Very sweet moment as Barbra Streisand visits her Funny Girl dressing room on Broadway for the first time in 50 years.
I visited that very dressing room 30 years ago when I was rehearsing for the national touring company of CATS and the Broadway production was playing at the Winter Garden Theater.
Via CBS’ “Sunday Morning:”
In this web exclusive, the singer who became a superstar in the 1960s Broadway musical “Funny Girl” visited her old haunts at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, including the dressing room now occupied by “School of Rock” star Sierra Boggess.
Tony Award winner Jennifer Holliday, who shot to fame in 1981 for her scorched earth performance as “Effie White” in the original Broadway company of Dreamgirls will return to the Great White Way in the celebrated Broadway revival of The Color Purple beginning October 4th.
Taking over the role of “Shug Avery” from Heather Headley, this engagement marks Holliday’s first return to Broadway since a two month run as “Matron ‘Mama’ Morton” in the long-running revival of Chicago the Musical in 2001.
“I was deeply moved by this truly uplifting production of The Color Purple and I am highly honored and absolutely thrilled to be joining this extraordinary cast,” said Holliday in a statement. “Nothing compares to performing before a Broadway audience and I can’t wait to return to the Broadway stage, where I started my career over 35 years ago.”
Director John Doyle added, “There is a rich and significant legacy to the line of women who have been part of The Color Purple, and I am very honored and excited to work with another major actress as she assumes one of its iconic roles. I am very taken with Ms. Holliday’s approach to the character of Shug and I look forward to sharing how her integrity and experience will enrich this production of The Color Purple.”
The Houston-born Holliday made her Broadway debut at age 19 in Vinnette Carroll’s 1980 gospel musical Your Arms Too Short To Box With God as a featured soloist. After Dreamgirls she returned to Broadway just twice as replacement Teen Angel in the 1994 revival of Grease, and as a replacement Matron “Mama” Morton in the long-running revival of Chicago for two months in 2001. This is her first return to Broadway since then.
I recently saw Holliday at the terrific 35th anniversary concert of Dreamgirls in Los Angeles where she appeared for the first time in over three decades with co-stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine. I can attest that Holliday is still a powerful force to be reckoned with onstage.
From Idina Menzel’s upcoming album Idina., set for release September 23, everyone’s favorite Broadway/Frozen diva drops this new music video for “Queen of Swords.”
On her official website, Idina calls the new collection “The most personal introspective album I’ve made.”
Listen for that last note!
You can pre-order the album on iTunes here. Both “Queen of Swords” and “I See You” are available for immediate download.
After a sold-out national tour of his show Straight Outta Oz and over 400 million views on YouTube, Todrick Hall will be putting on his thigh-high, candy red “Kinky Boots” as he takes on the role of “Lola” in the Broadway smash hit musical.
Hall has previously appeared on the Great White Way in Memphis and The Color Purple.
Kinky Boots producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig said in a statement, “We’re so thrilled to have Todrick join the company and get to show off his incredible talent to Broadway audiences.”
The musical, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell with a score by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein, won six Tony Awards in 2013 including one for leading man Billy Porter in the role of “Lola.”
One of the highlights of yesterday’s Democratic National Convention coverage was seeing lots and lots of folks from Broadway stand center stage to sing “What the World Needs Now” to close a segment highlighting gun violence in America.
The song was recorded last month and shared via video in the aftermath of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting which left 49 dead and dozens more seriously injured.
I’m so proud to call so many of these talented folks my friends 🙂
Check out the live performance from Philly featuring Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Darren Criss, Alice Ripley, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Roz Ryan, Ben Vereen, Kristin Bell, Darren Criss, Stephanie J. Block, Adrienne Warren, Len Cariou, Richard Kind, Tom Wopat, Wilson Cruz, Michael Longoria, Rosie Perez, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Nicholas Callaway Foster, Olga Merediz, Michelle Collins, Jon Viktor Corpuz, Mary Ann Hu, Anika Larsen, Margaret Stallings, Eve Plumb, Montego Glover, Michael Urie, Carmen Cusak, Darius de Haas, Melissa Errico, and Janet Metz.
The Broadway revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-hit CATS begins previews tonight at the Neil Simon Theater.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the show as it was my first big – and I mean BIG – break in theater after moving to NYC in the 80s.
I often joke “I did CATS when it was a good credit!” – meaning that when I did the show it was as part of a brand new company and only a handful of people on the planet had performed in the show at that point.Now that it’s back on Broadway I’m going to have to give that line up I think.
I was the “Magical Mr. Mistoffelees” from 1986-1988 in the national touring company. Quite heady doings for someone from Fort Worth, Texas, who was not yet 22 when I was cast.
I danced my ASS off. I danced so much that I lost 14 pounds in the first month or so, and never gained it back over the entire run.
I learned so much about how to handle a role over a long run (over 800 performances) over two years – stamina, staying in shape, finding new acting moments each night, working with the same actors, and then new actors in the same roles.
I also came to terms with myself as a young, gay man. I fell in love for the first time. I had my heart broken for the first time. Not a single day of which I would ever change. All inside a pretty safe environment of a traveling theatrical family.
It was a wonderful gift. One I’ve never lost appreciation for.
In any case, I’m wishing all those new kitties a fab run. Especially Ricky Ubeda – winner of So You Think You Can Dance – who gets to wear the black and white costume now as “Mistoffelees.” He’s a brilliant dancer and I can’t wait to see him spin!
“So this is this, and that is that, And there’s how you address – a cat.”
BroadwayHD and Roundabout Theatre Company will make history tonight when the two organizations team up to present a live stream of the Tony-winning revival of She Loves Me June 30 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT.
Visit broadwayhd.com/shelovesme to reserve a live-stream pass for $9.99. Viewers who tune in to the broadcast after 8 PM will see the show as it’s being performed live until curtain. For anyone who misses the live broadcast, the on-demand encore will be available for seven days with the $9.99 purchase.
BroadwayHD annual subscribers will also be able to view the She Loves Me recording once it is made available as part of the on-demand library. The broadcast will first need to be edited, which could take a number of weeks. Once included in the library, individual titles are available as two-day rentals for $7.99 for non-annual subscribers.
The classic musical comedy began previews February 19 at Studio 54, and will run through July 10. The revival received eight Tony nominations.
She Loves Me tells the story of two parfumerie clerks who, unbeknownst to each other, are corresponding romantically as anonymous pen pals.
Broadway blockbuster Hamilton is really showing up for the Hillary Clinton campaign by giving an additional performance to the hit Broadway musical with proceeds going to the Democratic presidential candidate.
On July 12, the cast will put on an extra 11:30 a.m. matinee showing in Clinton’s honor. The event is titled “Hamilton: An American Musical with special guest Hillary Rodham Clinton.” Tickets start at $2,700 for a general seat and reach as high as $100,000 for an “event chair” entry, which includes “two Premium Seats and Wrap Party with Hillary and other special guests, and Invitation to the Democratic National Convention,” according to Clinton’s official website.
For $10,000, buyers will score a premium seat that includes a photo reception with Clinton; and for the $33,400 host ticket, donors will sit in a premium seat as well as enjoy the aftershow wrap party with Clinton and guests.
The Tuesday matinee will add an additional performance to the week’s regular slate of eight shows. Despite the fundraiser being held in Clinton’s honor, Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda and co-stars Leslie Odom, Jr. and Phillipa Soo are not expected to perform as they will be leaving the show following their final performance on July 9.
Ticket prices for the musical have soared as the Broadway hit has gained massive popularity, with premium seats at a current high of $849. Seats on the secondary market are going for as much as $4,000 apiece.
Hamilton’s special matinee showing is presented by the Hillary Victory Fund, as part of its efforts to raise money for the Democratic candidate’s “Hillary for America” campaign.
This could be a huge opportunity for some Hamilton and Clinton fans. Current top ticket price is $849 for best seats, but the show is sold waaaay out. You can buy tickets on the “secondary market” but they are selling for up to $4,000. So, $2,700 could be a deal if you are one of those who expect to donate the max amount to Hillary anyway.
My pockets aren’t that deep, but I applaud the creativity in fundraising.
Producer Scott Rudin has announced his Broadway show Shuffle Along will close on July 24th despite receiving rave reviews.
Strangely, Rudin seems to put the onus of closing on leading lady, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald. McDonald recently announced that she is pregnant and would be leaving the production soon.
However, she was already scheduled to depart the show to appear in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill in London. So, I’m not sure what the difference is between her leaving for a pregnancy or for a previously scheduled commitment in London.
In addition, Shuffle Along has two other Tony Award winners, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter. Plus, Tony Award winner Savion Glover was set to join the cast. So there’s no lack of star power on the stage.
Producer Scott Rudin has just announced that SHUFFLE ALONG will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, July 24, 2016. As was previously announced Audra McDonald, the six-time Tony winning star was already set to depart the production on July 24 for what was planned as a multi-month maternity leave. The news comes after reports of both Rhiannon Giddens having been cast and starting rehearsals as her replacement, and after news of choreographer Savion Glover being slated to join the show as well.
“Audra McDonald is the biggest star on Broadway, and audiences have been clamoring to see her in this role since the first preview of Shuffle Along in March of this year,” said Scott Rudin in a statement to the press. “She is absolutely extraordinary in the show, and I am filled with gratitude for both her exemplary partnership on Shuffle Along and also for her remarkable resilience and fortitude in doing everything possible to play as many shows as she can, despite the circumstance of her pregnancy.
We are thrilled that she and her husband, Will Swenson, are experiencing the opportunity to expand their family – and we wish them all good things as they approach the birth of their child this fall. It has, however, become clear that the need for Audra to take a prolonged and unexpected hiatus from the show has determined the unfortunate inevitability of our running at a loss for significantly longer than the show can responsibly absorb, and we have decided to close the show when she leaves on July 24. On behalf of myself and George C. Wolfe, I want to say how deeply grateful we are to her for everything she gave and continues to give the show. There is simply nobody like her.”
SHUFFLE ALONG began performances on March 15, 2016 and officially opened, to rave reviews, on April 28. It went on to win the New York Drama Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical, along with the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Choreography (Savion Glover), Outstanding Costume Design (Ann Roth), and Outstanding Wig and Hair Design (Mia M. Neal). It was nominated for ten 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It will have played 38 previews and 100 regular performances by the time it ends its run.
