1,428 stories by "Roger Friedman"
Helen Mirren won the Oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth in “The Queen,” written by Peter Morgan. Now Baz Bamigboye reports from London in today’s Daily Mail that Mirren and …
You’d think after every bad thing this country did to Charlie Chaplin we could leave him alone. Apparently not. A version of his life story, poorly and inadequately told, is now on Bro…
Casting directors don’t get Oscars, Tonys, or Emmys. So they have their own awards–called Artios. They’re given out on October 29th. COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES FOLLOWS 2012 …
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” screened in Chicago on Thursday night for a large,paying audience. Tickets were $10 for a film charity, and The Weinstein Company says t…
“Diner,” the musical version of Barry Levinson’s classic 1983 movie, is downsizing. Producers announced that the show, with music by Sheryl Crowe, is cancelling its fall ru…
The late wonderful, astounding Dusty Springfield is finally coming to near-Broadway. Writer-performer-producer Kirsten Holly Smith will play her in a show at New World Stages this fall calle…
Katie Holmes has not let one minute pass since her quickie divorce. She’s already lined up a Broadway play. Jack O’Brien is set to direct her in “Dead Accounts,” a ne…
Did you know that Stephen King and John Mellencamp teamed up for a musical recently? It’s called “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County,” and it opened last spring in Atlanta t…
Cyndi Lauper’s Broadway musical–the movie “Kinky Boots” on stage–has gotten a cast. Stark Sands, of “American Idiot,” will co-star with Billy Porter…
Exclusive: Add Sigourney Weaver’s name to the list of movie stars heading to off or or on Broadway shortly (Alec Baldwin and Jake Gyllenhaal have been in recent announcements). I sort …
John Travolta came to the theater and took pictures, but he was a conspicuous no-show for the after party in New York for “Savages.” So was co-star Blake Lively, who came to the …
Nora Ephron has died at age 71 from myeloid leukemia. Here’s the New York Times obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/movies/nora-ephron-essayist-screenwriter-and-director-dies-a…
Lily Rabe stole the show last night as Rosalind in “As You Like It,” the 50th anniversary production of New York’s Shakespeare in the Park. Joe Papp was smiling from heaven…
God is not having a good run on Broadway. It’s just been announced that within weeks of each of other, the three Broadway musicals with religious themes are shutting down for lack of b…
One of the great headlines from last night’s Songwriters Hall of Fame: Meat Loaf’s famous 1977 album “Bat out of Hell” is headed to Broadway. Apparently the songs wri…
Woody Harrelson and his buddy Frankie Hyman have written their first off Broadway play. The comedy, called “Bullet for Adolf,” will open at New World Stages next month with Woody…
The Tony Awards were great, and all the people who won are no doubt grateful. But many of them are leaving before the audience can see them. “Death of A Salesman” has already clo…
This year’s Tony Awards seemed to be as much about showcasing the future of Broadway as rewarding the people who long deserved some kudos. I’m thinking of Judith Light, who went …
Tonight’s Tony Awards on CBS may turn out to be a big ratings winner. For once, the Tonys have clear sailing all night with very little real competition on the regular broadcast networ…
Sunday night is going to be a fight for the remote control and the DVR in certain demographic households. At 8pm the Tony Awards will begin on CBS. At 9pm “True Blood” will retur…
“The Book of Mormon”–still the biggest hit on Broadway–is going to be featured on this year’s Tony Awards. (This Sunday, CBS.) A little weird since “Mormo…
It does seem like Christian Borle, star of “Peter and the Starcatcher,” is leaving the kooky musical soon after Sunday’s Tony Awards. A casting call has gone out for his ch…
Debra Winger is going to make her Broadway debut this fall. She’s signed on to a David Mamet two hander (that’s two actors) called “The Anarchist.” Broadway legend Pa…
You can catch one more performance tonight, Saturday, at 45 Bleecker Street Theatre of Chekhov’s “The Seagull” as adapted by famed British director Max Stafford-Clark. It&#…
It’s over. The big race from March 1st — when the spring season begins– to April 26th, cut off date for eligibility for the Tony Awards. It ended tonight with a thud. I saw…
