Character Man - 2014 - Off-Off-Broadway Articles Page 1

It’s been more than 17 years since the hit Fox musical series 'Glee' premiered in May 2009. BroadwayWorld looks back on the show, which ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015.

Helane Blumfield will present an encore of her cabaret show INVISIBLE TO INVINCIBLE at Don't Tell Mama, exploring reinvention, resilience, and self-discovery through storytelling and song.

Second Stage Theater just announced complete casting for the upcoming Broadway premiere of THE FANTASTICKS, directed and  choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.  The company of THE FANTASTICKS will feature Maxim Chlumecky (Appropriate, Harry Potter and the Cursed  Child) as The Boy (Matt), Kevin del Aguila (Some Like It Hot, Frozen) as The Man Who Dies (Mortimer), David  Patrick Kelly (Once, The Warriors) as The Old Actor (Henry), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Spamalot, Beetlejuice) as Matt’s Mother (Mildred Hucklebee), Nathan Levy (& Juliet, Aladdin) as The Boy (Lewis), Ruthie Ann Miles (Sweeney Todd, The King and I) as Lewis’ Mother (Bessie Mae Bellomy), Zane Phillips (“The Comeback,” “Mid Century Modern,” Fire Island) as The Narrator (El Gallo), and Ahmad Simmons (Illinoise, Hadestown) as The  Mute. Mr. Phillips will be making his Broadway debut.  

What did our critic think of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Centennial Park Bandshell?

Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn will star in Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by Robert Falls and conducted by Enrique Mazzola, launching Lyric Opera of Chicago's new season.

Based on Victor Hugo's 1831 novel of the same name and (to a lesser extent) Disney’s 1996 Academy Award nominated animated film musical. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is set in 15th century Paris.

Theatre has always intersected with politics, and the presence of American presidents in Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theatre plays and musicals is a major part of this. Did you know that all of our heads of state have been featured in shows, whether as characters or as plot points that are part of the action? Dramatizing current and former leaders of our nation is a way to examine their affect on society at the time and how political events, even those of many years ago, still impact us all. 

Celebration Theatre is honored to present the West Coast Premiere sneak peek of CAPTAIN SHOW BIZ, and Bruce won't be taking the stage alone. Joining him is a genuinely staggering roster of screen and stage talent: five-time Golden Globe nominee MARILU HENNER (Taxi, Evening Shade, Broadway's Chicago); two-time Emmy winner SALLY STRUTHERS (All in the Family, Gilmore Girls); Emmy winner and original Queer Eye 'Fab Five' star JAI RODRIGUEZ (Broadway's Rent, Bros); GRANT SHOW, the primetime icon of Melrose Place and Dynasty; Ugly Betty scene-stealer and acclaimed comedian ALEC MAPA; and GARRETT CLAYTON (King Cobra, Hairspray Live!) — with more great names still to be announced. Trust us: you'll want to be in the room! site click: celebrationtheatre.org

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater in New York revealed a monthlong slate of jazz performances, including Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes, Monty Alexander, and the MIKI YAMANAKA TRIO.

A resurfaced video of Tom Holland from 2017 is making waves on social media, showcasing the actor's dancing skills ahead of the forthcoming Fred Astaire biopic in which he is set to star. Check out the video here.

Tom Holland opens up about training for the Fred Astaire biopic, revealing he's determined to do all the dancing himself, no doubles. Watch the interview.

The selection of Frozen as the summer musical served multiple masters. Thematically, it fit within Encore’s 2025-2026 season’s theme of “Finding Yourself,” as the story of Queen Elsa discovering how to better control her powers also serves as a metaphor for self-love, self-acceptance, and self-esteem. Frozen also, let’s be honest, has always been a crowd-pleaser. It has a near universal appeal for various attendees who’d be interested in seeing a production at Dr. Phillips Center. Musical Theatre Acolytes. Disney Adults. Families looking for kid-friendly entertainment.

What did our critic think of JERSEY BOYS at NAWANIKA PRODUCTION?

I want to praise the quality of the large cast for their dedication to bringing so many authentic characters to life onstage while changing costumes, accents and physicality often in the blink of an eye. But with so much interesting history to be explored about a man who was often quoted, and misquoted, in the press, I was hoping to learn more about the iconic physicist as a profoundly complex human being, exile, husband, philosopher and thinker, and not watch him be represented singing silly songs.

Love and Murder are served summer-stock style in A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER at Olney Theatre Center. See what our critic had to say.

Award-winning Turkish actor Nadir Sarıbacak returns to live theatre after a decade in Studio Garage's U.S. premiere of NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND, a solo Dostoevsky adaptation, at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, NJ.

In a Britain more divided than ever, this message of solidarity couldn’t have come at a better time. Pride feels on the brink of being the next big thing – and how glorious that the next big British musical is so proudly and fiercely queer and working class.

Creators Kurin and Rowe discuss the creation and evolution of their “regrettably, inspired by true events” mystery-comedy playing at Soulpepper Theatre's RBC Finance Studio from June 30-July 12 as part of Toronto Fringe.

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is  June 16, 2026 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours: 

Much has been written about the proliferation of pop singer-songwriters writing new musicals for Broadway and off-Broadway. Less covered is the trend of pop singers performing on Broadway, which has made for a number of memorable appearances in current and recent seasons. 

Catherine Russell, known for Holby City and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, will play Patricia Highsmith in Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds' in-house production of Joanna Murray-Smith's psychological thriller SWITZERLAND.

Ed Harris has revealed that he will be returning to the stage this year, starring alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Allison Janney in a production of Jon Robin Baitz's family drama, Other Desert Cities.

Tony-winning producers behind THE OUTSIDERS announced WARBUCKS, a new stage musical tracing the early life of Oliver Warbucks, timed to Annie's 50th Broadway anniversary.

The nominations are here for the 2026 Tony Awards. This year, a high number of titles have onscreen counterparts, and we have rounded up how to watch these versions at home, from The Lost Boys to Schmigadoon!

New York Festival of Song announced the release of MY BROTHER'S KEEPER on NYFOS Records, featuring six leading Black male vocalists co-produced by baritone Justin Austin and GRAMMY-nominated pianist Steven Blier.