One of the most enigmatic actors out there, Johnny Depp had a somewhat modest start as a regular on the TV series “21 Jump Street,” Depp has put together a remarkably diverse collection of film roles, most of which have one thing in common — he is drawn to playing outcasts or people who are on the edges of society who go their own way — and going his own way is certainly something that’s been a hallmark of this much-awarded actor’s career.
In Depp’s almost four-decade (beginning with 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street”), he has earned a remarkable 10 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning the Best Actor prize for the 2007 musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” That film also garnered Depp his third Academy Award nomination (along with 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and 2004’s “Finding Neverland”). Depp has...
In Depp’s almost four-decade (beginning with 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street”), he has earned a remarkable 10 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning the Best Actor prize for the 2007 musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” That film also garnered Depp his third Academy Award nomination (along with 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and 2004’s “Finding Neverland”). Depp has...
- 5/31/2024
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
A playwright-turned-screenwriter, John Logan made a name for himself — and earned three Oscar nominations — working with some of the biggest names in the business, in genres ranging period dramas, sword-and-sandal epics and spy thrillers.
His credits include Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Ed Zwick and Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai, and two James Bond movies directed by Sam Mendes, to name a few.
Logan was, in his own words, shaped by two early influences: William Shakespeare and monsters. The Great Bard led him to drama, theatre, and a career in writing. But even before that, there were monsters. He was raised on the fantastical world of Dark Shadows, the horror movies of Universal and Hammer, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, the Aurora monster modeling kits, and Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula comic books. His...
His credits include Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Ed Zwick and Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai, and two James Bond movies directed by Sam Mendes, to name a few.
Logan was, in his own words, shaped by two early influences: William Shakespeare and monsters. The Great Bard led him to drama, theatre, and a career in writing. But even before that, there were monsters. He was raised on the fantastical world of Dark Shadows, the horror movies of Universal and Hammer, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, the Aurora monster modeling kits, and Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula comic books. His...
- 5/31/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Acclaimed writer John Logan will adapt Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian” novel into a feature film for director John Hillcoat.
Hillcoat is also producing along with Keith Redmon for New Regency. Cormac McCarthy’s son, John Francis McCarthy, will serve as executive producer, while Cormac, who died in June 2023, will receive a posthumous executive producer credit.
“It’s incredibly exciting to have John Logan on board,” John Francis said. “Very reassuring in the seemingly long list of good news concerning what was originally such an intimidating undertaking.”
The project was originally set up with director James Franco and star Russell Crowe in 2016, but fell apart over rights to the book.
Based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, “Blood Meridian” follows the journey of the Kid, a fourteen-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.
Logan, a three-time Oscar nominee,...
Hillcoat is also producing along with Keith Redmon for New Regency. Cormac McCarthy’s son, John Francis McCarthy, will serve as executive producer, while Cormac, who died in June 2023, will receive a posthumous executive producer credit.
“It’s incredibly exciting to have John Logan on board,” John Francis said. “Very reassuring in the seemingly long list of good news concerning what was originally such an intimidating undertaking.”
The project was originally set up with director James Franco and star Russell Crowe in 2016, but fell apart over rights to the book.
Based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, “Blood Meridian” follows the journey of the Kid, a fourteen-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.
Logan, a three-time Oscar nominee,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian” has been one of the trickiest classic novels to adapt for the screen, but it now has a three-time Oscar nominee who may finally crack it.
John Logan, the writer of “Gladiator,” “The Aviator,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Skyfall,” and the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” has been tapped to adapt “Blood Meridian” into a feature film.
Last year, New Regency announced it was developing a feature film based on the 1985 Western novel, and the studio attached John Hillcoat — who previously directed McCarthy’s “The Road” — to direct the film. Hillcoat is also directing and producing “Blood Meridian” alongside Keith Redmon for New Regency.
Cormac McCarthy is getting a posthumous executive producer credit on the film, and his son John Francis McCarthy is also serving as an EP.
“Blood Meridian” is based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s. The story follows the journey of The Kid,...
John Logan, the writer of “Gladiator,” “The Aviator,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Skyfall,” and the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” has been tapped to adapt “Blood Meridian” into a feature film.
Last year, New Regency announced it was developing a feature film based on the 1985 Western novel, and the studio attached John Hillcoat — who previously directed McCarthy’s “The Road” — to direct the film. Hillcoat is also directing and producing “Blood Meridian” alongside Keith Redmon for New Regency.
Cormac McCarthy is getting a posthumous executive producer credit on the film, and his son John Francis McCarthy is also serving as an EP.
“Blood Meridian” is based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s. The story follows the journey of The Kid,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
John Logan — the writer behind Aviator and James Bond movie Skyfall — has been tapped to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian for New Regency.
The synopsis for the Western, known for its descriptive violence, reads: “Based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, the story follows the journey of the Kid, a 14-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.”
As previously announced, John Hillcoat, who directed McCarthy adaptation The Road, will helm. Hillcoat will produce along with Keith Redmon for New Regency. McCarthy’s son, John Francis McCarthy, will serve as executive producer with McCarthy receiving a posthumous credit.
Said Morgan, “Blood Meridian has been one of my favorite novels since first reading it in 1985. It’s a majestic, beautiful and uncompromising book and I’m thrilled to be able to help bring Cormac McCarthy’s dark masterpiece to the screen.
The synopsis for the Western, known for its descriptive violence, reads: “Based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, the story follows the journey of the Kid, a 14-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.”
As previously announced, John Hillcoat, who directed McCarthy adaptation The Road, will helm. Hillcoat will produce along with Keith Redmon for New Regency. McCarthy’s son, John Francis McCarthy, will serve as executive producer with McCarthy receiving a posthumous credit.
Said Morgan, “Blood Meridian has been one of my favorite novels since first reading it in 1985. It’s a majestic, beautiful and uncompromising book and I’m thrilled to be able to help bring Cormac McCarthy’s dark masterpiece to the screen.
- 4/24/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Maybe you haven’t thought about your good friend Sweeney Todd in a while, or maybe you have. The 2007 movie is a bit of a memory, though a fond one – it has a healthy 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, for what it’s worth. But 2023’s Broadway revival starring Josh Groban, who your mom thinks is “so talented” (she’s right!), was enough of a hit that its run was extended.
It appears we’re in a bit of a Sweeneyssaince.
For the uninitiated, Sweeney Todd is the story of a barber who kills his customers and disposes of the bodies by passing them off to pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett, who uses them as a special ingredient. But there’s more below the trap door.
Sweeney Todd isn’t just a late 70s musical that turned into a movie; it started as a penny dreadful called The String of Pearls: A...
It appears we’re in a bit of a Sweeneyssaince.
For the uninitiated, Sweeney Todd is the story of a barber who kills his customers and disposes of the bodies by passing them off to pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett, who uses them as a special ingredient. But there’s more below the trap door.
Sweeney Todd isn’t just a late 70s musical that turned into a movie; it started as a penny dreadful called The String of Pearls: A...
- 4/22/2024
- by Guide to the Unknown
- bloody-disgusting.com
This year’s Tonys will be held on June 16, so the American Theatre Wing will likely be announcing its Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in the near future. Who do you think should take home this prestigious trophy, which honors an individual’s body of work? It has gone to veteran stage performers, directors, choreographers, playwrights, songwriters, producers and designers. In some years we get multiple recipients.
Last year these honors went to actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander. The following living male Broadway vets have also received this award in the past and thus won’t be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Marshall W. Mason, Tommy Tune, James Earl Jones, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Harold Wheeler.
Here are 10 possibilities featured in our poll below, all accomplished men over the age of 65. Vote to let us know who you’d like to see honored. And take a...
Last year these honors went to actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander. The following living male Broadway vets have also received this award in the past and thus won’t be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Marshall W. Mason, Tommy Tune, James Earl Jones, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Harold Wheeler.
Here are 10 possibilities featured in our poll below, all accomplished men over the age of 65. Vote to let us know who you’d like to see honored. And take a...
- 3/26/2024
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Joe Locke has been dazzling attendees in the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street since January!
The 20-year-old actor is portraying Tobias Ragg in his Broadway debut, and his latest fans in attendance included his Heartstopper co-stars Kit Connor and Tobie Donovan.
There was also a big star, who has played Tobias in versions of the musical in the past, was also in attendance that same night and praised the young actor’s portrayal.
Keep reading to find out more…
“well done sweetheart,” Kit wrote with the group photo on Instagram story.
Tobie shared the post on his own story, writing, “My eyes still puffy from all the crying,” as well as, “So crazy proud of you @joelocke03,” with a photo of the marquee outside the building.
The big star in the audience? Neil Patrick Harris!
“Bravo, Joe. From one Tobias to another: you were wonderful.
The 20-year-old actor is portraying Tobias Ragg in his Broadway debut, and his latest fans in attendance included his Heartstopper co-stars Kit Connor and Tobie Donovan.
There was also a big star, who has played Tobias in versions of the musical in the past, was also in attendance that same night and praised the young actor’s portrayal.
Keep reading to find out more…
“well done sweetheart,” Kit wrote with the group photo on Instagram story.
Tobie shared the post on his own story, writing, “My eyes still puffy from all the crying,” as well as, “So crazy proud of you @joelocke03,” with a photo of the marquee outside the building.
The big star in the audience? Neil Patrick Harris!
“Bravo, Joe. From one Tobias to another: you were wonderful.
- 3/18/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The films competing for the 2024 Best Production Design Oscar are “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Napoleon,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Poor Things.” Our odds currently indicate that “Barbie” (17/5) will be the winner, followed in order of likelihood by “Poor Things” (7/2), “Oppenheimer” (4/1), “Killers of the Flower Moon” (9/2), and “Napoleon” (9/2).
After 1970 and 2004, this is only the third year in Oscars history that the same five movies are nominated for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The two present lineups differ, however, in that none of the former’s individual contenders are past winners, constituting the first such instance in the category since 2009. In that case, the only returning nominees were art director Nathan Crowley (“The Dark Knight”) and set decorator Gary Fettis (“Changeling”).
Leading this year’s production design hopefuls in terms of total career nominations are “Barbie” duo Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, who earned joint recognition for half a dozen earlier films.
After 1970 and 2004, this is only the third year in Oscars history that the same five movies are nominated for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The two present lineups differ, however, in that none of the former’s individual contenders are past winners, constituting the first such instance in the category since 2009. In that case, the only returning nominees were art director Nathan Crowley (“The Dark Knight”) and set decorator Gary Fettis (“Changeling”).
Leading this year’s production design hopefuls in terms of total career nominations are “Barbie” duo Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, who earned joint recognition for half a dozen earlier films.
- 3/6/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“Oppenheimer” got a big boost in its bid for Best Editing at the Oscars with a win at the Ace Golden Eddie Awards on March 3. It prevailed in the drama race at these awards bestowed by American Cinema Editors over two of its Oscar rivals –“Anatomy of a Fall” and “Killers of the Flower Moon ” — as well as “Maestro” and “Past Lives.”
Another of the Oscar nominees, “The Holdovers ” won the comedy/musical category over the fifth Oscar contender, “Poor Things,” plus “Air”, “American Fiction” and “Barbie.”
Since 1990, the film that came up with one of the ACEs went on to win the top prize at the Academy Awards 19 times, including the 2023 winner for best comedy/musical editing, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and the 2020 winner for best drama editing, “Parasite.” And in 10 of the 14 years when the Ace barometer was wrong, at least one of the Eddie champs was a contender for Best Picture.
Another of the Oscar nominees, “The Holdovers ” won the comedy/musical category over the fifth Oscar contender, “Poor Things,” plus “Air”, “American Fiction” and “Barbie.”
Since 1990, the film that came up with one of the ACEs went on to win the top prize at the Academy Awards 19 times, including the 2023 winner for best comedy/musical editing, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and the 2020 winner for best drama editing, “Parasite.” And in 10 of the 14 years when the Ace barometer was wrong, at least one of the Eddie champs was a contender for Best Picture.
- 3/4/2024
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Update, with new opening date: Producers of Gerard Alessandrini’s Forbidden Broadway on Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song have moved up the preview and opening dates by two weeks, with previews now beginning on July 15 ahead of an official opening on August 5 at the Hayes Theatre. The limited engagement runs through November 1.
Alessandrini’s longtime Off Broadway satirical revue Forbidden Broadway will make its long-in-coming Broadway debut with the full title of the new iteration called Forbidden Broadway on Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
The cast and the rest of the creative team will be announced later. In addition to a five-person cast including the onstage pianist, weekly guest stars will appear throughout the engagement.
Alessandrini, who first staged the revue in 1982 at New York’s 130-seat Palsson’s Supper Club, said in a statement today, “I’d never have believed that Forbidden Broadway would end up on...
Alessandrini’s longtime Off Broadway satirical revue Forbidden Broadway will make its long-in-coming Broadway debut with the full title of the new iteration called Forbidden Broadway on Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
The cast and the rest of the creative team will be announced later. In addition to a five-person cast including the onstage pianist, weekly guest stars will appear throughout the engagement.
Alessandrini, who first staged the revue in 1982 at New York’s 130-seat Palsson’s Supper Club, said in a statement today, “I’d never have believed that Forbidden Broadway would end up on...
- 2/29/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Broadway box office held its own following the Presidents Day holiday highs, slipping only about 3% in overall receipts and keeping steady with a total attendance for 24 shows at 205,020 (about 94% of capacity).
In all, the productions grossed $26,049,492 for the week ending February 25. Average ticket price of $127.06 was down from the holiday week’s average of $133.91.
While most shows – 17 of the 24 – reported box office decreases from the holiday week, the addition of newcomer Water For Elephants contributed $344,493 to the overall tally; the circus-themed musical performed two previews at the Imperial, filling 94% of seats at the venue. Opening night is March 21.
Another recent arrival, The Notebook musical, adapted from the bestseller and hit movie, continued pulling in big audiences in previews at the Schoenfeld, with 99.7% of seats filled and a gross of $880,360. Opening night is March 14.
Doubt, the other previewing show (starring Amy Ryan and Liev Schreiber) took in $555,197 for seven performances at...
In all, the productions grossed $26,049,492 for the week ending February 25. Average ticket price of $127.06 was down from the holiday week’s average of $133.91.
While most shows – 17 of the 24 – reported box office decreases from the holiday week, the addition of newcomer Water For Elephants contributed $344,493 to the overall tally; the circus-themed musical performed two previews at the Imperial, filling 94% of seats at the venue. Opening night is March 21.
Another recent arrival, The Notebook musical, adapted from the bestseller and hit movie, continued pulling in big audiences in previews at the Schoenfeld, with 99.7% of seats filled and a gross of $880,360. Opening night is March 14.
Doubt, the other previewing show (starring Amy Ryan and Liev Schreiber) took in $555,197 for seven performances at...
- 2/27/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Nia Long will play Katherine Jackson, the mother of Michael Jackson, in director Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biographical drama about the King of Pop.
It’s been previously announced that Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play the eponymous musician while Colman Domingo will portray the family’s patriarch, Joe Jackson.
“Nia has delivered iconic performances throughout her career,” Fuqua said in a statement. “I’ve been a fan for a long time because her characters stay with you. I’m excited to now work alongside her as she pours all of that into Katherine Jackson: a woman who was the glue, the rock, and the heart of the Jackson family during its best and its most turbulent times.”
“Michael” is expected to chronicle the singer’s complicated legacy. According to the logline, the story will portray a “brilliant yet complicated man” who became known as one of the greatest performers of all time.
It’s been previously announced that Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play the eponymous musician while Colman Domingo will portray the family’s patriarch, Joe Jackson.
“Nia has delivered iconic performances throughout her career,” Fuqua said in a statement. “I’ve been a fan for a long time because her characters stay with you. I’m excited to now work alongside her as she pours all of that into Katherine Jackson: a woman who was the glue, the rock, and the heart of the Jackson family during its best and its most turbulent times.”
“Michael” is expected to chronicle the singer’s complicated legacy. According to the logline, the story will portray a “brilliant yet complicated man” who became known as one of the greatest performers of all time.
- 1/30/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The nominations for the 2024 Ace Eddie Awards announced on Thursday (Jan. 25) include our Oscar frontrunner for Best Film Editing, “Oppenheimer,” along with the other four films contending in that race: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things” and “The Holdovers.”
The Ace Eddie Awards divide their prizes for editing between dramas and comedies/musicals.
“Anatomy of a Fall,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Oppenheimer” contend here in the drama race, which is rounded out by “Maestro” and “Past Lives.”
Facing off against “Poor Things” and “The Holdovers” on the comedy side are “Air,” “American Fiction” and “Barbie.”
In 1992, the Eddies went from three to five nominees (matching that of the Oscars) and in 2000 it split the award in two, with five nominees for each of drama and comedy/musical. Over the past 31 years, 139 of the 155 Academy Awards nominees for Best Film Editing have reaped an...
The Ace Eddie Awards divide their prizes for editing between dramas and comedies/musicals.
“Anatomy of a Fall,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Oppenheimer” contend here in the drama race, which is rounded out by “Maestro” and “Past Lives.”
Facing off against “Poor Things” and “The Holdovers” on the comedy side are “Air,” “American Fiction” and “Barbie.”
In 1992, the Eddies went from three to five nominees (matching that of the Oscars) and in 2000 it split the award in two, with five nominees for each of drama and comedy/musical. Over the past 31 years, 139 of the 155 Academy Awards nominees for Best Film Editing have reaped an...
- 1/25/2024
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Apple TV’s Messi Documentary Series Gets Trailer
Apple TV+ has released the official trailer for its highly anticipated documentary event “Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend.” The four-part series will track the career of international superstar and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi throughout his record-setting, multi-decade career with the Argentina national football team up through their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 win.
Through personal interviews with Messi and conversations with his teammates, coaches, competitors, devout fans, and commentators, the docuseries explores the ups and downs of the champion’s tenure thus far, including his early retirement in 2016 and his comeback in 2022 as the FIFA World Cup’s best player.
Watch the trailer for “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” below:
“Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” is set to premiere globally on Feb. 21 on Apple TV+.
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month apple.com...
Apple TV+ has released the official trailer for its highly anticipated documentary event “Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend.” The four-part series will track the career of international superstar and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi throughout his record-setting, multi-decade career with the Argentina national football team up through their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 win.
Through personal interviews with Messi and conversations with his teammates, coaches, competitors, devout fans, and commentators, the docuseries explores the ups and downs of the champion’s tenure thus far, including his early retirement in 2016 and his comeback in 2022 as the FIFA World Cup’s best player.
Watch the trailer for “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” below:
“Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” is set to premiere globally on Feb. 21 on Apple TV+.
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month apple.com...
- 1/19/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
As she nears the end of her run in Broadway’s Sweeney Todd, Annaleigh Ashford has nabbed another bloody good gig.
The B Positive star will lead Happy Face, a Paramount+ drama about the daughter of a convicted serial killer. The series is based on the true story of Melissa Moore, who was 15 when she learned her father was a murderer known as “Happy Face.” Moore chronicled her story in the autobiography Shattered Silence and iHeartPodcasts’ Happy Face podcast.
More from TVLineHow to Watch the 2024 Golden Globes Livestream OnlineGet Paramount+ 7-Day Free Trial - Binge The Curse, Frasier, Fellow Travelers,...
The B Positive star will lead Happy Face, a Paramount+ drama about the daughter of a convicted serial killer. The series is based on the true story of Melissa Moore, who was 15 when she learned her father was a murderer known as “Happy Face.” Moore chronicled her story in the autobiography Shattered Silence and iHeartPodcasts’ Happy Face podcast.
More from TVLineHow to Watch the 2024 Golden Globes Livestream OnlineGet Paramount+ 7-Day Free Trial - Binge The Curse, Frasier, Fellow Travelers,...
- 1/8/2024
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Sarah Rice, who performed the pivotal role of the endangered Johanna in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, died Saturday of cancer. She was 68.
Her death was announced in an Instagram post by her friend and fellow performer Rebecca Caine, who remembered Rice for her love of animals. “May you be greeted by every animal you ever loved on the other side and may green finch and linnet birds sing you to your rest,” wrote Caine, referring to the Sweeney number “Green Finch & Linnet Bird” performed by the Johanna character.
Rice, whose Sweeney role in 1979 was her first and only Broadway performance, revisited her signature song just two years ago at the Sondheim Unplugged concert staged at New York’s 54 Below.
Sarah Rice sings “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” at 54 Below in 2022
Born March 5, 1955, in Okinawa, Japan, where her father...
Her death was announced in an Instagram post by her friend and fellow performer Rebecca Caine, who remembered Rice for her love of animals. “May you be greeted by every animal you ever loved on the other side and may green finch and linnet birds sing you to your rest,” wrote Caine, referring to the Sweeney number “Green Finch & Linnet Bird” performed by the Johanna character.
Rice, whose Sweeney role in 1979 was her first and only Broadway performance, revisited her signature song just two years ago at the Sondheim Unplugged concert staged at New York’s 54 Below.
Sarah Rice sings “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” at 54 Below in 2022
Born March 5, 1955, in Okinawa, Japan, where her father...
- 1/8/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with Mj totals: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has set a Broadway record for weekly ticket sales for a non-musical play, reporting a gross of $2,718,487.50 for the week ending Sunday. It was one of several high marks achieved for Main Stem shows in 2023’s final box office frame.
The Harry Potter gross passed the high mark originally set the week ending January 1, 2023. It is also a house record for the play’s home the Lyric Theatre.
The Tony-winning play has sold more than 10 million tickets worldwide since its July 2016 premiere and is Broadway’s most successful non-musical play with more than $330 million in total sales. A North American tour is set to launch in September 2024 in Chicago.
At the Neil Simon, the musical Mj topped its house record for an 11th time since opening in December 2021 and winning four Tonys. The production grossed $2,613,841 for its week, which ended...
The Harry Potter gross passed the high mark originally set the week ending January 1, 2023. It is also a house record for the play’s home the Lyric Theatre.
The Tony-winning play has sold more than 10 million tickets worldwide since its July 2016 premiere and is Broadway’s most successful non-musical play with more than $330 million in total sales. A North American tour is set to launch in September 2024 in Chicago.
At the Neil Simon, the musical Mj topped its house record for an 11th time since opening in December 2021 and winning four Tonys. The production grossed $2,613,841 for its week, which ended...
- 1/1/2024
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Perhaps no single theatrical image sums up Broadway’s 2023 more effectively than Jessica Chastain’s Nora leaving her dreary, unfulfilled doll house life to exit directly into the unlimited possibilities of an honest-to-god New York City street.
Unless maybe it’s that huge tree that sprouts up smack dab in the middle of an abandoned Southern plantation home after the Appropriate cast has left the stage, a gut-punch reminder that the sins of a nation’s past don’t just wither away because we don’t want to see them.
Or maybe it was Leslie Odom Jr. delivering that eulogy-coda in Purlie Victorious, blessing his “Africanic brothers” — and the audience — with the words “Now may the Constitution of the United States go with you; the Declaration of Independence stand by you; the Bill of Rights protect you; and the State Commission Against Discrimination keep the eyes of the law upon you,...
Unless maybe it’s that huge tree that sprouts up smack dab in the middle of an abandoned Southern plantation home after the Appropriate cast has left the stage, a gut-punch reminder that the sins of a nation’s past don’t just wither away because we don’t want to see them.
Or maybe it was Leslie Odom Jr. delivering that eulogy-coda in Purlie Victorious, blessing his “Africanic brothers” — and the audience — with the words “Now may the Constitution of the United States go with you; the Declaration of Independence stand by you; the Bill of Rights protect you; and the State Commission Against Discrimination keep the eyes of the law upon you,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Holiday shoppers were in a Broadway spirit last week, with total box office for the 26 shows up a couple percentage points from the previous week to $31,465,465, attendance holding steady at 225,585 and the average ticket price a strong $139.48.
Still, while shows such as Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, The Lion King, Wicked, I Need That and newcomer Appropriate filled seats during the week ending Dec. 17, Broadway’s holiday season isn’t quite as joyous as last year, with total box office receipts down about 16% year over year. Attendance was off by 18% compared to last year at this time, in no small part due to fewer productions on the boards – 26 compared to 34 last December.
Though fewer in number than last year, Broadway shows individually were, overall, reporting decent figures. Seventeen of the 26 productions filled more than 90% of their seats, with Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge!, I Need That and...
Still, while shows such as Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, The Lion King, Wicked, I Need That and newcomer Appropriate filled seats during the week ending Dec. 17, Broadway’s holiday season isn’t quite as joyous as last year, with total box office receipts down about 16% year over year. Attendance was off by 18% compared to last year at this time, in no small part due to fewer productions on the boards – 26 compared to 34 last December.
Though fewer in number than last year, Broadway shows individually were, overall, reporting decent figures. Seventeen of the 26 productions filled more than 90% of their seats, with Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge!, I Need That and...
- 12/19/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
According to the current combined predictions of Gold Derby users, reigning Tony champ “Kimberly Akimbo” is the frontrunner to win this year’s Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album with 10/3 odds. So far within this century 10 shows that won Tonys for both Best Musical and Best Score also came out on top at the Grammys. Among them are “The Producers,” “Hairspray,” “Spring Awakening,” “In the Heights,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Kinky Boots,” “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Band’s Visit” and “Hadestown.” Will that trend continue this year?
SEEGrammys flashback: Revisiting The Weeknd’s notorious, confounding 2021 snub
“Kimberly Akimbo” features a score by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire. Tesori has been nominated five times before but still has yet to win. Those previous bids were for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 2003 (lost to “Hairspray”), “Shrek the Musical” in 2010 (lost to “West Side Story”), “Fun Home” in 2016 (lost to “Hamilton”), “Soft Power” in...
SEEGrammys flashback: Revisiting The Weeknd’s notorious, confounding 2021 snub
“Kimberly Akimbo” features a score by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire. Tesori has been nominated five times before but still has yet to win. Those previous bids were for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 2003 (lost to “Hairspray”), “Shrek the Musical” in 2010 (lost to “West Side Story”), “Fun Home” in 2016 (lost to “Hamilton”), “Soft Power” in...
- 12/15/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Broadway held steady as it continued through the holiday season, with a total gross of $30,723,247 for the 26 productions up a small 4% from the previous week, and attendance of 227,099 up about the same percentage.
Year over year, though, the news isn’t quite so cheery. The $30.7M weekly figure is about 17% lower than the figure from this week last year and the total attendance figure is off about 20% from last year’s 283,548. The 26-show roster is skinnier too: Last year had 35 shows running at this time.
Individually, this year’s productions are, overall, doing well, with 18 of the 26 shows filling 90% or more of their seats during the week ending Dec. 10: & Juliet; Aladdin; Appropriate; Back to the Future; Gutenberg! The Musical!; Hadestown; Hamilton (101%); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; I Need That; Merrily We Roll Along (100%); Mj; Moulin Rouge! (100%); Shucked; Six; Sweeney Todd; The Book of Mormon; The Lion King; Wicked...
Year over year, though, the news isn’t quite so cheery. The $30.7M weekly figure is about 17% lower than the figure from this week last year and the total attendance figure is off about 20% from last year’s 283,548. The 26-show roster is skinnier too: Last year had 35 shows running at this time.
Individually, this year’s productions are, overall, doing well, with 18 of the 26 shows filling 90% or more of their seats during the week ending Dec. 10: & Juliet; Aladdin; Appropriate; Back to the Future; Gutenberg! The Musical!; Hadestown; Hamilton (101%); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; I Need That; Merrily We Roll Along (100%); Mj; Moulin Rouge! (100%); Shucked; Six; Sweeney Todd; The Book of Mormon; The Lion King; Wicked...
- 12/12/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Every fan of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971) loves the scene where Gene Wilder, as the mystical candy maker, takes his guests on a psychedelic tunnel ride, zooming through the bowels of the Chocolate Factory as he chants a little verse, getting angrier and more hysterical by the second. Wilder’s Wonka was a sweetheart, but he had a hidden maniacal side. And in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Tim Burton’s majestically wacked 2005 remake, Johnny Depp, then at the apex of his movie stardom, went full Depp, playing Wonka like some louche vampiristic cross between Anna Wintour and Michael Jackson.
But in “Wonka,” the fun, rousing, impeccably staged, jaw-droppingly old-fashioned musical prequel to the legendary Roald Dahl tale, Timothée Chalamet plays the title character as the beaming soul of effervescent goodness. His chocolate passion is there (he’s all but defined by it), but the kinks are gone...
But in “Wonka,” the fun, rousing, impeccably staged, jaw-droppingly old-fashioned musical prequel to the legendary Roald Dahl tale, Timothée Chalamet plays the title character as the beaming soul of effervescent goodness. His chocolate passion is there (he’s all but defined by it), but the kinks are gone...
- 12/4/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Broadway began its trek into the lucrative holiday season last week at a steady clip, with the 28 shows grossing a total of $29,163,440 for the week ending November 12. That’s up about 10% over the previous week, though down about the same percentage from last year at this time.
Last year’s take at this point in the fall – $32,314,920 for 34 shows – was closer to pre-Covid pandemic levels: The week ending November 11, 2018, saw Broadway receipts of $36,501,888, while the week ending November 10, 2019 was at $35,399,366. In 2021, when Broadway returned from its year-plus shutdown, the comparable November week was down to $25,565,641.
The better news is that the majority of shows currently on the boards are doing pretty good business, with only six of the 28 shows pulling in audiences of less than 90% capacity.
Twelve of the 28 shows grossed...
Last year’s take at this point in the fall – $32,314,920 for 34 shows – was closer to pre-Covid pandemic levels: The week ending November 11, 2018, saw Broadway receipts of $36,501,888, while the week ending November 10, 2019 was at $35,399,366. In 2021, when Broadway returned from its year-plus shutdown, the comparable November week was down to $25,565,641.
The better news is that the majority of shows currently on the boards are doing pretty good business, with only six of the 28 shows pulling in audiences of less than 90% capacity.
Twelve of the 28 shows grossed...
- 11/14/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Johnny Depp once noticed a pattern with contemporary vampire films like Twilight that he wasn’t particularly fond of. So much so that he wanted to salvage his vision of the vampire sub-genre with his own film.
Johnny Depp hoped to create a real vampire movie with ‘Dark Shadows’ Johnny Depp | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Depp felt the direction vampire films were headed in contradicted what the creature features were originally supposed to be about. He wanted to pay homage to the less glamorous vampires he grew up seeing on screen. The 1960s television series Dark Shadows had exactly the type of grotesque blood-suckers that he hoped to modernize.
”I remember sprinting home from school to see it. I loved it, this soap opera with gothic vampires. Jonathan Frid, who originally played Barnabas, was such a striking presence – there’s a sliver of him in there,” Depp once told Total Film...
Johnny Depp hoped to create a real vampire movie with ‘Dark Shadows’ Johnny Depp | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Depp felt the direction vampire films were headed in contradicted what the creature features were originally supposed to be about. He wanted to pay homage to the less glamorous vampires he grew up seeing on screen. The 1960s television series Dark Shadows had exactly the type of grotesque blood-suckers that he hoped to modernize.
”I remember sprinting home from school to see it. I loved it, this soap opera with gothic vampires. Jonathan Frid, who originally played Barnabas, was such a striking presence – there’s a sliver of him in there,” Depp once told Total Film...
- 11/10/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
More than 1,800 items from films including The Shining and A Nightmare On Elm Street could fetch more than £12m
Freddy Krueger’s glove is to go under the hammer next month in a memorabilia auction featuring more than 1,800 items from horror films including The Shining, Sweeney Todd and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The four-day event is starting on 9 November and auction house Propstore expects to fetch more than £12m in total.
Freddy Krueger’s glove is to go under the hammer next month in a memorabilia auction featuring more than 1,800 items from horror films including The Shining, Sweeney Todd and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The four-day event is starting on 9 November and auction house Propstore expects to fetch more than £12m in total.
- 10/26/2023
- by Nadeem Badshah
- The Guardian - Film News
Last month, we learned that Paramount Home Entertainment would be releasing a five film 4K box set called Paramount Scares Vol. 1, which would include Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and Pet Sematary (1989), plus a pair of recent box office successes, Crawl (2019) and Smile (2022). Intriguingly, Paramount chose to keep the fifth film in the set a mystery… But now that we’ve reached the set’s October 24th release date, it has been revealed that the fifth movie in the set is Tim Burton’s 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, making its 4K debut! If you’re interested in adding the Paramount Scares Vol. 1 set to your collection, copies can be purchased at This Link.
Directed by Burton from a screenplay by John Logan, Sweeney Todd is based on the stage musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. The stage musical was itself based on the play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond.
Directed by Burton from a screenplay by John Logan, Sweeney Todd is based on the stage musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. The stage musical was itself based on the play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond.
- 10/24/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Originally announced back in September, the Paramount Scares: Volume 1 limited edition 4K Ultra HD set is available Now, and with the release comes the reveal of the mystery title.
Kept a secret until today’s release, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd makes its 4K Ultra HD debut in the Paramount Scares: Volume 1 box set, alongside four other Paramount horrors!
The full lineup includes…
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)—Newly remastered on 4K Ultra HD, this iconic classic celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. With groundbreaking camerawork and bone-chilling suspense, Rosemary’s Baby gave birth to the modern thriller. Featuring extraordinary performances—including Ruth Gordon in an Oscar®-winning role as an eccentric neighbor—the film received extensive critical praise. Widely considered to be one of the greatest horror films of all time, Rosemary’s Baby was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2014.
Bonus Content (on Blu-ray Disc...
Kept a secret until today’s release, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd makes its 4K Ultra HD debut in the Paramount Scares: Volume 1 box set, alongside four other Paramount horrors!
The full lineup includes…
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)—Newly remastered on 4K Ultra HD, this iconic classic celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. With groundbreaking camerawork and bone-chilling suspense, Rosemary’s Baby gave birth to the modern thriller. Featuring extraordinary performances—including Ruth Gordon in an Oscar®-winning role as an eccentric neighbor—the film received extensive critical praise. Widely considered to be one of the greatest horror films of all time, Rosemary’s Baby was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2014.
Bonus Content (on Blu-ray Disc...
- 10/24/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Update: Gaten Matarazzo, the Stranger Things star who has received raves from critics and audiences alike with his performance as the lovable apprentice Toby in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, has joined cast mates Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford in setting a final performance date.
Matarazzo will play his final show on November 5. A replacement has not been announced announced.
As previously announced, Groban and Ashford will continue in the show through Sunday January 14, 2024. All three of the actors have been with the musical since it began previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Feb. 26.
Matarazzo’s departure date was announced on the Sweeney Todd Instagram past.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sweeney Todd Broadway (@sweeneytoddbway)
Prevous, Oct. 19: Broadway’s Sweeney Todd stars Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will play their final performances in the Stephen Sondheim revival on Sunday January 14, 2024, concluding their 46-week run...
Matarazzo will play his final show on November 5. A replacement has not been announced announced.
As previously announced, Groban and Ashford will continue in the show through Sunday January 14, 2024. All three of the actors have been with the musical since it began previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Feb. 26.
Matarazzo’s departure date was announced on the Sweeney Todd Instagram past.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sweeney Todd Broadway (@sweeneytoddbway)
Prevous, Oct. 19: Broadway’s Sweeney Todd stars Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will play their final performances in the Stephen Sondheim revival on Sunday January 14, 2024, concluding their 46-week run...
- 10/24/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In the penultimate song in Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Sunday in the Park with George,” Dot implores the artist George to “give us more to see.” The late maestro has done so himself one last time with the world premiere of his final musical, “Here We Are,” which opened Off-Broadway at The Shed on Oct. 22. Written with dramatist David Ives, the musical takes inspiration from two Luis Buñuel films – “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “The Exterminating Angel” – that it marries with one set of characters.
Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello played an integral role in the show’s development and directs its first production. He has assembled an unrivaled ensemble to take on the roles of the unimaginably affluent characters who spend the first act trying to find a restaurant in which to have brunch, and who in the second act find themselves unable to leave after their meal.
Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello played an integral role in the show’s development and directs its first production. He has assembled an unrivaled ensemble to take on the roles of the unimaginably affluent characters who spend the first act trying to find a restaurant in which to have brunch, and who in the second act find themselves unable to leave after their meal.
- 10/23/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Joanna Merlin, who created the role of the daughter Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway and served as a casting director for Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince and Bernardo Bertolucci, has died. She was 92.
Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, her daughters, documentary filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey) and actress Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid’s Tale), announced.
Merlin also portrayed the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s Fame (1980) and recurred as Judge Lena Petrovsky for more than a decade on NBC’s Law and Order: Svu.
Her acting résumé included the films Hester Street (1975), All That Jazz (1979), Baby It’s You (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Mystic Pizza (1988), Class Action (1991) and City of Angels (1998) and such TV shows as Naked City, The Defenders, East Side/West Side, Homeland and The Good Wife.
Merlin cast the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company,...
Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, her daughters, documentary filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey) and actress Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid’s Tale), announced.
Merlin also portrayed the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s Fame (1980) and recurred as Judge Lena Petrovsky for more than a decade on NBC’s Law and Order: Svu.
Her acting résumé included the films Hester Street (1975), All That Jazz (1979), Baby It’s You (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Mystic Pizza (1988), Class Action (1991) and City of Angels (1998) and such TV shows as Naked City, The Defenders, East Side/West Side, Homeland and The Good Wife.
Merlin cast the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2022, Marianne Elliott won the Tony Award for directing a revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Company.” In her speech, she thanked the late composer for trusting her to put a “woman front and center” in her gender-bent production. Indeed, her victory was a major milestone for female directors. She became the first woman to win three times for directing. It was also the first time a woman took home a Tony for helming a Sondheim musical, and just the fifth instance of a woman winning for directing a tuner.
At the upcoming 2024 Tonys, Maria Friedman could accomplish those latter two feats, too. She is the visionary performer-turned-director who has achieved what would have been unfathomable to theatergoers back in 1981 — making the Sondheim and George Furth musical “Merrily We Roll Along” a hit on Broadway. But she definitely has a “good thing going” with her production of the notorious flop,...
At the upcoming 2024 Tonys, Maria Friedman could accomplish those latter two feats, too. She is the visionary performer-turned-director who has achieved what would have been unfathomable to theatergoers back in 1981 — making the Sondheim and George Furth musical “Merrily We Roll Along” a hit on Broadway. But she definitely has a “good thing going” with her production of the notorious flop,...
- 10/16/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Joanna Merlin, whose acting career stretched from Broadway (she was the original Tzeitel in Fiddler On The Roof), film (she played the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s 1980 film Fame) and TV (Law & Order: SVU‘s Judge Lena Petrovsky on dozens of episodes) has died. She was 92.
Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said, adding, “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.
A...
Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said, adding, “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.
A...
- 10/16/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Irony dwells in the bones of "Merrily We Roll Along," a musical that plays backward in time. The 1981 sinking of the original Broadway production of "Merrily We Roll Along" is a chaos best told by the documentary "Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened." The critics and audience were reportedly baffled by the reverse chronological storytelling and director Hal Prince's purposefully amateurish methodology, which casts high schoolers and young adults playing fortysomethings aging down to twentysomethings. It closed down after 44 previews and 16 performances. The loss demoralized the creatives so much that lyricist-composer Stephen Sondheim and Prince — mavericks who birthed successes like "Company" and "Sweeney Todd" — halted their collaboration for years. This short-lived run underscores the musical's themes: friendships breaking up and showbiz realities thwarting artistic plans.
Away from Prince's high-schoolish shell, major productions have repackaged "Merrily." This material also turned out to be a fitting endeavor for filmmaker Richard Linklater,...
Away from Prince's high-schoolish shell, major productions have repackaged "Merrily." This material also turned out to be a fitting endeavor for filmmaker Richard Linklater,...
- 10/14/2023
- by Caroline Cao
- Slash Film
The songs and score of the new film “Dicks: The Musical” are deadpan, but about as far away from dead and humanly and musically possible. It sounds like a fully fleshed-out Broadway musical brought to vibrant life on the big screen, even though it went directly from being a two-man mini-show in a New York comedy club to a movie with a traditonal-sounding, fully orchestrated song score, the scope of which is matched only by the gleeful vulgarity of the lyrics.
Creator-screenwriter-stars Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson wrote the lyrics for the songs. But when it came to lending them total-earworm melodies, or production values that sound like the Great White Way or golden-era Hollywood, those responsibilities fell to Marius de Vries and Karl Saint Lucy. The latter co-writer has been in on the job with Sharp and Jackson since they first birthed a miniaturized version of “Dicks” (then known...
Creator-screenwriter-stars Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson wrote the lyrics for the songs. But when it came to lending them total-earworm melodies, or production values that sound like the Great White Way or golden-era Hollywood, those responsibilities fell to Marius de Vries and Karl Saint Lucy. The latter co-writer has been in on the job with Sharp and Jackson since they first birthed a miniaturized version of “Dicks” (then known...
- 10/7/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Sondheim has almost never been more popular than in the two years since his passing in November 2021. In that time, celebrated revivals of “Company,” “Into the Woods,” and “Sweeney Todd” have come to Broadway, and successful remounting of “Assassins” and “Merrily We Roll Along” have played Off-Broadway, which is a testament to the enduring appeal of his works.
This fall will once again spotlight Sondheim. The tremendously successful Off-Broadway run of “Merrily” starring Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe opens on Broadway on October 10, which will mark the first remounting since its original, unsuccessful run in 1981. In addition, his final musical “Here We Are,” which is based on two Luis Buñuel films—“The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “The Exterminating Angel”—will have its highly-anticipated world premiere Off-Broadway, opening on October 22.
In honor of another “season of Sondheim,” take a look back at every single Tony...
This fall will once again spotlight Sondheim. The tremendously successful Off-Broadway run of “Merrily” starring Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe opens on Broadway on October 10, which will mark the first remounting since its original, unsuccessful run in 1981. In addition, his final musical “Here We Are,” which is based on two Luis Buñuel films—“The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “The Exterminating Angel”—will have its highly-anticipated world premiere Off-Broadway, opening on October 22.
In honor of another “season of Sondheim,” take a look back at every single Tony...
- 9/29/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
“Segregation is a ridiculous institution and it makes decent people do ridiculous things,” playwright, actor-director, and activist Ossie Davis told the New York Times on September 24, 1961, four days before his play Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch opened on Broadway, co-starring himself and his wife, Ruby Dee. “Maybe if they can be made to laugh at it they can see how absurd it is.”
Especially on a Great White Way where actors played predominantly to white audiences that had seen few comedies by Black playwrights, let alone satires on segregation, Purlie Victorious must have been a jolting event. Though the play, which ran for nearly eight months on Broadway, begat a film adaptation in 1963 (Gone Are the Days!) and the successful musical Purlie in 1970, Davis’s comedy about an aggrieved “self-made minister” righteously “disembezzling” a racist plantation owner has largely faded from popular memory.
Opening one day...
Especially on a Great White Way where actors played predominantly to white audiences that had seen few comedies by Black playwrights, let alone satires on segregation, Purlie Victorious must have been a jolting event. Though the play, which ran for nearly eight months on Broadway, begat a film adaptation in 1963 (Gone Are the Days!) and the successful musical Purlie in 1970, Davis’s comedy about an aggrieved “self-made minister” righteously “disembezzling” a racist plantation owner has largely faded from popular memory.
Opening one day...
- 9/28/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
Writers Guild of America members and scribes for The Drew Barrymore Show picketed outside CBS Studios in New York on Monday as the daytime talker resumed filming amid the writers and actors strikes.
Two audience members, who had signed up for free tickets to the taping, were handed WGA pins by picketers as they walked in the door and say they were asked to leave before the show began because they were wearing the pins.
Dominic Turiczek and Cassidy Carter, two New York City-based students, planned to attend the show after signing up free tickets about a week and a half ago, not aware that the strike was going on. As they walked into the building Monday, both were handed buttons from picketers that read “Writers Guild on Strike.” The two say they were asked to take off the buttons at security, to which Carter complied. Turiczek was still wearing...
Two audience members, who had signed up for free tickets to the taping, were handed WGA pins by picketers as they walked in the door and say they were asked to leave before the show began because they were wearing the pins.
Dominic Turiczek and Cassidy Carter, two New York City-based students, planned to attend the show after signing up free tickets about a week and a half ago, not aware that the strike was going on. As they walked into the building Monday, both were handed buttons from picketers that read “Writers Guild on Strike.” The two say they were asked to take off the buttons at security, to which Carter complied. Turiczek was still wearing...
- 9/11/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Good Night, Oscar, the Oscar Levant bio-play starring Sean Hayes, and El Mago Pop, the Broadway debut of Spanish illusionist Antonio Díaz, ended their limited Broadway engagements on upswings last week, with the former selling out for its best week take of $1,147,057 and the magician conjuring a big $2,717,000 to break the house record at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with an unusually busy 13-performance week.
For its 10-day run, El Mago Pop grossed a whopping total of $3,341,826.
Both El Mago Pop and Good Night, Oscar played their final performances on Sunday, August 27.
Also of note: Funny Girl starring Lea Michele broke its own box office record at the August Wilson Theatre with a hefty $2,132,454. The box office receipts for the musical revival reflect the boost in last-chancers grabbing seats before the show closes Sunday, Sept. 3.
In all, the 25 Broadway productions grossed $27,215,118 for the week ending August 27, a 5% bump over the previous week.
For its 10-day run, El Mago Pop grossed a whopping total of $3,341,826.
Both El Mago Pop and Good Night, Oscar played their final performances on Sunday, August 27.
Also of note: Funny Girl starring Lea Michele broke its own box office record at the August Wilson Theatre with a hefty $2,132,454. The box office receipts for the musical revival reflect the boost in last-chancers grabbing seats before the show closes Sunday, Sept. 3.
In all, the 25 Broadway productions grossed $27,215,118 for the week ending August 27, a 5% bump over the previous week.
- 8/29/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Actor Helena Bonham-Carter has starred in a few of her ex-boyfriend Tim Burton’s projects. But there was one film Carter quipped she gave her husband an ultimatum about casting her in.
Tim Burton cast Helena Bonham Carter in ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ Helena Bonham-Carter | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Sweeney Todd was a musical slasher film directed by Burton. The feature starred Johnny Depp as the titular character and serial killer who murders his customers. Bonham-Carter played Depp’s accomplice in the horror feature.
Bonham-Carter gave Burton early notice that she wanted to be cast as the lead in the movie. Her ex-husband obliged her to a point, as he felt Bonham-Carter was more than a good fit for the role. Still, Burton asserted that his ex-wife would have to audition for the part just like any other actor.
“He said, ‘You know, it’s up to you.
Tim Burton cast Helena Bonham Carter in ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ Helena Bonham-Carter | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Sweeney Todd was a musical slasher film directed by Burton. The feature starred Johnny Depp as the titular character and serial killer who murders his customers. Bonham-Carter played Depp’s accomplice in the horror feature.
Bonham-Carter gave Burton early notice that she wanted to be cast as the lead in the movie. Her ex-husband obliged her to a point, as he felt Bonham-Carter was more than a good fit for the role. Still, Burton asserted that his ex-wife would have to audition for the part just like any other actor.
“He said, ‘You know, it’s up to you.
- 8/28/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In his 35-year career, Tim Burton has carved out a niche for himself making quirky, eccentric films that are often box office bonanzas. Let’s take a look back at all 19 of his films, ranked from worst to best, in our photo gallery.
Burton began his career as an animator for Walt Disney Studios before making the short films “Vincent” (1982) and “Frankenweenie” (1984). He directed his first feature when he was just 26 years old: “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985). Burton followed that success with the macabre comedy “Beetlejuice” (1988) before entering the world of blockbusters with the dark, ominous superhero adventure “Batman” (1989).
From the beginning, Burton displayed a talent for crafting visually stunning worlds unlike any seen before. Four of his films, in fact — “Batman,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Alice in Wonderland” — have won Oscars for their art direction.
Burton often returned to his animation roots, first as a producer on “The Nightmare Before Christmas...
Burton began his career as an animator for Walt Disney Studios before making the short films “Vincent” (1982) and “Frankenweenie” (1984). He directed his first feature when he was just 26 years old: “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985). Burton followed that success with the macabre comedy “Beetlejuice” (1988) before entering the world of blockbusters with the dark, ominous superhero adventure “Batman” (1989).
From the beginning, Burton displayed a talent for crafting visually stunning worlds unlike any seen before. Four of his films, in fact — “Batman,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Alice in Wonderland” — have won Oscars for their art direction.
Burton often returned to his animation roots, first as a producer on “The Nightmare Before Christmas...
- 8/20/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Parade, winner of this year’s Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, ended its Broadway run on a very high note Sunday, grossing a big $1,814,013 and selling out its special nine-performance week. That’s a house record for the Jacobs Theatre.
The Jason Robert Brown-Alfred Uhry musical was among the top earners on Broadway for the week ending August 6, with Back To The Future: The Musical doing better with audiences than critics, posting a strong $1,470,612, and Here Lies Love reporting its best-yet gross of $914,855. Both musicals were near sell-out.
Good Night, Oscar also posted best-yet numbers, grossing $930,030 and filling 94% of seats at the Belasco as audiences snap up tickets to see the Sean Hayes-starrer before the limited engagement ends August 27.
Another production nearing the end of a limited engagement, Just For Us, Alex Edelman’s solo show, also had a good week, grossing $569,002 and filling 94% of seats at the Hudson.
The Jason Robert Brown-Alfred Uhry musical was among the top earners on Broadway for the week ending August 6, with Back To The Future: The Musical doing better with audiences than critics, posting a strong $1,470,612, and Here Lies Love reporting its best-yet gross of $914,855. Both musicals were near sell-out.
Good Night, Oscar also posted best-yet numbers, grossing $930,030 and filling 94% of seats at the Belasco as audiences snap up tickets to see the Sean Hayes-starrer before the limited engagement ends August 27.
Another production nearing the end of a limited engagement, Just For Us, Alex Edelman’s solo show, also had a good week, grossing $569,002 and filling 94% of seats at the Hudson.
- 8/8/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.
Pool Party Massacre
Summer is well underway, and if you’ve already exhausted all the seasonal classics, Pool Party Massacre can fill the void with a comedic send-up to ’80s slashers like Slumber Party Massacre and Sleepaway Camp (both also on Screambox). Written and directed by Drew Marvick, the 2017 low-budget indie embraces the era with 80 minutes of over-the-top characters, campy performances, and cheesy practical effects.
The titular party isn’t very festive; it’s more like a small gathering of vapid, Real Housewives rejects that barely tolerate one another while lounging by the pool. One by one, a character excuses themselves — including, in one instance,...
Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.
Pool Party Massacre
Summer is well underway, and if you’ve already exhausted all the seasonal classics, Pool Party Massacre can fill the void with a comedic send-up to ’80s slashers like Slumber Party Massacre and Sleepaway Camp (both also on Screambox). Written and directed by Drew Marvick, the 2017 low-budget indie embraces the era with 80 minutes of over-the-top characters, campy performances, and cheesy practical effects.
The titular party isn’t very festive; it’s more like a small gathering of vapid, Real Housewives rejects that barely tolerate one another while lounging by the pool. One by one, a character excuses themselves — including, in one instance,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
“The Horror of Dolores Roach” is the kind of show that tries to do everything at once instead of doing one thing well. Is it a horror show? Is it a comedy? Is it a riff on “Sweeney Todd”? Is it a character study? Is it camp? Is it commentary? Yes, it’s all these things, and yes, other series have lumped many-a-genre and multiple goals into successful ongoing stories, but that first requires identifying what elements work well together.
Good horror isn’t just gore. Good comedy is, well, pretty subjective. But “Sweeney Todd” isn’t just about cannibalism, camp is earned, and commentary takes prolonged focus. The Amazon Prime Video series, adapted by creator, writer, and executive producer Aaron Mark from his one-woman play (“Empanada Loca”) and subsequent podcast (“The Horror of Dolores Roach”), never cooks any one ingredient long enough for its flavor to stand out in an overstuffed stew.
Good horror isn’t just gore. Good comedy is, well, pretty subjective. But “Sweeney Todd” isn’t just about cannibalism, camp is earned, and commentary takes prolonged focus. The Amazon Prime Video series, adapted by creator, writer, and executive producer Aaron Mark from his one-woman play (“Empanada Loca”) and subsequent podcast (“The Horror of Dolores Roach”), never cooks any one ingredient long enough for its flavor to stand out in an overstuffed stew.
- 7/7/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Plot: Dolores Roach is released after an unjust 16-year prison sentence, and she returns to a now-gentrified Washington Heights neighborhood. She reunites with an old stoner friend, Luis, who lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. When the promise of her newfound stability is threatened, she must go to extremes to survive.
Review: It is tough to say whether the golden age of television is thriving or ending. With the streaming wars imploding, the depth and breadth of content on the small screen has never been bigger. But, with dozens upon dozens of series, many’s quality seems questionable. The latest series to debut is The Horror of Dolores Roach. A co-production between Amazon Studios and Blumhouse, The Horror of Dolores Roach is an adaptation of the hit podcast of the same name, which, in turn, was an adaptation of a stage play.
Review: It is tough to say whether the golden age of television is thriving or ending. With the streaming wars imploding, the depth and breadth of content on the small screen has never been bigger. But, with dozens upon dozens of series, many’s quality seems questionable. The latest series to debut is The Horror of Dolores Roach. A co-production between Amazon Studios and Blumhouse, The Horror of Dolores Roach is an adaptation of the hit podcast of the same name, which, in turn, was an adaptation of a stage play.
- 7/6/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
It’s a classic story. A man sets himself up as a barber, starts killing his customers, robs them of their riches, then disposes of the bodies by chopping them up into bits and selling them out of the pie shop next door. The story first appeared in the penny dreadful serial, The String of Pearls in 1845, and has gone on to be retold in plays, movies, and most famously, a musical.
It is a story that Aaron Mark has always been a fan of.
“I’ve loved Sweeney Todd for as long as I can remember, I always say it’s one of the great cannibalism stories that our species has ever produced,” he tells Den of Geek.
Over the years Mark has consumed many different versions of the tale.
“I’m partial to the first surviving film version of Sweeney Todd – the black and white film starring Tod Slaughter,...
It is a story that Aaron Mark has always been a fan of.
“I’ve loved Sweeney Todd for as long as I can remember, I always say it’s one of the great cannibalism stories that our species has ever produced,” he tells Den of Geek.
Over the years Mark has consumed many different versions of the tale.
“I’m partial to the first surviving film version of Sweeney Todd – the black and white film starring Tod Slaughter,...
- 7/5/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Rather than list the Broadway shows that have canceled performances due to the July 4th holiday – and the competition from the 47th annual Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration, it’ll be easier to mention the plays that will be open: the spooky Grey House and the ever popular Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
All the other Broadway offerings have either canceled performances or are off stage due to their usual dark Tuesdays. The holiday-canceled are: & Juliet, Aladdin, Back to the Future, A Beautiful Noise, The Book of Mormon, Camelot, Chicago, Funny Girl, Hadestown, Hamilton, Here Lies Love, Just for Us, Kimberly Akimbo, Life of Pi, The Lion King, Mj, Moulin Rouge, New York, New York, Once Upon a One More Time, Parade, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Shucked, Some Like It Hot, and Wicked.
Many, if not most, of the shows have scheduled additional performances this week to...
All the other Broadway offerings have either canceled performances or are off stage due to their usual dark Tuesdays. The holiday-canceled are: & Juliet, Aladdin, Back to the Future, A Beautiful Noise, The Book of Mormon, Camelot, Chicago, Funny Girl, Hadestown, Hamilton, Here Lies Love, Just for Us, Kimberly Akimbo, Life of Pi, The Lion King, Mj, Moulin Rouge, New York, New York, Once Upon a One More Time, Parade, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Shucked, Some Like It Hot, and Wicked.
Many, if not most, of the shows have scheduled additional performances this week to...
- 7/4/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros Discovery is reportedly negotiating to sell around half of the well-known Warner studio’s film and TV music-publishing assets for approximately $500 million.
As per Variety, the rights are “slightly less than half” of the catalogue, with a price of around $500 million. The assets are likely to go to a major label, with Sony said to be in the lead.
The catalogue is believed to include music from films such as ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Evita’, ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Rent’, several ‘Batman’ films and many more titles, as well as songs from films such as ‘As Time Goes By’ from ‘Casablanca’.
Top attorney Allen Grubman will be overseeing the deal for Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Variety quoted observers as saying that many of the company’s assets are more than a half-century old and are “declining” in value and are difficult to exploit. The catalogue is currently under a multi-year administration deal with Universal Music Publishing.
As per Variety, the rights are “slightly less than half” of the catalogue, with a price of around $500 million. The assets are likely to go to a major label, with Sony said to be in the lead.
The catalogue is believed to include music from films such as ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Evita’, ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Rent’, several ‘Batman’ films and many more titles, as well as songs from films such as ‘As Time Goes By’ from ‘Casablanca’.
Top attorney Allen Grubman will be overseeing the deal for Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Variety quoted observers as saying that many of the company’s assets are more than a half-century old and are “declining” in value and are difficult to exploit. The catalogue is currently under a multi-year administration deal with Universal Music Publishing.
- 6/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Warner Bros. Discovery is in negotiations to sell about half of its film and TV music-publishing assets for an estimated price tag of $500 million, Hits and Variety report.
It’s uncertain for now which of Warner studio’s assets are being sold, but music from films such as Casablanca, Purple Rain, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Rent, and the Batman franchise are rumored to be included in the deal. Sony is reportedly the frontrunner to acquire the rights.
Some business insiders have noted that it would be a smart business move for Warner Bros. Discovery to sell right now and help pay off their $49.5 billion debt while the music catalog market is booming. But on the other hand, others observers have noted that these assets are “declining” in value and would have little opportunity to be put to good use, as many are upwards of 50 years old and no longer feel relevant in current pop culture.
It’s uncertain for now which of Warner studio’s assets are being sold, but music from films such as Casablanca, Purple Rain, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Rent, and the Batman franchise are rumored to be included in the deal. Sony is reportedly the frontrunner to acquire the rights.
Some business insiders have noted that it would be a smart business move for Warner Bros. Discovery to sell right now and help pay off their $49.5 billion debt while the music catalog market is booming. But on the other hand, others observers have noted that these assets are “declining” in value and would have little opportunity to be put to good use, as many are upwards of 50 years old and no longer feel relevant in current pop culture.
- 6/22/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
Warner Bros. Discovery is in negotiations to sell about half of its film and TV music-publishing assets for an estimated price tag of $500 million, Hits and Variety report.
It’s uncertain for now which of Warner studio’s assets are being sold, but music from films such as Casablanca, Purple Rain, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Rent, and the Batman franchise are rumored to be included in the deal. Sony is reportedly the frontrunner to acquire the rights.
Some business insiders have noted that it would be a smart business move for Warner Bros. Discovery to sell right now and help pay off their $49.5 billion debt while the music catalog market is booming. But on the other hand, others observers have noted that these assets are “declining” in value and would have little opportunity to be put to good use, as many are upwards of 50 years old and no longer feel relevant in current pop culture.
It’s uncertain for now which of Warner studio’s assets are being sold, but music from films such as Casablanca, Purple Rain, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Rent, and the Batman franchise are rumored to be included in the deal. Sony is reportedly the frontrunner to acquire the rights.
Some business insiders have noted that it would be a smart business move for Warner Bros. Discovery to sell right now and help pay off their $49.5 billion debt while the music catalog market is booming. But on the other hand, others observers have noted that these assets are “declining” in value and would have little opportunity to be put to good use, as many are upwards of 50 years old and no longer feel relevant in current pop culture.
- 6/22/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Film News
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