by Mike Haber | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Gleeks Fan Tour (Times Square), News
BREAKING NEWS: Emmy nominee and Broadway favorite
Lea Michele has officially announced the release date of her upcoming solo album FOREVER. It is set to be available both in stores and digital download starting November 5th, 2021.
FOREVER is considered as Michele’s first album since giving birth to her first child “Ever Leo” who just turned 1 year old this past August. In celebration of being a new mom (and despite this past year of extreme backlash), the
Glee and
Spring Awakening star decided in creating her next album to be mainly covers of popular songs but done in the style of beautiful lullabies. The name is a pun on saying it as “FOR EVER” (dedicating it to her boy). The album feature 8 tracks of songs made famous by Guns N’ Roses,
The Beatles,
Kacey Musgraves,
Judy Garland (a promising unbelievable new rendition of OVER THE RAINBOW), and so much more.
FOREVER marks as Michele’s 4th studio album. Her debut album LOUDER was released in 2014 selling over 62,000 copies. It debut at # 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also nominated for a World Music Award for World’s Best Album. In 2017,
Her follow-up Sophomore album PLACES was released in 2017 selling over 16,000 copies in its first week, debuting at # 28 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and # 27 on the UK album charts.
Michele’s 3rd and recent album CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY was released in 2019 prior before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It topped the US Top Holiday Albums at # 3.
If you want to learn more about Lea Michele and many of your favorite Glee stars who have got their start on Broadway, join us for our GLEEKS ON BROADWAY Walking Tour in Times Square.
by Mike Haber | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
TERRITORY FOLKS SHOULD STICK TOGETHER!!! OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY it is to get news about actors joining shows after a rough 19 months. Full casting has been announced for the upcoming National Tour of the
St. Ann’s Warehouse‘s critically acclaimed Tony winning revival of
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA!
Under the direction of
Daniel Fish, this updated dark contemporary take on the classic lifechanging American musical heading to a city near you will include….
Sasha Hutchings (Broadway’s
Hamilton) as the young and independent farmgirl herself “Laurey Williams” (a role she previously understudied in the Broadway production of this revival),
Tony Award nominee Barbara Walsh (Broadway’s original
Falsettos,
Hairspray, and the 2007 revival of
Company and previously appeared in a 1981 National Touring company of OKLAHOMA) as everyone’s favorite community leader with a heart of gold “Aunt Eller”,
newcomer Hennessy Winkler as rope-spinning heartthrob cowboy “Will Parker”,
Sis (TV’s
Pose) as the flirtatious “Ado Annie Carnes”,
Christopher Bannow as the nasty, filthy, and abusive hired hand “Jud Fry” (a role he previously understudied in the Broadway production of this revival),
Benj Mirman as the Persian peddler man himself “Ali Hakim” (a role he played in the 2015 development of this production at the Bard Summerscape).
Mitch Tebo reprising his performance from the Broadway production as the overprotective FATHER WITH A GUN himself and honorable judge “Andrew Carnes”,
Hannah Solow (previously seen on Broadway in The New One) as the constantly annoying, non-stop laughin’ and snortin’, and self centered “Gertie Cummings”,
Gabrielle Hamilton reprising her legendary dance performance from the Broadway production as the one woman “Dream Figure” (in the Ballet sequence),
The new National Tour of this recent revival of OKLAHOMA is set to THE LAND THEY BELONG to a city near you. It’s set to kick off November 6th, 2021 in Elmira, NY before making its way to the following cities…..
Minneapolis, MN,
Greenville, SC,
Augusta, GA,
Huntsville, AL,
Pittsburgh, PA,
Chicago, IL,
Oklahoma City, OK (the actual state itself people)
Buffalo, NY
Detroit, MI
Philadelphia, PA
Providence, RI
Durham, NC
Nashville, TN
Lincoln, NE
Kansas City, MO
North Charleston, SC
Dallas, TX
Tulsa, OK
Ft. Worth, TX
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
and
Tempe, AZ.
by Mike Haber | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
DELICIOUS NEWS: Nik Dodani and Ben Thompson have both been tapped to join the limited engagement Broadway revival of
Waitress this month. Both performers are set to begin on October 19th, 2021 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Dodani (currently seen on the big screen as “Jared Kleinman” in the film adaptation of
Dear Evan Hansen) will make his Broadway debut stepping into the role of the weird, awkward, magical, and history loving “Ogie”. He replaces the show’s original standout Tony nominated Christopher Fitzgerald (who is making his way back to start rehearsals for the return of the gender-swap revival of
Company)
Thompson (known for also appearing on Broadway in
Matilda,
American Idiot, and
Holler If Ya Hear Me) will take on the role of the drunk, arrogant, greedy, and abusive “Earl”. He of course is no stranger to playing the role after having last doing the show during its original run where he stayed through the closing. When Thompson joins, he will replace Joe Tippett in the role.
Dodani and Thompson will join the very same day as the previously announced Grammy Award winner
Jennifer Nettles who will play a limited engagement in the lead role of pregnant pie maker “Jenna Hunterson” through November 24th, 2021.
Fitzgerald and Tippett will play their final performances in WAITRESS alongside the show’s composer and current leading lady
Sara Bareilles on October 17th, 2021.
by Mike Haber | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL NEWS!!! The Tony and Grammy winning smash hit
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is set to once again FEEL THE EARTH MOVE in a city near you. We are so happy to announce that casting has been revealed for the show’s return.
Under the direction of Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, the cast will be led by….
Sara Sheppard as the Grammy winning singer-songwriter herself “Carole King” (a role she previously understudied in the Broadway production),
James D Gish returning to the tour as singer-songwriter and love interest “Gerry Goffin”,
Sara King as singer-songwriter “Cynthia Weil” (a role she previously understudied in the Broadway production),
Ryan Farnsworth as singer-songwriter “Barry Mann”,
Broadway favorite Matt Loehr returning to the tour as music publisher and producer extraordinaire “Don Kirshner”,
Broadway veteran Rachel Coloff as the overprotective and supportive mother “Genie Klein”,
BEAUTIFUL will relaunch its National Tour in the Windy City of Chicago, IL starting November 2nd, 2021 before traveling to the following cities…..
Greensboro, NC,
Red Bank, NJ,
Waterbury, CT,
Easton, PA.
Sioux Falls, SD,
Mason City, IA,
Bloomington, IN,
our Nation’s capitol in Washington D.C.,
Detroit, MI,
New Heaven, CT,
Lubbock, TX,
Morristown, NJ,
Philedelphia, PA,
Palm Desert City, CA,
Seattle, WA,
Orlando, FL,
Houston, TX,
Baton Rouge, LA,
Fort Lauderdale, FL,
and so much more.
Congrats to this full cast!!!
by Mike Haber | Oct 7, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, Gilbert and Sullivan to Hamilton Tour (Downtown), In The Heights Walking Tour, Shows
MIC CHECK, ONE TWO!!! After a successful limited engagement on the Great Bright Way 2 years ago,
Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s acclaimed special Tony winning hip-hop improv group
Freestyle Love Supreme…. preme, preme, preme, preme…… kicks off its encore Broadway engagement TONIGHT at the Booth Theatre.
Get ready for a fun evening of an unplanned script as Miranda and his friends come up with the most creative raps, song, and beats based on words suggested from the audience. You also never know who might show up.
FREESTYLE LOVE SURPEME’s encore engagement will run for 4 months through January 2nd, 2022. This is a promising feel good, high energetic, and happy night as Broadway is back people!!!
Break a mic to the full troupe, the creative team, crew, and more.
WELCOME BACK TO BROADWAY FREESTYLE LOVE SURPEME!!!
by Mike Haber | Oct 6, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
A year ago this month, the Broadway community lost one of the most unforgettable talents on the Great Bright Way…..
Doreen Montalvo. She tragically passed away at the age of 56 due to a stroke. Around the time of her passing, the
In The Heights and On Your Feet veteran was appearing the new Broadway musical adaptation of the hit film Mrs.
Doubtfire which was abruptly shutdown after 3 previews due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many Theater have been asking on who is taking over for the late Montalvo in the role of “Janet Lundy” and others. According to the show’s website, the role will now be performed by Hawaii native Jodi Kimura (who previously appeared in the US National Tour and UK companies of the
Lincoln Center Theater revival of
South Pacific plus tons of Regional shows). This will also mark as her Broadway debut!!
Under the direction of Jerry Zaks, Kimura will share the stage with the show’s ongoing original cast members who have been with the show since its out-of-town tryout in Seattle consisting of …..
Tony Award nominee
Rob McClure as newly divorced actor “Daniel Hillard” and his incognito alter-ego “Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire”,
Broadway favorite
Jenn Gambatese as his newly divorced wife “Miranda Hillard”,
Tony nominee Brad Oscar as his makeup artist brother extraordinaire “Frank Hillard”,
Young Broadway veteran Jake Ryan Flynn as his son “Christopher Hillard”,
newcomer Avery Sell as his youngest daughter “Natalie Hillard”,
Broadway veteran J Harrison Ghee as Andre,
Broadway and West End favorite Mark Evans as the new love interest for “Miranda” herself “Stuart Dunmeyer”,
Broadway favorite Charity Angél Dawson as “Wanda Sellner”,
Broadway veteran Peter Bartlett as “Mr. Jolly”,
Mrs. Doubtfire The Musical will resume Broadway previews on October 21st, 2021 and finally reach its official Opening Night on December 5th, 2021 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
