The episode of "The Twilight Zone" called "Once Upon a Time" is one of the show's attempts at comedy and, by most viewers' gauges, didn't really work. "Once Upon a Time" starred the silent film superstar and immortal filmmaker Buster Keaton as a sad sack janitor named Woodrow Mulligan living in a small middle-American town called Harmony in 1890. Mulligan hates the fancy-pants modern inventions like bicycles and resents that livestock roam the street. The 1890 sequences were filmed in the style of a silent movie with no dialogue, plinking piano music, and intertitles. Mulligan works for a mad scientist who has invented a time-travel helmet that can bring its wearer into the year 1961, but only for 30 minutes. Mulligan, desperate to see his hometown grown up, gives it a shot.
In the year 1961, now filmed with sound, Mulligan meets Rollo (Stanley Adams) a scientist who feels nostalgia for a simpler time, a...
In the year 1961, now filmed with sound, Mulligan meets Rollo (Stanley Adams) a scientist who feels nostalgia for a simpler time, a...
- 1/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
At the conclusion of its fourth season in 1976, "M*A*S*H" finished a disappointing fourteenth in the Nielsen ratings, a sizable step down from ranking fourth and fifth in the two years prior. It wasn't the show's fault. The series was still one of the most critically acclaimed sitcoms on television; it earned eight Primetime Emmy awards for that season and won two. The reason for the ratings slip was some puzzling time slot shuffling by CBS, which moved "M*A*S*H" from its Tuesday perch to Friday, a notoriously off night for TV viewing. When the series' audience precipitously declined, the network moved it back to Tuesday halfway through the season, where it quickly recovered. All, it appeared, was well with the 4077th.
Except it wasn't, at least not with series creator Larry Gelbart. The veteran TV comedy writer was getting sick of the medium and feeling hemmed in by his hit series.
Except it wasn't, at least not with series creator Larry Gelbart. The veteran TV comedy writer was getting sick of the medium and feeling hemmed in by his hit series.
- 11/18/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
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
It's easy to take the television version of "M*A*S*H" for granted. Based on Robert Altman's raucous New Hollywood comedy, the series gracefully sanded down the film's problematic edges and presented a more bracingly humanistic view of combat medical personnel struggling to maintain their sanity while watching one young man after another die on their operating tables. But once the show became a Nielsen ratings juggernaut and entered syndication, it was unavoidably consumed as couch potato comfort food just like every other hit sitcom. It was a first-rate homework diversion. College kids devised drinking games around it.
And yet while most episodes of "M*A*S*H" were strictly laugh riots, the writers, led at the outset by the great Larry Gelbart (who departed the series after Season 4), never lost sight of the war in which the show was set (nor the ongoing war it was often commenting on). This wasn't "Hogan's Heroes.
And yet while most episodes of "M*A*S*H" were strictly laugh riots, the writers, led at the outset by the great Larry Gelbart (who departed the series after Season 4), never lost sight of the war in which the show was set (nor the ongoing war it was often commenting on). This wasn't "Hogan's Heroes.
- 9/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
This year’s Tony race for Best Musical Revival has two Stephen Sondheim shows (“Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd”) in contention. Will one of them win or will they cancel each other out? Let’s go over both of them.
“Into the Woods” combines several fairy tales and explores the consequences of the characters’ quests. The main storyline focuses on a childless baker and his wife as they go into the woods to break a spell set upon them by a witch. There they run into various classic fairy tale characters, all before revealing what happens after “happily ever after.”
The original production won three Tonys in 1988 for Best Actress (Musical) for Joanna Gleason, Best Musical Book for James Lapine, and Best Original Score for Sondheim. Meanwhile, Best Musical that year went to “The Phantom of the Opera,” which wound up with six other awards. The last remounting of...
“Into the Woods” combines several fairy tales and explores the consequences of the characters’ quests. The main storyline focuses on a childless baker and his wife as they go into the woods to break a spell set upon them by a witch. There they run into various classic fairy tale characters, all before revealing what happens after “happily ever after.”
The original production won three Tonys in 1988 for Best Actress (Musical) for Joanna Gleason, Best Musical Book for James Lapine, and Best Original Score for Sondheim. Meanwhile, Best Musical that year went to “The Phantom of the Opera,” which wound up with six other awards. The last remounting of...
- 5/22/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
What do the 76th annual Tonys have in common with the 17th annual awards?
Stephen Sondheim.
The late, great influential composer is represented in this year’s Tonys with the acclaimed, popular revivals of his 1979 classic “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Street” earning eight nominations and 1987’s “Into the Woods” receiving six.
Sixty years ago, it was Sondheim’s musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” which dominated the Tony Awards with six wins: best musical, best producer for Harold Prince, best director for George Abbott, best author for Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, leading actor for Zero Mostel and featured actor for David Burns. Ironically, Sondheim failed to earn a nomination for best original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theater. He would not win for his tunes until “Company” in 1971. Vying in that category were “Stop the World I Wanted...
Stephen Sondheim.
The late, great influential composer is represented in this year’s Tonys with the acclaimed, popular revivals of his 1979 classic “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Street” earning eight nominations and 1987’s “Into the Woods” receiving six.
Sixty years ago, it was Sondheim’s musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” which dominated the Tony Awards with six wins: best musical, best producer for Harold Prince, best director for George Abbott, best author for Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, leading actor for Zero Mostel and featured actor for David Burns. Ironically, Sondheim failed to earn a nomination for best original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theater. He would not win for his tunes until “Company” in 1971. Vying in that category were “Stop the World I Wanted...
- 5/8/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
While The Beatles are best known for their music, the band also appeared in two movies: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. Both films are musical comedies that feature the fab four on an adventure bolstered by an excellent soundtrack. Both movies were directed by Richard Lester, who enjoyed a successful film career after directing The Beatles.
Richard Lester directed the first two Beatles movies Richard Lester | Mario Carlini – Iguana Press/Getty Images
The Beatles starred in their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, in 1964. The Beatles play themselves in the film, and it centers around the band trying to maneuver around a bunch of hijinks before an important TV performance. The entire film had to be produced in around 16 weeks, with a low budget of £200,000. Fortunately, the film succeeded with critics and audiences, grossing $11 million at the box office.
Shortly after the first success, Lester and The Beatles began filming their second movie,...
Richard Lester directed the first two Beatles movies Richard Lester | Mario Carlini – Iguana Press/Getty Images
The Beatles starred in their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, in 1964. The Beatles play themselves in the film, and it centers around the band trying to maneuver around a bunch of hijinks before an important TV performance. The entire film had to be produced in around 16 weeks, with a low budget of £200,000. Fortunately, the film succeeded with critics and audiences, grossing $11 million at the box office.
Shortly after the first success, Lester and The Beatles began filming their second movie,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
This year’s Tonys will be held on June 11, so the American Theatre Wing will likely be announcing their lifetime achievement award recipient in the near future. Who do you think should be taking home this prestigious trophy? Scroll down to let us know in our poll which behind-the-scenes creative deserves the honor this year.
The Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre honors an individual’s body of work, and in some years we’ve gotten multiple recipients. Last year legendary five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury received this honor about four months before her death on October 11 at the age of 96. The following living creatives have already received this award so they’re not eligible to be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Jane Greenwood, Sheldon Harnick, Marshall W. Mason, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Wheeler, and Graciela Daniele.
Here are 10 possibilities, all of them creatives over the...
The Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre honors an individual’s body of work, and in some years we’ve gotten multiple recipients. Last year legendary five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury received this honor about four months before her death on October 11 at the age of 96. The following living creatives have already received this award so they’re not eligible to be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Jane Greenwood, Sheldon Harnick, Marshall W. Mason, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Wheeler, and Graciela Daniele.
Here are 10 possibilities, all of them creatives over the...
- 3/21/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
In many successful film franchises, there may be said to be an unspoken "rule of threequels." This rule dictates that the third film in a series is where things begin to unravel. The thinking goes as follows: A film is a hit, establishing a new character or world into cinema. The sequel, banking on the success of the first, will be larger, more exciting, and is often more ambitious. By the third film, however, the filmmakers -- in an effort to outdo film #2 -- either have to ratchet the action up to a near-intolerable levels, or take the action in a "new direction," often with disastrous results. One can see this dynamic at play in "Alien³," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," "Return of the Jedi," "Death Wish 3," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," "Spider-Man 3," "RoboCop 3," and "Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
- 2/22/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
We’re now about halfway through the 2022-23 Broadway season, and there are currently nine productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below is a plot overview of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, and creative teams, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Pictures From Home” (opens February 9; closes April 30)
This stage adaptation of Larry Sultan’s 1992 photo memoir is a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother and father, and the son who photographed their lives. As Larry tries to capture his parents, their reality explodes from the frame in an exploration of the power of art and how much it reveals.
Adapted for the stage by WGA nominee Sharr White, the production stars Tony winner Danny Burstein, three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane, and four-time Tony nominee Zoë Wanamaker.
“Pictures From Home” (opens February 9; closes April 30)
This stage adaptation of Larry Sultan’s 1992 photo memoir is a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother and father, and the son who photographed their lives. As Larry tries to capture his parents, their reality explodes from the frame in an exploration of the power of art and how much it reveals.
Adapted for the stage by WGA nominee Sharr White, the production stars Tony winner Danny Burstein, three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane, and four-time Tony nominee Zoë Wanamaker.
- 1/25/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
It’s no mystery why Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” is nominated for 17 Emmy Awards including comedy series, actor and guest actor and actress: a delish plot, snappy dialogue, pitch-perfect directing, and a cast to die for led by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. They are “The Three Amigos” for the 21st century. To celebrate the series, which recently had its second season finale, why not look at some fun facts and trivia of the cast many of whom already have mantle full of honors.
Steve Martin
Talk about a modern-day Renaissance man. Martin is an actor, writer, musician-he plays a mean banjo-composer and ace tap dancers. Is there anything he can’t do? Martin won an honorary Oscar in 2014, the AFI’s Life Achievement Award in 2015, four Grammy Awards including two for best comedy recording in 1978 and 1979, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2007 such critics honors...
Steve Martin
Talk about a modern-day Renaissance man. Martin is an actor, writer, musician-he plays a mean banjo-composer and ace tap dancers. Is there anything he can’t do? Martin won an honorary Oscar in 2014, the AFI’s Life Achievement Award in 2015, four Grammy Awards including two for best comedy recording in 1978 and 1979, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2007 such critics honors...
- 9/5/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Henry Fonda, actor (1905-82)
Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album, “Great Documents” (1977)
Oscar: Best Actor, “On Golden Pond” (1981)
Tony: Best Actor, “Mister Roberts” (1948); Best Actor, “Clarence Darrow” (1975)
Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist and producer (1895-1960)
Grammy: Best Original Cast Album, “The Sound of Music” (1960)
Oscar: Best Original Song, “The Last Time I Saw Paris” from “Lady Be Good” (1941); “It Might As Well Be Spring” from “State Fair” (1945)
Tony: Three awards for “South Pacific” (1950); Best Musical, “The King and I” (1952); Best Musical, “The Sound of Music” (1960)
Elton John
Grammy: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, “That’s What Friends Are For” (1986); Best Instrumental Composition, “Basque” (1991); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (1994); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, “Candle in the Wind” (1997); Best Show Album, “Aida” (2000)
Oscar: Best Original Son, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King” (1994)
Tony: Best Score, “Aida” (2000)
John Legend, songwriter and...
Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album, “Great Documents” (1977)
Oscar: Best Actor, “On Golden Pond” (1981)
Tony: Best Actor, “Mister Roberts” (1948); Best Actor, “Clarence Darrow” (1975)
Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist and producer (1895-1960)
Grammy: Best Original Cast Album, “The Sound of Music” (1960)
Oscar: Best Original Song, “The Last Time I Saw Paris” from “Lady Be Good” (1941); “It Might As Well Be Spring” from “State Fair” (1945)
Tony: Three awards for “South Pacific” (1950); Best Musical, “The King and I” (1952); Best Musical, “The Sound of Music” (1960)
Elton John
Grammy: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, “That’s What Friends Are For” (1986); Best Instrumental Composition, “Basque” (1991); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (1994); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, “Candle in the Wind” (1997); Best Show Album, “Aida” (2000)
Oscar: Best Original Son, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King” (1994)
Tony: Best Score, “Aida” (2000)
John Legend, songwriter and...
- 8/29/2022
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Cameron Mackintosh, the London theatre owner and impresario, nixed the idea of having a host introduce artists performing at Tuesday’s one-night-only Old Friends tribute show honoring the legacy of musical theatre genius Stephen Sondheim, who died in November at age 91.
“All you need are Steve’s words and music, and our cast. They speak, or rather sing, for themselves,“ Mackintosh explained to Deadline before the star-studded event began at London’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Worked like a treat. Thirty minutes saved, because Old Friends wasn’t lumbered with a host.
In any case, no one needed to introduce actress Julia McKenzie when she walked onto the stage, for it was she who, with Mackintosh producing, was part of an ensemble that super-spread Sondheim in the West End over four decades ago with a revue entitled Side By Side by Sondheim.
She’s one of the composer and lyricist’s foremost interpreters.
“All you need are Steve’s words and music, and our cast. They speak, or rather sing, for themselves,“ Mackintosh explained to Deadline before the star-studded event began at London’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Worked like a treat. Thirty minutes saved, because Old Friends wasn’t lumbered with a host.
In any case, no one needed to introduce actress Julia McKenzie when she walked onto the stage, for it was she who, with Mackintosh producing, was part of an ensemble that super-spread Sondheim in the West End over four decades ago with a revue entitled Side By Side by Sondheim.
She’s one of the composer and lyricist’s foremost interpreters.
- 5/4/2022
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
From television to Broadway! I am ditching the world of cinema for the musical stage, at least for this weekend. I joined Desert Theatricals as they mount the rip-roaring Tony-winning musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” With music and lyrics by the late, great Stephen Sondheim and book by
The post From TV to Stage – How I Became Marcus Lycus in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
The post From TV to Stage – How I Became Marcus Lycus in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
- 4/15/2022
- by manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Tony Walton, one of the most prolific, honored and celebrated designers of sets and costumes on Broadway and in Hollywood, died yesterday from complications of a stroke. He was 87.
His death was announced on Facebook by stepdaughter Bridget LeRoy, who wrote, “A fond and loving farewell to the most fabulous stepdad and human being in the world. Love you forever, Tony Walton. Have a great trip.”
A three-time Tony Award winner for set, and an Oscar winner for the art and set decoration of 1980’s All That Jazz, Walton was among the most prolific designers of his generation. Among his 20 film credits are the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins, The Wiz, Murder on the Orient Express, Fahrenheit 451, The Boy Friend, All That Jazz, Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, Regarding Henry, and Deathtrap.
Broadway credits include Chicago, Grand Hotel, The Real Thing,...
His death was announced on Facebook by stepdaughter Bridget LeRoy, who wrote, “A fond and loving farewell to the most fabulous stepdad and human being in the world. Love you forever, Tony Walton. Have a great trip.”
A three-time Tony Award winner for set, and an Oscar winner for the art and set decoration of 1980’s All That Jazz, Walton was among the most prolific designers of his generation. Among his 20 film credits are the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins, The Wiz, Murder on the Orient Express, Fahrenheit 451, The Boy Friend, All That Jazz, Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, Regarding Henry, and Deathtrap.
Broadway credits include Chicago, Grand Hotel, The Real Thing,...
- 3/3/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 has greenlit “F*cking Identical Twins,” an R-rated musical comedy that puts a subversive spin on “The Parent Trap.”
Comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp are adapting the film from their two-man stage show, which premiered at Manhattan’s Upright Citizens Brigade in 2014. In addition to writing the script, Jackson and Sharp will co-star as the eponymous identical twins. They will be joined by a star-studded ensemble includes Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang and Megan Thee Stallion. It is not clear who those actors will play.
Featuring original songs by Jackson, Sharp and composer Karl Saint Lucy, “F*cking Identical Twins” takes inspiration from Hallie and Annie’s mischievous exploits in “The Parent Trap” and follows two business adversaries who realize they’re identical twin brothers. They decide to switch places in order to reunite their divorced parents and become a family again.
Larry Charles, who previously directed...
Comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp are adapting the film from their two-man stage show, which premiered at Manhattan’s Upright Citizens Brigade in 2014. In addition to writing the script, Jackson and Sharp will co-star as the eponymous identical twins. They will be joined by a star-studded ensemble includes Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang and Megan Thee Stallion. It is not clear who those actors will play.
Featuring original songs by Jackson, Sharp and composer Karl Saint Lucy, “F*cking Identical Twins” takes inspiration from Hallie and Annie’s mischievous exploits in “The Parent Trap” and follows two business adversaries who realize they’re identical twin brothers. They decide to switch places in order to reunite their divorced parents and become a family again.
Larry Charles, who previously directed...
- 2/17/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
‘The Gilded Age’: Julian Fellowes’ new period drama is exceedingly rich in Tony Award-winning actors
Few television series boast an ensemble as rich as HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” at least in terms of Tony Awards. Julian Fellowes’ new period drama, which takes place in 1882 New York during a period of American industrialization and affluence, was shot predominantly in New York City. It draws on the wealth of theatre performers available due to the pandemic. The result is a cast of Broadway luminaries whose accolades total in the dozens, or 64 nominations and 23 wins, to be exact.
At the center of the action are a pair of two-time Tony winners — Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon — who play sisters Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook. These doyennes of old, moneyed New York try to bar the door to the new wealth elbowing their way into high society. Baranski won her first Tony for her performance in Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing,” which featured Nixon as Baranski’s daughter.
At the center of the action are a pair of two-time Tony winners — Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon — who play sisters Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook. These doyennes of old, moneyed New York try to bar the door to the new wealth elbowing their way into high society. Baranski won her first Tony for her performance in Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing,” which featured Nixon as Baranski’s daughter.
- 1/24/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Jack Viertel, whose 34 years with Broadway’s Jujamcyn Theaters included stints as both the Creative Director and, more recently, Senior Vice President, announced his retirement today, effective as of the end of 2021.
In a statement, Viertel said, in part, “as the song says, the days grow short when you reach September, although I feel like I’m really only in mid-August. Still, it was time to move along, with gratitude for everything Jujamcyn has given me.” Viertel said he is working on a new book and will continue to serve as a freelance creative consultant on other projects.
See his full statement below.
Viertel joined Jujamcyn in 1987, launching his career there that would include involvement in numerous award-winning and acclaimed productions, including such era-defining stagings as Into The Woods, M. Butterfly, Angels in America, Jelly’s Last Jam and The Secret Garden. He’d also play an instrumental role in...
In a statement, Viertel said, in part, “as the song says, the days grow short when you reach September, although I feel like I’m really only in mid-August. Still, it was time to move along, with gratitude for everything Jujamcyn has given me.” Viertel said he is working on a new book and will continue to serve as a freelance creative consultant on other projects.
See his full statement below.
Viertel joined Jujamcyn in 1987, launching his career there that would include involvement in numerous award-winning and acclaimed productions, including such era-defining stagings as Into The Woods, M. Butterfly, Angels in America, Jelly’s Last Jam and The Secret Garden. He’d also play an instrumental role in...
- 1/11/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Throughout 2021, we have been updating our “In Memoriam” photo gallery (view above). Scroll through to remember 33 entertainers from film, television, theater and music. Many were winners at the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and/or Tonys. Here is a closer look at just a few of those we celebrate in our gallery:
Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim died on November 26 at age 91. He was a seven-time Tony Award winner for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods” and “Passion.” He received a lifetime achievement Tony in 2008. He was an Oscar winner for “Dick Tracy” and a seven-time Grammy winner. Other well-known shows were “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Pacific Overtures,” Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Assassins” plus “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” as a lyricist. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors.
Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim died on November 26 at age 91. He was a seven-time Tony Award winner for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods” and “Passion.” He received a lifetime achievement Tony in 2008. He was an Oscar winner for “Dick Tracy” and a seven-time Grammy winner. Other well-known shows were “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Pacific Overtures,” Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Assassins” plus “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” as a lyricist. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors.
- 12/29/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Broadway theaters will dim their lights for Stephen Sondheim on Wednesday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. Et.
“It is impossible to measure Stephen Sondheim’s impact on the world of musical theatre,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League in announcing the one-minute marquee light dimming, a Broadway tradition. “During a career that spanned nearly 65 years, he created music and lyrics that have become synonymous with Broadway – from Gypsy and West Side Story to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and too many more to name. It is hard to imagine Broadway without him, but we know his legacy will live on for many years to come, including in this season’s revival of Company opening December 9.”
The announcement was made today by the Committee of Theatre Owners.
The legendary Broadway composer died Nov.
“It is impossible to measure Stephen Sondheim’s impact on the world of musical theatre,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League in announcing the one-minute marquee light dimming, a Broadway tradition. “During a career that spanned nearly 65 years, he created music and lyrics that have become synonymous with Broadway – from Gypsy and West Side Story to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and too many more to name. It is hard to imagine Broadway without him, but we know his legacy will live on for many years to come, including in this season’s revival of Company opening December 9.”
The announcement was made today by the Committee of Theatre Owners.
The legendary Broadway composer died Nov.
- 12/2/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Following the news of Stephen Sondheim’s death on Friday, there was an outpouring of tributes and condolences on social media dedicated to the musical theater icon.
Sondheim, the legendary Broadway composer and lyricist, died at the age of 91 at his Connecticut home, according to The New York Times. He penned lyrics for musicals like West Side Story and Gypsy and wrote the words and music to Follies, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and more.
Just a few weeks ago,...
Sondheim, the legendary Broadway composer and lyricist, died at the age of 91 at his Connecticut home, according to The New York Times. He penned lyrics for musicals like West Side Story and Gypsy and wrote the words and music to Follies, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and more.
Just a few weeks ago,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Ilana Kaplan
- Rollingstone.com
Stephen Sondheim, the legendary Broadway songwriter, has died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 91, according to The New York Times. The prolific composer and lyricist was the creative force behind some 20 musicals starting in 1954 — including West Side Story (lyrics), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and more — as well as numerous film and TV projects, from adaptations of his Broadway hits to original songs for movies such as Dick Tracy and The Birdcage. Over his remarkable, seven-decade career,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Maria Fontoura
- Rollingstone.com
The illumination of ghost lights shine a bit brighter but the sounds of a little night music play a bit quieter today, as at 91 years old, Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim has passed away. One of the most important figures of 20th-century musical theater, Sondheim is considered by many to have reinvented the American musical. He provided the lyrics for iconic shows like "West Side Story" and "Gypsy," as well as the music and lyrics for a slew of classics like "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," Merrily We Roll Along," Sunday in the Park...
The post West Side Story Songwriter & Broadway Legend Stephen Sondheim Dies at 91 appeared first on /Film.
The post West Side Story Songwriter & Broadway Legend Stephen Sondheim Dies at 91 appeared first on /Film.
- 11/27/2021
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, one of the most influential musical theater figures of the 20th Century, died Friday at the age of 91, according to The New York Times.
Sondheim’s death was confirmed by lawyer and friend F. Richard Pappas, who described his passing as “sudden.” He had just celebrated Thanksgiving with friends at his Roxbury, Conn. home on Thursday.
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“Perhaps not...
Sondheim’s death was confirmed by lawyer and friend F. Richard Pappas, who described his passing as “sudden.” He had just celebrated Thanksgiving with friends at his Roxbury, Conn. home on Thursday.
More from TVLineWWE Wrestler Bray Wyatt Dead at 36 - Cause of Death RevealedLittle House on the Prairie's Hersha Parady Dead at 78Wwe Hall of Famer Terry Funk Dead at 79 - Ric Flair and Mick Foley Pay Tribute
“Perhaps not...
- 11/26/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Stephen Sondheim, one of the giants of Broadway songwriting, died early Friday at his home in Roxbury, Conn. He was 91.
Attorney F. Richard Pappas, announced the death, which he described as sudden. Sondheim celebrated Thanksgiving with friends just a day ago, Pappas said.
Sondheim’s catalog includes such works as “Company” (1970), “Follies” (1971), “A Little Night Music” (1973), “Pacific Overtures” (1976), “Sweeney Todd” (1979), “Merrily We Roll Along” (1981), “Sunday in the Park With George” (1984) and “Into the Woods” (1987).
Among his most memorable songs was “Send In the Clowns,” from “Night Music.”
He dominated Broadway and was considered the greatest composer-lyricist of the last half of the 20th century by many. He was one of the few major theater composers who handled words and music, including such legends as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Frank Loesser.
His successes as a lyricist were as impressive as his songwriting. He wrote the lyrics for “West Side Story...
Attorney F. Richard Pappas, announced the death, which he described as sudden. Sondheim celebrated Thanksgiving with friends just a day ago, Pappas said.
Sondheim’s catalog includes such works as “Company” (1970), “Follies” (1971), “A Little Night Music” (1973), “Pacific Overtures” (1976), “Sweeney Todd” (1979), “Merrily We Roll Along” (1981), “Sunday in the Park With George” (1984) and “Into the Woods” (1987).
Among his most memorable songs was “Send In the Clowns,” from “Night Music.”
He dominated Broadway and was considered the greatest composer-lyricist of the last half of the 20th century by many. He was one of the few major theater composers who handled words and music, including such legends as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Frank Loesser.
His successes as a lyricist were as impressive as his songwriting. He wrote the lyrics for “West Side Story...
- 11/26/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Stephen Sondheim, the dominant voice in American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century and the composer with the most Tony Awards, has died. He was 91. The Broadway icon died Friday, November 26th at his home in Roxbury, Conn. He was 91.
His shows, from the comedic “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to the ground-breaking “Company” to the operatic “Sweeney Todd” to the experimental “Pacific Overtures,” transformed the Broadway musical stage, influencing and advancing the medium. Sondheim, a protege of Oscar Hammerstein II, slowly moved away from that melodic tradition to incorporate complex and dissonant themes and structures of 20th century classical music into his works.
Sondheim won seven Tony Awards plus a 2008 Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Though he never achieved popular success on the order of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sondheim altered and broadened the boundaries of American...
His shows, from the comedic “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to the ground-breaking “Company” to the operatic “Sweeney Todd” to the experimental “Pacific Overtures,” transformed the Broadway musical stage, influencing and advancing the medium. Sondheim, a protege of Oscar Hammerstein II, slowly moved away from that melodic tradition to incorporate complex and dissonant themes and structures of 20th century classical music into his works.
Sondheim won seven Tony Awards plus a 2008 Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Though he never achieved popular success on the order of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sondheim altered and broadened the boundaries of American...
- 11/26/2021
- by Richard Natale
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Sondheim, the beloved Oscar- and Tony-winning composer and lyricist behind such productions as “Company,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Into the Words,” and the lyrics “West Side Story” and “Gypsy,” has died. He passed away early on Friday at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut at the age of 91. The New York Times first reported news of his passing.
Sondheim’s many works also included “Follies” (1971), “A Little Night Music” (1973), “Pacific Overtures” (1976), “Sweeney Todd” (1979), “Merrily We Roll Along” (1981), and “Sunday in the Park With George” (1984). Sondheim won Tony Awards for Best Original Score for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” and “Passion,” as well as Best Lyrics for “Company.” He also won eight Grammys throughout his life, as well as the Best Original Song Oscar for “Sooner or Later (I Always Gets My Man)” from Warren Beatty’s film “Dick Tracy.
Sondheim’s many works also included “Follies” (1971), “A Little Night Music” (1973), “Pacific Overtures” (1976), “Sweeney Todd” (1979), “Merrily We Roll Along” (1981), and “Sunday in the Park With George” (1984). Sondheim won Tony Awards for Best Original Score for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” and “Passion,” as well as Best Lyrics for “Company.” He also won eight Grammys throughout his life, as well as the Best Original Song Oscar for “Sooner or Later (I Always Gets My Man)” from Warren Beatty’s film “Dick Tracy.
- 11/26/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The first James Bond film, ‘Dr. No,” starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord and Joseph Wiseman, opened in England on Oct. 2, 1962. But the 007 classic didn’t open in New York and Los Angeles until May 29, 1963. Let’s travel back almost six decades to look at the top events, movie, TV series, books and other cultural events of that year in James Bond history, which was punctuated by the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22.
35th Annual Academy Awards
Best Picture: “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Director: David Lean, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Actor: Gregory Peck, “To Kill a Mockingbird
Best Actress: Anne Bancroft, “The Miracle Worker”
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Begley, “Sweet Bird of Youth”
Best Supporting Actress: Patty Duke, “The Miracle Worker”
Top 10 highest grossing films
“Cleopatra”
“How the West Was Won”
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”
“Tom Jones”
“Irma La Douce...
35th Annual Academy Awards
Best Picture: “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Director: David Lean, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Actor: Gregory Peck, “To Kill a Mockingbird
Best Actress: Anne Bancroft, “The Miracle Worker”
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Begley, “Sweet Bird of Youth”
Best Supporting Actress: Patty Duke, “The Miracle Worker”
Top 10 highest grossing films
“Cleopatra”
“How the West Was Won”
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”
“Tom Jones”
“Irma La Douce...
- 10/8/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Almost 30 years after earning his first Tony Awards nomination for portraying Jackie Robinson in the musical “The First,” David Alan Grier may finally take home his first trophy. Nominated this year for his work in the Broadway debut of Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “A Soldier’s Play,” Grier currently leads our odds in the Featured Actor category.
Grier earned some of the best notices of his career for his role in the revival, which ran at the American Airlines Theater from January to March 2020. Set on a segregated military base in Louisiana in 1944, the play starred Grier as the vicious Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, whose murder gives the play its central mystery and plot. Helen Shaw (Vulture) wrote that Grier “machines each of his scenes to the inch, developing his portrait from a comic tinpot bellower into villainy and then, remarkably, something more tragic,” while Vinson Cunningham (New Yorker) said,...
Grier earned some of the best notices of his career for his role in the revival, which ran at the American Airlines Theater from January to March 2020. Set on a segregated military base in Louisiana in 1944, the play starred Grier as the vicious Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, whose murder gives the play its central mystery and plot. Helen Shaw (Vulture) wrote that Grier “machines each of his scenes to the inch, developing his portrait from a comic tinpot bellower into villainy and then, remarkably, something more tragic,” while Vinson Cunningham (New Yorker) said,...
- 9/23/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Opera singer turned actor who made his mark in stage and screen versions of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Leon Greene, who has died of cancer aged 89, was a Sadler’s Wells opera singer who took his bass baritone voice to the West End stage to play the self-important Roman soldier Miles Gloriosus in the original London production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Following its hugely popular two-year run at the Shaftesbury theatre (1963-65), Greene reprised his role in the 1966 film version, directed by Richard Lester, alongside an international cast led by two stars of the initial Broadway show, Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford, plus Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton and Michael Crawford.
Leon Greene, who has died of cancer aged 89, was a Sadler’s Wells opera singer who took his bass baritone voice to the West End stage to play the self-important Roman soldier Miles Gloriosus in the original London production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Following its hugely popular two-year run at the Shaftesbury theatre (1963-65), Greene reprised his role in the 1966 film version, directed by Richard Lester, alongside an international cast led by two stars of the initial Broadway show, Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford, plus Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton and Michael Crawford.
- 7/14/2021
- by Anthony Hayward
- The Guardian - Film News
Karla Burns, an actress and singer whose acclaimed performance as Queenie in the musical Show Boat earned an Olivier Award and a Tony Award nomination, died June 4 in Wichita, Kansas, following a series of strokes. She was 66.
Her death was confirmed by her sister, Donna Burns-Revels, in a New York Times obituary.
In winning London’s Olivier Award in 1991, Burns became the first Black performer to do so.
Born, raised and educated in Wichita, Burns sang in church choirs growing up, later studying music and theater at Wichita State University. She soon won the role that would become her signature – Show Boat‘s Queenie – in regional productions, and in 1982 joined the Houston Grand Opera’s national tour of the Kern-Hammerstein classic.
She played the role on Broadway in 1983, scoring the Best Featured Actress Tony nomination. She reprised the role in London’s West End for a 1991 Royal Shakespeare Company production,...
Her death was confirmed by her sister, Donna Burns-Revels, in a New York Times obituary.
In winning London’s Olivier Award in 1991, Burns became the first Black performer to do so.
Born, raised and educated in Wichita, Burns sang in church choirs growing up, later studying music and theater at Wichita State University. She soon won the role that would become her signature – Show Boat‘s Queenie – in regional productions, and in 1982 joined the Houston Grand Opera’s national tour of the Kern-Hammerstein classic.
She played the role on Broadway in 1983, scoring the Best Featured Actress Tony nomination. She reprised the role in London’s West End for a 1991 Royal Shakespeare Company production,...
- 6/15/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Coming off his starring role in Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Nathan Lane has booked two high-profile recurring roles in Hulu comedy series Only Murders in the Building opposite Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, and in Julian Fellowes’ period drama The Gilded Age for HBO.
Co-created and written by Martin and John Hoffman based on an idea by Martin, Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.
Lane will play a building resident and owner of a popular New York City grocery chain.
Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Short, Gomez, Jamie Babbitt, This is Us creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal. 20th Television, part of Disney TV Studios, is the studio.
The Gilded Age is an epic drama that follows the millionaire titans of...
Co-created and written by Martin and John Hoffman based on an idea by Martin, Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.
Lane will play a building resident and owner of a popular New York City grocery chain.
Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Short, Gomez, Jamie Babbitt, This is Us creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal. 20th Television, part of Disney TV Studios, is the studio.
The Gilded Age is an epic drama that follows the millionaire titans of...
- 1/13/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The great actor Robert Picardo, a frequent Joe Dante collaborator and long time Star Trek hologram, joins Josh and Joe to discuss movies that compel him to sit and watch all the way through any time they just happen to be on.
Also… Josh and Bob discuss the best cheesesteak joints in Philly.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Howling (1981)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film (1959)
Swing Time (1936)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
Cabaret (1972)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
On The Waterfront (1954)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ordinary People (1980)
Hollywood Boulevard (1976)
Rock ‘N’ Roll High School (1978)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Jaws (1975)
The Wiz (1978)
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Alien (1979)
Star Wars (1977)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
I Knew It Was You (2009)
Touch Of Evil (1958)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Day The Earth Stood Still...
Also… Josh and Bob discuss the best cheesesteak joints in Philly.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Howling (1981)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film (1959)
Swing Time (1936)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
Cabaret (1972)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
On The Waterfront (1954)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ordinary People (1980)
Hollywood Boulevard (1976)
Rock ‘N’ Roll High School (1978)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Jaws (1975)
The Wiz (1978)
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Alien (1979)
Star Wars (1977)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
I Knew It Was You (2009)
Touch Of Evil (1958)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Day The Earth Stood Still...
- 11/24/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
800x600 Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
By Mark Mawston
Luc Roeg is the son of seminal director Nicolas Roeg. He appeared in his father’s last narrative film as a cinematographer, and first as a solo director, the much-lauded Walkabout, which received a newly-restored release through Second Sight recently. Nic Roeg began his career as a camera operator on such titles as Cubby Broccoli’s pre-Bond production The Trials of Oscar Wilde and the infamous Dr. Blood’s Coffin before becoming cinematographer on films such as Dr. Crippen and Nothing but the Best. He was one of the many hands behind the camera on the unofficial 1967 Bond entry Casino Royale. Roeg senior also worked with such luminaries as François Truffaut (on the Ray Bradbury adaptation Fahrenheit 451), Richard Lester (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Petulia) and John Schlesinger (Far from the Madding Crowd). However,...
By Mark Mawston
Luc Roeg is the son of seminal director Nicolas Roeg. He appeared in his father’s last narrative film as a cinematographer, and first as a solo director, the much-lauded Walkabout, which received a newly-restored release through Second Sight recently. Nic Roeg began his career as a camera operator on such titles as Cubby Broccoli’s pre-Bond production The Trials of Oscar Wilde and the infamous Dr. Blood’s Coffin before becoming cinematographer on films such as Dr. Crippen and Nothing but the Best. He was one of the many hands behind the camera on the unofficial 1967 Bond entry Casino Royale. Roeg senior also worked with such luminaries as François Truffaut (on the Ray Bradbury adaptation Fahrenheit 451), Richard Lester (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Petulia) and John Schlesinger (Far from the Madding Crowd). However,...
- 8/27/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“It’s one of the best experiences of my career,” declares Nathan Lane. He’s speaking about playing Lewis Michener, a grizzled detective on Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.” The story gives events from 1938 Los Angeles a supernatural bent and allows Lane to bring his character to surprisingly dark places. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“This is about what’s happening now, seen through this historical perspective,” explains Lane. Series creator and writer John Logan was adamant that the show not merely be a pretty period piece. The show is not afraid to dive headfirst into the racism and tension of the time period. The questions permeating every story beat are “how does history repeat itself? Are the monsters within us?”
See Natalie Dormer (‘Penny Dreadful: City of Angels’) on her shapeshifting role: ‘It’s really healthy to scare yourself’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Lane’s detective is often seen as...
“This is about what’s happening now, seen through this historical perspective,” explains Lane. Series creator and writer John Logan was adamant that the show not merely be a pretty period piece. The show is not afraid to dive headfirst into the racism and tension of the time period. The questions permeating every story beat are “how does history repeat itself? Are the monsters within us?”
See Natalie Dormer (‘Penny Dreadful: City of Angels’) on her shapeshifting role: ‘It’s really healthy to scare yourself’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Lane’s detective is often seen as...
- 5/4/2020
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
It’s understandable that the judges on “The Masked Singer” will make some unorthodox guesses as the identities of the show’s performers. They’re going off of vague clues (given in a distorted voice) as well as the performer’s figure and voice. However, some of their guesses are so out of left field that it actually makes your head hurt. With that in mind, take a couple of Tylenols and look at the seven most ridiculous guesses made the show’s judging panel: Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger.
Bjork as the Flower (Ken)
This one is probably the guess that made me want to bang my head against the wall the most, made only worse by the fact that I’m a huge fan. It blew my mind how certain Jeong was about this guess because that would imply he was very familiar with...
Bjork as the Flower (Ken)
This one is probably the guess that made me want to bang my head against the wall the most, made only worse by the fact that I’m a huge fan. It blew my mind how certain Jeong was about this guess because that would imply he was very familiar with...
- 10/20/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Rip Taylor, one of Televisions most flamboyant personalities known as "The Crying Comedian" and "The King of Camp and Confetti" has passed away. He was 84.
Taylor died on Sunday in Beverly Hills, publicist Harlan Boll confirmed, reports variety.com.
Also Read:?Chrissy Teigen flaunts her new tattoo
Taylor, whose high-energy personality and confetti-throwing antics quickly made him a mainstay on Television, made appearances on everything from sitcoms to talk shows, including "The Gong Show", "Password", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Mike Douglas Show", "The Tonight Show", and "Late Night with David Letterman" in addition to a hosting stint for "The $1.98 Beauty Show" -- a parody of beauty contests whose big prize was a bouquet of rotten vegetables.
He saw even more success outside of game shows and late-night TV, headlining Las Vegas' The Flamingo Hotel's Rockettes Extravaganza -- where he won Entertainer of the Year three consecutive times --...
Taylor died on Sunday in Beverly Hills, publicist Harlan Boll confirmed, reports variety.com.
Also Read:?Chrissy Teigen flaunts her new tattoo
Taylor, whose high-energy personality and confetti-throwing antics quickly made him a mainstay on Television, made appearances on everything from sitcoms to talk shows, including "The Gong Show", "Password", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Mike Douglas Show", "The Tonight Show", and "Late Night with David Letterman" in addition to a hosting stint for "The $1.98 Beauty Show" -- a parody of beauty contests whose big prize was a bouquet of rotten vegetables.
He saw even more success outside of game shows and late-night TV, headlining Las Vegas' The Flamingo Hotel's Rockettes Extravaganza -- where he won Entertainer of the Year three consecutive times --...
- 10/7/2019
- GlamSham
Rip Taylor, the animated comedian who always left behind a trail of confetti, died Sunday, The New York Times reports. He was 84.
Taylor’s publicist, Harlan Böll, confirmed Taylor’s death, saying the comedian suffered a seizure before he died at a Los Angeles hospital. An exact cause of death, however, was not given.
Taylor built a long, eclectic career with a mixture of over-the-top and self-deprecating humor. He was a frequent TV guest — Böll estimated he made more than 2,000 appearances during his 50-year career — as well as a hard-working stand-up comedian and entertainer.
Taylor’s publicist, Harlan Böll, confirmed Taylor’s death, saying the comedian suffered a seizure before he died at a Los Angeles hospital. An exact cause of death, however, was not given.
Taylor built a long, eclectic career with a mixture of over-the-top and self-deprecating humor. He was a frequent TV guest — Böll estimated he made more than 2,000 appearances during his 50-year career — as well as a hard-working stand-up comedian and entertainer.
- 10/7/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Rip Taylor, one of Television’s most flamboyant personalities known as “The Crying Comedian” and “The King of Camp and Confetti,” died Sunday in Beverly Hills, publicist Harlan Boll confirmed. He was 84.
Taylor, whose high-energy personality and confetti-throwing antics quickly made him a mainstay on television, made appearances on everything from sitcoms to talk shows, including “The Gong Show,” “Password,” “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman” in addition to a hosting stint for “The $1.98 Beauty Show” — a parody of beauty contests whose big prize was a bouquet of rotten vegetables.
Taylor saw even more success outside of game shows and late-night TV, headlining Las Vegas’ The Flamingo Hotel’s Rockettes Extravaganza — where he won Entertainer of the Year three consecutive times — and touring the country in lead roles for productions such as “Sugar Babies,” “Anything Goes, Oliver,” “Peter Pan” and...
Taylor, whose high-energy personality and confetti-throwing antics quickly made him a mainstay on television, made appearances on everything from sitcoms to talk shows, including “The Gong Show,” “Password,” “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman” in addition to a hosting stint for “The $1.98 Beauty Show” — a parody of beauty contests whose big prize was a bouquet of rotten vegetables.
Taylor saw even more success outside of game shows and late-night TV, headlining Las Vegas’ The Flamingo Hotel’s Rockettes Extravaganza — where he won Entertainer of the Year three consecutive times — and touring the country in lead roles for productions such as “Sugar Babies,” “Anything Goes, Oliver,” “Peter Pan” and...
- 10/6/2019
- by Nate Nickolai
- Variety Film + TV
The Broadway League said Wednesday that the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of its New York theaters for one minute Wednesday night at 7:45 Pm Et to commemorate the life of Harold Prince, the Broadway icon who died today at 91.
Prince was a former chairman of the board of the Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry. He died in Reykjavik, Iceland, after a brief illness.
“To be a both a genius and a gentleman is rare and extraordinary,” said Thomas Schumacher, the current chairman of The Broadway League, in a release announcing the honor, a Main Stem tradition. “Hal Prince’s genius was matched by his generosity of spirit, particularly with those building a career. Sitting on the T Edward Hambleton Fellowship panel of Mentors alongside Hal was both a lesson in producing and a lesson in humanity. He was a giant.”
Prince...
Prince was a former chairman of the board of the Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry. He died in Reykjavik, Iceland, after a brief illness.
“To be a both a genius and a gentleman is rare and extraordinary,” said Thomas Schumacher, the current chairman of The Broadway League, in a release announcing the honor, a Main Stem tradition. “Hal Prince’s genius was matched by his generosity of spirit, particularly with those building a career. Sitting on the T Edward Hambleton Fellowship panel of Mentors alongside Hal was both a lesson in producing and a lesson in humanity. He was a giant.”
Prince...
- 7/31/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Broadway lost a true icon today, and the theater community is paying tribute to the man who produced and/or directed all-time classics ranging from Damn Yankees, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof to Cabaret, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera. Harold “Hal” Prince, who died today at 91, was the king of Main Stem musicals, and the outpouring of tributes reflects his influence, esteem and singular accomplishments.
Including the classics listed above, his résumé reads like a list of the most popular and acclaimed shows from the second half of the 20th century: The Pajama Game, Candide, A Little Night Music, Show Boat, Company, Fiorello!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Show Boat, Follies, Sweeney Todd and many more.
Broadway theaters will dim their lights tonight in honor of Prince.
Here is a sampling of remembrances from people and institutions who knew, worked with,...
Including the classics listed above, his résumé reads like a list of the most popular and acclaimed shows from the second half of the 20th century: The Pajama Game, Candide, A Little Night Music, Show Boat, Company, Fiorello!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Show Boat, Follies, Sweeney Todd and many more.
Broadway theaters will dim their lights tonight in honor of Prince.
Here is a sampling of remembrances from people and institutions who knew, worked with,...
- 7/31/2019
- by Patrick Hipes and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Harold Prince, the Broadway icon who produced or directed some of the 20th century’s most famous musicals West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Damn Yankees, Cabaret, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, died today in Reykjavik, Iceland, after a brief illness. He was 91.
If you’ve ever hummed — or belted out — a showtune from the past half-century, there’s a good chance “Hal” Prince was involved in the original production of its musical. Winner of 21 Tony Awards — the second-most of anyone after Roger S. Berlind — he also produced or directed such iconic Main Stem musicals as The Pajama Game, Candide, A Little Night Music, Show Boat, Company, Fiorello! and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Eight shows he produced won the Tony for Best Musical — ranging from The Pajama Game (1955) to Candide (1974). He also won the Best Direction of a Musical for eight shows including Show Boat,...
If you’ve ever hummed — or belted out — a showtune from the past half-century, there’s a good chance “Hal” Prince was involved in the original production of its musical. Winner of 21 Tony Awards — the second-most of anyone after Roger S. Berlind — he also produced or directed such iconic Main Stem musicals as The Pajama Game, Candide, A Little Night Music, Show Boat, Company, Fiorello! and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Eight shows he produced won the Tony for Best Musical — ranging from The Pajama Game (1955) to Candide (1974). He also won the Best Direction of a Musical for eight shows including Show Boat,...
- 7/31/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Composer-arranger Sid Ramin, a longtime associate of Leonard Bernstein who won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy for his work in film, TV and theater, died of natural causes Monday (July 1) at his home in New York City. He was 100.
Ramin won a 1961 Academy Award for adapting the music of “West Side Story,” which he had originally orchestrated for composer Leonard Bernstein on Broadway in 1957 (with fellow arranger Irwin Kostal). He won a 1961 Grammy for the “West Side Story” soundtrack album, and a 1983 Daytime Emmy for music for TV’s “All My Children.”
Ramin’s musical career encompassed every aspect of show business. He started in the early days of live television, arranging for Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theatre” from 1948 to 1956. “There was no second take,” Ramin once reminisced about the insane pace of live TV. “What you did was on the air, good or bad.”
He began...
Ramin won a 1961 Academy Award for adapting the music of “West Side Story,” which he had originally orchestrated for composer Leonard Bernstein on Broadway in 1957 (with fellow arranger Irwin Kostal). He won a 1961 Grammy for the “West Side Story” soundtrack album, and a 1983 Daytime Emmy for music for TV’s “All My Children.”
Ramin’s musical career encompassed every aspect of show business. He started in the early days of live television, arranging for Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theatre” from 1948 to 1956. “There was no second take,” Ramin once reminisced about the insane pace of live TV. “What you did was on the air, good or bad.”
He began...
- 7/3/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
We asked, and you answered As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the classic musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum just celebrated the anniversary of its opening night on Broadway To celebrate, we asked BroadwayWorld readers to name the stars that they would love to see take on the iconic role of Pseudolus. Check out some of your most popular answers below...
- 5/10/2019
- by Linnae Medeiros
- BroadwayWorld.com
The one and only Tony Walton, one of Broadway's most innovating and influential set designers, invites Rob and Kevin into his apartment to look back on his career which includes the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy, and designing such musicals as the original A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Golden Boy, The Apple Tree, Pippin, Chicago, Grand Hotel, Six Degrees of Separation, revivals of Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, and such movies as Murder on the Orient Express, All That Jazz, and Mary Poppins...
- 2/28/2019
- by Behind the Curtain
- BroadwayWorld.com
Nathan Lane is officially the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Showtime series “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,” Variety has learned.
Lane will play Lewis Michener. A veteran officer in the Lapd, wise to the ways of the world and ruthless in pursuit of his goals, Lewis becomes the partner and mentor of fellow cop Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto). In addition to Zovatto, Lane joins a cast that already includes Natalie Dormer, Jessica Garza and Johnathan Nieves
A veteran of stage and screen, Lane has won three Tony Awards during his career for “The Producers,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” and “Angels in America.” He has also been nominated for six Emmy Awards for guest starring roles on shows including “Frasier” and “Modern Family.” Lane’s recent TV credits also include “American Crime Story: The People v. Oj Simpson,” “Difficult People,” and “The Good Wife.
Lane will play Lewis Michener. A veteran officer in the Lapd, wise to the ways of the world and ruthless in pursuit of his goals, Lewis becomes the partner and mentor of fellow cop Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto). In addition to Zovatto, Lane joins a cast that already includes Natalie Dormer, Jessica Garza and Johnathan Nieves
A veteran of stage and screen, Lane has won three Tony Awards during his career for “The Producers,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” and “Angels in America.” He has also been nominated for six Emmy Awards for guest starring roles on shows including “Frasier” and “Modern Family.” Lane’s recent TV credits also include “American Crime Story: The People v. Oj Simpson,” “Difficult People,” and “The Good Wife.
- 2/26/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Director Bryan Forbes tries his hand at comedy. His nostalgic Victorian farce features an eclectic choice of Brit stars — established greats John Mills & Ralph Richardson, the freshly-minted Michael Caine, reigning jester Peter Sellers and even a debut for the collegiate pranksters Peter Cook & Dudley Moore. It’s a beaut of a production with a charming John Barry music score… but the result yields more indulgent smiles than out-and-out laughs.
The Wrong Box
Region A+B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1966 / Color / 1:75 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date November 23, 2018 / available from Amazon UK / £14.99
Starring: John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Nanette Newman, Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Lawson, Thorley Walters, Gerald Sim, Irene Handl, Norman Bird, John Le Mesurier, Norman Rossington, Diane Clare, Tutte Lemkow, Charles Bird, Vanda Godsell, Jeremy Lloyd, James Villiers, Graham Stark, Dick Gregory, Valentine Dyall, Leonard Rossiter, André Morell, Temperance Seven, Andrea Allan, Juliet Mills.
Cinematography:...
The Wrong Box
Region A+B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1966 / Color / 1:75 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date November 23, 2018 / available from Amazon UK / £14.99
Starring: John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Nanette Newman, Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Lawson, Thorley Walters, Gerald Sim, Irene Handl, Norman Bird, John Le Mesurier, Norman Rossington, Diane Clare, Tutte Lemkow, Charles Bird, Vanda Godsell, Jeremy Lloyd, James Villiers, Graham Stark, Dick Gregory, Valentine Dyall, Leonard Rossiter, André Morell, Temperance Seven, Andrea Allan, Juliet Mills.
Cinematography:...
- 2/16/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Nathan Lane will celebrate his 63rd birthday on February 3, 2019. The actor has spent the majority of his career on Broadway and the New York theater, but he has also had a good run on television and in film.
Lane worked his way up through the ranks of off-Broadway and regional theater prior to making his Broadway debut in 1983. The actor was born Joe Lane, but he changed it to Nathan because another actor had already claimed his birth one in the unions. He chose the name because one of his favorite roles was that of Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls,” a part which would earn him his first Tony nomination in 1992. He would go on to win three Tony Awards in his Broadway career: two as Best Actor in a Musical for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1996 and “The Producers” in 2001; and a...
Lane worked his way up through the ranks of off-Broadway and regional theater prior to making his Broadway debut in 1983. The actor was born Joe Lane, but he changed it to Nathan because another actor had already claimed his birth one in the unions. He chose the name because one of his favorite roles was that of Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls,” a part which would earn him his first Tony nomination in 1992. He would go on to win three Tony Awards in his Broadway career: two as Best Actor in a Musical for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1996 and “The Producers” in 2001; and a...
- 2/3/2019
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Nathan Lane will celebrate his 63rd birthday on February 3, 2019. The actor has spent the majority of his career on Broadway and the New York theater, but he has also had a good run on television and in film.
Lane worked his way up through the ranks of off-Broadway and regional theater prior to making his Broadway debut in 1983. The actor was born Joe Lane, but he changed it to Nathan because another actor had already claimed his birth one in the unions. He chose the name because one of his favorite roles was that of Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls,” a part which would earn him his first Tony nomination in 1992. He would go on to win three Tony Awards in his Broadway career: two as Best Actor in a Musical for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1996 and “The Producers” in 2001; and a...
Lane worked his way up through the ranks of off-Broadway and regional theater prior to making his Broadway debut in 1983. The actor was born Joe Lane, but he changed it to Nathan because another actor had already claimed his birth one in the unions. He chose the name because one of his favorite roles was that of Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls,” a part which would earn him his first Tony nomination in 1992. He would go on to win three Tony Awards in his Broadway career: two as Best Actor in a Musical for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1996 and “The Producers” in 2001; and a...
- 2/2/2019
- by Robert Pius, Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
As we’re now about halfway through the Broadway season, there are currently eight productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below, we recap the plot of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, creative types, the opening, and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Choir Boy” (opens January 8; closes March 10)
In this new play by Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, the story centers on the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, which for a half a century has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. One talented student has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the school’s legendary gospel choir. But can he make his way through the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key?...
“Choir Boy” (opens January 8; closes March 10)
In this new play by Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, the story centers on the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, which for a half a century has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. One talented student has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the school’s legendary gospel choir. But can he make his way through the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key?...
- 1/29/2019
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
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