As You Were

We Americans should not be too proud to admit we owe the Brits for a few important things - Harry Potter, earl gray tea, a lot of great music, and, to a certain extent, the 19th Amendment.  

Negotiations continue as two of Broadway's biggest unions, Actors' Equity Association and Local 802 AFM (Broadway musicians) work toward new working contracts with the Broadway League. 

Saturday morning, we're excited to report news from Equity that one deal has been tenatively reached. Learn more about the deal and what it means for the chances of a Broadway Strike.

There is a chance that sometime in the near future, the show won't go on. That's because two of Broadway's biggest unions, Actors' Equity Association and Local 802 AFM (Broadway musicians) are in the process of negotiating new working contracts with the Broadway League. 

The Broadway production contract has officially expired, leaving both Actors Equity Association (actors) and Local 802 (Broadway musicians) in heated negotiations with the Broadway League for a fair working contract. Find out all of the latest!

Did you know that the Equity Production Contract officially expired on September 28. Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League are currently negotiating the terms under which actors and stage managers will work on Broadway for the next several years.

James Mirrione, the bookwriter behind The Grippe, invites audiences to revisit a pivotal moment in history through the lens of theatre. Inspired by the overlooked story of the 1918 Spanish Flu and its striking parallels to contemporary society, Mirrione combines rigorous historical research, personal family history, and music of the era to craft a play that is both enlightening and emotionally resonant.

Multiple lost Broadway theaters intersect with the Hammerstein family. This follows since Oscar Hammerstein I was a theater owner and builder. In addition to Hammerstein’s which was named after him and is now the Ed Sullivan, and the New Victory which he originally built, there is also the Hammerstein Ballroom. Read more here!

June Squibb is a beloved actor with an incredibly long career—but does 96 make her the oldest actor to play Broadway in a regular production with 8 performances a week? According to our research, that is indeed the case! 

From 1918 to the mid-1930s, African American artists in the United States experienced a cultural blossoming known as the Harlem Renaissance-a period in which theatre, music and literature were created by (and often for) Black Americans.

A new version of the classic, The Pirates of Penzance, is currently commanding the stage at Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre on 42nd Street—formerly the American Airlines and before that, the Selwyn. This revisal of the beloved show is titled: Pirates! The Penzance Musical.

This time, the reader question was: There are only three states in America without known Broadway musicals set within their borders. Can you guess which three? WE're breaking it down state by state.

Starring Miguel Falabella, the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (Uma Coisa Engraçada Aconteceu a Caminho do Forum, in portuguese) is a huge success that is getting a Brazilian production for the first time.

The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the most prestigious honors in American theater, celebrating outstanding works that have made a significant impact on the stage. Here's a closer look at what the Pulitzer Prize for Drama is, how it works, and why it matters.

This time, the reader question was: How Often Do Broadway Musicals Tackle the Topic of War? There are actually many musicals about war in the canon. The rare feat of Operation Mincemeat lies in its tone. The show is a fast-paced, zany, comedic take on a mission that used a dead body to mislead the Axis forces, leading to the successful Allied invasion of Sicily.

Award winning playwright Charles Evered’s play “Adopt a Sailor” has been on a nationwide tour since 2018 to garner support for the Evered House, the playwright’s non-profit that supports creative military members and others who serve. 

The MAP Theater will present a rare revival of Exiles by James Joyce, one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Learn more about the production and see how to purchase tickets.

As I sat in the audience, waiting for the performance of War Horse In Concert, a Pops presentation for the Wichita Symphony, I overhead several audience members discussing their expectations for what they were about to experience. “Is this a play?”  “It looks like there are narrators!” “Is this different from a regular concert?” Most “In Concert” performances are based on well known musicals, but War Horse In Concert is based on War Horse Suite 2022, a symphonic work derived from the score of the play with the same name. The play is based on the original story written by Michael Morpurgo. War Horse: The Story in Concert premiered at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2016, with music composed by Adrian Sutton, and the narration was adapted from the play script written in 1982 by Nick Stafford. The performance consisted of a very simple staged version of the piece, with multiple actors playing multiple roles, supplying dialogue at the important points in the story. There was also a main singer and a chorus to help convey the emotions that the spoken word can fail to supply. This allows the orchestra to feature the score so the story to be told by both the music and the word. A concert version is usually a scaled down production, sans sets, props, elaborate costumes, and in the case of War Horse, the puppets used to portray the horses. The audience is asked to use their imaginations, and their mind’s eye, to fill in the remainder of the story.

This time, the reader question was: What is the history of Romeo and Juliet on Broadway?

Prior to being cast as Hans, I had already been assigned to research him as part of my duties as a dramaturg. Naturally, as soon as I found out I would be playing the role, I consumed every piece of media related to him and his life that I could.

Horizon Theatre Rep will continue the streaming series of German Plays from the 1910s & 1920s. The plays will be directed by Rafael De Mussa.

Laguna Art Museum will host the Directors Circle Dinner & Awards Night on September 26, celebrating contributions to the arts community. The event includes a dinner and awards presentation.

It is not often an audience gets the chance to participate in the developmental process of making significant art that also qualifies as fun. BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE YALTA by Neal Salvage may be that rare opportunity when parody, satire, and history can come together.

BROADWAY MURDER MYSTERIES introduces THE SPIRITS’ SPEAKEASY, an immersive experience featuring theatrical medium Krystyn Lambert. Discover a unique blend of mystery and performance in this world premiere.

This time, the reader question was: Which Broadway theaters are the largest and which are the smallest and our expert, Jennifer Ashley Tepper has done a deep dive on the sizes of Broadway theatres both past and present!