Broadway
Hugh Jackman to Return to Broadway’s ‘Music Man’ After COVID-19 Quarantine
Hugh Jackman on Thursday (Jan. 6) shared an update on his health after announcing a breakthrough case of COVID-19 in late December, which resulted in Broadway’s revival of The Music Man canceling a number of performances through Jan. 5. In his minute-long video, filmed as he walked his dog around a cold New York City park, that actor said it was his first time out of the house in 10 days. He tested positive for the virus Dec. 28, just days after his co-star Sutton Foster also missed performances due to a breakthrough case. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “I am so excited to get back to the theater,” Jackman said in the video posted to Twitter. “I will be there later today, doing a show tonight.” First morning out in 10 days. Cold and...
Broadway’s ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Going on 9-Week Hiatus in Attempt to Stay Open
Mrs. Doubtfire is taking unusual measures to hopefully avoid a permanent closure amid a surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the omicron variant. Producers behind the Broadway show, which opened Dec. 5 at New York City’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre, announced Sunday (Jan. 2) that the project would go on a nine-week hiatus. The break will run from Jan. 10 through March 14. “With the pervasiveness of the omicron variant of COVID-19, Mrs. Doubtfire would have to close permanently if the production didn’t take drastic, proactive measures,” a statement read, in part. “Mrs. Doubtfire has been in development for six years. We are doing everything in our power to keep the virus from prematurely ending our run on Broadway. By taking this break, we can afford to launch an ext...
‘Waitress’ & ‘Thoughts of a Colored Man’ Close on Broadway Amid COVID Surge
Waitress, the musical based on the 2007 film starring Keri Russell, and Keenan Scott II’s historic play Thoughts of a Colored Man, have ended their Broadway runs. The producer for both shows shared statements Thursday, just a day ahead of Christmas Eve, announcing their respective closings. Waitress and Thoughts of a Colored Man now join Tony-winning Jagged Little Pill and family comedy Chicken & Biscuits as productions that have ended their runs this fall due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Numerous other productions including Hamilton, Hadestown and The Lion King have also canceled shows through Christmas due to a surge in COVID cases across the city and New York state. In a statement posted to Waitress‘ official Twitter, the closing was a...
Sutton Foster Confirms ‘Music Man’ Absence Due to Positive COVID-19 Test as Hugh Jackman Praises Swings, Understudies
Sutton Foster missed Thursday’s preview performance of the long-awaited Music Man revival, which also stars Hugh Jackman, after testing positive for COVID-19. The Broadway actress and star of Younger confirmed her absence was due to a positive test in an Instagram story posted Friday morning (Dec. 24). Beyond explaining why she didn’t take the stage for the preview show, Foster also celebrated actress and Music Man swing Kathy Voytko, who stepped in for her in the role of Marian Paroo and helped prevent the production, which had just begun previews on Monday, Dec. 20, at the Winter Garden Theater, from having to cancel the performance. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Yesterday I tested positive for COVID. At noon Kathy Voytko found out. And last night she went on for Marian Pro...
Harvey Evans, Actor in Original Broadway Shows ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Hello Dolly!’ & More, Dies at 80
Harvey Evans, an actor, singer and dancer who had a knack for landing roles in the original Broadway productions of such classics as West Side Story, Follies, Hello, Dolly! and Gypsy, has died. He was 80. Evans died Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, said Lawrence Leritz, a friend and Broadway actor, dancer, singer, producer and director. “He was dearly loved by the Broadway community. Very kind, embracing, funny and always had a smile on his face. I can never remember not being hugged by this loving man,” Leritz said. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Evans was rarely cast in leading Broadway roles but found a place in timeless shows. He starred opposite Angela Lansbury in Anyone Can Whistle and played Barnaby in Hello, Dolly! opposite Carol...
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Cinderella’ Cancels All West End Shows Until February Over Omicron
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of Cinderella has been forced to temporarily shutter in London’s West End due to the growing omicron surge, one of the numerous shows that have been severely impacted by the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The production — which canceled several shows last week at the Gillian Lyne Theater — announced late on Tuesday (Dec. 21) that it was suspended all performances until Feb. 9 in order to “avoid more disruption and to protect the quality of the show we give our audiences.” On Twitter, Lloyd Webber said that he was “absolutely devastated” by the decision, but said it was the “right thing to do” for both the audience and the safety of the cast, musicians and backstage crew. “Once again, ...
Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill Musical Closed on Broadway, Citing Omicron Variant
Jagged Little Pill, the musical based on Alanis Morissette’s transcendent album of the same name, has closed on Broadway. The show had been put on pause starting Saturday (December 18th) due to “a limited number of positive COVID test results,” and there are currently no plans to re-raise the curtain. In a statement shared on social media, producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, and Eva Price revealed Jagged Little Pill would not be reopening, citing the surging Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus: “The drastic turn of events this week with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has, once again, changed everything. We are dismayed by what appears to be another substantial public health crisis, and, due to the detection of multiple positive Covid-19 cases within the compan...
R.I.P. Stephen Sondheim, Iconic Broadway Composer Dead at 91
Stephen Sondheim, the American composer and lyricist known for hit Broadway musicals such as West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, has died. He was 91. Richard Pappas, Sondheim’s lawyer and friend, announced the death on Friday (November 26th) via the New York Times. Sondheim died at his Roxbury, Connecticut home early Friday, with Pappas noting that the death was “sudden.” The evening prior, Sondheim had celebrated Thanksgiving with friends. Advertisement Related Video Sondheim was born on March 22nd, 1930 in New York City, and grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and on a farm near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, following his parents’ divorce. He has said his interest in theatre began when he saw the Broadway musi...
R.I.P. Stephen Sondheim, Iconic Broadway Composer Dead at 91
Stephen Sondheim, the American composer and lyricist known for hit Broadway musicals such as West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, has died. He was 91. Richard Pappas, Sondheim’s lawyer and friend, announced the death on Friday (November 26th) via the New York Times. Sondheim died at his Roxbury, Connecticut home early Friday, with Pappas noting that the death was “sudden.” The evening prior, Sondheim had celebrated Thanksgiving with friends. Advertisement Related Video Sondheim was born on March 22nd, 1930 in New York City, and grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and on a farm near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, following his parents’ divorce. He has said his interest in theatre began when he saw the Broadway musi...
Judas in National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar Indicted in Capitol Insurrection
Caught silver-handed? An actor in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar has been charged for taking part in the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol, The Hollywood Reporter notes. James D. Beeks, who plays Judas Iscariot in the traveling Broadway production under the stage name James T. Justis, has been charged with one count of obstruction of Congress and one count of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds. An investigation by the Washington DC US Attorney’s Office revealed the actor to be associated with the far-right extremist militia group the Oath Keepers, and paid dues to the anti-government organization just two weeks prior to the insurrection. Beeks also works as a Michael Jackson impersonator, and was identified by authorities by the “Bad” jacke...
Phantom of the Rave: Watch Legendary Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s First-Ever DJ Set
Between playwriting, film-scoring, and now DJing, is there anything Andrew Lloyd Webber can’t do? The world-renowned impresario celebrated the return of The Phantom of the Opera in unique fashion—by performing his debut DJ set outside of the Majestic Theater on Broadway. The legendary, 73-year-old composer showed he knows how to entertain a crowd in more ways than one. Taking to an elevated DJ booth planted outside of the Majestic, Webber made his entrance to the sound of harrowing organ chords, grabbing the attention of everyone on the street. The opening track, titled “The Phantom of the Opera (ID Remix),” seamlessly intertwined the spirit of the playwrights eponymous work through the song’s voluminous opera vocals. On the production side, the track bre...
Shoshana Bean Sets Dates for 2021 Holiday Shows: Exclusive
Singer and actress Shoshana Bean is reviving a holiday tradition with the announcement of three holiday concerts this December. Tickets to the dates, dubbed the “Sing Your Hallelujah” concert are available now online. The three dates come after last year’s scheduled shows were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Bean pivoted to a virtual holiday concert, which was filmed live at the Apollo Theater in New York City and streamed online. (Bean previously performed holiday concerts in 2018 and 2019.) Bean brings her “Sing Your Hallelujah” show to London, New York and Los Angeles this year, with her first show on Dec. 4 in London’s West End at Cadogan Hall. She will then return to where it all began, and where last year’s streamed concer...
