E.Jordan: Last News

Ain’t No Mo’, the Broadway debut of author and star Jordan E. Cooper, opened at the Belasco Theatre on Dec. 1 to the sort of reviews producers and playwrights dream about. Even the few critics who weren’t completely won over couldn’t help but point out a singular brilliance at work here, not to mention a stars-in-the-making cast and more laugh-out-loud moments than most of the rest of Broadway combined. A celebrity-packed opening night, with producer Lee Daniels greeting a crowd that included Gabrielle Union, Dwayne Wade and C. J. Uzomah – who happen to be among the starry cohort of co-producers – as well as Matthew Broderick, Tamron Hall, Deborah Cox, Stephanie Mills, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Susan Kelechi Watson, Camryn Manheim, Tony Kushner, Tituss Burgess, Gayle King, Pat Williams, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard, Colton Ryan, Ari’el Stachel and Timothy Olyphant suggested nothing less than the buzzy arrival of Broadway’s next big thing, out-of-the-box division.

For the second time in a week, Broadway is losing a worthy production that attempted to find an audience that encompassed but reached beyond the usual white, middle-aged demographic: Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’, the often visionary, relentlessly brilliant and forever fearless take by its Black creators and performers on the stubborn subject of race in America will close next week.

A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical took in more than $1 million at the box office in the week leading up to, and including, its opening night on Sunday. Filling 91% of seats at the Broadhurst, the jukebox bio-musical joins & Juliet, Leopoldstadt and The Piano Lesson as one of the strongest newcomers of the fall season.

Two new productions opened on Broadway within the last few days, demonstrating that Broadway, at the very least, can accommodate works of remarkable diversity – a diversity in levels of ambition not least. One takes remarkable chances and all but announces the arrival of a singular new theatrical voice. The other, with a team of immensely talented Broadway veterans both on stage and behind the scenes that so relies on overused formula and tired tropes that it can’t even breathe life into some of the most irresistible pop songs of the last half-century.

EXCLUSIVE: Slave Play author Jeremy O. Harris and New York Jets tight end CJ Uzomah are the latest high-profile names to sign on as co-producers of a currently running Broadway production: The two join the recently announced NBA champ Dwyane Wade, actor Gabrielle Union and Drag Race star RuPaul on the producing team of Ain’t No Mo’, a Lee Daniels production of Jordan E. Cooper’s comedy in previews at the Belasco Theatre.

Mariah Carey has signed on as a co-producer of the new musical comedy Some Like It Hot, becoming the latest in a trend of celebrities lending their clout and popularity to support Broadway productions during previews.

Broadway’s Ain’t No Mo’ producer Lee Daniels announced today that NBA champ Dwyane Wade, actor Gabrielle Union and Drag Race star RuPaul will join the co-producing team of the comedy that begins previews tonight at the Belasco Theatre.

William Earl Variety has announced the lineup for its annual Business of Broadway breakfast presented by City National Bank in New York on Oct. 17. Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson will join the event for a keynote conversation about their collaboration on the revival of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” currently playing on Broadway. The programming will also include a Broadway producers panel moderated by Erik Piecuch, senior vice president and entertainment banking leader of City National Bank. The panel will feature Lee Daniels (“Ain’t No Mo’”), Cindy Tolan (“Death of a Salesman”), LaChanze (“Kimberly Akimbo” and “Topdog/Underdog”) and Ken Davenport (“A Beautiful Noise”). The producers will speak about their experiences premiering new productions on Broadway this season and how the business has changed since Broadway’s return.

BET has signed comedian, actress and producer Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams to a multi-year overall deal under which she will produce, write and perform in new series and other projects—both scripted and unscripted— across BET and Paramount Global.