• Watch the First Episode of Back to the Future Star Casey Likes' McFly Files
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 20, 2023 at 6:28 PM

    Great Scott! Broadway.com vlogs are back, and Back to the Future star Casey Likes is kicking it all off with McFly Files. In this episode, Likes, who plays Marty McFly, introduces viewers to the Back to the Future family, celebrates a cast member's first Broadway bow, hosts a Sunday Night on Broadway (SNOB) party and even meets Justin Timberlake at a New York Jets game. Fans can watch episodes every Wednesday on Broadway.com and even catch a glimpse every weekend on The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal, the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program. New Yorkers can watch on Sunday, September 24 at 12 PM ET.

  • Hear From James Monroe Iglehart, Leslie Odom Jr. and More on The Broadway Show
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 20, 2023 at 1:48 PM

    Before The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal airs nationwide this weekend, we're offering a first look at the episode. Hosted by Emmy winner Fadal, this episode will air in New York City on Sunday, September 24 at 12:00PM ET on WPIX. Be on the lookout for The Broadway Show, the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program, on your local TV station.  Featured this week: Host Tamsen Fadal sits down with Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart to discuss taking on the role of Louis Armstrong in the pre-Broadway run of A Wonderful World. Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens chats with Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. and more about seeing Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch make its Broadway return. Great Scott! Get a glimpse at the first episode of Back to the Future star Casey Likes’ Broadway.com vlog, McFly Files. Correspondent Perry Sook speaks with the team who keeps Broadway’s Aladdin shining, shimmering, splendid. Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek speaks with Katerina McCrimmon, Melissa Manchester and the stars of Funny Girl’s national tour. To find out where The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal airs nationally, head here. Watch the episode below!

  • Melissa Etheridge Started Several Broadway Projects — But Bruce Springsteen Ultimately Sparked Her New Solo Show
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 15, 2023 at 2:36 PM

    Melissa Etheridge isn’t a stranger to Broadway. She made her Main Stem debut in 2011 with a stint in American Idiot. But now, she’s bringing her own songs and story to the stage. In the upcoming episode of The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal, Etheridge opened up about the path she took to landing her show, Melissa Etheridge: My Window on Broadway, on The Street. Growing up in the midwest, Etheridge said that Broadway was always on her radar. “It’s been such a dream for such a long time,” Etheridge said. “The dream of creating something and presenting it on Broadway as a full story was always there.” Before she made it to New York, Etheridge started her career in California as a singer-songwriter. Over the years, she and her wife, Linda Wallem-Etheridge, had fiddled with numerous collaborations; a few years ago, Etheridge’s one-woman opus took shape. After seeing fellow rocker Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway solo show success, it all clicked. “Watching what he did, seeing it and then understanding how it was done … [provided] a great base and starting point,” Etheridge said. Using Springsteen as inspiration, Etheridge said her show is more theatrical by nature. She …

  • New Production of Uncle Vanya to Open on Broadway
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 15, 2023 at 1:23 PM

    Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya will receive a new production from Lincoln Center Theater. Previews are scheduled to begin on April 2, 2024, ahead of an official opening night on April 24 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Uncle Vanya will be directed by Lila Neugebauer and feature a new translation by two-time Tony Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Heidi Schreck. The production will include scenic design by Tony nominee Mimi Lien, costume design by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Tony nominee Lap Chi Chu and sound design by Tony winner Mikhail Fiksel and Beth Lake. Charles M. Turner III will serve as stage manager. Casting for Uncle Vanya will be announced at a later date. Schreck is best known for What the Constitution Means to Me. Schreck starred in and wrote the play, earning Tony nominations for her script and performance. Schreck also served as a producer on Pass Over. Neugebauer made her Main Stem directorial debut with The Waverly Gallery in 2018. She is slated to direct the Broadway premiere of Appropriate, opening on December 18, 2023. Uncle Vanya is being produced by Lincoln Center Theater, led by producing artistic director André Bishop.

  • Hear From Melissa Etheridge, Laura Bell Bundy and More on The Broadway Show
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 13, 2023 at 5:19 PM

    Before The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal airs nationwide this weekend, we're offering a first look at the episode. Hosted by Emmy winner Fadal, this episode will air in New York City on Sunday, September 17 at 6:00PM ET on WPIX. Be on the lookout for The Broadway Show, the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program, on your local TV station.  Featured this week: Host Tamsen Fadal sits down with Grammy and Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge to discuss her highly-anticipated Broadway return with Melissa Etheridge: My Window. Correspondent Charlie Cooper takes a stroll with Tony nominee Laura Bell Bundy, who is starring in The Cottage. Watch fans get a special surprise from Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman at Harmony’s box office opening. Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek walks through Pay the Writer star Bryan Batt’s Broadway career. Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens chats with Merrily We Roll Along director Maria Friedman about the starry revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical. To find out where The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal airs nationally, head here. Watch the episode below!

  • Shirine Babb to Take Over as Doctor in A Beautiful Noise
    by Ruthie Fierberg on September 13, 2023 at 4:10 PM

    Shirine Babb will join the cast of A Beautiful Noise beginning on September 22. Babb will assume the role of Doctor, a therapist character originated by Linda Powell, who will play her final performance in the Neil Diamond bio-musical at the Broadhurst Theatre on September 21.  Babb was a member of the cast of the 2022 revival of The Piano Lesson. Her other Main Stem credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the 2013 mounting of Macbeth. Babb will join the Beautiful Noise cast which currently features Will Swenson as Neil Diamond — Then, Mark Jacoby as Neil Diamond — Now, Robyn Hurder as Marcia, Jessie Fisher as Jaye Posner, Michael McCormick as Fred Weintraub/Tommy O’Rourke, Tom Alan Robbins as Bert Berns/Kieve Diamond and Bri Sudia as Ellie Greenwich/Rose Diamond. “To be joining this show with this terrific cast and play this beautifully nuanced role at a time when mental health is on the forefront of everyone’s mind is a gift,” Babb said in a statement. “As Shakespeare says in two different plays, ‘Madness in great ones must not unwatched go, so good counselors lack no clients.’” A Beautiful Noise officially opened on …

  • Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction Announces 2023 Date
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 13, 2023 at 2:50 PM

    The 2023 Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, produced by and benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will be held on October 1. The outdoor market will feature booths by Broadway and off-Broadway shows, theater owners and producing organizations, unions, guilds and more lining 44th and 45th Streets in midtown Manhattan from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Among the Broadway shows slated to participate in tabling are & Juliet, Here Lies Love, The Lion King, Kimberly Akimbo, Moulin Rouge!, SIX and Sweeney Todd. There will also be tables honoring The Phantom of the Opera and the 40th anniversary of the original cast of La Cage aux Folles. Additional participating shows will be announced in the coming weeks. The silent auction will take place in Shubert Alley from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lots rotating every 30 minutes. Jelani Remy of Back to the Future: The Musical will co-host the silent auction with actor Michael Goddard. In addition, the live auction — will be held in the Times Square pedestrian plaza located between 45th and 46th Streets — will conclude the day. Broadway alumnus Bryan Batt will return to host the live auction …

  • Days of Wine and Roses Musical, Starring Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James, Sets Broadway Run
    by Andy Lefkowitz on September 13, 2023 at 1:51 PM

    The new musical Days of Wine and Roses will arrive on Broadway in 2024. Previews will begin on January 6 ahead of a January 28 opening night at Studio 54. The musical will be produced by Kevin McCollum, Mark Cortale, Lorenzo Thione and Joey Monda. Based on a 1958 teleplay by JP Miller and the 1962 film penned by Miller and directed by Blake Edwards, the musical features a book by Tony Award nominee Craig Lucas and a score by Tony winner Adam Guettel — the creative pair who penned the 2005 musical The Light in the Piazza. Days of Wine and Roses will be directed by Tony nominee Michael Greif and co-choreographed by Karla Puno Garcia and Tony winner Sergio Trujillo. Days of Wine and Roses centers on a married couple and their challenges with substance abuse. The musical made its world premiere with off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company in the spring; Tony winner Kelli O’Hara (an alum of The Light in the Piazza) and Tony nominee Brian d’Arcy James will reprise their performances from the Atlantic staging; the musical’s complete company is still to be announced. Casting is by the Telsey Office; Craig Burns, CSA. The production …

  • Corey Stoll, Natalie Gold, Alyssa Emily Marvin to Join Sarah Paulson in Appropriate
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 12, 2023 at 8:16 PM

    Additional cast and creative team members have been announced for Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ drama Appropriate. Joining the previously announced Sarah Paulson are Corey Stoll, Natalie Gold and Alyssa Emily Marvin. Casting is by Jim Carnahan Casting. Joining the creative team are scenic designer collective dots, costume designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Jane Cox and sound designers Will Pickens and Bray Poor. As previously announced, Lila Neugebauer will direct the production. Stoll last appeared on Broadway in the 2010 revival of A View From the Bridge. His other Main Stem credits include the 2003 staging of Henry IV and the 2007 mounting of Old Acquaintance. Stoll is also known for several television roles, including Mike Prince in Billions. Gold made her Broadway debut in 2006 in Festen. Since then, she has appeared as Rava Roy in “Succession.” Her select television and film credits include The Walking Dead: The World Beyond, The Americans, The Good Wife, Love & Other Drugs and Collateral Beauty. Marvin originated the role of A1656 in this season’s Grey House. She also appeared in the national tour of School of Rock. Complete casting for Appropriate is set to be …

  • Water for Elephants Will March Into the Imperial Theatre in Spring 2024
    by Ruthie Fierberg on September 12, 2023 at 2:23 PM

    Water for Elephants is headed to Broadway. The new musical based on the bestselling novel by Sara Gruen will begin performances on February 24, 2024, ahead of an official opening on March 21 at the Imperial Theatre. The show is being produced by Peter Schneider, Jennifer Costello, Grove Entertainment, Frank Marshall, Isaac Robert Hurwitz and Seth A. Goldstein. Tony Award nominee Jessica Stone will direct the musical, which features a book by three-time Tony nominee Rick Elice and a score by PigPen Theatre Co. The show debuted in June 2023 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Set in 1931, Water for Elephants begins when Jacob Jankowski, a young man running toward a new life, hops aboard a train. It just so happens this “random train actually houses an entire traveling circus,” said Elice. Jacob manages to officially join the “Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show on Earth” and finds himself a new home. But when the ringmaster brings on an elephant as the new star attraction, Jacob must train her alongside the ringmaster’s wife, Marlena. Sparks fly and Jacob’s future becomes uncertain once more. Water for Elephants will feature circus design by Shana Carroll, choreography by Carroll and Jesse Robb and …

  • Jarrod Spector Joins Hamilton as King George
    by Andy Lefkowitz on September 12, 2023 at 1:23 PM

    Jarrod Spector is the newest cast member of Hamilton. The Tony Award-nominated actor steps into the role of King George in the Tony-winning musical at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on September 12. Spector takes over for another Tony nominee, Euan Morton, who played his final performance on September 10. Spector earned a Tony nomination for his featured turn as Barry Mann in Beautiful — The Carole King Musical. His other Broadway credits include The Cher Show, Jersey Boys and Les Misérables. Casting for Hamilton is by the Telsey Office, Bethany Knox, CSA. Based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, the musical Hamilton retells the story of America’s Founding Fathers with a Tony-winning book and score by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The musical features Tony-winning direction by Thomas Kail, Tony-winning choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, Tony-winning orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Tony-nominated scenic design by David Korins, Tony-winning costume design by Paul Tazewell, Tony-winning lighting design by Howell Binkley, Tony-winning sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair/wig design by Charles G. LaPointe. General management is by Baseline Theatrical. In addition to winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical, Hamilton was honored with the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

  • Why Leslie Odom Jr. Says Ossie Davis’ Purlie Victorious Deserves to be on Broadway
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 12, 2023 at 1:05 PM

    The first revival of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch has arrived on Broadway. The play is currently in previews at the Music Box Theatre and slated to open on September 27. Ossie Davis’ play tells the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church. Producer-actor Leslie Odom, Jr., stars in the title role. In the latest episode of The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal, Odom, co-star Kara Young, director Kenny Leon plus Davis and Ruby Dee’s children reflect on the origin of Purlie Victorious, and why Davis had to find a comedic way to tell this story about race. In speaking to Beth Stevens, Odom acknowledged his personal connection to the play and the artists who shaped it. His daughter is named after Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis’ wife, who starred in the original Broadway mounting of Purlie Victorious. Odom first encountered Davis and Dee through film. “Thanks to Spike Lee’s reverence for their contributions to the arts, too, a whole generation of us really got to know Ossie and Ruby through Spike’s work, at first at least,” Odom. said. Davis and Dee starred in …

  • Rachel McAdams to Make Broadway Debut in Amy Herzog’s Mary Jane
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 11, 2023 at 8:33 PM

    Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) has announced the Broadway premiere of Mary Jane. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog and directed by Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane will star Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams in her Broadway debut. The new play will begin previews at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on April 2, 2024. A full cast and creative team announcement, as well as an official opening night date, are forthcoming. Mary Jane tells the story of a single mother who, when faced with a slew of challenges in raising her chronically ill young son, relies on optimism, humor and the wisdom of women around her to tackle each new day. The play received its world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre in 2017 and, later that year, ran at New York Theatre Workshop in a production also helmed by Kauffman. McAdams received an Oscar nomination for her role in the film Spotlight. Her select film credits include Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Doctor Strange and Midnight in Paris. Kauffman most recently directed the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. She made her Main Stem directorial debut with the 2017 …

  • What the Casting Team Behind How to Dance in Ohio Discovered During Their Eye-Opening Process
    by Caitlin Hornik on September 11, 2023 at 2:07 PM

    When How to Dance in Ohio opens at the Belasco Theatre this fall, seven autistic actors will make their Broadway debuts portraying autistic characters. The new musical, which begins previews on Nov. 15 ahead of an opening on Dec. 10, takes place at a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohio, where seven young adults prepare for a spring formal dance. In the latest episode of The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal —  which is a packed fall season preview — Perry Sook speaks with longtime casting directors Benton Whitley and Micah Johnson-Levy about their work behind the table. How to Dance in Ohio is based on Alexandra Shiva’s eponymous HBO documentary, and Whitley and Johnson-Levy were told to watch the film to inform their casting process. Johnson-Levy was quick to note the traditional “job interview mentality” of auditions. She said it can be especially nerve-wracking as performers bring more of themselves to a role. But Johnson-Levy said she and Whitley are looking for human-to-human interaction and connection more than anything else. “For so long it was about actors transforming themselves, becoming something they’re not,” Whitley said. “But I think now, storytelling has changed and the suspension of belief has changed.” Those adjustments …

  • Get Ready to Hit the Road on Elaine Paige on Sunday
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM

    Olivier-winning actress Elaine Paige is giving Broadway.com listeners a chance to hear her BBC Radio 2 show Elaine Paige on Sunday. This week, Paige has show tunes from musicals including Gigi, Calendar Girls, Matilda and Sunday in the Park with George, plus a smokin' hot Onstage Mishap, and a glut of touring productions news! Catch the full episode by clicking the link below!

  • Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad Talk Reuniting in Gutenberg! The Musical! on The Broadway Show
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 8, 2023 at 8:32 PM

    It’s a Book of Mormon reunion! Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek speaks with Gutenberg! The Musical! stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad. Watch their extended interview from The Broadway Show's 2023 Fall Preview below!  Head here to see when The Broadway Show airs near you. Hosted by Emmy winner Tamsen Fadal, it is the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program.

  • Take A Stroll with Jaja's African Hair Braiding Playwright Jocelyn Bioh on The Broadway Show
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 8, 2023 at 8:20 PM

    Correspondent Charlie Cooper takes a stroll with Jaja’s African Hair Braiding playwright Jocelyn Bioh. Watch their extended interview from The Broadway Show's 2023 Fall Preview below!  Head here to see when The Broadway Show airs near you. Hosted by Emmy winner Tamsen Fadal, it is the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program.

  • James Monroe Iglehart on Putting on King Arthur's Crown in the Broadway Return of Spamalot
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 8, 2023 at 7:43 PM

    Host Tamsen Fadal sits down with Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart to discuss the highly-anticipated Broadway revival of Spamalot. Watch their interview from The Broadway Show's 2023 Fall Preview below!  Head here to see when The Broadway Show airs near you. Hosted by Emmy winner Tamsen Fadal, it is the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program.

  • Get Ready for the Fall Broadway Season on The Broadway Show!
    by Broadway.com Staff on September 7, 2023 at 3:33 PM

    Before The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal airs nationwide this weekend, we're offering a first look at the episode. Hosted by Emmy winner Fadal, this episode will air in New York City on Sunday, September 10 at 4:30PM ET on WPIX. Be on the lookout for The Broadway Show, the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program, on your local TV station.  Featured this week: It’s a Book of Mormon reunion! Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek speaks with Gutenberg! The Musical! stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad. Host Tamsen Fadal sits down with Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart to discuss the highly-anticipated Broadway revival of Spamalot. Back to the Future star Casey Likes announces the new vlog, McFly Files, which fans can enjoy on the show and on Broadway.com later this fall. In addition to the new fall offerings on Broadway, learn about this past summer’s sizzlers, like Here Lies Love. Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens takes a deep dive into Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch with Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr., Kara Young and more. Hear from Merrily We Roll Along director Maria Friedman about the starry revival of Stephen Sondheim and …

  • The Lion King Casts Vincent Jamal Hooper as Next Simba
    by Ruthie Fierberg on September 7, 2023 at 2:22 PM

    Vincent Jamal Hooper will take on the role of Simba in Broadway’s long-running Tony Award-winning musical The Lion King beginning on September 26. Hooper will replace Brandon A. McCall, who will play his final performance on September 24 at the Minskoff Theatre. The Lion King will mark Hooper’s Broadway debut. Previously, he performed in multiple companies of Hamilton as Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and King George III. Hooper recently appeared in Second Stage’s Off-Broadway production of White Girl in Danger. The current principal cast of The Lion King also features Stephen Carlile as Scar, L. Steven Taylor as Mufasa, Tshidi Manye as Rafiki, Nick LaMedica as Zazu, Ben Jeffrey as Pumbaa, Fred Berman as Timon, Pearl Khwezi as Nala, James Brown-Orleans as Bonzai, Bonita J. Hamilton as Shenzi and Robb Sapp as Ed. Casting is by ARC. In November 2022, The Lion King celebrated its 25th year on Broadway.