One and One - 1978 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 4

Four of Broadway’s ten longest running musicals are currently on the boards: Chicago, The Lion King, Wicked, and The Book of Mormon. One, The Phantom of the Opera, closed in 2023 after attaining the title of longest running Broadway show of all time.  But what about Broadway’s longest running plays?

Open Fist Theatre Company has extended the L.A. premiere of Brownstone by Catherine Butterfield through March 14. Directed by Ron West, the play spans three time periods inside a New York brownstone, linking stories across decades.

The playwright’s story structure is engaging and West’s cast is rich with charisma, with the action fitting comfortably into Munroe’s smartly realized stage at the Atwater Village Theatre complex.

THE WIZ will return to Chicago as part of Broadway In Chicago’s touring season with a limited engagement at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. The national tour includes Dana Cimone, Alan Mingo Jr., Sheherazade, Kyla Jade, D. Jerome, Cal Mitchell, and Elijah Ahmad Lewis.

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical that took the world by storm is back and coming to Austin. Tickets for The Wiz will go on sale Friday, Jan. 30, for eight performances from May 12 to 17 at Bass Concert Hall.

This Week's New Classified Listings on BroadwayWorld for 1/29/2026 include new jobs for those looking to work in the theatre industry.

This February, Broadway fans will be treated to many new things to stream, including a new episode of The Muppet Show with Sabrina Carpenter, an animated movie featuring Cole Escola, Ryan Murphy's Love Story, and Kiss of the Spider Woman with Jennifer Lopez.

Nearly 50 years after its debut, Chico Buarque’s landmark musical returns in a vibrant new staging. Directed by Jorge Farjalla, Ópera do Malandro dives into Rio de Janeiro’s bohemian underworld to expose corruption, desire and hypocrisy with sharp humor and unforgettable songs. Inspired by Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera and infused with elements of Afro-Brazilian spirituality, the production blends satire, ritual and popular culture in an immersive, festive experience. Featuring a large, star-studded cast the show reaffirms the enduring power—and provocation—of one of Brazilian musical theatre’s most iconic works.

The original cast of the 2024 off-Broadway hit musical comedy FIVE: The Musical Parody reunites for the first time in a one-night-only benefit concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, in support of ACLU Minnesota.

This Week's New Classified Listings on BroadwayWorld for 1/22/2026 include new jobs for those looking to work in the theatre industry.

During and prior to the Golden Age of Broadway, songs regularly premiered on stage and then charted, spending time on the radio and becoming popular worldwide. In the 1960s, Broadway songs and popular music diverged, and work from musicals was no longer synonymous with chart hits. There have certainly been a good share of exceptions since that decade, as Broadway has evolved to mirror popular, current music genres. Several of the songs that have broken through to the Billboard charts can be heard on Broadway! 

I spoke with playwright Catherine Butterfield about the development of her play BROWNSTONE, its structure and subject matter, and her fascination with brownstones.

If the longevity of a Broadway classic is judged by its ability to reflect both its historical significance and its present existence in popular culture, this new revival of THE WIZ is somehow caught somewhere between reverence and reinvention.

The McCoy Center will present free screenings of Grease and Encanto as sing-along events this February. These family-friendly screenings offer a unique opportunity for community engagement through the beloved classics.

The 2026 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced the Judging Panel for the 48th Annual Award. The Winner of the 2026 Prize will be announced on February 26 in a special invitation-only celebration at London's Royal Court Theatre.

Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, reminded college-bound high school students that the nonprofit organization is now accepting applications for its 2026 Jack Zink Memorial Student Scholarships. Learn more here!

BroadwayWorld spoke with Marc Salzberg to discuss his philosophy in sound design for the theatre. He reflects evolving technology in the theatre, what it takes to sustain a long career in theatre sound, and more.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actor John Cunningham died on Tuesday, January 6 at the age of 93. Learn more and read his obituary here.

New York City Ballet’s 2026 Winter Season will feature a world premieres by Justin Peck and NYCB Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, two early ballets by Balanchine and more.

In a theatrical era where standing ovations are dispensed like party favors, THE BOOK OF MORMON at ASU Gammage on its opening night elicited a reaction that felt less like polite approval and more like an arena rock concert. Audiences weren’t just clapping, they were erupting, unable to contain their sheer delight.

Kumu Kahua Theatre, in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press, has announced the January 2026 prompt for Go Try PlayWrite, its monthly playwriting contest.

In anticipation of The Muppet Show special event, a brand-new teaser has been released featuring a first look at special guest star Sabrina Carpenter and executive producer Seth Rogen. Check it out now!

In a world where AI increasingly tries to consume and simulate real human experiences, theatre sometimes feels like one of the last gasps of being in a room together. When we watch a show with others, respiration synchronizes, empathy increases, and information retention improves. It’s one of my favourite feelings.

Russia has reopened the Mariupol drama theater destroyed in a 2022 airstrike that killed hundreds of civilians, a move Ukrainian officials call an attempt to conceal a war crime.

Playwright Robert Heide passed away. He spent the last year and a half of his life at Isabella Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care under the care of a nurturing and attentive staff of doctors and nurses.