Today we are talking to the composer of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL, Tom Kitt, about his influences - from Sondheim to Schwartz to Finn to Elton John to some of his own contemporaries - and working with Green Day on AMERICAN IDIOT and his own eponymous band, to the creation of a Broadway phenomenon by tracing the path of the show from FEELING ELECTRIC to NEXT TO NORMAL - plus, the many exciting projects that he has coming up this year and beyond, including a thorough discussion of his upcoming collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amanda Green and Jeff Whitty on BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL and the very first news of a new, original Kitt/Yorkey musical on the horizon - and much, much more.
Broadway leading man and AMERICAN IDOL season 2 contestant Josh Strickland spoke to me yesterday about his career so far - on a trip from the Broadway stage in TARZAN, to the burlesque stage in Jerry Mitchell's PEEP SHOW in Las Vegas, right to the concert stage in NYC on Friday night in SIR TIM RICE & FRIENDS - all in just a handful of years. All of that is without even mentioning season two of the smash hit reality series HOLLY'S WORLD that he co-stars on, which will be following KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS: KARDASHIANS TAKE NEW YORK on Sunday nights starting January 23 on E!. Also, Josh shared with me the first news about his new dance album coming out later this year, as well, which is the centerpiece of his storyline on the show this season!
More information about the one night only NY TIMES Arts & Leisure-hosted SIR TIM RICE & FRIENDS event on Friday at 6 PM is available here.
BroadwayWorld TV was bigger than ever in 2010, covering the world of theatre from GLEE to the Hollywood Bowl to Broadway to London and Beyond! Take a look back at some of 2010's most watched videos!
Over the course of our ninety minute conversation earlier this week, Tony-winning Broadway star Alice Ripley was kind enough to open up about her role in the phenomenon of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL, which is now kicking off a US Tour beginning in Los Angeles, as well as offer thoughts on many of her significant stage roles that she has taken on over the course of her impressive and varied career. Pete Townshend and THE WHO'S TOMMY to Andrew Lloyd Webber and SUNSET BOULEVARD and TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, to Sondheim with COMPANY (as the greatest Amy of all time), and even a turn in ROCKY HORROR; Alice Ripley has seemingly done it all, and her passion, dedication and insight into her craft are amply evident in both her studied performances on stage as well as in discussing the art of acting in musical theatre in conversation and what she has taken as her inspirations to play Diana Goodman, ranging from Albee to O'Neill to actors like Cynthia Nixon, Toni Collette and more. In this portion of her most comprehensive interview to date, BroadwayWorld is proud to present Part I of InDepth InterView: Alice Ripley.
In this special edition of FLASH FRIDAY we are taking a look at a number of TV appearances by Tony-winning Broadway star and this week's InDepth InterView participant Alice Ripley in celebration of the tour of the Pulizter prize-winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL kicking off in Los Angeles starring the incandescent original Broadway leading lady herself. SUNSET BLVD, SIDE SHOW, LES MIZ, LITTLE FISH and NEXT TO NORMAL are just a few of the many marvelous faces of the multi-talented Alice Ripley.
AracaWorks has announced preliminary casting for its five-day, five-play series celebrating new plays which will be presented December 6-10 at 7pm at The Black Box Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. Each evening, the group will present a reading of a new play in its early stages of development, for free.
Today, lead producers Margo Lion and Hal Luftig announced the complete cast for the new Broadway musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz will star as Carl Hanratty and Aaron Tveit will star as Frank Abagnale, Jr. alongside Tony Nominee Tom Wopat as Frank Abagnale, Sr. and Tony Nominee Kerry Butler as Brenda Strong. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will open on Broadway on Sunday, April 10, 2011 at The Neil Simon Theatre, 250 W. 52nd Street. This new musical, created by a team of Tony winners, features a book by Terrence McNally, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, choreography by Jerry Mitchell and is directed by Jack O'Brien. Previews begin March 7, 2011.
BroadwayWorld has learned that Broadway favorites Kyle Dean Massey and Levi Kreis have made the list of Out magazine's annual '100 People of the Year'. Additional honorees include GLEE's Chris Colfer, and star of the stage and screen, T.R. Knight. The other 96 on the Out 100 List will be announced on November 11. For more information, visit: Out.com.
According to a report by Variety, Broadway veterans Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tviet might be reprising their roles in the upcoming Broadway production of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. The duo played conman Frank Abagnale and FBI agent Carl Hanratty in the Seattle premiere in 2009. Though Butz is set to star in MIRACULOUS YEAR, if HBO picks up the series, shooting will not begin before the spring opening of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.
At long last. In less than a month, Broadway babies in the know will have the surefire showbiz salve of a brand spanking new movie-musical starring Cher and Christina Aguilera to sample - leaving us jubilant, giddy and breathless in its wake. All wrapped up with a pink satin ribbon with a leather and lace bow - it's BURLESQUE. The film also stars Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Alan Cumming, Julianne Hough, Cam Gigandet, Peter Gallagher and Eric Dane and is, without a doubt, sure to be the entertainment event of the year for fans of Broadway and the movie musical genre. When was the last time an original movie musical was attempted on the big screen with two of the biggest stars in music industry history? That - and so much more, as we will soon see - is one step in the complex dance routine of reasons to get the celebration started a little early for the most excitedly awaited event this holiday season - BURLESQUE. Today, we will be taking a look at the story, some songs, the trailer and what exactly makes this tricky musical proposition and composition tick with such fabulous syncopation as we anticipate the world premiere of BURLESQUE in movie theaters nationwide on November 24th, Thanksgiving Day!
Check out this trailer of 'Howl', featuring Broadway's Aaron Tveit. In the film Tveit plays Peter Orlovsky, who is the lover of poet Alan Ginsberg (played by James Franco. The film is now playing in select cities.
There are three days I consider high holy days of the Broadway religion: The Tony Awards, the BC/EFA Broadway Flea Market, and Broadway on Broadway. The Tonys, of course, took place in June; but the other two events happen in September -- which means I'm getting ready for a month of celebrating and rejoicing along with thousands upon thousands of other Broadway fans.
This week we are taking a look at the trailer for the upcoming movie musical BURLESQUE starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, as well as checking out two of Christina Aguilera's solo songs from the soundtrack - one classic Etta James cover featured in a new clip just released from the film and an especially exciting, entirely new composition 'Spotlight' written exclusively for Christina for the film - in the backstage tuner that is currently set to be released nationwide on Thanksgiving. The film also stars Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Alan Cumming, Julianne Hough, Cam Gigandet, Peter Gallagher and Eric Dane. Though last Christmas brought the unfortunately unsuccessful $80-million-dollar NINE, perhaps this year's quotidian singular musical entertainment from Hollywood will fare far, far better - it certainly could not be much different in casting, content, style, tone or marketing from what we have seen so far and can see here! But, be forewarned: looks can be deceiving... and what deceptively delicious looks we have here to sample courtesy of Pussycat Dolls headmaster and director Steve Antin and BURLESQUE!
The Hollywood Bowl cast, featuring Vannesa Hudgens, Wayne Brady, Aaron Tveit, Skylar Astin, Tracie Thoms completed its successful weekend run on Sunday night.
The Hollywood Bowl cast, featuring Vannesa Hudgens, Wayne Brady, Aaron Tveit, Skylar Astin, Tracie Thoms and more opened last night on Friday August 6 at 8:30 pm. Here's a look at the production.
On the weekend of August 6-8, the infamous 17,000-seat Hollywood Bowl plays host to a forcibly-scaled-up version of Jonathan Larson's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT, directed by none other than Neil Patrick Harris. Harris' challenge-besides honoring a beloved show as well as living up to his stunt casting choices-was to take a relatively-intimate rock musical about financially-strapped bohemians living in the less-than-luxurious Lower East Side enclave of New York City and expand it on the massive stage entrenched in the Hollywood Hills. The results-a mixed bag of technical gaffes, surprisingly excellent performances, and a few disappointments-prove to be admirably and genuinely entertaining overall.
The Hollywood Bowl cast, featuring Vannesa Hudgens, Wayne Brady, Aaron Tveit, Skylar Astin, Tracie Thoms and more opened last night on Friday August 6 at 8:30 pm. Here's a look at the production from some fantastic photos with special thanks to talented photographer, Lily Lim!
The Hollywood Bowl cast, featuring Vannesa Hudgens, Wayne Brady, Aaron Tveit, Skylar Astin, Tracie Thoms and more opened last night on Friday August 6 at 8:30 pm. As everyone knows by now, there's (unfortunately) no official filming allowed of productions at the Hollywood Bowl, so BroadwayWorld LA couldn't resist bringing you a few fan-uploaded clips now making the rounds on YouTube.
