Neil Meron News

 Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen, announced today that it will honor Emmy Award-winning “Queer Eye” production company Scout Productions at the 2019 Outfest Legacy Awards Gala: A Benefit to Protect Our Past and Build Our Future, on Sunday, October 27th. Outfest will also honor “Vida” creator, executive producer and showrunner Tanya Saracho during the “Unveiling of a New Era” themed gala. The show will be hosted by Emmy nominated Sheryl Lee Ralph and include a special performance by Dana Goldberg. This year's awards dinner will once again take place at performing arts venue Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles, with head chef Neal Fraser of Redbird and the show will be produced by Tony award-winning producer Scott Mauro. 

The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) will honor award-winning actress Bernadette Peters at the non-profit's annual 'Thespians Go Hollywood' benefit, which raises awareness and funds for theatre programs in underserved schools across the country. 

Lifetime has shared first look photos from its upcoming biopic, Patsy & Loretta, starring Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller!

The past month came with many announcements regarding stage-to-screen news! In casting news, The Little Mermaid casting continues to go underway, with reports that Javier Bardem will play King Triton. Not only do we have the film to look forward to, but it was also announced that ABC will air The Little Mermaid Live! with Auli'i Cravalho and Queen Latifah. The highly-anticipated Cats film trailer was released, and a film adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was announced! 

BroadwayWorld has received an exclusive photo from Lifetime's upcoming biopic, Patsy & Loretta starring Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller!

This past month was filled with exciting stage-to-screen news! In casting news, The Little Mermaid cast Halle Bailey as Ariel in the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid film and Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of The Prom on Netflix has cast Meryl Streep and James Corden in lead roles. Amy Sherman-Palladino announced she is writing the script, as well as directing, the Gypsy film remake and Kinky Boots is heading to Broadway HD!

This past month was filled with exciting stage-to-screen news! In casting news, The In the Heights film rounded out its cast and Mike Faist joined the West Side Story film. The plays Outside Mullingar and The Father are getting the feature film treatment, and The Prom and The Boys and the Band are headed to Netflix!

The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) will honor Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman with the Broadway Back to School Award, which recognizes the impact of key leaders in the theatrical industry and education in building access and excellence in school theatre. Shaiman and Wittman were among the first creative leaders in the theatrical industry to recognize that the involvement of young students in musical theatre was essential for their success in school and life as well as for the progress and growth of the industry. 

Lifetime has released a first look image of Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller who star as country legends Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, in the upcoming Lifetime original movie Patsy & Loretta.

This last month came with a lot of new stage to screen news and we're here to catch you up on all of it! The film adaptation everyone is talking about, CATS, just recently wrapped production! The cast and crew also made an appearance at CinemaCon, where Jennifer Hudson sang 'Memory.' CinemaCon also shed light on the upcoming Disney live-action adaptations of both ALADDIN and THE LION KING! And just a few weeks ago, a new trailer was released for ALADDIN. It was recently announced, too, that a film remake of GUYS AND DOLLS is in the works!

Joe Tippett and Kyle Schmid are set to star opposite Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller in Lifetime's Patsy & Loretta, according to Deadline. 

Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller will star as country legends Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, in the upcoming Lifetime original movie Patsy & Loretta, according to TVLine. Nashville creator Callie Khouri will direct the film while Neil Meron, who worked with Hilty on Smash, will executive produce.

February was full of stage to screen news and we're here to catch you up on all of it! In the biggest news of the month, it has just been confirmed that Glenn Close will star in a Rob Ashford-directed film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, which is set to begin shooting this October! It was also announced that a film adaptation of One Man, Two Guvnors is on the way. Both Lion King and Aladdin released new TV spots and Idris Elba talked about the upcoming Cats film!

NBC Entertainment has received the Standing Ovation Award from the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). The award recognizes a corporation or organization that makes significant contributions to EdTA in supporting its mission of "shaping lives through theatre education" through philanthropic efforts, programs, and activities.

Many stage to screen announcements were made in January, and we're here to catch you up on all the news. It was announced that 'Be Prepared' will be included in the live action version of THE LION KING, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz are working on a live-action HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, and Corey Hawkins has been cast as Benny in the upcoming IN THE HEIGHTS film.

Bob Greenblatt, who will soon bring a live staging of the musical Hair to NBC in May, will accept the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award at the 16th annual NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) Conference in Miami, where other honorees include Byron Allen, Mara Brock Akil, Rita Moreno, Betty White and Henry Winkler. Greenblatt recently signed off as the entertainment chairman of NBC, and seems to be focusing on producing for now.

There have been many announcements in the last month about upcoming stage to screen adaptations. RENT LIVE released additional casting, Glenn Close spoke about the upcoming SUNSET BOULEVARD film, ALADDIN released first look cast images, and SISTER ACT 3 was announced from Disney+.

There have been many announcements in the last few weeks about upcoming stage to screen adaptations. WEST SIDE STORY announced a casting call for Maria, the first official teaser for THE LION KING was released, and RENT LIVE released the first cast photoshoot.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Danny Burstein hosts Broadway Salutes, and more!

The late, legendary producer Craig Zadan, and his producing partner, Neil Meron, were honored last night as the inaugural recipients of the Theatre for Life Award by the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) for the imaginative transformation of live theatre in film, television, and associated media. Click here for photos from the special night.