EXCLUSIVE: Andrew McCarthy (Brats), Drew Van Acker (Last Survivors) and Debby Ryan (Shortcomings) have wrapped production in New York on Orion, a new sci-fi thriller from director Jaco Bouwer (Gaia).
30.06.2024 - 22:31 / variety.com
David Benedict Is it a musical? Is it a roller derby? Is it a game-show? When the roller-skating phenomenon that is “Starlight Express” opened in London in 1984 it was all of those and more, as evidenced by its 18-year run. It lasted just 22 months on Broadway but in a uniquely created theater in Bochum, Germany, it has just entered its 37th year. Might North London’s much-vaunted new version in a specifically rebuilt theater emulate that success? Hope springs eternal, but given Luke Sheppard’s surprisingly strained and only intermittently exciting production, it’s going to need a massive marketing spend.
Every iteration of the show has subtracted and added numbers to Lloyd Webber’s score. That makes sense since the show was never conceived as seriously thought-through musical drama but more as a succession of songs to create a fun-fest event about trains racing against one another to appeal to theater newcomers. This was event-theater before anyone coined the term.
Building on numerous previous iterations of the show, the major changes of this new production reflect welcome departures from eighties sexual politics. In the original, all the trains were male with females relegated to playing subsidiary coach characters. Here, some genders have been switched.
One of the leading contenders for the prize for the fastest train, Greaseball, formerly Elvis Presley-like, is now female and played by Al Knott. Similarly, the character of the central child’s father is now his mother (Jade Marvin.) And in the era of climate awareness, a new character, Hydra (Jaydon Vijn) – as in hydrogen – arrives to help the hero on his way. Sheppard was a cunning choice as helmer since he worked wonders with “& Juliet”.
EXCLUSIVE: Andrew McCarthy (Brats), Drew Van Acker (Last Survivors) and Debby Ryan (Shortcomings) have wrapped production in New York on Orion, a new sci-fi thriller from director Jaco Bouwer (Gaia).
There are reports of tensions rising once again between Prince Andrew and King Charles over the Duke of York's deteriorating residence, Royal Lodge. King Charles is said to be pressuring his younger brother to vacate his 30-room Windsor mansion in favour of the more modest Frogmore Cottage, previously the UK home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke of York, 64, is believed to have a lengthy lease on the Royal Lodge.
Andrew Lincoln, famed for his role in The Walking Dead, is set to star in the new ITV thriller Cold Water.
EXCLUSIVE: Andrew Lincoln is returning to British TV.
Andrew Rannells was planning on reprising his role as Jim Bakker in the new Broadway musical Tammy Faye, but he dropped out after contract negotiations fell through.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Andrew Scott were among the latest bunch of famous faces to be spotted at Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour show in London.Swift took her record-breaking tour to London at the weekend where she performed a sold-out three-night run at Wembley Stadium.Various celebrities have been spotted enjoying the show from the VIP tent over the weekend, including Tom Cruise, Greta Gerwig, Hugh Grant and Prince William.At last night’s show (June 23), where Swift brought out Gracie Abrams to perform their new duet ‘Us’ for the first time, Waller-Bridge and Scott were spotted in attendance.Social media users are reacting to the Fleabag reunion, and have been posting various pictures and videos of them enjoying the show.One video shows the pair leaving the stadium during the transition between the ‘folklore’ and ‘1989’ ‘eras’, before hearing the iconic guitar riff at the start of the song ‘Style’ and rushing back to the VIP tent to catch the chart-topping track.not Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Andrew Scott running back when they hear Style lmao #erastourtaylorswift #tstheerastour #taylorswift #ttpd #traviskelce #erastourlondon #phoebewallerbridge #andrewscott ♬ original sound – Fahima A caption to the video read: “POV: me when I hear the style intro”, with many Swifties noting how relatable their reaction was.
The Royal Family made a grand return to the public eye last week with a united front at the Trooping the Colour. Just two days later, they regrouped for the annual Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle.
“Pretty in Pink” at the time that it came out.“I didn’t think it was that interesting,” said McCarthy, 61, in an interview with PEOPLE published Saturday. “I didn’t quite get the movie at the time.
The Royal Family made a grand return to the public eye last week with a united front at the Trooping the Colour. Just two days later, they regrouped for the annual Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle. Both events are deeply rooted in history and hold significant importance in the Royal calendar.
Jordan Moreau Andrew Callaghan, the 27-year-old director and journalist known for his popular Channel 5 YouTube videos, is back with his most intimate project yet: “Dear Kelly.” The documentary is Callaghan’s first major project since his directorial debut “This Place Rules,” which premiered on HBO in 2022. It also marks his return to feature filmmaking since he paused his career in light of sexual misconduct allegations in early 2023. After apologizing for his past behavior, Callaghan went on hiatus, began attending therapy and completed a 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program.
The Royal Family was rocked this year by double health issues as King Charles and Kate Middleton were both announced to have been diagnosed with cancer. As both Charles and Kate took time out from public duties over the course of the past few months in order to focus on treatment plans, there's been one beacon of hope shining brightly as Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who has just provided an uplifting health update as she continues her own battle against the disease.
Two hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At PAC NYC, 251 Fulton Street. Through July 28.The hottest show in town is… “Cats”?Nobody’s said that about Andrew Lloyd Webber’s singing-dancing feline musical since around 1984.
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Sarah, Duchess of York has finally spoken out about the rumours of a second Royal wedding with Prince Andrew.The Duchess of York - who was married to the late Queen's second son from 1986 until their split in 1992 and subsequent divorce in 1996 - is mum to Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 34, with her former spouse. Despite divorcing, Sarah and the Duke have continued to share their home, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor Estate, where Andrew's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother resided. Even though their close relationship post-divorce has sparked whispers of a potential romantic reunion, Sarah has firmly stated that remarriage is not on the cards.
Filmmaker Richard Linklater is on a tear. Earlier this month, he released his “Hit Man” film on Netflix, and just a few weeks ago, according to recent interviews, he finished shooting his French New Wave movie, “Nouvelle Vague,” which should be ready for some time in 2025, but there’s more: a new project called, “Blue Moon” which will reunite him with longtime collaborator Ethan Hawke.
EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Blue Moon, the new film from Academy Award nominee Richard Linklater (Hit Man), on which we were first to report, and which will be his next effort after all, with production commencing in Dublin, Ireland this summer.
Editor’s Note: Journalist David Blum might have forever coined The Brat Pack era, but it was Carl Kurlander who provided the reason the infamous New York article got written. St. Elmo’s Fire was a script Kurlander wrote with director Joel Schumacher, inspired by events in his life. Now an academic, Kurlander has written several guest columns for Deadline including a 35th anniversary remembrance of St. Elmo’s Fire. Why is he tapping again into those memories? He just watched Brats, the Hulu documentary that premiered at Tribeca, directed by and starring Andrew McCarthy. He was part of the St. Elmo’s Fire ensemble that felt maligned by a mag article published the week before the film was released and became a surprise hit. Here, Kurlander supplies some great dish — did you know Demi Moore‘s drug demons almost forced Joel Schumacher to replace her with the young singer Madonna? Or that Georgetown shunned the movie for immoral activity but OK’d The Exorcist because despite the vile goings on involving a possessed child, evil didn’t win? A little of that stuff would have helped McCarthy’s docu, which gets tedious as he attempts to expunge demons, even as cohorts like Moore, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy seem to be humoring him on camera. After all, that film launched fine futures for them, even if the moniker stung. McCarthy paints journo Blum as a villain, but in fairness, The Brat Pack was a far more clever coinage than putting “gate” on the end of every scandal since Watergate. Blum also unwittingly etched into permanent Hollywood history the memory of those actors when they were young and gorgeous. Who wants to be forgotten?
Five years later, Tom Bergeron is dancing to the beat of his own dream.
Scooter Braun is quitting the world of music management — and he has a lot to say about it.
Andrew Rannells, walking the red (actually blue) carpet at the Tony Awards yesterday for his nominated Gutenberg! The Musical had some disappointing news for fans: Contrary to previous reports, Rannells will not reprise his Olivier-nominated performance as televangelist Jim Bakker when the musical Tammy Faye comes to Broadway later this fall.