All stories by Patrick Frater on BroadwayStars

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Japanese Theater Firm to Pay Compensation After Harassed Actress’ Death by Patrick Frater

Hankyu Hanshin, parent company of all-female musical theater company Takarazuka Revue, has apologized to the family of an actor who died in September last year. The 25-year-old woman died af…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:26AM
Wednesday, March 20, 2024

‘Hamilton’ to Return to Australia, With Jason Arrow Reprising Title Role by Patrick Frater

Jason Arrow will reprise the role of Alexander Hamilton as the hit stage musical “Hamilton” returns to Australia later this year. The production will play a limited engagement at the Syd…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:06AM
Thursday, December 28, 2023

Mbongeni Ngema, South African Musician and ‘Sarafina!’ Creator, Dies at 68 by Patrick Frater

Mbongeni Ngema, a distinguished South African musician and creator of the musical “Sarafina!,” died on Wednesday in a car accident. He was 68. “Ngema was killed in a head-on car accide…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:08AM
Saturday, April 22, 2023

Barry Humphries, Who Played Dame Edna Everage, Dies at 89 by Patrick Frater

Australian satirist Barry Humphries, known for his onstage and TV drag persona Edna Everage and for his character Sir Les Patterson, has died. He was 89. The BBC reported that Humphries had …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:56AM
Friday, January 7, 2022

Sydney Festival Hit by Claims of Art-Washing Over Israel Sponsorship by Patrick Frater

Some thirty acts have announced the cancelation of their performances or attendance at the Sydney Festival, a major arts festival that started Thursday in Australia’s biggest city. They ar…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:44AM
Wednesday, July 7, 2021

K-Pop Propels YouTube to Streaming Dominance in Korea, Study Finds by Patrick Frater

The powerful appeal of K-pop is a major contributor to YouTube taking up position as the dominant streaming video platform in South Korea, a new study has found. Netflix, which has also inve…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:51AM
Monday, June 28, 2021

Australian Production Sector Shrugs off Sydney Lockdown by Patrick Frater

Sydney, the capital of the Australian entertainment industry, has gone into a two-week lockdown after a surge of the highly-transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus. The city’s stay-…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:27AM
Friday, June 18, 2021

Disney Must Work Hard to Maintain Early Streaming Progress in Asia-Pacific, Says Study by Patrick Frater

From a standing start 19 months ago, Disney’s video streaming operations in Asia-Pacific have already amassed 36.9 million subscribers. Boosted by launches in more Asian territories this y…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:51AM
Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Disney Plus Leads Premium Streaming Surge in Southeast Asia (Report) by Patrick Frater

Disney Plus made the greatest progress among premium streaming platforms in Southeast Asia in the first quarter of the year, according to new research. AMPD Research, affiliated with Media P…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:58AM
Monday, May 17, 2021

Losses Deepen at Hong Kong Disneyland as Virus Keeps Theme Park Closed for Seven Months by Patrick Frater

Reporting results fully seven and a half months after the fact, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort said that it lost nearly $1 million per day last year. For the financial year to September 2020, t…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:35AM
Saturday, May 1, 2021

Restoration of Hong Kong’s State Theatre Will Take Five Years, But it is Already a Hit by Patrick Frater

The extension of an popular immersive exhibition that retraces the memories of one of Hong Kong’s most iconic cinema buildings, and the past glory of the local film and entertainment indus…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:30AM
Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Disney Slashes Linear TV in Asia With 18-Channel Closure, Shifts Focus to Disney Plus by Patrick Frater

Disney is to close 18 TV channels in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong as the conglomerate puts a greater emphasis on direct-to-consumer streaming. The move will take effect from Oct. 1, 2021. Ma…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:53PM
Friday, April 23, 2021

‘Midnight Sun’ Shines Again as K-Pop Stage Musical Aimed at Cinemas by Patrick Frater

Alternative content for cinema screening is getting a K-pop spin, giving it a chance of success in parts of Asia, even as distributors and audiences remain hesitant about movies’ return to…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:58PM
Monday, February 22, 2021

Hong Kong Film Business Reopens With a Surge After Lockdowns by Patrick Frater

Hong Kong’s film industry moved ahead on several fronts over the weekend after coronavirus-mandated lockdowns were reduced. But the return to business is likely to be uneven. Cinemas reope…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:17PM
Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Hong Kong Disneyland to Reopen This Week by Patrick Frater

The Hong Kong Disneyland theme park will reopen on Friday (Feb. 19, 2021) after being closed due to a fourth wave of the coronavirus outbreak in the city. All visitors will have to provide t…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:26AM
Friday, February 5, 2021

K-Pop Game Launch Backed by BTS Agency Big Hit Entertainment by Patrick Frater

Korean pop music is becoming available in ever more formats. The latest is a mobile game “Rhythm Hive” which launched Thursday and features BTS and other K-pop acts from the Big Hit Ente…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:21PM
Saturday, January 23, 2021

For Big Hit Entertainment Stock, BTS Is (Still) the Ticket by Patrick Frater

Despite disruptions to the music industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Big Hit Entertainment, the management company behind K-pop superstars BTS, had a booming 2020. Last year saw BTS…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:19AM
Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Hong Kong Gives Cash to Shuttered Cinemas by Patrick Frater

Hong Kong is to provide cash subsidies to cinema operators as the city buckles under the pressure of a fourth wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. Cinemas were ordered to close in December, causin…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:55AM
Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Wanda Cinema Upgrading China Theaters with RealD Screen Order by Patrick Frater

Wanda Cinema Line has placed an order for 100 RealD Ultimate Screens from visual tech specialist RealD. For RealD the deal, announced at the CineAsia convention in Hong Kong, is the largest …

SOURCE: Variety at 03:01AM
Saturday, November 17, 2018

Awkwafina, Moon So-ri, ‘Bethany Hamilton’ Take Hawaii Festival Prizes by Patrick Frater

Breakout acting star Awkwafina was on hand Saturday in Honolulu to receive the Halekulani Maverick Award from the Hawaii International Film Festival. The actress, writer and rapper this year…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:56PM
Thursday, October 25, 2018

Tokyo Festival Seeks Asian Regional Role as it Opens With ‘A Star is Born’ by Patrick Frater

Though its opening film is high-profile Hollywood romance “A Star is Born,” the Tokyo International Film Festival is increasingly focusing its efforts on building bridges with Asia. Espe…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:10AM
Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Bradley Cooper’s ‘A Star Is Born’ to Open Tokyo Film Festival by Patrick Frater

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s “A Star Is Born” will open the 31st edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival. The film, which is Cooper’s directorial debut, had its premiere i…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:00PM

IMAX Strikes 14-Site Theater Deal With China Resources by Patrick Frater

Leading property developer China Resources has struck a deal to build 14 IMAX theaters in its new cinema chains. Theaters will be opened between over a period to 2021, with installations in …

SOURCE: Variety at 08:40AM
Monday, May 21, 2018

Chinese Streaming Giant iQIYI Opens First Offline Movie Theater by Patrick Frater

Chinese video streaming giant, iQIYI has opened its first conventional movie theater in Zhongshan, southern China. The company aims to build a network of on-demand cinemas, at which viewers …

SOURCE: Variety at 02:46AM
Thursday, April 5, 2018

Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan Jailed After 20-Year Legal Case by Patrick Frater

Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan was jailed on Thursday after being found guilty of poaching rare blackbuck antelopes. The case has been in and out of court for nearly 20 years. A court in J…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:38AM
Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Disney to Launch ‘Aladdin’ Stage Musical in India by Patrick Frater

Disney will launch an Indian version of globally popular stage musical “Aladdin” at Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts in April. Leading Indian entertainment ticketing po…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:04AM
Thursday, February 22, 2018

Korean Stage Director Lee Yoon-taek Accused of Rape by Patrick Frater

Lee Yoon-taek, artistic director of Yeonheedan, one of South Korea’s top theater groups, has been accused of sexual violence, including rape. The case is the latest scandal as the #MeToo c…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:18AM
Monday, February 12, 2018

Disney Cartoons Expand in China on Alibaba’s Youku Platform by Patrick Frater

Disney cartoon series are to be widely available in China following a deal between Buena Vista International and Youku, the video streaming platform owned by Alibaba. China strictly limits t…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:43AM
Monday, January 8, 2018

Australian Star Craig McLachlan Accused of Sex Harassment (Report) by Patrick Frater

Leading Australian stage and TV actor, Craig McLachlan has been accused of sexual harassment ranging from indecent assault to bullying. The “Doctor Blake Mysteries,” “Neighbours,” an…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:37AM
Thursday, December 14, 2017

Disney Appoints Carol Choi as Korea GM by Patrick Frater

Carol Choi has been appointed as GM of the Walt Disney Company’s Korea office. She is also named as head of marketing in North Asia, covering Greater China, Korea, and Japan. Based in Seou…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:17AM
Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Shanghai Disney’s Toy Story Land to Open in April by Patrick Frater

Shanghai Disney Resort says that Shanghai Disneyland’s seventh themed land, Disney Toy Story Land, will open in April next year. The new land is based on the Pixar “Toy Story” films. D…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:02PM

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