Because I Say So

Grab a tissue — these Tony Awards speeches may make you teary-eyed!

After writing 16 blogs in the past eight months for BroadwayWorld, what has surprised me the most is how the best blog ideas often come from the most random moments in my life!

Two-time Tony Award nominee Megan Hilty isn’t on an official concert tour, but that hasn’t stopped the popular Broadway and television performer from booking numerous upcoming dates including three in the Bay State alone.

After Christopher and Clay Rice-Thomson were married in November 2019, they dreamed of starting a family. Nearly seven years later, the proud dads are about to celebrate their twins’ first birthday on May 31. 

Greg Doran, former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and celebrated Shakespearean, revives his acclaimed production of Venus and Adonis, Shakespeare's greatest narrative poem, for a limited UK tour starting in June.

Forget the balcony. Forget the poison. What if Juliet just decided to live her best life? That's the premise of & JULIET, the infectiously fun jukebox musical packed with pop anthems that's taking audiences by storm on its global tour. I sat down with the entertaining and lovely Crystal Kellogg, who is playing Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway on the road, to talk tour life, empowerment, and why this is the glow-up Shakespeare never knew his heroine needed.

The biggest change from prior years is at The New York Times, where Helen Shaw became the first female chief theater critic at the paper of record earlier this year. Previously, The Times has had plenty of female second-string critics, but the top seat was always held by a man.

After the headline-making 2019 run of his “Tea at Five,” which starred Faye Dunaway, playwright Matthew Lombardo returns to Boston’s Huntington Theatre April 3–18 with his latest effort, “When Playwrights Kill,” a behind-the scenes comedy about an up-and-coming playwright whose Broadway dreams are dashed when his female lead, a famously difficult diva, derails his play’s out-of-town tryout in Boston.

Today’s subject Nick Blaemire is currently living his theatre life at Signature Theatre as the book writer for the new musical Safety Not Guaranteed. The show runs through April 12th in Signature Theatre’s MAX space.

ThinkTank Theatre and Tampa Fringe bring H*tler’s Tasters to the Tampa Fringe Blackbox Theatre in Ybor. The dark comedy follows four teenage girls forced to taste Hitler’s meals, blending the terror of survival with the rituals of girlhood. The intimate staging places audiences inches from the table as the cast navigates humor, fear, loyalty, and the shifting power dynamics of growing up under war.

For me, the message of this play is that family is the most important thing. Having, keeping, and surviving those family ties and those memories.

We recently had met public relations pro, Riccardo Gabrielle at Felice 83 on the Upper East Side of New York City where an excellent selection of wines from regions throughout Italy was showcased.

Born in Venezuela and raised in Texas, Fabiola Caraballo Quijada is starring as Juliet in the National Tour of the hit Broadway musical, & JULIET. I had the chance to chat with the three-time Jimmy Award Nominee & Winner of the 2025 Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress just prior to & JULIET landing in Montreal, where it will run at Salle Wilfred-Pelletier, Place des Arts, 175 Rue Sainte-Catherine O, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y9 from March 17 – March 22.

Moving to New York City, I was worried I would lack alone time. Obviously, I would have my dorm room, but being surrounded by roommates and friends all the time, I feared I wouldn’t find time and a space to focus and study. But now, to say I found a place to study and focus would be quite the understatement.

On March 13th & 14th, the North Carolina Symphony will be presenting HOLLYWOOD HITS. Two guest vocalists are coming down to the Triangle area to perform iconic songs from memorable movies and binge-worthy TV such as A STAR IS BORN, TOMMY, ROCKETMAN, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, ROCK OF AGES, LOVE ACTUALLY, TOP GUN, ELVIS, and more.

Joe Folladori and Tamarie Cooper talk Katy Perry, Candy Darling & their wild new Catastrophic Theatre show running through March 7th.

During a visit to Good Morning America in honor of 20 years of High School Musical, director Kenny Ortega shared that he would be willing to do a reunion if the beloved cast was able to return.

PYGmalion Theatre Company will present 'BECKY NURSE OF SALEM' from Feb. 6-21 at the Rose Wagner Center for Performing Arts in Salt Lake City. Directed by Morag Shepherd, this play explores themes of misogyny and witchcraft through the story of Becky, a descendant of the Salem witches.

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.

The world premiere of Eden Espinosa's solo concert Woman Is… brings her back to Los Angeles, promising to blend Broadway spirit with a pop edge, and a glimmer of holiday magic.

54 BELOW will celebrate the happiest time of the year with an incredible lineup of performances by Tony winner Christine Ebersole with Billy Stritch, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Darius de Haas, and more.

With Ariana Grande moving her primary focus to acting, she has shared that her 2026 Eternal Sunshine tour will likely be the last one for the foreseeable future.

The holiday season is semi-officially here (It won’t be official for me until after Thanksgiving) and you might be looking for something a little different to attend with family and friends. Today’s subject Raymond Walsh can definitely help you with that. He is currently living his theatre life as the creator and one of the performers of The Shamrock Tenors. Their new show Shamrock Tenors: Christmas in Belfast will be here in DC at the Kennedy Center for a one week only engagement from November 25th through the 30th in the Eisenhower Theater. This engagement marks Raymond’s North American professional debut.

Sharpe Dunaway is no stranger to being in the spotlight, whether it be behind a microphone, behind the drums, or behind the video camera. And though he’s enjoyed his success and attention, he beams with pride when he talks about his children, father to Quint, Grey, and London (the youngest one who is taking great strides in the same vein as her father). In a free-wheeling conversation with Broadway World, Sharpe and his daughter London—a budding music journalist, concert photographer, and frontwoman in the making—dig into craft, community, and the power of doing the work. 

BroadwayWorld chats with Japanese-American soprano Emily Michiko Jensen about making her debut in the title role of 'Madama Butterfly' at Opera San Jose November 16th to 30th.