All stories by Jem Aswad on BroadwayStars

Monday, March 29, 2021

Senator Chuck Schumer Details Federal Relief Plan for Independent Venues by Jem Aswad

For the second time in just over six months, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer stood at a nightclub in his home borough of Brooklyn and stumped for independent music venues. Where last …

SOURCE: Variety at 09:20PM
Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Giorgio Moroder Sign Open Letter to Record Labels to ‘Pay Songwriters’ a More Fair Share by Jem Aswad

Hundreds of members of the international music industry have signed an open letter to record labels titled “Pay Songwriters,” calling for better financial treatment from the record label…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:43PM
Thursday, March 18, 2021

Live Nation’s ‘Crew Nation’ Fund Raises $18 Million for COVID-Impacted Touring Staffers (EXCLUSIVE) by Jem Aswad

Just under a year ago, Live Nation, the world’s largest live-entertainment company, launched Crew Nation, a charitable fund to which it contributed an initial $5 million donation, to hel…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:18PM
Sunday, March 14, 2021

At Tonight’s Grammy Awards, We Celebrate — Then, as the Weeknd Snub Shows, It’s Time to Fix Them by Jem Aswad

Tonight, we come together — virtually — for the Grammy Awards, “Music’s Biggest Night,” and do our best to celebrate the music of the worst year of so many people’s lives. It’s…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:31PM
Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Grammy Awards Considered 800 People for 2021 ‘In Memoriam’ Segment by Jem Aswad

The Grammy Awards considered some 800 people for the “In Memoriam” segment of the 2021 show, first-time executive producer Ben Winston tells Variety. While it was not unexpected that a l…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:31PM
Friday, February 26, 2021

Live Nation CEO Says U.S. Music Festivals Could Reopen by ‘Mid-Summer’ by Jem Aswad

Live Nation has taken a timeline provided by the British government as an all-clear for the summer festival season, selling some 170,000 tickets this week to three major U.K. summer festival…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:16AM

Despite Huge Drop in Revenue, Live Nation 2020 Earnings Report Shows Optimism for Concerts’ Return by Jem Aswad

In its earnings reports for the last quarter and full year of 2020, the year of the pandemic, Live Nation shows remarkable optimism for the projected return of live entertainment. Despite a …

SOURCE: Variety at 09:05AM
Wednesday, February 24, 2021

BMI Names Sandye Taylor Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer by Jem Aswad

BMI has announced that Sandye Taylor is joining the company as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.  She will report to the performing rights organization’s President & …

SOURCE: Variety at 08:56PM
Thursday, February 18, 2021

Universal Music Launches Virgin Label and Artist Services Division by Jem Aswad

Universal Music Group has announced the launch of Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, a “new global network delivering premium and flexible artist and label services to the industry�…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:57PM
Thursday, February 11, 2021

Kiss’ Paul Stanley on How Musicians Can Stay Fit for When Touring Returns by Jem Aswad

As the pandemic raged on last fall, it was no surprise when veteran folk singer Arlo Guthrie called off his plans for future live performances. After suffering a series of strokes over the p…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:06AM
Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Diana Ross Pays Tribute to Supremes Co-Founder Mary Wilson by Jem Aswad

Diana Ross, who cofounded the Supremes with Mary Wilson when both were in their early teens, paid tribute to her friend and longtime bandmate in a brief Twitter post on Tuesday. “I just wo…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:35AM
Monday, February 8, 2021

TikTok and Universal Music Unveil ‘Expanded Global Alliance’ by Jem Aswad

Just days after Triller and Universal Music Group essentially declared war on each other, UMG has unveiled a global agreement with TikTok “that delivers equitable compensation for recordin…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:46PM

Songs for Screens: Drake, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton Lead Super Bowl Ads as Brands Lean Into Familiarity by Jem Aswad

As expected, Bruce Springsteen’s rumored Jeep commercial was the big highlight of this year’s Super Bowl ad haul, with The Boss making his first-ever appearance in a commercial. His musi…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:46PM
Sunday, January 31, 2021

Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart Reminisce With Clive Davis at Virtual Pre-Grammy Gala by Jem Aswad

Clive Davis… talk show host? Well, not exactly. But this year’s version of his annual exclusive pre-Grammy party — now taking place virtually and in two parts, the first of which was S…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:33PM
Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Live-Event Industry Offers COVID-19 Vaccination Infrastructure, Venues and Staff in Letter to President Biden by Jem Aswad

In a letter to President Biden on Tuesday, major live-entertainment organizations — AEG, Bandit Lites, Broadway League, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Inter…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:32AM
Saturday, January 23, 2021

Ticket Brokers Agree to Pay $3.7 Million in Scalping Settlement by Jem Aswad

Three Long Island-based ticket brokers agreed to pay around $3.7 million to settle alleged violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, the Department of Justice and Federal Trad…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:19AM
Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Bette Midler Sings ‘Goodbye Donnie’ in Comic Farewell-Trump Video by Jem Aswad

As anyone who follows her on Twitter knows, Bette Midler is no fan of now-former President Trump. And as anyone who’s seen any of the dozens of political satire videos created by Meidas To…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:19PM

Watch Lady Gaga Sing the National Anthem at Joe Biden’s Inauguration by Jem Aswad

Lady Gaga delivered a rendition of the national anthem at Joe Biden’s inauguration that was both respectful, and very Lady Gaga. Dressed in a tight black long-sleeved shirt embellished a g…

SOURCE: Variety at 04:59PM
Friday, January 15, 2021

Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, John Legend and More to Appear at Biden Inauguration by Jem Aswad

Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters, John Legend, Eva Longoria and and Kerry Washington will be among the celebrities at Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. The Foo Fighters, Legend and S…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:43AM
Friday, January 8, 2021

David Bowie ‘Just for One Day’ Tribute Concert With Trent Reznor, Duran Duran, Ian Hunter, More Livestreams Tonight by Jem Aswad

Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, Duran Duran, Ian Hunter, Boy George, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Adam Lambert, Peter Frampton, Andra Day and many more will perform at “Just for One…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:55AM
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

‘Peaky Blinders’ Composer Antony Genn Talks About the Show’s Innovative Music in Hilarious MIDEM Chat by Jem Aswad

Even in the current golden age of innovative television, the popular British crime drama “Peaky Blinders” has set a daring standard for its use of music, with original songs by Nick Cave…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:06AM
Saturday, May 18, 2019

Blackbird Presents Names Joe Litvag President of Live Entertainment by Jem Aswad

Concert and film producer Blackbird Presents announced today that industry veteran Joe Litvag has joined the company as a partner and president of live entertainment. In this newly created p…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:20AM
Friday, May 3, 2019

Concert Review: Morrissey Digs Deep Into the Vault on Opening Night of Broadway Residency by Jem Aswad

As Morrissey took the stage on the opening night of his residency at Broadway’s Lunt Fontanne Theatre, the first words he spoke were the week-long run’s catchphrase, an homage to both hi…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:53PM

Live Nation Posts Strong First Quarter, Revenue up 17%  by Jem Aswad

In first-quarter 2019 earnings released today, Live Nation Entertainment’s revenue was up 17% to $1.7 billion, with an operating loss of $24 million and what the company says it is highest…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:45AM
Tuesday, April 30, 2019

George Gershwin Estate Signs Deal With Downtown Music Publishing by Jem Aswad

Downtown Music Publishing has signed a publishing administration and catalog marketing agreement for the George Gershwin catalog, the company announced today. The catalog is represented by t…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:55PM
Friday, April 26, 2019

Bruce Springsteen Drops New Song, ‘Hello Sunshine’ (Listen) by Jem Aswad

While listeners of SiriusXM’s E Street Radio got an advance listen — actually several advance listens — Bruce Springsteen didn’t officially drop his new single, “Hello Sunshine,”…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:21AM
Thursday, April 25, 2019

Bruce Springsteen New Album ‘Western Stars’ Out June 14 — Single Dropping Tonight by Jem Aswad

Bruce Springsteen’s long-promised solo album, “Western Stars,” will finally be released on Columbia Records on June 14. The first single and video from it, “Hello Sunshine,” will b…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:00AM
Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Abba’s New Music Coming in ‘September or October’ by Jem Aswad

A year ago, Abba fans received a totally unexpected surprise when the group announced that they had recorded two new songs for a “Virtual Abba” experience in collaboration with “Ameri…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:34AM
Monday, March 25, 2019

Dr. Dre Boasts About Daughter Getting Into USC ‘All on Her Own,’ Then Remembers $70 Million Donation by Jem Aswad

Dr. Dre’s attempt to throw shade on the recent celebrity college admissions scandals backfired after he apparently belatedly realized that he’d donated $70 million to the college his dau…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:26PM
Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Peloton Sued for $150 Million for Using Drake, Lady Gaga Music Without License by Jem Aswad

A group of publishers including Downtown Music Publishing, Pulse Music Publishing, ole, peermusic, Ultra Music, Big Deal Music, Reservoir, Round Hill, TRO Essex Music Group and The Royalty N…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:45PM
Monday, March 18, 2019

iHeartMedia Promotes Angel Aristone to Executive VP of Communications by Jem Aswad

Angel Aristone has been promoted to executive vice president of communications for iHeartMedia, the company announced today. According to the announcement, Aristone will continue to position…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:06PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic