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Warner Bros. unveiled the trailer for the big-screen musical adaptation of The Color Purple on Monday (May 22), starring Halle Bailey, H.E.R., Fantasia and more. “Today, our teacher taught us about a place called Africa,” Bailey says as young Nettie Harris tells her older sister Celie to open the preview. “She say our mamas come […]
Lea Michele will have to take a week off from Broadway’s Funny Girl after testing positive for COVID again. The production announced on Instagram that the singer/actress will sit out the production through May 23, with Julie Benko playing the role of Fanny Brice until Michele is able to return; Ephie Aardema will step in […]
President Joe Biden will host the stars of the Broadway revival of Parade at the White House on Tuesday (May 16) at an event that will mark Jewish American Heritage Month. According to the Associate Press, the gathering will also highlight the Biden administration’s efforts to combat the rising tide of antisemitism across the nation. […]
Fifty-six years after they each won Tony Awards for the Broadway smash Cabaret, actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander will receive 2023 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. The awards will be presented at the 76th Annual Tony Awards, which will air live on Sunday, June 11.
The award may soften the disappointment Kander may have felt on Tuesday, May 2, when his score for New York, New York, on which he teamed with Lin-Manuel Miranda, was passed over for a Tony nomination for best original score.
Grey won featured actor in a musical for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret at the 21st annual Tony Awards on March 26, 1967. (It was the first Tony ceremony to be nationally televised). Kander and his late collaborator, lyricist Fred Ebb, won two Tonys on the night, for best musical and best original musical score.
Kander and Ebb went on to win two additional Tonys for best original score for Woman of the Year and Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Musical.
They also shared a Grammy for the Cabaret cast album and two Emmys, for Singer Presents Liza With a Z (1973) and Liza Minnelli Live From Radio City Music Hall (1993), both starring Liza Minnelli, the star of Cabaret. (Kander and Ebb would have become EGOT winners had they also earned an Oscar.) They were nominated for best original song twice, for “How Lucky Can You Get” from Funny Lady (1975) and “I Move On” from the screen adaptation of Chicago (2002).
Ebb, who died in 2004, did not receive a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, nor has Minnelli, though the star did receive a special Tony in 1974 “for adding lustre to the Broadway season.”
Kander and Ebb also received two Grammy nominations for song of the year, for “My Coloring Book” (1962) and “Theme From New York, New York” (1980). Minnelli introduced the latter song in the 1977 film of the same name, but it didn’t become a standard until Frank Sinatra covered it in 1980.
In addition to his Tony for Cabaret, Grey won an Oscar for reprising the role in the 1972 film adaptation. He is one of only nine actors in history to win a Tony and an Oscar for the same role. He has also received Grammy and Primetime Emmy nominations, for Anything Goes and Brooklyn Bridge, respectively.
“Mr. Grey and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theatre, and we are honored to say ‘Wilkommen’ as the recipients of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards,” Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said in a statement.
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights,” added Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League.
Hosted by Ariana DeBose, the 76th Annual Tony Awards will air live on Sunday, June 11, from the historic United Palace in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City from 8 to 11 p.m. ET/ 5 to 8 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will also stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Mariah Carey took to social media on Tuesday morning (May 2) to celebrate Some Like It Hot scoring more than a dozen Tony Award nominations.
“Congratulations to the amazing cast and crew!!! Couldn’t have asked for better news to wake up to!!!” the Songbird Supreme turned Broadway producer shared on her Instagram Stories.
The musical leads this year’s pack of Tony nominees with 13 nominations, including best musical, best performance by a leading actor in a musical (both Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee), best performance by a featured actor in a musical (Kevin Del Aguila), best performance by a featured actress in a musical (NaTasha Yvette Williams), best direction, best book, best original score and more.
Carey, meanwhile, serves more than one function in the musical. Not only is she a member of the production team, but she also lent her voice to the pre-show announcement before the curtain rises. (“Welcome to the Shubert Theater!” she tells the audience each night. “At this time, please take a moment to turn off your cell phones. And remember: The use of photographic equipment and recording devices is strictly prohibited. And now, Some Like It Hot.”)
Should Some Like It Hot take home the Tony for best musical, Mariah would technically be halfway to EGOT status, thanks to the five Grammys she’s collected over the years out of 34 total nominations — including wins for best new artist in 1991 and best R&B song for 2005’s “We Belong Together.”
Check out Mimi’s reaction to her first Tony nomination before it expires here.
“Because you can can can!” is the hedonistic rallying cry of Parisian club owner Harold Zidler at the outset of Broadway’s adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s celebrated 2001 film Moulin Rouge!. And through July 16 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in Manhattan, Joanna “JoJo” Levesque is currently proving she can can can soar in a sumptuous major musical despite no previous credits on the Gay White Way.
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Yes, experiencing JoJo in Moulin Rouge! involves a few moments of processing that the Satine in front of you is the same person who, at age of 13 in 2004, earned a No. 1 on Pop Airplay with the punchy “Leave (Get Out).” But that biographical tidbit quickly fades as you lose yourself in Satine’s journey as she sheds her performative shield and embraces love, death and everything in between.
It’s a triumphant transformation that Levesque subtly reveals through shifting reactions to the world around her — while, naturally, showing off her substantial vocal range and a nuanced ability to interpret hit songs from other artists. It’s such a convincing sublimation of her pop star identity that my companion at the Hirschfeld, despite several assurances, refused to believe it was THAT JoJo on stage in front of us and not a Broadway pro (eventually, she was convinced, and cried at the end of the play).
Of course, casting a known pop, film or TV star in a Broadway play is nothing new — and lately, it’s been a boon for theatrical box offices as they recover from the pandemic. Earlier this year, two-time Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon pulled in packed, enthusiastic audiences for Chicago as Mama Morton. But rarely do outsiders make their Broadway debut playing the lead role in a musical, which makes JoJo’s 14-week run as Satine even more impressive – and a sparkling diamond of a delight on Broadway.
Before we talk about the play, I want to ask about your initial reaction to the movie when it came out in 2001.
Obsessed. Baz Luhrmann is one of my favorite filmmakers. I love the energy, the pulse you can feel throbbing in all of his work. Nicole Kidman just shattered me with Satine. I was like 10 years old when it came out, but I revisit it time and time again because it’s so delicious. I saw the Moulin Rouge! musical theater production when it opened in L.A. at the Pantages [in 2021], and I went back and rewatched the movie again I was like, “Ugh, it’s so good!” I’m totally in love with the Baz stuff.
When you auditioned for the role of Satine on Broadway, how did you feel? Were you confident about what you delivered?
I workshopped with the producers and director and I knew that I had prepared as much as I possibly could have. I walked away feeling, “If I don’t get it, I can feel good about the work I did going into it.” And that’s what I’m looking to feel at this point in my life in general: I laid it all out there and come what may. But I was hoping that it would work out, and when it did, I was so relieved. I really wanted the opportunity to use all the different things I love that I’ve been working on since I was a little girl at once: Singing, acting, performing. This is the perfect opportunity for that.
As you rehearsed and prepared for the role, what was the hardest part for you?
The quick costume changes backstage are one of the most challenging components. Some of the changes are 25 seconds and there’s wig changes, shoe changes. That stressed me out a little bit because I didn’t want to throw anybody else off – not hit a mark and set the whole show back. But I learned. There’s a whole squad of people who are there to help it all move seamlessly. And that’s my favorite part of musical theater, the community aspect of it – we’re all parts in this living, breathing organism.
Twice in the musical you descend from the ceiling on a swing. Is that terrifying?
I have a safety harness. Sometimes I don’t click it exactly right and it gets stuck, and that gives me a little nervousness. But being up in the air is okay. It’s fun. I don’t love roller coasters, but it’s the perfect dose of a roller coaster. It sets my character up for the audience to understand who she is at the Moulin Rouge. And it helps me get into character, honestly, coming down from the ceiling. JoJo hasn’t done that before, but Satine does. That makes me feel better. I’m not myself, I’m not Joanna; I’m embodying Satine.
JoJo in Moulin Rouge
Evan Zimmerman
What’s your favorite song to perform each night?
I love doing “Elephant Love Medley” with Derek [Klena]. It’s such a cute moment of him trying to win her over and her being like, “You don’t understand what life is actually like, bro. You’re crazy.” But there’s something charming about his purity and how he has not been wounded by life the way she has. I love that moment. It’s when they’re really falling in love and when she decides she’s going to follow her heart for once as opposed to trying to do what she needs to do to survive.
The next time you hit the stage as you, do you think you might incorporate some of the Moulin Rouge! stuff?
I have a festival performance coming up May 6 for Lovers & Friends in Las Vegas, while I’m doing this [Broadway run]. It has informed that. I have a couple ideas I’m going to bring into my set in Vegas. I think this is making me a more well-rounded performer, getting to play with different people every night, sometimes two times a day. I love that repetition and finding freedom within it. And doing your own play on other people’s songs is a treat.
What have you learned about yourself doing this?
I learned how much I was yearning for some aspect of community that I haven’t had in my life before. I started so young as a solo artist and I’m an only child. I still had that sense of being an outsider, the odd girl out, and I was bullied in middle school. I was like, “Will I be embraced?” I did have those fears. And to let myself be vulnerable and be open, let people know my heart and get to know other people’s hearts, that’s been a nice experience. And [I learned] how to pace myself. If you’re doing 7-8 shows a week, you have to learn how to take care of your instrument, your body, everything.
What informs your portrayal of Satine?
I want to always keep in mind how difficult her life has been. The fact that she is performing most of her life, whether it’s on the streets or for men or at the Moulin Rouge, she doesn’t really get a moment to let her guard down. There was a time in my life where that was very much the truth for me. I didn’t even know how to be honest; I didn’t even know how to get in touch with myself. I’m still trying to find the most authentic version of myself.
Do you want to do more acting on Broadway?
I love it here. I love doing stuff like this. If they’ll have me, I’ll be here. I’d love to originate a role, I’d love to be part of writing the music for original shows. To be a part of this has been a highlight of my life. I feel like I’m growing, I’m learning, and that’s what makes me happy: to be where these amazing performers are and where we’re stretching and growing. I could definitely see more of it.
Lea Michele, star of the hit revival of Funny Girl, and Myles Frost, a 2022 Tony winner for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in MJ, are set to announce the 76th Annual Tony nominations on Tuesday, May 2.
The nominations announcement will air live from Sofitel New York on the Tony Awards’ official YouTube Page at 9 a.m. ET. Selected categories will be read live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 a.m. ET. A complete list of the 2023 nominations will be available on the Tony’s website immediately following the announcement.
As a replacement (for Beanie Feldstein) in the revival of Funny Girl, Michele isn’t eligible for a Tony nomination. Barbra Streisand received a 1964 Tony nod for best actress in a musical for her performance in the original production.s a
In 2010, Michele received an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her breakout role in Glee. She was named as one the most influential people of 2023 by TIME, on their TIME100 list.
Frost received the 2022 Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical for his performance in MJ. At 22, he became the youngest actor to ever win in that category. Frost will next be seen in Ava DuVernay’s feature film Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2022-23 season is Thursday, April 27, for all Broadway productions that meet all eligibility requirements.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, will air live from United Palace Theatre in New York City on Sunday, June 11. The celebration will commence at 7 p.m., ET/4 p.m. PT, with one hour of exclusive content streaming on Paramount+, followed by the presentation of the 76th Annual Tony Awards from 8 to 11 p.m. ET live on CBS, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
Jimmie Allen has a unique pre-show ritual when he’s warming up for his concerts on the road –performing the song “Popular” from the 2003 musical Wicked. The tune is delivered by Glinda in the Broadway show.
“I’m a huge musical theater fan,” Allen revealed to Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s Monday (April 24) episode. “Before every show when I’m on my bus getting ready, I listen and I sing the song ‘Popular’ from Wicked. That’s my jam. I play it, I’m putting my jewelry on, got my skinny jeans on …”
From there, Allen offered up a few bars of the song’s verses, standing up and twirling as he continued singing. Returning to his seat, he was quickly asked by Clarkson whether he would ever want to take part in a movie-musical.
“One of my dreams is to play Aaron Burr in Hamilton,” Allen said. “I did theater all through high school. I want to go to Broadway … my boy Wayne Brady did it in Chicago, then my boy Leslie Odom [Jr.] did it in the original cast. I love theater. I listen to it while I’m driving. I listen to the whole soundtrack.”
Allen recently revealed a new track, “Be Alright (15 Edition),” and premiered the music video for the song during his appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Allen also recently announced that he and his wife, Alexis Gale, have parted ways, and that they are expecting their third child together. The couple wed in May 2021, and share two daughters, Naomi and Zara. Allen also has an older son, Aadyn, from a previous relationship.
“Our number one priority is and always will be ensuring that our children are happy, healthy and loved,” Allen told fans via a message on Instagram on April 21.
H.E.R. has joined the producing team of Here Lies Love ahead of the long-gestating musical’s Broadway debut this summer.
Here Lies Love tells the story of Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. David Byrne came up with the concept and lyrics for the show, and teamed with Fatboy Slim on the music.
H.E.R. – who was born to a Filipino-American mother and an African-American father – said in a statement, “Filipinos are a global people. We come in all colors and build bridges across cultures. I am beyond excited to produce my first Broadway musical and forge a unique and meaningful partnership with Here Lies Love.”
On learning that H.E.R. had joined the producing team, Byrne said in a statement, “Thrilled to have H.E.R. as part of the team. See you dancing at the revolution!”
Another of the show’s producers, Lea Salonga, said in a statement, “On behalf of our binational producing team, we welcome Gabi [H.E.R., who was born Gabriella Wilson] to the Here Lies Love team with open arms! I am a huge fan of her genre-defying and multifaceted artistry, and it’s empowering to welcome another Filipino artist to our ranks. Together, we are throwing the biggest party Broadway has ever seen – and everyone is invited!”
Salonga, who was born in Manila, won a Tony in 1991 for best actress in a musical for Miss Saigon. She is set to join the cast of Here Lies Love in a five-week guest engagement from July 11-Aug. 13.
The musical begins preview performances Saturday, June 17, ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.
Here Lies Love has had a long road to Broadway. The property originated 13 years ago as a studio album by Byrne and Fatboy Slim. The double-length album debuted and peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard 200 in April 2010. The theatrical show made its world premiere at The Public Theater in New York in 2013, returned to The Public in 2014-15, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.
At the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, if Here Lies Love were to win best musical at the 77th annual Tony Awards in June 2024, H.E.R. would become an EGOT. Not only that, but she would become, at 26, the youngest EGOT by more than a decade. The youngest EGOT to date is composer Robert Lopez, who secured EGOT status at age 39 in 2014.
H.E.R. would not be the first person to EGOT by winning a Tony as part of a platoon of producers. Jennifer Hudson secured EGOT status by winning a Tony as one of dozens of producers of A Strange Loop, which won best musical in June 2022.
H.E.R. (who is now 25) has won five Grammys, including song of the year for “I Can’t Breathe,” an Oscar for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah and a Children’s and Family Emmy Award last year for We the People, which won as outstanding short form program.
David Byrne’s American Utopia won a Special Tony Award in 2020. (That show also began life as a studio album.) Byrne previously won both an Oscar and a Grammy for scoring The Last Emperor with Cong Su and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Fatboy Slim won the 2001 Grammy for best short form music video for “Weapon of Choice,” featuring Bootsy Collins.
Here Lies Love will play at The Broadway Theatre, one of the few Broadway theaters that is physically on Broadway. The floor space will be transformed into a dance club environment, where some audience members will stand and move with the actors, and others will watch from seats located around the theatre.
As previously announced, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora will recreate their original roles as Ferdinand Marcos (Imelda’s husband and the 10th president of the Philippines) and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (a Philippine senator, opposition leader and the Marcoses’ primary critic), respectively. Additional casting will be announced soon.
The show was developed and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo.
The creative team for Here Lies Love also includes three-time Tony Award nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical.
Additional creative team members include J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s cultural and community liaison.
Here Lies Love is produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna and Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as executive producer.
They are joined by Salonga, H.E.R., Bobby Garcia, Giselle “G” Töngi, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh, Rob Laqui, Georgina Pazcoguin, Don Michael H. Mendoza, Adam Hyndman, Yasuhiro Kawana, Triptyk Studios, Shira Friedman, James L. Nederlander, Kevin Connor, Patrick Trettenero, Elizabeth Armstrong, Cathy Dantchik, Wendy Federman/Suzanne Niedland, Luke Katler/Ryan Solomon, Laura Ivey/Janet Brenner, and Hunter Arnold/TBD Theatricals.
Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239-6200. The Broadway Theatre box office will open on Saturday, May 20.
Playing the titular heroine of the new Broadway musical & Juliet, Lorna Courtney gets to live out many a music fan’s fantasy: belting out Max Martin’s pop bangers to an adoring audience several times a week.
In & Juliet, the legendary songwriter and producer’s beloved hits — for artists ranging from Ariana Grande and Katy Perry to Jessie J and the Backstreet Boys — comprise the score to a totally original story, imagining what might have happened if Shakespeare considered a more enlightened, less tragic ending for his most famous leading lady, and her star-crossed lover too.
For Courtney — who studied opera at New York City’s famed LaGuardia High School (aka “the Fame school”) before discovering musical theater, but grew up loving everything from gospel and jazz to R&B — Martin’s songs were beloved radio hits of her childhood. Still, she treated each she sings in & Juliet as if learning it from scratch.
“I learned it from an acting context, meaning I broke down the songs into verse, chorus, verse, chorus, almost like full complete thoughts,” Courtney says. “[I asked myself,] where would the period be? Where would the question mark or exclamation point be? What am I trying to say in one breath? And it really helps with the storytelling aspect of what Juliet is feeling.”
Max Martin and Lorna Courtney
Jenny Anderson
It helped, of course, that Martin himself met with the lead actors for individual sessions, lending invaluable notes and background on writing the songs they’d be performing. In Courtney’s case, he also offered an unforgettable compliment: that being in the studio with her gave him the same feeling he’d experienced with Celine Dion and Adele. “He’s so supportive. He’s like a proud papa of the show,” says Courtney.
She spoke to Billboard about her personal top Max Martin tracks in the show — some of which she sings, others of which are handled by other characters — along with a few that didn’t make it into the show but that she loved too much not to mention. “All of them are bops,” she says with a laugh. “And with the sound in the theater, it sounds like you’re in the recording studio with us.”
“…Baby One More Time,” Britney Spears
It’s the first song I get to sing in the show, and sometimes when people hear the first words come out of my mouth, there’s a little bit of chuckles, like, “Oh my gosh, she is not about to sing this song…” But when she puts on headphones, the staging and the choreography [show how] she’s using the song to help her cope. Juliet has lost Romeo, someone whom she really loves and cares about, and there’s this idea of “my loneliness is killing me,” which carries through to towards the end of the musical when she sings “Stronger.”
Lorna Courtney in ‘& Juliet.’
Matthew Murphy
“Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson
I grew up watching American Idol and fell in love with everything about her. This female empowerment, knowing who you are and standing up for yourself, knowing what you want and don’t want – this song represents all of that. In our show, the context is of course within Romeo and Juliet’s story: Since Romeo’s been gone, she’s had a whole other life and moved on. It’s just a fun song – it’s a huge dance number, so much fun to perform, and it’s intertwined really well with the script.
“So What,” P!nk
It has that same energy I love about Kelly. “So what? I’m still a rock star, I got my rock moves” — that’s how I feel in the show, like a rock star, and it feels great. This song is not in the show, but it’s definitely how Juliet feels in the moment.
“I Kissed a Girl,” Katy Perry
When I first heard this on the radio, it was just like… mind-blowing. It was the first LGBT-positive song I ever heard. It was moving toward a more inclusive way of life for someone who grew up in New York City, who was exposed to all the beautiful things about inclusivity here. Of course, it’s so catchy and you learn all the words. [Laughs] “Cherry Chapstick” just stays in your mind. Everyone knows what that tastes like. I don’t get to sing it, but in our show it still honors the LGBTQ+ experience and brings that onstage in a beautiful positive light.
“Bang Bang,” Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki MInaj
I so wish it could be in the show, just because this hook is so catchy, and you love all the artists and what they stand for. It’s that “hell yeah, yes girl” attitude. This is just a song that when it came on the radio, everything would stop, you’d just have to sing it with your group of people and each one would take a part. I would definitely be Jessie J. I’m still trying to learn her riffs!
“2 Be Loved (Am I Ready),” Lizzo
I’m so happy that Max has had the chance to work with Lizzo, or that Lizzo had the chance to work with Max, because this combination is everything. I’m so glad we all embrace and uplift everything she stands for – for body positivity, and female empowerment. It’s amazing how she can write songs that are truth-telling, almost like preaching, but in a pop way, because she has that natural musicality. I so wish that she’ll see this show, because I cannot wait to meet her.
“Problem,” Ariana Grande
I’m so glad I get to sing this – everyone knows this song, the music video is iconic. In the show, I love that this song and [The Weeknd’s] “Can’t Feel My Face” are combined in a mash-up. While the Romeo crew is singing “Can’t Feel My Face,” Juliet and her crew are singing “Problem.” You’d never think these songs would work together, but they do. I think out of all the songs, it’s the most different from the original artist[‘s version], but not in a bad way. I’m telling the story Ariana sings but through Juliet’s lens of what she’s just been through.
Lorna Courtney and the cast of ‘& Juliet.’
Matthew Murphy
“DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” Usher
When this song came out I wasn’t grown, so I couldn’t go to the club, but if I was in the club at the time, that song would be playing for sure. When it came on the radio, I would just be dancing in my room to the fullest extent. It’s not in the show, but it’s just a bop — another one where I just know all the words.
“Whataya Want From Me,” Adam Lambert
I remember seeing Adam Lambert on American Idol and falling in love with his voice — the grunginess, the imperfections that made it perfect, and that’s what I love about this song, just the rawness of it. I don’t get to sing it in the show, but the characters Francois and May do. The question [they’re asking] is “What more can I give?” That’s what the song is about. They put it all out there, but there’s no receiving on the other end. And it’s beautiful. Our director really makes it work with the storytelling.
