Skylar Astin News

In celebration of Carnegie Hall's 125th anniversary, the Weill Music Institute (WMI) has launched The Somewhere Project, a citywide exploration of West Side Story. This extensive creative learning project is engaging people through events in all five boroughs of New York City, plus those outside the city through online content, all anchored by a large-scale production of West Side Story, the classic American musical based on a conception by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents.

Air Bud Entertainment, the creators of the beloved 'Air Bud' and 'Buddies' films is proud debut an all-new family movie, MONKEY UP, on Digital HD January 19, 2106 and DVD February 2, 2016.

Tickets are now on sale for Carnegie Hall's presentation of WEST SIDE STORY for three performances only March 4, 5, and 6, 2016 at the Knockdown Center, a restored 50,000 square foot former glass and door factory in Queens now serving as an art and event space.

Premium TV network EPIX announced today that Academy Award and Golden Globe -nominee Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) has been cast in a recurring role on Graves

Premium TV network EPIX announced today that the Golden Globe and two-time Emmy award-winning actress Sela Ward has been cast to star with Nick Nolte in Graves, a single-camera half-hour political satire produced by Lionsgate. Ward will play Margaret Graves, the wife of former U.S. President Richard Graves (Nolte), who decides to follow her own political ambitions just as her husband embarks on a Don Quixote-like journey to right the wrongs of his administration. Ms. Ward replaces Susan Sarandon who departed the series due to artistic differences. Production has commenced in New Mexico.

Carnegie Hall today announced that it has cast three lead actors for its upcoming production of West Side Story, to be presented in three performances only on March 4, 5, and 6, 2016 at the Knockdown Center, a restored factory in Queens.

Tony nominees Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have announced that the ultimate cast recording of their new musical Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach as a permanently-free download* at www.jatgp.com.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: The NY Pops launches its 2015-16 season with two stage greats, COMEDY OF ERRORS goes on tour and KING CHARLES III arrives in New York!

According to Deadline, stage veteran Helene York has signed on for Epix's upcoming comedy GRAVES. The BULLETS OVER BROADWAY alum will appear alongside Nick Nolte and Skylar Astin in the project.

Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect, Pitch Perfect 2), Chris Lowell (The Help, “Veronica Mars”) and Angélica María (“Qué Bonito Amor,” Sea of Dreams) have been cast alongside Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon in the EPIX Original Series Graves

Grammy Award nominee and multi-Platinum hip-hop star Flo Rida is set to perform his hit, "I Don't Like It, I Love It," with a special appearance from fellow Grammy Award nominee Robin Thicke on the TEEN CHOICE 2015 stage when the special airs live Sunday, Aug. 16

The BroadwayWorld community is nothing if not vocal and yesterday's critical column revealing my top picks for the most important gay musicals of all time inspired many reactions in the feedback, on Facebook and on social media, ranging from 'I LOVE LOVE LOVE COCO' to 'No FUN HOME?' to 'Where's THE FAGGOT?' and far beyond. As with any list such as this, historical perspective is an essential element and a musical such as FUN HOME that has only been on Broadway mere months is obviously too new to truly assess insofar as its historical influence and impact on the overall legacy of gay musicals on Broadway in toto - going as far back as 1969's COCO and covering all the way up to 2013's KINKY BOOTS, as yesterday's list did. So, as a result, we are giving you more of what you asked for and sharing 10 more musicals that have been important to the gay movement, all of which cited in yesterday's column but not included on the actual top ten. What follows are my personal choices, so what are yours? Let us know and perhaps we will even need to do another list to shine a light on even more LGBT touchstones.

The 'Song of Purple Summer' might be heard - and seen - once more on Broadway.

Just last month, BroadwayWorld brought you news that Spring Awakening might be heading back to New York. And now an Equity casting notice has confirmed that Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's musical is officially headed to NYC, but no word yet on whether the show will end up on Broadway.

According to Deadline, PITCH PERFECT 3 will officially hit theaters on July 21, 2017, with stars Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson returning.

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that the highly-acclaimed production of SPRING AWAKENING currently running through June 14 at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is in active talks for a transfer to New York City after the show's West Coast run.

America loves the Barden Bellas now even more than they did three years ago.

The Lusty Month of May; like the song says: 'It's time to do a wicked thing or two!' It's May, the time when spring brings that hot-blooded, four letter word: lust. Musicals have had a steady history of lusty musical numbers. There are songs about rolling in the hay, and others extolling the virtues of different (ahem) flavors of man-candy. Some songs are paens to hot, steamy nights, and some are about what you do on those kind of nights. 

Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and countless celebrity cameos are back in the comedy-musical sequel PITCH PERFECT 2.

Making a film sequel is difficult, especially when it doesn't involve a superhero cinematic universe. In the case of following up 2012's surprise musical success PITCH PERFECT, the task was especially daunting; how do you improve upon a low-budget sleeper hit that shattered any and all conceivable expectations? The original film found success by blending what audiences have always wanted from a college comedy (mildly crude humor and young people falling in love) with what they never knew they wanted from a college comedy (a cappella singing and projectile vomit). While there is none of the latter, PITCH PERFECT 2 has the former three in spades; and despite noticeable tonal differences, the sequel is a surprisingly touching, laugh-out-loud musical party that should more than live up to the sky-high expectations of the franchise's legions of fans.