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival returned to Montreal with a star-studded line-up of the biggest names in laughter. On July 24, Variety presented their annual 10 Comics…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:43PM

Wallis Annenberg, Prominent Los Angeles Philanthropist, Dies at 86 by Pat Saperstein

Wallis Annenberg, the prominent Los Angeles philanthropist who backed institutions including the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, died Monday in Los Angeles.…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:31PM
Friday, July 25, 2025

Cleo Laine, Preeminent U.K. Jazz Singer and Tony-Nominated Theater Actress, Dies at 97 by Chris Willman

Cleo Laine, considered by many to be the U.K.’s preeminent jazz singer, and an accomplished theater actress in her home country as well as on Broadway, died Thursday at age 97. The death w…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:25PM
Thursday, July 24, 2025

As ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Stars Liz Gillies and Graham Phillips Take Their Final Bows, They Dream of Audrey and Seymour’s Future — and Want by Leia Mendoza

After meeting and working together 17 years ago on Jason Robert Brown’s teen-centric Broadway musical “13,” Liz Gillies and Graham Phillips have finally reunited onstage courtesy of th…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00PM
Tuesday, July 22, 2025

House Republicans Push to Rename Kennedy Center Opera House After Melania Trump by Brent Lang

House Republicans are ready to do some rebranding. On Thursday, GOP members of the House Appropriations Committee voted to rename the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performin…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:52PM

How Adam Lambert Is Preparing to Be Cynthia Erivo’s Judas in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ — And Why He’s Returning to His Musical Theater Roots by Gordon Cox

Less than a year after making his Broadway debut in “Cabaret,” Adam Lambert is stepping into another musical next month, starring as Judas opposite Cynthia Erivo as Jesus in the Hollywoo…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:35PM
Thursday, July 17, 2025

Just For Laughs Comedy Festival’s New Owner Sylvain Parent-Bédard Talks Return To Montreal by Jenelle Riley

Last year, the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival looked like a thing of the past — after being founded in 1982, the venerated Montreal fest was bankrupt and cancelled. But like a well-told j…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00PM

Variety’s 10 Comics To Watch for 2025 Includes Emmy Nominee Robby Hoffman, ‘Overcompensating’ Star Mary Beth Barone by Jenelle Riley

Every year, Variety editors and industry insiders select a list of emerging comedy creators making waves. This year, the honorees will be celebrated at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montre…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Urie to Join ‘Oh, Mary!’ on Broadway by Rebecca Rubin

Kumail Nanjiani and Michael Urie will join the Broadway company of “Oh, Mary” as Mary’s Husband (if you know, you know) and Mary’s Teacher, respectively. They’ll star “Drag Race�…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

New York Times Culture Desk Shake-Up: Critics Margaret Lyons, Jon Pareles, Jesse Green, Zach Woolfe Reassigned to ‘New Roles’ by Todd Spangler

The New York Times is revamping its lineup of arts and entertainment critics — replacing four of the paper’s TV, music and theater critics, who are being offered “new roles,” accordi…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:50PM
Monday, July 14, 2025

‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ Sets New York Benefit Concert With Laverne Cox, Jonathan Van Ness, Betty Who and Alex Newell (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

Break out your “fancy dress” because “The Drowsy Chaperone” is returning to the New York stage. Laverne Cox, Jonathan Van Ness, Betty Who and Alex Newell are among the bold-face name…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM
Thursday, July 10, 2025

Tony Awards Announce 2025-2026 Nominating Committee Including Bob Balaban, BD Wong, Jordan E. Cooper and More by Clayton Davis

Actors Bob Balaban, Jordan E. Cooper, and BD Wong, along with notable theater artisans such as director Sarah Benson and Repertorio Español executive artistic director Rafael Sánchez, have…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:22PM

‘Zombies 4′ Star Milo Manheim on His Future With the Disney Franchise and Plans to Return to the Stage: ‘Broadway…Is Calling My Name’ by Abigail Lee

Milo Manheim is looking to return to the stage. The star of the Disney Channel’s “Zombies” films recently played Seymour in a “Little Shop of Horrors” off-Broadway revival and was …

SOURCE: Variety at 10:07AM

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