All stories by David Buchanan on BroadwayStars

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Tony Talk: What will win Best Musical? by David Buchanan

Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. In the hours after the announcement of th…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 03:00PM

‘Merrily We Roll Along’ predicted to match Tony Awards haul of ‘Company’ revival by David Buchanan

At the beginning of Act Two of “Merrily We Roll Along,” Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, Lindsay Mendez and other ensemble members sing “It’s A Hit!,” celebrating the successful o…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 12:00PM
Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Tony nominations surprises: ‘Water for Elephants’ for Best Musical, ‘Stereophonic’ cast … by David Buchanan

In a Broadway season bursting at the seams with new musicals, plays and revivals – 36 productions opened during the 2023-2024 eligibility window – it is not a surprise that the 60 Tony A…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 11:10AM

Tony Awards nominations: ‘Stereophonic’ reaps record 13 bids, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘The Outsiders’ are top tuners by David Buchanan

With the announcement of the Tony Awards nominations on April 30, we now know the shows and performers in contention for the 77th annual ceremony. The 60 members of the Tony nominating commi…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 10:40AM

2024 Tony Awards nominations snubs: ‘Patriots,’ Steve Carell, Chip Zien … by David Buchanan

With 36 productions eligible for this year’s Tony Awards, there were plenty of names missing when nominations were announced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry on Tuesday …

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 10:00AM

Meet the 60 members of the Tony Awards nominating committee by David Buchanan

When the 77th Tony Awards nominations are announced this morning, those honored with recognition will have been selected by a small group of theatre professionals who commit to seeing each a…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 08:00AM
Sunday, April 28, 2024

2024 Tony predictions by show: ‘Cabaret,’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ ‘Stereophonic’ will lead nominations by David Buchanan

A new musical, a musical revival and a new play with music will dominate the 2024 Tony Awards nominations, according to our official odds in 17 of the 26 categories. The latest revival of th…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 07:00PM

2024 Tony predictions: Complete odds for 77th annual Tony Awards nominations by David Buchanan

The 2023-2024 Broadway season that kicked off last June with the opening of “Grey House” featured 36 productions of new and revived musicals and plays. This staggeringly crowded year –…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 01:00PM

2024 Tony Awards nominations slugfest: Final predictions in 17 competitive categories [WATCH] by David Buchanan

“This crazy whirlwind of a season has finally come to an end,” declares Sam Eckmann as we kick off our final Tony Awards nominations predictions slugfest of 2024. We begin our conversati…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 11:00AM
Thursday, April 25, 2024

Tony Talk: How many of the ‘Stereophonic’ cast will be nominated? by David Buchanan

Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors Sam Eckmann and David Buchanan discuss the Tony Awards race. With less than a week to go before nomina…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 05:00PM
Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Eli Gelb (‘Stereophonic’) on playing Grover, a ‘sensitive soul’ who ‘makes room for everyone’s reality’ [Exclusive Video Interview] by David Buchanan

“He is in a lot of ways an Everyman, but he’s an unlikely one, and that’s how I see myself, too,” shares Eli Gelb about his character Grover in the new Broadway play “Stereophonic�…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 12:30PM

Caleb Eberhardt (‘An Enemy of the People’) on playing the ‘very controlled, very methodical, very cunning’ Hovstad [Exclusive Video Interview] by David Buchanan

“She’s really good at honoring the original language and the original story while also sewing in the needs of today’s audience,” reflects Caleb Eberhardt on what is so unique about P…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 11:30AM
Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Tom Pecinka (‘Stereophonic’) talks audiences’ ‘very strong reactions to Peter’ and why ‘success is a very fragile thing’ [Exclusive Vide by David Buchanan

“When you wear these boots, you’ve got to strut,” quips Tom Pecinka about the costumes he dons to transform into 1970s rock star Peter in the new Broadway play “Stereophonic.” Thou…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 03:30PM

Sarah Pidgeon (‘Stereophonic’) on Diana’s ‘very, very vulnerable’ scene that makes her ‘blood boil’ [Exclusive Video Interview] by David Buchanan

“I definitely delved into some music, less to create a character, a blueprint… but more to understand who their competition might have been,” says Sarah Pidgeon on some of the preparat…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 01:30PM

Nikki M. James (‘Suffs’) on portraying the ‘unflinching’ Ida B. Wells in a musical about ‘incredible, powerful, flawed’ suffragists [Exclu by David Buchanan

“I think it’s just the stark reality of all the things that happened to this one person and the level of clearheaded determination she had,” shares Nikki M. James of what surprised her…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 12:30PM

Hannah Cruz (‘Suffs’) on performing Inez Milholland’s ‘last scream for attention’ for the suffragists’ cause [Exclusive Video Interview] by David Buchanan

“It’s really cool to get to see a show from different perspectives,” says Hannah Cruz about her unique history with the musical “Suffs.” When the show played Off-Broadway at the Pu…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 09:30AM
Sunday, April 21, 2024

Danya Taymor (‘The Outsiders’ director) on using cinematic techniques on stage to depict ‘visceral’ violence and ‘hard-won hope’ [Exclusiv by David Buchanan

“The thing that pulled me the most is the authenticity with which the writer Susie Hinton explores what it feels like to be a teenager,” reflects Danya Taymor on what resonates with her …

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 03:00PM

Bekah Brunstetter (‘The Notebook’ writer) on providing ‘hope and uplift’ in a musical tackling ‘devastating’ Alzheimer’s disease [Exclus by David Buchanan

“I have Alzheimer’s in my family, I have a lot of it, actually, the genetic kind that tends to trickle down through generations,” shares Bekah Brunstetter about why Nicholas Sparks’ …

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 01:00PM

Joy Woods (‘The Notebook’) on portraying ‘moments of light, of laughter, of awkwardness, of lust’ as Middle Allie [Exclusive Video Interview] by David Buchanan

“I actually did see the movie before getting the script, I think it was the day before,” shares Joy Woods with a laugh, recalling the first time she experienced the 2004 film “The Note…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 10:00AM
Friday, April 19, 2024

Gordon Greenberg (‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’ director) on the ‘joy and buoyancy and fizz’ of Huey Lewis and the News musical [Exclusive Vide by David Buchanan

“What we both shared was a love for those movies we grew up with in the 80s: the John Hughes, ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ all the way through ‘Less Than Zero,’” remarks Gordon Greenberg…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 05:30PM
Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Jonathan Abrams (‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’) on writing a ‘love letter to the 80s and to John Hughes’ using Huey Lewis and the News’ music by David Buchanan

“I wrote all the lyrics to his songs down, especially the hits, and I pasted them up on my wall and I looked for key words and ideas and images almost like a storyboard as you would a movi…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 04:30PM

John Cardoza (‘The Notebook’) on performing the song he considers ‘the ultimate gift that can be given to an artist’ [Exclusive Video Intervie by David Buchanan

“It shines a light on the fact that anyone’s life can be special and worth remembering,” reflects John Cardoza about why the musical “The Notebook” resonates with him and with audi…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 02:30PM
Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Lorin Latarro (‘The Who’s Tommy,’ ‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’) on choreographing ‘one of the best songs ever written’ [Exclusive Video by David Buchanan

“Dance is my language, so it was a lot of fun,” expresses Lorin Latarro about working on the revival of “The Who’s Tommy,” which is a show told as much through the songs by Pete To…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 04:30PM

Tony Awards odds updates: Plays ‘An Enemy of the People’ and ‘Stereophonic’ gaining momentum by David Buchanan

The nominations for the 77th Tony Awards will be announced in less than three weeks, but the lay of the land is more in flux than ever with five more plays and play revivals still to open be…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 01:00PM
Monday, April 15, 2024

Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman (‘The Outsiders’ choreographers) on their ‘grittier, rawer take on what it is to be a teenager’ [Exclusive Vid by David Buchanan

“There’s a ton of vitality and joy and energy on that stage every night,” beams Rick Kuperman as he describes the ensemble of “The Outsiders.” He and his brother Jeff Kuperman are …

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 04:30PM

Tony Awards odds updates: Musicals ‘Illinoise’ and ‘The Outsiders’ are surging by David Buchanan

The nominations for the 77th Tony Awards will be announced in less than three weeks, but the lay of the land is ever changing because seven more musicals and musical revivals will open betwe…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 01:00PM
Friday, April 12, 2024

Tony Talk: Will ‘The Outsiders’ break into the competitive Best Musical race? by David Buchanan

Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. Following the opening of new musical “Th…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 09:00AM
Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Ali Louis Bourzgui (‘The Who’s Tommy’) on making his Broadway debut with ‘one of the hardest characters I’ve ever come into’ [Exclusive Vi by David Buchanan

“I had heard the album,” shares actors Ali Louis Bourzgui about “Tommy,” the 1969 concept album by The Who that inspired the Broadway musical of the same name. The actor stars in the…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 12:30PM
Monday, April 8, 2024

Des McAnuff on directing ‘The Who’s Tommy’ 31 years after the original: ‘We’re disobedient when it comes to the passage of time’ [Exclusiv by David Buchanan

“The world has finally caught up to Tommy Walker,” declares director Des McAnuff about why the time was right to revive “The Who’s Tommy” on Broadway. It has been 31 years since th…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 03:00PM
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Dorian Harewood (‘The Notebook’) on his ‘invigorating, life-affirming’ experience playing Older Noah [Exclusive Video Interview] by David Buchanan

“It’s been a few minutes since I’ve been on Broadway,” reflects Dorian Harewood about his return to the New York stage in “The Notebook” almost 50 years after his last outing. Th…

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 03:00PM
Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Tony spotlight: Jeremy Strong (‘An Enemy of the People’) bears his soul in an understated but powerful performance by David Buchanan

This article contains spoilers about the 2024 Broadway production of “An Enemy of the People.” There will likely be few scenes this Broadway season more harrowing than the climax of Sam …

SOURCE: Gold Derby at 06:00PM

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