Before "Fred and Ginger," there was "Fred and Adele," a show-business partnership and cultural sensation like no other. In our celebrity-saturated era, it's hard to comprehend what a genuine phenomenon these two siblings from Omaha were. At the height of their success in the mid-1920s, the Astaires seemed to define the Jazz Age. They were Gershwin's music in motion, a fascinating pair who wove spellbinding rhythms in song and dance.
In this book, the first comprehensive study of their theatrical career together, Kathleen Riley traces the Astaires' rise to fame from humble midwestern origins and early days as child performers on small-time vaudeville stages (where Fred, fatefully, first donned top hat and tails) to their 1917 debut on Broadway to star billings on both sides of the Atlantic. They became ambassadors of an art form they helped to revolutionize, adored by audiences, feted by royalty, and courted socially by elites everywhere they went. From the start, Adele was the more natural performer, spontaneous, funny, and self-possessed, while Fred had to hone his trademark timing and elegance through endless hours of rehearsal, a disciplined regimen that Adele loathed. Ultimately, Fred's dancing expertise surpassed his sister's, and their paths diverged: Adele married into British aristocracy, and Fred headed for Hollywood.
The Astaires examines in depth the extraordinary story of this great brother-sister team, with full attention to its historical and theatrical context. It is not merely an account of the first part of Fred's long and illustrious career but one with its own significance. Born at the close of the 1800s, Fred and Adele grew up together with the new century, and when they reached superstardom during the interwar years, they shone as an affirmation of life and hope amid a prevailing crisis of faith and identity.
Joy Machine Records has announced the second single from All the World's a Stage: Original Cast Recording – “Other Lives,” performed by rising theater star Eliza Pagelle – today, Friday, February 6.
Stella Cole has released My Funny Valentine, a 3 track EP out via Decca Records US. Cole also revealed the dates for her second residency at NYC's Café Carlyle.
The King’s Critique: Original Concept Recording—the new musical by Nat Zegree and Eric Holmes—has been released on streaming and digital platforms. Listen here!
Musical theatre composer and lyricist Will Larche is set to release a new album entitled Bumps in the Bathroom: and other lost shows. BroadwayWorld has your exclusive first listen to 'Julian (feat. Jared Reinfeldt)' here!
The Secret Agent, currently nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is now available on digital platforms, retailing for $14.99 to rent and $19.99 to purchase.
For Record Store Day 2026, Republic Records will release a special vinyl edition of Wicked: One Wonderful Night, the live soundtrack of the 2025 NBC special.
Musical theatre composer and lyricist Will Larche is set to release a new album entitled Bumps in the Bathroom: and other lost shows. This album showcases a collection of songs from obscure indie musicals.
Lee Mendelson Film Productions has announced the first-ever release of Vince Guaraldi's complete soundtrack for 'It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown,' the 15th animated Peanuts special.
Prestige Classics' release of Frank Wildhorn's The Symphonic Suites will bring to audiences world-famous melodies from four iconic Wildhorn shows including Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde.
Literature to Life will launch BOOKS UNITE, a series of free community events in Paterson, NJ, featuring performances, book clubs, and workshops aimed at fostering community engagement through literature.
In his first book, Opening Doors: Reimagining the American Musical, John Doyle reflects on the 50-year theatrical journey taken by a boy who never dreamt it could happen to him. Through simply working at his craft and trying to earn a living he gained a reputation for thinking outside of the box and is credited with helping create a new art form – that of actor-musician led musical theatre. Read an excerpt here!
Capitol Records will release a special vinyl pressing of the Bridgerton Season 4 soundtrack, featuring Vitamin String Quartet's classical covers of songs from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Paramore, and more.
BroadwayWorld is now accepting nominations for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year. Nominations close February 28th, 2026.
To commemorate the release of his memoir Devout, singer-songwriter David Archeleta will embark on a book tour, with stops in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and more. The book will be released on February 17.
Joy Machine Records announces the release of 'ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE,' a new musical by Adam Gwon featuring Elizabeth Stanley and Matt Rodin. The first single from the musical is available today.
xProducers Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners Productions have just announced that Chess will record a Broadway cast album on Monday, January 26, 2026. A release date will be announced shortly.
In this video, legendary composer Marc Shaiman sits down with Robert Bannon to celebrate his brand-new book Never Mind the Happy—a hilarious, heartfelt, and no-holds-barred look at a life in music, collaboration, and controlled chaos. Together, Marc and Robert talk Bette, Whoopi, Hairspray, Smash, Some Like It Hot, Saturday Night Live, and so many more timeless moments.
Sony Pictures Classics will release the live film version of the 2023 Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along on DVD and Blu-ray on March 3. The digital version is currently available to rent or buy.
INFINITE STEPS, authored by Gavin Larsen and Gene Schiavone, offers an intimate look into the lives of 33 ballet dancers. Scheduled for release on March 17, 2026, by University Press of Florida, the book combines compelling stories with striking portraits.
Author and Broadway star Andrew Keenan-Bolger is making YA debut with Limelight, a poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, first love, and the power of the arts to help young people feel seen.
On the eighth anniversary of the 2018 Hawaii missile scare, the musical THIS IS NOT A DRILL, inspired by the event, is now available for licensing to theaters. The production, which premiered at The York Theatre Company, explores the intense 38 minutes of the false alert through a blend of humor and drama.
BroadwayWorld is now accepting nominations for the BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year.
Jack White has officially published Jack White Collected Lyrics and Selected Writing Volume 1, available now at Third Man physical storefronts, online, and booksellers in the United States.
Puscifer has expanded its universe with the launch of the band’s first comic book series, “Tales From The Pusciverse.” Issue #1 centers on Bellendia Black, a character first seen in the band’s “Pendulum” video.
Song Sung Blue, starring Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, will be available to buy or rent on digital platforms in January of 2026, and on Blu-ray and DVD in February 2026.
The cast and creative team of Broadway’s current revival of Ragtime had their first listen of the show’s official Broadway cast album at a listening party.
Blue Moon, Richard Linklater's portrait of Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart, will be available on Blu-ray on January 27 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
The audiobook of Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, a memoir written by Marc Shaiman, is slated for release on the same day as print publication.
Writer, composer, and producer T.J. Armand has announced the release of Happy Hour Blues – Volume 2 (Demo Sessions), the latest chapter in his three-volume recording project.