All stories by MICHAEL RIEDEL on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Joan Rivers’ biggest regret revealed by Michael Riedel

Joan Rivers achieved a lot: groundbreaking comedienne, popular TV personality, QVC entrepreneur, buckets of money. But the one thing she wanted above all else eluded her. As Leslie Bennetts …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:34PM
Thursday, October 20, 2016

Possible mutiny brewing at Josh Groban’s ‘Comet’ by Michael Riedel

Before the first preview of “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” Tuesday night, producer Howard Kagan stood in front of his cast and crew and informed them that The Post was a…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 07:11PM
Tuesday, October 18, 2016

There’s an off-stage war going on at ‘The Great Comet’ by Michael Riedel

“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” a musical inspired by Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” takes place during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. But the feud among the produce…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:11PM
Sunday, October 16, 2016

Isolation, madness and syphilis: Inside Al Capone’s final years by Michael Riedel

Al Capone, public enemy No. 1 and the most powerful gangster of the Prohibition era, spent the last years of his life in seclusion at his house in Florida. He fished from his boat, doted on …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:07AM
Thursday, October 13, 2016

Broadway theater owners all want the ‘Harry Potter’ play by Michael Riedel

It must be nice to be Sonia Friedman and Colin Calendar , the producers of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which has racked up $40 million in advance ticket sales in London. They’…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:56PM
Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Why Broadway wasn’t William Shatner’s final frontier by Michael Riedel

Before he became a television superstar, William Shatner was a classically trained actor who, many of his theater pals believed, had the chops to play Hamlet, Macbeth and, one day, King Lear…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:38PM
Thursday, October 6, 2016

Theater owners are vying for ‘Wicked’ composer’s new musical by Michael Riedel

Here’s a tip for Broadway’s theater owners: Get yourselves to Vienna to see the new musical by “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz. My Viennese spies say it’s sensational. It’…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:36PM
Tuesday, October 4, 2016

‘Front Page’ is making Broadway critics even crankier than usual by Michael Riedel

Newspapers are thriving! Well, at least on Broadway, where “The Front Page,” Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s 1928 comedy about tabloid wars in Chicago, is shaping up to be the smash …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:08PM
Thursday, September 29, 2016

‘Prince of Broadway’ plans to finally hit NYC next year by Michael Riedel

Two Broadway legends are being saluted in a couple of forthcoming musical revues. First up is Hal Prince, whose life and shows are the subjects of “The Prince of Broadway.” Sources say i…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:11PM
Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Kevin Kline is coming back to Broadway by Michael Riedel

Kevin Kline will be making a rare appearance on Broadway this spring at the St. James Theater in Noël Coward’s “Present Laughter.” Kline, long considered America’s greatest stage ac…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 02:54PM
Saturday, September 24, 2016

The inept, thuggish detectives who let Jesse James get away by Michael Riedel

In February 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln was scheduled to travel through Baltimore by train on his way from Harrisburg, Pa., to Washington, DC. Shortly before his departure, Lincoln…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 01:13PM
Friday, September 23, 2016

Broadway’s ‘Frozen’ already has a new creative team by Michael Riedel

After some turmoil in Elsa’s castle, Disney has finally settled on a new creative team for its upcoming Broadway musical “Frozen.” Michael Grandage is the new director, replacing Alex …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 12:05AM
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

You can see Albee’s real life in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ by Michael Riedel

Broadway will dim its lights Wednesday night at 7:45 for Edward Albee, who died Friday at 88. His many friends and admirers will gather in front of Sardi’s to watch the marquees go dark al…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:20PM
Saturday, September 17, 2016

The best NYC spots to slurp during Oyster Week by Michael Riedel

If, as Jonathan Swift said, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster,” then New York is full of brave souls. We’ve been slurping down oysters ever since Henry Hudson sailed into New…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 03:31AM
Friday, September 16, 2016

Pulitzer-winning playwright Edward Albee dead at 88 by Michael Riedel

His play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" shocked Broadway in 1962 and catapulted him to the front-ranks of the American theater.

SOURCE: The New York Post at 07:44PM
Thursday, September 15, 2016

Inside the new Donna Summer musical by Michael Riedel

Writing last week about the upcoming Donna Summer musical, I said I’d “slip past the rope line” to check out another disco musical in the works, Stephen Trask’s “This Ain’t No Di…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:45PM
Tuesday, September 13, 2016

‘Groundhog Day’ musical is coming to Broadway this season by Michael Riedel

The creators of “Groundhog Day” emerged from their burrow at London’s Old Vic, didn’t see their shadows and so decided to come to Broadway sooner rather than later. “Groundhog Day�…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 02:29PM
Thursday, September 8, 2016

We’re getting closer to a Colin Firth ‘My Fair Lady’ by Michael Riedel

I never deal in rumors. This column is like “Dragnet”: “Just the facts, ma’am.” But here’s a rumor I can’t resist. Lincoln Center Theater hopes to entice Colin Firth to star in…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:52PM
Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Inside the new Donna Summer musical by Michael Riedel

Hey, someone left the cake out in the rain! And I’m here to tell you all about it. Director Des McAnuff, of “Jersey Boys” fame, staged a workshop last week of a new musical about the l…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:50PM
Thursday, September 1, 2016

The best books for theater lovers (other than Riedel’s) by Michael Riedel

It won’t be long before it’s time to snuggle up with a good book on a cold day. Here are a couple that theater lovers will devour. Modesty forbids me from mentioning that the paperback e…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:31PM
Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Gene Wilder’s most famous song was originally a dud by Michael Riedel

Gene Wilder’s most celebrated partnership was, of course, with Mel Brooks in such comedy classics as “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” But I’ve bee…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:23PM
Saturday, August 27, 2016

Inside FDR’s wartime mission to protect American treasures by Michael Riedel

Early in the evening of Dec. 26, 1941, a train bound for Fort Knox pulled out of Union Station in Washington, DC. Four Secret Service agents stood guard over an assortment of discreet-lookin…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:06PM
Friday, August 26, 2016

You’ll never see Lewis Black in a musical by Michael Riedel

Lewis Black is headed to Broadway with a new show — “Black to the Future” — that may turn out to be his farewell tour. It’s the election that’s making him contemplate his future.…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:58AM
Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Stephen Sondheim is halfway done with his new musical by Michael Riedel

In the halls of the Public Theater, where “Hamilton” started, they’re buzzing about another new musical with a one-word title — “Bunuel.” That would be Luis Bunuel, the great sur…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:09PM
Thursday, August 18, 2016

Broadway producers are terrified of ‘Groundhog Day’ by Michael Riedel

“Groundhog Day” is coming to Broadway. Ah, but when? That question is causing some panic among the producers of this season’s crop of new musicals. “Groundhog Day” opened to rave r…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 07:25PM
Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Has ‘Frozen’ on Broadway found a replacement director already? by Michael Riedel

After writing last week about Alex Timbers being replaced as the director of Disney’s “Frozen” — Stephen Daldry may take the job — I heard from some of Timbers’ friends. Word was…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 08:23PM
Friday, August 12, 2016

The Post is the real star of Meryl Streep’s new movie by Michael Riedel

The Post gets results. In the case of Florence Foster Jenkins, we killed her. Or so the new movie — “Florence Foster Jenkins,” starring the great Meryl Streep — would have you believ…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:37AM
Thursday, August 11, 2016

‘Frozen’ on Broadway is years away — and there’s already drama by Michael Riedel

Olaf may get a new boss. Disney is in talks with director Stephen Daldry to take the reins of its Broadway musical “Frozen.” Daldry, who won a Tony for his terrific staging of “Billy E…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 04:47PM
Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Here’s what Julie Taymor will direct next on Broadway by Michael Riedel

Julie Taymor — of “Lion King” fame and “Spider-Man” infamy — was recently asked what it would take to get her back to Broadway. “Oh, I’m coming,” Taymor told The Post’s B…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:19PM
Thursday, August 4, 2016

Glenn Close is close to coming back to Broadway — in her killer role as Norma Desmond by Michael Riedel

Fire up the klieg lights — it looks like Norma Desmond is returning to Broadway. A push is on to bring a celebrated British revival of “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Glenn Close, to the …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:46PM
Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Thanks to ‘Cats,’ theater souvenirs are now and forever! by Michael Riedel

“Cats” is back, and with it T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, posters, key chains, socks, baseball caps and mouse pads — each one emblazoned with the famous cat’s-eyes logo. Merchandising has…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 07:27PM

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