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Acclaimed director Mark Brokaw, whose visionary work spanned Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters across the United States and abroad, has passed away after a battle with cancer. Brokaw was raised in Aledo, Illinois, and graduated from the Yale School of Drama. He received a Drama League fellowship and was initially given directing work through Carole Rothman and Robyn Goodman, the artistic heads of Second Stage Theatre. He directed many Off-Broadway productions, and his New York work included premieres by Lynda Barry (The Good Times Are Killing Me), Douglas Carter Beane (As Bees in Honey Drown), Neal Bell, Eric Bogosian, Keith Bunin, Charles Busch, Kevin Elyot, Lisa Kron (2.5 Minute Ride), Lisa Loomer, <a...

Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller has shared a video of “One Gay More,” set to Les Misérables’ “One Day More,” which was created for the Love Is Love Pride protest concert at the Kennedy Center on Monday. Watch the video above, featuring Seth Rudetsky on the piano. Seller hosted the event alongside Democratic senators including Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren, Love Is Love featured The participants include Tony winners John Cameron Mitchell, Lisa Kron, and Brandon Uranowitz, as well as Andrew Lippa, Beth Malone, Jelani Remy, Hennessy Winkler, Alexis Michelle, Dylan Toms, Javier Muñoz, Kathryn Gallagher, and Brandi Chavonne Massey among others. The event was a protest against recent Pride-related cancellations at the Kennedy...

Back to the Future alum Jelani Remy is taking over our Instagram tonight to give our followers an inside look at the Pride event at the Kennedy Center. Tune in here to see an inside look at the concert, organized by Democratic senators in response to Trump's takeover of the Washington DC performing arts venue. As reported this morning, Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper has enlisted Jeffrey Seller, producer of Hamilton, to organize the concert. Seller previously canceled a planned 2026 run of Hamilton at the Kennedy Center, citing opposition to Trump’s vision for the venue. Joining Remy at the event will be John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Lisa Kron (Fun Home), Andrew Lippa (I Am Harvey Milk), <a...

Updated, with Kennedy Center comment: Five Democratic senators will host an invitation-only Pride concert at the Kennedy Center Monday as a protest against President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Washington D.C. arts institution.

The 90-minute concert, which is expected to feature Broadway performers as well as The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington D.C., is set for Monday night, The New York Times reports.

Organized by John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., the group of Senators – Hickenlooper, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – have rented the Justice Forum, a 144-seat theater located in the Reach expansion of the Kennedy Center, using a privilege available to all members of Congress.

“What’s happening in the world is deeply concerning, but even in our darkest hours, we must continue to seek out the light,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “The L.G.

Matthew Broderick and David Cross will star in Lucas Hnath’s new version of Molière’s Tartuffe in an Off Broadway production opening in late fall.

The New York Theatre Workshop production will also feature Obie Award winner Emily Davis (Is This A Room) as Mariane, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca del Rio as Mme Pernelle, Tony Award nominee Amber Gray (Hadestown) as Elmire, Obie Award winner Ryan Haddad (Dark Disabled Stories) as Damis, Tony Award winner Francis Jue (Yellow Face) as Cleante, Tony Award winner Lisa Kron (Fun Home) as Dorine, and Emmy Award nominee Ike Ufomadu (Ziwe) as Valére.

The production will be directed by Sarah Benson (Teeth).

Hnath’s credits include A Doll’s House, Part 2, Hillary and Clinton and Dana H., which told a harrowing true story about the playwright’s mother.

The New York Theatre Workshop synopsis of the production describes the new version as...

As Somebody Somewhere completes its third and final season on HBO, Bridget Everett is ready to reveal how her gem of a comedy comes up with stories about life in a small Kansas town.

“Plot isn’t central to our show,” the actress admitted Friday at Deadline’s Inaugural TV Sidebar, which launched this year as part of the Scad Film Festival in Savannah, Ga. “I think that’s what makes it unique. It’s just our taste, I guess. We’re more interested in the way the characters interact with each other. In season one, we tried to do a little more plotting. But every time, it didn’t feel organic to the show. So it’s really more about putting people in situations and how they can grow off of each other.”

Launched in 2022, the series follows Sam (Everett), a true Kansan who struggles with loss and acceptance in her midwestern hometown.

HBO has revealed the official trailer and key art for Somebody Somewhere Season 3, which will wrap up the series and premiere on Sunday, October 27 (10:30 – 11:00 p.m. Et/Pt). Starring comedian and singer Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere Season 3 will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

From Mighty Mint, Duplass Brothers Productions, and executive producers Bridget Everett, Hannah Bos, and Paul Thureen, the series follows Sam (Everett), a true Kansan on the surface but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold.

Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace. It leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people and finding your voice is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In season three, we see growth against all odds.

The cast includes Bridget Everett...

HBO’s description for the third and final season of Somebody Somewhere is brief: “In season three, we see growth against all odds.” A trailer for the show suggests the source of some of those long odds.

In the trailer (watch it below), Sam (Bridget Everett) is faced with some changes in her life as Joel (Jeff Hiller), whom she’s been living with, gets an offer on his house and prepares to move, while she continues trying to figure out what she wants from her life: “I don’t really know what I’m doing,” Sam says at one point in the trailer, followed by a plaintive question: “What’s wrong with wanting a little bit more?”

There are, of course, a number of jokes in the trailer — Somebody Somewhere is a comedy series, even if it’s not a setup-punchline factory — along with the show’s characteristic open-hearted warmth toward its characters.

“Somebody Somewhere” is bracing for major changes in its first trailer for Season 3. The final installment of Bridget Everett’s award-winning comedy will premiere Oct. 27 at 10:30 p.m. Et on HBO. New episodes will also be available to stream on Max.

Monday’s trailer opens with what Sam dubs “a lot of change.” As her friends encourage the group to eat healthier, her best friend Joel (Jeff Hiller) prepares to move.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing. What’s wrong with wanting a little bit more?” Sam asks her sister.

“You are a woman who is in charge of her life. But you have to manifest it. You have to say it out loud otherwise it won’t happen,” Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) lectures. Later, she gives some kinder advice, assuring her sister that “nobody knows what they’re doing, I promise. You just do it.

It’s the beginning of the end for HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, the Peabody Award-winning comedy starring, written, and executive produced by comedian and singer Bridget Everett.

In the official trailer for the third and final season, positive change is in the Kansas wind for Sam (Everett), Joel (Jeff Hiller) and Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) in the HBO Original comedy that returns Oct. 27. The cast also includes Tim Bagley (Brad), Murray Hill (Fred Rococo), Jennifer Mudge (Susan), Mercedes White (Tiffani), Meighan Gerachis (Irma), and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Iceland).

The second season of Somebody Somewhere won a Peabody Award and was nominated for a second GLAAD Media Award. Everett received individual nominations by the Critics Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy.

Somebody Somewhere is co-created and executive produced by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen. Other EPs are Everett; Carolyn Strauss...

Bridget Everett is moving on up and out of “Somebody Somewhere.”

The beloved HBO series is set to conclude with its upcoming third and final season. Writer, executive producer, and lead star Everett returns as Kansas resident Sam, who is struggling to fit the hometown mold.

The official synopsis reads: “Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In season three, we see growth against all odds.”

Jeff Hiller returns as Sam’s bestie Joel, along with Mary Catherine Garrison as her sister Tricia. The ensemble cast includes Murray Hill, Tim Bagley, Jennifer Mudge, Mercedes White, Meighan Gerachis, and franchise newcomer Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.

The second season of “Somebody Somewhere...

HBO has announced that the third and final season of its Peabody Award-winning series Somebody Somewhere will premiere on Sunday, October 27 (10:30 – 11:00 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Comedian and singer Bridget Everett stars in the critically acclaimed series.

From Mighty Mint, Duplass Brothers Productions, and executive producers Bridget Everett, Hannah Bos, and Paul Thureen, the series follows Sam (Everett), a true Kansan on the surface but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold.

Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace. It leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people and finding your voice is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In season three, we see growth against all odds.

The cast includes Bridget Everett (Sam Miller), Jeff Hiller...

Bridget Everett is finding her people, finally, in “Somebody Somewhere” Season 3.

The lead star, writer, and executive producer plays Sam, a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, one who is actually struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, Sam’s singing — her saving grace — leads her on a journey to self-discovery. Along the way, she finds and bonds with a community of outsiders who don’t fit in — but they don’t give up either.

Her bestie Joel (Jeff Hiller), sister Trish (Mary Catherine Garrison), and pal Fred Rococo (Murray Hill) comprise her orbit. In Season 3, all of the characters experience “growth against all odds,” per the logline. It’s a coming-of-age show, but the age they’re coming to is middle age.

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson also joins the cast for the final season.

“It has been the greatest dream to bring this world to life,...

Somebody Somewhere is bowing out.

The critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning HBO dramedy will end with its forthcoming third season. The final run is set to premiere Oct. 27.

HBO picked up a third season of the series in June 2023. It began filming soon after the end of last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike (scripts had been completed prior to the writers strike), making it one of the first productions to get running again after writers and actors secured new contracts.

Created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen and starring Bridget Everett (who’s also a writer and executive producer), Somebody Somewhere centers on Sam (Everett), who moves back to her Kansas hometown and eventually finds her people in a community of outsiders “who don’t fit in but don’t give up,” as the show’s logline puts it.

“It has been the greatest dream to bring this world to life,...

HBO has released a teaser for the third and final season of its original dramedy series “Somebody Somewhere,” which premieres on HBO and Max Sunday, Oct. 27.

Per the official logline, “Somebody Somewhere” follows Sam Miller (Bridget Everett), “a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In Season 3, we see growth against all odds.”

In the teaser, Sam seems to be settling into her hometown of Manhattan, Kan. and finally finding her peace after her sister Holly’s death. “Well, can I keep this?” Sam asks her roommate Joel, removing a baby onesie from a box.

It’s almost time to say goodbye to Sam and her Kansas pals: The Peabody Award-winning Somebody Somewhere will kick off its third and final season October 27 on HBO.

The series follows Sam (Bridget Everett), a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In Season 3, we see growth against all odds.

The final season includes Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Tim Bagley, Murray Hill, Jennifer Mudge, Mercedes White, Meighan Gerachis and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.

“It has been the greatest dream to bring this world to life, and to do it with HBO. Kansas Prairie-sized love and thanks to Amy,...

The third and final season of Bridget Everett’s “Somebody Somewhere” will premiere on Oct. 27. The episode will be available to watch on HBO at 10:30 p.m. Et/Pt and will be available to stream on Max.

“Can I keep this?” Sam (Everett) asks in the first teaser for this upcoming season as she sports a baby’s onesie.

“Sure, why?” Joel (Jeff Hiller) asks.

“It has just enough give to pop over these things,” Sam says, emphasizing her chest as Joel laughs. “Hi, I’m Joel’s best friend.”

The rest of the teaser sticks to this silly, wholesome vibe. At one point, Sam laughs and accidentally spills her beer at a packed dinner table. Later, she takes a selfie with a dog and raises a shot glass to a cheering bar. Watch the Season 3 teaser below.

“Somebody Somewhere” revolves around Sam (Everett), a woman who appears to...

A new face is about to pop up in Manhattan, Kansas: Olafur Darri Ólafsson is joining the Season 3 cast of Somebody Somewhere on HBO.

Ólafsson will recur as Iceland, the new renter of Sam’s (Bridget Everett) family farm. Production on the seven-episode season recently wrapped in Chicagoland.

From Mighty Mint, Duplass Brothers Productions, and executive producers Everett, Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen, the series follows Sam, a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. In season three, we see growth against all odds.

Season 3 cast includes Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Murray Hill, Tim Bagley,...

Kimberly Akimbo, winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical, will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, April 28, producers announced today.

Remarkably for Broadway, the entire original company, which has been performing together since the musical’s Off Broadway world premiere in 2021, has continued, and will continue, with the production through its final performance.

The universally acclaimed musical, which finds humor, heartbreak and hope in the tale of a teenage girl with a rare (and fictional) rapid-aging genetic condition that likely will take her life before she finishes her adolescence, opened on Broadway November 10, 2022, following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in November 2021.

Upon closing, Kimberly Akimbo will have played 32 previews and 612 performances on Broadway. The musical will kick off a 75-week, 60-city national tour at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts this September. (The touring cast has not been announced.)

Though the production grossed a...

The 76th Tony Awards took place on Sunday, June 11 in a two-part telecast staged at the United Palace in Washington Heights. Nominations were announced on May 2, 2023. Of the 38 eligible productions from the 2022-2023 Broadway season, 29 reaped bids across 26 competitive categories.

13 of the 15 eligible musicals and musical revivals earned at least one nomination. A new stage adaptation of the 1959 film “Some Like It Hot” leads all productions with 13 nominations. Its tally includes a nomination for the top honor of Best Musical and four bids for its performers. Three other new musicals are tied for second place with nine nominations: “& Juliet,” “New York, New York,” and “Shucked,” all earning Best Musical bids. Best musical frontrunner “Kimberly Akimbo” nabbed eight total bids. Of the six eligible Musical Revivals, the late Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” leads with eight, including Best Revival and three acting nominations; “Parade” and...

HBO has renewed the critically acclaimed comedy series Somebody Somewhere for a third season.

Created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Somebody Somewhere is inspired by the life of comedian and singer Bridget Everett and is set in her native Kansas. The series follows Sam (played by Everett), a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. Season two reminds us that families are hard, even the fun ones. Sam and Joel (Jeff Hiller) have settled into a comfy routine. But nothing stays the same forever.

Cast also includes Jeff Hiller (Joel), Mary Catherine Garrison...

HBO is heading back to the Little Apple.

The premium cable outlet has renewed Somebody Somewhere for a third season. The pickup comes a few days after the dramedy starring Bridget Everett and set in Manhattan, Kansas, concluded its seven-episode second season.

“We’re thrilled to announce the third season of the honest and impactful Somebody Somewhere,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vp comedy programming at HBO and Max. “Nothing makes us smile quite like this show, which never fails to remind us that life is made up of the small moments, that family can be chosen, and that dreams don’t have deadlines.”

The series draws relatively modest viewership in relation to some other HBO originals, but it’s been a critical favorite. Season one received an AFI Award as one of the top 10 TV programs of 2022.

Season two follows Sam (Everett) as she deals with loss and acceptance and...

HBO has ordered a third season of “Somebody Somewhere,” Variety has learned.

According to the logline, Season 2 of the comedy follows Sam (Bridget Everett), a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. “Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere. Season two reminds us that families are hard, even the fun ones. Sam and Joel (Jeff Hiller) have settled into a comfy routine. But nothing stays the same forever,” it reads.

In addition to Everett and Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Murray Hill, Jane Brody, Mercedes White, Kailey Albus, Meighan Gerachis, Tim Bagley, Jennifer Mudge, and Barbara Robertson also star.

“We’re thrilled...

Season one of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere largely focused on lead character Sam’s (Bridget Everett) halting attempts to fit back into her Kansas hometown. The trailer for season two of the series suggests she’s feeling at least a little more comfortable there.

The trailer shows that Sam and Joel (Jeff Hiller) have moved in together — “It’s solely a financial arrangement,” Joel says — and settled into a routine. Sam also takes a few more steps to further her singing, approaching her old music teacher for voice lessons.

Hiller also told The Hollywood Reporter that Joel will have a new love interest in season two, played by Tim Bagley (Grace and Frankie). “I originally thought that Joel might get back together with his season one boyfriend, but I think this story is much more interesting,” he said.

The two-minute clip also showcases the series’ mix of comedy and emotion...

Hulu has announced that Season 3 of “The Great” will drop all 10 episodes on May 12, and revealed a first-look image.

In the third season, Catherine (Elle Fanning) and Peter (Nicholas Hoult) try to salvage their marriage after Catherine imprisoned his friends and almost had him murdered. Peter must also deal with visions of his dead father (Jason Isaacs) as Catherine spreads her word across borders and must compromise to create progress as a political leader.

Tony McNamara created, wrote and executive produced “The Great,” along with executive producers Fanning, Hoult, Marian Macgowan, Mark Winemaker, Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, Thruline’s Ron West and Josh Kesselman. Civic Center Media produced the series in association with MRC Television.

Also in today’s TV news:

First Looks

Peacock dropped a first-look teaser for the new series “Mrs. Davis,” which will premiere at SXSW on March 14 and debut...

The critically acclaimed HBO Original comedy series Somebody Somewhere, starring and executive produced by comedian and singer Bridget Everett, returns for its seven-episode second season Sunday, April 23 (10:30-11:00 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. A new episode will debut every following Sunday, leading up to the final two episodes of the season on May 28.

Season 2 logline: From Mighty Mint, Duplass Brothers Productions, and creators and executive producers Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, the series follows Sam (played by Everett), a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice,...

Kristen Stewart is continuing her streak of portraying celebrities in her new film.

Screen Daily reports the actress will be playing writer Susan Sontag in a new biopic from director Kirsten Johnson, via Variety.

Read More: Rita Ora’s Star-Studded Single ‘You Only love Me’ Includes Sharon Stone, Kristen Stewart And Others

The new project will be based on the biography “Sontag: Her Life” by Ben Moser with a script from Johnson and Lisa Kron. UK-Australia-based Brouhaha Entertainment is set to produce the movie which begins filming at the Berlin Film Festival.

“We’re using Berlin as a moment to kick off the project and do documentary footage of Kristen as the head of the jury and talking to her about how she’s going to become Sontag,” said Gabrielle Tana, Brouhaha Entertainment co-founder. “It will be a drama, but with a documentary aspect to it. Kirsten has a wonderful approach to storytelling,...

Kristen Stewart is no stranger to biopics, with “Seberg” in 2019 and “Spencer” in 2021. Now she has another to add to her upcoming projects, but this one has a meta twist. Variety reports (via Screen Daily) that Stewart will star as the writer and intellectual Susan Sontag in Kirsten Johnson‘s next film, the director’s follow-up to 2016’s “Cameraperson‘ and 2020’s “Dick Johnson Is Dead.”

Read More: ‘The Chronology Of Water’: Kristen Stewart’s Feature Directorial Debut Is A Swimming Memoir With Imogen Poots Set To Star

Johnson will base “Sontag” off Ben Moser‘s 2019 biography “Sontag: Her Life,” with Johnson co-writing a script with Lisa Kron.

Continue reading Kristen Stewart Will Play Susan Sontag In Kirsten Johnson’s Upcoming Meta Documentary, Which Starts Filming At Berlin 2023 at The Playlist.

Kristen Stewart’s next role continues her trend of portraying influential real life women, although this project will feature a meta twist.

The actor is set to portray Susan Sontag in “Sontag,” which will be directed by Kirsten Johnson. Screen Daily first reported the project. The feature is based on the biography “Sontag: Her Life” by Ben Moser, and will be written for the screen by Johnson and Lisa Kron. UK-Australia-based Brouhaha Entertainment will produce the project, which is set to start filming at the Berlin Film Festival, where Stewart is the jury president.

“We’re using Berlin as a moment to kick off the project and do documentary footage of Kristen as the head of the jury and talking to her about how she’s going to become Sontag,” said Gabrielle Tana, who co-founded Brouhaha Entertainment and is producer on the project. “It will be a drama, but with a documentary aspect to it.

On the heels of collaborating with David Cronenberg and Olivier Assayas last year, Kristen Stewart has found a new project. It’s quite an enticing amalgamation of talent: Cameraperson and Dick Johnson is Dead director Kirsten Johnson will direct Stewart in the tentatively titled Sontag, in which the actress will play the legendary Susan Sontag.

Screen Daily has the first details on the project, which will actually begin shooting at the Berlin International Film Festival this month, where Stewart is president of the international jury. As one might expect from Johnson, the project will not take the form of a standard biopic, rather capturing four chapters in the writer, philosopher, and activist’s life. Based on Ben Moser’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Sontag: Her Life and co-written by Johnson and Lisa Kron, the film is backed by Brouhaha Entertainment.

“We’re using Berlin as a moment to kick off the...

US documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson will direct, with filming commencing at the Berlinale.

Kristen Stewart is to play US writer, philosopher and political activist Susan Sontag in an upcoming feature for UK-Australia production outfit Brouhaha Entertainment, with US filmmaker Kirsten Johnson to direct.

Four chapters in the tumultuous life of the celebrated and controversial 20th century intellectual will be depicted in the drama, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Sontag: Her Life by Ben Moser. The feature has the working title of Sontag.

New Yorker Sontag, who passed away in 2004, is known for her widely influential critical works such as Against Interpretation,...

The Sundance Institute has announced the addition of Shripriya Mahesh, Lulu Wang and Patrick Gaspard to its Board of Trustees. The trio will now help steer and act in an advisory capacity for the organization, working closely with Board Chair Ebs Burnough and CEO Joana Vicente.

Mahesh is the founding partner of Spero Ventures, as well as an investor, experienced technology executive and filmmaker. Wang is an award-winning writer, director and producer best known for helming the A24 dramedy The Farewell, which won two Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, upon its 2019 release. A leader in government, philanthropy, labor and global diplomacy, Gaspard serves as President and CEO of the Center for American Progress.

“The new trustees bring an invaluable depth of experience in government and civic engagement, technology and digital product development, and deep knowledge of the media, entertainment, and storytelling landscape,” said Burnough. “As Sundance’s programs continue...

The Sundance Institute has added three newly appointed members to the Board of Trustees. Lulu Wang (director of “The Farewell”), Patrick Gaspard (current CEO for the Center for American Progress) and Shripriya Mahesh (a founding partner at Spero Ventures) have joined the business, cultural and philanthropic leaders who steer the entire organization and also act in an advisory capacity.

They will expand the Institute’s Board of “values-based leaders,” building an “evolving community for storytellers.” The Trustees will work closely with Board Chair Ebs Burnough and CEO Joana Vicente.

“We are honored to have Lulu, Patrick and Shripriya join us as Trustees on the Board of Sundance Institute,” said Vicente in a statment. “Their vision and expertise offer us innovative leadership to continue to evolve as a cultural organization and deepen our commitment to the work.”

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IFC Films Acquires North American Rights to ‘Biosphere,’ Starring Sterling K. Brown...

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The Sundance Institute has added three new names to its board of trustees: Lulu Wang, Patrick Gaspard and Shripriya Mahesh. The trio will help guide and advise the nonprofit on its endeavors, including the prolific filmmaker labs and annual film festival.

Wang is an award winning director, producer, and writer behind titles like The Farewell. Gaspard is president and CEO of the think tank Center for American Progress. Mahesh is a filmmaker and the founding partner of venture capital firm Spero Ventures, a technology executive.

“The new trustees bring an invaluable depth of experience in government and civic engagement, technology and digital product development, and deep knowledge of the media, entertainment, and storytelling landscape,” said Sundance Institute board chair Ebs Burnough.

“We are honored to have Lulu, Patrick and Shripriya join us as Trustees on the Board of Sundance Institute. Their vision and...

Exclusive: Patrick Herold, who served as Partner and Head of Theater at ICM Partners for nearly two decades, has moved to UTA as an agent in the Theatre division. He will be based in New York and report to Partner & Head of Theatre, Mark Subias. Herold is the latest ICM agent to leave following the agency’s acquisition by CAA.

Herold brings with him a stellar roster of long-term clients including the estates of Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill and Sam Shepard; writers Lisa Kron and Doug Wright; composers Cyndi Lauper and Stephen Trask; and directors Christopher Ashley, Michael Greif and Julie Taymor.

Additionally, his clients, all of whom are expected to join him at UTA, include the estates of Horton Foote, Moss Hart and Wendy Wasserstein; theater luminaries Athol Fugard and John Guare; playwrights Richard Nelson and Paul Rudnick; composers and lyricists Rosanne Cash, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie; directors Walter Bobbie,...

The Sundance Institute’s Interdisciplinary Program today named its 2021 grantees, also unveiling those selected as 2021-2022 Art of Practice Fellows. Each fellow and grantee was supported in a designated field or a combination of them, including emerging media, interdisciplinary, music, and/or theater.

Sundance’s latest grantees are Melis Aker (Theater), Shariffa Ali (Interdisciplinary), DeAndre James Allen-Toole (Music), Fabian Almazan (Music), Lily Baldwin (Interdisciplinary), Mariam Bazeed (Interdisciplinary), Carla LynDale Bishop (Emerging Media), Kathryn Bostic (Interdisciplinary), William Caballero (Interdisciplinary), William Calhoun (Interdisciplinary), Raven Chacon (Interdisciplinary), Penelope Jagessar Chaffer (Emerging Media), Layale Chaker (Interdisciplinary), Maya Chami (Interdisciplinary), Heather Christian (Theater), Cora Yi-Huan Chung (Music), Ryan Cohan (Music), Colectivo Los Ingrávidos (Interdisciplinary), Ty Defoe (Interdisciplinary), Heather Dewey-Hagborg (Emerging Media), Angèlica Ekeke (Emerging Media), JJJJJerome Ellis (Interdisciplinary), Tim Fain (Music), Kelley Nicole Girod (Theater), Ben Goldberg (Music), Robert Casey Goodwin (Interdisciplinary), Fernando Gregório (Interdisciplinary), Porpentine Heartscape (Interdisciplinary), Dov Heichemer (Emerging Media), Sultana Isham (Interdisciplinary...

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,...

Succession‘s Juliana Canfield, WandaVision‘s Kathryn Hahn, Messiah‘s Emily Kinney, Moulin Rouge!‘s Sahr Ngaujah, and Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert‘s Joel Perez have joined the line-up for tonight’s Act Out: Vote2020, a get-out-the-vote online event featuring short monologues and songs that team prominent playwrights with an all-star cast.

Among the offerings: The Letter by Lynn Nottage starring Sandra Oh, Mr. Morrow Comes to Tally by Tarell Alvin McCraney with Brian Tyree Henry; Two Girlfriends on Zoom by Jocelyn Bioh with Yvette Nicole Brown and Dis Is Your Fathah by Ngozi Anyanwu with Sahr Ngaujah.

See the full line-up below.

“Voting matters for every election but this November 3rd is even more important,” said two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nottage, who presents the event with The Walking Dead actress and playwright Danai Gurira and The Inheritance director Stephen Daldry. “We believe that if the entire theatrical...

The Sundance Institute on Monday appointed seven new members to its Board of Trustees, bringing it to a 32-person board that is evenly split between men and women and features 10 who identify as people of color, including six who identify as Black.

The newest members are Kimberlé Crenshaw, Ann Lewnes and Wonya Lucas, who join the board alongside Uzodinma Iweala, Amanda Kelso, William Plapinger and Junaid Sarieddeen, all of whom joined over the last year. While the Sundance Institute board typically includes 24-28 members, it expanded this year to add new members and to replace three members whose terms had expired.

The new trustees will work closely with Board chair Pat Mitchell and executive director Keri Putnam in shaping the business, cultural and philanthropic goals of the organization in an advisory capacity.

They join current members on the Institute’s Board: Robert Redford, president & founder; Pat Mitchell, chair; Jeanne Donovan Fisher,...

Sundance Institute has added prominent Civil Rights attorney Kimberlé Crenshaw, Crown Media Family Networks executive Wonya Lucas and Adobe executive Ann Lewnes to its board of trustees.

The institute also announced Monday that Uzodinma Iweala, Amanda Kelso, William Plapinger and Junaid Sarieddeen have joined the board over the last year.

“We are so grateful to welcome the expertise and unique perspectives of Kimberlé, Uzodinma, Amanda, Ann, Bill and Junaid to Sundance as we move forward in this challenging time,” said chair Pat Mitchell. “Our board possesses the right skills, a broad range of talents and a high level of commitment to our founding values and ethics to guide the organization’s mission oriented work in supporting emerging artists around the world and connecting audiences to their stories.”

The trustees announced in August that the 2021 Sundance Film Festival would be shortened from 11 to seven days, running from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3.

Crenshaw...

Kimberlé Crenshaw, Ann Lewnes, Wonya Lucas have joined the Sundance Institute Board of Trustees alongside Uzodinma Iweala, Amanda Kelso, William Plapinger, and Junaid Sarieddeen who joined over the last year. The group will work closely with Board Chair Pat Mitchell and Executive Director Keri Putnam.

“We are so grateful to welcome the expertise and unique perspectives of Kimberlé, Uzodinma, Amanda, Ann, Bill, and Junaid to Sundance as we move forward in this challenging time,” saidMitchell. “Our board possesses the right skills, a broad range of talents and a high level of commitment to our founding values and ethics to guide the organization’s mission oriented work in supporting emerging artists around the world and connecting audiences to their stories.”

The new members join the Institute’s board comprised of Robert Redford, President & Founder; Pat Mitchell, Chair; Jeanne Donovan Fisher, Vice Chair; Ebs Burnough, Vice Chair; Sean Bailey, Ritesh Batra, Jason Blum,...

New Republic Pictures has signed Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker’s Nine Stories to a first-look feature film production deal. It’s the second first look New Republic has made in recent weeks, following two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and her Dirty Films company.

Gyllenhaal and New Republic founder Brian Oliver previously worked together on Universal’s Everest, while New Republic president Bradley Fischer collaborated with the Oscar-nominated actor on Paramount’s Zodiac.

“Brian and I have both gotten to know Jake over the years as a powerhouse actor as well as a passionate storyteller with a sharp eye for cinematic voices that can resonate with audiences everywhere,” said Fischer. Added Oliver: “When we spoke to him and Riva about their plans for Nine Stories, it was instantly clear that we shared more than just the same taste in material but also a belief in taking big swings with visionary talent.

Editors’ Note: With full acknowledgment of the big-picture implications of a pandemic that already has claimed thousands of lives, cratered global economies and closed international borders, Deadline’s Coping With Covid-19 Crisis series is a forum for those in the entertainment space grappling with myriad consequences of seeing a great industry screech to a halt. The hope is for an exchange of ideas and experiences, and suggestions on how businesses and individuals can best ride out a crisis that doesn’t look like it will abate any time soon.

Caroline, Or Change, the acclaimed West End revival of the Tony Kushner-Jeanine Tesori musical starring Olivier Award-winning Sharon D Clarke and directed by Michael Longhurst, was set to stage its first invited dress rehearsal at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54 at 8 p.m. on March 12. With three hours to curtain, Broadway went dark, a historic action that now...

by Murtada Elfadl

Gyllenhaal with Tesori in 2018

Thankfully the box office failure of Cats hasn’t put the kibosh on green lighting musicals for the big screen. The latest Broadway sensation to get the big screen treatment will be Fun Home, based on illustrator Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about her bittersweet relationship with her father. Yes that’s the Bechdel of the Bechdel test. Jake Gyllenhaal will produce and star as Bruce Bechdel, the role that won Michael Cerveris a Tony for best actor in a musical- one of 5 Tonys Fun Home won in 2015. The part is multi faceted as the elder Bechdel is a closeted conflicted gay man and the musical charts not only his daughter’s queer awakening but also his messy relationship with her and with his wife.

Sydney Lucas as Small alison with Cerveris on Broadway

I loved this show on Broadway and I'm excited to see a film adaptation,...

“Musicals can be very tricky,” Jeanine Tesori explains. “Because when you deliver something and you put a beautiful string section underneath it, it sways you. It sways you because of the physics of music, and the overtone series and the ways that music is embedded inside the science of being alive.”

Tesori, the composer of the music within David Henry Hwang’s complex and fascinating new play, Soft Power, certainly understands how musicals can manipulate, persuade, and influence. She won a Tony for Best Original Score for Fun Home, along with Lisa Kron,...

Nominations for the 2019 Olivier Awards were unveiled today in London with Marianne Elliott’s gender-switched production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company tying Broadway transfer Come From Away to lead the pack of musicals with nine nods each. On the drama side, Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance is the most nominated with eight mentions, including Best Supporting Actress for Vanessa Redgrave and Best Director for Stephen Daldry.

Gillian Anderson scored her third Olivier nomination today, for All About Eve, while Ian McKellen nabbed his 11th nomination, for King Lear. David Suchet added to his eight previous noms with a Best Actor mention for Arthur Miller play The Price.

Also in the Best Actress category are Eileen Atkins (The Height Of The Storm), Patsy Ferran (Summer And Smoke), Sophie Okonedo (Antony And Cleopatra) and Katherine Parkinson. Rounding out the Best Actor race are Arinzé Kene (Misty), Kyle Soller (The Inheritance), and Adam Godley,...

Favorites of theatre and screen took to the stage of the American Airlines Theatre in Times Square this week for The 24 Hour Musicals on Broadway.

24 Hour Musicals

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images

John Mulaney, Bebe Neuwirth, Corey Cott, Savion Glover, Jackie Cruz, Lea Delaria, Emily Estefan, were just a few of the exceptional group of artists who joined forces to write, direct and perform four original musicals within 24 hours, in support of The Lillys.

The first musical of the evening was The Gordon Four, set at the funeral of talent manager of Wendy Elizabeth Gordon with her friend, Stephon (Savion Glover) who taps the eulogy. The next musical was Backstage At ‘Slavery: The Musical,’ – while the cast waits for a constantly tardy star of the show up. Followed by Things Get Better, set during 1972, The Family Kilbasa performs together on a cruise ship, and off-stage problems come to a head. The...

Forward Theater Company continues its 10th anniversary season celebration by producing its first musical, Fun Home Book amp Lyrics by Lisa Kron, Music by Jeanine Tesori This groundbreaking musical is based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, and is the winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. As an added bonus, Forward Theater is excited to feature Tony Award-winning actress Karen Olivo in the production as Adult Alison. This Wisconsin premiere will be presented in the Playhouse at Overture Center, through November25.

The 24 Hour Musicals is coming to Broadway for the first time.

The marathon process for The 24 Hour Musicals begins at 9 Pm the night before the performance. Writers, composers, directors, choreographers, actors, music directors, musicians and production staff — many of whom have never worked with or met each other before — gather for an orientation where they are asked to share one costume piece, one prop, a special skill, and to reveal something that they have always wanted to do on stage, as well as some singing and dancing. At 11 Pm, the composers and writers get to work crafting 15-20 minute musicals overnight; at 9 Am the next morning, the actors receive their roles and the directors, choreographers and musicians arrive to begin rehearsal. Less than 12 hours later, they must be ready to perform in front of a live audience.

The evening will benefit The Lillys’ work supporting women in theater and promoting gender parity,...

Forward Theater Company continues its 10th anniversary season celebration by producing its first musical, Fun Home Book amp Lyrics by Lisa Kron, Music by Jeanine Tesori This groundbreaking musical is based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, and is the winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. As an added bonus, Forward Theater is excited to feature Tony Award-winning actress Karen Olivo in the production. This Wisconsin premiere will be presented in the Playhouse at Overture Center, November 1 - 25.