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Exclusive: Tracee Ellis Ross (American Fiction) is in production in New York City on Blow the Horn, an indie psychological drama marking the first narrative feature from writer-director Nacho Arenas.

The project is an adaptation of Bajo Terapia, the acclaimed Argentinian play by Matias del Federico, which has previously been adapted by Spanish filmmaker Gerado Herrero. Others in the cast include Wrenn Schmidt (For All Mankind), Dallas Roberts (Monsters), Joshua Boone (A Jazzman’s Blues), Ken Leung (Industry), and Lake Bell (Mother Couch).

Set in contemporary New York, the story follows three couples summoned to a group therapy session with their psychologist, where personal secrets and simmering tensions are exposed. The plot takes a strange turn when the hot shot therapist unexpectedly fails to show up, leaving the couples to confront their issues without guidance.

“I was immediately captivated by Matias’ play the moment I read it and adapting it for...

There are going to be so many celebs on the red carpet at the 2025 Grammy Awards and we’re recapping all of the best photos here!

It’s music’s biggest night on Sunday (February 2) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Make sure to tune in for the show at 8/7c on CBS and you can also stream on Paramount+.

Comedian Trevor Noah is returning to host the ceremony for the fifth consecutive year. Make sure to check out the full list of nominations, led by Beyonce with 11 mentions.

Head inside to check out the full list of celebs attending the Grammys…

Keep scrolling to see photos of all the celebs at the Grammys…

**We’ll be updating this post all night long.

Chappell Roan

Fyi: Chappell is wearing a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier Couture dress.

Taylor Swift

Lady Gaga

Will Smith

Miley Cyrus

Cardi B

Olivia Rodrigo...

Another Grammy nominations clean-sweep for Broadway: For the third consecutive year, all the nominees for Best Musical Theater Album are for Broadway productions. No West End, Off Broadway, regional theater – or 2022 winner TikTok.

The six 2025 Grammy nominees in the theater category are Hell’s Kitchen, Merrily We Roll Along, The Notebook, The Outsiders, Suffs and The Wiz. Four of the shows are still running, though two of those (The Notebook and Suffs) will be closed when the winners are announced in February so would be unable to benefit ticket-wise from the publicity.

This year’s cast album nominations mean that plenty of performers not typically associated with music, or only music, could potentially tick off a box on the long road to Egot status: Daniel Radcliffe, Wayne Brady, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, among others.

The nomination of The Outsiders won’t...

Brody Grant, the Tony-nominated actor who plays Ponyboy Curtis in Broadway’s The Outsiders, will return to the role next week following a monthlong hiatus, Deadline has confirmed.

While no reason was given for his absence, a representative for the musical said in a statement, “The Outsiders is a very demanding project. He needed time away and is returning next week. As with any long-running shows, our performers regularly take time away, when needed, to recharge and reset.”

Grant’s understudies, Josh Strobl and Trevor Wayne, have been covering the role in his absence.

Grant was Tony-nominated last season in the Best Leading Actor/Musical, losing out to Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along).

In addition to Grant, the Broadway cast includes Sky Lakota-Lynch, Brent Comer, Jason Schmidt, Joshua Boone and Emma Pittman.

Variety was first to report.

On Sunday, the 77th annual Tony Awards were held, hosted by Broadway and film actress Ariana DeBose at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The ceremony saw wins for Sarah Paulson, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. Several notable faces took the stage as presenters, including Angelina Jolie, Brooke Shields, Nick Jonas and even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

This year’s nominations raised some skeptical responses over the omission of the fan-favorite revival of The Wiz and Appropriate‘s nomination for costume design. The ceremony was also deemed “dull” by many viewers citing numerous on-stage speech fumbles and a lack of stage presence from presenters and award winners.

Regardless, fans were excited to see their favorite faces take home their wins. Stereophonic and Alicia Keys‘ musical Hell’s Kitchen swept the categories with 13 nominations. Paulson returned to the stage after 13 years and snagged a win,...

Angelina Jolie and Debra Martin Chase took home the Tony Award for best musical for The Outsiders.

The show takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967, when Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend, Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of “outsiders” battle with their rivals, the Socs, according to the musical’s description. Over the course of the show, nominated for 12 Tonys, the family members dream about who they want to be in a world that may never accept them.

The musical was up against Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, Suffs and Water for Elephants for the final award of the evening. Among industry members, the best musical category was the most up in the air leading up to the Tony Awards — though Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders were viewed by many as the leading contenders. The musical also took home best direction, lighting design and sound design.

The Outsiders‘ Joshua Boone,...

You’re a Tony winner, Daniel Radcliffe.

The actor took home the Tony Award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical for Merrily We Roll Along. Radcliffe portrays lyricist and playwright Charley Kringas in the revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 musical. The original production only lasted 12 days before shutting down.

“I’m gonna just talk fast and try not to cry,” Radcliffe began his acceptance speech. “This has been one of the best experiences of my life. It’s been unbelievable.”

“It is an honor to be on stage with you all every single night,” he added of his co-stars, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, and the entire cast of the musical. He then took a moment to thank his parents, who were in the audience.

“Happy Father’s Day, Dad,” he said toward the end of his speech. “Thank you...

The Tony Awards are being handed out Sunday night.

Ariana DeBose is hosting the live broadcast from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. The ceremony airs live from 8-11 p.m. Et/5-8 p.m. Pt on June 16 on CBS and streams on Paramount+ in the U.S. (See the red carpet photos.)

Among the noteworthy winners so far are Daniel Radcliffe and Jeremy Strong, who both took home their first Tonys, and Dede Ayite, who became the first Black woman to win a Tony for best costume design of a play.

Set to perform at the ceremony are the casts of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, Merrily We Roll Along, Stereophonic, Suffs, The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy and Water for Elephants.

Presenters will include Utkarsh Ambudkar, Nate Burleson, Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Gad,...

Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, April 30 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry. While the nominations for the 77th annual Tony Awards were determined by approximately 60 theatre professionals, winners were decided by hundreds of members of the Broadway community.

A whopping 36 shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there were 10 original works and five revivals in the running for nominations. Over on the musical side, 15 new tuners were in contention for bids as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was Thursday, April 25.

The Tony Awards are set for June 16 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. The earlier “Tony Awards: Act One” ceremony will be hosted by Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar; Skylar Astin will host...

The best of Broadway will gather together on Sunday, June 18 for the 77th Tony Awards. The annual celebration of theatre will take place live from Lincoln Center beginning at 8 p.m. Et. Following a historically crowded season, this year’s Tonys feature a tight race for the biggest honor of the night, Best Musical. Hosted for the third-straight year by Tony nominee and Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, the evening promises to supply performances, celebrities, and surprises that theatre fans of all kinds won’t want to miss. You can watch with a Free 3-Day Trio Trial of Hulu Live TV.

How to Watch 2024 Tony Awards When: Sunday, June 18, 2024 at 8 p.m. Et TV: CBS Stream: Watch with a Free 3-Day Trio Trial of Hulu Live TV. Free 3-Day Trio Trial $76.99+ / month hulu.com

You can also stream the event live with a subscription to Paramount+ With Showtime or on-demand with Paramount+ Essentials.

After an extraordinary season boasting 36 productions of musicals, plays, and revivals, Broadway will toast its nominees and crown new winners at the upcoming 77th annual Tony Awards. If predicting the winners seems overwhelming with so many terrific contenders to choose between – especially one of the most competitive Best Musical races in recent memory – check out our official odds below for all 26 categories with our projected winners highlighted in gold.

These official odds for the Tonys are derived from the predictions from our Experts who write about theatre year-round, our in-house team of Editors, the Top 24 Users who did the best predicting last year’s ceremony, the All-Star Top 24 who have the highest scores when you combine predictions from the last two years, and all our Users who make up the largest and often savviest bloc of predictors.

Watch 37 exclusive interviews with Tony Award nominees from acting, directing, crafts categories and...

When Angelina Jolie announced nearly a year ago that she’d signed on as a producer of the Broadway-bound musical The Outsiders, folks in the theater community could be forgiven for assuming she was merely the latest in a long and ever-growing line of celebrities willing to either raise money or share fame in exchange for a credit in Playbill.

Those folks would have been wrong.

“Angelina was in the room a lot,” says Outsiders director Danya Taymor, explaining that the Oscar-winning actress offered creative notes, suggestions and even guidance and advice for the show’s young cast, many of whom were making their Broadway debuts.

“I’ve had successes and failures,” Jolie tells Deadline, “and I’ve been around a long time…”

Brody Grant, who has earned a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway debut as Ponyboy Curtis, told Deadline, “Danya and Angelina are two artists...

Grant Gustin and an acrobatic cast are swinging into the Tony Awards to perform a number from the nominated Broadway musical Water for Elephants.

The ceremony will also feature performances from: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club with nominees Gayle Rankin and Eddie Redmayne; Hell’s Kitchen, featuring the music of producer Alicia Keys, with nominees Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon; Illinoise, featuring the music of Sufjan Stevens, directed and choreographed by Justin Peck; Merrily We Roll Along, a Stephen Sondheim classic with nominees Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe; Suffs, a new...

Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne are among the nominees set to take the stage at the upcoming Tony Awards.

Producers on Tuesday unveiled the musical performances planned for the June 16 ceremony. The performances represent eight of the shows nominated for best musical and best revival of a musical. They include:

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club with nominees Gayle Rankin and Redmayne Hell’s Kitchen featuring the music of producer Alicia Keys, with nominees Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon Illinoise, featuring the music of Sufjan Stevens, directed and choreographed by Justin Peck Merrily We Roll Along, a Stephen Sondheim classic with nominees Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Radcliffe Suffs, a new musical whose producers include Hillary Clinton, with nominees Nikki M. James and Shaina Taub The Outsiders, based on the book and the film, whose producers include Angelina Jolie, with nominees Joshua Boone, Brody Grant...

“I was sleeping when the nominations happened because I just didn’t expect to get one,” confesses Sky Lakota-Lynch about the morning of the 2024 Tony Awards nominations. When he heard that he had received recognition for his performance at Johnny Cade in the new musical “The Outsiders,” he thought folks might be confusing him with fellow nominee Steven Skybell of “Cabaret” because they both have “sky” in their names, but he says that after he read the list a few dozen times to confirm that he did indeed get nominated, “I couldn’t catch my breath.” His castmates Brody Grant and Joshua Boone are nominees as well, and he thanks the Tony nominators for giving their characters “their flowers after 60 years.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

The musical is based on the 1967 novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton, which was “the first book” Lakota-Lynch read. He...

The Drama League Awards unveiled their slate of winners at an in-person ceremony on Friday, May 17. The event was hosted by Frank Dilella at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, where attendees toasted the best of Broadway and Off-Bradway.

The biggest winner of the day was Sarah Paulson, who claimed the coveted Distinguished Performance Award for her fiery role in “Appropriate.” That play, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, also took home the League’s trophy for Best Revival of a Play.

See 2024 Dorian Theater Awards nominations announced: LGBTQ journalists champion ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ ‘Stereophonic,’ ‘Oh, Mary!‘

The Distinguished Performance Award is unique in that a performer may only win the award once in their career. After prevailing, they are never eligible again. The category is also a massive catch-all race that includes actors of all genders, roles of all sizes, and both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. This year, 54 thespians were included as nominees.

Winning...

All of Broadway’s biggest stars were in attendance at the 2024 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees Press Event to kick off the theatre awards season!

Major Hollywood celebs like Rachel McAdams, Eddie Redmayne, Gayle Rankin, Alicia Keys, Daniel Radcliffe, and more were at the event on Thursday afternoon (May 2) at Sofitel New York in New York City.

Just days earlier, all of these stars earned Tony nominations for their work in the 2023-2024 Broadway season.

The 77th Annual Tony Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, June 16 and it’s taking place at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the first time.

Make sure to check out the full list of nominations, led by Alicia‘s musical Hell’s Kitchen and the hit play Stereophonic, both with 13 nods each.

Head inside for photos of all the nominees in attendance…

Keep scrolling to see a selection of the nominees on the red carpet…...

Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. In the hours after the announcement of the nominees for the 77th annual awards, we reflect on the omissions that stung the most, the long-shot picks we were most proud of predicting and discuss the early state of the Best Musical race.

Sam Eckmann: David, I have spent the morning pouring over the 2024 Tony nominations and switching between delight and disbelief when I look at the surprises and omissions in this lineup. It’s safe to say that this was by far the most packed and competitive season we have covered together, so while I didn’t get a perfect score with my predictions, I was more than happy with my performance. While there is much to cheer in these nominations, I can’t help but feel sad for many people.

In a Broadway season bursting at the seams with new musicals, plays and revivals – 36 productions opened during the 2023-2024 eligibility window – it is not a surprise that the 60 Tony Awards nominators caught theatre aficionados off guard with some of their choices.

The biggest surprise of the morning was the overperformance of new musical “Water for Elephants.” Our users only expected it to earn one nomination, but it ultimately ended up with seven, tying “Merrily We Roll Along” and beating out musicals such as “Suffs.” Its unexpected bids include the top category of Best Musical, director Jessica Stone, book and choreography. The one bid we thought it would land for featured actor Paul Alexander Nolan didn’t actually come to fruition. Speaking of surprise director noms, Michael Greif – who worked on three musicals this season – broke through for “Hell’s Kitchen.” He ranked ninth in our combined odds.

See Tony Awards nominations: ‘Stereophonic’ reaps record 13 bids,...

With the announcement of the Tony Awards nominations on April 30, we now know the shows and performers in contention for the 77th annual ceremony. The 60 members of the Tony nominating committee recognized 28 of the 36 eligible productions across 26 competitive categories.

See 2024 Tony Awards nominations snubs: ‘Patriots,’ Steve Carell, Chip Zien …

David Adjmi’s new play “Stereophonic” makes Tony Awards history with 13 nominations. This bests by one the previous record-holder “Slave Play” by Jeremy O. Harris, which earned 12 bids back in 2020. Its haul includes recognition for Best Play, Best Director (Daniel Aukin), five nominations for its performers and, rare for a dramatic work, Best Original Score for Will Butler and Best Orchestrations for Butler and Justin Craig.

“Hell’s Kitchen,” a loosely biographical work on the early life and featuring the music of Alicia Keys, leads all musicals and musical revivals with 13 nominations. In addition to a Best Musical nom, the show...

Daniel Radcliffe’s post-“Harry Potter” career has long been dominated by his theater work, both in New York and London. On April 30, he finally scored his first Tony nomination, for his role in the musical “Merrily We Roll Along.”

Radcliffe’s buzzy stage work began in 2007 with a run in “Equus” on both sides of the pond. He powered a delightful, blockbuster revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 2011 (Grammy nomination), and since then, he has chosen an eclectic mix of projects, work where his name alone can often get challenging — or even just serious — work funded. Think the occasionally dense “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” the provocative “Privacy,” or the genre-bending experiment “The Lifespan of a Fact.” He’s long been an asset to the NY stage scene, and this morning’s recognition long-deserved.

Radcliffe landed another perfect part playing Charley Kringas in the buzzy...

Broadway fans: the 2024 Tony Award nominations are finally here!

Each year, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre (aka the Tonys), celebrates the best on Broadway. The nominations were announced by two past Tony winners: Take Me Out‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamilton‘s Renée Elise Goldsberry.

This year, the Tonys will be held on June 16, 2024 with host Ariana DeBose returning to host for a third time. Just Jared will be live updating throughout the entire event, so stick with us that night!

Head inside to see the full list of Tony Award nominations…

Scroll down for the full list of Tony Award nominees…

Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen

Illinoise

The Outsiders

Suffs

Water for Elephants

Best Play

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Mary Jane

Mother Play

Prayer for the French Republic

Stereophonic

Best Revival of a Play

Appropriate

An Enemy of the People

Purlie Victorious: A...

The 2024 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, May 2 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry. The reveal of the roster of contenders was carried on the Tonys YouTube channel. While the nominations for the 77th annual Tony Awards were determined by a few dozen theater professionals, winners will be decided by upwards of 800 members of the Broadway community.

Three dozen shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are 10 original works and five revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, 15 new tuners were in contention as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.

The Tony Awards are set for June 16 at Lincoln Center and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.

The 2024 Tony Awards nominations list below includes all 26 competitive categories.

Musicals

Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen

Illinoise...

The 2023-2024 Broadway season has been positively packed with an abundance of talent as dozens of new productions danced across New York City stages. The nominating committee for the Tony Awards usually does a great job in selecting the best of the best, thanks to a fair system that requires committee members to see all eligible productions. But given the sheer volume of shows this season, David Buchanan and I thought it best to remind these voters of contenders most in need of recognition.

David and I sat down to stump for 10 Tony Awards hopefuls who find themselves on uncertain ground heading into nominations (plus a few shoutouts to some stellar designers). Watch the full video slugfest above to hear our passionate pleas to the voters on the nominating committee. Hey Tony voter nominators, please don’t forget these incredible artists!

See 2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 3): ‘Uncle Vanya...

The nominees for the 2024 Drama League Awards were announced April 22, 2024, by Vanessa Williams and past Drama League winner Bebe Neuwirth. Winners will be announced during the 90th Annual Drama League Awards ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 17.

These kudos honor both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and are famous for their catch-all acting category, the Distinguished Performance Award. An actor can only win it once in their career. After they have won, they can never be nominated again. This year, a whopping 54 performers are nominated.

See 2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 2): ‘Appropriate’ is officially a revival, ‘The Notebook’ actors split up

The expansive production categories mean that many Tony Awards hopefuls heard their name called this morning. Ten Broadway musicals were nominated in the Outstanding Production of a Musical race. Notable omissions include “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “The Great Gatsby” and critical darling “Days of Wine and Roses...

“The thing that pulled me the most is the authenticity with which the writer Susie Hinton explores what it feels like to be a teenager,” reflects Danya Taymor on what resonates with her about the 1967 novel “The Outsiders.” The popular book was adapted for the screen by Francis Ford Coppola in 1983 and has now come to the stage as a musical. The director finds the original work so powerful because the novelist was able to capture the experience of adolescence “without pulling any punches, without trying to sugarcoat it in a way that dove into my heart and talked to the 14-year-old inside me.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

“The Outsiders” features a large and young cast of performers, many of whom are making their Broadway debuts. “To do ‘The Outsiders’ asks so much of their spirit, their bodies, their minds, and it’s been a privilege to be their leader,...

The young adult novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton has captivated readers for decades, and the 1983 film adaptation, filled with rising stars, further cemented its place in popular culture. Now, a new musical adaptation at the Jacobs Theater on Broadway seeks to tap into the timeless story’s magic.

The musical, directed by Danya Taymor, possesses undeniable heart and soul, but it occasionally falls short of a truly theatrical experience. Although the plot of The Outsiders is rich in dramatic events—a clash between rival gangs, a star-crossed romance, and a climactic confrontation—the stage adaption can easily be compared to other classic stage productions, particularly Grease and West Side Story.

The script, written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, focuses on three orphaned brothers: Ponyboy, portrayed by Brody Grant as the narrator; the brawny and romantic Sodapop, played by Jason Schmidt; and the eldest brother, Darrel, portrayed by Brent Comer as the father figure.

Angelina Jolie‘s daughter, Vivienne, 15, has assumed the role of a meticulous assistant on the Broadway production of The Outsiders. The mother-daughter team attended the show’s premiere at New York City’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on April 11.

“She’ll correct me,” Jolie, 48, who is a producer of the show, said. “She’ll say, ‘Didn’t you read the memo? We have to do this. We have to go through this. She’s been a really tough assistant. She takes it very, very seriously.”

Broadway’s The Outsiders is a stage adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s beloved coming-of-age novel from 1967. Previously, the story received a film adaptation over four decades ago, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Kathleen Rowell. The 1983 film featured notable actors such as C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio and Tom Cruise.

An exceptional cast plays the lead...

Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. Following the opening of new musical “The Outsiders” on Broadway on April 11, we rack our brains about what other shows are likely to earn nominations in the top category of Best Musical, including frontrunners “Suffs,” “Illinoise” and others.

Sam Eckmann: Hi David! I can’t believe we are sitting roughly two weeks out from Tony nominations and we still have no idea what the Best Musical race is going to look like. That’s partly due to the insane crunch of new musicals opening at the end of the month: I’ll be squeaking in shows like “The Great Gatsby” and “Illinoise” right before the Tony Awards deadline, just like the nominators. But also partly because there is still no obvious frontrunner (be it a giant...

“Juvenile Delinquents Turn Heroes,” proclaims a newspaper headline in S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel The Outsiders, which was famously adapted for the screen in 1983 by Francis Ford Coppola. And the juvenile delinquents on stage at the Bernard J. Jacobs Theatre are doing the same, rescuing a Broadway season overstuffed with undercooked musicals in an unexpectedly persuasive new adaptation of Hinton’s scrappy, moving story.

This show follows close on the heels of two other book-to-movie-to-musical adaptations, The Notebook and Water for Elephants. But The Outsiders far outstrips them both in the sophisticated storytelling of Adam Rapp and Justine Levine’s book, the adventurous staging of director Danya Taymor, and the dramatically specific and potent score from Levine and folk duo Jamestown Revival. Put another way, The Outsiders is, at last, a darn good musical.

Fourteen-year-old Tulsa native Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant) is a member of the Greasers, a gang of long-haired...

Exclusive: Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly and Oscar nominee David Strathairn are in final negotiations to join Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) and Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) in Last Meals.

Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and Joshua Boone (A Jazzman’s Blues) are also joining the drama which begins filming in Atlanta on November 28 with a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.

Tony-winner Kenny Leon (Fences) is newly aboard to direct.

Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced former White House chef who finds himself 30 years later cooking last meals for death row inmates, forming an unlikely bond with Reed, a prisoner on a hunger strike whose innocence Walter begins to believe in. With the help of Hannah (Reilly), the trio take on a politically motivated prison head (Strathairn), while bringing dignity and hope to their fellow inmates (Rossi among others). Boone will play young Walter.

When it comes to heartwarming summer romances, movies can capture the joy of love and the endless feeling of summer so expertly. While some memorable films chronicle whirlwind romances that aren't built to last, others explore the origins of enduring relationships. Regardless, summer romance movies capture formative moments in the characters' lives, reminding viewers of their own sun-soaked vacations and amorous adventures.

Of course, so many summer-set rom-coms and romantic dramas veer into sentimentality. While heartwarming, these movies don't quite capture the nuance of what it's like to spend unending days with a life-changing someone. The best summer romance movies provide a healthy dose of cheesiness alongside a convincing dynamic. From jukebox musicals like Mamma Mia! to classic rom-coms like How Stella Got Her Groove Back, the most compelling romances delight viewers — no matter the genre.

Before Sunrise (1995)

The first installment in director and co-writer Richard Linklater's Before trilogy,...

Hollywood star Will Smith won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in ‘Emancipation’ on Saturday night, marking his first award win since his infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage.

Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person, reports Variety.

Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting violent plantation owners. ‘Emancipation’ was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as ‘Whipped Peter’, which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back.

The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.

After initially delaying ‘Emancipation’ following Smith’s incident at the Oscars, Apple TV+ pivoted to positioning the historical drama as an awards season contender, releasing the film in October.

Angela Bassett took home a pair of major honors at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night during a ceremony from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium that was telecast live on BET, earning three total: for Entertainer of the Year, film supporting actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and (prior to the live show) lead actress in a TV drama for Fox’s “9-1-1.” She shared top billing with Will Smith, who won his first major award since his infamous slap incident involving Chris Rock at last year’s Oscars: lead film actor for “Emancipation.”

Egot champ Viola Davis – snubbed this year at the Academy Awards – snared lead actress in a film for “The Woman King,” while “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was feted as Outstanding Motion Picture and Tenoch Huerta Mejia earned the film supporting actor prize for his role in “Black Panther.” Jalyn Hall won the Breakthrough...

The 54th NAACP Image Awards did the thing! After its regular week-long, non-televised celebrations, the annual awards ceremony concluded with its main ceremony on Saturday night.

Hosted by Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and producer Queen Latifah, Saturday’s ceremony included Janelle Monae, Taye Diggs, Kerry Washington, Jonathan Majors, Zendaya and more presenting awards to their peers, while also highlighting the accomplishments of political leaders and activists.

Jennifer Hudson, Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer and more scored wins during the pre-awards festivities, while Saturday’s ceremony saw Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Will Smith and more honoured for their artistic contributions.

Read More: 2023 NAACP Image Awards Nominations: See the Full List

This year’s Activist of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP and a vice president of the Ohio NAACP, and the Youth Activist of the Year Award honoured to Bradley Ross Jackson,...

The 2023 NAACP Image Awards winners list is full of big names, including Beyoncé, Angela Bassett, and the cast of "Abbott Elementary." The annual award show announced this year's pool of nominees on Jan. 12, recognizing talent, creativity, and trailblazers across film, television, music, streaming, podcasts, literature, and social justice. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" led the pack with a whopping 12 nominations, snagging wins for the dynamic cast, soundtrack, and Rihanna's original end-credits song, "Lift Me Up," as well as wins for filmmaker Ryan Coogler, costume designer Ruth Carter, and hairstylist Camille Friend.

Trailing behind the Marvel blockbuster was Gina Prince-Bythewood's film "The Woman King" and "Abbott Elementary" leading the TV race; both projects earned nine nominations each. Other notable individuals among the winners list include Beyoncé, Keke Palmer, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Nia Long, Will Smith, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Tems, Silk Sonic, Kid Cudi, Quavo, and Offset.

This year,...

The 54th NAACP Image Awards, which aired on CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium Saturday night, has wrapped. Queen Latifah hosted the proceedings, which honored the best in Black entertainment for the proceeding year. Inclusive awards that they are, the Image Awards often give a hat-tip to performers of color who aren’t Black, though: Tenoch Huerta Mejía won Best Supporting Actor for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which also won Outstanding Motion Picture.

That film received another big award in the form of Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, who is by far now the frontrunner for the Academy Award. It was one of two awards of the night for Bassett, as she also won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “9-1-1.”

Among other notable winners, Will Smith won Best Actor for his role in “Emancipation.” And “P-Valley” won Outstanding Drama Series, along with Nico...

Will Smith won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in “Emancipation” on Saturday night, marking his first award win since his infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage.

Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person.

Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting off violent plantation owners. “Emancipation” was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as “Whipped Peter,” which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back. The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.

After initially delaying “Emancipation” following Smith’s incident at the Oscars, Apple TV+ pivoted to positioning the historical drama as an awards season contender, releasing the film in October. Smith, who doubled...

The 2023 NAACP Image Awards continued their week–long celebration Friday with a non-televised dinner where winners in a number of categories were honored.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Abbott Elementary were among the top winners from night five, with each project winning three awards. The Best Man: The Final Chapters and P-Valley each won two awards.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leads this year’s NAACP Image Awards nominees with 12 nods, with Abbott Elementary landing nine nominations. P-Valley was nominated for six awards.

During the dinner at the L.A. Live Event Deck hosted by actress Bresha Webb, the Activist of the Year Award was presented to civil rights advocate Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the NAACP’s Dayton, Ohio unit and vice president of the Ohio NAACP. The dinner also recognized the Youth Activist of the Year: Bloomington-Normal NAACP Youth Council president Bradley Ross Jackson, who helped organize a...

The 54th NAACP Image Awards is ready to dole out shiny new trophies to honor the trove of outstanding achievements and performances of people of color across television, music, streaming, podcasts, literature and film, and the promotion of social justice through their creative endeavors.

This year’s annual show will be the first with an in-person audience since the show was hosted in February 2020, also at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. It’s also the first to include three new categories within the motion picture, television + streaming categories — Outstanding Hairstyling, Outstanding Make-Up and Outstanding Costume Design.

“Throughout the past year, we’ve witnessed Black artists showcasing our history and uplifting values of progressive change, while redefining genres and bringing our stories to the forefront of entertainment in so many innovative ways,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement. “Black voices are necessary to continually inspire audiences around the world.

The NAACP today revealed the nominees for its 54th annual NAACP Image Awards, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Woman King leading the film side and Abbott Elementary and the now-ended Black-ish topping TV.

The group also set up an all-female race for its Entertainer of the Year award. The five-way tussle for that marquee category will be among Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis and Zendaya.

The hardware will be handed out during the February 25 ceremony that will air live on BET.

The Black Panther sequel scored 12 noms to lead the pack, with The Woman King second at 10. Abbott Elementary, fresh off its Golden Globe triumph, scored nine nominations to Black-ish‘;’s seven. ABC topped all networks/distributors with 28 noms.

“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we...

The 2023 NAACP Image Awards nominees have been revealed.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Woman King were among the leading film nominees with 12 and nine nominations, respectively. Black Panther star Angela Bassett and Woman King star Viola Davis were each nominated for the NAACP Images Awards’ top prize of entertainer of the year.

Other films that scored multiple nominations include Till, which landed six nods, and Emancipation, with five nods.

ABC’s Abbott Elementary received the most nominations in the TV and streaming categories with nine nods. Star Quinta Brunson is also up for entertainer of the year.

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar scored the most nominations in the music recording categories with five each.

“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we’re proud to recognize their outstanding achievements and performances,” said NAACP...

When Tyler Perry wrote the screenplay for “A Jazzman’s Blues” in 1995, he imagined Diana Ross in the role of Hattie Mae, mother to a young man named Bayou (Joshua Boone) and an entrepreneurial woman who opens a juke joint in the 1940s South. When Perry finally made the movie — a passion project he held onto for 27 years, which is now streaming on Netflix — he turned to Amirah Vann to play the role.

Best known for powerhouse performances opposite Emmy-winner Viola Davis in “How to Get Away With Murder,” as well as major roles in “Queen Sugar” and “Underground”, Vann was “honored” to get the call from Perry — and even more so that he believed she possessed acting and singing chops comparable to Ross.

“The first time I remember him saying it, I was like, ‘Wait a minute?’” Vann tells Variety over the phone. “It just made me feel so honored.

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Solea Pfeiffer was on the phone with Don Cheadle about a possible appearance on his Showtime series Black Monday when another call came in. She ignored it. The 27-year-old actress didn’t end up working with Cheadle, but she did land a lead role in A Jazzman’s Blues, a period drama directed by Tyler Perry, who happened to be the unidentified caller.

A Jazzman’s Blues marks Pfeiffer’s first feature film after being lauded for her stage performances in the original national tour of Hamilton and Gustavo Dudamel’s West Side Story production at the Hollywood Bowl. In October, she stars as Penny Lane in the Broadway premiere of Almost Famous.

Perry’s film, set in the 1940s American South, tells the tragic tale of a young woman who is forced by her mother to pass as white and leave behind the Black man she loves.

The mix of musical genres in the title of this Toronto Film Festival Gala Presentation reflects the wildly uneven tone of this rare drama from Tyler Perry Studios, a lush romantic musical telling the story of a Southern lynching with echoes of the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi 1955. An imminent bow on Netflix is probably the best strategy for it; Perry may have his following, but it’s hard to imagine a crossover audience for A Jazzman’s Blues.

The setting is the city of Hopewell in Georgia, 1987, and an old Black lady is listening to a TV interview with a local politician, who’s talking down competition from an African American candidate by invoking the now-familiar GOP taking point of inverse racism. “I’ve had just about enough of you, mister white man,” she tells the screen and sets off to his office. Once there, she refuses to leave,...

Tyler Perry’s 23rd film, “A Jazzman’s Blues,” is a major departure for the seasoned director known for comedies and farces that are sometimes extremely broad. For “A Jazzman’s Blue,” the prolific filmmaker does a 180 into drama and romance. The story is set in Jim Crowe’s South and revolves around a forbidden love story about two star-crossed lovers.. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, prior to which the director and stars, Solea Pfeiffer and Joshua Boone, sat down for an interview to discuss themes like colorism as a cousin of racism and how the experience of making the film changed them.

Continue reading ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’: Tyler Perry Talks Departing From Comedy For His New Drama About Forbidden Love at The Playlist.

Writer-director Tyler Perry has been living with the screenplay for “A Jazzman’s Blues” for 27 years, longer than it takes most kids to grow up and move out of the house. Inspired by a chance meeting between Perry and playwright August Wilson in 1995, You can’t keep a good melodrama down.

A glowingly lensed Jim Crow-era drama, “Jazzman’s” not unlike “Green Book” or “The Help” — absent the pandering to white audiences’ anxiety about being (to paraphrase a meme) the baddies in this situation. There is one sympathetic white character, Holocaust survivor Ira (Ryan Eggold); his German accent is as exaggerated as the rest of the cast’s Southern drawls. But while the same folks who liked “Green Book” will likely enjoy “A Jazzman’s Blues,” Perry puts Black life in rural Georgia in the 1930s and ‘40s at the center of his story — no white intermediaries required.

We open on a modest clapboard home in Hopewell,...

Like an ice-cream shop that offers you the choice of pistachio or strawberry and nothing else, the movies Tyler Perry has been churning out for 20 years come in just two flavors: comedy and soap opera. It’s worth noting, in this case, how the flavors blend. Most often, they’re stacked right next to each other, as when Perry’s great sass-mouth frump Madea suddenly plops into the middle of a dramatic scene. Yet there’s a way that the antic, ribald broadness of Perry’s comedy bends the drama into being more over-the-top. That’s why his movies are all of a piece even when they’re all over the place. They feed you pistachio and strawberry, and by the time that’s all melted together you’re tasting one flavor. Call it Tyler Perry with Nuts.

All of which makes “A Jazzman’s Blues,” which premiered last night at the Toronto International Film Festival,...

“A Jazzman’s Blues” was a movie adventure 27 years in the making for Tyler Perry, who wrote the screenplay in 1995, the first ever for the prodigious writer-director-actor-magnate. After the project stalled in the mid-2000s, cameras finally started rolling last year in Savannah, Georgia. And in 2022, the sprawling, music-filled Southern Gothic romance of Perry’s dreams was born.

Perry gathered much of his cast, including Amirah Vann, Solea Pfeiffer, Ryan Eggold, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Lana Young and lead Joshua Boone to sit down with Executive Editor, Awards, Steve Pond at TheWrap and Shutterstock’s Interview and Portrait Studio at the Toronto Film Festival.

“A Jazzman’s Blues” tells the story of Bayou (Boone) and Leanne (Pfeiffer), who get caught up in the tempest of jazz, secrets, family abuse, and institutional racism. “I was 26 or 27 with great ambition and a lot of time,” Perry said. “Growing up in rural Louisiana, I know these people very well,...

Bold, beautiful, and bittersweet, Tyler Perry's "A Jazzman's Blues" is a larger-than-life love story set during the Jim Crow era. It's an epic tale about love and loss with a strong musical component (hence the title); the core conflict is the star-crossed lovers, but the story is so grand, so encompassing, that it touches on various topics: Black culture, drug addiction, racism, identity, trauma ... the list goes on.

Tyler Perry wrote "A Jazzman's Blues" 27 years ago, and the project is obviously a very personal one. That passion shines throughout, scene by scene. The film is brimming with sentimentality, and there's an earnestness here that feels deeply sincere, if not always effective. This is an unusual project for the director, who is best known for comedies like "Madea's Family Reunion"; he has tackled more serious fare — such as "Precious," which he produced — but he's never really had what could be...