Broadway Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Anthony Ramos, for example, never thought he'd be a Broadway star back when he first got the performing bug.Ramos and his Transformers: Rise of the Beasts co-star Dominique Fishback recently sat down with ET's Will Marfuggi, while promoting their new action blockbuster, and the star reflected on his unexpected journey to the stage.«Broadway was, like, [not the plan]. That's the thing, I didn't even like musicals, growing up. I didn't watch a musical, I hated musicals.

This girl is on Broadway! Alicia Keys has announced a new musical titled Hell's Kitchen, which will be loosely based on her own life story. The show will feature Keys' music, and centers on a 17 year-old Ali living in a cramped Times Square Apartment and discovering the piano.

Colton Ryan is still getting used to spotting his image on street lamp banners throughout the Theater District.“Every time I take a new block home, I’m like, ‘Oh hey, me,'” said Ryan of the nearly 100 flags bearing his likeness. “It’s pretty wild, honestly.”The 27-year-old — who this year was nominated for his first Tony Award for his portrayal of Jimmy Doyle, the leading man in “New York, New York” — was at first unaware of his high-flying honor.“I was asked to approve a photo and I did, but I didn’t know that’s where it was going,” he said of the banners, which feature a shot of him and his costar, Anna Uzele.In the musical, nominated for nine Tonys, he plays the role of Robert De Niro originated in the 1977 film of the same name.

Tina Turner passed away at 83.Turner leaves behind an impressive stable of hits like “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “The Best,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” and a sterling reputation for being a one-of-a-kind electric live performer.And if you never got a chance to see her in concert — Turner’s last U.S. performance was in December 2008 on her ‘Tina! 50th Anniversary Tour’ — you can pay your respects to the Queen by checking out her touring “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.”The Tony Award winning musical that tells Turner’s life story is currently playing venues all over North America for the foreseeable future.That includes runs at Rochester Auditorium in Rochester, NY from June 4-9, 2024 and Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, NY from July 30, 2024 through Aug.

died in Switzerland on Wednesday at the age of 83 after longtime battles with illnesses including cancer, high blood pressure and kidney disease.A towering, acclaimed musical based on her life has played in theater districts around the world since 2018.London’s West End version was undergoing a performance Wednesday evening when the audience found out about Turner’s passing — and the moment was caught on video.“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” star Kristina Love — who plays the lead role — tearfully halted the production at Aldwych Theatre to pay tribute to the groundbreaking music giant.In a video shown on the chat show “Good Morning Britain” Thursday, Love addressed the audience.“We’re here tonight because one woman boldly lived her life, from cotton fields to stardom,” she said in a video shown on the UK chat show “Good Morning Britain” on Thursday.“You have all found yourself in her story, in her music, and we’re all here today. So tonight we’re gonna party because we know there’s a huge party in heaven right now,” Love said.The audience gasped, clapped and cheered, with many shedding tears.

will not negotiate a waiver or interim deal to allow WGA screenwriters to write a script for the show’s broadcast — leaving theater’s biggest night in limbo. “As has been previously reported, the Writers Guilds of America East and West (WGA) will not negotiate an interim agreement or a waiver for the Tony Awards,” the statement said.

effectively canceled the broadcast, which was set to air on CBS Sunday, June 11.The Monday meeting was meant to pick an alternate route, but came up with jack squat, sources told The Post.“Big surprise: No plan or conclusion,” said one annoyed source familiar with the talks.Instead, the Tonys will appeal to the WGA to again attempt (in vain, trust me) to squeeze a waiver out of the striking union and go forward with a normal telecast.“They’re trying to exhaust that one,” the source added. “A Hail Mary.”An incredulous insider pointed out, “There has not been a single waiver issued!”The Post has reached out to the Tony Awards for comment.While a script for the Tonys is said to have been written, other entertainment industry unions — the Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity and more — are standing in solidarity with the WGA.

Bad Cinderella” learned their show is set to close on June 4 after just 33 previews and 85 performances.And I don’t mean Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.In a highly unusual move for the Great White Way, producer Christine Schwarzman handed out prayer cards to her company — who first heard the production was kaput after Playbill published the news early and then quickly took their story down — to go out with God.On one side of the card, which The Post has obtained, is the logo of Lloyd Webber’s problem-plagued musical, featuring the rebellious main character spray-painting the letter “A” in “Bad.” On the other is an original prayer.Hold onto your rosaries. It reads: “Lord, you have wired us to create, to innovate, to lead with new ideas, to set the trends and even blaze a new path. May we, through our artistic expressions, creatively communicate Your heart of love, mercy and grace to a world that needs You.“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in Your divine plan.

2023 Tony Awards telecast will go on as planned a month from now are slipping away fast, multiple sources told The Post.The complexities of the writers’ strike, which is still in its early days, have made it virtually impossible for the show, Broadway’s biggest promotional push of the year, to air on Sunday, June 11 on CBS.“The Tonys are hanging on by fingernails,” said a source familiar with the turmoil. “It’s a mess.” The American Theatre Wing and Broadway League, two trade organizations that put on the ceremony, are voting Friday to decide how to move forward.The Wing, I’m told, would prefer to postpone the broadcast — which is still set to take place at the United Palace in Washington Heights — until the strike is over. That option would look something like when the 2020 Tony Awards finally went on in Sept.

Lea Michele isn't going anywhere!Speaking with  Tuesday, Michele shared that her run on Broadway isn't over when she wraps Funny Girl in September.While she's keeping tight-lipped on the details, Michele has already got another gig lined up.«I already know what it is,» she teased to the outlet. «You know it.»Careful not to give too much away, Michele did share that her next foray on Broadway will be «very different musically.»The singer-actress, who last appeared on Broadway in 2006's , made her return to the stage in September when she replaced Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice in the first revival of  since Barbara Streisand helmed the role in 1964.The musical follows Brice on her rise to fame and her turbulent relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. While she's not saying goodbye to Broadway just yet, Michele does have some plans for when production on  ends, namely spending some time at home with her soon-to-be three-year-old son, Ever.«I'm gonna just spend as much time with my son as I can, and rest,» Michele told ET last month.

announced, and Broadway’s corniest new musical picked up nine including Best Musical — tying “& Juliet” and “New York, New York” for the second-most nominated show of the year. What’s the musical, you’re wondering? “Shucked.” What’s it about? Ask any cast member or audience member alike and they’ll tell you the same thing.

2023 Tony Awards.And now that all 27 nominated productions have been announced for the 76th annual Tonys, it’s time to see them all live — well, the 16 shows that are still running as of now which feature stars nominated for the first time like Jessica Chastain, Josh Groban and Jodie Comer — on the Great White Way before theater’s biggest night of the year.To make your life easy, we’ve compiled a list of all the shows from the most nominated — this year, the musical adaptation of “Some Like It Hot” led the way with 13 nods — to the least that only nabbed a single selection like the buzzy “Summer, 1976.”Best of all, we found tickets for all 16 shows that are still running as of now.Want to go to a show in person so you’re in the know come awards night?Keep reading, dramaphiles.We’ve got all the details you need below.13 nominations include Best New Musical, Christian Borle and J.

like most of this season, looking smaller than usual.Ahead of the awards, held on June 11, the pre-show telecast has been banished by CBS to something called Pluto. The Tonys themselves are taking place about as far away from the Theater District as the planet Pluto — at the United Palace in Washington Heights.

via live stream by “Funny Girl” and former “Glee” star Lea Michele, who was an attendee at Monday night’s Met Gala, and Tony winner Myles Frost at the Sofitel New York.“West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose will be hosting the show for a second time.DeBose, 32, announced earlier this month that she was “honored” to return. “I was honored to serve as host last year and even more so to be asked back,” DeBose said in a statement. “So looking forward to celebrating this incredible season and the people who make the work happen.

Ain’t No Mo, Cost of Living, Leopoldstadt, Good Night, Oscar, and now, The Thanksgiving Play (★★★★★), a dark and devilish satire by Larissa FastHorse.While gratitude should be a reflection and practice we incorporate into our daily lives, it is a virtue most closely associated with the fourth Thursday of November. That’s when we gather with friends and family, stuff ourselves silly with turkey, watch football, and fall asleep on the couch — all in the name of a long-perpetuated myth.FastHorse is having none of it.

New York, New York,” which opened Wednesday night at the St. James Theatre, is akin to being stuck on the tarmac at LaGuardia. You can spot the city’s stunning skyline taunting you from across the river — “I want to be a part of it!” you think — but then nothing happens for hours on end, as you’re silently trapped there in your uncomfortable and expensive seat.And just like the elation and relief of finally deplaning, the best part of the show comes at the very end when the cast finally sings “Theme From New York, New York.” We clap for our local anthem and get to go home. Start spreading the news — I’m leaving today!  “New York, New York” is a show that honestly hurts to dislike.

“Summer, 1976” this spring and summer.The co-leads, Jessica Hecht (Gretchen Schwartz on “Breaking Bad”) and Laura Linney (Wendy Byrde on “Ozark”) just debuted their new minimalist production about two long-time friends in Ohio at the Samuel J.

New York, New York,” opening Wednesday at the St. James Theatre, ends with the iconic title number that kicks off with the lyric “Start spreadin’ the news!”It’s an ear-worm everybody knows.

Good Night, Oscar,” there is no doubt. Whether the end result is a human being or a bag of tricks depends on your taste for ham.One hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.

Prima Facie,” which opened Sunday night on Broadway, the audience is hit by two wildly different sensations.First, as we become fully absorbed by the harrowing story of Tessa, a brilliant young barrister whose life is horribly upended, there is great pain and sadness in watching her go through a trauma nobody should ever have to experience. Some viewers will be understandably overwhelmed by it all.One hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.

good news for you.Eight times a week, the curtain goes up on “The Lion King” at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway and each show is more magical than the last.Better yet, since the show has been running since 1997, tickets are fairly affordable by Broadway standards to the Great White Way staple.At the time of publication, we found some seats going for as low as $120 before fees on Vivid Seats.Not a bad price to see a six-time Tony Award winner (!) in person.Can’t wait to hear “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King?”Here’s everything you need to know and more about how to see “The Lion King” live as soon as today.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.Like any well-oiled Broadway machine, “The Lion King” can be seen eight times a week.As expected, matinees fall on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.There are no Monday shows either.Want to find the right show at the right time for you?Check out a complete calendar including all dates, start times and links to buy tickets here.“The Lion King” has a run time of two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission.Who plays Simba these days? What have I seen Scar in before?Great questions.To ease any confusion, here are the five main actors, what part they play and where you may have seen them in TV or film over the years.Brandon A. McCall (Simba): This is McCall’s Broadway debut; he is an Alabama State University alum.L. Steven Taylor (Mufasa): You may recognize Taylor from PBS’ “The Electric Company” or the HBO pilot “Last Of The Ninth.”Michael Hollick (Scar): Hollick has appeared in “Law & Order,” “Sex and the City,” “Guiding Light,” and “Hawaii Five-O” among many other credits.Ben Jeffrey (Pumbaa): Jeffrey has had roles in “The Good Wife” and “Louie.” This is his Broadway

Chicago, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera).It’s a bit premature to group Broadway’s newest musical comedy into any of these three categories, but it’s safe to say that it is harvesting a bonafide crowd-pleaser with Shucked (★★★★★).It’s not often that the Nashville and New York crowds intertwine with one another, particularly on creative projects. This exception, however, is a winning combination.Southern-bred and out country singer-songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally have joined forces with Northeast-based stage and screenwriter Robert Horn to create one of the funniest shows Broadway has seen in quite some time.Clark, an 11-time Grammy nominee and Country Music Award winner has written songs for Brandi Carlile, Alicia Keys, and Kacey Musgraves.

Apple TV+ musical comedy series “Schmigadoon!” because a producer told her she was “too old.”“I wanted to be in ‘Schmigadoon!’ – and I was too old,” LuPone, 73, explained to Mashable in a new interview.When the interviewer probed for more details, she replied, “Exactly what I said. We reached out to them and said I want to be in ‘Schmigadoon!’ They said, ‘Sorry. You’re too old.’ “The Post reached out to reps for the show’s co-creators, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, as well as LuPone for further comment.LuPone’s still holding her head high despite the alleged rejection.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” the happily hyperactive comedy that opened Wednesday night on Broadway, provides: missteps, mayhem, incapacitations, faulty sets and, in a roundabout way, “Fawlty Towers.”The very funny British play’s premise is the season’s simplest. The amateur Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society tries to put on “Peter and Wendy” and fails epically. 2 hours and five minutes, with one intermission. At the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 W.

said The Post; “Bring earplugs … Bring eye plugs,” echoed the Times. On March 25, the day after it opened, a source claimed the show did a paltry $80,000 in ticket sales. Another said the number was “significantly higher,” but box-office business has demonstrably not been brisk.For a more than $20 million musical, $750,000 would have been an ideal take after the enhanced visibility from reviews.

Andrew Lloyd Webber on Sunday, as the curtain came down one final time for Broadway's .After a 35-year run and almost 14,000 shows, Broadway's longest-running show had its final performance at the Majestic Theatre. The show also marked Webber's first appearance since the death of his 43-year-old son, Nicholas, who died in March following a battle with cancer.Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber dedicates the final «Phantom of the Opera» Broadway performance to his son, Nick, who passed away last month.

“Phantom” would finally end its storied run, ticket sales exploded. During the final two months, the musical has returned to being the highest-grossing production on Broadway, not to mention the hottest ticket in town — despite being more than three decades old.

“Phantom of the Opera” – Broadway’s longest-running show. “I grew up on his plays and the performances from ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ One of the longest-running performances is closing, but it gave us many years of just joy throughout the years,” gushed Adams outside the Majestic Theater on West 44th Street.“Phantom” will close this Sunday, April 16 after a 35-year-long run on Broadway. The show first appeared in London’s West End in 1986 before coming to New York in 1988.“But you have brought us so much joy, so much happiness.

“Hamilton” opened on Broadway in 2015 and for the past eight years has consistently been the hottest ticket on the Great White Way.Way back when the 11-time Tony Award-winning musical first premiered at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, critics and fans alike were dazzled by the original hip-hop reimagining of Secretary of State Alexander Hamilton’s life.By 2017, some seats were going for as high as $42.5K for a pair of tickets according to Financial Planner LA.That’s more than the average starting price for a minivan in 2023.However, as the years have gone by, prices have become much more reasonable to see Broadway’s buzziest, most talked about production.In fact, at the time of publication, some tickets are only $117 before fees on Vivid Seats.For those keeping score at home, that’s 0.002% of $42,500.Fans that want to get up close and personal with Hamilton, Burr, Washington, Lafayette and King George may have to shell out a bit more – but not much.Ticket prices for lower-level orchestra seats can be procured for around $180 before fees depending on the show.Not in New York City in the “room where it happens?”Not a problem.You can still get your “shot” to see the show in person.“Hamilton” is on tour in cities like Toronto, Virginia and Minneapolis.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.“Hamilton” abides by the standard eight-show a week schedule.That means matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.As expected, the lights go dark on Mondays at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.If you want a closer look, “Hamilton’s” complete calendar including show dates, start times and links to buy tickets can be found here.The show runs 2 hours 45 minutes including an intermission.Although powerhouse names Lin-Manuel, Daveed Diggs,

score a free ticket on Vivid Seats.For fans that buy ten tickets to concerts, shows, readings, games, matches, monster truck jams, really anything at all on Vivid Seats — the eleventh is free.Well, mostly free.Vivid Seats gives out “stamps” toward Rewards Credits.If you “collect” ten stamps, which are equal in value to the price of the ticket you’ve purchased, you get one on the house.There are a few rules though.To be clear, once you’ve hit the ten-stamp threshold, you aren’t automatically “gifted” a ticket.

that is the question.Running time: 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.  At the American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd Street.Playwright James Ijames’ “Fat Ham,” which opened Wednesday night on Broadway, thinks so.

“Shucked” is the best new musical of the Broadway season so far. The Southern comfort show, with a tuneful country score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally and a superb book by Robert Horn, is just so damn funny. If any of the outrageous yokel characters open their mouths to do anything but sing, 99% of the time they will deliver a winning joke or pun. The receptive audience sits in a state of perpetual giggle, with heads bobbing up and down like buoys. An example of the sense of humor: A scamp named Peanut (Kevin Cahoon, brilliant) is a walking Poor Richard’s Almanac who colorfully announces his unhinged, universal truths as we howl back.

the new spectacle show “Life of Pi” seaworthy: stunning projections, and a better-than-necessary lead performance from the sensational Hiran Abeysekera.2 hours and 15 minutes, with one intermission. At the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W 45th Street.Working in tandem during the second act, when teenage Pi is adrift in the ocean with only dangerous zoo animals to keep him company, those fantastical images and Abeysekera’s boisterous energy create moment after moment of theatrical magic. They are sequences of pure action and ingenuity in director Max Webster’s production that do not rely on dialogue or plot to thrill us, only sheer emotion and awe.

Stephen Sondheim’s horror-musical in which throats are gruesomely slashed and cannibalism is positively hilarious. 2 hours and 45 minutes with one intermission. At the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W.

was taken to the hospital due to a “scary health issue.”In a video posted to her Instagram story on Saturday, the 36-year-old announced that she’s back starring as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” on Broadway, and shared an update on her son. “It’s been a really long week, and we’re still not out of the woods completely with our son,” she said in the video.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Bad Cinderella,” which opened Thursday night on Broadway, doesn’t have much in the way of ‘tude and swagger onstage. Or brain cells.2 and a half hours with one intermission. At the Imperial Theatre, 249 West 45th Street.It’s a mess with multiple personality disorder.