Cornelius Smith-Junior: Last News

Gordon Cox Theater EditorThe new musical “American Prophet” is now in the midst of its world premiere run at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Next stop: Broadway?Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” podcast below:That’s the goal, according to the show’s star, Cornelius Smith Jr., speaking on the new episode of “Stagecraft,” Variety’s theater podcast. “I hope the next stage is that we get to Broadway and we get to New York,” he said.

American Prophet: Frederick Douglass in His Own Words (★★★☆☆), in its world-premiere production at Arena Stage, wisely draw directly from the source for their expansive, though not exhaustive, biography of the great abolitionist, author, publisher, statesman, escaped slave, and public speaker.The bulk of Douglass’ lines and lyrics in the show are words that the man either spoke or wrote, interpreted and interpolated fluidly by book writers Charles Randolph-Wright and Marcus Hummon.Randolph-Wright also directs, while Grammy-winner Hummon composed music and lyrics for the score, which floats between R&B, pop, and gospel influences, but stays too comfortably within theater conventions.The music doesn’t start down the most adventurous path. Opening with Douglass plaintively singing “What Does Freedom Look Like?” feels way too obvious.The follow-up number, “Going to the Great House,” turns out to be a sharply satirical subversion of happy-dancing-slave tropes, but then shifts into a sober — and, again, very on-the-nose — “Wade in the Water,” complete with choreography reminiscent of Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations.”Fortunately, the show goes bolder in its characterization of Frederick Douglass.

Carson Burton Crowds at the DGA theater in Los Angeles were buzzing on Monday night when Chris Pine made a surprise appearance on the red carpet. Pine came out to the “Five Days at Memorial” premiere to support his dad, Robert Pine, in his newest acting endeavor.The father-son duo posed together before Chris made his way into the theater, letting his father walk the line to talk to the press.For Robert, his decision to get involved with this project came down to the script. “John Ridley and Carlton Cuse wrote [the script], and you just don’t get good writing like that all the time,” Pine told Variety.

Did you know that Chris Pine‘s dad is also an accomplished actor?

“There is nothing else to do for them except to them make them comfortable.” So says Vera Farmiga’s Dr. Anna Pou in the first trailer for Apple TV’s Hurricane Katrina drama Five Days At Memorial.

Apple TV+ has set global premiere dates for Five Days at Memorial, its limited series from John Ridley and Carlton Cuse, and darkly comic thriller series Bad Sisters, starring Sharon Horgan.