musicals: Last News

Maybe Happy Ending,” are singing robots.Of the more traditional fare, the two jukebox bio-musicals that feature beloved old songbooks don’t celebrate arena phenoms like Michael Jackson or Tina Turner. No, the respective focuses of “A Wonderful World” (closing Feb. 23) and “Just In Time” are Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin, both of whom died in the early 1970s and played the Copa.Welcome to the Year of the Underdog.Every season has a few scrappy tuners that cut through Broadway’s confetti canons with grit and heart.

the Journal of Design History, Betty evolved from a “flapper-secretary-adventurer” to a “middle-class homemaker.” By 1935, gone was the garter, and the shoulder-less dress was swapped for a less revealing frock. Betty was made taller and older with a new hairdo.A 1938 article in the Central New Jersey Home News headlined “Betty Boop Goes Modern” describes the toon’s transformation.“Before swing came, Betty Boop, a product of the ‘jazz age,’ embraced all the qualities of the era — curls, bangs, earrings, bracelets and curves,” it began.“But times have changed and with it Betty’s appearance.

A lawsuit in Los Angeles Federal Court seeks to strip the hit Broadway musical “The Buena Vista Social Club” of its trademarked rights to the name, The Post has learned.The suit, filed Thursday by touring company Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos & His Buena Vista Orchestra, was a counter-attack to cease-and-desist warnings by powerful music agency BMG’s label World Circuit, which licenses its “Buena Vista Social Club” trademark to the Broadway production — and wants the orchestra to drop the similar-sounding title.BMG has controlled the trademark since 1999, but the orchestra’s producers claim in the suit the that the agency used “fraud” to have it renewed in 2023.The orchestra’s suit alleges BMG used “misrepresentations” in its trademark renewal application by saying it was for “live [concert] performances” — though the Broadway show is a stage musical based on a book, or script.The show has played to full houses at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Post critic Johnny Oleksinski praised it as “practically a jumbo jet to Havana” full of “transportive and intoxicating” music.The feud, which began last year, turned into a legal mess when BMG lawyer Jonathan S.

Hamilton”-like rap, “Six”-style dance pop and “Billy Elliot”-evoking anthems with broad physical comedy and throws it all onto a hamster wheel.I found the story absorbing; the yuks, abusive.The little-known, weird-but-true tale, which was recently made into a serious film of the same name starring Colin Firth, is itself appealingly warped. Set in 1943, it’s about a real intelligence operation during the Second World War in which the British tricked the Nazis into abandoning Sicily by planting false plans on a corpse disguised as an officer. Such a premise wouldn’t immediately scream “musical!”, but here’s a techno dance number called “Das Übermensch” performed by dancing Nazis.

Two hours and 10 minutes, with one intermission. At the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W 45th St.“Buena Vista Social Club,” the new musical that opened Wednesday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, is practically a jumbo jet to Havana.So transportive are the intoxicating Cuban music and spirited dance that it’s easy to forgive the show’s rather wispy and cliched book.

Model and entrepreneur Ashley Graham will make her Broadway debut this spring in the musical “Chicago,” adding her celebrity to a show that gleefully skewers celebrity culture.Graham, who made Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2017 and Glamour’s “Woman of the Year” in 2016, will play Roxie Hart from April 15-May 25 at the Ambassador Theatre.“I’m honored to make my Broadway debut as the iconic Roxie Hart,” she said in a statement. “I’m deeply grateful to be able to embrace this new challenge and excited to share the stage with this incredible company.”Graham made it into the mainstream when she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 2016, which led to the cover of Vogue magazine and a gig as a judge on “America’s Next Top Model.”She also wrote the memoir, “A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty & Power Really Look Like” and most recently hosted Roku’s “Side Hustlers” and HGTV’s “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.”Set in the 1920s, “Chicago” is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande brought their characters — and their tunes — from the hit movie musical to life at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.Erivo and Grande — nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively — performed a medley of tunes from across the “Wizard of Oz” universe to open Hollywood’s biggest night.First Grande, decked out in a ruby red gown, sang “Over the Rainbow” from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” Then, Erivo, dressed in a white gown with adornments, belted out “Home” from “The Wiz” stage and screen adaptations. And the two divas brought it home with a showstopping rendition of “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”Follow The Post’s live updates from the Oscars 2025 for winners, red carpet pics and moreIt was a theater kid fantasy that brought a little bit of the Tonys to the Oscars.Second only to the 13 nods for “Emilia Pérez,” “Wicked” landed 10 Oscar nominations, tying with “The Brutalist.” In addition to Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, the movie is up for Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score.However, none of the film’s tunes were eligible for Best Original Song since they were written by Stephen Schwartz for the stage production that opened on Broadway in 2003.And in a change from years past, none of this year’s Best Original Song nominees will be performed during the awards ceremony.But “Wicked” gave the show a broom-flying boost to start the night.

The title character of “Redwood,” the musical that opened Thursday night at the Nederlander Theatre, is a humongous northern California tree. One hour and 50 minutes, with no intermission. At the Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st St.Onstage, the centuries-old conifer enters dramatically like a wooden grande dame and towers over the five actors.

this treasured memento.The “Babygirl” star, 57, revealed during a Thursday appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that she bought Bernie Taupin’s original handwritten lyrics to Elton John’s 1970 single “Your Song” after the host inquired if she had ever asked someone for their autograph.“Well, I’ve asked people to sign a copy of a book. Philip Roth and Elton John,” she responded to Stephen Colbert, 60.“That was because we bought lyrics of ‘Your Song,’” Kidman added of the tune, written by John, 77, and Taupin, 74.“Where do you keep those?” Colbert asked, to which she replied, “Shh,” as she pressed her finger to her lips.The song has special meaning to Kidman, as it was featured in her 2001 musical movie “Moulin Rouge!” and was performed by Ewan McGregor and Alessandro Safina in the film.In 2019, Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban, performed their own rendition of “Your Song.”In a clip posted to social media at the time, the musician, 57, played the piano while the couple harmonized, and Urban sang, “It’s a little bit funny/This feeling inside/I’m not one of those who can/Easily hide.”As the guitarist belted out: “If I was a sculptor,” Kidman jokingly replied, “But you’re not,” before continuing their duet and ab-libbing along the way.“A little backstage moment before heading to Monterey @KeithUrban,” Kidman captioned the post.“Moulin Rouge!” followed a young Englishman (McGregor) in 1899 Paris, who becomes infatuated with Satine (Kidman), a singer at the Moulin Rouge.

Joey Fatone rocking his body to “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” in the hit Broadway musical “& Juliet,” you might think that you have been transported to an alternate boy-band universe.But yes, that is the *NSYNC crooner singing the signature bop by the Backstreet Boys in the reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” — where the heroine decides not kill to herself after finding her beloved beau dead.As Lance DuBois — a man-in-tights role he will be playing through March 16 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre — Fatone also performs another Backstreet fave, “Shape of My Heart.”“It’s gonna be interesting for people that are fans of Backstreet and fans of *NSYNC to come see that,” Fatone, 47, told The Post.Fatone also sings Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and Ariana Grande’s “Break Free” in the musical set to the tunes of Swedish hitmaker Max Martin — from Britney Spears’ “… Baby One More Time” to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”Martin also lent his golden pen to *NSYNC classics such as “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “It’s Gonna Be Me.” Although the latter track is featured in “& Juliet,” it’s not one of Fatone’s numbers.“The first song we ever actually did with Max was ‘I Want You Back,’” said Fatone of *NSYNC’s debut single. “He gets it, you know? And he has a great team of people that get … what makes a hit and what has the hook.”After “I Want You Back” was released in the US in 1998, *NSYNC got an unwitting boost from the Backstreet Boys when, later that year, the “I Want It That Way” group turned down an offer to appear on the “Disney Channel in Concert” series.“They were exhausted,” said Fatone.

Ariana Grande is feeling victorious. The actress, 31, had a touching reaction to receiving her first Oscar nomination on Thursday. Grande is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Wicked” alongside.

Lego Flowers).Sure, there’s traditional fare like “Romeo and Juliet” with Rachel Zegler and Kit O’Connor and the new comedy about love “All In” starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Annaleigh Ashford, Tim Meadows and Hank Azaria that check off all the Valentine’s Day date requirement boxes neatly.Yet, for the more adventurous theatergoers, there are expectation-defying alternatives aplenty.Couples hoping to laugh together might appreciate Cole Escola’s ribald “Oh, Mary” aka “the funniest play in years” or Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s gut-busting “The Book of Mormon” aka “the biggest, boldest, funniest musical” (that predates “Oh, Mary”).Then, there’s “Hamilton” and “Harry Potter” for pairs that love spellbinding entertainment, inherently romantic or not.Really you can’t go wrong with a night on Broadway. You’re seeing the world’s greatest thespians live with someone you care about (or going solo).And to us, that sounds like a perfect New York City Valentine’s Day.To find the show that suits your — or your significant other’s — sensibility best, here are your 16 best Broadway Valentine’s Day options.A tragedy about two young, star-crossed lovers from warring families.Starring Rachel Zegler, Kit Connor, Gabby BeansBarrymore TheaterA collection of Simon Rich’s short stories about dating, heartbreak, marriage and more.Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Annaleigh Ashford, Tim MeadowsHudson TheatreA new musical where a robot in future Seoul falls in love with a fellow bot.Starring Darren Criss, Helen J. Shen, Dez DuronBelasco TheatreA musical mashup about a young composer falling in love with a cabaret star in 1900s Paris.Starring Solea Pfeiffer, John Cardoza, Austin DurantAl Hirschfeld TheatreAn alternate ending sequel to “Romeo and

a beyond-scrappy musical, whose ticket sales started out soft at a downtown comedy club before developing a cult following and moving to a much bigger house in Union Square. I was smitten early on. But little did I know that barely three years later, I’d also attend its 1,000th performance at the Daryl Roth Theatre, its West End bow in London and its debut down under in Sydney.

Robbie Williams — the British pop star gets in touch with his inner primate.Indeed, the 50-year-old singer — who rose from the boy band Take That to become one of the biggest UK music icons of the 1990s and early ’00s — is transformed into a singing, dancing chimpanzee thanks to the wonders of CGI in the film that opens wide on Friday.“I’ve been a cheeky monkey all my life,” Williams, who narrates the movie, told the Associated Press. “There’s no more cheekier monkey than the coke-snorting, sex-addict monkey that we find in the movie.”And Williams believes that this ape take on his story — which traces his life from childhood to his struggles with addiction and depression at the height of his fame — benefits from seeing it through a furry-faced chimp.“We care for animals more than we care for humans, most of us,” he told AP.

interview with Time magazine, which named the singer-songwriter its Icon of the Year, John seemed to blame Trump for the epic failure of his new musical “Tammy Faye.”The composer, whose pricey show closed a flop on Sunday after just 29 regular performances, called “Tammy Faye” a “political piece of work” that pushed the wrong “buttons” in the days after Nov. 5.“It’s a shame for everyone who put so much work in it,” John, 77, told Time. “But that’s what happens when you take a chance.” “It’s a fairly political piece of work,” added John of the show that opened Nov.

Dolly Parton is working 9 to 5 to cast her musical.The singer, 78; her manager, Danny Nozell; and ATG Productions announced on Thursday that “Dolly: An Original Musical” has launched a nationwide casting search. The Broadway show, previously titled “Hello, I’m Dolly,” will follow Parton’s life and career over the decades.The star explained the open casting call and audition process in a video posted to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.“I want to give you the chance to help me bring my story to Broadway — and maybe even play me!” Parton said, encouraging hopefuls to try out for the musical.“This show is a celebration of my music, my life and all the amazing people who’ve been with me along the way,” she continued.

“The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical,” the 77-year-old musician revealed that he’s lost his eyesight after developing an infection.“As some of you may know, I have had issues and now I have lost my sight,” John said to the audience while onstage at the Dominion Theatre, according to the Daily Mail.“I haven’t been able to see the performance, but I have enjoyed listening to it,” the EGOT winner added.John was joined on stage by the cast of the musical, as well as his husband, David Furnish, who reportedly helped John get down from the stage.Thanking Furnish, 62, during his speech, John said, “To my husband, who’s been my rock, because I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because as you know, I’ve lost my eyesight, so it’s hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it.”“And, boy, it sounded good tonight!” John added. “Okay, thank you for coming!”John wrote the score for “The Devil Wears Prada,” which failed to make a splash during its Chicago tryout in 2022.

told The New York Times. No cause of death was cited.Brickman was best known for his extensive collaboration with Allen, beginning with the 1973 film “Sleeper.” Together, they co-wrote “Annie Hall” (1977), “Manhattan” (1979) and “Manhattan Murder Mystery” (1993).

Ariana Grande is dancing through life — and Ethan Slater is here for it.The 32-year-old spoke about his girlfriend, 31, and co-star Cynthia Erivo’s emotional press tour for “Wicked” and their acting chops.“They wear their heart on their sleeves, you know? Their ability to be so connected to their emotions in this way allows for their characters to be so complicated and so nuanced,” Slater said during an interview on SiriusXM Hits 1.Grande stars as Glinda the Good Witch in the two-part movie musical, while Erivo, 37, plays Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The pair has been showcasing their close bond during interviews by holding hands and shedding tears.

“Once Upon A Mattress.”Rather than take it easy after a grueling four-month run, lead actress Sutton Foster will take her talents on the road.Starting in December 2024, the two-time Tony winner will take her ‘An Evening With Sutton Foster Tour’ to venues all over North America.That includes stops at New Brunswick, NJ’s State Theatre on Jan. 31, Stony Brook, NY’s Staller Center on Feb.

“Jeopardy!” viewers were not pleased with the 50-year-old host during a recent episode.Paul Clauson, a tax analyst from Madison Heights, Mich., returned to the game hoping to extend his one-day earnings of $15,201. He went up against product manager Jonelle Lonergan from Boston, Mass., and Amy Fleenor, an attorney from Cleveland, Ohio.Jennings introduced the first batch of categories in the “Jeopardy!” round, which included a special nod to the newly released “Wicked” movie.The film’s stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, introduced the category to the contestants before the project’s director Jon M.