All stories by Roger Friedman on BroadwayStars

Friday, February 7, 2020

Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright Lynn Nottage Rescued After Locking Herself into Lincoln Center Bathroom by Roger Friedman

The call for help went out at 2:42pm on Thursday, just while Donald Trump was having a nervous breakdown on national TV.

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:54AM
Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Beatle Tribute to Broadway: At All Star Memorial, Paul McCartney Calls Jerry Herman “One of the All Time Greats” by Roger Friedman

The Lunt Fontanne Theater was bursting with stars and heavy hitters of renown yesterday afternoon to say goodbye to the great Jerry

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:12PM
Monday, February 3, 2020

Filmed Version of Powerhouse Broadway Musical “Hamilton” Sells to Disney for Record Price of $75 Million by Roger Friedman

“Hamilton” is coming to movie theaters. The Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning powerhouse of a musical was evidently worth $75 million, according

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:12PM
Wednesday, January 29, 2020

(Watch) Sting Brings “The Last Ship” to Jimmy Kimmel, Says No Tigers or Magicians in Upcoming Vegas Shows: “I do the magic” by Roger Friedman

Sting brought his brilliant musical, “The Last Ship,” to Jimmy Kimmel last night. They talked about the show, currently at the Ahmanson

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:18PM
Thursday, January 23, 2020

Sting’s Big Night in Hollywood: “The Last Ship” Sets Sail in Triumphant Return, Rebuilt and Seaworthy by Roger Friedman

There was always a problem with Sting’s Broadway musical, “The Last Ship.” Even though the music was par excellence, the songs beyond

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:54PM
Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Madonna Cancels Another Show, This Time in Lisbon, With 45 Minutes Notice, Hopes to Return Tomorrow (“Fingers Crossed”) by Roger Friedman

Madonna is certainly suffering from her blown out knee. She cancelled another show, this time in Lisbon last night with 45 minutes

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:03AM
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Winter Is Here: Broadway Shows Face January Chill with Big Drops for Long Running Shows Like “Lion King,” “Mormon,” “Wicked” by Roger Friedman

Winter, as they say on Game of Thrones, is here. On Broadway the January chill has set in after three weeks of

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:12AM
Monday, January 13, 2020

Exclusive: Broadway Great Frank Langella will Direct and Co-Star with Ageless Hot-as-a-Pistol Elaine May in “Love Letters” Off Broadway by Roger Friedman

No one is more “in” right now than Elaine May. At age 87, she’s just won a Tony Award for “The Waverly

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:03AM
Saturday, January 11, 2020

Is the New West Side Story Cursed? Second Actor Sidelined by Injury and Replaced, Opening Date Pushed Back, Creative Team Still Up in Air by Roger Friedman

The new version of “West Side Story” was supposed to open on Broadway on February 6th. But then the actor who plays

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:36AM
Thursday, December 12, 2019

Shakespeare Gets a Raw Deal in 2019: Netflix “The King” Movie Drops His Name, “West Side Story” Cuts Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene by Roger Friedman

William Shakespeare is having a bad year. First, Netflix’s “The King,” starring Timothee Chalamet, dropped his name and all reference to him

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:18PM
Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Broadway: “Jagged Little Pill” Gets No Bounce from Opening, “Beetlejuice” Will Close Next June, Tony Goldwyn Heads to “Inheritance” by Roger Friedman

Busy week on Broadway with last week’s box office numbers just in. “Jagged Little Pill,” based on Alanis Morissette’s shrieky album from

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:18AM
Monday, December 9, 2019

Exclusive Broadway Shocker: New “West Side Story” with Avant Garde Choreographer Adds Tony Winner Serge Trujillo as “Consultant” by Roger Friedman

EXCLUSIVE: The new “West Side Story” is supposed to start previews tomorrow. I’m told that the avant garde choreographer hired for the

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:06PM
Saturday, December 7, 2019

Broadway: “Jagged Little Pill” Awaits Push from Reviews with Tickets on Discount And Plenty Available Through New Year’s by Roger Friedman

Alannis Morissette’s famous album, “Jagged Little Pill,” opens on Broadway tonight. Producers are crossing their fingers for exultant reviews to spur ticket

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:06AM
Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Broadway: Tony Winner Beth Leavel Will Play Meryl Streep’s Part in “Prada” Musical, Streep Will Play Leavel’s Role in “Prom” Movie by Roger Friedman

I don’t know if Meryl Streep and Beth Leavel know each other, but they should. Leavel, a 2006 Tony winner for “The

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:18AM
Monday, December 2, 2019

Exclusive: “Hustlers” Director Lorene Scafaria Wants a Broadway Musical, Not a Sequel,and JLo Pleads Her Awards Case by Roger Friedman

The “Hustlers” awards campaign came to New York Sunday night with an Academy screening, a Q&A, and a reception at the Museum

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:54PM
Friday, November 22, 2019

Broadway’s Michael Jackson Chosen, Ephraim Sykes Was Tony-Nominated for Playing Temptation in “Ain’t too Proud” by Roger Friedman

The Broadway Michael Jackson musical has a star. Ephraim Sykes, who played David Ruffin in “Ain’t Too Proud” this past season, and

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:33AM
Monday, November 18, 2019

Broadway: Six Hour “Inheritance” Opens Looking for 2020 Tony Awards, But Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” Will Come in Spring by Roger Friedman

The six hour play “The Inheritance” opened last night on Broadway, with eyes on the 2020 Tony Award for Best Play next

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:03PM
Friday, November 15, 2019

How to Kill a Mockingbird: Broadway Hit Tumbles at Box Office as Jeff Daniels Leaves, Ed Harris Arrives by Roger Friedman

Mock- yeah. It’s Box Office Redux for producer Scott Rudin as Jeff Daniels has exited “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Broadway and

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:33PM
Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Broadway Suffers First Major Loss from 2019 Season: “Tootsie” with 11 Tony Nods Will Close In January 2020 by Roger Friedman

#RIP “Tootsie.” Nominated for 11 Tony’s, winner of two including Best Actor and Best Book, “Tootsie” will shuffle off to Buffalo next

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:06AM
Sunday, November 10, 2019

New Broadway “West Side Story” to Kick Up a Fuss: No Intermission, Famous Song and Ballet Cut, Video Projections for Sets by Roger Friedman

Last year, director Ivo von Hove brought his hit London production of “Network” to New York and caused a lot of talk:

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:24AM
Friday, November 8, 2019

Tina Turner Musical Opens On Broadway with Oprah, Whoopi in the Audience, Standing Ovation During First Act for Knockout Star Adrienne Warren by Roger Friedman

It was a great night on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater for the opening of “Tina!” the musical about beloved legend Tina

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:06PM
Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Chelsea Clinton Coming to Off Broadway (Actually to Chelsea-Clinton) with Musical Based on Her Children’s Book by Roger Friedman

Chelsea Clinton is coming to off Broadway. And in fact in the neighborhood of Chelsea Clinton. The daughter of Bill and Hillary

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:03PM

Broadway: You Can Stream David Byrne’s Extraordinary “American Utopia” Now on Spotify by Roger Friedman

The CD isn’t out yet, but you can stream David Byrne’s extraordinary Broadway production, “American Utopia,” right now on Spotify. I haven’t

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:03PM
Friday, October 25, 2019

David Byrne’s Joyous “American Utopia” Keeps Making Sense on Broadway As a Hybrid Experimental Musical by Roger Friedman

It wasn’t that long ago that David Byrne, of Talking Heads fame, was responsible for the unique landmark musical, “Here Lies Love,”

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:12AM
Friday, October 18, 2019

Broadway Has a Major Hit in “The Sound Inside,” And an Early Tony Nominee for Best Actress in Mary Louise Parker by Roger Friedman

Sometimes the magic is there, everything works. The play is unexpectedly great, the star has a towering moment, the director bats a

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:24AM
Thursday, October 17, 2019

Broadway: Marisa Tomei Works Very Hard But Can’t Save an Alarmingly Pedestrian Reboot of Tennessee William’s “Rose Tattoo” by Roger Friedman

I am flummoxed by the new revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo,” which opens this week with Marisa Tomei as the

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:18PM
Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Review: Controversial “Slave Play” Opens on Broadway, Begins with Graphic Sex Play, Ends with a Rape, Critics Love It by Roger Friedman

I did not care for “Slave Play.” The only other writer who agrees with me it seems is Variety’s Marilyn Stasio. The

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:24AM
Friday, October 4, 2019

“The Great Society” Opens on Broadway, “Succession” Star Brian Cox Gets A List Crowd Including Former US Senator Bill Bradley by Roger Friedman

I’m a little late to the table on the new Broadway hit, “The Great Society.” That’s because everyone got home late Tuesday

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:06PM
Monday, September 30, 2019

Colin Donnell Left “Chicago Med” for a Good Reason: His Musical, “Almost Famous,” Has Opened to Raves in Pre-Broadway Tryout by Roger Friedman

Broadway actor Colin Donnell has lately been playing a doctor on “Chicago Med.” That is, until they sent him away during the

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:24PM
Friday, September 27, 2019

Saying Goodbye to the Great Johnnie Planco at the Hallowed Players Club: Enough Actors to Make a Hit Movie by Roger Friedman

Last Thursday afternoon, on the way to the Emmy Awards, I stopped by the Players Club on Gramercy Park to say goodbye

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:54PM
Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Madonna Surprises With the Launch of Ambitious, Intimate “Madame X” Show, A Sometimes Over Stuffed Attempt at an Avant Garde Broadway Show by Roger Friedman

It turns out Madonna — the queen of re-invention —  is human. She admitted last night during the first performance of her

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:54AM

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