Monday, December 4, 2023

Alicia Keys’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Musical to Open on Broadway in Spring 2024 by Michaela Zee

Alicia Keys’ musical “Hell’s Kitchen” is heading to Broadway in the spring. The musical, which features music and lyrics by Keys and a book by Kristoffer Diaz, made its world premier…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:38PM
Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Frances Sternhagen, Tony-Winning Actor Who Appeared in ‘Cheers,’ ‘ER,’ Dies at 93 by Pat Saperstein

Frances Sternhagen, a Tony-winning actress with many decades on the stage and screen, died Monday of natural causes in New Rochelle, N.Y. Her son Tony Carlin confirmed her death to the New Y…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:04PM

How ‘Lempicka’ Producers Are Using Art Deco Masterpieces to Sell a Broadway Musical by Brent Lang

It’s a dramatic way to sell a new Broadway show. The Longacre Theatre is getting a high art overhaul as the home of “Lempicka,” a new musical about Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka. T…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:01AM
Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Why Broadway’s ‘Spamalot’ Cast Can’t Keep a Straight Face by Gordon Cox

While the cast of the new Broadway production of “Spamalot” is cracking up audiences, they’re all trying their best not to crack up as well. Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” …

SOURCE: Variety at 06:34PM
Sunday, November 19, 2023

‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Review: Alicia Keys Soundtracks a Powerhouse Cast in Vibrant Off Broadway Depiction of Teen Girlhood by Aramide Tinubu

“Hell’s Kitchen,” playwright Kristoffer Diaz’s new musical with songs by Alicia Keys, begins at a dinner table. 17-year-old Ali (a magnetic Maleah Joi Moon, making her professional d…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:30PM

Joss Ackland, ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ and ‘White Mischief’ Actor, Dies at 95 by Caroline Brew

Joss Ackland, the veteran British stage and screen actor who was known for starring in “White Mischief” and “Lethal Weapon 2,” died on Sunday. He was 95. “Joss was a long term clie…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:55PM
Thursday, November 16, 2023

‘Spamalot’ Review: An Overdone Broadway Revival Opts for Excess Over Ingenuity by Gordon Cox

It may be appropriate for a musical with “spam” in the title to feel canned. But it’s a shame that the first Broadway revival of “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” now playing at the St.…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:00PM

Jason Biggs, Edie Falco and Hank Azaria to Produce Off-Broadway Comedy ‘The White Chip’ (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

Jason Biggs, Edie Falco and Hank Azaria have joined the producing team of “The White Chip,” a comedy that will premiere Off-Broadway in 2024. Described as a “wry and wild” journey, t…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:00PM
Wednesday, November 15, 2023

‘Love Actually’ Filmmaker Richard Curtis’ ‘Christmas Actually’ Show Unveils Hosts, Guests by Naman Ramachandran

“Christmas Actually,” a festive stage show curated by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill”), has unveiled its hosts and first tranch…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:51AM
Tuesday, November 14, 2023

How Sierra Boggess and Warren Carlyle Make Broadway ‘Harmony’ by Gordon Cox

To hear the actress Sierra Boggess tell it, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Broadway musical “Harmony” couldn’t have a more apt title. Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” po…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:09PM

Steve Carell Making Broadway Debut in ‘Uncle Vanya’ Opposite Alfred Molina, William Jackson Harper and More by Brent Lang

Steve Carell will make his Broadway debut playing the title character in a revival of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.” The production, which will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Vivia…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:42AM

‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’ Review: Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott Are an Explosion of Emotional Havoc in a Disturbing Off-Broadway Revival by Aramide Tinubu

John Patrick Shanley’s 1983 play “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” is disturbing. Directed by Jeff Ward, the play opens in a bar. Not a glossy glass-encased saloon that has become a staple…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:00AM

‘Harmony’ Review: Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Broadway Musical Is a Glitzy, Superficial Look at a True Story by Gordon Cox

There’s a narrator in “Harmony,” Bruce Sussman and Barry Manilow’s musical now playing at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theater—an elderly rabbi, played ably by Chip Zien, who tells…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:28AM
Monday, November 13, 2023

NBCUniversal Veteran Chris Lucarz Joins RWS Global as Chief Financial Officer (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

RWS Global, the world’s largest producer of live experiences, has hired former NBCUniversal executive Chris Lucarz as chief financial officer. In his new role, Lucarz will oversee all fina…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:00AM
Saturday, November 11, 2023

Alex Edelman on Bringing ‘Just for Us’ to L.A.’s Mark Taper, and Why It Feels Right to Do a Comedic Piece About Jewish Identity Amid Darker Time by Chris Willman

Southern California comedy aficionados have experienced some FOMO when it comes to on-and-off L.A. resident Alex Edelman having become the toast of the town in New York theater circles with …

SOURCE: Variety at 03:07PM
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

David Byrne’s Broadway Musical ‘Here Lies Love’ to Close Due to Low Ticket Sales

“Here Lies Love,” an unconventional disco musical about the rise and fall of former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, will close on Broadway this month due to lackluster ticket sales.…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:21PM
Monday, November 6, 2023

‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ Musical in the Works Based on Sarah Jessica Parker’s 1985 Teen Comedy (EXCLUSIVE)

A musical adaptation of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” the 1985 teen comedy starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt, is in the works. The stage show is based on the film’s screenp…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:30AM
Friday, November 3, 2023

‘The Engagement Party’ Review: Eight Characters Find Infinite Reasons Why This Couple Should Not Be Wed

A ring goes missing in “The Engagement Party.” Not just any ring, but the pricey symbol Josh (Jonah Platt) offered Katherine (Bella Heathcote) when he asked her to marry him. As gestures…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:35PM
Thursday, November 2, 2023

‘I Need That’ Review: Danny DeVito Earns Broadway Laughs in Theresa Rebeck’s New Play

Let’s face it: No one’s going to hire Danny DeVito to play Lear. Or Willy Loman. Or even George to Albee’s Martha. In the eyes of the world, DeVito is a clown, just short of having a B…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:00PM
Tuesday, October 31, 2023

How Patrick Page Summons Devils in His New Solo Show

Scar in “The Lion King.” The Green Goblin in “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” The titular green guy in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The actor Patrick Page (“Hadestown”) …

SOURCE: Variety at 05:57PM

‘Watcher in the Woods’ Musical in Development

A musical adaptation of “Watcher in the Woods,” a supernatural horror story about two sisters, a missing girl and the creepy forest that surrounds them, is in the works. Producer Douglas…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00PM

Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster to Replace Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford in Broadway’s ‘Sweeney Todd’

Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster are heading to Fleet Street. The rialto royalty are joining the cast of Broadway’s “Sweeney Todd” revival as the Demon Barber and his parter-in-crime (lit…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:05AM
Friday, October 27, 2023

Kenny Leon Directing Broadway Revival of Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’

Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon will bring Grover’s Corners back to Broadway. The acclaimed director of “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:30AM
Tuesday, October 24, 2023

‘The Hunger Games’ Stage Adaptation to Open in London in 2024

London is volunteering as tribute to host the first-ever stage adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” a play based on Suzan Collins’ best-selling books and the Jennifer Lawrence-led blockbu…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00AM
Monday, October 23, 2023

Eddie Redmayne, Gayle Rankin Bringing Hot London Revival of ‘Cabaret’ to Broadway

Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin will bring some Weimar decadence to Broadway. The pair will star as The Emcee and Sally Bowles in a new and immersive production of “Cabaret.” The show, d…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:05AM

‘Here We Are’ Review: Sondheim’s Final Musical Is a Surreal and Starry Feast

Chasing brunch to the brink of apocalypse is Stephen Sondheim at his most extreme, and the world premiere of “Here We Are,” which opened Off Broadway at the Shed on Sunday, is a study in…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:00AM
Friday, October 20, 2023

Elle Fanning Making Broadway Debut in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ ‘Appropriate’

Elle Fanning will make her Broadway debut in the upcoming production of “Appropriate,” a darkly comic family drama from Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The show is directed by Lila Neugebauer, …

SOURCE: Variety at 12:00PM
Thursday, October 19, 2023

Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford Set Exits From Broadway Hit ‘Sweeney Todd’

“Sweeney Todd” stars Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will take their final bows as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Mrs. Lovett in 2024. They will be exiting the show on Jan. 14, b…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:05PM

‘Merchant of Venice’ U.K. Production Ups Security in Wake of Hamas Attacks: ‘It’s Like a Dystopian Nightmare’

The touring production of “The Merchant of Venice 1936” has been targeted by antisemites, its star revealed. Tracy-Ann Oberman, who has starred in “Doctor Who” and “Friday Night Di…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:31AM
Wednesday, October 18, 2023

‘Sunset Boulevard’ Review: Nicole Scherzinger Delivers in a Technologically Audacious but Emotionally Empty Reimagining

There’s a strong case for saying that the song “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” sung during Norma Desmond’s return to Paramount Studios in “Sunset Boulevard,” is Andrew Lloyd Webbe…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:53PM
Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Why the Cast of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ Got Spiritual at Variety’s Business of Broadway Breakfast

The 2023 edition of Variety’s annual theater breakfast was all about the Business of Broadway. But that didn’t keep things from getting spiritual, too. In a panel discussion featuring th…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:51PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater