Beowulf Boritt News

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met today for the third time this season and confirmed the eligibility status of seven Broadway productions for the 2019 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards®. The Tony Awards Administration Committee will meet a total of four times throughout the 2018-2019 season to decide the eligibility for the 73rd Annual Tony Awards.      

Just last night, April 8, Inside Broadway (Executive Director, Michael Presser) honored Tony Award-winning Broadway icon Chita Rivera, NBC News/The Today Show's Al Roker, and scenic designer Beowulf Boritt at the Broadway Beacon Awards Gala. 

Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, the beloved comedy will officially open on Tuesday, June 11 and will run through Sunday, June 23.

Dear Readers, in my capacity as a reviewer and as a musical theater geek at large, I've been privileged to witness more than a few out of town tryouts, those plucky wanna-be Broadway shows taking a shot in another city. Both here at home and abroad, I occasionally get a glimpse at greatness in the making, and yes, some at the 5th Avenue Theatre. I remember marveling at the glory of 'Memphis' and not being able to contain my enthusiasm or stay in my seat during the curtain call of 'Hairspray'. But not all are winners. (I'm looking at you, 'Princesses'.) So, each and every time the 5th Avenue announces their next great new musical, I'm a little trepidatious even when the show is from two of my favorite composers, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, not to mention directed and choregraphed by the indomitable Susan Stroman. So along came 'Little Dancer' which many whom I mentioned it to thought was an Elton John jukebox musical. (Wrong lyric, guys. That's 'Tiny Dancer'.) Then the show was changed to 'Marie', possibly owing to such confusion and finally to 'Marie, Dancing Still'. But whether they want to call it 'Little Dancer', or 'Marie, Dancing Still' or 'How Degas Got His Groove Back', what they have is a bona fide, must see, must cry throughout, accept no substitutes, hit in the making and a definite addition to my list of shows I was honored to catch early on.

On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis (Mahira Kakkar) receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant (Greg Wood), a successful and charismatic restaurateur. As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship with food and wine, only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires.

The North American tour of A BRONX TALE doo-wops its way into the Citizens Bank Opera House through April 14th as part of the 2018-2019 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season. It is at once a nostalgic stroll down memory lane with an original rock 'n' roll score, a gritty depiction of urban turf wars, and a well-told story about loyalty, love, and family. Based on Chazz Palminteri's 1989 one-man Off-Broadway play that inspired a 1993 film, the musical reunites the author with his directors, Jerry Zaks and Robert DeNiro, and they are joined by composer Alan Menken, lyricist Glenn Sater, and choreographer Sergio Trujillo. Like other musicals that have come before it (HAIRSPRAY, JERSEY BOYS, WEST SIDE STORY, to mention a few), A BRONX TALE feels familiar as it evokes a time, a place, and a genre that we recognize. It is a good, solid show with great music, performances, and design elements that provides a couple of hours of entertainment and escape.

The Blue Card, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding Holocaust survivors, will feature a performance from members of the cast of the critically-acclaimed, Off-Broadway show Fiddler of the Roof in Yiddish at its 83rd benefit gala this Monday, April 8, 2019.

St. Louis is thrilled to announce the national tour of COME FROM AWAY, a Broadway musical about the true story of the small town that welcomed the world, will make its St. Louis debut at the Fabulous Fox Theatre for a limited engagement May 14-26.

Producers Tommy Mottola, the Dodgers, Tribeca Productions and Evamere Entertainment are pleased to announce that the North American Tour of A BRONX TALE, the new musical featuring a book by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo, will play Playhouse Square as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series April 23 - May 12, 2019. Get tickets by visiting the Playhouse Square Ticket Office (1519 Euclid Ave in downtown Cleveland), by visiting playhousesquare.org, or by calling 216-241-6000. Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 216-640-8600.

On Monday, April 8 at their annual Broadway Beacon Awards Gala at The JW Marriot Essex House (160 Central Park South), leading NYC arts education nonprofit Inside Broadway (Executive Director, Michael Presser) will honor Tony Award-winning Broadway icon Chita Rivera and NBC News/The Today Show's Al Roker. Rivera will be receiving the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award which will be presented to her by celebrated musician Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

On opening night at the Orpheum COME FROM AWAY received the loudest, most exuberant cheers I have ever heard.

In 2013, Calgary's own Stage West Theatre presented the Pechet Family Musical Award to a brand new show called Come From Away. Six years, two dozen awards, and over 675 Broadway performances later, this Canadian musical has made a pitstop in Calgary on its way around the world. Broadway Across Canada, hosting The First National Tour, is instilling a sense of Canadian pride at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium.

The Canadian production of COME FROM AWAY, a "Best Musical" Award winner across North America, and now on stage at its new home, the Elgin Theatre, continues to play to sold out houses and thrill Toronto audiences, demanding yet another extension. Twelve more weeks of performances - 99,000 tickets, will be added from July 2 through September 29, 2019 at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street.

Michael did not spend this party in the bathroom. Just last night the company of the cult hit Be More Chill, featuring music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, a book byJoe Tracz , direction by Stephen Brackett and choreography by Chase Brock, celebrated opening night on Broadway. We're taking you inside the festivities below!

The Lyceum Theatre is the place to be today as Broadway gets an upgrade! The cult hit Be More Chill, featuring music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, a book by Joe Tracz , direction by Stephen Brackett and choreography by Chase Brock, officially opens tonight, March 10, 2019.

Milwaukee is thrilled to announce the national tour of COME FROM AWAY, a Broadway musical about the true story of the small town that welcomed the world, will make its Milwaukee debut at the Marcus Center for a limited engagement May 7-12. COME FROM AWAY tickets are on sale now!

C'mon c'mon, we're getting an upgrade this weekend because Be More Chill's Katlyn Carlson is taking over BroadwayWorld's Instagram Story for the show's opening night this Sunday, March 10! So get your Mountain Dew ready and tune in throughout the day to see all of the excitement of opening and Katlyn's official Broadway debut!

Be More Chill, now playing at Lyceum Theatre on Broadway, officially opens this Sunday evening, March 10 at 6:30PM. We've got brand new photos of the exciting new show, check them out below!

At Second Stage Theater, theatre fans are gathering to see Tom Kitt's newest musical come to life. Superhero -a new musical about a fractured family, the mysterious stranger in apartment 4-B, and the unexpected hero who just might save the day- is captivating audiences, and making a heroic splash off-Broadway- so much so, that this new, adventurous musical scored itself an extended run.

The North American Tour of the Tony Award-winning musical COME FROM AWAY has recouped its investment in 19 weeks! The North American Tour launched in October 2018 at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, is currently playing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is booking into its 3rd year.