All stories by Rebecca Rubin on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

‘Smash’ Exclusive First Look: NBC’s Cult Favorite Hits Broadway With ‘So Many Twists, Turns and Surprises’ by Rebecca Rubin

It’s a Broadway smash! It, of course, refers to “Bombshell,” the fictional musical-within-a-musical at the center of “Smash,” a new stage adaptation of the beloved cult favorite, m…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:00AM
Sunday, January 19, 2025

‘Mufasa’ Keeps Crown as Keke Palmer’s ‘One of Them Days’ Beats ‘Wolf Man’ in Box Office Surprise by Rebecca Rubin

Heading into the long weekend, Universal’s “Wolf Man” reboot was projected to climb to No. 1 on domestic box office charts. Yet Sony’s “One of Them Days,” an R-rated buddy comedy…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:35PM

‘Moana 2,’ Once Destined for Streaming, Crosses $1 Billion at Global Box Office by Rebecca Rubin

“Moana 2,” originally conceived as a television show for streaming, is officially a billion-dollar box office smash. The animated sequel has generated $445 million domestically and $56…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:35PM
Sunday, January 12, 2025

Box Office: ‘Mufasa’ Crosses $500 Million Globally, ‘Moana 2’ Nears $1 Billion Mark by Rebecca Rubin

Two Disney tentpoles, “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Moana 2,” are crossing major box office milestones. “Mufasa” has surpassed $500 million globally after four weeks of release, w…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:46PM
Friday, January 10, 2025

‘Wicked’ Earns $70 Million in First Week of Digital Release by Rebecca Rubin

“Wicked” is “very very popular” — on the big screen, and now on video-on-demand. In a rare display of transparency for downstream revenues, Universal reported the big-budget musica…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:37PM
Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Disney Names Tony Chambers as President of Operations in Europe, Middle East and Asia by Rebecca Rubin

Disney’s head of theatrical distribution Tony Chambers is leaving his current role to serve as president of the Walt Disney Company in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will replace J…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:44PM
Thursday, January 2, 2025

Domestic Box Office Falls to $8.75 Billion in 2024 as Movie Theaters Struggle to Recover From Strikes by Rebecca Rubin

Not even the dynamic duos of Joy and Anxiety, Deadpool and Wolverine, Gru and his minions or Paul Atreides and those massive sandworms could push the 2024 box office to pre-pandemic heights.…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:08PM
Monday, December 30, 2024

Box Office: ‘Mufasa’ Beats ‘Sonic’ for No. 1 Over Christmas Stretch as ‘Nosferatu’ and ‘A Complete Unknown’ Start Strong by Rebecca Rubin

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” and Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” are duking it out for first place at the North American box office with each of the family friendly films …

SOURCE: Variety at 07:28AM

Box Office: ‘Wicked’ Overtakes ‘Mamma Mia’ as Biggest Global Broadway Adaptation, ‘Sonic 3’ Sets Franchise Record With $74 Million Interna by Rebecca Rubin

Universal’s “Wicked” is officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history, overtaking 2008’s “Mamma Mia” to notch the harmonious milestone. “Wick…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:28AM
Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Adam Driver Off-Broadway Play ‘Hold on to Me Darling’ Recoups $1.8 Million Investment (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

“Hold on to Me Darling,” an Off Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s play starring Adam Driver, has recouped its initial investment. The show was capitalized at $1.8 million. During …

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Wednesday, December 4, 2024

‘Stranger Things’ Broadway Play Sets Main Cast Including ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actor T.R. Knight by Rebecca Rubin

“Grey’s Anatomy” actor T.R. Knight is returning to Broadway in “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” a stage play based on the massive Netflix television series. The show, which ope…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:00PM
Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Mattel Sued Over ‘Wicked’ Dolls That Included Link to Porn Website on Packaging by Rebecca Rubin

Mattel is being sued for mistakenly printing the URL for a pornographic site on the packaging for special-edition “Wicked” dolls. According to court documents, a South Carolina resident …

SOURCE: Variety at 01:23PM

Betty Gilpin to Replace Cole Escola in Broadway’s ‘Oh, Mary’ by Rebecca Rubin

“GLOW” actor Betty Gilpin is replacing Cole Escola in “Oh, Mary!” on Broadway. Escola, who wrote and starred in the deranged comedy since it debuted Off Broadway in January, is depar…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:10AM
Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Got Paid Equally for ‘Wicked,’ Universal Calls Pay Disparity Rumors ‘Completely False’ by Rebecca Rubin

“Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were paid the same amount for leading the movie musical, Universal Pictures said in a rare statement on such a matter, to dispel online rum…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:58PM
Monday, November 25, 2024

Inside ‘Wicked’s’ Marketing Blitz: How Universal Courted 400 Brands and Spent Big to Guarantee the Musical Was ‘Everywhere’ by Rebecca Rubin

So if you care to find “Wicked,” look… just about anywhere. You’d have to be flattened by a farmhouse to miss the “Wicked” promotional onslaught. From Starbucks drinks (Elphaba c…

SOURCE: Variety at 06:03PM

Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’ Recoups $4.5 Million Broadway Investment by Rebecca Rubin

Cole Escola’s unconventional smash “Oh, Mary!” has recouped its entire production costs on Broadway. The play, capitalized at $4.5 million, is the first show of the 2024-25 season to d…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Thursday, November 21, 2024

How ‘Big Gay Jamboree’ and ‘Titanique’ Creator Marla Mindelle Became the Queen of Off-Broadway: I’m ‘the Homeless Man’s Lin-Manuel Miran by Rebecca Rubin

Marla Mindelle, the star of Off Broadway’s Golden Age fantasia “The Big Gay Jamboree,” gets anxiety during every performance. Sure, the delightfully ridiculous show — in which she pl…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:00PM
Monday, November 18, 2024

‘Wicked’ Sets Sing-Along Screenings for Christmas (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

Moviegoers can channel their inner Glinda and Elphaba during sing-along screenings of “Wicked.” But they’ll have to wait. Interactive showings of Universal’s upcoming movie musical w…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:08PM
Sunday, November 10, 2024

Jon M. Chu Misses ‘Wicked’ Premiere for Birth of Fifth Child by Rebecca Rubin

Jon M. Chu had a pretty good excuse for missing the premiere of “Wicked.” The director of the two-part musical epic couldn’t make the starry Los Angeles event because his wife gave bir…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:06PM
Thursday, November 7, 2024

Delia Ephron on How Grief, Cancer and Late in Life Love Inspired Her Real-Life Broadway Rom-Traum ‘Left on Tenth’ by Rebecca Rubin

Delia Ephron invented a term — discardia — for indulging without guilt at New York City’s too-many tempting eateries. “It’s a game you play with yourself. You can buy anything you …

SOURCE: Variety at 01:22PM
Tuesday, October 22, 2024

‘Smash’ Musical to Open on Broadway in 2025 by Rebecca Rubin

“Smash,” a stage adaptation of the fan-favorite NBC series, is officially opening on Broadway in 2025. The long-in-the-works musical will begin performances on March 11, 2025, at the Imp…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:45PM

Joey Fatone Joins Broadway’s ‘& Juliet,’ Where He’ll Sing Backstreet Boys (and NSYNC) Songs by Rebecca Rubin

Joey Fatone is returning to Broadway for the first time in two decades, joining the company of the jukebox musical “& Juliet.” The revisionist take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Thursday, October 17, 2024

‘Dirty Dancing’ Broadway Musical in the Works for 2025 by Rebecca Rubin

Lionsgate wants theatergoers to have the time of their lives, so the studio is adapting “Dirty Dancing” as a Broadway musical. “Dirty Dancing: The Musical” will launch in late 2025 …

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM
Wednesday, October 16, 2024

CAA Theater Agent Joe Machota to be Honored With Sardi’s Portrait by Rebecca Rubin

Joe Machota, head of CAA’s theater department, will be recognized with the time-honored Broadway tradition of getting a caricature on the wall at Sardi’s. Plenty of stars like Patti LuPo…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:25AM
Wednesday, October 9, 2024

‘The Outsiders’ Star Brody Grant Returning to Tony-Nominated Role After Month-Long Hiatus by Rebecca Rubin

Brody Grant, the Tony-nominated star of “The Outsiders,” is returning to the musical after a month-long hiatus. An exact date has not been finalized but representatives for the show said…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:51PM

Jonathan Groff Returning to Broadway as Performer Bobby Darin in ‘Just in Time’ Musical by Rebecca Rubin

Jonathan Groff, a recent Tony winner for “Merrily We Roll Along,” is returning to Broadway. He’s set to star in “Just In Time,” a new musical about the life and times of singer Bob…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Wednesday, October 2, 2024

‘Succession’ Star Sarah Snook to Make Broadway Debut in ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’ in 2025 by Rebecca Rubin

Sarah Snook, the Emmy-winning “Succession” actor, will make her Broadway debut playing 26 characters in “The Pictures of Dorian Gray.” The adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s gothic horror…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Broadway’s ‘Water for Elephants’ to Close in December by Rebecca Rubin

“Water for Elephants” is concluding its Broadway run this winter. The musical will play its final performance at the Imperial Theatre on Dec. 8. At the time of its concluding show, “Wa…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:50PM
Monday, September 30, 2024

Nicole Scherzinger Prefers the Left Half of Her Face: ‘If You Want Greatness You’re Going to Have to Focus on This Side’ by Rebecca Rubin

Broadway’s biggest stars got themselves out of bed bright and early on a coveted day off for Variety’s annual Business of Broadway, presented by City National Bank, a celebration of new …

SOURCE: Variety at 06:05PM

TikTok Star Charli D’Amelio to Make Broadway Debut in ‘& Juliet’ (EXCLUSIVE) by Rebecca Rubin

TikTok Star Charli D’Amelio will make her Broadway debut in the jukebox musical “& Juliet,” a revisionist take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers. D’Amelio w…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:00AM
Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Roundabout Theatre Company Names ‘Come From Away’ Tony Winner Christopher Ashley as Artistic Director by Rebecca Rubin

Christopher Ashley, the Tony-winning director of “Come From Away,” has been appointed as the new artistic director of Roundabout Theatre Company. Ashley has spent the past 17 years as th…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:00PM

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 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime