BROADWAY NEWS: Cult musical favorite HEATHERS returns to NYC in 2025!!!

by | Sep 7, 2024 | Blog, Broadway, News, off broadway, Shows

A dark blue background with the skyline of New York illuminated by a bright blue light behind. White and red text reads: 'DEAR DIARY... HEATHERS THE MUSICAL. HOLD YOUR BREATH AND COUNT THE DAYS...'

Earlier this week, we got the most exciting news for all Theater fans to FREEZE OUR BRAINS out. The cult smash hit Heathers is officially making it’s way back to our New York City backyard NEXT year. A TBD Venue and dates are set to be announced soon. No word if it’s going ON or OFF Broadway.
The show will be the same staging as it was done 10 YEARS AGO when it first premiered OFF BROADWAY & since then has been expanded worldwide. That team features direction by Andy Pickman and choreography by Gary Lloyd.
For those not familiar, HEATHERS is a musical based on 1988 dark teen comedy of the same name. Set in an 80’s High School, it follows an underdog trying to survive the social jungle of High School with 3 of the most popular girls….. all with the name “Heather”. As she meets a new kid, her world turns upside down going into a life of rebellion, hate, revenge, and murder on her rivals. It coped with themes of bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault, and school violence. It features an original score and book by Laurence O” Keefe and Kevin Murphy. Songs include BEAUTIFUL, CANDY STORE, FREZE YOUR BRAIN, NEVER SHUT UP AGAIN. DEAD GIRL WALKING, and SEVENTEEN.
HEATHERS THE MUSICAL was conceived around 2008 by Andy Cohen and J. Todd Harris who secured the rights to the original film. They had 3 sets of concerts industrial readings both in Los Angeles, CA and our New York City backyard.
The show would have its world premiere in LA at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in 2013. The success earned an early following on social media bringing the show to NYC the following year.
The Off Broadway run in 2014 played a 6-month run at New World Stages. With Andy Fickman’s direction, the original Off Broadway cast was led by….
Barrett Wilbert Weed as “Veronica Sawyer,
Ryan McCartan as “JD”,
Jessica Keenan Wynn as “Heather Chandler”,
Elle McLemore as “Heather McNamara”,
Alice Lee as “Heather Duke”,
& more.
The reviews for the Off-Broadway run were positive. It also got nominated for both the Drama Desks and the Lucille Lortel Awards.
A few years later, HEATHERS went through some updates making it’s way overseas to the UK. Its reception went even crazy out there. It played multiple engagements on London’s West End plus toured all around there.
Since then, the show has also been performed in Schools, Community, and Regional Theaters?
Can’t wait to return to the CANDY STORE?!!!

 

BROADWAY NEWS: Emmy Rossum and Zoe Winters joins WALDEN Off Broadway this Fall!

by | Sep 4, 2024 | Blog, Broadway, NYBT NEWS, off broadway

Emmy Rossum and Zoë Winters

LIFT OFF!!! Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum (TV’s Shameless and “Christine Daae” in the film adaption of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s The Phantom of the Opera) and Obie Award nominee Zoe Winters (Heroes of the Fourth Turning plus TV’s Succession) have been tapped to star in the new Off-Broadway play WALDEN by Amy Berryman this Fall at Second Stage Theater.
Casting for an additional character to play Rossum’s character’s fiance is still underway.
Under the direction of Whitney White, the new play will play Second Stage’s Tony Kiser Theatre. Previews start October 16th, 2024, official open November 7th, 2024, & will run through November 24th, 2024.
WALDEN tells the story of 2 sisters at a crossroads of their ultimate decision of a life in outer space or on earth.
Who is excited?

NYBT TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN: #25 – LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

by | Oct 31, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, off broadway, Shows

See the source image
Little Shop of Horrors / Suddenly, Seymour - 2003 - Macy's Thanksgivings Day Parade Performance
HAPPY HALLOWEEN BROADWAY FANS! We are only 25 DAYS till we start ringing in the holiday season with The 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET has continued to be an ongoing support of our Broadway Theater scene. Throughout the years, there have been so many unforgettable critically acclaimed productions that wowed audiences on Thanksgiving morning which got more people to come see Live Theater (especially now that Broadway is back), We have more of this beloved shows coming your way on our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. Are you ready for another showstopper?
At #25 on our countdown is a musical that truly is getting us in the mood of Halloween today. You can consider this show as a horror comedy. We are about to take you to a downtown florist shop. We meet a nerdy hapless worker there that who raises a plant which turns out to be a MAD KILLING PLANT that eats human blood and flesh. Welcome to the….. Little Shop of Horrors. Based on a 1960 black comedy film, the musical features a beloved score by Alan Menken and lyrics from a book by the late Howard Ashman.
From the 2003 NBC telecast, Tony nominees Hunter Foster as “Seymour”, Kerry Butler as “Audrey”, that monstrous eating plant himself “ Audrey II”, and The Urchins themselves of that year’s ON Broadway debut production performing a medley of the show’s title song and the beautiful SUDDENLY SEYMOUR.
The show originally began its life OFF-OFF BROADWAY performing at the Workshop of the Players Art Theatre in the Spring of 1982. It was a smash hit that was moved to OFF BROADWAY playing the Orpheum Theatre a few months later where it ran for 5 years and 2,209 performances. A plan for the show for an ON BROADWAY transfer was initially made for the original 1982 production but Ashman decided to keep it where it belongs. Under the direction of Howard Ashman himself, the cast consisted of…
Lee Wilkof as “Seymour”,
Ellen Greene in her signature role as “Audrey”,
Franc Luz as “Orin Scrivello, DDS” and others.
and
Ron Taylor as the voice of the man-eating plant himself “Audrey II”
The original production received numerous New York Theater Awards including the Drama Desk for OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for BEST MUSICAL.
Following the success of the show’s New York Premiere, it made its way to London’s West End and Australia becoming a hit there.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS did not officially make its ON Broadway Debut until 2003. Following an out-of-town tryout in Florida that spring, the production made its way into the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) where it ran for a complete total of 412 performances. Under the direction of Jerry Zaks and a newly worked puppet from The Jim Henson Company, this cast consisted of….
Hunter Foster (later Joey Fatone) as “Seymour”,
Tony nominee Kerry Butler (later Jessica Snow Wilson) as “Audrey”,
Tony nominee Douglas Sills (later Robert Evan) as “Orin Scrivello, DDS”,
and
Michael Leon Wooley as the voice of “Audrey II”.
The production was nominated for only 1 Tony Award category in 2004 for BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Hunter Foster) but lost the category.
In addition, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS was most recently performed as a week long concert production for New York City Center Encores in 2015 as part of their Off-Series season. Under the direction of Dick Scanlan, this cast featured….
Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal as “Seymour”,
Ellen Greene reprising her iconic role as “Audrey”,
Saturday Night Live favorite Taran Killam as “Orin Scrivello, DDS”,
and
Eddie Cooper as “Audrey II”.
The current revival of Little Shop of Horrors is back in the Big Apple with a critically acclaimed production OFF BROADWAY playing the Westside Theatre on 43rd Street. With a triumphant debut in the Fall of 2019, the show would be put on halt in March 2020 (like most NY Theater shows) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was halted for 18 months before reopening last month in September 2021 where it continues to play to packed houses every night. Under the direction of Michael Mayer, this cast is led by…..
Tony nominee Jonathan Groff (later Gideon Glick and currently Jeremy Jordan) as “Seymour”,
Emmy winner and Tony nominee Tammy Blanchard as “Audrey”,
Tony winner Christian Borle as “Orin Scrivello, DDS”,
and
Kingsley Leggs (later and currently Aaron Arnell Harrington) as “Audrey II”.
This current revival was nominated for various Awards including the Drama Desk (winning 2 for OUTSTANDING MUSICAL REVIVAL and OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Christian Borle), a Lucille Lortel Awards (winning 1 for OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Christian Borle), the Drama League Award (winning the top honor for OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL – ON OR OFF BROADWAY), and being an honoree for all 5 of its categories at the Outer Critics Circle Award (including OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL). The cast album would also be nominated for a Grammy Award for BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM earlier this year.
Along with its success on stage, the show was an iconic cult-film classic in 1986 from Warner Bros. Pictures. Under the direction of Frank Oz, the cast consisted of…
Rick Moranis as “Seymour”,
Ellen Greene reprising her stage role as “Audrey”,
Steve Martin as “Orin Scrivello, DDS”,
and
Levi Stubbs as the voice of “Audrey II”.
The film was nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song (for one of the new songs Menken and Ashman wrote specifically for the film entitled MEAN GREEN MOTHER FROM OUTER SPACE). It lost both the categories.
FUN FACT: The new film song MEAN GREEN made history as the first Oscar-nominated song to contain profanity in the lyrics and thus had to be slightly censored for the telecast.
Doesn’t this musical make you feel SCARED SILLY?!!

ON THE MARQUEE: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS revival is back!!!

by | Oct 24, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, off broadway, Shows

ON THE MARQUEE: With Live Theater back, things are getting back into the spooky groove in time for Halloween. One of the hottest tickets right now back is the current Award winning revival of Little Shop of Horrors (currently led by Jeremy Jordan, Tammy Blanchard, and Christian Borle).
Check out the updates on the front of house billboards outside the show’s home at the Westside Theatre. Getting us into the vibe of SKID ROW.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a notice outside the Theatre reminding all those who plan to see the production, sadly there is NO post-show stage door at this time. This is for all of SKID ROW’s health and safety. No ranting and NO FEEDING THE PLANTS!!!
Thoughts?
Who has seen this revival of LITTLE SHOP?
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Greetings from Tour Guide Mike; Back in NYC since March 2020!!!!

by | Oct 24, 2021 | Act 1 (Southern Times Square), Act 2 (Northern Times Square), Backstage with New York Broadway Tours, Be A Smash Walking Tour, Blog, Broadway, Broadway 101 Walking Tour (Times Square), Broadway Extravaganza Tour (Act 3 Times Square), Christmas Caroling (Times Square), East Village, Financial District Downtown, Gilbert and Sullivan to Hamilton Tour (Downtown), Gleeks Fan Tour (Times Square), Greenwich Village, Greenwich Village Theatre Walking Tour, Haunted Broadway (Times Square), In The Heights Walking Tour, Inspiration of Rent Tour, New York City Broadway Tours, News, NYBT NEWS, off broadway, Off-Broadway Tour, Piano Bar Pub Crawl, Private/Group Tours, Subway/Walking, Times Square Theatre District, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Washington Heights

Hey everyone, it’s one of our friendly neighborhood musical tour guides Mike….. After 594 away from the GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD, I am back. We are so excited to relaunch our Walking Guided Tours next month. Broadway’s back!!! Book your tickets NOW!!!
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FIRST LOOK: Disney’s WINNIE THE POOH debuts on the NY Theater Stage!!!

by | Oct 22, 2021 | Blog, News, off broadway, Shows

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Last night, one of the most beloved characters made the big jump from THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD to the New York Stage. We are talking about Disney’s brand new Off Broadway stage musical adaptation of the classic tale of Winnie the Pooh. Created by Jonathon Rockefeller, it debuted last night at Theatre Row with an overwhelming response by the sold out audience.
Get ready to experience the timeless adventures of that beloved WILLY NILLY SILLY OL’ BEAR and his friends like never before. The show features life-size puppetry of the notable characters we all know and love from “Pooh”, “Christopher Robin”, “Eeyore”, “Kanga”, “Roo”, “Rabbit”, “Piglet”, “Owl”, and yes….. everyone’s favorite bouncing tiger himself “Tigger” too…. HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO. The show is an original story with many of the beloved tunes from the various WINNIE THE POOH’s various movies and TV shows.
Welcome to the Great Bright Way WINNIE THE POOH!!!
How stunning does this look?!!!