Wake Up With BWW 2/27: Obie Awards, SWEENEY TODD Begins Previews, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Scroll down for the latest news.

Tonight, the 2023 Obie Awards will be held at Terminal 5. The awards, which honor Off- and Off-Off-Broadway productions, celebrate their 66th annual ceremony. The full list of winners was announced last week, and can be viewed here.

Sweeney Todd officially began previews on Broadway this weekend. The anticipated Broadway revival stars Tony and Grammy-nominated multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban and Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford. Directed by Thomas Kail, Sweeney Todd is set to open on March 26, at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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Today's Top Stories

SWEENEY TODD Begins Broadway Previews; Meet the Cast!
by Stephi Wild

Previews begin tonight, February 26, for the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Sweeney Todd will officially open on March 26, 2023, at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Meet the cast of Sweeney Todd here!. (more...)

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Video: How Ruth Stage Is Retelling CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF for a New Generation
by Backstage Live with Richard Ridge

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is back onstage at Ruth Stage! The Tennessee Williams classic returns to the Theatre at St. Clement's in a modern and haunting interpretation that audiences cannot get enough of. In this video watch as Richard Ridge chats with the company.. (more...)

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Interview: How SOME LIKE IT HOT Orchestrators Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter Brought Big Band Back To Broadway!
by A.A. Cristi

This season, the new musical Some Like It Hot is bringing the old-fashioned showstopper back to life on Broadway. Read our interview with the rollicking new musical's esteemed orchestrators, Tony and Grammy Award-winner Charlie Rosen and esteemed jazz musician, bandleader, and educator Bryan Fuller.. (more...)

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Exclusive: Oh My Pod You Guys- Being Mother (Literally) with Rachel Schur
by Jayke Workman

Look mom, I'm on BroadwayWorld! On the latest episode of Oh My Pod You Guys, Jayke shares the hottest Broadway news in their new segment, The BroadwayWorld Recap. Then Jayke chats with Rachel Schur about being in Chicago on Broadway, honoring what your body is telling you, and being mother (literally).. (more...)

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Interview: Mitch Hara Talks Revamped MUTANT OLIVE 2.0 at the Hudson Guild Theatre
by Shari Barrett

Back in 2015, I caught a solo performance play Mutant Olive, created and performed by Mitch Hara. I decided to speak with him about his revamped play, Mutant Olive 2.0, soon to begin performance at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood, to ask about the new show, it's title, and what's been going on during the 8 years since Mutant Olive in its original form premiered.. (more...)

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Interview: Ever Busy Music Wiz Dan Redfeld On His LITTLE WOMEN & Countless Other Projects
by Gil Kaan

A new musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women will debut in two concert performances - March 6th at the Knitting Factory in North Hollywood and April 24th in New York's 54 Below. The cast of Jenna Lea Rosen, Chris Mann, Terron Brooks, Ali Ewoldt, Kim Huber, Sophie Pollono, Kayla Stone, Devon Davidson, Barbara Carlton Heart, Miyuki Miyagi, Payson Lewis and Jater Webb will perform the songs by composer Dan Redfeld and lyricists Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej. Dan was able to answer a few of my queries between rehearsing both Little Women and The Secret Garden at the Ahmanson.. (more...)

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Photos: Go Inside W Magazine's Annual Best Performances Party
by Blair Ingenthron

Partygoers for the must-attend event among Hollywood's A-listers included 2023 Best Performance cover stars Austin Butler, Michelle Williams, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Russell, Ana de Armas, as well as W Best Performances feature stars Danielle Deadwyler, Kate Hudson, Aubrey Plaza, Diego Calva, Mia Goth, and Jeremy Pope. Check out photos here!. (more...)

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Today's Call Sheet

- The 2023 Obie Awards will be held today. The full list of winners was announced on Friday. Learn more about everyone being honored tonight here!

Broadway Birthdays

Happy Birthday shout-out to Debra Monk, who turns 74 today!

Monk garnered first attention in theatrical circles as one of the co-writers and co-stars of the 1982 musical Pump Boys and Dinettes. She has won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for performance in Redwood Curtain (1993). She also was nominated for a Tony Award for roles in Picnic (1994), Steel Pier (1997), and Curtains (2007). In 2000, she won the Obie Award for The Time of the Cuckoo. She returned to the stage in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of Visiting Edna by David Rabe in September 2016.

Monk has appeared in over 30 films as of early 1990s. She made her film debut in the movie version of Prelude to a Kiss, playing Aunt Dorothy. She later appeared in The Bridges of Madison County and The Devil's Advocate. On television, she has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for recurring performance as Katie Sipowicz in the ABC series, NYPD Blue. She also guest-starred on Law & Order, Desperate Housewives, The Closer, and Girls. Monk had a recurring roles in A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001-2002), Grey's Anatomy (2006-2011), and Damages (2007-2012).

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See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!

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