All stories by Roger Friedman on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Justin Bieber Prepares for Live Stream New Year’s Eve Show to Promote Failing 2021 Ticket Sales for Tour by Roger Friedman

Justin Bieber is preparing for a live streamed New Year’s Eve show tomorrow night, sponsored by T Mobile. The question is: Why?

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 07:24PM
Wednesday, December 23, 2020

RIP Rebecca Luker, 59, Broadway Star, 3 Time Tony Awards Nominee, Mom, Wife of Tony Winner Danny Burstein by Roger Friedman

Rebecca Luker was literally a light on Broadway. Beloved by all, with a gorgeous voice, she was nominated for three Tony Awards

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:36PM
Sunday, November 1, 2020

SNL: Watch Maya Rudolph’s Show Stopping Ode to New York “I’m Still Here” as the Statue of Liberty by Roger Friedman

John Mulaney restored “Saturday Night Live” to its past glory when he hosted the show last night for the second time in

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:54PM
Friday, October 16, 2020

Tony Nominations So Weird Aaron Tveit Could Lose to No One, Only Best Score Nominations Went to Plays, Not Musicals by Roger Friedman

Really, it’s another world. The Tony nominations came from 16 eligible shows, a very slight field. The result is that Aaron Tveit

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:18PM

Watch the 2020 Tony Awards Nominations Here at 12 Noon Including “Tina!” “Moulin Rouge” “Jagged Little Pill,” “The Sound Inside” by Roger Friedman

There are only 16 shows eligible for the 2020 Tony Awards. The nominees come from these shows, and it’s a mediocre list

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:18PM
Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Social Distancing Killing Showbiz? Cirque du Soleil Co-Creator Opens First Ever Drive-Thru Dazzling Light Show Extravaganza Outside Montreal by Roger Friedman

Normand Latourelle was the co-creator of the Cirque du Soleil empire and took it to the top. He left to create Cavalia,

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:42PM
Friday, October 9, 2020

Broadway Disaster: Shows Will Not Open Before the End of May 2021, Announcement Coming This Morning by Roger Friedman

The situation on Broadway and in New York theater is now a full scale disaster. The word is that the Broadway League

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:24AM
Monday, October 5, 2020

Tony Nominated Actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd Murdered in Atlanta, Acted in Many Spike Lee Movies and TV Shows by Roger Friedman

Keep refreshing… Spike Lee has announced on Twitter and Instagram that actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd was murdered last night in Atlanta. Byrd

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:03AM
Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Metropolitan Opera Cancels 2020-21 Season But Will Return With First Ever Opera by a Black Composer by Roger Friedman

Good news and bad news at the Metropolitan Opera. First the bad news: they’ve cancelled the season right through May 2021. No

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:18PM
Friday, September 11, 2020

RIP Diana Rigg, the Once and Forever Emma Peel from “The Avengers,” Star of “Game of Thrones,” Great Stage Star by Roger Friedman

Diana Rigg, the gifted and beloved stage, TV and movie star has died in the UK at age 82. Rigg is permanently

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:36PM

New York Times Theater Critic Ben Brantley Out After 24 Years: When Broadway Returns, What Will Happen Next? by Roger Friedman

Is he stepping down or being pushed out the window? Whichever way it’s gone, Ben Brantley is out as the New York

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:36PM
Monday, August 31, 2020

Tony Awards: A Desultory List of 18 Mediocre to OK Shows are Eligible, With Only Race in Best Actress in a Play by Roger Friedman

The Tony Awards are really insisting in going through with a faux awards show sometime this fall on a streaming platform. It

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:54AM
Sunday, August 23, 2020

Broadway in a Muddle as NBC Wants to Do a Special Highlighting Shows, Tony Awards Plan a Digital Celebration by Roger Friedman

Broadway is in a muddle, and no one seems to know what’s going on. Today the Broadway League announced they were planning

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:24PM
Friday, August 14, 2020

Don’t Cry for Andrew Lloyd Webber: Broadway Composer Joins Experimental COVID Vaccine Trial in the UK by Roger Friedman

Don’t cry for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. The composer of “Evita,” “Cats,” and many other Broadway musicals says on Twitter that he’s

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:02PM
Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Broadway’s Royal Flush: “Diana” Musical, Postponed from this Season, Will Air on Netflix Before May 2021 Opening by Roger Friedman

Things could not be stranger now on Broadway. With the season demolished, and no Tony Awards, and no fall season, producers are

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:06PM
Monday, August 10, 2020

Was Broadway Producer Living in a House of Cards? Scott Rudin Sued for Not Paying Ad Agency $6.3 Million by Roger Friedman

Scott Rudin has lived large on Broadway for years. He’s made his recent reputation in the last decade for bringing in big

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:32PM
Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Reality Hits: Radio City Music Hall Cancels Christmas Spectacular 1st Time Since 1933, Bad Omen for Movies, Theater by Roger Friedman

Reality has set in: Radio City Music Hall has cancelled the Christmas Spectacular for the first time since 1933. I give them

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:12PM
Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Kanye’s 99th Nervous Breakdown: Calls Mother-in-Law “Kris Jong Un,” Says Family Tried to Commit Him with 5150 Hold by Roger Friedman

Kanye West‘s 99th nervous breakdown continues apace. Working up to his album release on Friday (maybe, who knows, maybe he’s imagining it),

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:06PM
Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Late Broadway Star Nick Cordero Go Fund Me Campaign Nears $1 Million, with Donations from Stars, Fans, Friends by Roger Friedman

The GoFundMe campaign for Nick Cordero’s family is nearing $1 million. As of 5:30pm it was up to $965,000. Cordero died two

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:06PM

Phenom: “Hamilton” Soundtrack Is Now Number 1 AND 2 on iTunes, With Six Tracks on the Singles Charts by Roger Friedman

I told you already this week, the “Hamilton” soundtrack is number 1 on iTunes, where it’s selling downloads by the thousands. “Hamilton”

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:06PM
Monday, July 6, 2020

Exclusive: RIP Nick Cordero, Beloved Tony Nominated Broadway Star Who Spent 91 Days in Hospital with COVID by Roger Friedman

UPDATE Unfortunately, I can confirm that the story is true. Nick is said to have passed around 11:30am at Cedars Sinai in

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:12PM

“Hamilton” CD Soars Back to Number 1 on iTunes, Sells More Copies Over Weekend than It Did Last Week by Roger Friedman

“Hamilton” is on Disney Plus so we’re never going to know how well it’s doing, or did on its first weekend of

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:12PM

Nick Cordero’s Wife, Amanda, Writes About His Tragic Death: “My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him” by Roger Friedman

Amanda Kloots, Nick Cordero’s devoted wife, has posted a long, sad message to Instagram following her husband’s death. She writes: “God has

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:12PM
Friday, July 3, 2020

Cirque du Soleil Bankruptcy Also Involves the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Blue Man Group, and Quebec– Not Just Flying Acrobats by Roger Friedman

When anyone says Cirque du Soleil you think of flying acrobats, nameless, faceless bodies from shows with strange names. But the recent

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:42AM

Broadway: Batter Up! “Take Me Out” Revival With “Suits” Star Patrick J. Adams and Jesse Williams Books April 2021 Opening by Roger Friedman

Add another show to next April 2021 on Broadway. The revival of the baseball musical “Take me Out” has set March 22nd

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:42AM
Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Disney’s $75 Mil Pays Off: “Hamilton” Film Scores a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, Soundtrack Jumps Back to Number 1 Almost 5 Years After Release by Roger Friedman

The “Hamilton” CD, the score to the hit Broadway show, was released on September 25, 2015. It was a hit right away,

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:18PM
Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Review: Oscar Contender “Hamilton” On Film for DisneyPlus Puts Us Right in the Room Where it Happened by Roger Friedman

I always say, and you may, too: Donald Trump doesn’t realize who will write his story. Lin Manuel Miranda got that when

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:42AM
Monday, June 29, 2020

Flashback Review: “Hamilton” Opens at the Public Theater February 17, 2015 And Shakes the Whole World by Roger Friedman

I was lucky enough to attend the opening of “Hamilton” at the Public Theater on February 17, 2015. To say everyone in

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:32PM

Broadway League Says Theaters Will Remain Shut At Least Until January 3, 2021 Because of Virus Fears by Roger Friedman

Broadway will remain shut down at least until January 3rd, 2021 says the Broadway League. It’s because, as we know, social distancing

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:24PM
Thursday, June 25, 2020

Broadway Shows “American Buffalo” and “The Minutes,” Set for Next Spring After COVID Postponement by Roger Friedman

Great news! The revival of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” and the launch of Tracy Letts’ “The Minutes” will open on Broadway next

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:03PM

Broadway Star Nick Cordero’s Wife Posts Long Update: “Nick is profoundly weak. Is this defeating? Sometimes it is, I won’t lie” by Roger Friedman

Nick Cordero: his wife Amanda Kloots has posted a long, honest message on Instagram. I have copied it here. This poor guy.

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:03PM

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
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis 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