Out of town, on Broadway and on the road, the recent revival of “1776” was strategically cast in a nontraditional manner, with actors of diverse gender identities and racial backgrounds portraying the white, male Founding Fathers as they finalized the Declaration of Independence. “Putting history in the hands of the humans...
Disney’s Theatrical Group has posted closing notices for the London production of Frozen. Frozen will extend for the final time, completing its run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane after three years on 8 September 2024, having been seen by over 2.8 million people....
How to Dance in Ohio has announced its closure on Broadway. The show’s final performance will be February 11. The new neurodivergent coming-of-age musical opened at the Belasco Theatre December 10 after beginning previews November 15. At the time of closing, the musical will have played 27 previews and 72 regular performances....
Hollywood decisionmakers don’t want to take creative risks, Salon’s Nardos Haile writes. And their recent marketing tactics suggest that the industry is confused about what the general public wants when it comes to musicals. Here’s why audiences don’t hate musicals — even if the studios think they do. https://flip.it/5zw3HB #Culture#Entertainment#Hollywood#Musicals#Movies
Developing and producing Broadway musicals is very expensive and time-consuming, which is why it's very rare for musicals to open directly on Broadway. Most shows have an out-of-town tryout and/or are developed by (or in association with) a non-profit/subscription based theatre company....
@Defiance@Nerdfest That makes me think of “The Confidential Musical Theatre Project” here.
“A show is cast confidentially, and cast members meet only on the night of the performance when the musical is revealed to the audience. It's an unparalleled experience for the actors and audience alike.”
And if you thought eight years working in a Broadway show was a long time, here's an interview with Karl Jurman, who just retired from the The Lion King after 26 years....
How to Dance in Ohio has partnered with the Autistic Theatremakers Alliance. The inaugural partnership event will take place January 25, with an extraordinary celebration of New York’s neurodivergent theatre companies....
The curtain has fallen on Schmigadoon! On Thursday, creator Cinco Paul announced on social media that the musical series will not be getting a third season on Apple TV+. This is despite the fact that Paul and his team have written the complete season, including 25 songs....
Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford completed their runs in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on January 14. Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster start performances as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett on February 8. The standbys and understudies will be playing the lead roles until they join the cast, and the production announced the...
The critically acclaimed cast of the smash hit Donmar Warehouse production of the Broadway musical Next to Normal are set to return as the show prepares to transfer to London’s Wyndham’s Theatre from 18 June for a strictly limited 14-week run....
Harmony, the Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical that opened in November to good reviews that never translated to big audiences, will play its final performance at the Barrymore Theatre on Sunday, February 4....
The Kleban Foundation has announced the recipients of the 34th annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre. The 2024 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre lyricist has been awarded to Rona Siddiqui. The 2024 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre librettist has been awarded to Lisa Loomer....
Broadway singers, the vocal virtuosos of the theater world, bring the magic of musicals to life through their exceptional voices and dramatic flair. These performers are the heart and soul of Broadway productions, enchanting audiences with their ability to convey emotion, tell stories, and showcase unparalleled vocal talents....
Douglas Lyons, the writer of “Chicken and Biscuits,” is adapting “Big River” as a film. The show, which features music influenced by country and gospel, is based on Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” It opened on Broadway in 1985 and won seven Tony awards, including best musical, and seven Drama...
In the original 2004 Mean Girls, gossip plays out through word of mouth or surprise three-way phone calls. But in the film adaptation of the Mean Girls musical, vicious teen backstabbing gets a social media makeover....
Clinical psychologist Emilio Amigo, who runs a counseling center for autistic people in Columbus, Ohio, had a big idea: "Many of my clients never went to their homecoming or prom because they weren't welcomed," he said. "I'm like, 'How many of you guys would love to go to a big formal?'"...
The musical-comedy “Shucked” had its closing performance on Broadway Sunday night, but the show went out with an even louder set of whoops than expected, as the curtain call included the news that a feature film adaptation is in the works....
A Black actor was denied a wig for a major Broadway tour. She's now suing for racial discrimination (www.latimes.com)
Out of town, on Broadway and on the road, the recent revival of “1776” was strategically cast in a nontraditional manner, with actors of diverse gender identities and racial backgrounds portraying the white, male Founding Fathers as they finalized the Declaration of Independence. “Putting history in the hands of the humans...
Disney’s Frozen to close in London on 8 September 2024 (www.westendtheatre.com)
Disney’s Theatrical Group has posted closing notices for the London production of Frozen. Frozen will extend for the final time, completing its run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane after three years on 8 September 2024, having been seen by over 2.8 million people....
Broadway's How to Dance in Ohio Announces Closing (playbill.com)
How to Dance in Ohio has announced its closure on Broadway. The show’s final performance will be February 11. The new neurodivergent coming-of-age musical opened at the Belasco Theatre December 10 after beginning previews November 15. At the time of closing, the musical will have played 27 previews and 72 regular performances....
Where Broadway's Newest Shows Got Their Start (www.broadwayworld.com)
Developing and producing Broadway musicals is very expensive and time-consuming, which is why it's very rare for musicals to open directly on Broadway. Most shows have an out-of-town tryout and/or are developed by (or in association with) a non-profit/subscription based theatre company....
Conductor Karl Jurman Has Worked on The Lion King for 26 Years (playbill.com)
And if you thought eight years working in a Broadway show was a long time, here's an interview with Karl Jurman, who just retired from the The Lion King after 26 years....
Miguel Cervantes on Saying Good-Bye to Hamilton After 2,013 Performances (playbill.com)
Interview with Miguel Cervantes, who played Hamilton for eight years....
How to Dance in Ohio Launches Partnership with Autistic Theatremakers Alliance; Announces Talkback Series (playbill.com)
How to Dance in Ohio has partnered with the Autistic Theatremakers Alliance. The inaugural partnership event will take place January 25, with an extraordinary celebration of New York’s neurodivergent theatre companies....
'Schmigadoon' isn't getting a season 3 despite being written (ew.com)
The curtain has fallen on Schmigadoon! On Thursday, creator Cinco Paul announced on social media that the musical series will not be getting a third season on Apple TV+. This is despite the fact that Paul and his team have written the complete season, including 25 songs....
Cameron Mackintosh Ltd turnover doubles to £186 million in latest accounts (www.thestage.co.uk)
https://archive.md/WmyBu...
Sweeney Todd Broadway Announces Temporary Casting for Lead Roles before Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster Join (www.theatermania.com)
Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford completed their runs in Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on January 14. Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster start performances as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett on February 8. The standbys and understudies will be playing the lead roles until they join the cast, and the production announced the...
Acclaimed cast of NEXT TO NORMAL return as Donmar Warehouse production transfers to West End (www.westendbestfriend.co.uk)
The critically acclaimed cast of the smash hit Donmar Warehouse production of the Broadway musical Next to Normal are set to return as the show prepares to transfer to London’s Wyndham’s Theatre from 18 June for a strictly limited 14-week run....
‘Suffs’ Heads to Broadway With Hillary Clinton as a Producer (www.nytimes.com)
The musical, about early-20th-century efforts to win the right to vote for women, will open in April at the Music Box Theater....
Barry Manilow-Bruce Sussman Musical ‘Harmony’ To Close After Four-Month Broadway Run (deadline.com)
Harmony, the Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical that opened in November to good reviews that never translated to big audiences, will play its final performance at the Barrymore Theatre on Sunday, February 4....
Rona Siddiqui and Lisa Loomer Receive 2024 Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre (www.broadwayworld.com)
The Kleban Foundation has announced the recipients of the 34th annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre. The 2024 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre lyricist has been awarded to Rona Siddiqui. The 2024 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre librettist has been awarded to Lisa Loomer....
15 Best Broadway Singers of All Time (singersroom.com)
Broadway singers, the vocal virtuosos of the theater world, bring the magic of musicals to life through their exceptional voices and dramatic flair. These performers are the heart and soul of Broadway productions, enchanting audiences with their ability to convey emotion, tell stories, and showcase unparalleled vocal talents....
Why Paramount Didn’t Market ‘Mean Girls’ as a Musical: ‘People Tend to Treat’ Them ‘Differently’ (variety.com)
You’d be forgiven if you thought butter was a carb, just like it’s totally understandable if you didn’t know the new “Mean Girls” is a musical....
‘Big River’ musical movie adaptation in the works (variety.com)
Douglas Lyons, the writer of “Chicken and Biscuits,” is adapting “Big River” as a film. The show, which features music influenced by country and gospel, is based on Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” It opened on Broadway in 1985 and won seven Tony awards, including best musical, and seven Drama...
The Great Gatsby musical with Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada coming to Broadway in March (www.nytimes.com)
https://archive.md/rJt6Z...
The 'Mean Girls' directors break down how social media shaped their movie musical (sea.mashable.com)
In the original 2004 Mean Girls, gossip plays out through word of mouth or surprise three-way phone calls. But in the film adaptation of the Mean Girls musical, vicious teen backstabbing gets a social media makeover....
Broadway's "How to Dance in Ohio" shines a light on autistic stories (www.cbsnews.com)
Clinical psychologist Emilio Amigo, who runs a counseling center for autistic people in Columbus, Ohio, had a big idea: "Many of my clients never went to their homecoming or prom because they weren't welcomed," he said. "I'm like, 'How many of you guys would love to go to a big formal?'"...
Broadway’s ‘Shucked’ Set for Feature Film Adaptation (variety.com)
The musical-comedy “Shucked” had its closing performance on Broadway Sunday night, but the show went out with an even louder set of whoops than expected, as the curtain call included the news that a feature film adaptation is in the works....
Move over Abba: new ‘riskier’ wave of British musicals to challenge West End’s established order (amp.theguardian.com)
Theatreland is taking a gamble on a wave of quirky little shows to challenge the big but tired box office beasts...