All stories by Mark Kennedy on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Chita Rivera, revered and pioneering Tony-winning dancer and singer, dies at 91 by Mark Kennedy

Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations in a long Broadway career died Tuesday.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 02:40PM
Thursday, January 4, 2024

Glynis Johns, ‘Mary Poppins’ star who first sang Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns,’ dies at 100 by Mark Kennedy

Glynis Johns played the mother opposite Julie Andrews in the classic movie “Mary Poppins” and introduced the bittersweet standard-to-be “Send in the Clowns.”

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 03:29PM
Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Frances Sternhagen, who played Esther Clavin on ‘Cheers’ and Bunny MacDougal on ‘Sex and the City,’ dies at 93 by Mark Kennedy

Frances Sternhagen, the veteran character actor who won two Tony Awards and became a familiar maternal face to TV viewers later in life in such shows as “Cheers,” “ER,” “Sex and th…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 03:49PM
Friday, November 17, 2023

Elton John’s musical about Tammy Faye Bakker to land on Broadway next season by Mark Kennedy

Elton John’s musical about televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker is coming to Broadway from London.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 09:06AM
Monday, November 6, 2023

’80s icon Boy George is returning to Broadway in ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ by Mark Kennedy

Boy George is returning to Broadway in “Moulin Rouge." He'll play Moulin Rouge club owner Harold Zidler Feb. 6-May 12 at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre,

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 10:50AM
Friday, June 23, 2023

Sheldon Harnick, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ lyricist, dies at 99 by Mark Kennedy

Sheldon Harnick went on to collaborate with Michel Legrand on “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” in 1979 and a musical of “A Christmas Carol” in 1981

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 09:41AM
Monday, June 12, 2023

Tony Awards 2023 makes inclusive history and puts on quite a show despite Hollywood strike by Mark Kennedy

Broadway flexed its muscle in the face of Hollywood writers’ strike and fully embraced trans-rights with history-making winners.

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 12:43AM
Sunday, June 11, 2023

How to put on a Tony Awards telecast during a writers’ strike by Mark Kennedy

The 2023 Tony Awards should be a show with an extra jolt of electricity this time due to the Hollywood writers’ strike.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 09:57AM
Friday, June 9, 2023

A Tony Awards like no other: Writers’ strike leaves Broadway stars to rely on their ‘live’ muscles by Mark Kennedy

There are a lot of questions surrounding this year’s Tony Awards and not just about who might win

SOURCE: The Independent at 11:55AM
Monday, May 15, 2023

Striking Hollywood writers vow not to picket Tony Awards; organizers might put on a show after all by Mark Kennedy

Striking members of the Writers Guild of America have said they will not picket next month’s Tony Award telecast, clearing a thorny issue facing show organizers and opening the door for so…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 10:58PM
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

‘Some Like It Hot’ leads 2023 Tony Award nominations with 13 nods by Mark Kennedy

Ariana DeBose will host the June 11 awards celebration from New York City’s United Palace theater live on CBS and on Paramount+. 

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 01:29PM

Musical ‘Some Like It Hot’ leads Tony Award nominations with 13 nods by Mark Kennedy

“Some Like It Hot,” a musical adaptation of the cross-dressing movie comedy that starred Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, waltzed away with a leading 13 Tony Award nominations.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 09:18AM

‘Some Like It Hot’ leads Tony Award nominations with 13 nods by Mark Kennedy

“Some Like It Hot,” a musical adaptation of the cross-dressing movie comedy that starred Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, has waltzed away Tuesday with the most number of Tony Award nominati…

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 12:38AM
Monday, April 17, 2023

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ closes on Broadway after 35 years by Mark Kennedy

The final curtain came down Sunday on New York’s production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” ending Broadway’s longest-running show.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:55AM
Monday, December 5, 2022

Lost Stephen Sondheim musical reveals insight into a giant by Mark Kennedy

A copy of what’s being called Stephen Sondheim’s first original cast recording has been found. "Phinney's Rainbow" was a student-led musical at Williams College in 1948.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 10:25AM
Monday, November 7, 2022

Oscar, Tony-nominated writer-director Douglas McGrath dies by Mark Kennedy

Stage, TV and film writer-director Douglas McGrath has died at age 64. His solo off-Broadway show, "Everything's Fine," had opened last month.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 01:00PM
Wednesday, June 22, 2022

James Rado, who co-created groundbreaking ‘Hair,’ dies at 90 by Mark Kennedy

James Rado, co-creator of the groundbreaking hippie musical “Hair,” which celebrated protest, pot and free love and paved the way for the sound of rock on Broadway, has died.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 09:44AM
Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Broadway theaters drop their mask mandate starting in July by Mark Kennedy

In another sign that the world of entertainment is returning to pre-pandemic normal, Broadway theaters will no longer demand audiences wear masks starting in July.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 02:08PM
Monday, June 13, 2022

Pulitzer and now top Tony, ‘A Strange Loop’ makes history by Mark Kennedy

"A Strange Loop," a sexually frank work about Blackness and queerness won best new musical, as voters celebrated Broadway’s most racially diverse season.

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 12:13AM
Monday, May 23, 2022

Actor Angela Lansbury to receive a special Tony Award by Mark Kennedy

The folks who hand out Tony Awards believe five is not enough for Angela Lansbury.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 11:01AM
Monday, May 9, 2022

2022 Tony Award nominations: ‘A Strange Loops’ leads with 11 noms; Steppenwolf’s ‘Minutes’ for best play by Mark Kennedy

“A Strange Loop,” Michael R. Jackson’s critically cheered theater meta-journey earned a leading 11 Tony Award nominations Monday.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 09:46AM

‘A Strange Loop’ earns a leading 11 Tony Award nominations by Mark Kennedy

“A Strange Loop,” Michael R. Jackson’s drama about a Black gay man writing a show about a Black gay man is an envelope-pushing Black-written and Black-led musical.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 12:45AM
Monday, April 25, 2022

Playwright Neil Simon’s papers go to Library of Congress by Mark Kennedy

Dozens of notebooks, scripts, speeches, drafts of letters, artwork and even signed baseballs owned by the late playwright Neil Simon have been donated to the Library of Congress.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 08:43AM
Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Tony Awards return to Radio City Music Hall in June by Mark Kennedy

In another sign that show business is snapping back to its pre-pandemic rhythm, the Tony Awards will once again take place in June and at a familiar location, Radio City Music Hall.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 04:41PM
Monday, September 27, 2021

‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ sashays home with 10 Tony Awards by Mark Kennedy

The show was expanded to four hours, with Audra McDonald handing out Tonys for the first half and Leslie Odom Jr. hosting a "Broadway’s Back!" celebration for the second half.

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle at 02:23AM

“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” sashays home with 10 Tony Awards by Mark Kennedy

“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” a jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s hyperactive 2001 movie, won the best new musical crown at the Tony Awards on a Sunday night when Broadway looked bac…

SOURCE: Denver Post at 12:18AM
Sunday, September 26, 2021

‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ sashays home with 10 Tony Awards by Mark Kennedy

"Moulin Rouge," the show set in a turn-of-the-century Paris nightclub, features songs “Single Ladies” and “Firework” alongside the big hit “Lady Marmalade." Its producer sharing th…

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 03:00AM
Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Broadway reopens after pandemic shutdown with three blockbusters: ‘The Lion King’, ‘Hamilton’, ‘Wicked’ by Mark Kennedy

Eighteen months after the global pandemic shuttered live theater in March 2020, Broadway takes a step forward Tuesday when “The Lion King,” “Hamilton” and “Wicked” open with new …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 07:57PM

Reopening of 3 powerhouse Broadway shows signals new dawn by Mark Kennedy

Tuesday's reopening of three powerhouse shows — “The Lion King,” "Hamilton" and “Wicked” — feels like the real reopening of Broadway after New York's live theater scene was close…

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 11:17AM
Monday, September 13, 2021

Tony Awards land hosts Leslie Odom Jr. and Audra McDonald by Mark Kennedy

The long-delayed Tony Awards have landed two impressive master of ceremonies — Tony- and Grammy-winning singer and actor Leslie Odom Jr. will host a splashy TV special and the awards will …

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 10:02AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards