All stories by MICHAEL RIEDEL on BroadwayStars

Friday, February 20, 2015

Backstage duel at ‘Hamilton’ — to Broadway now or later? by Michael Riedel

It’s pistols at dawn in Weehawken for the producers, investors and the creative team behind “Hamilton,” the rap musical about Alexander Hamilton everyone’s buzzing about down at …

SOURCE: The New York Post at 12:19AM
Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Remembering Louis Jourdan, our go-to suave Frenchman by Michael Riedel

A month before “Gigi” will arrive on Broadway, its original star — Louis Jourdan — bid us au revoir. One of my favorite actors, Jourdan died this week at his...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:28PM
Thursday, February 12, 2015

‘An American in Paris’ readies to take over Broadway by Michael Riedel

The only show anyone’s talking about these days is “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop musical that opens Tuesday at the Public. Has he trimmed the running time? (Not enough.) W…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:12PM
Thursday, February 5, 2015

Hugh Jackman reveals his next Broadway plans by Michael Riedel

Hugh Jackman bids farewell to Broadway on Sunday, wrapping up his understated turn in Jez Butterworth’s mysterious play “The River” at Circle-in-the-Square. But fret not, theater owner…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 08:30PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2015

‘Hamilton’ in a duel to reach Broadway by Michael Riedel

“Hamilton,” the much-buzzed-about rap musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”), allegedly has extended its run at the Public Theater until April 5. I say “alleged…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:04PM
Thursday, January 29, 2015

More offstage drama at Tony Danza‘s ‘Honeymoon in Vegas’ by Michael Riedel

The Broadway beat is getting to be like one of my favorite movies, “Sweet Smell of Success.” It’s all about press agents. Rick Miramontez resigned from “Finding Neverland” last wee…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:21PM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Wallace Shawn murder mystery in the UK will play Broadway, too by Michael Riedel

Here’s an enticing premise: 10 famous actors who worked together years ago reunite and, one by one, are bumped off. Is it an Agatha Christie mystery? An Anthony Shaffer (“Sleuth”).…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:34PM
Thursday, January 22, 2015

Why Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson are the Tony contenders to beat by Michael Riedel

“Constellations,” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson, is such a big hit, the powers that be at Manhattan Theatre Club are kicking themselves because they didn’t book it into a...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:53PM
Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Chita Rivera edges out Oprah Winfrey in Broadway’s ‘The Visit’ by Michael Riedel

As we know, Chita Rivera returns to Broadway this spring in “The Visit,” a new musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Terrence McNally. But there’s another diva in the...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:41PM
Thursday, January 15, 2015

A great theater documentary Oscar forgot by Michael Riedel

I was having lunch last month with Tim Rice (plunk, a name drops!) at the Ivy Club in London when we ran into a wizened old man in a ratty-looking...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:42PM
Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Larry David’s the new big fish in the Broadway pond by Michael Riedel

Stand down, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick: You’re no longer the kings of Broadway, at least not this season. Your box-office crowns have been usurped by…Larry David. Lane and Bro…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:24PM
Friday, January 9, 2015

Jennifer Hudson to make long-awaited Broadway debut in ‘Color Purple’ by Michael Riedel

Jennifer Hudson will give Broadway a boost of star power this fall when she makes her stage debut in “The Color Purple.” Oprah Winfrey, who produced the show in 2005,...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:32AM
Tuesday, January 6, 2015

New musicals are dying off on B’way, to the tune of $37 million and counting by Michael Riedel

Now that the joyous holiday season is behind us, let’s be mean. This Broadway season is shaping up to be a disaster for new musicals. The latest casualty is Sting’s...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:40PM
Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Test your 2015 B’way knowledge with our clairvoyant pop quiz by Michael Riedel

Pop quiz, 2015! Give your crystal ball a good shake and peer into the future with me. 1. Hackers will release e-mails between . . . (a) Scott Rudin and David Merrick...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:11PM
Thursday, December 18, 2014

Riedel remembers 2014’s fallen stars by Michael Riedel

Broadway lost many towering talents in 2014. Here they are, in their own words: Elaine Stritch By the late ’60s, Stritch was becoming a has-been. Everybody loved her onstage, but...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:26PM
Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Bond baddies leap from stage to film by Michael Riedel

The announcement that Christoph Waltz is playing the villain in “Spectre,” the new James Bond movie, sent me scurrying to my old 007 DVDs to check out some of my...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:19PM
Thursday, December 11, 2014

Poor Tony Danza trying to sell tickets to his own ‘Honeymoon in Vegas’ by Michael Riedel

Tourists on line at the TKTS booth in Times Square are doing double takes: Is that Tony Danza, star of “Who’s the Boss?”, in their midst? It sure is! Danza’s...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 08:59PM
Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Spoiler alert: “The Visit” plans to open on Broadway this spring by Michael Riedel

I’ve been saying for weeks that the terrain for new musicals on Broadway is wide open for a spoiler. And one is on its way. “The Visit,” starring Chita Rivera...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 06:29PM
Thursday, December 4, 2014

Star-powered plays, like ‘Elephant Man,’ bring in big bucks by Michael Riedel

Bradley Cooper is the million-dollar Elephant Man. He’s posting impressive numbers as the deformed Joseph Merrick in the revival of Bernard Pomerance’s 1979 drama, opening Sunday. The li…

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:55PM
Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Original Tiger Lily will skip NBC’s ‘Peter Pan’ by Michael Riedel

NBC’s live broadcast of “The Sound of Music” last year drew 22 million viewers. The betting at the network and on Broadway is that Thursday’s live broadcast of “Peter Pan,”...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 07:43PM
Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Sting takes my advice, steps into his own show, ‘The Last Ship’ by Michael Riedel

I’m flattered that Sting’s taken my advice, dispensed here a couple of weeks ago: He’ll be joining the cast of “The Last Ship” from Dec. 9 to Jan. 10, playing...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:44PM
Friday, November 21, 2014

Mike Nichols, an unflappable stage presence by Michael Riedel

Back in 1982, the Broadway-bound musical “My One and Only” was in trouble during its Boston tryout. The creative team, exhausted and starving after working 24 hours straight trying to...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:38AM
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

‘Sunset Boulevard’ revived starring Donna Murphy, plus Elaine Stritch’s farewell by Michael Riedel

Diva alert! Donna Murphy is playing Norma Desmond in a reading of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard” this week at the Roundabout Theatre Company. I’m of two minds about this...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:16PM
Thursday, November 13, 2014

The last of the red-hot matzo balls: Looking back at Café Edison by Michael Riedel

With Times Square shining brighter than ever, there’s no place for the lovably shabby. And so the Café Edison on West 47th Street, which has been feeding Jewish comfort food...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 10:19PM
Tuesday, November 11, 2014

‘Hazel,’ the ’60s sitcom about a saucy maid, now a B’way-bound musical by Michael Riedel

When I was a kid and left my room a mess, my mother would say: “Who do you think I am — Hazel?” If you’re over 45 or ever watched...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 11:28PM
Thursday, November 6, 2014

For pop music writers, it’s swim but mostly sink on Broadway by Michael Riedel

Sting is appearing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — not as a float, but probably on one, singing songs from his new musical, “The Last Ship.” You have to...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:45PM
Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Encores! ‘The Band Wagon’ likely bound for Broadway by Michael Riedel

Broadway’s slate of musicals this season is by no means set in stone. “The Last Ship,” as I reported last week, is listing like the Concordia. “Side Show,” though likely to...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 08:36PM
Thursday, October 30, 2014

Sting’s ‘The Last Ship’ needs to sell more tickets by Michael Riedel

Of this I’m certain: Sting will receive a Tony nomination for his score for “The Last Ship.” The critics praised his lyrics and music, using nearly identical words and phrases...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:36PM
Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Tribute to Elaine Stritch shaping up as toughest ticket on Broadway by Michael Riedel

News flashes from the Rialto today (very Walter Winchell): Theater people know how send off one of their own, and the Nov. 17 tribute to Elaine Stritch at the Al...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 05:24PM
Thursday, October 23, 2014

(Bob) Hope springs eternal — new bio tells of his days on Broadway by Michael Riedel

If you grew up watching the Bob Hope specials on NBC as I did, your image of the comedian is Mr. Southern California — a rich old Republican clad in...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 09:00PM
Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The best films about Broadway beyond ‘Birdman’ by Michael Riedel

The best movie about Broadway is — and I will brook no discussion — “All About Eve.” “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” is a...

SOURCE: The New York Post at 08:10PM

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