Tag Archives: musical theater

“Phantom” Closes On Broadway After 35-Year Run

ABC News reports: The final curtain came down Sunday on New York’s production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” ending Broadway’s longest-running show with thunderous standing ovations, champagne toasts and gold and silver confetti bursting from its famous chandelier. It was show No. 13,981 at the Majestic Theatre and it ended with a reprise of “The Music of the Night” …

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Chaos At UK Musical Over Singing Audience Members

The BBC reports: Singer Melody Thornton has apologised after rowdy audience members halted a performance of The Bodyguard musical. The ex-Pussycat Dolls star was unable to complete the show’s final song due to the disruption at Manchester’s Palace Theatre on Friday. Speaking on Instagram, Thornton said she “fought really hard” to finish the show, but it had not been possible. …

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Broadway’s “Phantom” To Close After Record 35 Years

The New York Times reports: “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show in Broadway history and, for many, a symbol of musical theater, will drop its famous chandelier for the last time in February, becoming the latest show to fall victim to the drop-off in audiences since the pandemic hit. The closing is at once long-expected — no show …

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Broadway’s Harry Potter Fired For Alleged Misconduct

Deadline Hollywood reports: James Snyder, who has played the title character of Broadway’s recently retooled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child since the show returned from the pandemic shutdown, has been fired by producers following a complaint by co-star Diane Davis about Snyder’s conduct. The exact nature of the conduct has not been specified. But producers Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin …

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Broadway Sings For Sondheim In Times Square [Video]

Variety reports: On the red stairs above TKTS in Times Square, as the first flurries of the winter season drifted down on the city, members of every Broadway company—joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban, Kathryn Gallagher and Lauren Patton—gathered in a chorus to sing “Sunday,” the heartrending act one finale to Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George,” …

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“Company” Revival Cast Dedicates Run To Sondheim

The New York Times reports: Hours after Stephen Sondheim’s death, the director of the Broadway revival of “Company” walked onstage before the curtain rose on Friday to acknowledge the news that many in the audience already knew but that some — judging by the murmurs that followed — had not yet heard. Around the same time, 32 blocks downtown, the …

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BREAKING: Stephen Sondheim Dies At Age 91

The New York Times reports: Stephen Sondheim, one of Broadway history’s songwriting titans, whose music and lyrics raised and reset the artistic standard for the American stage musical, died early Friday at his home in Roxbury, Conn. He was 91. His lawyer and friend, F. Richard Pappas, announced the death, which he described as sudden. The day before, Mr. Sondheim …

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“Hadestown” Jumps Broadway Pack, Will Reopen First

The Associated Press reports: “Hadestown,” the brooding musical about the underworld, has set its Broadway reopening date on Sept. 2, jumping ahead of such megahits as “Hamilton” and “Wicked” to position itself as the first show to welcome audiences on Broadway since the pandemic. Producers announced Monday that tickets will go on sale June 11 for the eight-time Tony Award …

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Broadway Theaters To Remain Dark Until June 2021

Spectrum News reports: Theatre producers announced Friday that the shutdown will be extended and that there will be no Broadway performances before June 1, 2021. Marquees went dark back in mid-March and the initial shutdown had been extended to June 7, and most recently, September 6. If theaters remain closed through June 1, 2021, that will mean between 14 and …

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Writer: Trump Considered Role In “La Cage Aux Folles”

Tim O’Brien writes for Bloomberg: Donald Trump was at the steering wheel as we drove through the rain together on a New Jersey highway in 2005. He had recently considered taking the stage to play a politician in the Broadway comedy “La Cage aux Folles,” but he had other things on his mind as he glanced over at me. “I …

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LIVE VIDEO: Broadway’s Superstars Perform At Home

Broadway.com reports: A glittering array of superstar talent will come together this weekend for a special one-night return of the Emmy-winning Rosie O’Donnell Show. The livestreamed event, presented in support of The Actors Fund in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, will be broadcast live on March 22 at 7:00pm ET on Broadway.com and Broadway.com’s YouTube channel. Original Rosie O’Donnell …

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Broadway Legend Jerry Herman Dies At Age 88

NPR reports: Legendary Broadway songwriter Jerry Herman has died. The author of the hit musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles was 88. Publicist Harlan Boll said Herman was taken to a Miami hospital Thursday night complaining of chest pain and later died of pulmonary complications. The title of Jerry Herman’s autobiography was Showtune, and if there ever …

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Hadestown Dominates At 2019 Tony Awards [VIDEO]

The New York Times reports: “Hadestown,” a pulsing, poetic contemporary riff on an ancient Greek myth, won the Tony Award for best new musical Sunday night, triumphing over film adaptations, a musical comedy and a jukebox show. The win, coming at a time when Broadway is enjoying a long-running box office boom, marks the sixth year in a row that …

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2019 Tony Awards Nominations Announced [VIDEO]

Playbill reports: The nominations for the 2019 Tony Awards were announced April 30. Entering awards season with the most nominations is Hadestown, which earned a total of 14 nominations. Trailing closely behind was Ain’t Too Proud—The Life of the Temptations with 12. Joining the two titles in the coveted Best Musical category were Beetlejuice, The Prom, and Tootsie. Meanwhile, in …

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SF’s Beach Blanket Babylon To Close After 45 Years

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: For 45 years, the team at “Beach Blanket Babylon” has donned enormous hats and skewered politics and pop culture in a campy musical revue in a snug North Beach theater. The beloved show has become so ingrained in San Francisco culture that many rank it alongside the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars. Though seemingly …

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SAN FRANCISCO: Mass Panic At Hamilton Performance After False Shooter Alarm, Three Hospitalized [VIDEO]

The San Jose Mercury News reports: A medical emergency at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco triggered an alarm about a potential active shooter during a performance of the hit musical “Hamilton,” leading the audience to evacuate. There was no shooter, and the evacuation was set off by a woman’s unspecified medical emergency about 9:50 p.m. Friday, said Officer Joseph …

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Hillary Gets Standing Ovation At Hello Dolly [VIDEO]

Last night Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation from the audience at a performance Hello Dolly at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, complete with chants of her name and one audience member shouting, “You can still be 46!” Clinton was supposed to have seen the show back in April, but instead chose to be honored at the New York City LGBT Center, …

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2018 Tony Awards Nominations Announced: Most Nods Go To Angels In America, Mean Girls, And SpongeBob

TIME Magazine reports: With no Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen, the nominations for the 72nd Annual Tony Awards are a wide-open playing field. The official Tony Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning by Leslie Odom Jr., who won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, and Katharine McPhee, …

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Patti LuPone Electrifies At The Grammys [VIDEO]

Entertainment Weekly reports: The Grammys got its own dose of musical theater last night. Tony Award-winners and Broadway stars Patti LuPone and Ben Platt took to the Madison Square Garden stage at the 2018 Grammy Awards Sunday evening to perform a tribute to composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Leonard Bernstein. Platt, 24, took up the Bernstein portion of the tribute, …

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Donna Summer Musical Set For Broadway Bow

From the Hollywood Reporter: Broadway’s gotta have some “Hot Stuff” next spring. Producers Tommy Mottola and The Dodgers confirmed Tuesday that Summer: The Donna Summer Musical will begin previews March 28 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre ahead of an April 23 opening. The bio-musical tracing the life and career of the singer, who teamed with music producer Giorgio Moroder and Casablanca …

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