Nominations for the 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards were announced on Tuesday, April 23. The stars of the hit Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe, read off the nominees live from the Museum of Broadway.
Off-Broadway productions ultimately out-paced Broadway with this critics group. The new David Yazbek musical “Dead Outlaw” led the pack with nine nominations. It was followed by “The Connector,” another Off-Broadway musical, and “Stereophonic,” a lauded Broadway play, with seven nominations each.
While there are no Tony nominators in the Outer Critics Circle membership, these nominations can provide some clues as to how theater aficionados are thinking about this season’s Tony race. Of the five productions cited for Best New Broadway Musical, only “Days of Wine and Roses” and “Suffs” made the cut in the all-important Best Score category. They were joined by two Off-Broadway entries, as well as...
Off-Broadway productions ultimately out-paced Broadway with this critics group. The new David Yazbek musical “Dead Outlaw” led the pack with nine nominations. It was followed by “The Connector,” another Off-Broadway musical, and “Stereophonic,” a lauded Broadway play, with seven nominations each.
While there are no Tony nominators in the Outer Critics Circle membership, these nominations can provide some clues as to how theater aficionados are thinking about this season’s Tony race. Of the five productions cited for Best New Broadway Musical, only “Days of Wine and Roses” and “Suffs” made the cut in the all-important Best Score category. They were joined by two Off-Broadway entries, as well as...
- 4/23/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Jim Parsons, Zoey Deutch and Katie Holmes will star in the Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town this fall.
In the production, directed by Kenny Leon, Parsons will play the role of Stage Manager, Deutch will play Emily Webb and Holmes will play Mrs. Webb. They lead a cast of 28 actors, who also include Richard Thomas (The Waltons, To Kill a Mockingbird) as Mr. Webb, Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud, Hairspray Live!) as George Gibbs and Billy Eugene Jones (Purlie Victorious) as Dr. Gibbs.
The play will begin previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Sept. 17, ahead of an Oct. 10 opening.
Known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Parsons also has extensive stage credits, including a role in Mother Play, which begins Broadway previews April 3. He has previously appeared on Broadway in productions including The Boys in the Band, An Act of God and The Normal Heart.
In the production, directed by Kenny Leon, Parsons will play the role of Stage Manager, Deutch will play Emily Webb and Holmes will play Mrs. Webb. They lead a cast of 28 actors, who also include Richard Thomas (The Waltons, To Kill a Mockingbird) as Mr. Webb, Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud, Hairspray Live!) as George Gibbs and Billy Eugene Jones (Purlie Victorious) as Dr. Gibbs.
The play will begin previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Sept. 17, ahead of an Oct. 10 opening.
Known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Parsons also has extensive stage credits, including a role in Mother Play, which begins Broadway previews April 3. He has previously appeared on Broadway in productions including The Boys in the Band, An Act of God and The Normal Heart.
- 4/3/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jennifer Hudson, who guest starred on NBC’s Smash, is now joining the producing team of its upcoming stage musical adaptation.
Hudson, a Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner, announced her participation today on her daytime talk show The Jennifer Hudson Show. (Watch the announcement below.)
Smash is expected to arrive on Broadway in spring 2025. Executive producers included Steven Spielberg, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, David Marshall Grant, and Joshua Safran.
Hudson’s participation reunites her with Smash composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and producers Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, the team behind NBC’s 2016 Hairspray Live!, the musical special in which she played the role of Motormouth Maybelle.
The Broadway production will be directed by five-time Tony-winning director Susan Stroman, with a score by the Tony- and Grammy- winning duo Shaiman and Wittman, who were most recently on Broadway with Some Like It Hot.
Hudson, a Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner, announced her participation today on her daytime talk show The Jennifer Hudson Show. (Watch the announcement below.)
Smash is expected to arrive on Broadway in spring 2025. Executive producers included Steven Spielberg, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, David Marshall Grant, and Joshua Safran.
Hudson’s participation reunites her with Smash composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and producers Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, the team behind NBC’s 2016 Hairspray Live!, the musical special in which she played the role of Motormouth Maybelle.
The Broadway production will be directed by five-time Tony-winning director Susan Stroman, with a score by the Tony- and Grammy- winning duo Shaiman and Wittman, who were most recently on Broadway with Some Like It Hot.
- 3/21/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Artists First has signed actress Brittany Bradford (Julia), as well as actress, comedian and digital creator Amanda McCants for management.
Bradford is coming off a two-season run on Max’s dramedy Julia, starring Sarah Lancashire as chef and television personality Julia Child, which came to an end in December. Created by Daniel Goldfarb, the show had her playing Alice Naman, an associate producer at broadcaster Wgbh who champions Child’s cooking show The French Chef.
Previously, Bradford has also been seen on series including Fire Country, Fear the Walking Dead, New Amsterdam, The Watcher, Prime Video’s Dead Ringers opposite Rachel Weisz, and Max’s The Gilded Age.
On stage, she was last seen starring in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play The Comeuppance at Signature Theater Off-Broadway, which earned her and her co-stars an Obie for ensemble performance. Bradford also won an Obie for her performance in the Alice Childress...
Bradford is coming off a two-season run on Max’s dramedy Julia, starring Sarah Lancashire as chef and television personality Julia Child, which came to an end in December. Created by Daniel Goldfarb, the show had her playing Alice Naman, an associate producer at broadcaster Wgbh who champions Child’s cooking show The French Chef.
Previously, Bradford has also been seen on series including Fire Country, Fear the Walking Dead, New Amsterdam, The Watcher, Prime Video’s Dead Ringers opposite Rachel Weisz, and Max’s The Gilded Age.
On stage, she was last seen starring in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play The Comeuppance at Signature Theater Off-Broadway, which earned her and her co-stars an Obie for ensemble performance. Bradford also won an Obie for her performance in the Alice Childress...
- 3/5/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Law & Order hasn’t been worried about tackling controversial issues regarding police officers, some of it reflecting real-world events. This was important as showrunner Warren Leight wondered if shows like his offered a one-sided look at law enforcement.
Warren Leight once shared his opinion on cop portrayals in television Warren Leight, Betty Buckley, Mariska Hargitay, David Graziano | Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/Gc Images
Law & Order is one of many cop shows that have been on television for a long time. Similarly to programs like CSI and NCIS, Law & Order has often depicted the positive sides of law enforcement. Their characters are committed to the slogan of protect and serve, and dedicated to making their cities as safe as can be. But reality’s shown that there can also be a negative side to law enforcement. There have been many instances in the news and even caught on camera...
Warren Leight once shared his opinion on cop portrayals in television Warren Leight, Betty Buckley, Mariska Hargitay, David Graziano | Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/Gc Images
Law & Order is one of many cop shows that have been on television for a long time. Similarly to programs like CSI and NCIS, Law & Order has often depicted the positive sides of law enforcement. Their characters are committed to the slogan of protect and serve, and dedicated to making their cities as safe as can be. But reality’s shown that there can also be a negative side to law enforcement. There have been many instances in the news and even caught on camera...
- 2/2/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Is one man’s trash really another man’s treasure? That’s the ultimately undramatic question that undergirds Theresa Rebeck’s new play, I Need That, about a hoarder who can’t let go of piles of decades-old magazines, stacks of old suitcases, and more. Which is to say, he can’t let go of the past. Written for comedy legend Danny DeVito and his daughter, Lucy DeVito, I Need That is a vehicle built for two that mostly just spins its wheels.
While his collections of odds and ends do seem, at the very least, like a tripping hazard, the lonely Sam (Danny DeVito) does appear to have genuine meaningful stories about most of the items he’s saved—when he can find them within the mess, that is. Once we discover, early on, that all the books clumped beneath the window and the clothes covering the couch belonged to his late wife,...
While his collections of odds and ends do seem, at the very least, like a tripping hazard, the lonely Sam (Danny DeVito) does appear to have genuine meaningful stories about most of the items he’s saved—when he can find them within the mess, that is. Once we discover, early on, that all the books clumped beneath the window and the clothes covering the couch belonged to his late wife,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
Broadway box office held fairly steady heading into trick or treat season, with receipts for the week ending Oct. 29 at $26,480,578 (about 6% down from the previous week) and attendance at 218,581 (a slip of just 3%).
Staying strong was Merrily We Roll Along, enjoying another sell-out week, with the roster’s top average ticket price of $238.20 pushing the weekly gross to a new Hudson Theatre house record of $1,840,835.
Notable too was I Need That, the new Theresa Rebeck comedy starring Danny DeVito and daughter Lucy DeVito. At 94% of capacity at American Airlines Theatre, the non-profit Roundabout Theatre Co. production grossed $608,910 for seven previews. Opening night is Nov. 2.
Non-prof, subscriber-based Manhattan Theatre Club’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding filled 99% of seats at the Friedman, grossing $351,235 with an average ticket of $68.95.
Other shows hitting the 99% (or above) capacity mark were Hamilton and The Lion King. Other shows...
Staying strong was Merrily We Roll Along, enjoying another sell-out week, with the roster’s top average ticket price of $238.20 pushing the weekly gross to a new Hudson Theatre house record of $1,840,835.
Notable too was I Need That, the new Theresa Rebeck comedy starring Danny DeVito and daughter Lucy DeVito. At 94% of capacity at American Airlines Theatre, the non-profit Roundabout Theatre Co. production grossed $608,910 for seven previews. Opening night is Nov. 2.
Non-prof, subscriber-based Manhattan Theatre Club’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding filled 99% of seats at the Friedman, grossing $351,235 with an average ticket of $68.95.
Other shows hitting the 99% (or above) capacity mark were Hamilton and The Lion King. Other shows...
- 10/31/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Merrily We Roll Along, the Sondheim revival starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, cemented its place among Broadway’s top earners during its opening week, grossing $1,706,962, filling all seats at the Hudson and securing the highest average ticket price with $220.88.
The figures for the week ending Oct. 15 saw only four productions top Merrily in grosses: Hamilton, Wicked, Sweeney Todd and, besting them all, that long-running powerhouse The Lion King.
Beginning previews was I Need That, the new Theresa Rebeck comedy starring Danny DeVito, a Roundabout production at the American Airlines Theatre. The show’s first three previews filled 95% of seats and grossed $295,641, with a healthy average ticket price of $140.31. I Need That opens Nov. 2.
Last week also saw another opening night: Gutenberg! The Musical!, starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, opened on Oct. 12, and took a hefty $842,159 for the week, filling 95% of seats at the James Earl Jones Theatre.
The figures for the week ending Oct. 15 saw only four productions top Merrily in grosses: Hamilton, Wicked, Sweeney Todd and, besting them all, that long-running powerhouse The Lion King.
Beginning previews was I Need That, the new Theresa Rebeck comedy starring Danny DeVito, a Roundabout production at the American Airlines Theatre. The show’s first three previews filled 95% of seats and grossed $295,641, with a healthy average ticket price of $140.31. I Need That opens Nov. 2.
Last week also saw another opening night: Gutenberg! The Musical!, starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, opened on Oct. 12, and took a hefty $842,159 for the week, filling 95% of seats at the James Earl Jones Theatre.
- 10/17/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Preview performances for Broadway’s I Need That starring Danny DeVito begin tonight, and already the limited engagement has been extended by a week.
Roundabout Theatre Company said the extension through December 30 was due to popular demand. The play officially opens at the American Airlines Theatre on November 2.
Written by Theresa Rebeck and directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, I Need That also features DeVito’s daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas.
The synopsis: Sam (Danny DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things – his many, many things. But when a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must clean up his property or face eviction, he’s forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two.
Roundabout Theatre Company said the extension through December 30 was due to popular demand. The play officially opens at the American Airlines Theatre on November 2.
Written by Theresa Rebeck and directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, I Need That also features DeVito’s daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas.
The synopsis: Sam (Danny DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things – his many, many things. But when a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must clean up his property or face eviction, he’s forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two.
- 10/13/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Bi-continental production outfit Lspg (Luca Severi Production Group) has boarded “Eco Village,” a gonzo musical comedy led by Sidney Flanigan, the star of Sundance and Berlinale prize winner “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.” Nearing completion, the project is eyeing a festival launch early next year.
Marking the feature debut of playwright Phoebe Nir – who adapted her own Off-Broadway play – the off-kilter film follows a young drifter (played by actor-musician Flanigan) who makes her way first onto an anarchic and uninhibited artists colony, and then into the thrall of the utopia’s manipulative leader, played by Lindsay Burdge (of “Thirst Street” and “Her Smell”).
The filmmaker describes her 16mm project as an “[honest depiction of] the agonies and ecstasies of female desire, inspired by the memory of my tumble down the rabbit hole of first love (or was it lust?) in an idealistic hippie commune where jealousy and rage churned quietly beneath the surface.”
Theresa Rebeck and Linda Gray produced,...
Marking the feature debut of playwright Phoebe Nir – who adapted her own Off-Broadway play – the off-kilter film follows a young drifter (played by actor-musician Flanigan) who makes her way first onto an anarchic and uninhibited artists colony, and then into the thrall of the utopia’s manipulative leader, played by Lindsay Burdge (of “Thirst Street” and “Her Smell”).
The filmmaker describes her 16mm project as an “[honest depiction of] the agonies and ecstasies of female desire, inspired by the memory of my tumble down the rabbit hole of first love (or was it lust?) in an idealistic hippie commune where jealousy and rage churned quietly beneath the surface.”
Theresa Rebeck and Linda Gray produced,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Theresa Rebeck’s I Need That, a world premiere play starring Danny DeVito, his daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas, will begin Broadway previews at the American Airlines Theatre on Friday, October 13, with an official opening on Thursday, November 2.
The limited engagement, a production of the Roundabout Theatre Company, runs through through Saturday, December 23, and is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel.
Ray Anthony Thomas (Credit: Courtesy)
The play marks Danny DeVito’s return to Roundabout following his Tony Award nominated turn in Arthur Miller’s The Price (2017).
The design team for I Need That includes Alexander Dodge (Sets), Tilly Grimes (Costumes), Yi Zhao (Lights), and Fitz Patton (Sound and Original Music).
The synopsis: Sam (Danny DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things—his many, many things. But when...
The limited engagement, a production of the Roundabout Theatre Company, runs through through Saturday, December 23, and is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel.
Ray Anthony Thomas (Credit: Courtesy)
The play marks Danny DeVito’s return to Roundabout following his Tony Award nominated turn in Arthur Miller’s The Price (2017).
The design team for I Need That includes Alexander Dodge (Sets), Tilly Grimes (Costumes), Yi Zhao (Lights), and Fitz Patton (Sound and Original Music).
The synopsis: Sam (Danny DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things—his many, many things. But when...
- 7/31/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The 104-year-old theater formerly known as the Selwyn – and soon to be formerly known as the American Airlines – will be renamed to honor the late Todd Haimes, the artistic director and guiding force behind the Roundabout Theatre Company who died in April.
The naming of the Todd Haimes Theatre was announced last night as members of the Broadway community honored Haimes by dimming the marquees of all 41 Broadway theaters. The new name is designed to recognize Haimes’ “extraordinary dedication to the institution he called home, and his enormous contributions to Roundabout and the entire theatre community.”
“Last year, when the thought of naming the theater after Todd arose, our instinct was to honor a visionary producer who had led Roundabout from a basement under a supermarket in Chelsea to an indelible force in the American theatre,” said Roundabout Vice Chair Lawrence Kaplen in a statement. “I am proud to be...
The naming of the Todd Haimes Theatre was announced last night as members of the Broadway community honored Haimes by dimming the marquees of all 41 Broadway theaters. The new name is designed to recognize Haimes’ “extraordinary dedication to the institution he called home, and his enormous contributions to Roundabout and the entire theatre community.”
“Last year, when the thought of naming the theater after Todd arose, our instinct was to honor a visionary producer who had led Roundabout from a basement under a supermarket in Chelsea to an indelible force in the American theatre,” said Roundabout Vice Chair Lawrence Kaplen in a statement. “I am proud to be...
- 6/2/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber will return to Broadway this winter in a revival of John Patrick Stanley’s play Doubt: A Parable.
The play, directed by Scott Ellis, is scheduled to begin performances in February 2024 at the American Airlines Theatre. Exact dates and additional castmembers will be announced at a later date.
This is the first Broadway revival of Stanley’s 2004 play, which was adapted into the 2008 film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The story follows Sister Aloysius (Daly), a principal of an all-boys Catholic school in the Bronx, who suspects a relationship between Father Flynn (Schreiber) and a student. Aloysius must then figure out how to verify whether something has occurred, whether to confront either party about it and how she can reconcile that with her religious beliefs.
Daly, a multiple Emmy Award winner for her role in the television show Cagney & Lacey, won a...
The play, directed by Scott Ellis, is scheduled to begin performances in February 2024 at the American Airlines Theatre. Exact dates and additional castmembers will be announced at a later date.
This is the first Broadway revival of Stanley’s 2004 play, which was adapted into the 2008 film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The story follows Sister Aloysius (Daly), a principal of an all-boys Catholic school in the Bronx, who suspects a relationship between Father Flynn (Schreiber) and a student. Aloysius must then figure out how to verify whether something has occurred, whether to confront either party about it and how she can reconcile that with her religious beliefs.
Daly, a multiple Emmy Award winner for her role in the television show Cagney & Lacey, won a...
- 6/1/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber will star in a new Broadway production next February of John Patrick Shanley’s Tony Award & Pulitzer Prize-winning play Doubt: A Parable, with direction by Scott Ellis.
The Roundabout Theatre Company production will begin performances in February 2024 at the American Airlines Theatre. Exact dates, remaining cast members, and design team will be announced at a later date.
Doubt: A Parable returns to Broadway for the first time in nearly two decades. Daly will play Sister Aloysius, in the words of the synopsis the “prickly principal of an all-boys Catholic school in a working- class part of the Bronx” who “is feared by students and colleagues alike.”
“But when she suspects nefarious relations between the charismatic priest Father Flynn (Schreiber) and a student, she’s forced to wrestle with what’s fact, what’s fiction, and how much she’ll risk to expose the difference—all...
The Roundabout Theatre Company production will begin performances in February 2024 at the American Airlines Theatre. Exact dates, remaining cast members, and design team will be announced at a later date.
Doubt: A Parable returns to Broadway for the first time in nearly two decades. Daly will play Sister Aloysius, in the words of the synopsis the “prickly principal of an all-boys Catholic school in a working- class part of the Bronx” who “is feared by students and colleagues alike.”
“But when she suspects nefarious relations between the charismatic priest Father Flynn (Schreiber) and a student, she’s forced to wrestle with what’s fact, what’s fiction, and how much she’ll risk to expose the difference—all...
- 6/1/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As the writers strike continues to dominate Hollywood discourse, Ted Sarandos has exited a planned appearance at a Pen America event next week that was set to honor him.
The literary organization announced Wednesday that the Netflix co-ceo will no longer attend their annual gala to accept the Pen America Business Visionary Award. The event will still take place May 18 in New York as planned with Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost as host, and Lorne Michaels remains scheduled to participate as an honored guest.
“We admire Ted Sarandos’ singular work translating literature to artful presentation onscreen, and his stalwart defense of free expression and satire,” Pen America said in a statement. “As a writers organization, we have been following recent events closely and understand his decision.”
The group added that the event will include a focus on the rise of book bans and the constraints surrounding comedy as it...
The literary organization announced Wednesday that the Netflix co-ceo will no longer attend their annual gala to accept the Pen America Business Visionary Award. The event will still take place May 18 in New York as planned with Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost as host, and Lorne Michaels remains scheduled to participate as an honored guest.
“We admire Ted Sarandos’ singular work translating literature to artful presentation onscreen, and his stalwart defense of free expression and satire,” Pen America said in a statement. “As a writers organization, we have been following recent events closely and understand his decision.”
The group added that the event will include a focus on the rise of book bans and the constraints surrounding comedy as it...
- 5/10/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
James Ijames Pulitzer Prize-winning “Fat Ham,” which opened to strong reviews on Broadway April 12 after a Sro engagement at the Public Theater, is the latest reinvention of a Shakespeare play. A strong contender for multiple Tony nominations is set at a Southern cookout where a queer black college student named Juicy (Marcel Spears) is dealing with a lot of issues including identity, the ghost of his dead father and the fact that his mother recently married his uncle.
“I have this need to disrupt the canon as much as I can, and disrupt people’s deification and lionization of classical texts…as if they’re frozen in amber and all we can do is put a treatment on top of that like wallpaper, by setting it in the ‘20s,” Ijames told Playbill. “There’s this real desire in me to take the parts of the classics and bring them closer...
“I have this need to disrupt the canon as much as I can, and disrupt people’s deification and lionization of classical texts…as if they’re frozen in amber and all we can do is put a treatment on top of that like wallpaper, by setting it in the ‘20s,” Ijames told Playbill. “There’s this real desire in me to take the parts of the classics and bring them closer...
- 4/17/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Finally, one of television’s most notorious series will achieve its final form, arguably fulfilling its destiny from the beginning: Smash is coming to Broadway in the 2024-2025 season.
The 2012-2013 NBC musical drama, which starred Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty as dueling actresses competing for the role of Marilyn Monroe in a high-profile stage production, was an object of fascination for viewers, thanks to its sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes bewildering blend of high-octane soap opera and Broadway-ready musical numbers, written by Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Unfortunately, there weren’t enough of those fascinated viewers to sustain such an incredibly expensive show (and behind-the-scenes drama involving original creator Theresa Rebeck being removed from showrunning duties didn’t help matters), leading to its cancelation after Season 2. Since its original airing, though, the question of adapting said Broadway-ready musical numbers as an actual stage show has arisen, with the show-within-the-show,...
The 2012-2013 NBC musical drama, which starred Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty as dueling actresses competing for the role of Marilyn Monroe in a high-profile stage production, was an object of fascination for viewers, thanks to its sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes bewildering blend of high-octane soap opera and Broadway-ready musical numbers, written by Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Unfortunately, there weren’t enough of those fascinated viewers to sustain such an incredibly expensive show (and behind-the-scenes drama involving original creator Theresa Rebeck being removed from showrunning duties didn’t help matters), leading to its cancelation after Season 2. Since its original airing, though, the question of adapting said Broadway-ready musical numbers as an actual stage show has arisen, with the show-within-the-show,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Consequence - Music
Smash is coming to the stage after years of anticipation. A musical adaptation of the NBC series, which ran for only two seasons, will open on Broadway for the 2024-2025 season, according to producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron, and Steven Spielberg.
Tony-award winning director Susan Stroman, who is currently helming New York, New York, will direct. Shaiman and Wittman, the composers of Hairspray and Some Like It Hot, are writing the score, which will include new material. The duo previously composed songs for the series, notably Emmy-nominated number “Let Me Be Your Star.
Tony-award winning director Susan Stroman, who is currently helming New York, New York, will direct. Shaiman and Wittman, the composers of Hairspray and Some Like It Hot, are writing the score, which will include new material. The duo previously composed songs for the series, notably Emmy-nominated number “Let Me Be Your Star.
- 3/22/2023
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
It’s time for “Smash” to be your star. Ten years after the cult-favorite musical drama wrapped its two seasons on NBC, a “Smash” musical is headed to Broadway for the 2024–2025 season.
Director Susan Stroman is attached to helm the production with lead producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg.
Bringing back much of the series’ original creatives, Marc Shaiman is handling the music; lyrics will be by Shaiman and Scott Wittman; the musical’s book will be written by Rick Elice and Bob Martin; and the show will feature choreography by Joshua Bergasse.
“Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage,” Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement. “We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the...
Director Susan Stroman is attached to helm the production with lead producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg.
Bringing back much of the series’ original creatives, Marc Shaiman is handling the music; lyrics will be by Shaiman and Scott Wittman; the musical’s book will be written by Rick Elice and Bob Martin; and the show will feature choreography by Joshua Bergasse.
“Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage,” Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement. “We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the...
- 3/22/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
Smash is finally heading to Broadway.
In an announcement long awaited by fans of the 2012 NBC series, a stage musical adaptation is planned to arrive on Broadway during the 2024-25 season, with a lead producing team of Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg. A top flight creative team is attached, including director Susan Stroman, composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book writers Rick Elice and Bob Martin, and the TV series’ choreographer Joshua Bergasse.
Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement, “Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage. We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the Smash journey which began with my producing partners over ten years ago.”
In addition to new music, the stage version...
In an announcement long awaited by fans of the 2012 NBC series, a stage musical adaptation is planned to arrive on Broadway during the 2024-25 season, with a lead producing team of Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg. A top flight creative team is attached, including director Susan Stroman, composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book writers Rick Elice and Bob Martin, and the TV series’ choreographer Joshua Bergasse.
Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement, “Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage. We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the Smash journey which began with my producing partners over ten years ago.”
In addition to new music, the stage version...
- 3/22/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Smash is getting one step closer to Broadway.
A musical adaptation of the NBC television series, also entitled Smash, is now slated to open on Broadway in the 2024-2025 season, producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg said Wednesday. The production has tapped Susan Stroman, the Tony Award-winning director of The Producers, who is currently working on the new musical, New York, New York, as its director.
Shaiman and Wittman, the composers of Hairspray and the currently running Broadway musical, Some Like It Hot, are writing the score, which includes new material, as well as many songs the duo wrote for the television show, including the Emmy-nominated “Let Me Be Your Star.”
The television show, which ran on NBC from 2012-2013, starred Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Christian Borle and followed their ups and downs as they mounted musicals for Broadway, including Bombshell, a fictional...
A musical adaptation of the NBC television series, also entitled Smash, is now slated to open on Broadway in the 2024-2025 season, producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg said Wednesday. The production has tapped Susan Stroman, the Tony Award-winning director of The Producers, who is currently working on the new musical, New York, New York, as its director.
Shaiman and Wittman, the composers of Hairspray and the currently running Broadway musical, Some Like It Hot, are writing the score, which includes new material, as well as many songs the duo wrote for the television show, including the Emmy-nominated “Let Me Be Your Star.”
The television show, which ran on NBC from 2012-2013, starred Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Christian Borle and followed their ups and downs as they mounted musicals for Broadway, including Bombshell, a fictional...
- 3/22/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Danny DeVito will return to the Broadway stage this October in a new play by Theresa Rebeck called I Need That.
The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor will star alongside his daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of what the company describes as “a deeply human new comedy.”
Preview and opening night dates for I Need That at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre will be announced later.
The synopsis: Sam (DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things – his many, many things. But when a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must clean up his property or face eviction, he’s forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two.
The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor will star alongside his daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of what the company describes as “a deeply human new comedy.”
Preview and opening night dates for I Need That at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre will be announced later.
The synopsis: Sam (DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things – his many, many things. But when a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must clean up his property or face eviction, he’s forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two.
- 3/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Danny DeVito will make his return to Broadway this fall with the new play I Need That.
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and written by Theresa Rebeck, the show will receive its world premiere at the American Airlines Theatre this October, the Roundabout Theatre announced Tuesday. More details on the creative team, dates and ticketing will be shared at a later date.
The Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Little Demon actor will star alongside his daughter and fellow actor Lucy DeVito, as well as Ray Anthony Thomas in a comedy about a reclusive hoarder named Sam (Danny), who must reckon with his habits after he receives a government notice that he must clean up his property or face eviction. With the help of his daughter (Lucy) and his friend (Thomas), Sam must “reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two,...
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and written by Theresa Rebeck, the show will receive its world premiere at the American Airlines Theatre this October, the Roundabout Theatre announced Tuesday. More details on the creative team, dates and ticketing will be shared at a later date.
The Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Little Demon actor will star alongside his daughter and fellow actor Lucy DeVito, as well as Ray Anthony Thomas in a comedy about a reclusive hoarder named Sam (Danny), who must reckon with his habits after he receives a government notice that he must clean up his property or face eviction. With the help of his daughter (Lucy) and his friend (Thomas), Sam must “reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sal Piro, who played a pivotal role in creating the audience participation routines that turned The Rocky Horror Picture Show into a multi-decade, world-wide phenomenon, died at his home in New York City Jan 21.
His death was announced by The Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club, which he founded in 1977 and served as its president until his death, becoming a major figure in creating the movie’s cult classic status.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Lloyd N. Morrisett Dies: 'Sesame Street' Co-Creator Was 93 Related Story Andrew Leynse Dies: Off Broadway Artistic Director Who Championed Works By A.R. Gurney, Terrence McNally, Theresa Rebeck Was 53
“Sal was the defacto face of Rocky Horror fandom for decades,” the fan club said in a tweeted statement. “He will be sorely missed.”
Opening to terrible reviews in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show soon became a staple...
His death was announced by The Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club, which he founded in 1977 and served as its president until his death, becoming a major figure in creating the movie’s cult classic status.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Lloyd N. Morrisett Dies: 'Sesame Street' Co-Creator Was 93 Related Story Andrew Leynse Dies: Off Broadway Artistic Director Who Championed Works By A.R. Gurney, Terrence McNally, Theresa Rebeck Was 53
“Sal was the defacto face of Rocky Horror fandom for decades,” the fan club said in a tweeted statement. “He will be sorely missed.”
Opening to terrible reviews in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show soon became a staple...
- 1/25/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Lloyd N. Morrisett, the co-founder with Joan Ganz Cooney of Sesame Street, has died, Sesame Workshop announced. He was 93.
“Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street,” said Ganz Cooney in a statement. “It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and numbers. He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me for over fifty years, and he will be sorely missed.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Andrew Leynse Dies: Off Broadway Artistic Director Who Championed Works By A.R. Gurney, Terrence McNally, Theresa Rebeck Was 53 Related Story Yoshio Yoda Dies: 'McHale's Navy' Actor Was 88
After co-founding Children’s Television Workshop in 1968, Morrisett remained a Lifetime Honorary Trustee until his death.
“Lloyd leaves an outsized and indelible...
“Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street,” said Ganz Cooney in a statement. “It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and numbers. He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me for over fifty years, and he will be sorely missed.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Andrew Leynse Dies: Off Broadway Artistic Director Who Championed Works By A.R. Gurney, Terrence McNally, Theresa Rebeck Was 53 Related Story Yoshio Yoda Dies: 'McHale's Navy' Actor Was 88
After co-founding Children’s Television Workshop in 1968, Morrisett remained a Lifetime Honorary Trustee until his death.
“Lloyd leaves an outsized and indelible...
- 1/24/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Andrew Leynse, whose 21-year tenure as the artistic director of the Off Broadway theater company Primary Stages saw the production of works by such prominent playwrights as Terrence McNally, A.R. Gurney, Theresa Rebeck, Charles Busch and Donald Margulies, died Jan. 20 after a sudden illness. His age was not immediately available.
“It is with endless sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Artistic Director, Andrew Leynse,” reads a statement released by Primary Stages, which concludes, “Andrew’s dedication to playwrights and the theater launched dozens of careers and brought hundreds of new plays to life. His work had an incredible and indelible contribution to the American theater, and his vision and generosity will never be forgotten.”
Leynse began his career at Primary Stages in a variety of different roles, including Production Manager and Literary Manager, after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University’s directing program. In 1999, he left Primary to...
“It is with endless sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Artistic Director, Andrew Leynse,” reads a statement released by Primary Stages, which concludes, “Andrew’s dedication to playwrights and the theater launched dozens of careers and brought hundreds of new plays to life. His work had an incredible and indelible contribution to the American theater, and his vision and generosity will never be forgotten.”
Leynse began his career at Primary Stages in a variety of different roles, including Production Manager and Literary Manager, after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University’s directing program. In 1999, he left Primary to...
- 1/23/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Katie Holmes has been set to star in The Wanderers, a new Off Broadway play from the Roundabout Theatre Company. The New York debut of Anna Ziegler’s latest will begin preview performances January 26, 2023 head of a February 16 opening at the Laura Pels Theater in New York.
The limited engagement will run through March 26, the theater group said Thursday.
The Wanderers centers on Orthodox Jews Esther and Schmuli who are newly married, and their future written in the laws of the Torah. Secular Jew Abe is a famous novelist who believes he can write his own future…until an unexpected email from a movie star, Julia Cheever (Holmes), puts his marriage to the test and threatens to prove him wrong. The play begs the question: Can we be happy with what we have while we have it?
Barry Edelstein is directing. The remaining cast and design team will be announced soon.
The limited engagement will run through March 26, the theater group said Thursday.
The Wanderers centers on Orthodox Jews Esther and Schmuli who are newly married, and their future written in the laws of the Torah. Secular Jew Abe is a famous novelist who believes he can write his own future…until an unexpected email from a movie star, Julia Cheever (Holmes), puts his marriage to the test and threatens to prove him wrong. The play begs the question: Can we be happy with what we have while we have it?
Barry Edelstein is directing. The remaining cast and design team will be announced soon.
- 10/27/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Katie Holmes is returning to the stage for the New York premiere of Roundabout Theatre Company’s The Wanderers.
Written by The Last Match‘s Anna Ziegler and directed by Barry Edelstein, Holmes is set to play movie star Julia Cheever, who sends an unexpected email to secular Jew Abe, a famous novelist who believes he can write his own future. It’s a notion that is put to the test by Cheever’s arrival, whose presence tests both Abe’s beliefs and both of their marriages.
This story also follows Orthodox Jews Esther and Schmuli, a newly married couple whose future is written in the laws of the Torah. Ziegler’s modern love story ultimately asks whether both couples can be happy with what they have while they have it.
The limited engagement is set to open Feb. 16, 2023, at the Laura Pels...
Katie Holmes is returning to the stage for the New York premiere of Roundabout Theatre Company’s The Wanderers.
Written by The Last Match‘s Anna Ziegler and directed by Barry Edelstein, Holmes is set to play movie star Julia Cheever, who sends an unexpected email to secular Jew Abe, a famous novelist who believes he can write his own future. It’s a notion that is put to the test by Cheever’s arrival, whose presence tests both Abe’s beliefs and both of their marriages.
This story also follows Orthodox Jews Esther and Schmuli, a newly married couple whose future is written in the laws of the Torah. Ziegler’s modern love story ultimately asks whether both couples can be happy with what they have while they have it.
The limited engagement is set to open Feb. 16, 2023, at the Laura Pels...
- 10/27/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Danny DeVito is looking toward Broadway — or Off-Broadway — for one of his latest projects.
The actor recently spoke with Vanity Fair about his upcoming staged reading of Theresa Rebeck’s I Need That, which is taking place Aug. 30 as part of the Dorset Theater Festival. The actor, who is currently promoting his latest project Little Demon, an animated series for FX, shared that the show could be headed to a New York theater stage — and soon.
“Lucy and I are going to Vermont in a week to do a workshop of a play we’ve been working on that was written as a three-hander for Lucy and I and another actor,” DeVito told the magazine. “We’re going to do that on Broadway or Off-Broadway, depending on how we situate it, and that’s going to be in a year.”
The play follows...
Danny DeVito is looking toward Broadway — or Off-Broadway — for one of his latest projects.
The actor recently spoke with Vanity Fair about his upcoming staged reading of Theresa Rebeck’s I Need That, which is taking place Aug. 30 as part of the Dorset Theater Festival. The actor, who is currently promoting his latest project Little Demon, an animated series for FX, shared that the show could be headed to a New York theater stage — and soon.
“Lucy and I are going to Vermont in a week to do a workshop of a play we’ve been working on that was written as a three-hander for Lucy and I and another actor,” DeVito told the magazine. “We’re going to do that on Broadway or Off-Broadway, depending on how we situate it, and that’s going to be in a year.”
The play follows...
- 8/25/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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...
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...
- 8/9/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
After losing more than 75 pounds for Season 4 of “Stranger Things,” in which his character Jim Hopper was wasting away in a Russian gulag, David Harbour had one thing on his mind.
“As soon as we finished my last shirtless scene, I sent my assistant to this great pasta place for lasagna,” Harbour recalls. “It only came in trays, so I gave her a little section and then I just took the whole tray and dove in like a maniac.”
After battling starvation, Soviet guards and a Demogorgon in the hit Netflix series, Harbour is currently facing some truly scary demons — family. The actor is appearing in Theresa Rebeck’s latest play, “Mad House,” at the Ambassadors Theatre in London, running through Sept. 4. Eight shows a week, Harbour storms and thunders as Michael, a schizophrenic man who is released from a mental institution and thrown into equally harrowing conditions as he...
“As soon as we finished my last shirtless scene, I sent my assistant to this great pasta place for lasagna,” Harbour recalls. “It only came in trays, so I gave her a little section and then I just took the whole tray and dove in like a maniac.”
After battling starvation, Soviet guards and a Demogorgon in the hit Netflix series, Harbour is currently facing some truly scary demons — family. The actor is appearing in Theresa Rebeck’s latest play, “Mad House,” at the Ambassadors Theatre in London, running through Sept. 4. Eight shows a week, Harbour storms and thunders as Michael, a schizophrenic man who is released from a mental institution and thrown into equally harrowing conditions as he...
- 7/25/2022
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar nominee Eric Roberts (The Righteous Gemstones) is reteaming with his Runaway Train co-star Danny Trejo as part of the cast of Alone Today, an upcoming crime drama from director Wendy Wilkins, which will also star Shannon Elizabeth and Frank Whaley.
The film tells the story of a woman (Elizabeth) in an abusive relationship with a dirty detective (Roberts) who is helping move sex trafficked girls coming over the Mexican Border. When attempting to save just one truckload before “disappearing forever,” everything goes horribly wrong and she decides to take a different path.
The project hails from Different Duck Films founder Rob Margolies (Bobcat Moretti), who will produce alongside Errol Sack and Julia Verdin. Production is underway in Los Angeles. Roberts is repped by Sovereign Talent Group, Imperial Artists Agency and Miles Anthony Associates in London, manager Eliza Roberts, Empire Agency in Germany and Scott Carlson Entertainment in Canada.
The film tells the story of a woman (Elizabeth) in an abusive relationship with a dirty detective (Roberts) who is helping move sex trafficked girls coming over the Mexican Border. When attempting to save just one truckload before “disappearing forever,” everything goes horribly wrong and she decides to take a different path.
The project hails from Different Duck Films founder Rob Margolies (Bobcat Moretti), who will produce alongside Errol Sack and Julia Verdin. Production is underway in Los Angeles. Roberts is repped by Sovereign Talent Group, Imperial Artists Agency and Miles Anthony Associates in London, manager Eliza Roberts, Empire Agency in Germany and Scott Carlson Entertainment in Canada.
- 3/25/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Students of history know that 355 was the code name assigned to a woman who spied on behalf of George Washington, during the war for independence. We never learned who she was and the digits have been immortalized in pop culture ever since. Most recently, it was appended to the female empowerment action film The 355 Buy Generic Amoxil Online , out now on disc from Universal Home Entertainment.
The brainchild of star Jessica Chastain, she pitched it to Simon Kingberg as they were shooting X-Men: Dark Phoenix and it should have been out in 2021, but you know, Covid-19. The movie is overall an entertaining enough experience but its overall laziness in design and execution makes it a lesser effort.
While it’s nice to see operatives from CIA, MI6, Germany’s Bnd, China’s Ministry of State Security, and Colombia’s National Intelligence Directorateavoid political considerations to band together, the film also...
The brainchild of star Jessica Chastain, she pitched it to Simon Kingberg as they were shooting X-Men: Dark Phoenix and it should have been out in 2021, but you know, Covid-19. The movie is overall an entertaining enough experience but its overall laziness in design and execution makes it a lesser effort.
While it’s nice to see operatives from CIA, MI6, Germany’s Bnd, China’s Ministry of State Security, and Colombia’s National Intelligence Directorateavoid political considerations to band together, the film also...
- 2/21/2022
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Synopsis:
When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) on a lethal mission to retrieve it. The unlikely team must also stay one step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move as the action rockets across the globe.
Bonus Features on Blu-raytm, DVD And Digital:
Deleted Sceneschasing Through Paris – Cast and filmmakers discuss the first day of shooting on The 355 and how the choreographed chase sequence through the Parisian arcade set the tone for the entire production.Action That Hurts – A behind-the-scenes look at the stunts featured in the film’s centerpiece action sequence.Reconstructing Marrakesh – From footage of construction to a set tour with Production Designer Simon Elliott,...
When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) on a lethal mission to retrieve it. The unlikely team must also stay one step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move as the action rockets across the globe.
Bonus Features on Blu-raytm, DVD And Digital:
Deleted Sceneschasing Through Paris – Cast and filmmakers discuss the first day of shooting on The 355 and how the choreographed chase sequence through the Parisian arcade set the tone for the entire production.Action That Hurts – A behind-the-scenes look at the stunts featured in the film’s centerpiece action sequence.Reconstructing Marrakesh – From footage of construction to a set tour with Production Designer Simon Elliott,...
- 2/16/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
“Broadway, Here I Come!” said the musical adaptation of the late NBC show “Smash,” which Variety can exclusively reveal is planning a workshop for the summer, according to producer Robert Greenblatt.
The musical was first confirmed to be in the works in May of 2020, with Tony winner Bob Martin (“The Prom”) and Tony-nominated Rick Elice (“Peter and the Starcatcher”) writing the book. Greenblatt is aiming for a Broadway opening in 2024, with the show being titled either “Smash, A New Musical” or “Smash: The Musical.”
“They’ve delivered a draft that I’m very excited about, and we’re now in the process of putting together our first workshop, which is, you know, the earliest step in a musical where you just get a cast together, read the script and perform the score just for the producers,” Greenblatt told Variety. “That will most likely happen at some point this summer. So it’s the first step,...
The musical was first confirmed to be in the works in May of 2020, with Tony winner Bob Martin (“The Prom”) and Tony-nominated Rick Elice (“Peter and the Starcatcher”) writing the book. Greenblatt is aiming for a Broadway opening in 2024, with the show being titled either “Smash, A New Musical” or “Smash: The Musical.”
“They’ve delivered a draft that I’m very excited about, and we’re now in the process of putting together our first workshop, which is, you know, the earliest step in a musical where you just get a cast together, read the script and perform the score just for the producers,” Greenblatt told Variety. “That will most likely happen at some point this summer. So it’s the first step,...
- 2/3/2022
- by Sasha Urban
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Two-time Emmy-nominated writer Theresa Rebeck is set to pen The Faithful for Concordia Studio, based on the true story of how a fight over land between St. Stanislaus Church and the St. Louis archdiocese became a battle to define the future of Catholicism. The story is based on the life of Father Marek Bozek.
Concordia’s Jonathan King and Patrick Callan are set as producers. Dan O’Brien is also producing.
The WGA- and Peabody-winning Rebeck co-wrote femme spy ensemble The 355 with Simon Kinberg which recently hit theaters via Universal. The movie, also directed by Kinberg, stars Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Penélope Cruz and Bingbing Fan.
Additionally, Rebeck wrote and directed the 2018 film Trouble, starring Angelica Huston and Bill Pullman. She also created the NBC musical series Smash, which earned four Emmy nominations in its first season. Rebeck has won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America,...
Concordia’s Jonathan King and Patrick Callan are set as producers. Dan O’Brien is also producing.
The WGA- and Peabody-winning Rebeck co-wrote femme spy ensemble The 355 with Simon Kinberg which recently hit theaters via Universal. The movie, also directed by Kinberg, stars Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Penélope Cruz and Bingbing Fan.
Additionally, Rebeck wrote and directed the 2018 film Trouble, starring Angelica Huston and Bill Pullman. She also created the NBC musical series Smash, which earned four Emmy nominations in its first season. Rebeck has won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America,...
- 1/18/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – There’s something to be said for a well done ass kicker in January that provides an entertaining distraction from the ice and snow outside. “The 355” is not it, offering a typical quick cutting action thriller that plods along in the most formulaic and least exciting manner possible. There’s nothing in this movie that hasn’t been done to death already.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, and Diane Kruger make up this butt kicking collection of spies. They’re all elite operatives from four international agencies who must join forces and work through their own emotional baggage to retrieve an all powerful hard drive from falling into the wrong hands.
“The 355” opens in theaters on January 7th. Featuring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger and Sebastian Stan. Screenplay by Simon Kinberg and Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Simon Kinberg. Rated “PG-13”
Continue...
Rating: 2.0/5.0
Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, and Diane Kruger make up this butt kicking collection of spies. They’re all elite operatives from four international agencies who must join forces and work through their own emotional baggage to retrieve an all powerful hard drive from falling into the wrong hands.
“The 355” opens in theaters on January 7th. Featuring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger and Sebastian Stan. Screenplay by Simon Kinberg and Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Simon Kinberg. Rated “PG-13”
Continue...
- 1/7/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
(from left) Graciela (Penélope Cruz), Mason “Mace” (Jessica Chastain), Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) and Marie (Diane Kruger) in The 355, co-written and directed by Simon Kinberg.
So who’s ready to start 2022 with a bang? Or rather several bangs, lotsa’ chases, mixed-martial arts “throw-downs”, and more than a few teeth-rattling explosions? Well, this action extravaganza may be just the ticket, at least that’s what the studios and multiplexes are hoping for. Perhaps this’ll be the “franchise-starter” that will make up for the recent “franchise-enders” like the sputtering Matrix and Kingsmen, though the ‘web-spinner will keep swinging past more box office records. Oh, I neglected to mention that this flick’s action stars are all women. No, it’s not another reboot of Charlie”S Angels or a follow-up to Ocean’S Eight. Yes see, they’re not private-eyes or con-artists. These ladies are secret agents who form an elite “rogue...
So who’s ready to start 2022 with a bang? Or rather several bangs, lotsa’ chases, mixed-martial arts “throw-downs”, and more than a few teeth-rattling explosions? Well, this action extravaganza may be just the ticket, at least that’s what the studios and multiplexes are hoping for. Perhaps this’ll be the “franchise-starter” that will make up for the recent “franchise-enders” like the sputtering Matrix and Kingsmen, though the ‘web-spinner will keep swinging past more box office records. Oh, I neglected to mention that this flick’s action stars are all women. No, it’s not another reboot of Charlie”S Angels or a follow-up to Ocean’S Eight. Yes see, they’re not private-eyes or con-artists. These ladies are secret agents who form an elite “rogue...
- 1/7/2022
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It takes a special movie to bring together a cast like the one in The 355. This is an international, five-pointed star showcase of leading lady talent, with the female ensemble headed by Jessica Chastain, who is also a producer on the picture, and complemented by Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, Penélope Cruz, and Fan Bingbing. There are six Oscar nominations between these actors, and two wins. So, yes, it must’ve been a very special project to draw each performer to the same story. Somehow, though, that picture got lost in transit, and we got stuck with The 355 instead.
As a project which made waves at Cannes in 2018—where it triggered a bidding war due to the sheer star wattage and talent of its five leads—the film arrives almost three years later in the ignominious release window of the first weekend of January. This is a timeframe that...
As a project which made waves at Cannes in 2018—where it triggered a bidding war due to the sheer star wattage and talent of its five leads—the film arrives almost three years later in the ignominious release window of the first weekend of January. This is a timeframe that...
- 1/6/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
When Simon Kinberg’s starry “The 355” was first announced in 2018, the ensemble spy film was touted for its gender-conscious casting, tapping five big-name female stars to star in a globe-trotting adventure that would normally be the bailiwick of a bunch of dudes. But even then, the idea that women (women!) could lead an original actioner was hardly the revolutionary idea that was literally sold (for millions of dollars) to a raft of interested parties as part of a natty Cannes launch. And that’s just fine; in fact, that “The 355” arrives in theaters after a number of other, similarly themed projects have already beaten it to the punch might just be the most revolutionary idea of all.
Chastain’s concept, eventually penned by “Catwoman” and “Harriet the Spy” screenwriter Theresa Rebeck and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” scribe Bek Smith, was cooked up on the heels of plenty of other successful,...
Chastain’s concept, eventually penned by “Catwoman” and “Harriet the Spy” screenwriter Theresa Rebeck and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” scribe Bek Smith, was cooked up on the heels of plenty of other successful,...
- 1/6/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Nobody is talking about the Colombian wunderkind who single-handedly coded a drive that can backdoor any encrypted electronic device in the world from a single terminal. I know there’s zero need to talk about him since being the only person who can create and/or replicate something as valuable as his little hard drive isn’t long for a world where scarcity on such black-market weapons increases price, but still. Dude was just a twenty-something son of a drug warlord (with infinite time and resources) who was raised in a new generation with a soul as immoral as his dad’s. Just think about what he might have done if born in a position to cure hunger. Unfortunately, money makes money and money corrupts genius. Rinse and repeat. Such a waste.
But I digress. Director Simon Kinberg and co-writer Theresa Rebeck don’t bother letting anyone talk about this...
But I digress. Director Simon Kinberg and co-writer Theresa Rebeck don’t bother letting anyone talk about this...
- 1/6/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Lupita Nyong’o has bowed out of virtual interviews for her upcoming Universal pic The 355 after testing positive for Covid, Deadline has confirmed.
While the Oscar winner didn’t make specific reference to her exit from the presser, she confirmed her positive test in a post published to Twitter on Tuesday. “I too have tested positive for Covid-19. I’m fully vaccinated and taking care in isolation, so I trust I will be well,” she wrote. “Please do all you can to keep yourself and others protected from serious illness. #StayMaskedAndVaxxed.”
In the upcoming film from director Simon Kinberg—which is set for release this Friday, January 7—a wild card CIA agent joins forces with three international agents on a lethal mission to retrieve a top-secret weapon that’s fallen into mercenary hands, looking at the same time to stay a step ahead of a mysterious woman who’s tracking their every move.
While the Oscar winner didn’t make specific reference to her exit from the presser, she confirmed her positive test in a post published to Twitter on Tuesday. “I too have tested positive for Covid-19. I’m fully vaccinated and taking care in isolation, so I trust I will be well,” she wrote. “Please do all you can to keep yourself and others protected from serious illness. #StayMaskedAndVaxxed.”
In the upcoming film from director Simon Kinberg—which is set for release this Friday, January 7—a wild card CIA agent joins forces with three international agents on a lethal mission to retrieve a top-secret weapon that’s fallen into mercenary hands, looking at the same time to stay a step ahead of a mysterious woman who’s tracking their every move.
- 1/4/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Five Rival Agents. One Elite Team. From The Studio That Brought You Jason Bourne. Universal Pictures Presents Jessica Chastain, PENÉLOPE Cruz, Bingbing Fan, Diane Kruger And Lupita Nyong’O.
The 355 opens in theaters January 7th.
For Your Chance To Win A Fandango Code Good For Two To See The 355 In Theaters, Enter You Name And Email Address In Our Comments Section Below. No Purchase Necessary.
(Fandango Promotional Code is good toward the purchase of two movie tickets [$15 per ticket, up to $30 total ticket and convenience fee value] to see The 355 at Fandango partner theaters in the United States. Code is void if not redeemed by 1/30/2022 or when The 355 is no longer in theaters, whichever comes first)
Rated PG-13.
(from left) Graciela (Penélope Cruz), Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain), Marie (Diane Kruger) and Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) in The 355, co-written and directed by Simon Kinberg. Photo Credit: Robert Viglasky/Universal Pictures. Copyright © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
A...
The 355 opens in theaters January 7th.
For Your Chance To Win A Fandango Code Good For Two To See The 355 In Theaters, Enter You Name And Email Address In Our Comments Section Below. No Purchase Necessary.
(Fandango Promotional Code is good toward the purchase of two movie tickets [$15 per ticket, up to $30 total ticket and convenience fee value] to see The 355 at Fandango partner theaters in the United States. Code is void if not redeemed by 1/30/2022 or when The 355 is no longer in theaters, whichever comes first)
Rated PG-13.
(from left) Graciela (Penélope Cruz), Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain), Marie (Diane Kruger) and Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) in The 355, co-written and directed by Simon Kinberg. Photo Credit: Robert Viglasky/Universal Pictures. Copyright © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
A...
- 1/4/2022
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Warning: This podcast contains spoilers about the season one finale of Apple TV+’s Invasion.
“It’s especially hard to launch original things on the big screen,” exclaims multi-hyphenate Simon Kinberg on the latest episode of Crew Call.
“It’s harder to get movies made, and harder to get people to come to the movie theater, unless you catch fire culturally or you’re a bulletproof title that’s too big to fail,” he says.
Still the odds for original fare theatrically hasn’t stopped Kinberg from creating unique ideas again in the wake of his success with writing, producing and even directing on 20th Century Fox/Marvel’s X-Men franchise. Other IP he’s taken to higher levels as a writer or producer are Deadpool, Cinderella and the animated TV series he co-created Star Wars Rebels. He’s already quickly prepping a second season of Invasion for Apple TV...
“It’s especially hard to launch original things on the big screen,” exclaims multi-hyphenate Simon Kinberg on the latest episode of Crew Call.
“It’s harder to get movies made, and harder to get people to come to the movie theater, unless you catch fire culturally or you’re a bulletproof title that’s too big to fail,” he says.
Still the odds for original fare theatrically hasn’t stopped Kinberg from creating unique ideas again in the wake of his success with writing, producing and even directing on 20th Century Fox/Marvel’s X-Men franchise. Other IP he’s taken to higher levels as a writer or producer are Deadpool, Cinderella and the animated TV series he co-created Star Wars Rebels. He’s already quickly prepping a second season of Invasion for Apple TV...
- 12/16/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lionsgate bought a whopper of a spec package in Wayland. In competition, Lionsgate took the spec script by Simon Kinberg off the table with a progress to production commitment to make the movie. Jessica Chastain will produce, and her The Eyes of Tammy Faye helmer Michael Showalter will direct. Production is eyed for next year.
Wayland is an ensemble drama thriller that has shades of A Simple Plan and Knives Out. Kinberg will produce with Audrey Chon (who runs his Genre Films shingle), and Chastain and Kelly Carmichael (who runs her Freckle Films shingle). Showalter will be executive producer. Chastain would certainly be welcomed to be among the ensemble cast if she wants, but right now her commitment is as producer.
This is only the second spec Kinberg wrote in the last 20 years since he broke on the scene with his spec Mr. & Mrs. Smith and then got busy writing and producing blockbusters.
Wayland is an ensemble drama thriller that has shades of A Simple Plan and Knives Out. Kinberg will produce with Audrey Chon (who runs his Genre Films shingle), and Chastain and Kelly Carmichael (who runs her Freckle Films shingle). Showalter will be executive producer. Chastain would certainly be welcomed to be among the ensemble cast if she wants, but right now her commitment is as producer.
This is only the second spec Kinberg wrote in the last 20 years since he broke on the scene with his spec Mr. & Mrs. Smith and then got busy writing and producing blockbusters.
- 11/2/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Kevin Bacon is joining John Logan’s untitled horror project at Blumhouse and will also serve as an executive producer alongside executive producer Scott Turner Schofield. The movie is a Lgbtqia+ empowerment tale set at a gay conversion camp and stars Theo Germaine. The role marks a return for Bacon to the horror genre, a space he appeared in early on in his career with Friday the 13th.
Three-time Oscar nominee, Logan will make his feature directorial debut with the film he also wrote. Jason Blum and Michael Aguilar are producing. Bacon will serve as an EP, alongside Scott Turner Schofield.
Golden Globe winner and Primetime Emmy nominee Bacon recently starred in season 2 of Showtime’s hit series City on a Hill which was renewed for a third season. We reported over the summer that Bacon is joining his wife Kyra Sedgwick’s second feature directorial Space Oddity.
Three-time Oscar nominee, Logan will make his feature directorial debut with the film he also wrote. Jason Blum and Michael Aguilar are producing. Bacon will serve as an EP, alongside Scott Turner Schofield.
Golden Globe winner and Primetime Emmy nominee Bacon recently starred in season 2 of Showtime’s hit series City on a Hill which was renewed for a third season. We reported over the summer that Bacon is joining his wife Kyra Sedgwick’s second feature directorial Space Oddity.
- 9/22/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
More than 200 theater writers – playwrights, composers, lyricists, librettists – have joined a nationwide letter writing campaign urging the incoming Biden-Harris Administration to prioritize its commitment to an arts community ravaged by Covid-19. Among other goals, many of the letters urge the administration to create a Department and Secretary of Arts & Culture.
Organized by the non-partisan grassroots coalition Be An #ArtsHero in partnership with The Dramatists Guild of America, the “Dear Mr. President and Madam Vice President” campaign asserts that “the Arts are vital to our nation’s soul and our collective humanity, as well as being an essential driver of the economy.”
Among those writing letters: Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play), Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown), Heidi Schreck (What The Constitution Means To Me) as well as V (formerly Eve Ensler), Craig Lucas, Theresa Rebeck, Sarah Ruhl, Marsha Norman, Lynn Ahrens, Zakiyyah Alexander, Jaclyn Backhaus, Bekah Brunstetter, Carla Ching, Vichet Chum, Paul Downs Colaizzo,...
Organized by the non-partisan grassroots coalition Be An #ArtsHero in partnership with The Dramatists Guild of America, the “Dear Mr. President and Madam Vice President” campaign asserts that “the Arts are vital to our nation’s soul and our collective humanity, as well as being an essential driver of the economy.”
Among those writing letters: Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play), Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown), Heidi Schreck (What The Constitution Means To Me) as well as V (formerly Eve Ensler), Craig Lucas, Theresa Rebeck, Sarah Ruhl, Marsha Norman, Lynn Ahrens, Zakiyyah Alexander, Jaclyn Backhaus, Bekah Brunstetter, Carla Ching, Vichet Chum, Paul Downs Colaizzo,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The all-female spy thriller was introduced to international buyers at Cannes two years ago.
In the latest change to the US theatrical release calendar, Universal Pictures has pushed all-female spy thriller The 355 from January 15 next year to January 14, 2022.
The film will get a wide release in the slot previously reserved for an untitled Universal event film.
The 355 was introduced to buyers by international seller FilmNation at the 2018 Cannes market, where Universal won a bidding war for US rights.
Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o and Penelope Cruz star as American, German, British and Colombian secret agents who team...
In the latest change to the US theatrical release calendar, Universal Pictures has pushed all-female spy thriller The 355 from January 15 next year to January 14, 2022.
The film will get a wide release in the slot previously reserved for an untitled Universal event film.
The 355 was introduced to buyers by international seller FilmNation at the 2018 Cannes market, where Universal won a bidding war for US rights.
Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o and Penelope Cruz star as American, German, British and Colombian secret agents who team...
- 11/23/2020
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Universal’s “The 355,” a female-led heist thriller starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o and Diane Kruger, has pushed its release date back a year.
The movie was initially set to open in theaters on Jan. 15, 2021, and will now debut on Jan. 14, 2022.
Simon Kinberg directed “The 355” from a script he wrote with Theresa Rebeck. The globe-trotting espionage thriller follows a group of international spies — a brigade that also includes Penelope Cruz and Fan Bingbing — who team up to stop a potentially world-altering event. Together, the five women form a faction called “355,” a nod to the assembly of female spies that united during the American Revolution. Edgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan round out the cast.
Universal Pictures nabbed “The 355” after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. The studio reportedly paid more than $20 million for domestic distribution rights.
Like every Hollywood studio, Universal has been forced to shake...
The movie was initially set to open in theaters on Jan. 15, 2021, and will now debut on Jan. 14, 2022.
Simon Kinberg directed “The 355” from a script he wrote with Theresa Rebeck. The globe-trotting espionage thriller follows a group of international spies — a brigade that also includes Penelope Cruz and Fan Bingbing — who team up to stop a potentially world-altering event. Together, the five women form a faction called “355,” a nod to the assembly of female spies that united during the American Revolution. Edgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan round out the cast.
Universal Pictures nabbed “The 355” after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. The studio reportedly paid more than $20 million for domestic distribution rights.
Like every Hollywood studio, Universal has been forced to shake...
- 11/23/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Universal’s domestic release of Simon King’s directorial The 355 is jumping from its MLK 2021 weekend release to MLK weekend Jan. 14, 2022.
While Universal has committed a number of fresh wide releases during the pandemic to exhibition during Q4, i.e. Focus Features’ Come Play, Let Him Go, Blumhouse’s Freaky, Dreamworks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age and Tom Hanks’ News of the World, the studio only has domestic on this title, which they bought at Cannes back in 2018 for a reported $20M. The foreign partners, arranged through FilmNation, have a lot of say on this title and the yearning is for a more full-bodied global launch of what is hoped to be another Bourne like franchise, this one all female starring Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Édgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan.
On MLK 2022, 355 will face off against Warner Bros./MGM’s Sesame Street movie,...
While Universal has committed a number of fresh wide releases during the pandemic to exhibition during Q4, i.e. Focus Features’ Come Play, Let Him Go, Blumhouse’s Freaky, Dreamworks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age and Tom Hanks’ News of the World, the studio only has domestic on this title, which they bought at Cannes back in 2018 for a reported $20M. The foreign partners, arranged through FilmNation, have a lot of say on this title and the yearning is for a more full-bodied global launch of what is hoped to be another Bourne like franchise, this one all female starring Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Édgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan.
On MLK 2022, 355 will face off against Warner Bros./MGM’s Sesame Street movie,...
- 11/23/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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