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Over the course of 25 years, Scott Ellis has been nominated at the Tony Awards for directing nine times, but has never emerged victorious. This year, he earned three more bids for producing: Best Play for English, Best Musical Revival for Pirates! The Penzance Musical, and Best Play Revival for Yellow Face. The latter in particular is the current frontrunner in that category. If it prevails, it would mark Ellis' first Tony win after 12 nominations.

As of now, Ellis is among several notable individuals who have earned multiple Tony bids, but never won. Others include director-choreographer Graciela Daniele (10 noms; Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), lighting designer Paul Gallo (eight noms), orchestrator Harold Wheeler (seven noms; Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), and choreographer Onna White (eight noms).

Ellis' nine prior directing nominations were for the following:

1994 for She Loves Me; lost to Nicholas Hytner for Carousel 1997 for Steel Pier; lost to Walter Bobbie for...

Christopher Ashley, the longtime artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse, will take over as artistic director of Roundabout Theatre Company on Broadway.

He will begin his tenure in July 2026 for the 2027-2028 season. Scott Ellis, current interim artistic director, will continue in the role for the 2025-2026 season, and Ellis will work with Ashley on the 2026-2027 season, as Ashley fulfills prior commitments at La Jolla.

Ellis was named interim artistic director of the nonprofit theater company after Todd Haimes died in April 2023, after holding the position for close to 40 years and growing the theater company into one of the largest not-for-profit theaters in the U.S., with three Broadway theaters and two Off-Broadway.

Roundabout’s American Airlines Theater, its main Broadway house, was renamed after Haimes in 2024.

Ashley comes to the role after leading La Jolla Playhouse, another nonprofit giant based in San Diego, since 2007. While there, Ashley directed Come From Away,...

In the third major shake-up of leadership in New York’s non-profit theater world in recent months, the Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that Tony Award-winning director Christopher Ashley will become its Artistic Director in July 2026 for the 2027-28 season.

Ashley, the Artistic Director for 17 years in a celebrated run at La Jolla Playhouse in California, will collaborate with Scott Ellis, Roundabout’s Interim Artistic Director, for the 2026-27 season while Ashley honors his previous commitment with La Jolla. Ellis, who has filled the slot since the 2023 death of his colleague and friend Todd Haimes, will continue solo through the 2025-26 season.

The changes were announced today by the Roundabout’s Board of Directors. The news comes just 15 days after Lincoln Center Theater, another one of the city’s top major non-profit theatrical companies and producers, announced that director Lear deBessonet had been appointed Artistic Director, effective this coming June...

Redwood, the new musical starring Idina Menzel in her return to Broadway, will begin performances January 24, 2025, at the Nederlander Theatre, with opening night set for February 13.

The dates and venue for the previously announced production were revealed today by producers Eva Price, Caroline Kaplan and Loudmouth Media.

Written and directed by Tina Landau, Redwood features music by Kate Diaz, and lyrics by Diaz and Landau. The musical was conceived by Landau and Menzel, with additional contributions by Menzel, and premiered earlier this year in a sold-out run at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.

“I made my Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre in Rent almost thirty years ago,” Menzel said in a statement, “so to be returning there with Redwood is very emotional for me as it feels like a real homecoming. It has been such a gift to collaborate with Tina and Kate on this show,...

Ask any Trekkie, and they'll happily describe the arc of the three "Star Trek" shows that came to ascend in the 1990s. In the cases of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager," the shows started on their rockiest, least interesting seasons as they found their footing. All three shows showed growth during their second seasons but were still staggering to their feet. For the third, fourth, and fifth seasons, the shows had hit their stride, turning out the most interesting stories and exploring exciting new arcs. The sixth and seventh seasons, meanwhile, showed signs of fatigue, and the final episodes of each show proved to be a little rocky.

As of this writing, no "Star Trek" show has lasted as long as those three. "Star Trek: Discovery" will end after its fifth season next year, and no one was more sharply aware...

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, whose laid-back, good-humored, often tropically-themed brand of country-laced pop spawned a lucrative one-man business empire, died Friday. He was 76.

Buffett’s death was confirmed through a statement on his official website: “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

Buffett had been fighting Merkel cell skin cancer for four years, a statement revealed on his official website.

The statement added, “He continued to perform during treatment, playing his last show, a surprise appearance in Rhode Island, in early July.”

Over the course of a 50-year professional career, Buffett collected just one top-10 pop hit: “Margaritaville,” a marimba-laced, tequila-soaked paean to kicking back on the beach in the aftermath of a breakup, which rose to No. 8 on the national charts.

The Outsiders musical, based on S.E. Hinton’s literary classic and Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic 1983 film adaptation, will open on Broadway this coming spring.

Directed by Danya Taymor, the show will officially open April 11, 2024, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, the musical’s producers announced Monday. Previews for the production, which features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, and music and lyrics by Levine and Jamestown Revival’s Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance, are set to begin March 16. Casting for The Outsiders will be announced at a later date.

Set in Tulsa during 1967, the story’s central ensemble — led by Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade and their chosen family of “outsiders” — find themselves in a fight for survival in a world that doesn’t accept them. A story about the bonds of brothers, a quest for purpose and the hopes one holds onto, the new musical revives Hinton...

New York City Center, home of, among other arts endeavors, the popular Encores! series of concert-style theatrical productions that recently gave Broadway one of its biggest current hits with Into The Woods, has named Michael S. Rosenberg as its new president and CEO.

Rosenberg, who arrives at Nycc from his position as managing director at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre Center, succeeds Arlene Shuler, who is stepping down after more than 19 years at the helm of what is considered Manhattan’s first performing arts center.

“New York City Center holds a singular position in the arts world,” said Rosenberg. “One of my earliest and most influential theatrical experiences was at City Center and I am honored to join this organization and help support artists who are consistently creating work that inspires so many people. Together with the staff and Board, I look forward to connecting this work to our growing community.

Exclusive: Patrick Herold, who served as Partner and Head of Theater at ICM Partners for nearly two decades, has moved to UTA as an agent in the Theatre division. He will be based in New York and report to Partner & Head of Theatre, Mark Subias. Herold is the latest ICM agent to leave following the agency’s acquisition by CAA.

Herold brings with him a stellar roster of long-term clients including the estates of Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill and Sam Shepard; writers Lisa Kron and Doug Wright; composers Cyndi Lauper and Stephen Trask; and directors Christopher Ashley, Michael Greif and Julie Taymor.

Additionally, his clients, all of whom are expected to join him at UTA, include the estates of Horton Foote, Moss Hart and Wendy Wasserstein; theater luminaries Athol Fugard and John Guare; playwrights Richard Nelson and Paul Rudnick; composers and lyricists Rosanne Cash, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie; directors Walter Bobbie,...

Exclusive: Playwright Theresa Rebeck, who created the stage musical-themed NBC series Smash, has joined the real-life Broadway-bound musical adaptation of the 1988 film comedy Working Girl, producers announced today.

Rebeck will write the book of the musical, said producers Robyn Goodman and Josh Fiedler of Aged In Wood Productions and Kumiko Yoshii.

While Rebeck has had four plays produced on Broadway, Working Girl would mark her Broadway debut as a book writer for a musical. As previously announced, Cyndi Lauper is writing the music and lyrics, and Christopher Ashley will direct.

“Smash ignited my love of musical theater and I’ve been eager to find the right musical project since then,” Rebeck said in a statement. “I couldn’t have dreamed up a better fit than Working Girl, or better collaborators than Cyndi, Chris and this team. I can’t wait for audiences to discover...

The producers of the Tony-winning Come From Away said Wednesday that the long-running Broadway musical will play its final show in October at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. It will end a run that will have lasted 1,670 performances and 25 previews after it first opened in February 2017.

The news makes Come From Away the third long-running Broadway show this week to announce its closing, after Dear Evan Hansen and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.

Come From Away producers Junkyard Dog Productions said by the end of its run Come From Away will be the 49th longest-running production in Broadway history, and the longest-running show at the 105-year-old Schoenfeld theatre. The latter milestone will be celebrated June 15.

The show’s final bow is set for October 2, 2022.

The musical was nominated for seven Tonys in 2017 including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Featured...

Click here to read the full article.

Come From Away will play its final Broadway performance on Oct. 2, making it the third production to announce its closing in recent days.

The musical, which features a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, opened at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in March 2017. The critically-acclaimed production posted healthy grosses before the pandemic, but like others which recently posted closing announcements, saw steady drop off in grosses and attendance this season.

Produced by Randy Adams, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff and Sue Frost of Junkyard Productions, Come from Away tells the true story of 7,000 plane passengers who were diverted to Newfoundland on Sept. 11, 2001. The local townspeople stepped up to care for the passengers, who were grappling with fears about the terrorist attack and the uncertainty of being in a new place.

“This journey, which started 7 years ago, has exceeded every expectation we...

Update 3/31: The organizers of the Razzies announced Thursday that they have rescinded Bruce Willis’ “Worst Performance” Award following news of the actor’s aphasia diagnosis . Willis previously had his own category at the 2022 Golden Raspberry Awards due to his many small roles in a string of straight-to-video action movies in 2021.

“After much thought and consideration, the Razzies have made the decision to rescind the Razzie Award given to Bruce Willis, due to his recently disclosed diagnosis,” the co-founders of the Razzies said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter...

The year’s achievements in film will have to wait one more day for the Academy Awards, but the medium’s lows were dishonored on Saturday morning at the 42nd Golden Raspberry awards.

Netflix’s “Diana the Musical,” a filmed performance of the much-derided new Broadway musical based on the life of Princess Diana, had a clean sweep across all of its four nominations, winning in the categories of worst picture, worst director for Christopher Ashley, worst actress for Jeanna de Waal and worst supporting actress for Judy Kaye.

Warner Bros.’ “Space Jam: A New Legacy” was the runner-up, earning three wins in worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel; worst screen combo; and worst actor for LeBron James. Jared Leto, once in the awards season conversation for his performance in “House of Gucci,” took home the worst supporting actor prize for his performance in the Ridley Scott-directed crime epic.

Diana the Musical, the much-mocked telling of the life story of Diana, Princess of Wales, has swept the board at this year’s Razzie Awards.

Complete winners list below.

The stage show, of which a filmed version was shown on Netflix, won five awards at this year’s Golden Raspberries, including worst picture, worst actress for Jeanna de Waal in the title role, worst director, worst supporting actress and worst screenplay. It had been nominated in nine categories altogether.

Netlix streamed a filmed version of the stage show before it debuted on Broadway, without a live audience due to theaters being closed at a time of coronavirus restrictions. When the theatrical show eventually opened, it lasted for only 33 performances on Broadway before the curtain fell for the final time.

The Razzies also saw basketball star LeBron James winning worst actor for Space Jam: A New Legacy as well as sharing...

Results for the 42nd Razzie Awards are in — and if you had anything to do with “Diana: The Musical,” you might want to go back to bed.

The big, fat Broadway bomb about the Princess of Wales beamed into your living room courtesy of Netflix was this year’s big Razzie “winner,” taking home five of what the group calls its “un-coveted … tacky, gold-spray-painted statuettes.”

The streaming version of the stage musical bagged Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Jeanna de Waal), Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Director (Christopher Ashley) and Worst Screenplay. The group pointed out how richly the “Diana” script deserved the honor for “featuring some of the year’s most ridiculed dialogue and lyrics — Including rhyming ‘Camilla’ with both ‘Manila’ and ‘Godzilla.'”

Faring almost as miserably was “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” with slam dunks for Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel; Worst Actor (LeBron James); and Worst Screen Couple...

The winners of the 42nd annual Golden Raspberry Awards were announced on late Friday night/early Saturday morning, with two of the most well-known recipients being Jared Leto and LeBron James. Leto “won” the worst supporting actor award for “House of Gucci,” for the very same role that earned him nominations at the Critics Choice Awards and SAG Awards. James “won” the worst lead actor trophy for “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” the half-cartoon flick that was also named worst sequel and worst screen combo. Scroll down for the complete list of Razzie Awards 2022 winners, which are noted in gold.

Voters chose “Diana the Musical” for worst picture, but that wasn’t all. The Netflix streamer also “won” for worst lead actress (Jeanna de Waal), worst supporting actress (Judy Kaye), worst director (Christopher Ashley) and worst screenplay (Joe Dipietro).

In a new category, “Cosmic Sin” was picked as the worst...

We have a very special contest for you! You can win tickets to see Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical at the La Jolla Playhouse. The dance musical begins on March 8 and plays through April 17, 2022, at the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical is set in the colorful world of a collegiate Bhangra Dance competition. When a young woman finds her identity cannot be defined by checking a box, she sets off on a quest to dance to her own beat. Drawing from competitive Bhangra and mixing it with other Indian and Western dance forms alike, Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical is an intoxicating, brash and joyous musical.

Find your beat. Find your team. Find yourself. While East Lansing University senior Mary Darshini Clarke has spent her entire life trying to figure out where she fits in, she has always found community dancing on the school’s prestigious bhangra team.

Despite landing a SAG Award nomination and significant Oscar buzz for his performance in “House of Gucci,” Jared Leto is now a contender for a Razzie Award for his portrayal of Paolo Gucci in Ridley Scott’s murder drama. Nominations for the 2022 Razzie Awards have been announced, spotlighting the worst films and performances of the last year. Leto is nominated for worst supporting actor opposite the likes of Ben Affleck in “The Last Duel” and Mel Gibson in “Dangerous.”

Netflix’s stage recording of “Diana the Musical” leads the Razzie Awards with nine nominations, including worst picture and five acting nominations. Joe Wright’s “The Woman in the Window” also earned several nominations, including a worst actress bid for Amy Adams. “Dear Evan Hansen” made Adams a double Razzie nominee this year by landing her in the worst supporting actress category as well.

In typical Razzie fashion, the group created...

In a year where the Kristen Stewart-led Spencer earned its share of awards buzz comes word that another project about the late Princess Diana is the leading candidate for the anti-Oscars. Diana, the Musical, the filmed version of the ill-fated Broadway show, took a final bow with nine nominations for the 42nd annual Razzie Awards revealed today.

The show “scored” nine noms for the 2022 Golden Raspberries spanning nearly all of the categories, including Worst Picture, Actress, Actor, Director and Screenplay. The Woman in the Window and Karen are a distant second with five apiece, followed by Space Jam: A New Legacy with four and Infinite and The Misfits with three each.

The “winners” will be “honored” on March 26, the day before the Academy Awards. Watch the nominations video above.

Here is how the Razzies handicapped its own Worst Picture race: “This year’s Worst Picture nominees include: The NetFLIX...

As is tradition, the Golden Raspberry Awards announced their contenders on the eve of the Oscar nominations. The Razzies, now in their 42nd year, are a tongue-in-cheek ceremony that “honor” the worst films of the year. Scroll down for the full list of nominees in all 10 Razzie Awards categories ranging from Worst Picture to Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel. Unique to this year is a category dedicated to Bruce Willis and his eight performances in pictures last year.

Leading the 2022 Razzie Awards nominations roster is the Netflix version of the Broadway flop “Diana: The Musical” with nine bids. Tied with five apiece are “Karen” and “The Woman in the Window.” Each of these ill-conceived movies counts a Worst Picture nomination among its haul. Joining them in that race are the sequel “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and the sci-fi flick “Infinite.”

As usual, “winners” will be decided by Razzie members.

The Razzie Awards nominations recognizing the worst “crap streaming, beaming and steaming from our various screens and devices” of 2021 — as the group put it — have been announced, with LeBron James, “Diana: The Musical,” Amy Adams and Bruce Willis topping the heap.

“Here’s a look at what we saw,” the organization said in a press release. “The excruciating musicals, thrill-free thriller rip-offs, a nearly 2 hour product placement flick, and more Bruce Willis than any starving viewer could stomach. In other words, 2021 did not fail the Razzies!”

With Oscar nominations coming out on Tuesday morning, the Academy Award’s snarky counterpart, the Golden Raspberry Awards (aka the Razzies) followed suit as they do every year at this time acknowledging the superior work – or, actually, the inferior work – coming out of the entertainment industry.

Leading the field with nine nods is Netflix’s “Diana: The Musical.” Released in October, The Razzies called...

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to announce the cast for its world-premiere production of Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical, book by Mike Lew (Playhouse’s Tiger Style!) and Rehana Lew Mirza (Playhouse’s DNA Series’ Child of Colonialism), music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, with additional music by Grammy Award nominee Deep Singh. The piece will be directed by Stafford Arima (Broadway’s Allegiance), with choreography by Rujuta Vaidya (Slumdog Millionaire Academy Awards performance) and musical staging by Lisa Shriver (Playhouse/Broadway’s Jesus Christ Superstar), along with Bhangra specialist Anushka Pushpala (Artistic Director of Bhangra Empire). The show is scheduled to run in the Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre March 8 – April 17, 2022 (press opening March 20).

The cast features Ari Afsar as “Mary,” Aryaan Arora as “Mohan,” Bilaal Avaz as “Amit,” Jesse Bhamrah as “Gobind,” Brandon Contreras as “Billy,” Laura Dadap as “Constance,” Henry Walter Greenberg as “Noah,” Jason Heil as “Wallace,...

The Broadway production of Diana, The Musical will play its final performance on Sunday, Dec. 19, producers have announced.

The musical began previews at the Longacre Theatre on Nov. 2 and opened to withering reviews on Nov. 17. At time of closing, it will have played 33 performances and 16 previews.

“We are extraordinarily proud of the Diana company and of the show onstage at the Longacre,” said producers Grove Entertainment (Beth Williams), Frank Marshall and The Araca Group in a joint statement. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to the cast, crew and everyone involved in creating the show. And to the audiences who have shown their love and support at every performance.”

Both the Broadway production and a Netflix film version taped at the theater received harsh reviews from critics. In recent weeks, the social media campaign for...

Diana, Princess of Wales has been portrayed in no shortage of high profile works of fiction this past year, from her introduction on the fourth season of Netflix’s “The Crown” to Pablo Larraín’s new film “Spencer,” and now a new Broadway musical. After beginning previews last March just before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered New York theaters, “Diana: The Musical” returned to the Longacre Theatre on Nov. 17 with Jeanna de Waal in the title role.

“Diana” chronicles nearly two decades in the life of its title character as she enters the public eye and becomes internationally recognizable. Joe Dipietro and David Bryan, the Tony-winning team behind the Best Musical winner “Memphis” (2010), reunited for “Diana” with Dipietro contributing book and lyrics and Bryan the score. Tony-winner Christopher Ashley directs and also reunites with a fellow “Come From Away” alum, the Tony-nominated choreographer Kelly Devine. Broadway stalwarts Erin Davie and two-time...

Diana, The Musical begins its Act II with the shirtless, well-toned actor portraying the princess’ studly consort James Hewitt doing his best Urban Cowboy riding-the-bull impression, much to the dirty-dancing delight of the smitten royal.

Finally, you think, Diana has fully embraced itself, director Christopher Ashley has rediscovered the campy aesthetic that served him so well from Jeffrey to The Rocky Horror Show and hope may not be entirely lost. But then the pink-bedecked romance novelist Barbara Cartland (don’t ask) stops the action to announce that she just made up that steamy bit, and the ripped stable boy covers up his abs and Diana sinks back to its high-decibel mediocrity.

By now you’ve probably read, heard or seen for yourself, via Netflix, just how deliciously bad Diana is, but the truth isn’t quite so much fun. Diana, opening tonight on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, is not a so-bad-it’s-good disaster.

Broadway actor Chad Kimball has filed a lawsuit against the producers of Come From Away, claiming he wasn’t rehired for the show’s post-pandemic return to the stage after he spoke out against Covid restrictions on religious services.

Kimball, an original Broadway cast member of the musical when it opened in 2017 (and performed in several pre-Broadway engagements), alleges in the suit that the production’s “failure to re-hire” him in the role of “Kevin T.” for the post-shutdown return was based wholly or partly upon his religious faith.

The actor, who was Tony-nominated in 2010 for his lead performance in Broadway’s Memphis, describes himself in the suit (which Deadline has reviewed) as “a devout and practicing Christian,” and suggests he was not rehired either for the Broadway production or its live capture for an Apple TV+ special because his outspoken beliefs made producers “uncomfortable.”

Kimball’s religious beliefs became...

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.

I hopped on a Zoom call Thursday with Frank Marshall, who is producing (with Beth Williams) the new Broadway show Diana: The Musical — which, in an unprecedented move, first debuts today in a filmed version on Netflix before its opening on the Great White Way next month. Of course, the Princess Diana storyline on Season 4 of The Crown largely was responsible for the roaring success of 11 Emmy wins a couple of weeks ago, and Pablo Larrain’s new and surreal take on Diana’s royal woes took Venice by storm and immediately started Oscar buzz for star Kristen Stewart in Spencer. In fact, there was an Academy screening at the DGA on Wednesday night that featured a Q&a I moderated with Stewart, followed by a reception at which Oscar voters, impressed by what they saw, got to mingle with...

Broadway performances all over the New York theater district are starting back up again after a year and a half of Covid-19 pandemic closures. There are currently six musical productions set to open this fall. Could we see any of them contend at next year’s Tony Awards? Let’s take a look at the plot of each musical as well as some of the awards history of their creators, actors, and creative teams, plus the opening and closing dates (where applicable).

SEETony Awards history: Black winners from pioneer Juanita Hall to record-breaker Audra McDonald

“Six” (previews begin September 17; opens October 3)

This original musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss tells the stories of the six wives of King Henry VIII presented as a pop concert. Each ex-wife gets to sing and tell her story to determine who suffered the most from marrying Henry and should therefore become the group’s lead singer.

This review of “Dear Evan Hansen” was first published after the film’s September 9, 2021, premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Is there something about getting through 2020 and the first eight months of 2021 that makes people want to sing and dance? You’d think so from the movies, which this year will include Steven Spielberg’s new version of “West Side Story,” Leos Carax’s wacko Sparks musical “Annette,” Christopher Ashley’s version of “Come From Away,” Jon Chu’s version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights,” Miranda’s version of Jonathan Larson’s “tick, tick … Boom!” and Stephen Chbosky’s “Dear Evan Hansen,” which opened the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

“We felt it was important to open the festival with a film that connects us to our shared humanity,” TIFF executive director and co-head Joanna Vicente said when she and artistic director and co-head Cameron Bailey introduced the film...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on September 9th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Come From Away” – a staged version of the Broadway musical hit – streaming on AppleTV+ beginning September 10th, 2021.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

The stage origin of “Come From Away” began modestly in Canada, before going to Broadway in 2017, telling the miraculous story of a forgotten airport and a small town named Gander in Newfoundland, where 38 planes landed unexpectedly on September 11th, 2001. The North Eastern Canadian island province was overrun with 7000 people from those planes, but took them in, sheltered and fed them over four long days.

“Come From Away” streams on AppleTV+ beginning September 10th Featuring Petrina Bromley, Jean Colella, De’Lon Grand, Joel Hatch and Astrid Van Wieren. Written by David Hein and Irene Sankoff. Directed by Christopher Ashley. Rated “PG-13” Click here for Patrick McDonald’s full on-air review...

Diana: The Musical celebrates the life of Princess Diana and the light of her legacy that continues to shine across the world. Debuting on Netflix before opening on Broadway, this first-of-its-kind landmark musical event brings us face to face with one of the 20th century’s most compelling figures. Directed by Tony Award(R) winner Christopher Ashley, […]

The post Netflix Unveils ‘Diana: The Musical’ Trailer appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Netflix has released the official trailer for Diana: The Musical, director Christopher Ashley’s film of the Broadway production that premieres on the streamer Oct. 1.

Filmed in 2020 at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre (without an audience), Diana features the original Broadway cast of Jeanna de Waal as Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles and Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth. That cast – which had just begun performances on Broadway when the March 2020 pandemic shutdown hit – will return to the stage when Diana resumes live performances on Nov. 2 (with an official opening on Nov. 17).

The trailer features a video montage of clips from the show, built around de Waal’s performance of the musical number “If.”

The musical has book and lyrics by Joe Dipietro and music and lyrics by David Bryan, choreography by Kelly Devine and musical supervision and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath.

Watch the trailer above.

Come From Away AppleTV+ Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Christopher Ashley Writer: David Hein, Irene Sankoff Cast: Petrina Bromley,l Jenn Colella, De’Lon Grant, Joel Hatch, Tony LePage, Q. Smith, Caesar Samayoa, Astrid Van Wieren, Emily Walton, Jim Walton, Sharon Wheatley, Paul Whitty Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, […]

The post Come From Away Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

"We honor what was lost... but we also commemorate what we found!" Apple TV+ has unveiled an official trailer for the filmed movie version of the acclaimed Broadway musical called Come From Away, which initially premiered as a Canadian show back in 2013 years before it made its way to Broadway. This version was recorded in New York with an audience which included 9/11 survivors & frontline workers. Experience the Broadway musical filmed live at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. The Tony Award-winning musical tells the remarkable true story of 38 flights grounded in a small Canadian town. As the locals host these "come from aways," they come together and find hope. Directed by Christopher Ashley. Produced by Bill Condon. The musical tells the story of 7,000 people stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after all flights into the US are grounded on September 11, 2001. This looks like a wonderfully uplifting ...

AppleTV has debuted a trailer for the upcoming filmed theatre performance of ‘Come From Away.’

The movie is the filmed version of the award-winning Broadway musical which tells the story of 7,000 people stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after all flights into the US are grounded on September 11, 2001. As the people of Newfoundland graciously welcome the “come from aways” into their community in the aftermath, the passengers and locals alike process what’s happened while finding love, laughter and new hope in the unlikely and lasting bonds that they forge.

The live performance was filmed at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City, where the Broadway production is staged, for an audience that included 9/11 survivors and frontline workers.

Directed by Christopher Ashley, it stars Petrina Bromley, Jenn Colella, De’Lon Grant, Joel Hatch, Tony LePage, Caesar Samayoa, Q. Smith, Astrid Van Wieren, Emily Walton, Jim Walton, Sharon Wheatley and Paul Whitty.

Exclusive Broadway’s Diana: The Musical will launch a new ad campaign for the upcoming return with in-character cast portraits shot by Broadway photographer Matthew Murphy. See below for Deadline’s exclusive first look at Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana re-creating one of the Princess’ most iconic styles: the famous “Elvis” dress of 1989.

Diana resumes on November 2 at the Longacre Theatre, a month after the Oct. 1 premiere on Netflix of a special filmed presentation. The Broadway production, with book and lyrics by Joe Dipietro, music and lyrics by David Bryan and direction by Christopher Ashley, had started previews on March 2, 2020, with a planned opening night later that month canceled following the industrywide Covid pandemic shutdown.

The Netflix adaptation was filmed last year at the theater without an audience present. The film stars original Broadway cast members de Waal as Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla...

Come From Away, the Apple Original Films adaptation of the Broadway hit musical, will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, September 10 – the eve of 9/11’s 20th anniversary – with an ensemble cast that includes members of the original and current Broadway casts.

Watch a new teaser below.

Directed by the musical’s Tony Award-winning director Christopher Ashley, the live performance was filmed at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in May before an audience that included 9/11 survivors and front-line workers.

The musical tells the true story of 7,000 people stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after all flights into the US are grounded on September 11, 2001. As the people of Newfoundland graciously welcome the “come from aways” into their community in the aftermath, the passengers and locals alike “process what’s happened while finding love, laughter, and new hope in the unlikely and lasting bonds that they forge.”

The cast of...

Apple’s filmed version of the Tony & Olivier Award-winning hit musical Come From Away has a release date.

The live filmed version of the Broadway musical will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, Sept. 10. Christopher Ashley will direct the production and the Broadway cast will reprise their roles in the live capture of Come From Away, which tells the true story of 7,000 passengers stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland, where they were housed and welcomed.

The cast for the filmed version of Come From Away includes Paul Whitty, Petrina Bromley, Sharon Wheatley, De’...

Apple’s filmed version of the Tony & Olivier Award-winning hit musical Come From Away has a release date.

The live filmed version of the Broadway musical will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, Sept. 10. Christopher Ashley will direct the production and the Broadway cast will reprise their roles in the live capture of Come From Away, which tells the true story of 7,000 passengers stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland, where they were housed and welcomed.

The cast for the filmed version of Come From Away includes Paul Whitty, Petrina Bromley, Sharon Wheatley, De’...

Diana: The Musical will be back on Broadway earlier than expected: Producers have moved up the show’s return to the Longacre Theatre by a month. Previews now begin Tuesday, November 2, with opening night set for Wednesday, November 17.

As previously announced, Diana: The Musical will premiere as a special presentation on Netflix on Friday, October 1.

“There is a huge groundswell of energy surrounding Broadway’s reopening news and we are looking forward to having many things to celebrate with our Broadway colleagues this Fall,” said producers Grove Entertainment (Beth Williams), Frank Marshall and The Araca Group in a joint statement. “We are very happy to get our company back onstage a month earlier than we had anticipated and are eager to safely welcome audiences back to the Longacre Theatre.”

The producers also said that they will “move forward with our cast and company with a firm commitment to the list...

Come From Away, the Tony- and Olivier Award-winning musical, will return to Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Tuesday, September 21, producers announced today. The reopening will mark the acclaimed production’s 1,251st performance.

“This is a historic moment that will unite us all as we celebrate what is at the heart of our story: kindness, generosity and gratitude,” said lead producer Junkyard Dog Productions in a statement.

As with all other Broadway productions, Come From Away halted performances on March 12, 2020, due to the Covid pandemic shutdown. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the go-ahead last week for Broadway’s reopening at 100% capacity in September, providing the productions meet current safety protocol guidelines.

Tickets are on sale today, with the playing schedules as noted at the purchase site.

Telling the true 9/11 story of 7,000 airline passengers stranded in a small Newfoundland town, Come From Away began performances on February 18, 2017, opening on March...

a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope

The gay comedy "Jeffrey" features a refreshingly fun and unbridled sendup of the "gay best friend" character.Of the few gay-centric movies made in the 90s, a large number of them were dramas centered around the AIDS crisis. Movies like Philadelphia were very important in making straight America identify and care about those suffering with the disease. However, they were just that. They were made for straight America with the goal of educating them and generating empathy. Sure, that is a worthy cause and many of those movies were incredibly successful in that regard. However, these weren’t movies specifically made For members of the gay community. That’s where a movie like Jeffrey comes in.

Director Christopher Ashley and screenwriter Paul Rudnick created an ambitious, irreverent AIDS-themed comedy that never turns any of its bitchy queens into sympathetic martyrs.

A filmed version of the popular Broadway musical “Come From Away” will debut on Apple TV Plus.

Apple Original Films landed rights to the live stage recording, which is being produced and financed by Entertainment One. eOne previously announced plans to unveil the film in September, though Apple has not set an exact release date.

Broadway theaters have been closed since March 12, 2020, leaving most of the theater community out of work. The upcoming production will employ more than 200 people including actors, crew members and creatives.

The filmed version of “Come From Away” will be directed by Christopher Ashley. It’s set to be recorded at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in May and is expected to feature cast members from the Broadway production.

“Come From Away” is set in the week following the Sept. 11 attacks and tells the true story of what happened when 38 planes — filled with 7,000 stranded passengers — were ordered...

The upcoming filmed production of Tony-winning Broadway musical Come From Away is headed to Apple Original Films. eOne, Hasbro’s entertainment studio, is producing and financing the live filming. A release is planned for later this year on AppleTV+.

The Christopher Ashley-directed pic tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

The production will take place this May in New York City and feature cast members from the Broadway production, employing over 200 people including members of the musical’s crew, staff and creative teams. Casting will be announced at a later date.

Ashley received the Tony Award for his direction of the Broadway musical, with choreography by Tony nominee and Olivier Award winner...

Christopher Ashley directs the Tony-winning musical set after 9/11

Apple has landed the previously announced live, filmed version of the Broadway musical “Come From Away,” the production directed by Tony winner Christopher Ashley, that will air on Apple TV+.

The cast will reunite this May for a performance at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater in New York City, and Entertainment One (eOne) will produce the live, filmed version of the performance. The production will feature cast members from the original Broadway production, employing over 200 people, including members of the Broadway crew, staff and creative teams. Complete casting will be announced at a later date.

Ashley, who received the Tony Award for his direction of the Broadway production, will return to direct, and it will feature choreography by Kelly Devine and music supervision by Ian Eisendrath.

“Come From Away” tells the true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers who were grounded in a small...

Apple Original Films has acquired the upcoming live filmed production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Come From Away for a debut on Apple TV+ later this year.

Christopher Ashley will direct the production and the Broadway cast will reprise their roles in the live capture set for this May. Come From Away tells the true story of 7,000 passengers stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland, where they were housed and welcomed.

The Covid-19 crisis shuttered the Broadway production on March 12, 2020, on the eve of the musical’s third anniversary. Before the pandemic, productions of ...

Apple Original Films has acquired the upcoming live filmed production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Come From Away for a debut on Apple TV+ later this year.

Christopher Ashley will direct the production as the Broadway cast will reprise their roles in the live capture set for this May. Come From Away tells the true story of 7,000 passengers stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland, where they were housed and welcomed.

The Covid-19 crisis shuttered the Broadway production on March 12, 2020, on the eve of the musical’s third anniversary. Before the pandemic, global productions ...

Two of the country’s major theatrical venues announced reopening plans today, with the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. set to house Broadway productions beginning in November and October, respectively.

In Los Angeles, the Ahmanson’s 2021-22 season will start later than previously announced – instead of an August opening with Daniel Fish’s Tony Award-winning reimagining of Oklahoma!, the venue will now reopen on Nov. 30 with the Jack Thorne-Matthew Warchus staging of A Christmas Carol. (Oklahoma! is now scheduled for September 2022).

Other productions planned for the Ahmanson’s upcoming season are Hadestown, The Lehman Trilogy, and The Prom, among others.

In D.C., the Kennedy Center announced that its new season will kick off on Oct. 13 with Hadestown in the Opera House, followed in December by Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. At the Center’s Einsenhower Theater,...

Diana: The Musical, the theatrical production about the life of Princess Diana, is set to return to Broadway this winter, while a special presentation of the show will premiere on Netflix October 1st.

Diana was first performed at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2019, and it began Broadway previews at the beginning of March 2020 — just before Broadway was forced to shut down due to Covid-19. The production is set to resume previews at the Longacre Theatre on December 1st, while opening night has been scheduled for December 16th.

Tickets for Diana‘s Broadway run,...