All stories by Roger Friedman on BroadwayStars

Monday, September 20, 2021

Broadway: CBS Will Not Give Best Actors, Actresses Tony Awards on Air, Only on Streaming Special by Roger Friedman

The belated 2020 Tony Awards are coming this Sunday, but on CBS they will be an iffy deal. CBS is running a

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:42PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Broadway is Back! Four Musicals Re-open Tonight, and "Lackawanna Blues" Arrives by Roger Friedman

Broadway is back tonight! Four musicals are re-opening, and one new play is going to previews. Hallelujah! "Hamilton," "The Lion King," "Wicked,"

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:18PM[SHARE]
Monday, September 13, 2021

Broadway: Tony Awards Get Hosts in Audra McDonald, Leslie Odom Jr, "Book of Mormon" Gets a Cast and Maybe Some Editing by Roger Friedman

The 2020 Tony Awards  have hosts. Audra McDonald and Leslie Odom, Jr. are picking up the batons for  the CBS-Paramount Plus special

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:06PM[SHARE]

Say It Three Times: "Beetlejuice" Is Coming Back to Broadway After "The Music Man" Chased it Away by Roger Friedman

Say it three times: "Beetlejuice" is coming back to Broadway. The hit musical exited Broadway in March 2020 because of the pandemic.

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:06PM[SHARE]
Monday, August 30, 2021

Watch Sensational Video: "This Is Broadway" Welcomes Audience Home with Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, Rare Angela Lansbury Clip by Roger Friedman

Play this video, and make it loud and big on your screens. Oprah Winfrey narrates "This Is Broadway," welcoming back audiences after

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:54PM[SHARE]
Monday, August 23, 2021

RIP Micki Grant, First African American Character on a Soap, Won Many Awards for Theater Work by Roger Friedman

Back in 1965, there had never been a full time character on an afternoon soap played by an African American woman. Then

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:32PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Broadway Star Laura Osnes Comes Out as Crazy, Won't Get Vaccinated "Because There Is So Much That Is Still Unknown" by Roger Friedman

Broadway star Laura Osnes came out as crazy on Instagram today. She and her husband won't get vaccinated. They're waiting for more

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:12PM[SHARE]
Friday, August 13, 2021

Comedian Jim Gaffigan's Mostly Unsold Radio City Shows Blocking Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall by Roger Friedman

Well, this is weird. The special Tony Awards event set for September 26th won't be in its usual home, Radio City Music

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:36AM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 12, 2021

Broadway: Beanie Feldstein Chosen for First Ever Revival of "Funny Girl" Since Streisand Launched it In 1964 by Roger Friedman

Barbra Streisand burst onto the scene in 1964 with "Funny Girl" and everything changed. Her career took off like a rocket. No

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:12AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Broadway: Michael Jackson Musical Sets Cast, Reveals Characters Including Jackson 5, Berry Gordy, and Michael's Parents by Roger Friedman

The cast and characters for "MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical" were revealed this morning. We now know who the main characters are

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:32AM[SHARE]
Monday, August 9, 2021

Broadway: Scott Rudin's Miserable "West Side Story" Will NOT Re-open, As Predicted Here, To Make Way for Spielberg Movie by Roger Friedman

As I predicted, Scott Rudin's "West Side Story" revival will not reopen on Broadway. I'm told this is because Disney does not

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:24PM[SHARE]
Monday, August 2, 2021

Ten Years Later, Actress Who Had a Concussion on "Spider Man" Musical Returns to Broadway with "Moulin Rouge" by Roger Friedman

When Broadway's "Moulin Rouge" announced the replacement for Karen Olivo today, I thought, that name sounds familiar. And it wasn't who we

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:48PM[SHARE]
Saturday, July 31, 2021

Broadway Is Returning But Shows Will Require Masks and Proof of Being Fully Vaccinated for Audience, Cast, Crew, Staff by Roger Friedman

And so it should be.  The Broadway League has decreed that everyone who sets foot in a Broadway theater in New York

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:54PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Nick Jonas Quietly Filming "Jersey Boys" in Cleveland for Peacock, Hoping for a Disney "Hamilton" Type Success by Roger Friedman

Much as we love Clint Eastwood, his film version of "Jersey Boys" was not a success. Ever since its disappointing run in

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:48AM[SHARE]
Monday, July 26, 2021

Advance Sales for Michael Jackson Broadway Musical "MJ" Suffering Even Though King of Pop's Record Sales are Soaring by Roger Friedman

"MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical" is suffering at the box office. Advance sales are very poor so far because tourists are restricted

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:18PM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 22, 2021

AM Round Up: Rolling Stones Hit the Road, Anne Hathway's Criminal BF Upset, Adrienne Warren's "Tina" Tony Victory Lap, "Dune" Director Get by Roger Friedman

A lot of things are going on this morning… THE ROLLING STONES, THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND are hitting the

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:48PM[SHARE]
Sunday, July 18, 2021

RIP Elliot Lawrence, 96, Won 9 Emmy Awards, 1 Tony, Jazz Composer, Big Band Leader, the Bernard Herrmann of Soap Operas by Roger Friedman

The composer, jazz musician, big band leader, Elliot Lawrence, died on July 2nd at age 96. He won 9 Emmy awards in

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:06AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Broadway: "Company" Is Coming Sooner Than Expected, Patti Lupone and Pals Start Performances November 15th by Roger Friedman

Now I know where I'll be on November 15th. The Broadway revival of "Company" starring Patti Lupone and Katrina Lenk has moved

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:42PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 30, 2021

David Geffen Gives $150 Million Donation to Yale School of Drama, Which Will Now Be Tuition-Free and Named for Him by Roger Friedman

Call it the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. The record and movie mogul, and current co-producer of "The Music

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:24PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Broadway's Hottest Ticket is Back: Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker Check into "Plaza Suite" Next February by Roger Friedman

Finally. "Plaza Suite" is back. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker will check in next February with a March opening night. Like

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:03PM[SHARE]

Michael Jackson Broadway Musical Casts Unknown as King of Pop as Tony Nominee Moonwalks Away from Show by Roger Friedman

The Michael Jackson Broadway musical, "MJ," is having a rough time. Ephraim Sykes, Tony nominated for "Ain't Too Proud," has moonwalked right

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:03PM[SHARE]

Happy 95th Birthday to Mel Brooks, Purveyor of Joy and Jokes, Subversive Social Satirist Extraordinaire by Roger Friedman

I know Mel Brooks is lonely for his real friends, like Carl Reiner, and his wife, Anne Bancroft. But we will have

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:54AM[SHARE]
Monday, June 28, 2021

Broadway: "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" Returns in November as One Show Not Two, And Maybe a Little Shorter by Roger Friedman

Big Broadway news: "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is returning in November. But this time, it won't be two different plays.

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 07:48PM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 27, 2021

Bruce Springsteen Makes a Triumphant, Emotional Return to Broadway, Jokes About Arrest by Roger Friedman

Bruce Springsteen made an emotional, Triumphant return to Broadway tonight at the St James Theater. His audience included the governor of New

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:06AM[SHARE]
Friday, June 25, 2021

Diane Warren-Susan Stroman Musical, "The Right Girl," to Get Autumn Workshop in Upstate New York by Roger Friedman

"The Right Girl" is the name of the musical with songs by Diane Warren, directed by Tony winner Susan Stroman. It's going

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:42PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Report: Scott Rudin Called the Police to Remove An Assistant He Didn't Like From His Office by Roger Friedman

The Hollywood Reporter's Tatiana Siegel is back with a scathing follow up story to her original Scott Rudin expose. Former Rudin assistant

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:03PM[SHARE]

Broadway: Hugh Jackman's "Music Man" Revival Sets A Possible Record for One Seat at $11,777.49 by Roger Friedman

"The Music Man" sold out whatever seats it had left on telecharge.com Tuesday. The musical revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:48AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 22, 2021

David Byrne Moves One Letter Closer to "EGOT" with Special Tony Award Announced Today for "American Utopia" by Roger Friedman

I think I first saw David Byrne and the Talking Heads in 1977 in Boston, probably at the Rathskeller. I awoke one

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:36PM[SHARE]

UPDATE: "Music Man" Tickets Go on Sale Early, Smattering of $300 Seats Still Left on Telecharge by Roger Friedman

Tickets for "The Music Man" went on sale before 10am on telecharge.com There's a smattering of seats left in the orchestra on

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:32AM[SHARE]

Broadway: Hugh Jackman's "Music Man" Replaces Scott Rudin with Female Producer, Readies for Ticket Onslaught by Roger Friedman

Check your clocks at 10am. That's when "The Music Man" should send Telecharge into a frenzy. The Hugh Jackman musical revival is

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:32AM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 19, 2021

"Springsteen on Broadway" Backtracks on Astra Zeneca Vaccinated Fans: Now All WHO Approved May Come by Roger Friedman

WHO are you? WHO? WHO? Springsteen on Broadway has backtracked on its vaccine proclamation, to the relief of Canadians and other international

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:36PM[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