All stories by Rebecca Rubin on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Tony Winner LaChanze on Building a More Inclusive Broadway and Her ‘Hamilton’ Ambitions by Rebecca Rubin

It’s been nearly two years since the lights went out on Broadway, and now that musicals and plays have begun to reopen, actor LaChanze is itching to return to the thing she loves the most.…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:45AM
Wednesday, September 29, 2021

The Drama League Invests Millions to Overhaul Its Directors Program by Rebecca Rubin

The Drama League is devoting substantial resources to overhaul its marquee program, the Directors Project, in an effort to better support creatives at all stages of their careers. Led by art…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM

Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga to Star in ‘Macbeth’ on Broadway by Rebecca Rubin

Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga are teaming up to bring “Macbeth” back to Broadway. Craig is returning to the Great White Way, after performances in “A Steady Rain” and “Betrayal,” …

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Monday, September 27, 2021

Tony Awards: Here’s Everything You Didn’t See on TV by Rebecca Rubin

After 27 months, the Tony Awards returned on Sunday night to honor Broadway’s best. The ceremony served as an emotional ode to the power of live theater, as well as an elaborately produced…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:26AM
Thursday, September 23, 2021

Ben Platt, Amy Adams and Amandla Stenberg on ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ Social Media Toxicity — and the Best Broadway Songs for Karaoke by Rebecca Rubin

Five years and one pandemic lockdown after “Dear Evan Hansen” opened to acclaim on Broadway, the popular musical is finally ready to shine on the big screen. Given the prolonged period o…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:15PM
Monday, September 13, 2021

‘Beetlejuice’ Is Back! Fueled by Social Media Embrace, Musical Sets Broadway Return by Rebecca Rubin

Whether or not you say his name three times, Beetlejuice is returning to Broadway. The musical, based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film about a pesky poltergeist, was presumed to be leaving the Gr…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:00PM
Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Broadway Staple TKTS Will Reopen in September by Rebecca Rubin

TKTS, the premier destination for discount Broadway tickets, will reopen this fall after being shuttered for more than a year due to the pandemic. Its return, set for Sept. 15 at 3 p.m., mar…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:34PM
Tuesday, August 24, 2021

‘Moulin Rouge: The Musical’ Hires Chloe Beck as Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion by Rebecca Rubin

“Moulin Rouge: The Musical” has appointed Chloe Beck to oversee its equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. As director of EDI, Beck will focus on the Broadway production, the upcoming …

SOURCE: Variety at 09:30AM
Monday, August 9, 2021

AMC Theatres and Warner Bros. Agree to Shorten Theatrical Window by Rebecca Rubin

AMC Theatres has reached a formal agreement with Warner Bros. to show the studio’s 2022 slate on the big screen for an exclusive 45-day window. The news is not surprising, because Warner B…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:54PM

‘West Side Story’ Won’t Reopen on Broadway by Rebecca Rubin

Broadway’s revival of “West Side Story” will not be returning to the Great White Way when theaters reopen later in the year. “It is with great regret that we are announcing today tha…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:36PM
Thursday, July 29, 2021

Broadway Will Require Workforce to Be Vaccinated by Rebecca Rubin

When Broadway returns in the fall, theater industry workers will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League on Thursday announced…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:41PM
Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Broadway Actors Chronicle Theater Industry’s COVID-19 Shutdown in New Book ‘When the Lights Are Bright Again’ by Rebecca Rubin

A new book titled “When the Lights Are Bright Again” will memorialize the theater industry’s devastating yearlong pandemic-related shutdown. The book will be published by Applause Thea…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:36PM
Friday, July 9, 2021

Bill Condon to Direct ‘Guys and Dolls’ Movie Adaptation by Rebecca Rubin

Bill Condon, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Chicago,” “Dreamgirls” and Disney’s remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” is taking on another famed movie musical. Condon has sign…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:32AM
Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Movie Theaters Slowly Recover, But 2021 Box Office Still Down 81% From Pre-Pandemic Times by Rebecca Rubin

For the first time in a long time, people are actually going to the movies. After a delayed start to summer, Universal’s action franchise “F9: The Fast Saga,” Paramount’s thriller �…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:52AM
Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s ‘Plaza Suite’ Announces Broadway Opening Night by Rebecca Rubin

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway next year. The upcoming revival of Neil Simon’s play “Plaza Suite,” which stars the real-life couple as a series of d…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:31AM
Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Broadway’s ‘The Music Man’ Hires Producer Kate Horton to Replace Scott Rudin by Rebecca Rubin

Broadway’s starry revival of “The Music Man” has a new boss. Veteran theater producer Kate Horton has been named executive producer of the musical, taking over day-to-day duties from S…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:14AM
Sunday, June 20, 2021

Dave Chappelle Closes Out Tribeca Festival With Surprise Concert at Radio City by Rebecca Rubin

Tribeca Festival, the first in-person film festival in the U.S. since the pandemic, closed out its 20th edition with a tribute to a small town in the midwest. Filmmakers Julia Reichert and S…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:47PM
Sunday, June 13, 2021

Box Office: ‘In the Heights’ Disappoints With $11 Million Opening Weekend by Rebecca Rubin

“In the Heights,” the acclaimed adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway show, didn’t hit all the right notes in its box office debut. The Warner Bros. movie generated a wane $11.…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:30PM
Thursday, June 10, 2021

Movie Theater Owners Call for Immediate Access to Funds for Shuttered Venues by Rebecca Rubin

In December, the Small Business Administration set up a $16.1 billion fund to provide eligible movie theaters, live venue operators and performing arts organizations with grants that could h…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:38PM
Friday, May 28, 2021

AMC, Regal and Cinemark Will No Longer Require Masks for Vaccinated People by Rebecca Rubin

Movie theater chains, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, will no longer require fully vaccinated guests to wear face masks. In line with CDC guidelines, masks will be optional for inoculated…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:13PM

Box Office: ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ and ‘Cruella’ Kick Off With Solid Ticket Sales by Rebecca Rubin

Ahead of the long Memorial Day weekend, Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” and Disney’s “Cruella” are each off to a solid start at the domestic box office. The former, a nearly …

SOURCE: Variety at 03:59PM
Monday, May 24, 2021

Timothee Chalamet to Play Young Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Movie by Rebecca Rubin

Timothee Chalamet is playing the world’s most famous chocolatier. The actor has been cast as a young Willy Wonka in the upcoming “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” prequel, “Wonka.�…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:45PM
Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Ben Platt Calls Out ‘Randos Being Jerks’ About His Age in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Trailer by Rebecca Rubin

Ben Platt is many things: a Tony-winning actor who perfected the art of snot-crying onstage and a songwriter whose talents extend to catchy Yom Kippur jingles. What Platt is not, as many on …

SOURCE: Variety at 01:45PM
Tuesday, May 4, 2021

AFI Reschedules Life Achievement Gala Honoring Julie Andrews by Rebecca Rubin

As Julie Andrews’ character says in “The Princess Diaries” sequel: “A queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early.” So it’s only fitting that the American Film Institute�…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:36PM
Saturday, May 1, 2021

New York City Plans to Fully Reopen on July 1, Mayor de Blasio Says by Rebecca Rubin

New York City is aiming to fully reopen on July 1, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio, nearly a year-and-a-half after COVID-19 restrictions on movie theaters, restaurants and most businesses …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:31AM

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Wants Movie Theaters Fully Reopened by July. Will It Happen? by Rebecca Rubin

Joseph Masher, a New York-based movie theater operator, understands that audiences may be reluctant to return to the movies. After all, it’s been at least a year since most people have ste…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:30AM
Friday, April 30, 2021

Filmed version of Broadway musical ‘Come From Away’ to debut on Apple TV+ by Rebecca Rubin

A filmed version of the popular Broadway musical “Come From Away” will debut on Apple TV Plus.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 04:06PM

Filmed Version of Broadway Musical ‘Come From Away’ to Debut on Apple TV Plus by Rebecca Rubin

A filmed version of the popular Broadway musical “Come From Away” will debut on Apple TV Plus. Apple Original Films landed rights to the live stage recording, which is being produced and…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM
Monday, April 26, 2021

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Animated Musical Movie ‘Vivo’ Moves to Netflix by Rebecca Rubin

“Vivo,” an animated movie that boasts new music from “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, is coming to Netflix. The family friendly film was initially scheduled to release in theat…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:10PM
Monday, April 19, 2021

New York City Movie Theaters Can Expand Capacity to 33% by Rebecca Rubin

Movie theaters in New York City will soon be able to welcome a slightly larger number of customers into their venues. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has given local cinemas permission to operate…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:03PM
Friday, April 16, 2021

‘In the Heights’ to Open Tribeca Film Festival by Rebecca Rubin

“In the Heights,” a movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical, has been tapped to open the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. The festival’s opening night screening will be held …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:33PM