Steve Fickinger, Tony-Winning Producer of ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ Dies at 62

Denzel Washington was absent from the Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony on Thursday due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Washington’s representative confirmed to TheWrap.Washington, who was slated to be honored at today’s ceremony, will receive the award at a later date.“There’s a man who couldn’t be here today but wanted to be: Denzel Washington, one of our greatest actors in American history. Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Tony Awards, (and) wide acclaim from audiences and peers around the world,” President Biden said.

Denzel Washington was noticeably absent from the Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony that took place at the White House on Thursday. According to a White House Official (via reports from ), the actor tested positive for COVID-19 and is set to receive the honor at a later date.  President Biden addressed the actor's absence during the ceremony in the East Room. «There’s a man who couldn’t be here today but wanted to be: Denzel Washington, one of our greatest actors in American history. Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Tony Awards, (and) wide acclaim from audiences and peers around the world,» Biden said.

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Archie Gips’ production company Unrealistic Ideas is teaming with producer Van Echeverri for a documentary feature about the FBI’s takedown of USC football player turned drug kingpin Owen Hanson.

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentPeter Brook, the British-born director who won Tonys and Emmys but is best known for his theater work ranging from Broadway’s “Marat/Sade” and “Irma La Douce” to experimental productions like “The Mahabarata,” has died. He was 97.Brook’s death was confirmed by his long-time publisher, and later the BBC, on Sunday.

A lucky ticket holder could be the second biggest UK EuroMillions winner ever if they are ale to match all five main numbers and the two Lucky Stars. The estimated jackpot in today's bumper draw is an unbelievable £170million.

EXCLUSIVE: Myles Frost, the moonwalking star of Broadway’s MJ The Musical who recently, at age 22, became the youngest-ever recipient of the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, has signed with UTA in all areas.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWarner Bros. Discovery has partnered with energy company Shell for an adrenaline-filled show, “Dare to Ride,” that has begun airing on Discovery in Southeast Asia and India. “Dare to Ride” showcases some of Asia’s most accomplished riders as they attempt to conquer the region’s most iconic routes with just their bikes, their wits, and their technical knowhow.

Carson Burton Robert A. Katz, the producer behind projects such as “Gettysburg,” “Selena” and “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” died on Wednesday after a long battle with lung cancer, his family announced Thursday.

Deadline reports.He then moved on to become the Vice President of Creative Development for Disney Theatrical Productions.There, he oversaw the Broadway production of Aida as well as the national tour of “High School Musical,” among others.He left Disney in 2013 and went on to begin his own production company, FickStern Productions.One of the first shows he produced was the Tony Award-winning revival of “Dear Evan Hansen.”At the time of his passing, he was working on animated and hybrid films for Warner Brothers Studios, according to reports.Fickinger also served as Executive Producer of the production of “Rock of Ages” at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood.He was also working on developing a handful of shows for Broadway as well as touring productions.A cause of death has not been released.

announced via Facebook that he passed away “suddenly” at his Laguna Beach home on June 17. No cause of death was immediately revealed.A former stage actor, Fickinger worked his way up from the Disney mail room to become the Director of Creative Development for animated features.

Steve Fickinger, a Tony Award-winning producer of Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen and, as a longtime creative executive with Disney Theatrical Group helped spearhead the development of such stage shows as Newsies and Aladdin, died suddenly at his home in Laguna Beach, California, on June 17. He was 62.

The Tony Award-winning revival of Company will play its final Broadway performance at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Sunday, July 31, producers said in a surprise announcement today.

Gordon Cox Theater EditorAudiences already know Joaquina Kalukango as an actor onstage (“Slave Play”) and on screen (“One Night in Miami”) — and on the most recent Tony Awards telecast, when she capped off a roof-raising performance with a Tony win for her work in the musical “Paradise Square.” What fans might not know, though, is that she’s also at work on a few projects as a writer.Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” podcast below:“I am trying to concentrate on narratives of our culture specifically, because I don’t see them,” Kalukango said on the latest episode of “Stagecraft,” Variety’s theater podcast. “I also am writing. I’m Angolan so there are specific stories I want to tell from my community as well.” For now, she’s declining to share too many details of what she’s writing.