Musical commissions for the big Coronation confirmed

Sufjan Stevens‘ 2005 concept album ‘Illinois’ is being turned into a musical, with its first run confirmed for this year.The new show will premiere this summer as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of Bard College’s Fisher Center in New York.A synopsis of the production, which features music and lyrics penned by Stevens and script written by Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury, reads: “Featuring new arrangements of the entire album for a live band and three voices — ranging in style from DIY folk and indie rock to marching band and ambient electronics — Illinois will lead us on a mighty journey through the American heartland, from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos.“Tony Award-winner Justin Peck transforms the album into a full-length theatrical performance with a cast of virtuosic dancers, singers, and musicians in a narrative crafted with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury.”The show will come to Bard from June 23 to July 2 and you can buy tickets here.A few years back, Sufjan Stevens called for every band to break up after ten years together in his end-of-year roundup for 2021.Writing on Tumblr, Stevens listed his favourite and least favourite albums of 2021 – even though most of the entries aren’t actual albums, and a majority of those that are, weren’t released this year.Topping Stevens’ list of the worst albums of 2021 was Netflix’s hit show Squid Game. “I didn’t actually see it but it looks really stupid,” he wrote before giving it a score of F-.Also on Steven’s list of his least favourite albums was The Matrix 4 (“Ugh.

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.

interview with Inverse, “Scream” franchise newcomer Seggaro pitched an idea for “Scream 7”: “If they could find the way in for a Scream musical, make the audience laugh and also be a little scared? Let’s go!” Segarra suggested. “Who knows? Maybe Ghostface has some operatic talents that we don’t know about.”The movie stars Courtney Cox, Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Hayden Panettiere, Samara Weaving, Jack Champion, Mason Gooding and Liana Liberato.

Baz Luhrmann says it would be “an amazing historical moment” if Elvis cinematographer Mandy Walker were to triumph at Sunday’s Academy Awards. To quote Lizzo, “It’s been too long,” the filmmaker tells me last night at the Australian Oscar nominees soirée held in the Chateau Marmont’s penthouse suite.

, Suki Waterhouse revealed her famous boyfriend, Robert Pattinson, got a front-row seat from home as she prepared to play keyboardist Karen Sirko in the new Amazon Prime Video series . «Did he enjoy that? Yeah, probably not,» she quipped about Pattinson listening to her practice for months. While the 31-year-old model and actress has been putting out her own music since 2016, she reminded her interviewer that Pattinson — whom she's been dating since 2018 — is just as musically inclined. After all, he performed two songs on the  soundtrack, one of which he co-wrote. «He's actually way worse at being annoying about — well, because he's an amazing pianist and a really great guitarist,» she gushed about the star.

First-look images were released today of the wildly revamped Broadway Theatre that will be transformed, at least in part, into the disco dance club home of Here Lies Love, the immersive David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical about Imelda Marcos.

As the world anticipates the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, the looming question of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their young children's attendance remains. A source close to the royal family tells ET, «King Charles very much wants Prince Harry and his grandchildren at his coronation.»The royal family has been at the center of a media storm since the release of Prince Harry's bombshell memoir, , and his docuseries with Meghan, titled . «Despite any issues in the past or difficulties that have arisen based on what was released in Harry's book, Charles loves his son. He wants both his children at his side for such a momentous occasion,» the source tells ET.

60-year-old director shares 19-year-old Lilly with his wife, Catherine Martin, 58, who he married in 1997 and is still with. Rumours started circulating that the Elvis biopic helmer was ‘gay’ when it was reported Baz and Catherine don’t share a bed. Now the pair’s eldest child has spoken out about the time, in which she recalled being ‘followed to school’ by ‘paparazzi’.

A.D. Amorosi For Apple TV+’s first French-English, multi-language, adventure series “Liaison,” creator-writer Virginie Brac and Emmy-winning (“24”) director Stephen Hopkins chose evocative composer Walter Mair – known for commercials, video games and compositional elements and arrangements for Netflix’s “Squid Games” – to bring a mix of electronic and live instrumentation to its war-torn, lovelorn storyline. Creating a tensely menacing and intricate score for an emotional tale starring Vincent Cassel (who also serves as executive producer) and Eva Green gives the six-episode thriller an epic, yet intimate sweep. Mair’s textural feel for frenetic movement and incendiary intrigue found the composer utilizing writing and orchestrating skills familiar from his battle work on violent video games such as Rockstar’s “Grand Theft Auto” series, Sony’s sci-fi franchise “Killzone,” and “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction.”

EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Martin no longer has a legal sword of Damocles hanging over him.  

The FADER is returning to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest this weekend after three years away. We’re teaming up with Porsche for three consecutive nights of music at their Porsche X venue at 400 Congress Avenue, starting Friday, March 10, and running through the weekend.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. No one will be leaving this year’s Oscars ceremony empty-handed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially invited to the King Charles III coronation ceremony.

Comedy is what we need right now, says Nicholas Hytner (The History Boys, The Madness of King George), who ran London’s National Theatre for a decade.

Ashley Park is returning to the Mean Girls world!

Ashley Park has been added to the cast of the upcoming movie musical from Paramount Pictures. While her character details are being kept under wraps, ET has confirmed she will have a cameo role in the adaptation after first originating the role of Gretchen Wieners in the Broadway musical. Park joins a sprawling ensemble cast that includes Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auli'i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, Avantika, Christopher Briney and Bebe Wood.The film directed by Arturo Perez and Samantha Jayne and written by Fey is based on the latter's own musical adaptation of the 2004 hit film, which ran on Broadway from 2018 before permanently closing in 2021 after 833 performances. Park, who has since broken out as Mindy Chen on Netflix's, was part of the original  Broadway cast, playing Gretchen alongside Erika Henningsen (Cady), Taylor Louderman (Regina), Barrett Wilbert Weed (Janis), Grey Henson (Damian) and Kate Rockwell (Karen).

Kelly Clarkson may be one of the most personable and welcoming hosts on TV, but that didn’t stop “Daisy Jones and the Six” stars Riley Keough, Suki Waterhouse and Camila Morrone from shyly clamming up and downplaying their musical skills when speaking with the Grammy-winning singer. “We cannot talk about singing in front of Kelly Clarkson!” Marrone said when Keough tried complimenting her voice. The segment began with Clarkson asking Keough and Waterhouse about going to “band camp” to prepare for the 1970s-set drama series charting the rise and fall of a fictional rock band.“We really enjoyed it, but we worked really hard,” Keough said of the training ground.

Ellise Shafer From the moment Riley Keough heard about “Daisy Jones & the Six,” she felt it was her destiny to play the title character. “I just knew I was gonna be Daisy,” she tells Variety about Prime Video’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel, which chronicles the rise and fall of a 1970s rock band. “It was very weird.” And then the anxiety set in. Despite having music in her blood — she’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley — Keough says she had no professional singing experience coming into the show. That seems almost unbelievable upon hearing the first note she sings, her voice velvety yet jagged, in the debut episode.

As someone who'll openly admit that they spend more time than is normal sat in a theatre, when I found out that The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals was coming to the 12,000-seater AO Arena in Manchester, I knew there was absolutely no way I could miss it. The casts of thirteen of the UK's biggest musicals all under one roof, along with some special surprises, all hosted by the city's own Jason Manford - how could I say no?

Rishi Sunak will hold face-to-face talks in the UK with the European Commission president as he looks to finalise a deal to fix issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol. In a joint statement on Sunday from Downing Street and the European Commission, they confirmed the Prime Minister and Ursula von der Leyen would meet to discuss the 'range of complex challenges around' the Brexit treaty.