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Joel Grey, John Kander to Receive Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement

Caitlin Hornik — Wed, 03 May 2023 20:17:32 +0000

Joel Grey and John Kander have been announced as recipients of 2023 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Both theater veterans will be honored at the 76th annual ceremony on June 11.

Grey’s Broadway career began in the 1950s, making his debut in Borscht Capades (under the name Joel Kaye). Among his notable Main Stem credits are a Tony-winning performance in the original Cabaret and Tony-nominated turns in George M!, Goodtime Charley and The Grand Tour. He also originated the role of the Wizard in Wicked and played Moonface Martin in the 2011 revival of Anything Goes. Grey earned an additional Tony nomination for co-directing (with George C. Wolfe) the Broadway premiere production of The Normal Heart, a play he had appeared in Off-Broadway decades prior. Grey remains one of nine actors to have won Tony and Academy Awards for the same role — for his performance as the Emcee in Cabaret.

Grey has appeared in more than two dozen film and television productions. In recent years, he has turned to photography. He has published five books of photographs as well as work that remains part of the permanent collection at the Whitney …

Celebrate Opening Night of New York, New York on The Broadway Show

Broadway.com Staff — Wed, 03 May 2023 19:24:13 +0000

Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek is on the scene for the Broadway opening of New York, New York, starring Tony nominee Colton Ryan and Anna Uzele. Watch an extended version of their red carpet chat, plus hear from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Clyde Alves, Ben Davis and more!

Head here to see when The Broadway Show airs near you. Hosted by Emmy winner Tamsen Fadal, it is the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program.

Hear From Annaleigh Ashford, Tom Stoppard, Sean Hayes and More on The Broadway Show

Broadway.com Staff — Wed, 03 May 2023 19:03:47 +0000

Before The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal airs nationwide this weekend, we're offering a first look at the episode. Hosted by Emmy winner Fadal, this episode will air in New York City on May 6 at 7:30PM ET on WPIX. Be on the lookout for The Broadway Show, the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program, on your local TV station.

Featured this week:

Road to the Tony Awards! Learn all about this year’s exciting 2023 Tony nominees.
Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek is on the scene for the Broadway opening of New York, New York, starring Tony nominee Colton Ryan and Anna Uzele.
Hit the starry red carpet for the Broadway opening of Good Night, Oscar, starring Tony nominee Sean Hayes.
Get to know Marcel Spears, star of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fat Ham.
Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan celebrate The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window’s Broadway bow.
Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek catches up with Sweeney Todd leading lady and Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford at Gallow Green.
See Laura Linney and Tony nominee Jessica Hecht take their opening night bow in Summer, 1976.
Some Like It Hot Tony nominee NaTasha Yvette …

Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ Sets Closing Date

Caitlin Hornik — Wed, 03 May 2023 13:47:50 +0000

The Broadway revival of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ will play its final performance on May 14. The revival began previews on March 2 and opened at the Music Box Theatre on March 19. At the time of closing, the production will have played 82 performances.

The news comes on the heels of the May 2 Tony Awards nominations announcement; the production did not receive recognition. The production did receive seven nominations for the Chita Rivera Awards, which honor dance and choreography in theater and film.

The musical showcases the choreography and essence of Tony-winning choreographer Bob Fosse.

The cast includes Ioana Alfonso, Yeman Brown, Peter John Chursin, Dylis Croman, Jōvan Dansberry, Karli Dinardo, Tony d’Alelio, Aydin Eyikan, Pedro Garza, Jacob Guzman, Manuel Herrera, Afra Hines, Gabriel Hyman, Kolton Krouse, Mattie Love, Krystal Mackie, Yani Marin, Nando Morland, Khori Michelle Petinaud, Ida Saki, Ron Todorowski and Neka Zang. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting.

Direction and musical staging are by Wayne Cilento, who kept Fosse’s original choreography intact for this production. Cilento was a member of the cast of the original 1978 production and won a Tony for his performance. Christine Colby Jacques and Lauren Cannon provide additional choreographic reconstruction. Additional material …

Summer, 1976 Receives Additional Extension

Caitlin Hornik — Tue, 02 May 2023 18:43:40 +0000

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced a second extension for the world-premiere production of Summer, 1976. The production will now play for an additional week through June 18 at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Summer, 1976 had previously been extended by two weeks to June 10.

Written by David Auburn and directed by Daniel Sullivan, Summer, 1976 stars 2023 Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht as Alice and Laura Linney as Diana. The play follows two women who are navigating motherhood, intimacy and independence in Ohio during the bicentennial celebrations sweeping the nation.

Hecht received the production’s sole Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play.

Full Cast Announced for Here Lies Love

Caitlin Hornik — Tue, 02 May 2023 15:40:31 +0000

Casting is complete for the Broadway premiere of Here Lies Love. The previously announced musical is scheduled to begin previews on June 17 ahead of an official opening night of July 20 at the Broadway Theatre.

Newly announced ensemble members include Melody Butiu, Moses Villarama, Jasmine Forsberg, Reanne Acasio, Jaygee Macapugay, Julia Abueva, Renée Albulario, Aaron Alcaraz, Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay, Jeigh Madjus, Aaron “AJ” Mercado, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne and Angelo Soriano.

They join the previously announced Arielle Jacobs as Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, Jose Llana as President Ferdinand Marcos, Conrad Ricamora as Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and Lea Salonga as Aquino’s mother.

“Our international casting search took us literally around the globe,” said director Alex Timbers in a statement. “We received submissions from actors in the U.S. to the Philippines and more than a dozen countries in between. Overall, more than 1200 talented actors were considered for Here Lies Love’s Broadway cast, and I can’t wait for you to meet this incredible company of actors!”

Also newly announced are several creative team members, including music director J. Oconer Navarro, assistant director Billy Bustamante, assistant choreographer Renée …

Some Like It Hot Leads the 2023 Tony Award Nominations; See the Full List

Ruthie Fierberg — Tue, 02 May 2023 12:27:19 +0000

Funny Girl star Lea Michele and MJ Tony Award winner Myles Frost announced the nominees of the 76th annual Tony Awards on May 2. The ceremony, which will take place on June 11 at the United Palace, will honor Broadway musicals and plays of the 2022-2023 season. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27, 2023. There were 38 eligible productions.

Some Like It Hot garnered 13 nominations — the most of any show — including Best Musical.

Ain’t No Mo’ and Leopoldstadt tied for the most-nominated plays, with six total nods each — both earning a slot in the Best Play category.

As previously announced, director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Special Tony Award. Tony Honors for Excellence will be given to production stage manager Lisa Dawn Cave, executive director of TDF Victoria Bailey and theatrical accountant Robert Fried.

The 2023 Tony Awards will be broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET on CBS in addition to a livestream available on Paramount+. A special pre-show, including the presentation of creative awards, will stream live on Pluto TV at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Below is the complete list of nominees:

Best Musical
& Juliet
Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked …

Initial Casting Announced for Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Harmony on Broadway

Caitlin Hornik — Mon, 01 May 2023 20:23:15 +0000

Casting has been announced for the actors playing The Harmonists, the real-life musical group at the center of the musical Harmony. Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey will portray the six members of the group.

Harmony will mark the Main Stem debuts of Bell, Kornfeld, Peters, Roman and Telsey. Owen previously appeared on Broadway in The Band’s Visit.

Prior to their Broadway bow, the six actors will join the musical’s composer — Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Barry Manilow — onstage at Radio City Music Hall for an appearance during his five concerts beginning on May 31.

As previously announced, Harmony is scheduled to begin previews on October 18 and officially open on November 13 at the Barrymore Theatre. Warren Carlyle will direct and choreograph the show, which features music by Manilow with lyrics and a book by Sussman.

Harmony tells the story of six entertainers who rose to fame in Berlin during the 1920s and ’30s. The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records and starred in dozens of films — but they’re legacy was erased by the turmoil of Nazi Germany.

Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ Leads Chita Rivera Award Nominations

Caitlin Hornik — Mon, 01 May 2023 14:41:41 +0000

Five Broadway productions have received nominations for the 2023 Chita Rivera Awards, honoring dance and choreography in shows and films that opened during the 2022-2023 season.

The current revival of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ leads as the Broadway production with the most nominations, totaling seven. A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical received four nods, while Some Like It Hot and the recently-opened New York, New York received three each. & Juliet was honored with two nominations. Of note: Dancin’ was not eligible for Outstanding Choreography, as it features Bob Fosse’s movement from the original production.

This year, for the first time, all performance categories are genderless. The Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show category has twice as many nominees and will have two winners.

As previously announced, the 2023 Chita Rivera Awards will be presented on May 22nd at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Funny Girl star and 2022 Chita Rivera Award winner Jared Grimes.

The full list of 2023 Chita Rivera Awards nominations are below.

Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show
Steven Hoggett, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Susan Stroman, …

Barry Manilow-Penned Musical Harmony Announces Broadway Run

Broadway.com Staff — Mon, 01 May 2023 14:19:36 +0000

Director-choreographer Warren Carlyle revealed to Broadway News, exclusively, what to expect.

Following a 2022 off-Broadway run at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Harmony will open at the Barrymore Theatre this fall. Previews will begin on October 18 ahead of an official opening night on November 13.

The musical tells the story of the six men behind the Comedian Harmonists, a group of entertainers who rose to fame in Berlin during the 1920s and ’30s. The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records and starred in dozens of films — but they’re legacy was erased by the turmoil of Nazi Germany.

Harmony features an original score by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Barry Manilow with lyrics and a book by Bruce Sussman. Sussman took home the 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. Manilow and Sussman previously worked together on the Main Stem productions of Barry Manilow on Broadway and Barry Manilow at the Gershwin.

Tony winner Warren Carlyle will return to direct and choreograph the production. Carlyle most recently choreographed the 2022 revival of The Music Man. This marks the first production he’s directed and choreographed on Broadway since 2013’s After Midnight.

Carlyle told …

Fans Pick Their Faves on This Week's Elaine Paige on Sunday

Broadway.com Staff — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Olivier-winning actress Elaine Paige is giving Broadway.com listeners a chance to hear her BBC Radio 2 show Elaine Paige on Sunday. This week, Paige presents show tunes and movie songs, all chosen by you. There will be songs from hit musicals including Finding Neverland, Little Shop of Horrors, Starlight Express and Waitress. There will be songs from hit musicals including Les Misérables, Me and My Girl, Sweeney Todd, Wicked and Guys and Dolls. Catch the full episode by clicking the link below!

Tony Awards Committee Issues Final Eligibility Rulings for 2022-2023 Season

Caitlin Hornik — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:15:04 +0000

On April 28, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced eligibility rulings for 11 productions in the 2022-2023 Broadway season. This follows the first and second announcements on eligibility determinations, which came in February and April, respectively.

The productions discussed included Life of Pi, Shucked, Fat Ham, Camelot, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Thanksgiving Play, Prima Facie, Good Night, Oscar, Summer, 1976, New York, New York and The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.

The following determinations were made:

For Life of Pi, Hiran Abeysekera will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category. Scenic designer Tim Hatley and video/animation designer Andrzej Goulding will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category. Hatley (in the capacity as costume designer) and puppet designers Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Costume Design of a Play category.

For Shucked, Caroline Innerbichler will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category.

For Fat Ham, Marcel Spears will be considered eligible in the …

Playwright Larissa FastHorse Discusses Bringing The Thankgiving Play to Broadway on The Broadway Show

Broadway.com Staff — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 19:32:56 +0000

Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens sits down with playwright Larissa FastHorse to discuss making her Great Bright Way debut with The Thanksgiving Play. Catch an extended version of their The Broadway Show interview below!

Head here to see when The Broadway Show airs near you. Hosted by Emmy winner Tamsen Fadal, it is the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program.

Britney Coleman to Lead Company Tour

Ruthie Fierberg — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 19:15:08 +0000

The North American tour of Company will star Britney Coleman as Bobbie. The previously announced tour of the Tony Award-winning revival, featuring Tony-winning direction by Marianne Elliott, will launch at the Fisher Theater in Detroit on Oct. 17.

Coleman was a member of the cast of the 2022 Broadway revival, in which she understudied the roles of Bobbie and Jenny. Coleman’s additional Main Stem credits include Beautiful—The Carole King Musical, Sunset Boulevard and Tootsie.

“I am thrilled to be many people’s first woman of color leading a Sondheim show at this scale across America,” Coleman said in the video below. “I don’t take that for granted one bit.”

Company features a book by George Furth and a score by Stephen Sondheim. Elliott’s version follows Bobbie, a woman wrestling with the idea of marriage—by exploring those of her dearest friends—on the occasion of her 35th birthday.

2023 Sweeney Todd Revival to Receive Cast Album

Caitlin Hornik — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 16:40:50 +0000

The current revival of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd will release a cast album on Warner Music Group’s Arts Music and Reprise Records. Though a release date has not yet been confirmed, the album will be available later this year.

The album is being produced by the revival’s music supervisor Alex Lacamoire along with co-producer Thomas Kail, who directed the production.

The cast of Sweeney Todd features Josh Groban in the title role and Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett, along with Jordan Fisher as Anthony, Gaten Matarazzo as Tobias, Ruthie Ann Miles as Beggar Woman, Maria Bilbao as Johanna, Jamie Jackson as Judge Turpin, John Rapson as Beadle Bamford, Nicholas Christopher as Pirelli and the standby for Sweeney Todd and Jeanna de Waal as the standby for Mrs. Lovett and Beggar Woman.

They are joined by Galyana Castillo, Jonathan Christopher, Dwayne Cooper, Kyrie Courter, Taeler Cyrus, Timothy Hughes, Paul-Jordan Jansen, Alicia Kaori, Michael Kuhn, Raymond J. Lee, Patricia Phillips, Mia Pinero, Samantha Pollino, Lexi Rabadi, Nathan Salstone, Kristie Dale Sanders, Stephen Tewksbury, Daniel Torres, Felix Torrez-Ponce, DeLaney Westfall and Hennessy Winkler.

The production features Sondheim’s score as it was performed in its first Broadway staging, with Jonathan Tunick’s …

Shucked Leads Drama Desk Nominations

Caitlin Hornik — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:17:55 +0000

Nominees have been announced for the 2023 Drama Desk Awards, honoring artistic excellence on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway. Winners will be announced the week of May 29. The 67th annual ceremony will take place on June 6 at Sardi’s Restaurant in midtown Manhattan.

As previously announced, this is the first year in which acting categories are gender-free. As a result, there are more nominees in each of those categories.

The original Broadway musical Shucked leads as the production with the most nominations, totaling 12. Broadway’s Some Like It Hot received eight nods, while the 2022 Broadway revival of Into the Woods and the Main Stem’s latest musical to open New York, New York received six nominations each.

New play Life of Pi, the revival of Ohio State Murders and the revival of The Piano Lesson tied for the most nominations among Broadway plays with five nominations each.

Of note: Broadway productions with recent off-Broadway runs in prior seasons were only considered for elements that constituted new work. This affected this season’s Broadway productions of Ain’t No Mo’, Between Riverside and Crazy, Cost of Living, Kimberly Akimbo, KPOP and The Thanksgiving Play. Regarding …

Jerry Mitchell to Receive 2023 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award

Caitlin Hornik — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 13:10:40 +0000

Director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell will receive the 2023 Isabelle Stevenson Award. The Tony Awards Administration Committee has recognized Mitchell for his dedication and contributions to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) as well as his three decades of volunteer service through the arts. The honor will be presented as part of the 76th annual ceremony on June 11 at the United Palace.

The Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award is given annually to honor the service contributions of a member of the theater community. Recipients typically volunteer time and effort to one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations.

Mitchell is the creator of the Broadway Bares fundraiser for BC/EFA. In addition to this Isabelle Stevenson Award, Mitchell is the winner of two competitive Tony Awards for his choreography of the 2004 revival of La Cage aux Folles and for 2013’s Kinky Boots He has two dozen Broadway credits as a performer, director, choreographer and production supervisor.

In 1992, while performing in The Will Rogers Follies, Mitchell wanted to help those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He rounded up his fellow dancers for a burlesque-style performance that raised $8,000 for the cause, in what became the first edition of the annual Broadway Bares. …

You Pick the Nominees! Choose Your Favorites for the 2023 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards

Broadway.com Staff — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000

It's that time of the year! Award nominations are being announced almost every day, but at Broadway.com we want you to determine the season's best stars and shows.

It's time for Broadway's ultimate fans to pick nominees for the only major theatrical award chosen by audiences: the 2023 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards! Now's your chance to make your voice heard.

Polls close at 11:59PM ET on May 7 with an announcement of the chosen nominees to come. Be sure to check back and place your final vote to pick the winners!

CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES!

Prima Facie, Starring Jodie Comer, Announces Extension

Broadway.com Staff — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 16:17:26 +0000

The Broadway premiere of Prima Facie has announced a two-week extension. The play, originally slated for a limited engagement through June 18, will now run at the Golden Theatre until July 2. The production has also announced that, beginning May 2, it will offer $45 rush tickets sold in-person at the box office in addition to its current $10 digital lottery tickets.

“I am so humbled by the response to this show opening on Broadway,” said star Jodie Comer. “The community here has been so welcoming to us all on Prima Facie so I am absolutely thrilled that we have been able to extend the run by two weeks to hopefully meet even more of the wonderful audiences that are here.”

Prima Facie, starring Emmy Award winner Comer, opened on April 23. The new drama is written by Suzie Miller and directed by Justin Martin.

As a solo show, “Prima Facie” centers on Tessa, a successful defense attorney whose clients are often men accused of sexual assault. After she’s attacked, Tessa reevaluates the power of the law, its patriarchal lineage, the burden of proof and her own morality.

The production has garnered two Drama League Award nominations (for Outstanding …

New York, New York, Some Like It Hot, Shucked Lead 2023 Outer Critics Circle Nominations

Caitlin Hornik — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:44:47 +0000

The Outer Critics Circle, an organization of out-of-town writers who cover New York theater, has announced nominees for the 72nd Outer Critics Circle Awards, honoring the 2022-2023 Broadway and off-Broadway season. Winners will be announced on May 16 ahead of an official awards ceremony on May 25 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

This is the first year that gender specifications have been removed from all acting categories. In addition, off-Broadway performers are now housed under separate acting categories to distinguish from Broadway productions.

On the nominations front, New York, New York leads all Broadway musicals with twelve nods total, followed by Some Like It Hot with ten and Shucked with seven. Leopoldstadt garnered the most nominations for a Main Stem play with six.

James Ijames’ Fat Ham is among the nominees for the annual John Gassner Award, honoring a new American play, preferably by a new playwright.

Also of note is an Outstanding Solo Performance nod for Jodie Comer’s recently opened Broadway debut in Prima Facie.

Additionally, B.H. Barry will be acknowledged with a Special Achievement Award for his six-decade career as a fight director, a role in which he served for the current …