Wake Up With BroadwayWorld December 29th, 2023

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is December 29, 2023 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours: 

But first...

This Week's Call Sheet: Saturday, December 30, 2023 I Need That and Some Like It Hot close on Broadway

Video: Get a First Look at Amber Ardolino Performing 'Forever In Blue Jeans' in A BEAUTIFUL NOISE by Chloe Rabinowitz Watch a clip of Amber Ardolino singing 'Forever in Blue Jeans' from A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.. (more...)

Video: AMDA Students On 'A Day in the Life' of an Undergraduate by Team BWW At AMDA, students curate their artistic journey according to their goals, interests and skill sets. While on campus with world-renowned faculty guiding them, they discover their own voice, develop their talent and learn how to succeed beyond the classroom. Follow along as three recent graduates walk you through a day in the life of an undergraduate student.. (more...)

Character Breakdown: PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC Cast Unpacks Their Roles by Nicole Rosky Previews are now underway for the Broadway premiere of Prayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winner Joshua Harmon and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Watch the cast unpack their roles and find out even more about the new play here!

Find Out Who Makes the Next On Stage Top 3
by Team BWW
Who made the Top 3? Who did the judges save? Find out! Watch now!

Interview: How HAMILTON Standby Marc delaCruz Took on Two Different Roles in the Same Night
by Chloe Rabinowitz
In an exclusive interview, Marc delaCruz discusses the experience of stepping into multiple roles at Hamilton on Broadway.. (more...) 

Interview: Jenna Lea Rosen Is Bringing Jo March Into the 21st Century in JO - THE LITTLE WOMEN MUSICAL
by Nicole Rosky
BroadwayWorld checks in with Jenna Lea Rosen to learn more about Jo – The Little Women Musical, her take on the classic character, and so much more.. (more...)

Why Oprah Didn't Make a Cameo in THE COLOR PURPLE Movie Musical
by Michael Major
Oprah Winfrey is opening up about the surprise cameo in The Color Purple and why she didn't make one herself. While she turned down a potential appearance in the film, the media mogul thinks that Whoopi Goldberg's cameo is 'more special' in the film.. (more...) 

THE BOOK OF MORMON Passes JERSEY BOYS to Become Broadway's 12th Longest Running Show
by Chloe Rabinowitz
Tonight, Broadway’s The Book of Mormon plays its 4643rd performance, passing Jersey Boys to become the 12th longest running show in Broadway history.. (more...)

Videos: Watch Tituss Burgess, Lin-Manuel Miranda & More Perform at the Kennedy Center Honors
by Michael Major
This year's honorees include Billy Crystal, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah, and Dionne Warwick. Watch videos of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana DeBose, Tituss Burgess, Dove Cameron, Marc Shaiman, Cynthia Erivo, Christine Baranski, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Gladys Knight now!. (more...)

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a Brooklyn-based playwright and producer and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist who is currently represented on Broadway by his play, Appropriate. Recent theater credits include The Comeuppance, currently playing at the Signature Theatre, Girls (Yale Rep), Everybody (Signature Theatre), War (Yale Rep; Lincoln Center/LCT3), Gloria (Vineyard Theatre), Appropriate (Obie Award; Signature Theatre), An Octoroon (Obie Award; Soho Rep, Theatre for a New Audience), and Neighbors (The Public Theater). He was showrunner, executive producer, and writer for HULU/FX’s drama series, Kindred, based on Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking novel. He currently teaches at Yale University and serves as Vice President of the Dramatists Guild council and on the boards of Soho Rep, Park Avenue Armory, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Honors include a USA Artists fellowship, a Guggenheim fellowship, the MacArthur fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award.

Other birthdays on this day include:
Jude Law
Ted Danson
Amanda Green
Patricia Clarkson 

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!

"It's gonna be a happy new year!" - Rent

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