"American Buffalo" will play Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre this spring; "The Who's Tommy" will return to Broadway in 2021; full cast announced for “Company”; Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber collaborated on a new song for the "Cats" film; Jane Alexander and James Cromwell join Second Stage's "Grand Horizons"; Drew Gehling returns to close "Waitress"; Whoopi Goldberg to helm 2020 West End revival of "Sister Act"; Jessica Chastain to perform "A Doll's House" on the West End; "American Utopia" will receive a cast album; RIP: the Times Square Sbarro (1996-2019)
All tagged Andrew Lloyd Webber
"Hadestown" tops the Outer Critics Circle Awards; David Bryne headed to Broadway with "American Utopia"; "My Fair Lady" to close July 7th; "Oklahoma!" and "Tootsie" to tour; City Center Encores! Off Center's "Working" cast announced; "Back to the Future" musical coming to the West End; Andrew Lloyd Webber previews his “Cinderella”; Elton John and Jake Shears working on a Tammy Faye Bakker bio-musical; "The Lion King" welcomes its one hundred millionth audience member; "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the highest grossing American play ever
"Be More Chill" books the Lyceum and "Beetlejuice" books the Winter Garden; "The Band's Visit" recoups; Al Roker will make his Broadway debut in "Waitress"; Hailey Kilgore returns to "Once on This Island"; Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, and John Legend EGOT with "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" Emmy wins; trailer for Gwen Verdon doc "Merely Marvelous"; profile of Cher
"Gettin' the Band Back Together" to close September 16th; "Mrs. Doubtfire" musical in development; "Cats" film to premiere on December 20, 2019; "Queen of New York" music video from “King Kong”; the debate over "jukebox musicals" continues; RIP Paul Taylor and Carole Shelley
“School of Rock" to close January 20, 2019; Bruce Springsteen records his one-man show for Netflix; "Cats" film will feature Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and James Corden; Hailey Kilgore out of "Once on This Island"; Lisa Brescia joins "Dear Evan Hansen"; "Hello, Dolly!" national tour schedule released; "Dreamgirls" is casting for Broadway; who sang “Rose’s Turn” best?; Gary Beach dead at 70
Christiani Pitts and Eric William Morris to star in "King Kong"; Classic Stage Company announces its 2018-2019 season; a good read on classical music; Chita Rivera, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Sara Krulwich to receive special awards; nominees for the Outer Critics Circle Awards, Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, and the Drama Desk Awards; Soon-Tek Oh dead at 85; Jeanette Gertrude dead at 103
"The Secret Garden" is headed to Broadway next season; starry "To Kill A Mockingbird" cast announced; "The Sting", "Unmasked", "Hundred Days", and "Chess" receive regional productions; Wayne Brady returns to "Kinky Boots"; Katharine McPhee will make Broadway debut in "Waitress"; Playwrights Horizons' 2018-2019 season announced; MCC Theater cuts ties with Neil LaBute; lights dim for Jan Maxwell
New lottery for tickets to "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"; Shakespeare in the Park season and first two 2018-2019 Manhattan Theatre Club plays announced; "Dave" to play D.C., "Tootsie" to play Chicago, "Ain't Too Proud" to play Los Angeles and Toronto; Grammys recap
NOTES: “The Phantom of the Opera” Celebrates 30 Years!
Thirty years ago tonight, on January 26, 1988, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical "The Phantom of the Opera" opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway; on Wednesday night, I attended the special 30th anniversary gala performance.
"Springsteen on Broadway" extends to June 2018; "M. Butterly" closing early; revivals of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", "Titanic", and "The Woman in White" eyeing Broadway; revelations of sexual assault rock the arts community; "Joe Papp Way" street co-naming honors Public Theater founder
NOTES: In defense of “Cats”, why you should see this iconic musical before it closes on Broadway
Why is it that “Cats” the musical is so often dismissed or, worse, even hated? In order to understand, we must first visit the unique origins of this unique musical. If you’ve never done it, see “Cats” on Broadway before it closes on December 30th and becomes a “Memory”.