WHAD’YA TALK!! Full and final casting announced for Jackman and Foster led Broadway revival of THE MUSIC MAN!!

by | Oct 28, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows

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PLEASE FOLKS, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!! The remaining, full, and final casting has been announced for the highly anticipated Broadway revival of Meredith Wilson’s legendary musical The Music Man has been revealed. The final set of residents of RIVER CITY will include an unbelievable lineup of Broadway favorites and newcomers. That will consist of….
newcomer Benjamin Pajak making his Broadway debut as the shy and self conscious turn confident coronet player “Winthrop Paroo”,
and
Kayla Teruel (The National Tour of the Lincoln Center Theater revival of The King and I) in her Broadway debut as the dreamy young piano student “Amaryllis”.
The PICK-A-LITTLE, TALK-A-LITTLE Ladies will consist of….
Garrett Long (Broadway’s South Pacific, Bonnie & Clyde, Fun Home, and Dear Evan Hansen) as “Ethel Toffelmier”,
Linda Mugleston (Broadway’s Wonderful Town, Young Frankenstein, Anything Goes, Cinderella, and the recent revival of My Fair Lady) as “Alma Hix”,
Jessica Sheridan (Broadway’s Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, and Hello, Dolly) as “Maud Dunlop”,
and
Rema Webb (Broadway’s The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Violet, and Escape to Margaritaville: The Musical) as “Mrs. Squires”,
The RIVER CITY dysfunctional schoolboard (that becomes a Barbershop Quarter) will feature….
Tony Award nominee Phillip Boykin (Broadway’s The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, On The Town, and Once On This Island) as “Olin Britt”,
Eddie Korbich (Broadway’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Little Mermaid, Face The Music, and The Drowsy Chaperone) as “Jacey Squires”,
Daniel Torres (Broadway’s Beautiful – The Carole King Musical) as “Ewart Dunlop”,
Nicholas Ward (Broadway’s On The Town, The Lion King, and Frozen) as “Oliver Hix”,
and
a full Ensemble.
This exciting lineup joins the previously announced…..
Award winning stage and screen star Hugh Jackman in the titular role of “Professor Harold Hill”,
Tony winning stage and screen star Sutton Foster as “Marian Paroo”.
Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays as “Mayor George Shinn”,
Tony Award winner Jayne Houdyshell as “Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn”
Tony Award winner Shuler Hensley as “Marcellus Washburn”,
Gino Cosculluela as “Tommy Djilas”,
Emma Crow as “Zaneeta Shinn”,
and
Remy Auberjonois as “Charlie Cowell”.
Under the direction of Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, this new highly anticipated revival of The Music Man marches into Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre this holiday season. Previews will begin December 20th, 2021 and will have its official Opening Night on February 10th, 2022.
Congrats to this amazing cast!!!
Who is excited?!!!

Broadway revival of CAROLINE OR CHANGE opens TONIGHT!!!

by | Oct 27, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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The sounds of THE WASHING MACHINE, THE DRYER, and THE RADIO are back on the Great Bright Way. Tonight, the long awaited Broadway transfer of the acclaimed West End revival of Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner’s groundbreaking musical Caroline, Or Change (starring Sharon D. Clarke) finally opens at Roundabout‘s legendary Studio 54.
This acclaimed production wowed audiences in London earning various Olivier Awards. It was slated to debut on Broadway last year in 2020 but the plug was pulled the day before it was supposed to start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production finally had its set of Live Audiences these last few weeks completing its previews. But it all comes down to finally celebrating its official Broadway Opening Night.
To get us in the moon, check out the brand new b-roll proshot footage of Clarke and the company in action.
CAROLINE OR CHANGE is scheduled to run for a strictly limited engagement through January 9th, 2022.
Break a leg to the full cast, crew, musicians, and creative team of this new CAROLINE OR CHANGE!!
Who is excited?!!!

Criss, Fishburne, and Rockwell led Broadway revival of AMERICAN BUFFALO will still be happening; Debuts Spring 2022 at Circle in the Square

by | Oct 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, Gleeks Fan Tour (Times Square), News, Shows

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BREAKING NEWS: The highly anticipated upcoming Broadway revival of David Mamet‘s American Buffalo will officially be happening after all. This new production directed by Neil Pepe is set to make its long awaited debut at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre (current home of Chicken and Biscuits) for a strictly limited 16 week engagement beginning Spring 2022.
Previews will now begin March 22nd, 2022 and will finally officially open on April 14th, 2022….exactly two years after it was originally scheduled to open while in the midst of their initial rehearsals.
That’s not all, the all-star casting is still expecting to be the same as it was prior to Broadway being shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, It will star….
Tony & Emmy winner Laurence Fishburne as “Donny”,
Oscar winner Sam Rockwell as “Teach”,
and
Emmy winner, Broadway, & Glee favorite Darren Criss as “Bobby”.
For a little fresh recap, AMERICAN BUFFALO tells the story of a pair of ne’er-do-wells and a young intern plotting the robbery of a coin in a seedy second-hand junkshop…. the coin is a valuable Buffalo nickel.
The play originally premiered in Chicago at the Goodman Theatre in 1975. Under the direction of Gregory Mosher, that world premiere cast was led by…
J.J. Johnston as “Donny”,
Bernard Erhard as “Teach”,
and
William H.Macy as “Bobby”.
A year later, the show moved Off Broadway playing the Theatre at St. Clements Church in 1976. Also directed by Gregory Mosher, this cast was led by….
Michael Egan as “Donny”,
Mike Kellin as “Teach”,
and
J.T. Walsh as “Bobby”.
The production took home the Obie Award for BEST NEW PLAY.
Another year later, AMERICAN BUFFALO made its ON Broadway debut at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre where it played only 122 performances. With direction this time by Ulu Grosbard, the Broadway premiere cast was led by….
Kenneth McMillian as “Donny”,
Robert Duvall as “Teach”,
and
John Savage as “Bobby”.
It was nominated for 2 Tony Awards that year for BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY and BEST SCENIC DESIGN. However it lost the categories. However it won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for BEST AMERICAN PLAY.
The show would later be revived various times on the New York stage. The first revival started out Off Broadway and the Downtown Circle in the Square Theatre in 1981. Under the direction of Arvin Brown, it was led by….
Clifton James as “Donny”,
Al Pacino as “Teach”,
and
Thomas Waltes as “Bobby”.
2 years later, the production transferred to Broadway playing the Booth Theatre for only 100 performances. With Arvin Brown’s direction, the cast starred….
J.J. Johnston reprising his World Premiere performance as “Donny”,
Al Pacino reprising the role of “Teach”,
and
James Hayden as “Bobby”.
It was nominated for a 1984 Tony Award for BEST REVIVAL but lost the category.
FUN FACT: James Hayden passed away 6 hours following a performance back in November 1983. He died from a heroin overdose while on the phone with his estranged wife in his upper westside apartment. Understudy John Shepard took on the role of “Bobby” fulltime for the remainder of the run.
In 2000 following a triumphant production in London, AMERICAN BUFFALO was revived again Off Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company. Under the direction of Neil Pepe (who is coincidentally directing the upcoming 2021 revival), this cast was led by….
Phillip Baker Hall as “Donny”,
William H. Macy this time starring as “Teach”,
and
Mark Webber as “Bobby”.
The most recent Broadway revival happened in 2008 playing the Belasco Theatre which was a huge flop in critics and disappointing ticket sales. It only played 28 performances total. Under the direction of Robert Falls, this cast was led by….
Cedric The Entertainer as “Donny”,
John Leguizamo as “Teach”,
and
Haley Joel Osment as “Bobby”.
Today the show is a popular performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
Along with its life on stage, AMERICAN BUFFALO was also an acclaimed film from The Samuel Goldwyn Company. It was released in 1993. Under the direction of the play’s world premiere direction Gregory Mosher, the film starred…
Dustin Hoffman as “Treat”,

Dennis Franz as “Donny,,

and
Sean Nelson as “Bobby”.
We are so excited for the newly start date of this acclaimed dark drama back on the Great Bright Way.
Who is excited?!!!!

FIRST LOOK: CHECK IN to the PLAZA SUITE (starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker); Revival officially begins Spring 2022!!!

by | Sep 30, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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FIRST LOOK: YOUR ROOM IS ALMOST READY!!! One of the most highly anticipated productions set to head to the Great Bright Way this season is the long awaited revival of Neil Simon’s legendary comedy Plaza Suite.
Under the direction of John Benjamin Hickey, the cast will be led by….
Tony winner Matthew Broderick,
his real life wife Emmy winner Sarah Jessica Parker,
Danny Bolero,
Molly Ranson,
Eric Wiegand,
and
Caesar J. Rosado.
This new revival of PLAZA SUITE is set to begin previews on February 25th, 2022 and have its official night set on March 28th, 2022 at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre. It will run for a strictly limited engagement through June 12th, 2022.
To get us excited on what to expect, here is B-Roll footage of this production in action during its initial out-of-town tryout in Boston at the Emerson Colonial Theatre back in February of last year 2020 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This revival of PLAZA SUITE was initially scheduled to begin March 13th, 2020. However the day before was when Broadway got shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The run was delayed twice due to the ongoing 18 1/2 months of Broadway being shutdown. However, it is finally happening stronger than ever.
For those who may not know, PLAZA SUITE is a 3 act play Each act centers on 3 sets of visitors in Suite 719 of New York City’s Plaza Hotel.
Following its world premiere run in Boston, the show originally made its Broadway debut in 1968 at the Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) where it ran for only 2 previews and 1,097 regular performances. Under the direction of Mike Nichols, the cast originally featured….
George C. Scott,
Maureen Stapleton,
and
Bob Balaban.
The original production was nominated for 3 Tony Awards in 1968. However, it took home only 1 for BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY (for Mike Nichols).
It was later captured on film 3 times. The original film was released in 1971. starring Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton reprising her role from the stage production, Barbara Harris, and Lee Grant.
However, Neil Simon himself was not happy with the final product.
The 2nd filmed version was filmed for HBO in 1982. Filmed in front of a live audience, this version starred Lee Grant and Jerry Orbach.
The most recent version was released as a TV film led by Carol Burnett alongside Hal Holbrook, Dabney Coleman, and Richard Crenna.
Tickets are on sale now for this highly anticipated new production!! All those who held tickets for performances initially set for March 2020 and its pushed to March 2021 engagement, they will have the ability to exchange their tickets for a new performance by contacting the original point of sale.
So excited to finally experience this classic Neil Simon comedy back on Broadway!!
PLAZA SUITE itself continues to be performed in schools, community, and regional theaters around the world.
How exciting is this?

Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH to play Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont beginning Spring 2022; Lileana Blain – Cruz to direct!!

by | Sep 27, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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BREAKING NEWS: The Award winning Lincoln Center Theater already has an unforgettable lineup of new shows now that Broadway is back. It has just been announced that Thornton Wilder‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning play THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH will be coming this Spring. Under the direction of LCT Resident Director Lileana Blain – Cruz, it will play the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Previews will begin March 31st, 2022 and will open on April 25th, 2022.
PLEASE NOTE: Since THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH is going to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, it has been revealed that the Theaters prior show that is coming…. the new musical Flying Over Sunset will be a strictly limited engagement.
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH tell the story of The Antrobus family of Excelsior, New Jersey, as they persevere through an Ice Age, a biblical flood, and a war. The play is told in 3 acts exploring the life of mankind.
This new revival comes to Broadway commemorating Thornton Wilder’s 125th Birthday.
The play originally premiered in 1942 in New Heaven, CT at the Shubert Theatre. It eventually moved to Broadway’s Plymouth Theatre (now the Schonefeld Theatre) where it ran for 359 performances. Under the direction of Elia Kazan, the cast was led by….
Miriam Hopkins as “Sabina”,
Conrad Nagel as “Mr. Antrobus”
Florence Reed as “The Fortune Teller”,
Viola Frayne as “Mrs. Antrobus”.
and more.
The show did NOT receive any Tony Award nominations or wins because it wasn’t created till 1947. It did however go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
It would later be revived various times in our New York Theater scene.
The first ON Broadway revival happened in 1955 where it played the ANTA Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) for only 22 performances. Under the direction of Alan Schneider, the cast was led by….
Mary Martin as “Sabina”,
George Abbott as “Mr. Antrobus”
Florence Reed reprising her performance as “The Fortune Teller”,
Helen Hayes as “Mrs. Antrobus”.
and more.
This revival did not receive any Tony Award nominations or wins.
The most recent ON Broadway revival of THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH happened in 1975 playing the Mark Hellinger Theatre (now The Times Square Church) for only 7 performances. Yup, it was huge flop. Under the direction of José Quintero, this cast was led by…
Elizabeth Ashley as “Sabina”,
Alfred Drake as “Mr. Antrobus”
Charlotte Jones as “The Fortune Teller”,
Martha Scott as “Mrs. Antrobus”.
and more.
The production also did NOT get any Tony nominees or wins.
The show did have several Off Broadway revivals including 1986 at the East 13 Street Theatre running for only 28 performances. Under the direction of Carey Perloff, the cast was led by….
Park Overall as “Sabina”,
Steve Coats as “Mr. Antrobus”
Elaine Hausman as “The Fortune Teller”,
Novella Nelson as “Mrs. Antrobus”.
and more.
Most recently, THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH returned Off Broadway with a production held in Brooklyn at the Theatre for a New Audience. Under the direction of Arin Arbus, this cast was led by….
Mary Wiseman as “Sabina”,
David Rasche as “Mr. Antrobus”
Mary Lou Rosato as “The Fortune Teller”,
Kecia Lewis as “Mrs. Antrobus”.
and more.
It went on to win for an Obie Award for BEST DIRECTION (for Arin Arbus).
Today, THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH is a popular played performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
Who is excited?!!