John Bolton News

Today we rewind to 2012, when A Christmas Story was celebrating opening night on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where it played for 51 performances.

Check out the newest theater names that are now available for video shoutouts and more on Stage Door!

We're all missing the excitement of meeting our favorite theater stars at the Stage Door while Broadway remains shut down..Introducing Stage Door! Book your favorite stars from around the theater community from Broadway, West End, National Tours, Viral Stars, and more for video shout-outs, classes, and more. It's the perfect holiday gift for Broadway loving family, friends, or yourself! Unlike other virtual experience platforms, 100% of BroadwayWorld Stage Door's prices go to the artists, with a small added service fee for the platform.

The video stars Cameron Amandus, Bryan Batt , John Bolton, Liz Callaway, Carolee Carmello, Taylor Crousore, Jackie Hoffman, Chris Anthony Giles, Jason Graae, Amy Hillner Larsen, Kristen Mengelkoch, Brad Oscar, Christine Pedi , David Hyde Pierce, Lance Roberts, and Chip Zien.

As most live performance venues have remained closed, the Rochester Broadway Theatre League like so many venues in Rochester and across the country, have embraced the opportunity of presenting virtual entertainment and virtual education in multiple forms, such as live streamed concerts and Zoom Master Classes with Broadway professionals.

Today we rewind to 2015, when Dames at Sea was getting ready to arrive on Broadway. The musical opened on October 22 at the Helen Hayes Theatre, where it ran for 85 performances. Directed and choreographed by Randy Skinner, it starred John Bolton, Mara Davi, Danny Gardner, Eloise Kropp, Lesli Margherita, and Cary Tedder.

Today we flashback to 2017, when Anastasia took the stage at Bryant Park for the first time. Anastasia ran for 808 performances at the Broadhurst Theatre before closing in 2019. The cast included Christy Altomare in the title role, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Caroline O'Connor, Mary Beth Peil, and Ramin Karimloo.

Last night's episode of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER featured John Bolton, Wes Moore, and  James Carville.

ABC (3.999 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #1) was the network to beat on Sunday with its mix of 'Celebrity Family Feud' (3.474 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #3)

Today's top stories: the winners of the Drama League Awards have been announced, including Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!, The Inheritance, Little Shop of Horrors, A Soldier's Play, and more!

John Bolton releases a book next week and the title is... familiar. The former National Security Advisor was called out on Twitter today by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was quick to point out that Bolton's book is a rip-off of a Hamilton tune: 'The Room Where It Happens'.

Friday Night, May 29th at 8PM ET, Richard Skipper and Brian Michael Hoffman will be celebrating Bill and Dorothy Berloni for the Theatrical Animals Fund! 

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Laura Benanti is asking her high school-aged followers to send videos of them singing songs from their cancelled shows.

Many may think that the heartwarming and brassy American musical comedy of yore with it's hummable tunes will never be seen again. That the days of star driven shows have dried up. The era when the names of Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, or Carol Channing all but guaranteed a hit musical. Now producers are wary of putting all of their eggs in one basket, relying on a star to stick with a show until it recoups it's investment. Happily...... no, joyously...... Broadway producer Scott Rudin was able to engage superstar Bette Midler for a year in the first revival of HELLO DOLLY! ever to happen on Broadway without Carol Channing

HELLO DOLLY first landed on Broadway in 1964, and the current (2017) revival, playing at Providence Performing Arts Center through March 8, won the Tony Award for Best Revival and Best Actress for Bette Midler. While those who have nostalgia for this show will no doubt think it's fun, the uninitiated may find themselves wishing for a few of the less memorable songs to be traded for more robust character development. Not unlike the recent revival of Miss Saigon, which tried to win new audiences by actually casting Asian actors to play Asian roles and by spending a tremendous amount of money on technical wizardry; this revival of Hello Dolly went all out on sets and costumes, presumably to distract from mostly forgettable songs and a book that is bloated, dated and not nearly as charming as it thinks it is.

Today's top stories: Plaza Suite, starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, begins its pre-Broadway run in Boston, and more!

Michael Feinstein produced a memorial event at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, featuring performances by: Feinstein ('I Won't Send Roses'), Kristin Chenoweth ('If He Walked Into My Life'), Sutton Foster ('I Don't Want to Know'), Kelli O'Hara ('Before the Parade Passes By'), Leslie Uggams ('I Am What I Am'), Bernadette Peters ('Time Heals Everything'), Betty Buckley ('Hello, Dolly!'), Klea Blackhurst and Tyne Daly ('Bosom Buddies'), John Bolton ('It Takes a Woman'), Lorna Luft ('Gooch's Song'), Ron Raines ('Mame'), Jason Graae ('You I Like'), Marilyn Maye ('It's Today'), Jeremy Jordan ('It Only Takes a Moment'), Lee Roy Reams ('The Best of Times'), and Debbie Gravitte ('Wherever He Ain't'), with Alice Borden, Jane Dorian, and Harvey Fierstein, and special video tributes from Angela Lansbury and Paul McCartney. Marc Bruni directed the event with Larry Blank serving as music director, and Don Pippin (guest conductor).

As BroadwayWorld reported last month, Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Jerry Herman passed away at 88 years old. Just yesterday, Broadway united to remember the legend. Michael Feinstein produced a memorial event at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, featuring performances by: Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, Klea Blackhurst, Alice Borden, Jane Dorian, Lewis Stadlen, Lorna Luft, Ron Raines, Jason Graae, Marilyn Maye, Jeremy Jordan, Don Pippin, Lee Roy Reams, and Debbie Gravitte, with special video tributes from Angela Lansbury and Paul McCartney. Marc Bruni directed the event with Larry Blank serving as music director.

HELLO, DOLLY! has been entertaining audiences since it first hit Broadway in 1964 with Carol Channing as Dolly Gallagher Levi. As many productions and revivals ensued, the endearing qualities of this stellar show continue to sell-out. Currently on tour in North America, BWW caught up with actress Jane Brockman who plays Erestina as well as understudying Dolly.