Broadway
‘Almost Famous’ to Close on Broadway in January
The musical stage adaptation of Almost Famous will play its final Broadway performance on Jan. 8, the production announced Monday (Dec. 19). The musical, an adaptation of Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film, began previews at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Oct. 3 and opened on Nov. 3. This is the latest Broadway show to announce its closure, following KPOP, which closed on Dec. 11, two weeks after opening, and Ain’t No Mo, which received a closing notice, but is now extended through Dec. 23 after the production and celebrities backers rallied around the show. The closing notices come as tourism remains down in New York and as Broadway shows grapple with higher running costs and changing audience behavior. Almost Famous also rece...
Cameron Crowe Adores Recording ‘Almost Famous’ Cast Album
Cameron Crowe believes the spirit of a place lingers long after the moment has passed. That’s what makes recording the Broadway Almost Famous cast album at New York’s iconic Power Station studio so special for him. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “It’s like going back to the roots of why I love music and what I love about records,” Crowe told The Associated Press during a break in the recording session. Working in the control room alongside fellow producers Tom Kitt and Scott M. Riesett, Crowe called the process “utterly authentic” as they directed the cast, chorus and band in different studios across multiple levels. “I have this thing where I believe that the spirits of a place, the spirit of what’s happened in a room stay. The house ...
Quentin Oliver Lee, Broadway Actor, Dies at 34
Broadway actor Quentin Oliver Lee has died following a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was 34. Lee’s wife, Angie Lee Graham, confirmed his death Thursday in an Instagram post, saying, “He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves. It was peaceful, and perfect.” Lee’s Broadway credits included the 2017 production of Prince of Broadway and the 2021 revival of Caroline, or Change. He played the title role in a national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and earlier this year was part of an Off-Broadway production of Oratorio for Living Things that had a two-month run after opening in March. The Phantom of the Opera posted a tribute to Lee on its Instagram account: “The Phantom family is saddened to...
Kelly Clarkson Teams Up With ‘& Juliet‘ Star Lorna Courtney for ’Since U Been Gone’ Duet
To celebrate the opening night of previews for the original Broadway musical & Juliet on Friday (Oct. 28), the complete cast recording is now available on streaming services. The album features a brand new version of Kelly Clarkson‘s 2004 hit “Since U Been Gone” performed by the show’s star Lorna Courtney along with Clarkson herself. & Juliet is set to open at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City on November 17 and features songs by the legendary and Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Max Martin. In addition to “Since U Been Gone,” the track listing also features pop anthems like Katy Perry’s “Roar,” Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life,” Celine Dion’s “That’s The Way It Is,” Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” an...
Chris Colfer Throws Some Serious Shade at Lea Michele’s ‘Funny Girl’
Not exactly gleeful. Chris Colfer didn’t mince words when it came to whether he plans on seeing Lea Michele in Broadway’s Funny Girl. In a Tuesday (Oct. 11) appearance on Michelle Collins’ SiriusXM radio show, the host excitedly told him she had tickets for the musical that very night and invited him along. “Oh no, are you seeing Funny Girl?” Colfer retorted before snarking, “Oh … My day suddenly just got so full.” When Collins then countered that she had seen the show when Beanie Feldstein starred as Fanny Brice, so it was “only right” that she also see Colfer’s former co-star in the lead, he attempted to change the subject by pointing out he had seen the Broadway musical Six the night before. “So you’re not seeing it, is my guess, while you’re in town,” Collins concluded. Colfer replied,...
Lea Michele Talks ‘Funny Girl’ Broadway Revival, Performs ‘People’ on ‘Tonight Show’: Watch
Lea Michele dropped by The Tonight Show to promote the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. The 36-year-old Glee alum sat down with host Jimmy Fallon on Friday (Sept. 30) to discuss her starring role as Fanny Brice in the critically acclaimed theater production, and later delivered a mesmerizing performance of the Funny Girl number “People.” “I’ve been wanting to come back to Broadway for so many years, I was gone for 15 years, Spring Awakening was the last show I did,” Michele said. “To be back and to be in the show that I’ve loved for so many years, but I’m such a fan of this production. Incredible cast. Incredible score.” After months of hype, the curtain went up on Michele’s stint as the Funny Girl lead on Sept. 6. She took over from standby Julie Benko, who had performed the role since ori...
Maren Morris Makes Fan’s Year by Sharing Long Lost Cover of ‘Edelweiss’
The Twitterverse is alive with The Sound of Music! On Thursday (Sept. 29), Maren Morris gifted a fan with her long lost cover of “Edelweiss” from the golden age musical. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of @MarenMorris’ rendition of ‘Edelweiss’ that she posted and then deleted. I have gone to the ends of the earth looking for that video,” TikToker Hope Sloop tweeted into the ether, only for the country singer to hear her cry and deliver. “Here’s most of it,” Morris replied, gamely sharing a raw file of a little over two minutes of the tender ballad, on which she croons, “Edelweiss, Edelweiss/ every morning you greet me/ Small and white, clean and bright/ You look happy to see me/ Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow/ Bloom and grow forever/ Edelweiss, Edelweiss/ Bless my homeland f...
Common To Make Broadway Debut & Aim For EGOT Status
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Michael Loccisano / Getty Common is gearing up for another acting role, this time making his debut on the Broadway stage in a revival of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play – potentially putting him in line to make the EGOT list. According to reports, the veteran rapper and actor has signed on to be in the revival of Between Riverside and Crazy, completing the cast. The play, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015. It will be directed by Austin Pendleton and return most of the cast from the original production. Common shared the news with his fans on social media last Friday (Sept. 16th), expressing his gratitude for being a part of the production. Related Stories Common’s addition to the cast has him playing the role of recentl...
Lea Michele Mocks Rumors That She Can’t Read in Kardashians-Themed TikTok
Lea Michele is living up to the name “Funny Girl.” While taking time off from her run as Fanny Brice in Broadway’s revival of Funny Girl to recover from COVID-19, the 36-year-old vocalist posted a TikTok Monday (Sept. 19) poking fun at online rumors she’s illiterate by lip-syncing to a viral Keeping Up With The Kardashians sound bite. In the video, Michele pretends to talk on the phone with a friend while looking slightly stressed — recreating a scene from KUWTK in which Kim Kardashian calls her pal Joe Francis with concerns she isn’t safe while vacationing in Mexico. “Hi, how is it?” says Francis’ voice on the other end of the line, to which Lea, mouthing along to Kim’s response, tearfully replies, “It’s amazing, but wait, can you talk for a sec?” “Calling Jonathan to read me the comments...
Lea Michele Joins TikTok, Recreates Viral ‘Funny Girl’ Video
Lea Michele is passing her time in quarantine on TikTok after testing positive for COVID-19 last week. She launched her own TikTok account on Saturday (Sept. 17), poking fun at a dramatic recreation of her performance on Broadway’s Funny Girl with one of her own. The original TikTok video, created by Javi Rodriguez, featured an impersonation of “Lea Michele on opening night of Funny Girl” that others commented was pretty accurate: “As someone who just saw the show tonight, I can say with 100% certainty that this is what happened,” one person had written. Michele, who’s currently on a 10-day break from her role as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival show just after her run in the show began, did her own take of the “Don’t Rain on My Parade” entrance on TikTok. “duet with @javirod305 #funnyg...
‘The Phantom of the Opera’ to Close on Broadway in 2023
The Phantom of the Opera — Broadway’s longest-running show — is scheduled to close in February 2023, the biggest victim yet of the post-pandemic softening in theater attendance in New York. The musical — a fixture on Broadway since 1988, weathering recessions, war and cultural shifts — will play its final performance on Broadway on Feb. 18, a spokesperson told The Associated Press on Friday (Sept. 16). The closing will come less than a month after its 35th anniversary. It will conclude with an eye-popping 13,925 performances. It is a costly musical to sustain, with elaborate sets and costumes as well as a large cast and orchestra. Box office grosses have fluctuated since the show reopened after the pandemic — going as high as over $1 million a week but also dropping to around $850,000. Las...
Lea Michele Skips ‘Funny Girl’ Performances After ‘Early Signs’ of COVID-19: ‘I’m Devastated’
Lea Michele was forced to cancel performances of Funny Girl after experiencing early signs of COVID-19. The Glee alum, who plays Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival show, announced on social media Saturday (Sept. 10) that she would be missing the day’s afternoon and evening performances at New York’s August Wilson Theatre. “I’m devastated to say that due to early signs and symptoms of Covid and an inconclusive test result – due to the production’s safety protocols I’m not allowed to perform today’s shows,” Michele wrote on her Instagram Story. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news After months of hype, the curtain went up on Michele’s stint as the Funny Girl lead on Sept. 6. She took over from standby Julie Benko, who had performed the role s...
