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Update: Swept Away, the musical featuring songs by The Avett Brothers that recently posted a December 15 closing date, has been extended through Sunday, December 29.

Producers Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock and Madison Wells Live say the two-week extension at the Longacre Theatre is due to a surge in ticket sales since the closing was first announced last week.

Last night, actor Stark Sands, one of the show’s stars, made the extension announcement during curtain call. “The story we tell is about the will to survive against incredible odds,” Sands said. “Last week it was announced that Swept Away would be closing and then, something happened. We came to work the next day, and we walked out to a completely sold-out house. And then the next day it happened again and then it happened again…I’ve never seen it before; we’ve never felt this…So I am pleased to...

Broadway musical Swept Away will extend its run through Dec. 29, the producers announced Tuesday, citing a surge in ticket sales following the initial announcement that the show would close this week.

Featuring a score by the Avett Brothers, Swept Away initially announced that it would close after only 32 regular performances, setting its final day for Dec. 15. In an announcement onstage following Tuesday’s Dec. 11 show, actor Stark Sands announced the run would extend through to the end of the month following demand for tickets.

“The story we tell is about the will to survive against incredible odds,” Sands told the crowd. “Last week it was announced that Swept Away would be closing and then, something happened. We came to work the next day, and we walked out to a completely sold-out house. And then the next day it happened again and then it happened again…I’ve never seen it...

New Broadway musical Swept Away will close Dec. 15, a little less than a month after opening on Broadway.

Featuring a score by the Avett Brothers, the musical will have played 32 regular performances and 20 previews at the time of its closing. The show, about a shipwreck and the crew’s struggle to survive in its aftermath, received a Critic’s Pick from the New York Times but mixed reviews elsewhere. The musical has not had strong grosses or attendance since starting previews on Broadway on Oct. 29.

During Thanksgiving week, the most recent week of grosses that is typically lucrative for Broadway shows, the musical saw its capacity fall to 61 percent at the Longacre Theatre and brought in just above $412,000, which is below the running cost of a typical musical.

The musical, which features a book by Tony winner John Logan and direction by Michael Mayer, stars John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands,...

The Avett Brothers washed ashore at New York’s Longacre Theatre on Tuesday night. The folk-rock band made a special appearance during the opening night performance of the Broadway musical Swept Away, which features music from their 2004 album, Mignonette.

During an encore, the three-piece band emerged on a boat to a roar of cheers from the audience and cast. “Celebrating a special night with the band that started it all,” the caption on an Instagram post from the official production account reads.

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Exclusive: Industry Entertainment veterans Bill Butler and Michelle Kittrell have left after 14 years to join upstart management/production company Amplified, launched earlier this year by fellow longtime Industry managers Adam Levine, Brandy Rivers and Michael Hepburn.

Butler and Kittrell, who are bringing all of their clients, will be launching a New York office of Amplified, located in Chelsea. Butler, who was a partner at Industry, will join Hepburn, Rivers and Levine as partner; Kittrell has been named VP/Head of NY Talent.

Butler started his career at Wma before moving to Gersh, where he eventually rose to senior partner and head of the NY office. Kittrell began her career in theater before transitioning to representation at Gersh NY. She followed Butler when he left to launch the NY offices of Industry Entertainment in 2010.

Butler and Kittrell have been instrumental in growing the NY offices of both Gersh and Industry, working with a roster of clients,...

The new musical Swept Away is debuting on Broadway next month and composers The Avett Brothers have unveiled the show’s marquee!

Seth and Scott Avett stepped out in New York City recently for the unveiling of the marquee at the Longacre Theatre on 48th Street.

Swept Away is finally heading to Broadway after regional runs at Berkeley Repertory Theatre near San Francisco in early 2022 and at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in winter 2023.

The story is billed as a “spellbinding tale” of shipwreck, salvation and brotherhood set on the high seas. The musical follows four survivors of an 1888 shipwreck who are trying to stay alive. The cast features Tony winner John Gallagher Jr., Tony nominee Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe, and Wayne Duvall.

Preview performances begin on October 29 ahead of an official opening night performance on November 19. Get your tickets now!

John Gallagher Jr., Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe and Wayne Duvall will star in Broadway’s upcoming Avett Brothers musical Swept Away, reprising their acclaimed performances from the show’s previous runs at California’s Berkeley Repertory and Washington D.C.’ Arena Stage.

The casting, though expected, was confirmed today by producers Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock, and Madison Wells Live.

Previews begin Tuesday, October 29, at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre. Opening night is Tuesday, November 19.

Also returning from the show’s run at Arena Stage include ensemble members Hunter Brown, Matt DeAngelis, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Michael J. Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Tyrone L. Robinson, and John Sygar. New to the cast are Josh Breckenridge, Rico LeBron, John Michael Finley, Chase Peacock, Robert Pendilla, and David Rowen.

Swept Away features music from folk-rock band The Avett Brothers, a book by John Logan, direction by Michael Mayer and choreography by David Neumann (Hadestown).

The musical tells the story of four men stranded in the Atlantic Ocean following a 19th Century shipwreck.

Gallagher made his Broadway breakthrough in the hit musical Spring Awakening, and Sands has appeared in Kinky Boots and To Kill A Mockingbird, among others. Enscoe is best known for Apple TV+’s Dickinson, and Duval appeared on Broadway in 1984.

The Swept Away creative team includes set designer Rachel Hauck, costume designer Susan Hilferty, lighting designer Kevin Adams, sound designer John Shivers, music arranger & orchestrator Chris Miller, music arranger & orchestrator/music supervisor Brian Usifer, and music director Will Van Dyke.

Wagner Johnson Productions serve as Executive Producers.

Swept Away, the new musical featuring the music of folk-rock band The Avett Brothers, will begin performances at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre on Tuesday, October 29 with an opening set for Tuesday, November 19.

The announcement was made today by producers Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock, and Madison Wells Live.

Broadway casting will be announced at a later date. Throughout the musical’s development, the cast has included Broadway favorites John Gallagher Jr. and Stark Sands, both of whom were introduced onstage (along with cast mates Adrian Blake Enscoe and Wayne Duvall) at a recent Avett Brothers concert. The quartet was introduced as “the cast of the soon-to-be-officially Broadway show.”

Swept Away features a book by Tony Award winner John Logan (Red, Moulin Rouge! The Musical), direction by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and choreography by Tony Award nominee David Neumann (Hadestown).

The Swept Away creative team also includes music arranger & orchestrator Chris Miller,...

Swept Away, a musical with a score by the Avett Brothers, will come to Broadway’s Longacre Theatre this fall.

The musical, which follows four survivors of a shipwreck in 1888 trying to stay alive, including a young man and his older brother, the captain and the first mate, will start performances Oct. 29, with an opening night on Nov. 19. The production had previous runs at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage in Washington D.C.

The musical features a book by John Logan (Red, Moulin Rouge! The Musical), direction by Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and choreography by Tony Award nominee David Neumann (Hadestown). Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock and Madison Wells Live are the producers.

Broadway casting will be announced at a later date. The Avett Brothers initially announced the move to Broadway during a concert at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. At that time, the band brought out John Gallagher Jr.,...

Folk-rock band the Avett Brothers have announced that their musical, Swept Away, will be headed to Broadway this fall. The musical, set in 1888, follows four sailers, including two brothers, who are struck by a violent storm that tanks their ship near the coast by New Bedford, Massachusetts. It centers on “a young man in search of adventure, his big brother who has sworn to protect him, a captain at the end of a long career at sea, and a worldly first mate who has fallen from grace,” the musical questions...

Swept Away, the musical with music and lyrics by roots rock band The Avett Brothers, will arrive on Broadway this fall following previous stagings at California’s Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Washington’s Arena Stage.

Although the Broadway production will be at a Shubert theater, a venue and specific production dates are yet to be released.

The Broadway staging was announced by The Avett Brothers during a concert Friday at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Swept Away features a book by Tony Award winner John Logan, direction by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer and choreography by Tony Award nominee David Neumann (Hadestown).

The synopsis: Set in 1888, Swept Away follows four survivors – a young man in search of adventure, his big brother who has sworn to protect him, a captain at the end of a long career at sea, and a worldly...

Quick Links What Is Generation Kill About? The Gritty Realism Was Too Close for Comfort Expensive Production Costs What the Creators Had to Say About the Cancelation

Released in July 2008, Generation Kill is one of HBO's most acclaimed TV miniseries. Adapted by The Wire's David Simon and Ed Burns from the Evan Wright book of the same name, the shockingly realistic war drama follows U.S. Marines during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The expensive production emphasized gritty realism and visceral immersion as a means of putting viewers into the boots of soldiers on the ground in Iraq following the events of 9/11. As a result, the harrowing war drama stunned viewers to the core during its initial run and left a numbing effect for years to come.

Despite lasting just seven weeks on the air, Generation Kill won three Primetime Emmy Awards and launched the careers of several actors, including Alexander Skarsgard.

The turn of the century has paved the way for many excellent sci-fi movies, and director Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two is the latest example. The genre has proven to be one of the most versatile in the medium for decades, allowing creatives to create imaginative worlds that feel immersive.

As filmmaking technology became more sophisticated and sci-fi branched into various subgenres, this only encouraged movies to get more ambitious in scale. From one of the best cyberpunk movies to date Blade Runner 2049 to intense, small-scale psychological thrillers like Ex Machina the 21st century has been kind to the sci-fi genre in movies.

Minority Report Was an Exciting Cautionary Tale

Minority Report

The franchise combines elements of tech noir, whodunit, thriller, and science fiction genres, as well as a traditional chase film, as the main protagonist is accused of a crime he has not committed and becomes a fugitive.

Minority Report is the latest Hollywood blockbuster to get the stage — and gender-swap — treatment.

The science fiction tech noir based on Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novella and later made into the 2002 box office hit directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, is being turned into a play that will make its world premiere in the U.K. in spring 2024. The show is part of a co-production between three U.K.-based theaters in association with Simon Friend Entertainment and by arrangement with Electric Shepherd Productions.

Adapted by actor-writer David Haig with Life of Pi‘s Max Webster set to direct, the new stage play will hold its world premiere at Nottingham Playhouse, opening on Feb. 16 and running through March 9. It will then have two more separate runs, first at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from March 22 to April 6, followed by a month-long staging at London’s Lyric Hammersmith between April 19 and...

Exclusive: Swept Away, the Broadway-aimed musical with music and lyrics by roots rock band The Avett Brothers, has announced principal cast for its fall-winter 2023 production at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., with John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening), Stark Sands (& Juliet), Adrian Blake Enscoe (TV’s Dickinson), and Wayne Duvall will play the four survivors of a whaling ship disaster.

The casting, announced by Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, reunites the principals from the musical’s 2022 Berkeley Repertory Theatre world premiere.

The four actors will be making their Arena Stage debuts.

“One of our favorite things at Arena Stage is finding new artists and audiences for the stories we are blessed to help tell,” said Edgar Dobie, Arena Stage Executive Producer and President of the Corporation. “Swept Away allows us to offer a welcoming embrace to The Avett Brothers...

What if Juliet had lived? What if she had not given her 14-year-old life for a wild boy she barely knew? What if she had not let brash youthful narcissism deformed by the patriarchy and male violence overtake her better judgment and lived a full, happy, maybe even quiet life well into whatever passed for adulthood in 14th Century Verona.

Directed by Luke Sheppard and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, & Juliet, the new jukebox musical of songs written by super-producer Max Martin, with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, posits an answer to all those questions, though “quiet” never quite enters the equation. No, had Juliet lived, this musical, opening tonight on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, suggests she and her pals would spend a great deal of their time belting ballads of empowerment and lecturing all within earshot about pride,...

Juliet, the new musical featuring the iconic pop anthems ofMax Martin, is due to arrive on Broadway this fall Two of its stars are Broadway favorites Stark Sands and Betsy Wolfe, who play Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway.In this video, catch up with the pair as they continue their run in Toronto and get ready to take the show on the road to New York City...

Juliet, the new musical featuring the iconic pop anthems ofMax Martin, is due to arrive on Broadway this fall Two of its stars are Broadway favorites Stark Sands and Betsy Wolfe, who play Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway.In this video, catch up with the pair as they continue their run in Toronto and get ready to take the show on the road to New York City...

Exclusive: Two-time Tony nominee Stark Sands, currently starring in the Toronto production of the Broadway-bound musical & Juliet, has signed with Bill Butler & Michelle Kittrell at Industry Entertainment for management.

Sands, who was was Tony-nominated in 2007 in the Best Featured Actor/Play category for Journey’s End and in 2013 as Best Actor/Musical for Kinky Boots. Other Broadway credits include To Kill A Mockingbird and American Idiot.

TV credits include Six Feet Under and Generation Kill (both HBO), Fox’s Minority Report and CBS’ NYC 22, among others. Films include Pretty Persuasion, Flags of Our Fathers, Inside Llewyn Davis and Steven Spielberg’s The Post.

His current project, & Juliet, is an Olivier Award-winning musical with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read and music from five-time Grammy-winning “Roar” songwriter and producer Max Martin. Producers recently announced that the musical, currently playing in Toronto, will begin Broadway previews October 28 at the...

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A pop-song infused musical take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is coming to Broadway this fall.

Featuring a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, the musical, called & Juliet, envisions what would happen if Juliet did not die at the end of the story. Her journey is set to a backdrop of popular songs, written by record producer and songwriter Max Martin and collaborators, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”

& Juliet begins previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Oct. 28, ahead of a Nov. 17 opening. The production is currently playing a run in Toronto, which will conclude before Broadway, and has been playing the West End since 2019.

Luke Sheppard is directing and the musical is choreographed by Jennifer Weber. The production...

& Juliet, the Olivier Award-winning musical with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, will make its Broadway debut this fall, with previews beginning October 28 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre ahead of a Nov. 17 opening.

The production will transfer directly from its current engagement in Toronto. Making the move will be the Toronto cast: newcomer Lorna Courtney as Juliet; Tony Award-winner Paulo Szot (South Pacific) as Lance; Betsy Wolfe as Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway; Stark Sands as Shakespeare; Justin David Sullivan as May; Melanie La Barrie as Nurse; Ben Jackson Walker as Romeo and Philippe Arroyo as Francois.

In addition to the book by the Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner, & Juliet features music from five-time Grammy-winning “Roar” songwriter and producer Max Martin, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography byJennifer Weber.

The musical includes a roster of hit songs written by Martin and his collaborators, including (in addition to “Roar”) “Since U Been Gone,...

Exclusive: Wolfe Releasing has acquired worldwide rights to Charles Busch and Carl Andress’ comedy The Sixth Reel, and to the late director Mark Rucker’s cult comedy Die, Mommie, Die!, slating the former film for release in theaters and on digital this fall. The latter will hit theaters in 2023, subsequently making its streaming debut.

In The Sixth Reel, a down-on-his-luck movie collector (Busch) discovers a legendary lost film and becomes entangled in an outrageous adventure to deliver it to the right hands before it is lost forever. Longtime collaborators Busch and Andress directed the pic from their script, with Julie Halston (And Just Like That…), Patrick Page (In the Heights), Tim Daly (Life & Beth) and Margaret Cho (Fire Island) rounding out the cast. The film was produced by Jamie Buckner and Alex Peace-Power of Derby City Productions, and the late Ash Christian of Cranium Entertainment. It won a Special...

Michael Mayer on Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl that he is directing: “She’s a wonderful singer and very funny and charming and warm and not Barbra Streisand.”

In the second instalment with a very engaged Single All The Way director, Michael Mayer, we discuss composer Anton Sanko (The Seagull with Nico Muhly and Mikhaël Hers’ Amanda); songs by Whitney Houston and Britney Spears; Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle and The Morning Star, and working with John Logan on the world première of Swept Away at the Berkeley Rep.

Nick (Philemon Chambers) with Peter (Michael Urie) in Michael Mayer’s Single All The Way, screenplay by Chad Hodges.

Michael is also scheduled to direct two upcoming Broadway productions - Beanie Feldstein in Funny Girl with Jane Lynch as her mother and the Neil Diamond musical - and then Jeanine Tesori's Grounded at The Metropolitan Opera,...

In 2019, the Avett Brothers announced that their music would be featured in a new musical originally slated to debut in June 2020. A year-plus pandemic later, the folk-rock group is premiering the title track to Swept Away.

Written by John Logan and directed by Michael Mayer — both Tony Award winners — Swept Away‘s music draws from the North Carolina band’s catalog, and in particular the Avett Brothers’ 2004 LP Mignonette. The musical is set in 1888 and tells the tale of a shipwrecked crew, including two brothers, as they struggle to survive...

Broadway talents including Stark Sands Kinky Boots, Kate Rockwell Mean Girls, and Constantine Maroulis Jekyll Hyde, 'American Idol' complete the starry lineup for the next installment of the acclaimed Broadway Sings concert series, honoring the iconic rock band Queen on February 17 at Sony Hall. Cast members from Broadway shows including The Tina Turner Musical, Waitress and Head Over Heels will sing completely new arrangements of the hits of the British rock band, accompanied by a 14-piece orchestra playing original orchestrations of their music.

Stars of stage and screen have come together to celebrate Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning star, Billy Porter's monumental year with an epic lip sync video for his chart-topping dance single, aoeLove Yourself.a The aoeLove Yourselfa lip synch video features Porter's aoePosea co-stars Mj Rodriguez, Ryan Jamal Swain, Dylln Burnside, Jeremy McClain, and Jason A. Rodriguez Kinky Boots cast and creatives Cyndi Lauper, Jerry Mitchell, Stark Sands, Annaleigh Ashford, Lena Hall, and the Ogunquit Playhouse cast of the smash hit musical the Broadway cast of Ain't Too Proud along with Kelly Ripa, Debra Messing, Lin Manuel Miranda, Patina Miller, Nathan Lee Graham, Miss J, Peppermint, and designer Christian Siriano.

Exclusive The Tony-winning John Gallagher Jr. and Tony-nominated Stark Sands have joined a team of similarly Broadway-familiar vets in the world premiere of Swept Away, the previously announced new stage production featuring the music of the popular folk and roots-rock band The Avett Brothers.

Swept Away is being developed and staged at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, California, and will begin performances on Sunday, June 14, 2020, now with two of the actors who worked with director Michael Mayer on productions of another Berkeley-developed musical American Idiot.

Inspired by and featuring the music of The Avett Brothers, Swept Away is written by John Logan, the playwright and screenwriter. Directing will be Mayer,.

While it’s too early for anything like Broadway plans, the cast and director should ensure that plenty of New York eyes...

Exclusive: Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird is continuing to make waves on Broadway. Producer Scott Rudin announced today that the play based on Harper Lee’s classic novel and directed by Bartlett Sher has broken its own one-week box office record for the fourth time. It has now reached a record-breaking gross of $1,756,227 (for the week ending April 28) and still holds the title of the highest weekly gross of a play in the history of the Shubert Organization. This makes To Kill a Mockingbird the highest grossing American play in Broadway history.

The news comes after it was recently announced that To Kill a Mockingbird has officially recouped its entire investment. The stage adaptation has played to capacity crowds since performances began on Nov. 1, 2018. Cumulative gross sales to date stand at more than $57 million.

Set in Alabama in 1934, Lee’s story of racial injustice and...

To Kill A Mockingbird, Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway stage adaptation of the Harper Lee novel produced by Scott Rudin, has recouped its entire investment 19 weeks after its Dec. 13, 2018, opening, Rudin announced today.

Capitalized for a reported $7.5 million, Mockingbird, with Jeff Daniels in the starring role of Atticus Finch, began previews Nov. 1 at the Shubert Theatre.

Mockingbird‘s cumulative gross sales to date tally more than $56 million, according to the production, with Mockingbird repeatedly breaking the Shubert Organzation’s weekly box office record for a play. For the week ending April 21, the most recent figures available, the play brought in $1,720,828, 124% of its gross potential.

In addition to Daniels, To Kill A Mockingbird, directed by Bartlett Sher, features cast members Celia Keenan-Bolger, Will Pullen, Latanya Richardson Jackson,

Gideon Glick, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Danny Wolohan, Frederick Weller, Stark Sands, Dakin Matthews and Erin Wilhelmi.

Exclusive: As it continues to set records, the new Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird has released a new block of tickets through November 1. That will extend the run of the Scott Rudin-produced play to exactly one year after its first Broadway performance at the Shubert Theatre.

Critics raved when Mockingbird, adapted by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher, officially opened last month. Audiences have flocked to the new stage version of Harper Lee’s beloved novel, whose iconic film version starring Gregory Peck is in the Hollywood firmament. Jeff Daniels takes up Peck’s mantle in the current production, playing lead character Atticus Finch.

Last week, the production broke the single-week record for the highest-grossing American play in Broadway history. It also holds the Shubert Organization’s box office mark for the highest weekly gross of any Broadway play in the organization’s century-plus history.

Since...

The Shubert Theatre in New York City last was filled on Thursday night with Oscar winners, media titans, and, of course, Broadway legends who came out for the opening of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The starry guest list included Oprah Winfrey, Barry Diller, “Les Misérables” co-stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Gayle King, Magic Johnson, Ej Johnson, Spike Lee, Fran Lebowitz, Hasan Minhaj, Samuel L. Jackson, Zosia Mamet, Andrew Rannells, Jon Hamm, Michael Stuhlbarg, Lesley Stahl, Iman, Bernadette Peters, George C. Wolfe, Adam Rippon, Tina Fey, Alex Witt, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Joe Morton, and Andrea Martin.

The stakes are high for the Broadway production, with a script by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher, after facing opposition from the estate of “Mockingbird” novelist Harper Lee.

Molly Bloom, the real-life inspiration of the Sorkin-directed feature film “Molly’s Game,” was also spotted in the crowd.

“I don’t...

These boots were made for Broadway, and that’s just where they’ll be — until the spring. Producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig said today that Kinky Boots, which won six Tony Awards including Best Musical in 2013, will close on April 7.

When the final curtain falls, it will have played 2,507 regular performances and 34 previews — good for the 25th-longest-running show in Main Stem history.

“When we first set out to make this show, we never could have imagined the success it would have here on Broadway and around the world,” said co-creators Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper, who became the first woman to win the Tony for Best Score. “We speak on behalf of the entire company when we say how grateful we are to the fans who have embraced our work across four continents, and counting.”

Based on the 2005 Miramax film written by Geoff Deane & Tim Firth, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price,...

Tickets go on sale to the public this Saturday, June 9 for the Broadway production of To Kill A Mockingbird, Aaron Sorkin's new play, directed by Bartlett Sher. Jeff Daniels will head a cast which includes Celia Keenan-Bolger, Will Pullen, Gideon Glick, Frederick Weller, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Stark Sands, Dakin Matthews, Erin Wilhelmi, Neal Huff, Phyllis Somerville, Liv Rooth, Danny Wolohan, and Latanya Richardson Jackson.

On Broadway and beyond, a curtain can rise as quickly as it can fall; a star can be swapped as easily as Bernie Telsey can say, “That’s enough.” Theater is the beating heart of New York show business and, if you want to make it here, it’s crucial you’re up to date on incoming projects, latest castings, and other industry news. Don’t worry, Broadway baby, Backstage has your back. Every week, we’re rounding up the can’t-miss stories no thespian should live without, so you can focus on important matters like hitting your high F. Curtain up and light those lights! A “Newsroom” reunion is heading to the Great White Way.A slew of stage and screen veterans have been assembled to star in Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Beginning performances Nov. 1 at a yet-to-be-announced theater, Jeff Daniels...

Jeff Daniels, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Will Pullen, Gideon Glick, Latanya Richardson Jackson, Stark Sands, Fred Weller, Erin Wilhelmi, Dakin Matthews, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Phyllis Somerville, and Liv Rooth will star on Broadway this fall in Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin's new play, based on Harper Lee's classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novelTO Kill A Mockingbird. The play will be directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher.To Kill A Mockingbird, which is produced by Scott Rudin and Lincoln Center Theater Andre Bishop, Producing Artistic Director, will begin previewsThursday, November 1and open onThursday, December 13at a theatre to be announced.Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Kinky Boots' original stars Billy Porter and Stark Sands returned to the boots from September 26, 2017 through today, January 7, 2018. Tony Award winner Billy Porter whose recent studio album Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers debuted at 2 on the iTunes RampB charts and Tony Award nominee Stark Sands who appears alongside Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in Spielberg's upcoming The Papers reprised the roles they created as Lola and Charlie, respectively You can watch their final curtain call below...

The embargo has finally lifted, ladies and gentlemen! We can at long last discuss The Post, the new Steven Spielberg film, starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. Yes, this super fast tracked project is not only complete, but has been screening pretty consistently for critics, guild members, and the Academy itself. The National Board of Review fell in love with it, and plenty of other voters are about to. We’re a month or so away from release still, but the buzz is building in a big way. Once again, Spielberg has delivered the goods. No one in the industry makes it look as easy as he does. He truly is a master at work. To begin, this is what IMDb regales us with, in terms of plot: “A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country’s first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join...

Kinky Boots producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig announced today that Jake Shears, lead singer of the glam pop group Scissor Sisters, will make his Broadway debut as 'Charlie Price', succeeding Stark Sands beginning Monday, January 8, 2018. He will play for a limited run through Sunday, April 1, 2018. That same day, January 8, returning to the cast as 'Lola' is J. Harrison Ghee, who succeeds Billy Porter.

Cyndi Lauper reunited with the original stars of Kinky Boots to spread a message of hope.

On Friday, the music icon released a stripped-down video of the show’s popular song “Not My Father’s Son”: Kinky Boots veterans Billy Porter and Stark Sands returned to sing the heart-wrenching lyrics, while Lauper plays guitar on the acoustic track. (Porter, 48, and Sands, 39, have also reunited to reprise their roles in Kinky Boots on Broadway, through Jan. 7.)

“I thought it was a good celebration, a new version, and something that — in this climate, in this day and age — could tell a...

Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winning artist and activist Cyndi Lauper today released the touching music video for Not My Father's Son, the heartbreaking and inspiring song from her smash hit, Tony Award winning musical, Kinky Boots. Lauper re-imagined the song, producing and arranging a new, acoustic version of the track, which features original cast members Billy Porter and Stark Sands, released today by Sony Masterworks Broadway.

Lola and Charlie are reunited and it feels so good, according to Billy Porter and Stark Sands. Just last month, the duo officially returned to Kinky Boots, reprising the roles they created back in 2013. Below, watch as they chat with Richard Ridge about some of their favorite memories of sharing the stage, their most hysterical mishaps, and so much more...

Just yesterday, Tony Award winner Billy Porter whose recent studio album Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers debuted at 2 on the iTunes RampB charts and Tony Award nominee Stark Sands who appears alongside Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in Spielberg's upcoming The Papers officially returned to Kinky Boots, reprising the roles they created as Lola and Charlie, respectively, through January 7, 2018.

Producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig announced today that Tony Award winner Billy Porter whose recent studio album Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers debuted at 2 on the iTunes RampB charts and Tony Award nominee Stark Sands who appears alongside Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in Spielberg's upcoming The Papers will return to Kinky Boots this fall.

On Monday March 20, Tdf honored the entire production of Kinky Boots with a one-night-only concert Tdf Honors Kinky Boots to raise funds for Tdf's access and education programs. Composer Cyndi Lauper and directorchoreographer Jerry Mitchell welcomed the crowd followed by performances by the show's original stars Billy Porter, Annaleigh Ashford and Stark Sands, former Lolas Todrick Hall and Alan Mingo, Jr. former Lauren Jeanna de Waal, former Charlie Andy Kelso, the entire current Broadway cast and Angels' from previous casts.

[caption id="attachment_49072" align="aligncenter" width="398"] Minority Report TV show cancelled by Fox. L-r: Stark Sands as Dash, Meagan Good as Det. Laura Vega, and Nick Zano as Arthur. © 2015 Fox Broadcasting./caption]

We saw this coming. The Minority Report TV show on Fox has been officially cancelled by the network, according to Deadline. Back in January, star Meagan Good moved on to the freshman CBS medical drama, Code Black.

Minority Report's first season order was originally for 13 episodes. By October, that had been cut to 10. The shortened season averaged 0.72 in the 18-49 year-old ratings demographic and drew an average total audience of 2.075 million viewers.

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Just last week, Frank Langella was gasping for breath in his role as a Russian spy handler exposed to a deadly virus on FX’s The Americans. Here he is tonight on stage at the Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway venue, the Friedman Theatre, suffering an equally distraught kind of ravagement in the title role of Florian Zeller’s The Father (not to be confused with August Strindberg’s play of the same name).

André is his name, and he pads about a spacious apartment in his pajamas. We’re not certain where in Paris this apartment is, and neither is poor André, who shows increasing evidence of Alzheimer’s disease. André appears to be in the care of his growingly exasperated daughter Anne, whose apartment this may actually be.

Anne insists her father needs an attendant; André resists even as his memory dims...

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Managing Director Jeff Griffin, announced today that two-time Tony Award nominee Stark Sands Kinky Boots, Journey's End will join the cast of Classic Stage Company's upcoming production of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's Nathan The Wise, starring Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, beginning performances Wednesday, March 23 at Csc 136 East 13th Street. Directed by Brian Kulick and adapted by Edward Kemp, Nathan The Wise will have its official press opening Wednesday, April 13 and play a limited engagement through Sunday, May 1.

Joel and Ethan Coen drop most of the sarcasm for their deeply felt character study. Everything's a big problem for Llewyn: a girl (Carey Mulligan), various agents, fellow performers, and a cat. I find Oscar Isaac's Llewyn to be wholly sympathetic, and that cat business is deeper than it looks. The terrific extras include a complete concert docu. Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 794 2013 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 104 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 19, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Ethan Phillips, Robin Bartlett Pappi Corsicato, Max Casella, Jerry Grayson, Jeanine Seralles, Adam Driver, Stark Sands, John Goodman, F. Murray Abraham. Cinematography Bruno Delbonnel Executive Music Producer T Bone Burnett Produced by Scott Rudin, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Written and Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

If I'm not mistaken this is the first Criterion release of Coen Brothers movie.

As HitFix Harpy has covered before, “Minority Report” takes the future very seriously. From accurately reflecting racial demographics based on scientific predictions to extrapolating the future of technology with the help of MIT, the show is trying to ground themselves in the science side of science-fiction. Tonight’s episode takes things a step further…into pre-natal pre-health. From the episode synopsis: Blake withholds information from the Defense Intelligence Agency when he learns they are on the precogs’ trail, and Arthur takes matters into his own hands to save them. Meanwhile, Dash gets a vision of a political assassination that intrudes into Vega’s personal life in the all-new “Memento Mori” episode of Minority Report airing Monday, Nov. 23 (9:01-10:00 Pm Et/Pt) on Fox. In the exclusive clip above, Vega (Meagan Good) and Dash (Stark Sands) try to figure out exactly who would want to assassinate Senator Meizhou-Shi (Angel Desai...

A couple weeks ago, Fox decided to cut the episode order for the first season of Minority Report from 13 to 10 episodes. So, has the show been cancelled?

Set in Washington D.C. 2065, Minority Report follows Lara Vega (Meagan Good), a homicide detective who becomes connected with Dash (Stark Sands). He's a psychic "precog" who's haunted by images of future crimes and is on a mission to stop them from happening. The rest of the cast includes Nick Zano, Laura Regan, Wilmer Valderrama, Daniel London, Li Jun Li, Zhane Hall, and Tina Lifford.

The series debuted on September 21st to a 1.11 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 3.1 million viewers. That was a very disappointing debut, especially for a high profile series that was given a lot of promotion from the network. The ratings dropped nearly 20% in week two and then fell...