Open Thread

Playbill reports: Broadway’s Carols for a Cure Volume 21 features 18 tracks from the companies of over a dozen Broadway musicals, including this year’s Tony-winning Hadestown and Oklahoma!. Joining them are singers from the casts of Beetlejuice, Ain’t Too Proud, and Tootsie, in addition to long-running favorites The Phantom of the Opera, Aladdin, Waitress, and Wicked. Also on the album …

Billboard Magazine reports: Swedish DJ/production duo Galantis and country legend Dolly Parton, teaming with featured Dutch vocalist Mr. Probz, debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart with “Faith.” Parton achieves her first dance/electronic No. 1. She makes her first visit to a chart in the genre since her cover of Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train,” which reached …

Fort Pierce’s CBS News affiliate reports: A Florida man is facing a misdemeanor drug charge after he told police the wind blew a bag of cocaine into his car. According to Fort Pierce Police, 37-year-old Joseph Zak was pulled over on Oct. 5 after failing to stop at a stop sign on Canal Terrace and North 23rd Street. Police say …

Playbill reports: Karen Olivo and Aaron Tveit from Moulin Rouge! The Musical singing “Your Song” brought audiences to their feet November 15 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. When Nicole Kidman (the original Satine from Baz Luhrman’s 2001 film that inspired the musical) visited the show earlier this year, the Oscar winner asked Olivo how she coughed and sang …

Billboard Magazine reports: Lizzo is in legal hot water after slamming a Postmates driver on Twitter. According to documents filed Friday (Nov. 15) in U.S. District Court of Central California, Tiffany Wells is suing the pop star (aka Melissa Jefferson) for libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false light invasion of privacy. Wells claims she was forced to quit …

Another episode on TV’s gay history from Matt Baume: Is there any show more perfectly suited for a gay ’90s romp than Frasier? When the show the first premiered, television often treated gay characters as a source of fear. But by the time Frasier was in its final season, lots of sitcoms were having a gay old time.

Playbill reports: The 29th Annual DIVAS Simply Singing Benefit will take place December 1 at the Taglyan Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Founded by Tony nominee Sheryl Lee Ralph, the benefit aims to end stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and raise awareness of the illness’s impact on people around the world. This year’s event will include special performances from Brandon Victor Dixon, …

Detroit’s ABC News affiliate reports: A photo posted to a listing for a home in Oak Park has hundreds of people commenting after a white powdery substance appeared in lines on a plate in the kitchen. The photo, which has since been removed, was apparently a joke. 7 Action News’ Anu Prakash called the number listed with the home, and …

Playbill reports: Several titles that will entice Broadway fans are now available to watch on Disney+, the new streaming service that launches November 12. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a metatheatrical revisit of the beloved title, is one of two original scripted shows debuting on Disney+ (the other being Star Wars: The Mandalorian). Dozens of Disney theatrical films …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Full Metal Jacket and Law & Order: Criminal Intent actor Vincent D’Onofrio will play American Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist Jerry Falwell in Fox Searchlight’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye about the rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Bakker. As production starts today in Charlotte, North Carolina, Searchlight also announced that D’Onofrio joining the …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: “There’s something that you all need to understand,” Madonna said during her Las Vegas concert, while perched atop a piano, legs swinging. “And that is, that a queen is never late.” The megastar spoke those words to fans during the show this week, posting the video to Twitter on Saturday. And despite the cheers that …

The Island Packet reports: Parrish Brown thought it was strange when the Hilton Head Island McDonald’s worker paused as he ordered a sweet tea with light ice and extra lemon. “Extra lemon?” the drive-thru worker asked in an odd voice. Brown later figured out what the “extra lemon” was about when he discovered quite a bit of weed inside his …

Playbill reports: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical opened November 8 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where the show received a special visit from the icon herself. Tina Turner appeared during the show’s curtain call and joined the cast for an emotional speech. Watch the video below to see the speech and the star-studded opening night audience including Oprah, Bernadette Peters, Whoopi …

Billboard reports: Through his comedic and quite musical take on current events, Randy Rainbow makes our dismal political reality that much easier to contend with. In the same vein as Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart, Rainbow uses his platform to educate, illuminate, and help fight the good fight. Now, in anticipation of both the upcoming holidays and election 2020, Rainbow …

Playbill reports: ABC joined the televised live musical arena—to an extent—with the November 5 presentation of The Little Mermaid Live!. The screen-stage hybrid event showed the beloved animated Disney film while cutting away to an in-studio cast, including Moana and Rise alum Auli’i Cravalho and movie musical veteran Queen Latifah, during the musical numbers. For its foray into the recent …

Billboard Magazine reports: As Kanye West celebrates his ninth total and consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Nov. 9), as Jesus Is King launches at No. 1, all 11 songs from the set, his first religious release, debut on the Billboard Hot 100. “Follow God” leads the way at No. 7 on the Hot 100, earning …

Billboard reports: The winter holiday season is officially upon us, and Idina Menzel is here to offer up some exciting news. This year, CBS’ 21st annual A Home For The Holidays special will be hosted by Menzel herself on Sunday, Dec. 22. Menzel will be taking the reins not only to host the annual event, but will also be performing …

Playbill reports: Sorry, musical theatre stars: It just became harder to get that “E” notch in your EGOT belt. In a recent series of eligibility clarifications and rule changes, the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences revealed that the Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program category at the Daytime Emmy Awards would be eliminated. The award was first …

NBC News reports: A Florida man was arrested for allegedly trying to hire a hit man to kill a faculty member at his high school, authorities said Friday. Nicholas Robert Godfrey, an 18-year-old senior at Fivay High School, about 40 miles north of Tampa, was charged with first-degree attempt to solicit murder, Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies said. Detectives said they …

Playbill reports: Tony and Emmy winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots, Pose) and Tony winner Idina Menzel (Wicked) will perform during the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Also joining the festivities is Broadway alum and Glee star Lea Michele. The special will air at 9 AM ET on NBC on Thanksgiving Day, November 28. While no Broadway cast performances have been …