All stories by Michael Paulson on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Union Insists Actors Shouldn't Work Till Epidemic 'Under Control' by Michael Paulson

Actors' Equity Association, which represents 51,000 theater performers and stage managers, lays out guidelines aimed to keep its members safe.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:24PM[SHARE]

Act Surprised! Obie Awards Go Virtual, Giving Winners Heads-Up by Michael Paulson

The ceremony, honoring Off and Off Off Broadway theater, has been forced online by the pandemic, and is being recorded and edited before the June 4 streaming.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:24PM[SHARE]
Sunday, May 24, 2020

The Fall of Autumn: Live Performance Producers Are Giving Up on 2020 by Michael Paulson, Joshua Barone, Ben Sisario and Zachary Woolfe

Uncertainty about the coronavirus and the challenge of protecting audiences and artists is prompting many prominent presenters to wait till next year.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:32PM[SHARE]
Thursday, May 14, 2020

Disney Closes 'Frozen' on Broadway, Citing Pandemic by Michael Paulson

The show is the first Broadway musical felled by the coronavirus.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:48PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Broadway Will Remain Shut Through at Least Labor Day by Michael Paulson

The Broadway League canceled performances through Sept. 6 and said it did not know when they might resume.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:06PM[SHARE]

The Daily Call That 200 Arts Groups Hope Will Help Them Survive by Robin Pogrebin and Michael Paulson

In a sign of the pandemic's toll, New York's cultural institutions, large and small, feel compelled to share their woes and tactics in strategy sessions.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:54AM[SHARE]

'Hamilton' Movie Will Stream on Disney Plus on July 3 by Michael Paulson

In a surprise move, the film of the original Broadway production is being released 15 months early.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:54AM[SHARE]
Thursday, May 7, 2020

'Mrs. Doubtfire' Was Set to Open, Then 'the Universe Hit Pause' by Michael Paulson

'Mrs. Doubtfire' got through three performances before the pandemic intervened. This is the story of what happened next.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:12AM[SHARE]
Monday, May 4, 2020

'Spotlight on Plays' Gives Big-Name Actors a Chance to Give Back by Michael Paulson

"Spotlight on Plays," featuring John Malkovich, Patti LuPone, Sally Field, Bryan Cranston and others, will aid the Actors Fund.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:24PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Face Masks and Fewer Seats: One Theater Tries Saving Summer by Michael Paulson

Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires is bucking the trend of cancellations, planning instead a limited season with a litany of precautions.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:48AM[SHARE]
Monday, April 20, 2020

Broadway Was Booming. Then Came the Pandemic. by Michael Paulson and David S. Allee

Broadway was booming. Then came the coronavirus.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:32PM[SHARE]
Friday, April 17, 2020

Alas, Poor New York: Shakespeare in the Park Is Canceled by Michael Paulson

The Public Theater, which runs the festival but is closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, anticipates a shortfall of up to $20 million.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:03AM[SHARE]
Monday, April 13, 2020

It's a Streaming World After All: Scuttled Benefit Is Back. by Michael Paulson

The Broadway Cares fund-raiser, featuring a concert of Disney songs, is being rescheduled after the musicians' dropped a demand that members be compensated.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:54PM[SHARE]

In About-Face, Musicians' Union Agrees to Pandemic Fund-Raiser by Michael Paulson

Broadway Cares said it would reschedule a canceled event featuring a concert of Disney songs after the American Federation of Musicians dropped a demand for additional compensation.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18PM[SHARE]
Sunday, April 12, 2020

Labor Dispute Sinks Broadway Benefit for Pandemic Assistance by Michael Paulson

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS had planned to stream a concert of Disney songs, but canceled the program when a union demanded compensation for musicians.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:32AM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 11, 2020

Broadway Benefit for Pandemic Assistance Sunk by Labor Dispute by Michael Paulson

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS had planned to stream a concert of Disney songs, but canceled the program when a union demanded compensation.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:18PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Broadway Will Remain Closed at Least Until June, and Probably Longer by Michael Paulson

The 41 Broadway theaters have been closed since March 12, and industry leaders are aware that large gatherings may be among the last forms of activity to resume when the pandemic eases.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:12AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 7, 2020

One Theater Tries an Alternative to Cancellation: An All-Audio Season. by Michael Paulson

Bobby Cannavale, Carla Gugino and Audra McDonald will still perform for the Williamstown Theater Festival this summer, but their shows will be on Audible, not onstage.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:36PM[SHARE]

The Obie Awards Go Online. The Money Saved Goes to Artists. by Michael Paulson

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual ceremony honoring Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway theater will be digital-only for the first time since being established in 1956.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:32AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Making Art During a Pandemic: Theaters Seek and Share Mini-Plays by Michael Paulson

Nonprofits around the country plan to commission works of no longer than 10 minutes in length that can be read or performed by people sheltering in place.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18PM[SHARE]
Friday, March 27, 2020

Spring Culture Fell to Virus. In Oregon, Summer Theater Now Succumbs. by Michael Paulson

As nonprofits around the country cancel all spring programs, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival says it must go further, and will lay off 80 percent of its staff.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:18PM[SHARE]
Friday, March 20, 2020

Broadway, shuttered by the pandemic, reaches a short-term pay deal. by Michael Paulson

Hundreds of theater workers will receive wages and benefits for a few weeks during the shutdown, which has already led one play, "Hangmen," to close before it even opened.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:48PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Lynn Nottage and Annie Baker Say Theaters Want Their Advances Back by Michael Paulson

The Pulitzer Prize winners Lynn Nottage and Annie Baker are among those who said they had been asked to give back advances because of the coronavirus pandemic.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:48PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Their School Musicals Were Canceled. Then They Found a Bigger Stage. by Michael Paulson

Videos of teenage (and older) performers sprouted on social media after a Tony-winning actress invited theater kids to share songs from shows canceled by the coronavirus.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:32AM[SHARE]
Thursday, March 12, 2020

Broadway Will Shut Down After Governor Limits Attendance by Michael Paulson

Facing concern from actors and audiences about health risks during the pandemic, the industry announced that shows will be shuttered through April 12.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:48PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Broadway Usher Tests Positive for Coronavirus by Michael Paulson

The usher worked in recent days at "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Six," prompting a scramble to inform the public and clean the theaters.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:32PM[SHARE]

Broadway, Seeking to Stay Open, Suggests Stars Keep Their Distance by Michael Paulson

Actors are being asked to suspend the tradition of greeting fans at stage doors, one of several steps that theaters are taking to limit the coronavirus threat.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:24AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 27, 2020

The Making of 'Six': How Tudor Queens Turned Into Pop Stars by Michael Paulson

A cheeky musical about the ill-fated wives of Henry VIII is already a hit in Britain, on TikTok and on cruise ships. Now it is aiming to establish sovereignty on Broadway.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:03AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 24, 2020

'Common Ground' Illuminated Boston. Now It's Coming to the Stage. by Michael Paulson

The new play, titled "Common Ground Revisited," will be staged at the Huntington Theater Company early next year.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:42PM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 20, 2020

Broadway's 'The Inheritance' to Close on March 15 by Michael Paulson

Acclaimed in London, the two-part play about gay culture and the legacy of AIDS drew a chillier response in New York, where it is set.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:36PM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 16, 2020

David Byrne's 'American Utopia' Will Return to Broadway Next Fall by Michael Paulson

The theatrical concert has been a critical and commercial success. A film version by Spike Lee is also on the way.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:48PM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off