All stories by Michael Gioia on BroadwayStars

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Exclusive! Go Inside Rehearsal of Dear Evan Hansen (Video) by Michael Gioia

Before the new musical opens Off-Broadway, get an exclusive sneak peek!

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:55AM
Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Who Sang What at Broadway Backwards 2016? by Michael Gioia

Yet again, Broadway went Backwards to sing songs usually performed by the opposite gender. Here’s what happened!

SOURCE: Playbill at 03:56PM

Leads of On the Town Revival Will Reunite in Concert by Michael Gioia

The cast of On the Town has left “New York, New York” to hit San Francisco.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:12PM

Once Upon a Time, Sara Bareilles Lost a Role to Her Leading Lady Jessie Mueller by Michael Gioia

Before Waitress, Sara Bareilles and Jessie Mueller crossed paths somewhere in the Woods (and now they're inseparable).

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, March 20, 2016

Eight Years Later, Alice Ripley and Jennifer Damiano Are Just Getting to Know Each Other by Michael Gioia

The Next to Normal mother-daughter duo look back on one of the most monumental shows of their careers now that they’re reunited for Broadway’s American Psycho.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Saturday, March 12, 2016

Liza Minnelli Is Celebrated Tonight in New York by Michael Gioia

The legendary stage and screen actress comments on the concert event celebrating her 70th birthday.

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:11PM

Where Did Sara Bareilles and Her Waitress Cast Wait Tables Before Hitting It Big? by Michael Gioia

Who met their future husband at a caf\u00E9? Why did Sara Bareilles quit serving breakfast? The cast of Waitress dishes!

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, March 10, 2016

Christopher Gattelli Puts on His Directing Shoes For New Mythological Musical by Michael Gioia

Matthew Lee Robinson's new musical Atlantis gets a NYC reading today.

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:17PM
Wednesday, March 9, 2016

\u201CWe Didn\u2019t Want to Go Down With Our Heads Hanging,\u201D Says Nerds Director\u2014Inside the Final Rehearsal by Michael Gioia

Though Nerds won\u2019t open on Broadway, the company performed today for friends and family. Director Casey Hushion shares details from inside their last day together.

SOURCE: Playbill at 06:39PM
Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Nerds Postpones Weeks Before Bowing on Broadway by Michael Gioia

The musical had been scheduled to begin previews April 1.

SOURCE: Playbill at 02:14PM

J. Robert Spencer Will Join Shenandoah Alum in Concert by Michael Gioia

The Next to Normal Tony nominee will be seen at Feinstein's\/54 Below.

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:12PM
Monday, March 7, 2016

Motown's Krystal Joy Brown Stars in Tonight's Reading of NC-17 by Michael Gioia

The contemporary new play was written and conceived by Rodney Dennis Hicks.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, March 4, 2016

Now He Has Everything! How Fiddler\u2019s Perchik Willed His Casting (and Onstage Engagement) Into Existence by Michael Gioia

When Ban Rappaport read Fiddler on the Roof was coming back to Broadway, he told his girlfriend he\u2019d play Perchik. Two years later, he got the role (and a fianc\u00E9e)!

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, March 3, 2016

Does Race Still Matter? Mounting an Ethnically Ambiguous West Side Story by Michael Gioia

This weekend, a semi-immersive West Side Story will open in a warehouse setting with a multi-racial cast. Director Amanda Denhert weighs in on the piece\u2019s relevance now more than ever b…

SOURCE: Playbill at 02:30AM
Monday, February 29, 2016

Natalie Weiss Will Go It Solo in London by Michael Gioia

Natalie Weiss is returning to London.

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:38AM
Monday, February 22, 2016

Star Jason Gotay Opens Up About His Bronx Tale's Creator and Mentor by Michael Gioia

One Man Lives in the Neighborhood. The Other Man Tells the Tale.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:16PM

See Who Will Play Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in Broadway Musical Nerds by Robert Viagas and Adam Hetrick and Michael Gioia

Tony nominee Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Bryan Fenkart (Memphis) have been tapped to play tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, respectively, in the forthcoming Broadway musi…

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:44AM

See Who Will Play Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in Broadway Musical \nNerds by Robert Viagas,adam Hetrick and Michael Gioia

Tony nominee Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Bryan Fenkart (Memphis) have been tapped to play tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, respectively, in the forthcoming Broadway mus…

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:43AM

Watching Art Come Alive, Jason Gotay Recounts a Day in the Bronx Alongside A Bronx Tale’s Creator by Michael Gioia

Jason Gotay hits the streets of the Bronx, both onstage and off, with Chazz Palminteri by his side for the world premiere of A Bronx Tale. Through the eyes of the Oscar nominee, Gotay descri…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

Watching Art Come Alive, Jason Gotay Recounts a Day in the Bronx Alongside A Bonx Tale’s Creator by Michael Gioia

Jason Gotay hits the streets of the Bronx, both onstage and off, with Chazz Palminteri by his side for the world premiere of A Bronx Tale. Through the eyes of the Oscar nominee, Gotay descri…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, February 19, 2016

Broadway-Bound SpongeBob Musical Picks Its Squidward and Patrick by Robert Viagas and Michael Gioia

The Broadway-aimed The SpongeBob Musical has announced additional casting of principal roles.

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:26PM
Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Julia Mattison Rocks Out as Multiple Musicians in Hilarious New Docuseries “Brooklyn Sound” by Michael Gioia

Julia Mattison, who appeared in the Broadway revival of Godspell, is the creator, writer and star of the new musical docuseries "Brooklyn Sound," now available to stream on Vimeo.&…

SOURCE: Playbill at 04:18PM

Motown’s Krystal Joy Brown Will Star in Reading of NC-17, New Play by Scottsboro Boys Actor by Michael Gioia

An industry reading of NC-17, a contemporary new play written and conceived by performer and writer Rodney Dennis Hicks, will be presented March 7 at 5 PM in New York City. 

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:05PM
Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo and Steven Pasquale Are Engaged by Michael Gioia

"I do, I do, I do, I do!" Phillipa Soo, who stars as Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway hit Hamilton, is engaged to The Robber Bridegroom and Bridges of Madison County star Steven Pasq…

SOURCE: Playbill at 04:35PM

What's Changed Since President Obama's Inauguration? Smart People Sound Off by Michael Gioia

As election 2016 approaches, the Smart People cast reflects.

SOURCE: Playbill at 02:36PM

Bill Gates-Steve Jobs Musical Nerds Sets New Broadway Start Date by Robert Viagas and Adam Hetrick and Michael Gioia

Nerds, the new musical about tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, will begin Broadway previews April 1, one day later than originally announced. The production will bow at the Longacre The…

SOURCE: Playbill at 01:36PM

Broadway’s Pumped About Pop Music, and We Get Behind the Concert Series That’s Slaying the City by Michael Gioia

The Broadway Sings… concert series is back in town this month, re-imagining the music of Billy Joel. Get in a New York State of Mind and hear how the series started with the e…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, February 9, 2016

“Failure Makes You Grow,” Says Adam Pascal as He Returns to the Nederlander Anew by Michael Gioia

Twenty years since Rent, Adam Pascal returns home… to the Nederlander. In our candid interview at the theatre, he chats about how post-Rent struggles shaped him as an artist.&…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, February 8, 2016

Natalie Weiss and Spring Awakening Star Will Join Joey Contreras in Downtown Acoustic Concert by Michael Gioia

Sean Grandillo (Spring Awakening) and Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture) will join singer-songwriter Joey Contreras Feb. 15 at Rockwood Music Hall's Stage 3 for a 7 PM concert.&nbs…

SOURCE: Playbill at 05:01PM

Spill the Tea! Take a Look at the Drink for the Musical Theatre Lover (Photos) by Michael Gioia

When in doubt, singers oftentimes have tea before a performance to soothe their vocal cords. Well, RealiTea is offering a drink made especially for you. Check out their tea bags that offer a…

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:33AM

How Has Life Changed Since President Obama’s Election? Smart People Sound Off by Michael Gioia

Second Stage Theatre's Smart People gives voice to four fictional Harvard intellectuals who find themselves in heated discussions of race, gender and sexual politics on the eve of the 20…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM