All stories by Roger Friedman on BroadwayStars

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
Monday, December 7, 2015

Broadway: Starry Night As School of Rock Lures Real Rockers Sting, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood by Roger Friedman

It was a big night on Broadway as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber returned with his adaptation of the movie “School of Rock”– Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:59AM
Monday, November 23, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015

Review: Bruce Willis Makes an Inauspicious Broadway Debut in “Misery,” or the new Les Mis by Roger Friedman

What happened to the great jive talkin’, smooth as silk Bruce Willis? Oh for the days when David Addison couldn’t shut up Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:22AM
Friday, November 6, 2015

Tony Bennett Wants to Celebrate 90th Birthday with Central Park Concert, New Lady Gaga Album by Roger Friedman

Swingin’ Tony Bennett, 89, came to the Broadway opening night of Gloria Estefan’s “On Your Feet” with wife Susan and a lot Categories: Featured Theater(Read more..…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:13AM
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015

Broadway: A List Stars Miss the Best Night of Theater This Season in “King Charles III” by Roger Friedman

Where was everyone Sunday night? None of the usual A listers showed up at the Music Box Theater for an absolutely brilliant Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 02:39AM
Monday, October 12, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015

Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard Are Still “Fools for Love” at His Broadway Premiere by Roger Friedman

Jessica Lange wasn’t photographed but she was in the audience Thursday night and very much in evidence at the after party for Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 05:52AM
Friday, September 18, 2015

Broadway: “Finding Neverland” Snags Terrific Terrence Mann, Kelsey Grammer Still MIA by Roger Friedman

First the good news. Broadway’s “Finding Neverland” still going strong with Matthew Morrison, has snagged the great Terrence Mann to play Charles Categories: Featured Th…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:18PM
Monday, August 24, 2015

Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker Coming to Broadway in Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie” by Roger Friedman

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker is coming for Tony Awards season next spring. He’ll star in Michael Grandage’s production of Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie.” Categ…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:07PM
Friday, August 14, 2015

Broadway: After 12 Years and Millions of Dollars, “Wicked” Brings In Heavy Hitters Michele Lee and Fred Applegate by Roger Friedman

Guess what? I’d never seen “Wicked” on Broadway before last night. It opened 12 years ago with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, Categories: Featured Theater(Read more…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:46AM
Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Radiohead Fans: Thom Yorke Composing Music for Broadway Play with Clive Owen by Roger Friedman

Someone call the Karma Police! Dronemeister Thom Yorke of Radiohead fame is composing music for a Broadway play. That’s right. Yorke is Categories: Celebrity Featured Theater(Read …

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 12:34PM
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Friday, August 7, 2015

Broadway: Brilliant “Hamilton”– Revolutionary War Set to Rap and Hip Hop– Opens with a $30 Million Advance by Roger Friedman

Forty five years ago, “1776,” a brilliant buoyant musical about our Founding Fathers opening to raves at the 46th Street Theater on Categories: Celebrity Featured Theater(Rea…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:34AM
Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Will Ferrell Director Adam McKay Bringing Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica to Broadway by Roger Friedman

“Archie” is coming to Broadway. Here’s the press release: Writer/Director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, You’re Welcome America) and Funny Or Die Categories…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:50PM
Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Broadway: Scooped Here Ages Ago Tony Winning “Curious Incident” Cast Already Leaving by Roger Friedman

Well, that was fast. The cast of Broadway’s Tony winning “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is leaving on September Categories: Featured Theater(Read more..…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 06:10PM
Sunday, July 5, 2015

Marvel Scores a Dud as Live Show Cancels Summer Tour Produced by “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” Team by Roger Friedman

“Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” producer Michael Cohl must be having gruesome nightmares these days.  After that $75 million debacle he Categories: Featured Theater(Read more…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 09:13PM
Monday, June 29, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015

Broadway Carole King Musical “Beautiful” Will Play Central Park for Free as August Concert by Roger Friedman

Carole King played Central Park in 1973 for free. So why not do it again– sort of? The Carole King musical on Categories: Featured Music Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:03PM
Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Steve Martin-Edie Brickell Musical Headed to Kennedy Center for Broadway Tryout by Roger Friedman

Good news. “Bright Eyes,” the Steve Martin-Edie Brickell musical is headed for a run this winter at the Kennedy Center. The musical Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:43PM
Wednesday, June 10, 2015

“Constantine” Cancelled, But Star Matt Ryan Picks Up Hot Broadway Gig with Keira Knightley by Roger Friedman

Matt Ryan is popular from his cancelled TV show “Constantine.” He just picked up a hot Broadway gig opposite Keira Knightley in Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:01AM

Two Time Tony Nominee Michele Lee Hits NYC With a Wild Cy Coleman Show at 54 Below by Roger Friedman

“Mad Men” fans take note: Michele Lee is coming to town. She has two Tony nominations. She starred for 14 years as Categories: Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 04:20AM
Monday, June 8, 2015

Tony Awards: Anna Wintour Made Sure the Red Carpet Was Really “Red” This Year by Roger Friedman

The Tony Awards were a class act, as usual. But there were some weird things going on that had nothing to do Categories: Featured Television Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:55PM

Tony Awards Ratings Lowest in History of Show, Down 25% from Last Year by Roger Friedman

So all that JLO and Josh Groban stuff didn’t work. The Tony Awards were down 25% last night from last year, the Categories: Featured Television Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 03:55PM
Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Tony Awards: Musical Numbers Will Include Josh Groban, Plus Shows Not Nommed Like “Finding Neverland” by Roger Friedman

Sunday’s Tony Awards will include just about everything from this season — even performances from shows that are playing but not nominated Categories: Featured Theater(Read mo…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:46PM
Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Broadway: “American Psycho” the Musical Is Slashing its Way to Spring 2016 Opening by Roger Friedman

It’s been bandied about before, but now it seems official. “American Psycho: The Musical” is coming to Broadway in spring 2016 for Categories: Featured Theater(Read more…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 01:02PM

Harvey Weinstein Gets the Astaire Award: “We need new voices on Broadway. We need guys like me on Broadway” by Roger Friedman

Harvey Weinstein received the Astaire Award last night. “Finding Neverland” choreographer Mia Michaels presented it to him and called Weinstein her “bad Categories: Celeb…

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 07:03AM
Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Johnny Carson Lawyer Henry Bushkin Prevails in Court vs. Pal, Carson Musical is a Go by Roger Friedman

Henry Bushkin had a good day in Los Angeles court today. He prevailed in a lawsuit brought by his pal Bruce Singer, Categories: Books Celebrity Featured Theater(Read more...)

SOURCE: ShowBiz 411 at 11:06PM