All stories by Roger Friedman on BroadwayStars

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Review: “Shuffle Along” Is the Black “42nd Street” with No Plot and a Star Who Leaves in June by Roger Friedman

The official title of the new musical “Shuffle Along: Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and Everything that Followed” Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:36PM
Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Broadway: “Tuck Everlasting” Hits the Bottom of the Tony Awards Season Barrel by Roger Friedman

You know, I’m pretty fair to most Broadway musicals. I wasn’t wild about either “American Psycho” or “Waitress,” but there were excellent Categories: Fe…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:02AM
Monday, April 25, 2016

Broadway: “Waitress,” With Songs by Sarah Bareilles, Pushes Tony Award Season into Final Week by Roger Friedman

Sunday night: “Waitress,” based on Adrienne Shelley’s hit movie starring Keri Russell, opened on Broadway. Sara Bareilles wrote the songs. Jessie Mueller, Categories: Fea…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:39AM
Friday, April 22, 2016

Prince Gets Tributes from Broadway Casts of “Hamilton,” “The Color Purple” by Roger Friedman

Two Broadway shows offered moving tributes to Prince last night at the conclusion of their shows. The Color Purple: Hamilton:Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:08PM
Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Exclusive: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller Likely Team Up for Broadway “Philadelphia Story” by Roger Friedman

EXCLUSIVE The word is that the fall season, or perhaps next spring 2017, could bring a dynamic duo to Broadway. And the Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:12AM
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Broadway: “Shuffle Along” Producers Tell Ask to Be Excused from Awards: “Not Ready” by Roger Friedman

“Shuffle Along” was not included in today’s Outer Critics Circle nominations. That’s because producer Scott Rudin told the group the multi million Categories: Featu…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:20PM
Monday, April 18, 2016

Broadway: “Hamilton” Wins Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Lin-Miranda Manuel “Grateful” by Roger Friedman

The best of this year’s Pulitzer Prizes goes to “Hamilton,” the genius of a musical by Lin-Miranda Manuel. When he heard the Categories: Featured Media Theater(Read mor…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:57PM
Sunday, April 10, 2016

Paris Jackson and Pals Take in “Finding Neverland” on Broadway: “Moved Me To Tears” by Roger Friedman

Paris Jackson celebrated her 18th birthday and whirlwind trip to New York with a performance of “Finding Neverland” on Broadway. How appropriate Categories: Celebrity Featured…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:31PM
Friday, April 8, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016

Broadway: Jennifer Hudson Leaving “The Color Purple” Next Month, Heather Headley Coming In by Roger Friedman

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson has done yeoman service playing Shug Avery in the revival of “The Color Purple.” Now it seems she’s Categories: Featured Theater(Read more..…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:36PM
Friday, March 25, 2016

Broadway Review: Steve Martin, Edie Brickell Score A Hit with Bluegrass “Bright Star” by Roger Friedman

So yes a star studded crowd came to see what Steve Martin and Edie Brickell have been up to for the last Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:55AM
Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Broadway: Highly Touted “Shuffle Along” Shuts Down For Audra McDonald Sick Days, Etc by Roger Friedman

with updates It’s not easy putting on a new Broadway show. They’re learning that the old fashioned way at the Music Box Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 07:34PM

Theater: John Legend Will Produce Joe Morton Starring as Dick Gregory Off Broadway by Roger Friedman

The coolest political humorist of all, Dick Gregory, is about to get profiled in an off Broadway play. John Legend and his Categories: Celebrity Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:19PM
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Monday, March 7, 2016

#BroadwaySoBlack: “Eclipsed” Joins “Hamilton,” “The Color Purple,” “Shuffle Along” in a Historic Tony Awards Race by Roger Friedman

You never know what’s going to pan out in a Broadway season. But now the Public Theater has sent us the likely Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 08:00AM
Friday, March 4, 2016

Broadway: “Hughie” With Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker Closing Ten Weeks Early by Roger Friedman

The bar is closing for Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie” revival starring Forest Whitaker. The production will close on March 27th, ten weeks earlier Categories: Featured …

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:09PM
Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Broadway: Sally Field Plots Return in “The Glass Menagerie” 12 Years After Hit DC Run by Roger Friedman

EXCLUSIVE Sally Field– we really, really like her. She has two Oscars (“Norma Rae” and “Places in the Heart”– rent ’em now) Categories: Featured …

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:08PM
Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Tony Winner James Corden, of Late Late Show, Is Hosting the Tony Awards This Year– Hooray! by Roger Friedman

Great news. James Corden is hosting the Tony Awards this year. Well, of course he is. Corden, himself a Tony winner, already Categories: Featured Television Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:21AM
Friday, January 29, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Matthew Morrison Leaves “Finding Neverland” But the Show Has Plenty of “Glee” to Spare by Roger Friedman

I wondered what was going on with “Finding Neverland” at the Lunt Fontanne. Last night I stopped in to see Broadway star Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:06AM
Saturday, January 23, 2016

Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda Freestyle Rap Apology for “Hamilton” Snow Closure by Roger Friedman

Lin-Manuel Miranda, on point as ever: #snowmaggedon2016 freestyle from @LacketyLac & old man Miranda pic.twitter.com/f1dAjRFvDp — Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 23, 2016C…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:33PM

Broadway League Cancels All Shows Today, A Half Hour Before Matinees Begin by Roger Friedman

The Broadway League had to acquiesce to Bill deBlasio and cancel all shows today– a half hour before scheduled 2pm matinees. deBlasio Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:33PM
Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Bette Midler Hints She May Be Coming to Broadway in “Hello, Dolly!” (Scott Rudin Producing) by Roger Friedman

Well HELLO! This Dolly has an announcement coming tomorrow ! Stay tuned! (A little update: Scott Rudin is producing which makes sense. Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:39AM
Friday, January 15, 2016

Source: Alan Rickman Had Pancreatic Cancer, And Not For Very Long– Came to NY in December by Roger Friedman

EXCLUSIVE We are all saddened by Alan Rickman’s passing yesterday since no one — almost no one– knew he was ill. Sources Categories: Celebrity Featured Movies Theater(…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:26AM
Thursday, January 14, 2016

Mike Nichols Tears Up Talking About Meryl Streep in Wonderful PBS American Masters Doc by Roger Friedman

I guess it had to be something from Elaine May, his oldest friend, and their mutual pal, Julian Schlossberg. On January 29th, Categories: Celebrity Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:56AM
Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015

Broadway: “Color Purple” Scores a Huge Hit Opening with Jennifer Hudson and Overnight Star Cynthia Erivo by Roger Friedman

“The Color Purple” played on Broadway from 2005 to 2008 and no one really liked it. Good actors appeared in it, including Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:10AM
Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Broadway: NY Times Critic Jumps the Gun, Raves About “Color Purple” Two Days Early by Roger Friedman

Whoops. We don’t have to wait til Thursday night to see what Ben Brantley thinks about the “revival” of “The Color Purple” Categories: Featured Music Theate…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 10:42PM