Broadway musicals Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

won’t rain on Lea Michele’s parade.Broadway’s “Funny Girl” announced Thursday that the musical will take its final bow later this year — despite seeing a massive boom in ticket sales following the casting of the “Glee” alum.The show revealed the news on Instagram. “Hey, gorgeous! We’re having so much fun with you on Broadway, we’re sticking around until September 3rd,” reads the post.Michele, 36, will continue to star as Fanny Brice — a role made famous by Barbra Streisand in the original 1964 production — through the end of its tenure at the August Wilson Theatre.

anti-Semitic neo-Nazi protesters targeted the musical “Parade,” Mayor Eric Adams took the stage before Thursday night’s performance to declare the theater “is not a place where hate lives.”“We have the largest Jewish population outside of Tel Aviv,” Adams said as he addressed the audience at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.“And when you come out and really cross-pollinate with ideas and culture, that’s the beauty and that’s the symbol of New York City.”He continued: “When we fill a theater, we send a message out there that this is not a place where hate lives.”The Tony-winning “Parade” stars “Dear Evan Hansen” actor Ben Platt, 29, and Micaela Diamond, 23, of “The Cher Show.” Both are Jewish-Americans.A post shared by Parade on Broadway (@paradebway)Set in 1913, the Broadway musical is inspired by Jewish factory boss Leo Frank, who was wrongfully convicted of raping and murdering 13-year-old employee Mary Phagan.After his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, Frank was kidnapped from his cell and lynched by an anti-Semitic mob.Following Frank’s murder, evidence from the case pointed to Jim Conley, the factory’s janitor, as the actual killer.

“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” in her Tony-winning role as Effie White in “Dreamgirls,” Jennifer Holliday is still here, folks.But now her signature number has a completely different meaning for the 62-year-old diva, who has overcome weight struggles, career setbacks and a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1999.“When I first sang it, I was 19 going on 20 years old,” Holliday told The Post. “And as I became a young woman and then a real woman and then a grown-ass woman, the song took on different meanings. It’s a song of survival today.

Kristin Chenoweth is only 4’11”.What she lacks in height though, she certainly makes up for in stage presence.And now you can see Chenoweth’s stage presence on full display when the Tony winner takes off on her seven-concert ‘For The Girls Tour’ at performing arts centers, philharmonics and concert halls all over the country from Feb.

wrote on Instagram. “I’m told it’s triggered by a virus, and it seems we have one of those lurking about.“I should make a full recovery, but like Justin Bieber (good company!), who announced a similar condition, I’m unable to perform at this time, and thus will not be on tour with Disney Princess – The Concert this fall.”Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes temporary facial paralysis.

“Almost Famous,” which starts previews Oct. 3 at the Bernard B. Jacobs.

New Victory Theater, where productions from across the country and around the world play out in a family-friendly space at family-friendly prices.Not for nothing has the New Victory been called the gold standard in children’s theater, the best first stop on the way to taking your kids to see “Wicked” and everything else Broadway has to offer.This season opens with a bang and a clang in “Cookin’,” a loud, slap-happy import from South Korea. Expect nonstop percussive action as four chefs frantically prepare for a wedding feast, using every utensil they can find, including the kitchen sink.You’ll see martial arts, hear authentic Korean samulnori drumming and watch as some of the real food onstage goes flying into the first few rows of the orchestra.

according to the Hollywood Reporter.“Ali’s examples of grace, passion, strength of spirit, cool under fire and smiling through it all, has been a great model for millions to aspire to live by, myself included,” said producer Richard Willis.“We are excited to honor Ali’s life and legacy theatrically; it makes for an extraordinarily entertaining and impactful new musical for the world to enjoy.”Ali’s wife, Lonnie, also issued her own statement, saying how happy she was to bring her late husband’s legacy to life.“Muhammad has been a muse and continues to be a source of inspiration to so many artists around the world,” Ali said.

an onslaught of dishy stories about the early departure of her predecessor, Beanie Feldstein. Indeed, no Broadway switcheroo has been this dramatic since Andrew Lloyd Webber unceremoniously booted Patti LuPone out of “Sunset Boulevard” and hired Glenn Close instead.In an attempt to give the change-up some breathing room, the production is formally inviting critics to review the show again in three weeks. So, The Post bought its own ticket Tuesday for the best seat in the house — Rear Mezzanine Row Q.Anyway, the delay is needless.

reports Broadway Journal. The production will see the 41-year-old Groban starring as the demon barber himself while his pie-baking accomplice Mrs. Lovett will be played by Annaleigh Ashford.

disastrous new musical version of the Meryl Streep movie. At least not yet.Broadway insiders thought it was dead on arrival after opening to lukewarm-to-scathing reviews in Chicago last week from every major critic — The Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times.

CHICAGO — “You’ve got no style or sense of fashion,” viciously observes the fictional magazine editor Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada.”She’s dressing down her dowdy prospective new assistant, Andy, but that same harsh criticism should be lobbed at the bargain-bin new musical adaptation of the film and Lauren Weisberger’s novel that opened Sunday night in Chicago.2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. At the James L.

will open on Broadway in 2023, producers announced Wednesday.Sources told The Post that next spring the time-traveling DeLorean will land at the Winter Garden Theatre, where “The Music Man” starring Hugh Jackman is currently waiting for the Wells Fargo Wagon.Wolverine will depart when his contract expires, and the oh-so-bankable star will not be recast, a source close to the production said. Makes sense.

Tony Awards.On Sunday night, almost nobody at Radio City Music Hall bothered to stand up for the late Stephen Sondheim.After a far too modest tribute to the legendary composer/lyricist of “West Side Story” “Gypsy,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into The Woods,” “A Little Night Music” and many others, who died in November at age 91, sung by Bernadette Peters, only a handful of show people begrudgingly got to their feet.For one of the greatest musical theater composers of all time. Who gave his entire life to Broadway.

2022 Tony Awards on Sunday but did not accept the award in person, which sparked concerns from her fans.The 96-year-old actress, who starred in several shows such as “Sweeney Todd,” “Gypsy” and “Mame,” was not present at the 75th Tony Awards that were held Sunday at Radio City Music Hall.The award aired during the pre-show, with her former “Sweeny Todd” costar, Len Cariou, introducing her.Fans immediately voiced concern about the Broadway icon’s absence from the award show.“Angela Lansbury’s absence, even by video, is concerning. And perhaps helps explain why this wasn’t on the main broadcast,” tweeted one user.“They couldn’t even have Angela Lansbury record an acceptance speech for her lifetime achievement award? How awkward.

is returning to the Great White Way this summer with another star-studded cast. Sara Bareilles will reprise her off-Broadway role as the Baker’s Wife and Gavin Creel will again star as the Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince. However, Neil Patrick Harris and Tony winner Heather Headley will not be back for this run of the show.

made some dud films lately, but this is Crystal reliving his “When Harry Met Sally” prime.Crystal’s musical, which he’s written the book for alongside Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, is based on one of his lesser films, 1992’s “Mr. Saturday Night,” which got mixed reviews back then. The story of a TV comedy has-been’s attempt at a comeback moves gracefully to the stage, and comes at a more appropriate time in the actor’s life. Thirty years older and wiser, he still plays Buddy Young, a faded comedy legend of a long-gone black-and-white show called the “Coleman Comedy Hour” who was blackballed after a mental breakdown.

“Ouch!” is the main takeaway of the intriguing, autobiographical new musical “A Strange Loop,” which opened Tuesday night on Broadway. It’s blow after blow after blow. And then some metaphorical slaps, kicks and scratches for good measure.

according to Deadline. The star-studded off-Broadway production is scheduled to open May 4 and run through May 17.

who was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for “The Lost Daughter” — and the aforementioned spittle incident went down at the new West End production of “Cabaret” in London.It wasn’t a loogie of outrage (although me being a critic, perhaps it was), but an outgrowth of the wild unpredictability of Sally Bowles, the troubled British singer who plies her trade at Berlin’s seedy Kit Kat Club.After Sally was introduced by Eddie Redmayne’s Emcee during “Willkommen,” Buckley ran up to my balcony seat and fluttered her salivated lips like a baby who didn’t want her carrot puree. “So that’s why I had to take a COVID test to be here,” I figured.The A-list show, which is up for 11 Olivier Awards on Sunday, tries to differentiate itself with that brand of breathing-down-your-neck intimacy and immersion.

Preview in new tab“CODA,” the Oscar-nominated film about a singing teenage daughter in a deaf family, is being developed as a stage musical by the Los Angeles-based Deaf West Theatre.The project was announced Wednesday by the film’s producers, Vendôme Pictures and Pathé Films, ahead of Sunday’s Academy Awards where “CODA” is in contention for best picture. Sian Heder’s “CODA,” which was acquired for $25 million by Apple TV+ after its Sundance Film Festival debut, was adapted from a 2014 French film.That 2014 film, “La Famille Bélier,” didn’t star deaf actors as the parents, but “CODA” has drawn widespread praise for its authenticity.

Broadway’s real-life Max Bialystock.After producing “Ragtime” and “Show Boat” in the 1990s, Drabinsky was thrown behind bars in 2009 for keeping two sets of books for his Broadway production company Livent. In doing so, he misled investors into believing that money-losing flops were really big hits, bilking them out of some $500 million. The Canadian crook was only allowed to cross the border into the United States again in 2019 after charges here were dismissed with prejudice because he served time in Canada.

opened Thursday night on Broadway, has been building now for — somehow — three years.The musical boasts the same creative team as Bette Midler’s wildly successful “Hello, Dolly!,” and we all hoped it would be the bandleader of Broadway’s post-pandemic return. Adding more sparkle, Hugh Jackman plays the leading man, Harold Hill, and on paper, it’s the role of the celebrated actor’s lifetime.Running time: 2 and a half hours with one intermission.

those regular slumber parties with 8-year-olds at the home of the world’s most famous man that the press so “twisted” do not come up in the musical. Fine.Still, the singer keeps decrying “the constant noise, the media, the lies.” Michael complains to MTV about journalists and to his business manager about tour costs.

two Broadway productions permanently closed due to surging COVID-19 cases.The shows “Waitress” and “Thoughts of a Colored Man” said on Friday that their productions would not reopen after performing their final shows earlier this week, Playbill reported.Sara Bareilles’ “Waitress” returned to Broadway in September and was expected to run through next month, but its limited engagement at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre was also thwarted by cases of the virus among its cast and company, Playbill

2 hours 45 minutes, with one intermission. At the Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th St.Being the only sober person in a room full of drunks is never any fun.

the late Robin Williams’ comedic talents been dragged onstage almost 30 years later without him? Partly as a star vehicle for Broadway favorite Rob McClure, who now plays Doubtfire a k a Daniel. 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 W.

Broadway’s “Chicago” has canceled two more days of performances this week after several theater workers tested positive for COVID-19.On Saturday, the evening performance of the hit musical in Times Square’s Ambassador Theatre was put on hold after two workers at the West 49th Street venue tested positive for the virus, according to PlayBill.Now, performances that were scheduled for Monday and Tuesday have also been canceled.Performances will resume Thursday, Dec.

Netflix and viewers experienced the bonkers lyrics (“I could use a prince to save me from my prince”) and soap-opera-scale scenes, the show has turned into a camp event.On Friday night, the man’s foul-mouthed outburst came after Diana (Jeanna de Waal) and Charles had a spat in the first act, during which the petulant prince sang to his wife, “The only thing you’ve ever done is marry me!”Whereas on “The Crown,” Josh O’Connor’s Charles is somewhat sympathetic, in the musical the prince is framed

Nederlander National Markets, which presents touring Broadway shows all over the country, has partnered with Wellstand Health to ensure COVID-19 safety precautions are met and even exceeded.Local venue staff and backstage crew in cities including Richmond, Virginia, Norfolk, Virginia, and Reno, Nevada will now get their nasal cavities gently tickled by staff to ensure safety.Upcoming shows in Norfolk include “Anastasia,” “Hairspray,” “Jersey Boys,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate

thought as much 17 years ago, when he wrote that “the result seems unnecessarily pretentious and emotionally chilly” and that the music was “drearily pastiche.” Turns out “Caroline” hasn’t changed that much.And then there are the talking appliances. In the basement in which single mom Caroline does the laundry for a Jewish family, the washing machine (Arica Jackson), dryer (Kevin S.

the Oddjob-evoking mishap in an Instagram video posted Wednesday.

“Cinderella,” unsurprisingly, are its cast and Lloyd Webber’s heart-racing ballads sung on a bare stage.Cinderella, Georgina Onuorah (she is the alternate, the role is normally played by Carrie Hope Fletcher), makes a striking West End debut with modern pop flair in a song called “I Know I Have a Heart.” She sits, shattered after the ball, on the center of the stage in a big white gown and powerfully wails her pain right to us.As her Prince Sebastian, a nontraditionally geeky heir, talented

for years with the support of egomaniacal producers, who, like Harold Hill rapping in the River City town square, convinced salivating investors to pony up millions of dollars to slap a defective disco ball onstage and then have the gall to beg for Tony Awards. Well, here she is, boys! The flop of the year is “Diana the Musical,” which just premiered on Netflix prior to its official opening night Nov.

all theaters were shut down for what turned into an 18-month eternity. Now “Six” is back and vivacious as ever.That exuberance comes out of left field, considering the first words we hear are “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived,” the old history-class trick for remembering the English wives’ fates.

has canceled performances yet again starting Friday through the next two weeks after breakthrough COVID-19 cases were discovered.“Although negative PCR testing allowed us to move safely forward with last night’s performance of Aladdin at The New Amsterdam Theatre, additional breakthrough COVID-19 cases were detected within the company today,” the production said in a statement.Citing the “wellness and safety of our guests, cast and crew” as “top priority,” the musical canceled several shows in