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Mark Brokaw, a prolific director of Off Broadway, Broadway and regional stage productions who beginning in the 1990s worked with some of the brightest emerging playwrights including Douglas Carter Beane, Kenneth Lonergan, Nicky Silver, Paula Vogel and Lynda Barry, died Sunday, June 29, following a battle with cancer. He was 66.

His death was confirmed by the actor Camryn Manheim on social media. “My beautiful friend Mark Brokaw lost his battle with cancer this morning….Today, we lost a beautiful, gifted, beloved friend, artist, husband, and son. The entire theater community is grieving today. I will miss him terribly.”

Raised in Illinois, Brokaw graduated from Yale Drama school and received a fellowship from the Drama League in New York. He soon met Carole Rothman, artistic director of the Second Stage Off Broadway theater, and was hired as her assistant director on Tina Howe’s Costal Disturbances in 1987.

His first solo job, also at Second Stage,...

The Watts Brothers have begun developing a sequel to their found footage horror, Black Daruma. Off the back of a solid reception to their first foray into found footage, Fionn and Toby are buzzing to bring the next instalment, Red Daruma, to screens later this year.

Black Daruma was a unique found footage movie entirely shot from the perspective of a cursed Japanese Daruma doll. The story follows an unemployed man who buys a Daruma doll to improve his fortunes — only for his life to spiral out of control in disturbing ways. Craig Lucas of Pop Horror writes: “Black Daruma turns the tables on found footage… The film tugs at your safety blanket… [Black Daruma] will find its way into your nightmares.”

“We were really pleased with how Black Daruma was received by the found footage fans and how people seemed to enjoy the unusual stylistic approach to both found footage and doll horror.

The American Theatre Wing will soon be announcing the Tonys' Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. It traditionally goes to veteran stage performers, directors, choreographers, playwrights, songwriters, producers, and designers. In some years there are multiple honorees. Last year's recipients were directors Jack O'Brien and George C. Wolfe.

Several living male Broadway vets have already received this award: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Tommy Tune, Marshall W. Mason, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Wheeler, Joel Grey, and John Kander. Here are 10 possibilities, all accomplished men over the age of 65. Vote in our poll below to let us know who you’d like to see honored.

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John Caird

Two-time Tony-winning director for The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982) and Les Misérables (1987). Additional nominations for helming Stanley (1997) and cowriting Jane Eyre the Musical (2001).

Tim Curry

Three-time Tony-nominated actor for Amadeus (1981), My Favorite Year...

Exclusive: Bartlett Sher, nine-time Tony Award directing nominee and winner for 2008’s South Pacific, will direct the recently announced Dolly Parton musical Hello, I’m Dolly, set for Broadway in 2026.

“How lucky I am to have the great Bartlett Sher direct my Hello, I’m Dolly musical,” Parton said in a statement. “When you decide to put your whole life up on stage, you hope and pray to find the right director with the right creativity and sensitivity to present all the blood, sweat, tears, light, love, and laughter that I’ve experienced over seven decades of living. My heart tells me that Bartlett is the man and the director for the job.”

Said Sher, “Dolly is one of the great songwriters in the American canon, and being entrusted with the opportunity to help her translate that glorious talent into the American musical theater is not only an honor, but absolutely a thrill.

“This show was an idea that started before I was ever nominated for any Tony,” says Kelli O’Hara about her role of Kirsten in “Days of Wine and Roses” that has earned her the eighth Tony Award nomination of her career. The idea to musicalize the 1962 film of the same name came from the actress, when she approached composer Adam Guettel during “the very first workshop of ‘Light in the Piazza’” about writing the score. She shares, “In a way, this particular role and piece have been in my mind along with every other role I’ve played since that time… so that makes it the most special to me.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Though it might seem counterintuitive to adapt “Days of Wine and Roses” to the stage as a musical instead of a play, O’Hara said it made perfect sense because she tells “stories so...

The spring season on Broadway this year is shaping up to be one of the busiest and most tumultuous in recent memory as 11 new musicals and musical revivals are opening in the last two months of the 2023-2024 Tony Awards season. With so many shows starting previews, officially opening, and even closing, the race to the Tony nominations announcement on April 30 is heating up, which means our users are frequently changing their minds on what shows will have the most success. See below for a breakdown of how our official odds have changed in 10 of the 15 musical categories since our last predictions center update on March 12, according to the 800 users currently making their picks. Scroll to the bottom of the article for a tally of nominations by show in 10 of the 15 musical categories.

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“Hell’s Kitchen” – This semi-autobiographical musical featuring the songs of Alicia Keys had a sluggish start in our predictions center,...

Days of Wine and Roses, the critically acclaimed musical adaptation of the 1962 film, will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, March 31, just about two months after its January 28 opening night.

The production becomes the third in recent weeks to announce that it would vacate the Broadway boards just as the industry gears up for one of the busiest springs in memory. Spamalot, which opened last November, announced yesterday that it would close Sunday, April 7, while A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical will play its final performance on Sunday, June 30; the production opened December 4, 2022.

All three of the soon-to-close shows have been struggling at the box office in recent weeks. Last week, Days of Wine and Roses, with a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, grossed just $364,686, filling only 55% of seats at Broadway’s Studio 54.

The musical, which began previews on Broadway January 6 and...

Sixty-two years after the release of the film “Days of Wine and Roses,” the Oscar-winning movie by writer J.P. Miller and director Blake Edwards, a musical adaptation has opened on Broadway with a score by Adam Guettel. The story of two characters brought together and torn asunder by alcohol stars Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James in the roles played in the movie by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon. The production opened at Studio 54 on Jan. 28.

In addition to reuniting Guettel and O’Hara, who collaborated on “The Light in the Piazza,” the librettist Craig Lucas from that musical contributed the book for this new venture. The ensemble cast includes Tabitha Lawing and Byron Jennings in pivotal roles under the helm of director Michael Greif.

Theatre critics were largely positive about this new Guettel musical. It earns a Critic’s Pick from Laura Collins-Hughes (New York Times), who praises the “superb” performances,...

New York city certainly hasn’t been immune to the effects of the strikes. But while Hollywood has largely been at a standstill, major players in theater, music, sports and tech have been as busy as ever. In The Hollywood Reporter’s NYC spotlight, meet the 25 attorneys handling big-ticket catalog deals, navigating AI copyright fights, buying and selling sports teams, and helping clients chase Broadway dreams.

Profiles by Winston Cho, Kirsten Chuba, Mesfin Fekadu, Caitlin Huston, Katie Kilkenny, Sydney Odman and Alex Weprin.

Lisa Alter

Alter Kendrick & Baron

NYU School of Law

Selling off big-deal music catalogs has been a growing phenomenon, and Alter is helping her clients profit. She represented Primary Wave in buying a stake in the catalogs of The Doors and Huey Lewis and the News; BMG Rights Management in the acquisition of rights from Peter Frampton and The Hollies; and Influence Media Partners in acquiring...

André Bishop will conclude his 33-year leadership tenure at Lincoln Center Theater in June 2025 at the conclusion of the non-profit theater company’s 40th anniversary 2024-25 season.

Bishop, whose celebrated tenure as Lct’s Artistic Director and more recently Producing Artistic Director included the premieres of such acclaimed new works as Tom Stoppard’s The Coast of Utopia and Arcadia, Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Wendy Wasserstein’s The Sisters Rosensweig, and The Light in the Piazza by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, to name a very few, announced his intended departure today.

“My years at Lincoln Center Theater have been happy ones,” he said in a statement, “and I will miss working with all my friends and colleagues. But the time has come, as it inevitably does, for the next generation to step in and step up. I look forward to that. Lct has...

André Bishop will step down from his role as producing artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater next year, after having worked at the nonprofit theater company for 33 years.

Bishop will depart at the end of the theater’s 2024-2025 season and the board of Lincoln Center Theater will launch a search for his successor “in due course.” The move from Bishop, who has held the position of producing artistic director at the Lincoln Center theater since July 2013, after serving as artistic director since January 1992, marks the latest shake-up in Broadway’s nonprofit realm, which consists of four theater companies.

On Wednesday, Second Stage founder Carole Rothman announced she would leave the company after 45 years. Longtime Roundabout Theatre Company CEO and Artistic Director Todd Haimes died in April, and Manhattan Theatre Club Executive Producer Barry Grove announced his departure in January after 48 years with the organization.

Chris Jennings, who had previously...

Days of Wine and Roses, a musical adaptation of the classic 1958 teleplay and 1962 feature film about a married couple struggling to come to grips with alcoholism, will open on Broadway in January starring Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James reprising their performances from an acclaimed Off Broadway production earlier this summer.

The limited 16-week engagement of Days of Wine and Roses begins previews at Broadway’s Studio 54 on January 6, 2024, ahead of an official opening on Sunday, January 28. This begins previews on January 6, 2024.

The new musical features a book by Lucas, and music and lyrics by Guettel. Michael Greif directs. Additional casting will be announced soon.

The musical received favorable reviews during its Off Broadway run at the Atlantic Theater earlier this summer. The production features choreography by Sergio Trujillo & Karla Puno Garcia, scenic design by Lizzie Clachan, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Kai Harada,...

A new musical adaptation of the classic 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses will make its world premiere Off Broadway this May in an Atlantic Theater Company production starring Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James in the roles made famous by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick.

With a book by Craig Lucas and music & lyrics by Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins), Days of Wine and Roses will begin previews on Friday, May 5, for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 25, at the Linda Gross Theater. Michael Greif directs.

Additional casting and an opening date will be announced at a later date.

Adapted from Jp Miller’s Blake Edwards-directed 1962 film and original 1958 teleplay, which chronicled the downward spiral to alcoholism of a young couple, Days of Wine and Roses will mark the first collaboration between Lucas and Guettel since their acclaimed...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Timothy Hutton has headed to London to star in the world premiere of The Sex Party written and directed by Tony Award laureate Terry Johnson.

Rehearsals are now underway at the Menier Chocolate Factory, located in the shadow of London Bridge on the south side of the capital, where the raunchy drama, that starts off as a cheese and wine evening, will begin previews performances on November 4, with an opening night set for November 15.

“It’s a play about poking fun at all things woke, it will offend everybody,” said a gleeful David Babani, the Menier Chocolate Factory’s artistic director.

Babani explained that Hutton, who won a best supporting actor Academy Award for his role in Ordinary People over four decades ago, will play Jeff, described as a shady businessman, who hooks up with Magdalena, an equally shady Russian lady, played by Amanda Donohoe (Liar Liar...

Click here to read the full article.

New musical Paradise Square will close on July 17, after garnering a Tony win for its leading actress, but struggling at the box office.

The musical, which tells the story of Irish immigrants and Black Americans living together in New York City during the Civil War, opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on April 3. Since starting performances, the production has encountered a number of challenges, including performance cancellations due to Covid-19 cases in the cast, as well as low box office receipts throughout the run.

In the most recent week of grosses, ended July 7, the production brought in just 300,000 and played to a capacity of 55 percent. The show brought in its highest gross on record, 387,669, in the week following the Tony Awards, where Joaquina Kalukango took home the award for best leading actress in a musical and delivered a stand-out performance of “Let It Burn,...

Paradise Square, the musical that marked producer Garth H. Drabinsky’s Broadway return and won its lead actress a Tony but failed to catch on at the box office, will conclude its run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with the July 17 Sunday matinee.

The closing notice was announced today, with the caveat “barring a dramatic upturn in business.”

Such an upturn is unlikely: Even after star Joaquina Kalukango’s Tony win and her show-stealing performance of the song “Let It Burn” at the June 12 awards ceremony, the musical failed to ignite at the box office. For the week ending July 3, the Barrymore was filling little more than half of its seats, even at a modest average ticket price of 70.

“We wanted to give Paradise Square every chance to succeed,” Drabinsky said in a lengthy statement (read the entire message below) “but various challenges proved insurmountable. We endured two Covid shutdowns,...

New York City Center’s Encores!, which recently announced that its acclaimed production of Into The Woods is planning a Broadway transfer, has set revivals of The Light in the Piazza, Dear World and Oliver! for its 2023 season.

Encores!, which presents a mix of classic and rarely performed Broadway musicals in enhanced concert form, will kick off the 2023 season on February 1 with The Light in the Piazza starring Ruthie Ann Miles (The King & I) and directed by Chay Yew. The musical, which premiered in 2005, features a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel based on the 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, and follows an American mother and daughter living in the shadow of a tragic accident who find joy while on vacation in 1950s Florence.

Encores! describes the upcoming production, which will run through Feb. 5, as “a deeply personal exploration of the material, transmuting the musical’s...

Tony Awards nominations were announced on Monday, May 9 by Adrienne Warren and Joshua Henry. While the nominations for the 75th annual Tony Awards were determined by a few dozen theater professionals, winners were decided by upwards of 650 members of the Broadway community.

The Tonys take place June 12 at Radio City Music Hall hosted by newly minted Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. The 2022 Tony Awards winners list below includes all 26 competitive categories.

Musicals

Best Musical

“Girl From the North Country”

“Mj”

“Mr. Saturday Night”

“Paradise Square”

“Six”

X — “A Strange Loop”

Best Musical Revival

“Caroline, or Change”

X — “Company”

“The Music Man”

Best Actor (Musical)

Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”

X — Myles Frost, “Mj”

Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”

Rob McClure, “Mrs. Doubtfire”

Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”

Best Actress (Musical)

Sharon D Clarke, “Caroline, Or Change”

Carmen Cusack, “Flying Over Sunset”

Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”

X — Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”

Mare Winningham,...

The Tony Awards nominations were announced on Monday, May 9 by Adrienne Warren and Joshua Henry. The reveal of the roster of contenders was carried on the Tonys YouTube channel. While the nominations for the 75th annual Tony Awards were determined by a few dozen theater professionals, winners will be decided by upwards of 800 members of the Broadway community.

Thirty-four shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are a dozen original works and nine revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, nine new tuners are in contention as are four musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was May 4.

The Tony Awards had been set for June 12 at Radio City Music Hall and will be hosted by newly minted Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.

The full and complete list below includes all 25 competitive categories at the 2022 Tony Awards.

Musicals

Best Musical

“Girl From...

Broadway’s mad dash to the Tony Award nominations began on April 3 with the opening of original musical “Paradise Square,” the first of 17 new productions set to bow this month. Set during the Civil War in Manhattan’s Five Points, “Paradise Square” explores the antagonisms between Irish immigrants and Black Americans during the national conflict and the potential haven for solidarities at the title bar. The musical stars an ensemble cast that boasts Tony Award-nominee Joaquina Kalukango, directed by two-time Tony nominee Moisés Kaufman. The musical runs at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

“Paradise Square” features a book cowritten by Christina Anderson, three-time Tony nominee Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan, and a score with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare with contributions from Kirwin. Tony-nominee Allen Moyer is the musical’s scenic designer, three-time Tony nominee Toni-Leslie James the costume designer, and two-time Tony winner Donald Holder the lighting designer.

Covid has caused a lot of uncertainty around Broadway. Several shows have had to suspend performances, go on hiatus, or close permanently. And the American Theatre Wing hasn’t announced key dates for this year’s Tony Awards yet. Though with that being said, we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are six productions of musicals set to open this spring. Could we see any of them contend at the next Tonys? Below is a look at the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of their authors, casts, and directors, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.

See‘Mj The Musical’ reviews: Myles Frost ‘mesmerizing’ as Michael Jackson, but musical is ‘surface-skimming’

“Mj the Musical”

This jukebox musical follows the life and career of singer Michael Jackson. Centered around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, the show offers a rare...

Exclusive: Paradise Square, the new Broadway-bound musical from producer Garth H. Drabinsky set during the history-making New York Draft Riots of the 1860s, will arrive at the Barrymore Theatre in February with several news songs added since its 2019 West Coast incarnation, including an anthemic new musical number that can’t help but summon thoughts of the galvanizing response to recent racial discord: The new number is called “Breathe Easy.”

In this new music video, debuting on Deadline, listeners can hear what Broadway audiences have in store.

The musical features a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan, and a score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with additional material provided by Masi Asare and Kirwan. The new song was written by Howland (music) and Tysen & Asare (lyrics).

In the video, recorded at New York City’s Seer Sound, the number – which includes lines like “In your...

Paradise Square, the original musical from a creative team that includes Moisés Kaufman, Bill T. Jones, Craig Lucas and Black 47 singer Larry Kirwan, will begin Broadway previews at the Shubert Organization’s Barrymore Theatre on February 22, 2022, with an opening night set for Sunday, March 20.

Producer Garth H. Drabinsky announced the dates today, along with the new casting of Joaquina Kalukango, currently Tony-nominated for her performance in Slave Play.

As previously reported, the production will arrive on Broadway directly from a five-week Chicago engagement.

The musical’s creative team includes director Moisés Kaufman and choreographer Bill T. Jones, with a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan. Graciela Daniele will provide musical staging, in collaboration with Kaufman and Jones.

The score of Paradise Square is by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with additional material provided by Masi Asare and Kirwan. The musical features original songs as well...

Paradise Square, the original musical from a creative team that includes Moisés Kaufman, Bill T. Jones, Craig Lucas and Black 47 singer Larry Kirwan, will begin a limited, month-long pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago on Nov. 2.

Casting and details about a Broadway engagement will be announced shortly.

The musical, set in the notorious Civil War-era Lower Manhattan Five Points slum, is produced by Garth H. Drabinsky, marking a return of the once ubiquitous Canadian theater executive following years of legal and financial woes around his former company Livent. Drabinsky, whose previous Broadway productions included Kiss of the Spider Woman, Show Boat, Ragtime and Fosse, is teamed on Paradise Square with longtime colleague Peter LeDonne, who co-produces.

Paradise Square will be the first major pre-Broadway show to open in Chicago after the pandemic shutdown. The musical will play from Nov. 2 – Dec. 5 at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre.

As described by the production,...

More than 200 theater writers – playwrights, composers, lyricists, librettists – have joined a nationwide letter writing campaign urging the incoming Biden-Harris Administration to prioritize its commitment to an arts community ravaged by Covid-19. Among other goals, many of the letters urge the administration to create a Department and Secretary of Arts & Culture.

Organized by the non-partisan grassroots coalition Be An #ArtsHero in partnership with The Dramatists Guild of America, the “Dear Mr. President and Madam Vice President” campaign asserts that “the Arts are vital to our nation’s soul and our collective humanity, as well as being an essential driver of the economy.”

Among those writing letters: Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play), Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown), Heidi Schreck (What The Constitution Means To Me) as well as V (formerly Eve Ensler), Craig Lucas, Theresa Rebeck, Sarah Ruhl, Marsha Norman, Lynn Ahrens, Zakiyyah Alexander, Jaclyn Backhaus, Bekah Brunstetter, Carla Ching, Vichet Chum, Paul Downs Colaizzo,...

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, Rene Fleming will reprise her starring turn in The Light in the Piazza in the United States this fall. Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' six-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical will be directed by the UK's multiple Oliver Award-winning Daniel Evans. The production will play previously announced runs at the L.A. Opera October 12-20, 2019 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and at the Lyric Opera of Chicago December 14-29, 2019.

Check out all new video from Paradise Square An American Musical. The world premiere is helmed by acclaimed director Moises Kaufman, with choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones and a book by Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan. Music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan, with lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and based on the songs of Stephen Foster.

Paradise Square An American Musical at Berkeley Rep opened this week. The world premiere is helmed by acclaimed director Moises Kaufman, with choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones and a book by Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan. Music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan, with lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and based on the songs of Stephen Foster.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Paradise Square An American Musical. The world premiere is helmed by acclaimed director Moises Kaufman, with choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones and a book by Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan. Music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan, with lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and based on the songs of Stephen Foster. Paradise Square is produced by special arrangement with Garth H. Drabinsky in association with Peter LeDonne and Teatro Proscenium Limited Partnership.

Amelie The Musical, an adaptation of the much-loved 2001 award-winning film Amelie, will have its UK stage premiere at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury from 11 April to 18 May, and then embark on an extensive UK tour from 20 May. With music by Hem's Daniel Messe, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messe and book by Craig Lucas, this new musical adaptation of the five-time Oscar-nominated film written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, will be directed by Michael Fentiman, with star casting to be announced.

Tony Goldwyn will return to Broadway in Ivo van Hove’s much-anticipated production of Network, joining Bryan Cranston and Tatiana Maslany in the stage adaptation of the 1976 Oscar-winning film.

Goldwyn will play Max Schumacher, the TV exec in the midst of a mid-life crisis played by the Oscar-nominated William Holden in the film. British actor Douglas Henshall originated the role in the West End production of the play last year.

Known to TV audiences for playing President Fitzgerald Grant in Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal and next to be seen onscreen in Netflix’s Chambers with Uma Thurman, Goldwyn has a long stage history. Among his credits: Theresa Rebeck’s The Water’s Edge, Craig Lucas’ The Dying Gaul, Holiday at Circle in the Square opposite Laura Linney, and an Obie-winning performance in The Sum of Us. He most recently appeared on Broadway in the 2010 revival of Promises, Promises.

Performances of Network begin on Saturday,...

Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas, Texas, is now casting principal talent for its upcoming play, “Prelude to a Kiss,” a romantic comedy by Craig Lucas. Male and female talent, aged 18 and older, is wanted for several lead and supporting roles in the show. There will be auditions by appointment on April 8 and 9 in Dallas, Texas. The production will run May 18–June 16. Compensation will be provided for all actors, rates currently Tbd. Ready to apply? Head over to the casting notice and do so at Backstage here! Check out Backstage’s Texas audition listings!

10 “The Whirligig,” by Hamish Linklater, at Off Broadway’s New Group. Who’s to blame for a young woman’s impending death from drug addiction? Bigger question: who talked such talented actors (Norbert Leo Butz, Zosia Mamet, Dolly Wells) into performing this script? 9 “Amelie,” by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messe and Nathan Tysen, on Broadway. The movie’s whimsical heroine turns into an insufferable annoyance on stage. 8 “Gently Down the Stream,” by Martin Sherman, at Off Broadway’s Public Theater. An old gay man (Harvey Fierstein) not only talks and talks about every atrocity suffered by the Lgbt community. He has somehow been witness.

By Dancin' Dan

Say what you will about the seemingly unending run of new Broadway musicals based on non-musical films, enough of them have been good enough that you write them off at your own risk. Kinky Boots and Waitress are just two recent examples of stage musicals that, if anything, improve on their source material. The just-opened Amélie, an adaptation of the 2001 Jean-Pierre Jeunet film, attempts to recreate the success of those two adaptations: An established, inventive director in Pam MacKinnon, music and lyrics by singer-songwriter Daniel Messé (of music group Hem) with some help from musical vet Nathan Tysen, and a book by the respected playwright Craig Lucas (Prelude to a Kiss). And of course, a Broadway star on the rise in the lead role: the angel-voiced Philippa Soo, who stole hearts in Hamilton and the Off-Broadway incarnation of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.

Unfortunately, this new...

At last, a Broadway musical that exposes the bad effects of home schooling. Based on the 2001 French film, “Amelie” opened Monday at the Walter Kerr Theatre, and its ultra-shy heroine is waifish to the point of being a vanilla wafer. Craig Lucas’ confusing book never finds its focus, and offers quite a few beginnings until, finally, the waitress Amelie (“Hamilton” alum Phillipa Soo) watches TV to see the fatal car crash that took the life of Princess Diana. Amelie begins to imagine herself as the do-gooder princess, as opposed to the party-girl princess, which is unfortunate, because it takes nearly.

A friendly reminder The new Broadway production of Amelie, A New Musical, directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, with a book by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nominee Craig Lucas The Light in the Piazza, music by Daniel Messe and lyrics by Nathan Tysen amp Messe, starring Tony Award nominee Phillipa Soo and Adam Chanler-Berat, opens next Monday, April 3, 2017 at Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre 219 W 48th Street.

Fifteen years after “Amélie” first charmed moviegoers around the world, the achievements of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and writer Guillaume Laurant are still remarkable. A sumptuous modern love story, the film was filled with enough cross-city chasing and dramatic camera movements to make a viewer feel like they’d had a full exercise during the two-hour running time.

In contrast, “Amélie: A New Musical,” which saw its Los Angeles premiere last week, is a relative stroll through Paris that’s still colorful fun without quite the same degree of satisfaction. However, what this stage version lacks in drive, it supplants with a breezy, pared-down version of plot and atmosphere more in line with the tastes of a casual theatergoing American audience.

Craig Lucas’ book sticks fairly close to the film’s basic skeleton: Amélie Poulain, a comfortably single and romantic-at-heart café waitress, makes a fateful discovery in her apartment. Stumbling on...

The race for best musical at the 2017 Tony Awards is heating up, with the confirmation of one more strong contender before the current season wraps next April.

Producers announced Wednesday that Amelie, A New Musical, will begin previews March 9 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, with an official opening set for April 3. Joining previously announced lead Phillipa Soo as Amelie's love interest Nino is Adam Chanler-Berat, seen on Broadway in Peter and the Starcatcher and Next to Normal.

Based on the 2001 French film that became an international box-office sensation, the show features a book by Craig Lucas...

The world premiere of the Garth Drabinsky production of Sousatzka, the new musical by three-time Tony Award-nominated book writer Craig Lucas and the legendary composing team of Tony Award winner Richard Maltby, Jr. Lyrics and Academy Award winner David Shire Music, is headed to Broadway in 2017. The show will star Tony Award winner Victoria Clark in the title role of Madame Sousatzka, a celebrated, eccentric, Polish-born piano teacher who was forced into exile. Today, Clark shared what drew her to the role in a post on the musical's Facebook page.

Full casting is announced for Christopher Wheeldon's stunning reinvention of the Oscarwinningfilm that starred Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. An American in Paris features the sublime music and lyrics of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a new book by Craig Lucas. Directly following celebrated engagements in Paris and New York, this critically acclaimed and multi award-winning new musical bursts into life in the West End from Saturday 4 March 2017 with the official opening night on Tuesday 21 March 2017 at the Dominion Theatre.

The Globe and Mail stated, 'Craig Lucas also a Tony winner forThe Light in the Piazza wrote the adaptation - which moves part of the action to South Africa, while the songs were by the composerlyricist team David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr., whose Broadway outings are 1983'sBabyand 1996'sBig. Two designers who just won Tony awards forHamiltonwere also involved - Paul Tazewell costumes and Howell Binkley lighting.'...

An American In Paris moved to Broadway following its world premiere in December, 2014 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. It is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, making his Broadway directing debut. Featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig Lucas, the creative team also includes Tony Award winners Bob Crowley sets and costumes, Natasha Katz lighting and Jon Weston sound with a musical score adapted and supervised by Rob Fisher. Bartlett Sher is creative consultant. Based on the Academy Award winning film inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition by George Gershwin, An American in Paris brings this classic tale to Broadway for the first time.

Tonight, April 4 at 630pm, the sun-drenched piazzas of Florence will return to the Vivian Beaumont Theater stage for one night only when members of the original cast of Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award-winning musical The Light In The Piazza, with book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, and direction by Bartlett Sher, gather for a 10th anniversary reunion concert which will also serve as Lincoln Center Theater's Annual Benefit.

In the hit new Broadway musical An American in Paris, it'sa city suddenly filled with new possibilities, when one young GIdiscovers his passion for art, his desire for change and the love of his life. Named Outstanding Musical by both the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama League and the winner of four Tony Awards, An American in Paris is inspired by the Academy Award-winning film and features the music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin, the Tony Award-winning choreography of director Christopher Wheeldon and a book by Craig Lucas.Below, check out a brand-new TV spot for the show...

OnMonday, April 4 at 630pm, the sun-drenched piazzas of Florence will return to the Vivian Beaumont Theater stage for one night only when members of the original cast of Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award-winning musicalTHE Light In The Piazza, with book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, and direction by Bartlett Sher, gather for a 10thanniversary reunion concert which will also serve as Lincoln Center Theater's Annual Benefit. Eric and Stacey Mindich are the Gala evening's Co-Chairs. Proceeds will support Lincoln Center Theater's productions and education programs.

Horror director Lucky McKee unfortunately remains one of those unknown, peripheral genre names, mostly thanks to a number of compromised or abandoned projects following his formidable 2002 debut, May. Over the past several years, he’s made headlines for 2011’s The Woman (another underrated gem from his filmography), and most recently the co-directed effort All Cheerleaders Die in 2013, an expansion of his 2001 short film, which is more or less the comically inclined romp you’d assume it to be. Prizing complex female characterizations, usually featuring muse Angela Bettis, McKee’s twisted visions, though few and far between, are enjoyable and entertaining, usually enhanced by a bit of subtext. About a decade ago, McKee’s sophomore feature, The Woods, would finally land on DVD in the Us following a limited festival circuit run, treated to a torturous release platform despite featuring several notable cast members. A period piece set amongst an all-girls...

BroadwayWorld has a treat for you this evening with fresh production shots of Samantha Barks and company in the new musical Amelie -- penned by Craig Lucas, featuring score by Daniel Messe, with lyrics by Messe and Nathan Tysen, directed by Pam MacKinnon -- opening tomorrow, September 11, at Berkeley Rep. Scroll down to see Barks as Amelie, Tony Sheldon as Dufayel, and the cast in action...

The 69th Annual Tony Awards honored Broadway's best and brightest on Sunday, June 7 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. A slew of star-studded nominees, including Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, were in attendance as Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming shared the event's hosting duties. Find out the big winners below!

Best Musical

Fun Home​ - Winner

An American in Paris

Something Rotten!

The Visit

Best Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Winner

Disgraced

Hand to God

Wolf Hall: Parts One & Two P

Best Revival of a Musical

The King and I - Winner

On the Town

On the Twentieth Century

Best Revival of a Play

​Skylight​ - Winner

The Elephant Man

This Is Our Youth

You Can't Take It With You

Best Direction of a Musical

Sam Gold, Fun Home - Winner

Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!

John Rando, On the Town

Bartlett Sher,...

With a title like Heisenberg, and a plot that begins with a smooch between an old man and a much younger woman, Simon Stephens’s terrific new play might seem to be a cross between Nick Payne’s Constellations and Craig Lucas’s Prelude to a Kiss. Like the former, it takes a mainstay concept in contemporary physics and applies it to relationships; like the latter, it imagines the ripple effects of a surprise encounter whose nature is never fully explained. Also like the latter, it stars Mary-Louise Parker, who (after a few costume-drama misfires) is once again beyond terrific in a role that suits her talents perfectly. Georgie, a New Jersey transplant in London, is (or appears to be) an obnoxious oversharer with boundary problems, a cousin to Cecily Strong’s “The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party” character on Saturday Night Live.

'Yesterday' movie: Leleti Khumalo and Lihle Mvelase. 'Yesterday' movie review: Fantastic central performance in South African AIDS drama To date, nowhere has the AIDS pandemic been felt more strongly than in Sub-Saharan Africa, home to approximately 10 percent of the world's population and two-thirds of the planet's 30-35 million AIDS cases. In the past thirty years, it is estimated that more than 20 million Sub-Saharan Africans have died from complications of the disease.* Even today, drug cocktails that are relatively accessible in other parts of the globe are still beyond the means of the vast majority of Africans. Writer-director Darrell Roodt's South African drama Yesterday is set in this catastrophic scenario. The film depicts the effects of AIDS in the life of a young Zulu woman who contracts HIV from her husband. Although Roodt's narrative maintains its focus on the plight of one particular individual, the (for non-Zulus) quirkily named Yesterday represents millions of other women,...