All stories by Michael on BroadwayStars

Thursday, July 18, 2024

How Seattle can support its artists despite rising prices by Margo Vansynghel, Gemma Wilson, Moira Macdonald and Michael Rietmulder

Organizations in Seattle and elsewhere are trying to address the affordability crisis for artists with programs tackling basic income, affordable housing and more.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 09:00AM
Monday, June 17, 2024

Jay-Z’s Big Tonys Duet With Alicia Keys Was Pretaped by Julia Jacobs and Michael Paulson

The two stars brought down the house with “Empire State of Mind,” their 2009 love song to New York City, which they had recorded earlier on a grand marble staircase outside the auditoriu…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:48PM

Why Jay-Z’s Big Tonys Duet With Alicia Keys Was Offstage by Julia Jacobs and Michael Paulson

The two stars brought down the house with “Empire State of Mind,” their 2009 love song to New York City, which they performed on a grand marble staircase outside the auditorium.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:02PM
Friday, June 14, 2024
Thursday, June 13, 2024

This Year’s Tony Nominees in Portraits by Dana Scruggs, Michael Paulson, Julia Jacobs, Jolie Ruben and Amanda Webster

The Tony Awards are Sunday. Each year we photograph nominated performers and talk to them about their craft. This time, we asked about early theater memories.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:32AM
Friday, May 17, 2024

Does a Smash Hit Like ‘Lion King’ Deserve a $3 Million Tax Break? by Jay Root and Michael Paulson

Broadway is still recovering from the pandemic. A state tax-credit program has helped, but watchdogs say it aids some shows that don’t need a boost.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:06AM
Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Emcee Squared: Joel Grey and Eddie Redmayne on ‘Cabaret’ by Michael Paulson and Dana Scruggs

When two actors who have played the Emcee several times finally met, they discussed fear, courage and Berlin’s bawdiest nightclub.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:24AM
Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Broadway Opened 12 Shows in 9 Days. Here’s What That Looked Like. by Michael Paulson and Landon Nordeman

It’s a challenging time for the theater industry, but each new opening is another reason to pause for a moment and celebrate.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18AM
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

‘This system is broken’: protesters say Suffolk cuts encapsulate UK arts crisis by Lanre Bakare, Carmen Aguilar García and Michael Goodier

Council has found one-off funding pot after announcing 100% cut, but people in county say sector is being destroyed As a chant of “Stop the cuts! Stop the cuts! Stop the cuts!” echoes of…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:12PM

Chita Rivera Tributes Pour in From Rita Moreno, the Cast of ‘Chicago’ and More by Michael Paulson and Emmanuel Morgan

Onstage and off, she was celebrated as a pathbreaking triple-threat who left a huge legacy in musical theater and dance.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:06PM
Thursday, December 28, 2023

Top Seattle-area arts and culture happenings of 2023 by Margo Vansynghel, Michael Rietmulder, Moira Macdonald and Gemma Wilson

From the return of Bumbershoot and Cinerama to the Swift Quake and "Boys in the Boat" premiere, relive the biggest moments in Seattle arts & culture this year.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 09:00AM
Thursday, December 7, 2023

‘A hero to millions’: Benjamin Zephaniah remembered by Michael Rosen, Kae Tempest and more by Michael Rosen, Kae Tempest, Carol Ann Duffy, Colin Grant and Joseph Coelho

The acclaimed writer and poet for children and adults has died aged 65. Here, leading contemporaries pay tribute • A sandy place, a recipe for a nation and a Christmas plea: three poems by…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:54AM
Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Tony Awards Give a Box Office Boost to Prize-Winning Shows by Michael Paulson and Christopher Kuo

“Leopoldstadt,” which was named best play, and “Kimberly Akimbo,” which won best musical, saw considerable increases in ticket sales.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:33PM
Thursday, June 15, 2023

Glenda Jackson obituary by Michael Coveney and Julia Langdon

Actor who was a fearless, ferocious presence in theatre, cinema and television, then turned to politics as a Labour MPMany leading British actors have mixed art and politics, but no great ac…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:49PM
Sunday, June 11, 2023

Alex Newell Becomes First Out Nonbinary Performer to Win a Tony by Michael Paulson and Sarah Bahr

“Thank you for seeing me Broadway,” the performer said of winning the award for best featured actor in a musical.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:03PM
Monday, June 5, 2023

39 Tony-Nominated Performers on Why They Act: ‘It’s Intoxicating’ by Thea Traff, Michael Paulson, Julia Jacobs and Amanda Webster

Each year we photograph Tony nominees, and talk with them about their craft. This year we focused on actors.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18AM
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Tony Awards broadcast can proceed after striking writers’ union agrees by Michael Paulson and John Koblin

The Tony Awards ceremony had been in doubt ever since Hollywood’s screenwriters went on strike earlier this month.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 11:45AM
Monday, May 15, 2023

Tony Awards Broadcast Can Proceed After Striking Writers’ Union Agrees by Michael Paulson and John Koblin

The Tony Awards, a key marketing opportunity for Broadway, can go ahead in an altered form after the striking screenwriters’ union said it would not picket this year’s broadcast.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:02PM
Friday, May 12, 2023

Hollywood Writers’ Strike Puts the Tony Awards in Jeopardy by Michael Paulson and John Koblin

The Tonys, set to be telecast on June 11, are Broadway’s biggest marketing moment. But the strike by the Writers Guild of America means the show might not go on.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:24AM
Friday, April 14, 2023

Broadway’s Longest-Running Musical Turns Out the Lights by Michael Barbaro and Michael Paulson

We went backstage during one of the final performances before the show’s famous chandelier crashes down one last time. “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest running show in the histo…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:20AM
Sunday, March 5, 2023

Tennessee Law Limiting ‘Cabaret’ Shows Raises Uncertainty About Drag Events by Rick Rojas, Emily Cochrane, Ava Sasani and Michael Paulson

The measure is part of a wave of legislation by conservative lawmakers across the country against drag performances. Many are wondering how it will be applied.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:52AM
Thursday, February 23, 2023

Patti Love obituary by Michael Coveney and David Edgar

Actor best known for her stage work and acclaimed for her portrayal of Mary Barnes in the title role of David Edgar’s 1978 play Patti Love, who has died aged 75, was an actor of supreme ta…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:56AM
Friday, December 2, 2022

Courtroom Drama: New Legal Battle Over ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Michael Paulson and Alexandra Alter

Three years ago a new Broadway play based on the classic Harper Lee novel tried to prevent regional stagings of an earlier dramatization. Now, the roles are reversed.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:06AM
Friday, November 4, 2022

Between Kanye and the Midterms, the Unsettling Stream of Antisemitism by Michael Paulson and Ruth Graham

For American Jews, this fall has become increasingly worrisome. On Thursday alone, the F.B.I. warned of threats to New Jersey synagogues and the Nets suspended Kyrie Irving.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18AM
Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Times Square May Get One of the Few Spectacles It Lacks: A Casino by Dana Rubinstein, Nicole Hong and Michael Paulson

The battle to win a New York City casino license has heated up in Manhattan, with real estate and gambling giants offering competing proposals for Times Square and Hudson Yards.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:07PM

For Broadway’s 1776, featuring Seattle’s Sara Porkalob, the drama is offstage by Michael Paulson and Jennifer Schuessler

The current Broadway revival of “1776” was hoping to spark a conversation about power and representation. And it has, if not quite in the way it intended.

SOURCE: www.seattletimes.com at 12:13AM
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

For Broadway’s ‘1776’ Revival, the Drama Is Offstage by Michael Paulson and Jennifer Schuessler

A cast member criticized the consciously progressive revival for its handling of race in rehearsals, saying there had been “harm done.” She later apologized for her comments.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:25PM
Friday, September 9, 2022

Are Men in Dresses and Wigs Still Funny in Comedy? by Michael Paulson and Justin J Wee

As “Some Like It Hot” and “Ain’t No Mo’” head to Broadway, following runs of “Tootsie” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” 10 artists reflect on an enduring trope and how it works, or …

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:19AM
Wednesday, August 24, 2022

‘It’s My Tradition Too’: Oberammergau’s Centuries-Old Passion Play Evolves by Michael Paulson and Roderick Aichinger

After a two-year pandemic delay, villagers in the German town of Oberammergau are once again re-enacting the story of Jesus’s life and death, with some changes.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:33AM
Sunday, August 21, 2022

Live Performance Is Back. But Audiences Have Been Slow to Return. by Michael Paulson and Javier C. Hernández

Attendance lagged in the comeback season, as the challenges posed by the coronavirus persisted. Presenters hope it was just a blip.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:33PM

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