by Mike Haber | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, News, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: This
Tony Awards Sunday will be including a full musical episode of the legendary long running Animated comedy
The Simpsons…. perfect timing to kick of its 33rd season.
This episode entitled THE STAR OF BACKSTAGE will follow “Marge Simpson” who attempts to stage a revival of her high school’s musical entitled Y2K: THE MILLENIUM BUG. With all of it happening, she dreams of that perfect company where everyone is everyone’s best friend….. all told through song and dance. However, everything changes when the school’s former leading lady returns to steals the spotlight – and “Marge” discovers her beloved high school memories are not at all how she remembers. It will feature Stage and Screen favorite
Kristen Bell doing the singing voice of “Marge”.
The clip we are about to show you introduces the school’s former leading lady “Sasha Reed” performing her big number. Her voice is done by stage and screen favorite Sara Chase (Broadway’s
First Date and TV’s
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt plus cousin of NYBT’s very own Michael).
by Mike Haber | Sep 23, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: More performers and presenters have been revealed for this Sunday’s celebration of Broadway’s return and biggest night of the year….. The 74th Annual
Tony Awards. What an unforgettable lineup of familiar faces in town set to join in the party at the Winter Garden Theatre…. AND ALL THAT JAZZ. You can expect to see the following additional presenters….
Golden Globe nominee Beanie Feldstein,
Tony winner Jennifer Holiday,
and so much more.
They’re all joining the previously announced lineup consisting of….
Award winning mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda,
Tony nominee and Grammy winner Christopher Jackson,
Tony nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega,
Tony Award nominee Jeremy Pope,
Tony Award winning legend Bebe Neuwirth,
Tony Award winner BD Wong,
Tony and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal,
Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford,
and so much more.
Along with the performances from the 3 nominated show for BEST MUSICAL (
Jagged Little Pill,
Moulin Rouge, and
Tina), there will also be performances from this year’s Special Tony Honor recipient shows…
There are also several special performances from….
The Tony Awards will be a full length 4 hour extravaganza event celebrating Broadway’s triumphant comeback after an 18 1/2 Intermission due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s all happening this Sunday night, September 26th, 2021 at the Winter Garden Theatre. It all begins at 7pm EST via Paramount+ for the actual Awards ceremony hosted by record breaking 6 time Tony Award winner
Audra McDonald. From there, Tony winner
Leslie Odom Jr. will emcee the 2nd half with the CBS telecast special entitled BROADWAY’S BACK at 9pm EST.
by Mike Haber | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
DELICIOUS NEWS! Grammy Award winning country singing sensation
Jennifer Nettles (last seen on Broadway as “Roxie” in
Chicago) will return to the Great Bright Way to join the cast of the limited engagement revival of the Tony and Grammy nominated smash hit
Waitress.
The
Sugarland singer will replace the show’s composer and revival’s original leading lady
Sara Bareilles in the role of pregnant pie maker “Jenna Hunterson” for a strictly limited month long run. That run will last from October 19th-November 24th, 2021 at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
An announcement for the next “Jenna” after Nettles will be revealed soon.
Meanwhile, Bareilles (who is set to start filming Season 2 of
Girls5Eva and will be starring as “The Baker’s Wife” in
New York City Center Encores production of
Into The Woods next) will bake her last set of pies at the diner on October 17th, 2021.
That’s not all, “Jenna” is getting a new set of best friends who co-work at the diner with her next month. It has just been announced that Maiesha McQueen (who appeared on the 1st National Tour of WAITRESS) and Ashley Blanchet (Broadway’s
Frozen) will take over the roles of the sassy “Becky” and quirky “Dawn” starting October 5th, 2021.
Charity Angél Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan will BOTH take their final bows on October 3rd, 2021. Both performers are set to resume performances at their most previous Broadway projects before COVID. Dawson will be heading back to reopen Mrs.
Doubtfire: The Musical and Houlahan will reopen
Girl From The North Country.
WAITRESS will continue to run on Broadway through January 9th, 2022.
by Mike Haber | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
Under the direction of Michael Longhurst, the cast is still expecting to be led by….
West End star
Sharon D. Clarke reprising her Olivier Award winning performance of the titular role of housemaid “Caroline Thibodeaux”,
Broadway legend
Chip Zien as socialist ideology man himself “Mr. Stopnick”,
Alexander Bello (Broadway’s The Rose Tattoo and
All My Sons) as the son of “Caroline” himself “Joe Thibodeaux”,
and
New to the cast will include….
Broadway newcomers Jaden Myles Waldman, Gabriel Amorso (Broadway’s
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Adam Makké all TRIPPLE alternating the role of the curious, sympathetic, and neurotic “Noah Gellman”
CAROLINE OR CHANGE will run at the legendary Studio 54 for a strictly limited engagement. Long awaited preview performances will begin on October 8th, 2021, the official Opening Night is set for October 27th, 2021, and will run till February 13th, 2022. An extension may be possible if the show does well.
This revival of
Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner’s powerful and inspirational musical was originally slated to begin previews on March 13th, 2020 and open on April 7th, 2020. However, the plug got pulled on the whole production as Live Theater was forced to abruptly shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company did NOT even reach their invited industrial dress rehearsal. Now, they’re getting a 2nd chance.
by Mike Haber | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize winning smash hit musical A STRANGE LOOP is heading to move ON Broadway. But first, it will have an out-of-town tryout in our nation’s Capitol of Washington D.C. Casting has been announced. Under the direction of Stephen Brackett and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, it features a 7 person cast led by…
newcomer Jaquel Spivey as “Usher the Usher
along with all 6 of the original Ensemble members playing “The Thoughts” returning consisting of….
L Morgan Lee,
James Jackson, Jr.
John-Michael Lyles,
John-Andrew Morrison ,
Jason Veasey,
and
Antwayn Harper.
For anyone that may not know of A STRANGE LOOP, the musical is written by Michael R. Jackson inspired by his own personal experiences. It tells the story of a young average overweight, gay, black artist named “Usher” (working as an Usher) at war with a host of demons—not least of which are the punishing thoughts in his own head—in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.
The show had a triumphant sold out World Premiere Off-Broadway run at
Playwrights Horizons in the Spring of 2019. It was well praised by critics and Theatergoers everywhere.
In addition, the show is already getting a lot of Theater Glory early during the time of Quarantine winning various Awards including the
Lucille Lortel, the
Drama Desk, the Obies, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
No word has been said on when the show will hit the Big Apple. Stay tuned.
by Mike Haber | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
Tonight, something exciting is cooking here on the Great Bright Way….. We are talking about
Chicken and Biscuits. Following an abruptly cut-short but successful run in Queens, Douglas Lyons’ raucous family comedy (led by Stage and screen favorite Michael Urie and Tony nominee
Norm Lewis in his first straight play / non musical role) begins previews this evening at Circle in the Square Theatre.
Under the direction of
Zhailon Levingston making history as the youngest Black director in Broadway History at age 27, the show will officially open on October 27th, 2021 and will run for a strictly limited engagement.
Break a leg to the cast, crew, and creative team of CHICKEN AND BUSCUITS.
