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Tag: Broadway

  • Valerie Harper Sued for Concealing Cancer, Forgetting Lines in Broadway Show “Looped”

    Valerie Harper has been sued for concealing her cancer diagnosis to an employer. The lawsuit could cost her 2 million dollars, but it hasn’t stopped the 74 year old actress from losing hope or working.

    Harper has gone through a roller coaster of hope and despair after her diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis last year. She joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars and did her best to continue working. Just last week, it was announced that she was “getting pretty close to a remission”. Despite the good news, Harper was having trouble remembering lines, a problem that has brought forth a lawsuit.

    TMZ reported that the producers and playwright of the Broadway show Looped have filed suit against the actress. They allege that Harper deliberately concealed the cancer diagnosis in order to be hired. When she had to leave the show prematurely, the playwright, Matthew Lombardo, was left scrambling to find a suitable replacement, a situation which he says cost him 500,000 dollars. Lombardo is also asking for an additional 1.5 million dollars, bringing the entire suit to 2 million dollars. Harper also has a lawsuit against the producers and Lombardo, claiming that she was not paid her full contact when she left the show.

    The lawsuit does not seem to be a detractor for the Hallmark Channel, who recently signed Harper on for their new show Signed, Sealed, Delivered. The LA Times reported that Valerie Harper will play the supervisor of a group of civil servants dedicated to delivering lost mail. Producer and writer Martha Williamson said “Valerie is somebody who would take a challenge like this and turn it into an opportunity to encourage other people. The first thing she and Tony said to me when I told them about the show was we want to use this show as an opportunity to encourage other people.”

    The actress’s Twitter account is filled with information and buzz about the new series, just like it was for Looped five years ago. It will remain to be seen if the actress makes any statement about the lawsuit, or if any other employers come forward with suits of their own.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Sophie Okonedo Shines In Broadway’s “Raisin In The Sun”

    Sophie Okonedo is stunning in her Broadway debut of “A Raisin In The Sun” opposite Denzel Washington. The British born actress, best known for her role in Hotel Rwanda, stars as Ruth, Walter’s (Washington) distressed, but strong, wife. A review by The Washington Post calls Sophie the play’s mournful foundation: “Okonedo is deceptively subdued as Ruth, who embodies the bone-breaking hardship of poverty.”

    “A Raisin In The Sun” follows a poor family struggling in one small Chicago apartment until they receive their salvation: a $10,000 check from a life-insurance policy payout. The real struggle begins when the family all has differing opinions on what to do with the money.

    On getting the role, Sophie says it was a “dream come true.” “Hansberry knew so much about the human spirit, getting older, and living in the world when you don’t have much,” she says of the 1950s production. Despite the age of the play, Sophie believes the content of “Raisin” is still relevant today. “The gap between the rich and the poor is bigger than ever. That grips me.”

    The Washington Post adds that “you can see Ruth’s weariness in the carriage of Okonedo’s shoulders, the set of her mouth. She embraces every part of the character.” Okonedo says that she decided to focus more on portraying Ruth’s strength rather than her fatigue. “She’s quite tough, quite robust,” says Okonedo. “She couldn’t be falling apart every second. She’d have to be trying to keep it together.”

    “A Raisin In The Sun” has been receiving overall rave reviews and has even seen some high profile guests. This weekend President Obama and First Lady Michelle attended the play, heading backstage to meet the actors during intermission. “I was so excited I couldn’t even hear anything he said,” Sophie says about meeting the president. She was also able to squeeze in a quick hug with Michelle. “I hugged her! I just couldn’t help it. She just feels so approachable.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Carole King Surprises Broadway Crowd And Cast During Performance

    Carole King Surprises Broadway Crowd And Cast During Performance

    She is one of the legendary songwriters of her genre, and there has finally been a musical put together involving the life of Carole King and her music. The musical is named after one of her iconic songs “Beautiful,” titled Beautiful: The Music Of Carole King.

    The iconic Carole King surprised everyone by showing up at the Stephen Sondheim Theater in order to watch from the audience, and later get on stage for a performance of “You’ve Got A Friend.” She showed up for the curtain call performance on April 3rd, giving fans in the audience a huge surprise.

    The Broadway musical opened to positive reviews, and great praise for leading lady Jessie Mueller, who portrays Carole King. The musical chronicles her rise to stardom and the recording of her most well-known album, “Tapestry.”

    Speaking on her portrayal on the stage, she said “Jessie Mueller and company are fantastic, and it was so joyous to be there. I couldn’t be more proud.” She traded verses with Mueller for a special performance of her hit “You’ve Got A Friend,” a song that was also made famous by James Taylor.

    Due to the personal, and sometimes painful nature of the material in the musical, King had previously stated that she would not attend the musical, but ended up showing up for a special night for the cast, and surely made their night.

    Cynthia Weil, a longtime friend of Carole King’s, said that she supports her feelings on the musical and that “This show is very revealing and painful. There are moments she doesn’t want to live again.”

    Following her appearance at Beautiful: The Music Of Carole King, she felt honored, and was also excited to be able to help the cast raise $30,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

    The show began previews on Nov. 21, 2013, prior to an official opening on Jan. 12 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Marc Bruni stages the production with choreography by Josh Prince, and musical direction by Jason Howland.

    Carole King was honored as the Musicares Person Of The Year in January, and at this year’s Grammy Awards, she performed a duet with Sara Bareilles. She also published her memoir, “A Natural Woman,” in 2012, and has been praised as one of the best songwriters of her time. She has had several hit songs, and wrote many other songs that were made famous by others as well.

    Image via Facebook

  • Rosie O’Donnell To Be Honored With A Tony

    Rosie O’Donnell To Be Honored With A Tony

    Rosie O’Donnell isn’t the first person who comes to mind when theater is mentioned, but her philanthropy has garnered her a place in history as an honorary Tony Award recipient.

    The awards administration announced on Tuesday that they want to honor O’Donnell for her efforts in bringing the arts to youth with Rosie’s Theater Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides dance, drama, and music to public school children in New York.

    “We are excited to announce Rosie as this year’s Isabelle Stevenson Award recipient. Rosie exemplifies the spirit and the generosity of the Broadway community through her “pay it forward” mentality within the arts community and beyond. Rosie constantly works to make our world a better place, and unconditional generosity like hers deserves great recognition,” said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League.

    O’Donnell appeared in productions of Grease, Seussical, Love, Loss, And What I Wore, and Fiddler on the Roof and has won an Emmy for her hosting duties, which she has performed three times.

    The Tony Awards will broadcast live on Sunday, June 8 and will be hosted by Hugh Jackman this year.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Daniel Radcliffe Returns to Broadway, Wants to Be “Weirder”

    Daniel Radcliffe was barely hanging up his wizarding robes when he started taking on fresh, challenging new performances in stage and film. Radcliffe’s theatre career started with Equus in 2007; his second return to stage was in 2011 with the lead role in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Now he’s back in The Cripple of Inishmaan, a Broadway adaptation of the Martin McDonagh play he starred in across the pond in London.

    Radcliffe is eager at the chance to be on stage for an American audience again. “I love working and living in New York; it’s one of those situations where [I have] the chance to spend a lot of time in a city that I love and doing a play that I love,” he tells Entertainment Weekly. Radcliffe also says that one of the reasons he loves performing for American crowds is that they’re “much louder:” “When somebody says something totally shocking and you hear that wonderful intake of shocked breath from the audience, I remember thinking how great that reaction would be in the States. It’s pretty exciting as an actor to get the audience to a point where they’re laughing, almost in spite of themselves.”

    The Cripple of Inishmaan is a dark comedy about an Irish boy (Radcliffe) who dreams of appearing in a documentary filmed by Hollywood on a neighboring island. Even though the play is dark and cruel, Daniel also knows audiences will enjoy its tender side: “I don’t think people expected it to have this really heartbreaking, very beautiful side to it as well, and I think that’s what makes it work.”

    Radcliffe was drawn to the play for its dark comedy, saying that he’s “always loved watching it as well as performing it.” But what’s his ideal role? I would love to do a big film musical,” Dan says. “I think when they’re done right, they’re incredibly exciting and fun and cool. What was that slightly bizarre but wonderful John Turturro film? Romance & Cigarettes. It’s a bizarre musical, and I love weird, interesting, different stuff like that.”

    No doubt we’d love to see Dan do weird and interesting stuff like that, too.

    The Cripple of Inishmaan opens April 20th. Check out a preview of the play below:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Patrice Wymore, Widow of Errol Flynn, Dies at 87

    Patrice Wymore Flynn, widow of late silver screen idol Errol Flynn, has died of pulmonary disease at her estate in Portland, Jamaica, according to family spokesman Robb Callahan.

    Wymore Flynn was a film and television actress who once starred opposite Frank Sinatra in the original “Ocean’s Eleven,” but was best known as being the last wife of romantic swashbuckling matinee idol Errol Flynn, who died of alcohol-related complications in 1959 at the age of 50.

    Wymore Flynn launched her acting career on Broadway in the 1940’s, performing in musicals such as “Hold It!” and “All for Love.” She made her transition to Hollywood in 1950, and co-starred in “Rocky Mountain,” a western starring Errol, which brought the two together. At the time, Flynn was engaged to a Romanian princess, but had his housekeeper break it off, according to his 1959 autobiography, “My Wicked, Wicked Ways.”

    Here’s the trailer for “Rocky Mountain”:

    Flynn had written in his memoir, “Patrice typified everything that I was not, and I presumed that she knew what my life was, since my life had been an open newspaper. She could cook Indian curry, she could dance, she could sing, she was reserved, she had beauty, dignity … homebody qualities that go toward making a sensible and lasting marriage.”

    Wymore Flynn was born in Miltonvale, Kansas, on Dec. 17, 1926, and grew up in Salina, Kansas. She’d moved to New York in her teens, to work as a model. After Flynn’s death, she’d went on to act in various films and television shows, but eventually returned to the Jamaican cattle ranch she’d shared with her late husband. She was once voted as being the Jamaican cattle rancher of the year in the 1980’s.

    Wymore Flynn never remarried, and also defended her late husband’s wicked ways, saying that “He just lost his way.” Flynn was staying with his teenage girlfriend at the time of his death.

    Wymore Fynn is survived by her grandson, Luke Flynn.

    Image via YouTube

  • Idina Menzel Says She’s ‘Buddies’ With John Travolta

    “Adele Dazeen” — better known as Idina Menzel — has long forgiven John Travolta for flubbing her name on live TV at this year’s Academy Awards a few weeks ago. In fact, she says she has only benefitted from the mistatake.

    Menzel told The Hollywood Reporter that she received flowers and a note following the incident that spawned a website app where you can “Travoltify” your name.

    “That threw me for a minute, but then I just got back on track and reminded myself of where I was,” said Menzel. “He was really gracious and sent this gorgeous email, and we’re buddies, and it’s all cool.”

    Menzel said he also sent flowers, and thanks to the flub, she’s become a household name.

    “Please. I mean, I’ve only benefited from it,” she said.

    Menzel has had a very good year. Her single Let It Go from the Disney film Frozen has made into the top 10 and it seems everyone is singing it these days — and not just the kids.

    According to the Hollywood Reporter, Let It Go hasn’t had the typical rise as a pop song because radio hasn’t driven the success of the song. Instead, it has made its way up the charts based largely on sales and streams and is only just now starting to make progress at adult contemporary and mainstream top 40 radio.

    “I’m just excited to see it break some rules,” she said.

    Ironically, the Rent actress originally tried out for the 2010 Disney film Tangled, but wasn’t hired. However, her audition tape singing The Beatle’s Blackbird eventually led her to the role in Frozen.

    She’s also starring in the broadway musical If/Then, which opens March 30. The musical is about a woman in her 40s and features the song What the F—, about trying to have sex with three guys in one night.

    While Menzel has never seemed too upset over the name-flub, Travolta apparently still struggles over his mistake.

    Image via YouTube

  • Cicely Tyson in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’: From Broadway to Lifetime

    Cicely Tyson in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’: From Broadway to Lifetime

    Horton Foote’s 1953 television play plans to make another TV debut this coming weekend.

    Lifetime’s rendition, The Trip to Bountiful, will recreate the original story.

    The story first aired on NBC in 1953 and then went on Broadway the following year. In 1985, it was made into a Hollywood film featuring Geraldine Page and then made another Broadway comeback just last year.

    One legendary actress who is excited to see her Broadway role on-camera is Cicely Tyson.

    Tyson plays Carrie “Mother” Watts, whose final wish is to see her childhood home one last time before she dies.

    The elderly woman lives in a small Houston, TX apartment along with her son Ludie (Blair Underwood) and his handful-of-a-wife Jessie Mae (Vanessa Williams).

    For the most part, Mother Watts feels trapped and really desires to revisit her hometown Bountiful. However, her overprotective son forbids it since she doesn’t have a vehicle.

    There’s obvious tension in the home, as the two ladies don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to the man that they both dearly love.

    Jessie Mae can be quite self-centered and controlling towards Ludie, so it causes her husband to feel forever in the middle of the women’s drama.

    Tyson describes William’s character as “a piece of work” and their relationship as the typical relationship between in-laws. She believes, however, that Mother Watts’ character possesses one of the strongest willpower throughout the story.

    “She has within her a fighting spirit that cannot be denied, and that is what I like about her,” she said, according to The Buffalo News . “Her feeling that God has kept her here for a purpose she is yet to fulfill, and she is determined to do it despite the odds.”

    Against her son’s wish, Mother Watts leaves home and hops on a train in hopes to see her hometown. She ends up meeting a friend on the train who helps her make her way back home. She then finds out that Bountiful is not the same as she remembers it. (image)

    The film’s message is said to be one that will inspire you to respect and appreciate your elders, which Tyson helps  bring to life through her depiction.

    Williams, who will also star in the re-created film, says that Tyson is an all around inspiring performer.

    “I hope people get a chance to really see another spectacular performance from Cicely Tyson,” she said. “She informed me as an actress. People of a certain generation know her from ‘(The Autobiography of) Miss Jane Pittman,’ which was seared in our brains. To be able to see her again in such a pivotal role was an honor – to be with her and to watch her on a nightly basis.”

    Tyson has already won a Tony Award for her recent Broadway performance. It’s safe to assume that this phenomenal actress will also add an Emmy to her award collection.

    The Trip to Bountiful is scheduled to air on Lifetime this Saturday at 8 p.m.

    Watch the trailer here:

    Image via YouTube

  • Cicely Tyson: Award Winning Role To Air On Lifetime

    For those who didn’t get the chance to see Cicely Tyson in the role that won her a Tony Award last year will get the chance this Saturday. And you won’t even have to leave the house.

    This Saturday, March 8, the film adaptation of the Broadway play, The Trip to Bountiful, will air on Lifetime at 8 pm EST.

    Tyson reprises her role as Carrie Watts in this adaptation of the Horton Foote drama. Watts is an elderly woman wanting to visit her hometown of “Bountiful.” Her overprotective son and bossy daughter-in-law don’t want her to go, but Watts is determined to see the place where she grew up, even if that means traveling alone on a bus.

    Along with fellow cast members, Tyson, Blair Underwood, and Vanessa Williams were on Today Wednesday morning to promote their upcoming film on Lifetime. Today co-anchor Al Roker posted a photo of himself with the three actors on Twitter. He seemed to be confused by what Vanessa’s last name is.

    The Twitter account for The Trip to Bountiful is preparing fans for the premiere of the film adaptation with a teaser photo of Underwood and co-star Keke Palmer.

    WIlson Morales is doing his part to promote the film as well.

    One fan is very excited to see the film adaptation of The Trip to Bountiful.

    If you live in the Los Angeles area you will get a chance to see Tyson as Watts on the stage. The Trip to Bountiful will be at the Ahmanson Theater from September 17 – November 2, 2014.

    The Trip to Bountiful originally aired as a televised play on NBC on March 1, 1953 starring Lillian Gish as Carrie Watts. Gish portrayed the same character when the play went to Broadway later that year. The Trip to Bountiful was later turned into a movie in 1985 starring Geraldine Page, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

    Image via The Trip to Bountiful, Twitter.

  • Carey Mulligan Is Set To Take The Stage In Her West End Debut

    Carey Mulligan has been no stranger to the big screen in recent years, and now she will take her acting skills to the stage, debuting in a play at the West End in London. She will be appearing in a revival of David Hare’s Skylight, which will be directed by Stephen Daldry.

    She will make her debut in Skylight this summer, and the show will preview at the Wyndham’s theatre in June.

    It will mark the second time that Skylight has been performed in the West End, with Bill Nighy returning to fill the role that he played back in 1997.

    Skylight premiered at the National Theatre in 1995, where it won the Oliver Award for best play. The production then transferred to the West End before heading to Broadway, and later returning to the West End in 1997.

    In Hare’s Skylight, Bill Nighy will play the role of Tom, a newly widowed owner of a restaurant. He starts staying with his ex-girlfriend Kyra Hollis, who is much younger, with the hope of rekindling their relationship.

    Matthew Beard is also a part of the cast, and will be making his stage debut in the play. Beard has previously worked with Carey Mulligan in the film An Education.

    While Bill Nighy has appeared on the stage before, it will be a show filled with two of the biggest British actors that are currently acting. Carey Mulligan was last seen on stage three years ago in an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s film Through a Glass Darkly in New York.

    Her acting ability on the stage has been highly praised, and in reference to her role in Through A Glass Darkly, New York Times Critic Ben Brantley said “If you want to experience the shock of illumination that acting, at its best, can achieve – and only occasionally does – you need to see Ms Mulligan’s performance.”

    Carey Mulligan was most recently seen on screen in Inside Llewyn Davis, and she has received great praise for each of her other films including An Education and Shame. Some notable films for Bill Nighy include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Love Actually, Notes On A Scandal, and Still Crazy.

    After mostly being known as a film actress, Carey Mulligan has been in a few plays already, but will make her West End debut this year, and work with the talented Bill Nighy for the first time.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Hugh Jackman Returns to Host 68th Annual Tony Awards

    Hugh Jackman is a man of many talents. He has appeared on film as both a superhero and a romantic lead. He sings, he dances, and is known both on screen and on stage. So it should be no surprise that he has been asked to once again host the annual Tony Awards, celebrating Broadway’s best and brightest stars.

    “We are thrilled that Hugh will be joining us, once again, at Radio City Music Hall to host ‘The 68th Annual Tony Awards,’” said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League.

    Heather Hitchens, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing added, “Hugh is an extraordinary talent and loyal supporter of the Broadway community — whether he is on-stage or in the audience — and we are honored to have him back as host.”

    The announcement was made earlier today and posted to the official Twitter page for the Tonys.

    According to Playbill, this will be Jackman’s fourth time hosting the Broadway theatre awards.

    On stage, the 45-year old has been seen as the lead in the musical Oklahoma!, opposite Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain, and in his 2011 one-man show Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway.

    In 2004 he won a Tony Award for his role in The Boy from Oz where he played gay singer/songwriter Peter Allen.

    Then in 2012 Jackman received a Special Award from the Tony Awards Administration Committee for his accomplishments both as a performer and a humanitarian.

    Recently, Entertainment Weekly reported that Jackman will return to Broadway in 2015 in the play The River.

    “He’s the ultimate triple threat – actor, singer, dancer – he does it all, second to none,” said Jack Sussman of CBS entertainment. “He is a consummate entertainer and the one you ultimately want out there hosting your live television event.”

    Last year, the ceremony was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. In the past, Jackman and Harris have appeared on stage at the awards together.

    The 2014 Tony Awards will take place at Radio City Music Hall on June 8 and will be broadcast live on CBS.

    Image via YouTube

  • LaTanya Richardson Jackson Lands Her Dream Role

    LaTanya Richardson Jackson, the wife of actor Samuel L. Jackson, has landed her dream role!

    On Saturday, Richardson Jackson was asked to replace Diahann Carroll, who recently pulled out of the Broadway show A Raisin in the Sun.

    Richardson Jackson will reprise the role of matriarch Lena Younger. Her character will play Denzel Washington’s mother, even though she is only five years older than the 59-year-old actor.

    “This is not even serendipitous. This is a miracle,” Richardson Jackson said on Monday after successfully completing a full day of rehearsals. “This is an incredible dream. I could cry, but I don’t have time.”

    Carroll was originally cast to play the part of Younger, but withdrew over the weekend, due to “the vigorous demands of the rehearsal and performance schedule.” She later released a statement, regarding her departure from the show.

    The pace of filming movies and TV projects is quite different than the extensive amount of time preparing and appearing ‘live’ on Broadway eight times a week. I enjoyed working with Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Kenny Leon and an amazing cast and I wish them well.

    Richardson Jackson just happened to be shopping in New York when she received the phone call from director Kenny Leon asking her to join the cast.

    “How it arrived, I can’t question, although I can’t say I wasn’t upset, because I am. Carroll is a friend and I just regret that she wasn’t able. I was looking so forward to seeing her in this production,” said Richardson Jackson.

    “Listen, she’s already in there killing it,” said Washington after their rehearsal. “She’s already pushing me so that’s good. I’m happy that she’s here.” Richardson Jackson will also be co-starring alongside Sophie Okonedo and Anika Noni Rose.

    A Raisin in the Sun will mark Richardson Jackson’s first role on Broadway since she starred in the 2009 revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Diahann Carroll Pulls Out Of Broadway Play

    Tony Award-winning actress Diahann Carroll was scheduled to return to Broadway for the revival of A Raisin in the Sun , co-starring with Denzel Washington this spring. This was to mark her first time back on Broadway in 30 years.

    However, Carroll has issued a statement saying that she will not be appearing in the show, and LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson’s wife, will replace her as the role of matriarch Lena Younger and Washington’s mother (even though she is only five years older than him).

    “The pace of filming movies and TV projects is quite different than the extensive amount of time preparing and appearing ‘live’ on Broadway eight times a week. I enjoyed working with Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Kenny Leon and an amazing cast and I wish them well,” Carroll said in the statement.

    A representative for the production of A Raisin in the Sun said that Carroll withdrew from the show “due to the vigorous demands of the rehearsal and performance schedule.”

    A Raisin in the Sun will mark Richardson Jackson’s first role on Broadway since she starred in the 2009 revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Washington last appeared on Broadway in 2005 during a production of Julius Caesar. Anika Noni Rose and Sophie Okonedo will also appear alongside Richardson Jackson and Washington.

    This will be the second revival of the play. The original production occurred in 1959 and featured Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and Diana Sands. They all later reunited for a 1961 film adaptation. The last time A Raisin in the Sun appeared on Broadway was in 2004 and starred Diddy, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra McDonald.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Diahann Carroll Leaves ‘A Raisin in the Sun’

    Veteran actress Diahann Carroll is a legendary performer with a Tony award to her credit. The talented performer was set to return to Broadway as part of the highly-anticipated revival of A Raisin in the Sun though this is no longer a possibility.

    Producers for A Raisin in the Sun released news on February 9th that Carroll would no longer portray the role of the play’s matriarch, much to the disappointment of fans. Sixty-four-year-old LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who is Samuel L. Jackson’s wife, is presently slated to replace Carroll in the role of Lena Younger. Denzel Washington will portray the son of Lena Younger, now replaced by Jackson.

    Diahann Carroll issued the following statement to explain the reason for her departure from this stage performance:

    “The pace of filming movies and TV projects is quite different than the extensive amount of time preparing and appearing ‘live’ on Broadway eight times a week. I enjoyed working with Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Kenny Leon and an amazing cast and I wish them well.”

    A Raisin in the Sun will preview on March 8th inside the Barrymore Theatre; however, the play’s first official performance is on April 3rd. Director Kenny Leon is bringing this adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun to life though fans eagerly awaiting this performance will only have the chance to catch a viewing for a short time, during the duration that the limited 14-week engagement is projected to run.

    Seventy-eight-year-old Carroll has performed on television, in the movies, and in stage performances throughout her career. The award-winning actress is well-known for her versatility as a performer. Fortunately, fans of the popular star will still have the opportunity to watch Carroll bring June Ellington to life on the well-known USA television series White Collar.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Diahann Carroll Leaves Cast of “A Raisin in the Sun”

    Diahann Carroll, the 78-year-old actress who had agreed to play Lena Younger in the new Broadway version of A Raisin in the Sun, has decided not to pursue the part after all.

    According to the production’s spokesman, Philip Rinaldi, Carroll decided to leave the project “due to the demands of the vigorous rehearsal schedule and the subsequent eight-performances-a-week playing schedule.”

    Carroll has been replaced by the 64-year-old wife of Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Jackson will assume the role of Lena, a part in which she will play the mother of main character, Walter Lee Younger.

    Walter Lee is being portrayed by Denzel Washington, making him just five years younger than his new “mother” in the production.

    The opening night of A Raisin in the Sun is set for April 3rd, while performances will begin on March 8th, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

    This is the second time the play has been shown on Broadway; the play written by Lorraine Hansberry, first appeared on the stage in 1959, and starred Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, and Diana Sands, among others. It was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, earning Poitier a Tony nomination in 1960.

    In 1961, the Broadway cast reunited to make the film version of the play, which went on to receive several Golden Globe nominations and won the “Gary Cooper Award” at the Cannes Film Festival.

    In 2004, A Raisin in the Sun was produced for the second time on Broadway starring Diddy, Felicia Rashaad, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra McDonald.

    Main image courtesy The Arsenio Hall Show via YouTube.

  • Whoopi Goldberg to Lead Neil Patrick Harris Honors

    The Drama League has happily announced that their dear friend Whoopi Goldberg will be hosting their 30th Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway. This year’s benefit gala honors Neil Patrick Harris, the Golden Globe Nominee and Emmy Award winner currently on the television show “How I Met Your Mother.”

    The Drama League of New York has served as a not-for-profit arts advocacy and education organization since 1916. The League has thrown annual Broadway celebrations since 1984 with past honorees including Angela Lansbury, Liza Minnelli, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Audra McDonald.

    Whoopi Goldberg is of the small order of artists who have won Academy, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Awards, and has incorporated her Broadway musical start in popular film productions such as Sister Act. She has produced and starred in a number of plays and won the Tony Award for producing Thoroughly Modern Millie. She is currently a great addition to the television talk show The View.

    Whoopi Goldberg’s cheeky personality and insightful point of view is a perfect fit for the festive black-tie gathering of 500 of New York City’s top celebrities and art supporters who will celebrate Harris’ musical theater career in true Broadway musical form. Neil Harris has starred in notable productions such as Rent, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Assassins and more.

    The Drama League’s 30th Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway will be held on February 3, 2014. Ticket inquires can be fulfilled by calling (212) 244-9494.

    Image via Twitter | Drama League

  • Tupac Shakur’s Music Is Set For Broadway

    Tupac Shakur was a beloved icon in the hip hop world, and after dying 18 years ago, his music is finally being used for a musical.

    He will always be hailed as one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time, and someone who wrote insightful lyrics in a time when the genre seemed to actually care about what people were saying.

    His music will be hitting the Broadway stage in a matter of months, and while many fans of the late Tupac Shakur may not be a musical fans, perhaps the two genres will combine well to give the show even better results.

    Although the music of Tupac Shakur will be used throughout the show, it will not be an autobiographical tale of the rapper’s life. It will feature a plot about two friends in the inner-city in the Midwest.

    It is also set to intricately use his poetic music and lyrics in order to open a window into the realities of the streets still relevant today.

    The musical will be called Holler If You Hear Me, and comes from an autobiographical song by the same name which appeared on his 1993 album titled Strickly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. The song tells the story of a girl who witnesses her father’s death, finds money to buy a gun, and rallies her young friends to avenge his death.

    Casting has not been announced yet for the upcoming show, although with it set to premiere in a matter of months, fans should find out soon. Broadway fans can expect good things from the creators with the musical being written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Tony nominee Kenny Leon, who is also working on a revival of A Raisin In The Sun starring Denzel Washington.

    Tupac was originally from Harlem, although he moved to California and was one of the main leaders of the west coast rap scene, while constantly feuding with Notorious B.I.G. back in New York.

    He was killed at a young age, and while the crime has still never officially been solved, he was shot down in Las Vegas in 1996 at the age of 25. Tupac had a number of positive and poetic songs that he released throughout his career including “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Changes,” as well as the ode to his mother who raised him and his sister alone called “Dear Mama.”

    Holler If You Hear Me will open on Broadway at the Palace on June 19. Preview performances for the brand-new show begin May 26. Tupac Shakur fans should stay tuned for more info, and keep on the lookout for the upcoming show, which will be here soon.

    How do fans feel about the upcoming musical?

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  • Carly Rae Jepsen Will Perform on Broadway

    Dreams really do come true, especially if you just happen to be Carly Rae Jepsen. The Grammy-nominated pop star is set to appear on Broadway as part of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The “Call Me Maybe” singer recently spoke about her Broadway dreams. “Broadway has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, and I look forward to working with this incredibly talented cast to tell this classic tale,” she shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

    Tony-nominated performer Laura Osnes is leaving her role in the popular Broadway play, and Jepsen will take over. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane is the mastermind behind the adaptation that was bestowed with the honor of receiving a total of nine Tony nominations this year. Fans can look forward to seeing the talented performer as soon as February 4. Jepsen will be joined by Fran Drescher, who will play Cinderella’s stepmother.

    Twenty-eight-year-old Jepsen sent an email to The New York Times where she explained her reason for being drawn to the performing world. “It was essentially musical theater training with studies in singing, dancing and acting. My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters.” She explained before specifically speaking about the desire to participate in the Broadway musical production of Cinderella. “It’s so hopeful and inspiring. I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely.”

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons and Courtesy of Georges Biard

  • Carly Rae Jepsen To Make Broadway Debut

    Carly Rae Jepsen To Make Broadway Debut

    Carly Rae Jepsen may be best known for her breakout hit “Call Me Maybe” and her friendship with Justin Bieber, but she’s about to make a name for herself outside of the pop world.

    The 28-year old is set to take on the role of Cinderella in the Rodgers and Hammerstein production starting February 4 and says the story is close to her heart.

    “It’s so hopeful and inspiring,” she said. “I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely.”

    Jepsen, who attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts after high school, will star with Fran Drescher in the production. She recently spoke a bit about her college days with the New York Times and says school trips to New York City were always a favorite.

    “It was essentially musical theater training with studies in singing, dancing and acting,” she said. “My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters.”

    Jepsen takes over for Laura Osnes, who has played the infamous cinder-girl for the last year.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Carly Rae Jepsen Is Making Broadway Debut

    Carly Rae Jepsen Is Making Broadway Debut

    Grammy-nominated pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen will be making her Broadway debut, this coming year, in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Jepsen will be taking over the part of Cinderella from Laura Osnes, and will complete the 12-week run of the musical.

    “Broadway has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl,” said Jepsen, 28, “and I look forward to working with this incredibly talented cast to tell this classic tale.”

    Jepsen participated in musical theater in high school and then attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts after she graduated.

    “It was essentially musical theater training with studies in singing, dancing and acting,” she said by email on Sunday.

    “My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters.” She said her love for the fairytale is what made her decide to choose Cinderella for her debut. “It’s so hopeful and inspiring,” she said. “I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely.”

    Jepsen is also working on a new album that is scheduled to release sometime next year. Her last album Call Me Maybe was a worldwide hit, and sold over 10 million copies in 2012

    Image via Twitter

  • Leighton Meester Is Set To Debut On Broadway In 2014

    Leighton Meester, the former teen star, is set to make her debut appearance on Broadway next year. She will join a cast that already has a couple of stars attached to the project, in a revival of Steinbeck’s classic, Of Mice And Men.

    Meester is the former star of the popular teen drama, Gossip Girl, and is looking to get more serious with her next role, hoping to make a name for herself as a more well-known actress. She will be starring in the Broadway production along with James Franco and Chris O’Dowd.

    It is another big role for James Franco as well, who seems to be making headlines every time you turn around during the 2013 year. His most recent stunt occurred when he and his friend and fellow comedy actor Seth Rogen decided to spoof a recent music video of Kanye West’s.

    In case anyone avoided reading the classic novel in high school, Of Mice and Men centers on George and Lenny, who is mentally challenged, and an unlikely friendship forms between the two characters who are bothmigrant workers. It takes place in California during the Great Depression.

    In the production, Leighton Meester will play the wife of a rancher, who becomes a fascination for Lennie. As a result, she becomes something of a temptress, and becomes dangerous for the fates of George and Lenny during the plot.

    In addition to her role in Gossip Girl, Meester has been seen in Country Strong, and is in production with the film God Only Knows, set to be released next year. She is also set to appear in the upcoming film Life Partners with her new fiancee Adam Brody, after their engagement was just announced less than a month ago.

    A Broadway production of the novel has not been done in over 40 years, and the last time that it was seen on film was in 1992, with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise in the two main roles. Anna D. Shapiro, a Tony Award-winner, will be directing the production. Performances of the Broadway play will start in March at the Longacre Theater.

    The upcoming role is a big step for Leighton Meester, as she is stepping up from her teen gossip role to a classic piece of literature that everyone is familiar with.

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