Jezebel: Broadway

Children's Theater Production of Hairspray Obliviously Features Skinny White Kids

Erin Gloria Ryan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST

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Dear John Waters, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but figured that if you didn't hear it from me, someone else would tell you the tragedy that has befallen your beloved civil rights/self acceptance/ dancing musical masterpiece Hairspray. Are you sitting down? Good. More »

OMFG Here's Your First Look At Newsies On Broadway

Whitney Jefferson — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:50:00 EDT

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Ladyboner alert: Disney has released this behind-the-scenes look at the Broadway cast of Newsies. Yes, it'll be weird to see someone other than a young Christian Bale in the role of Jack Kelly, but how wonderful would it be to see our favorite early-90s Disney period piece done live? Very wonderful. More »

Sandra Bullock's Ex Involved in Race Crash

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:35:00 EST

Yes, I thought Jesse James had gotten himself into more Nazi uniform-related trouble when I read the headline, too, but it turns out that he was involved in an errant car race, not in the more-expected racism. More »

Lilly Awards Honor Female Theater Artists

Katy Kelleher — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:40:00 EDT

In response to the dearth of women at the Tonys, a group of artists held the first ever Lilly Awards on Sunday. "Whining does no good, so we decided to give a party," said Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman. [Variety] More »

She's A Character

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:50:00 EST

[New York, January 24. Image via Splash.]

Focus On The Family: The Women Of Fela!

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:20:00 EST

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Can you watch a show about a man with 27 wives and not think it's sexist? You can if it's Fela! More »

All That Jazz

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:50:00 EST

[New York, November 30. Image via WENN.]

Coming To Broadway: Bring It On: The Musical

Dodai Stewart — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:40:00 EDT

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Word is, the show will have an entirely new storyline, but still center around competitive cheerleading. The team putting the musical together have worked on In The Heights and Avenue Q… But will there be spirit fingers?!?!? [Variety] More »

Unscripted

Sadie Stein — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EDT

A new study, "Opening the Curtain on Playwright Gender," explores the under-representation of female playwrights on Broadway, despite their history of success. "This study will probably change the way we read scripts," says one director. [New York] More »

Bea Season

Anna Holmes — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:20:00 EDT

It's official: Actress Bea Arthur, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 86, will be honored tonight when Broadway theaters dim their lights at 8pm in honor of the stage star. [NY Times] More »

9 To 5 Scores Perfect 15

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:40:00 EDT

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9 to 5, the Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, received 15 Drama Desk nominations, beating the previous record of 14. Awards will be presented on May 17. [Reuters] More »

SNL Attempts To Save Broadway

Hortense Smith — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST

On last night's Saturday Night Live, the cast came together in a very silly skit to address the troubled state of Broadway. Bill Hader's Music Man alone makes this a gem. Clip after the jump. More »

Boop On Broadway

Maria — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:45:00 EST

Are you ready for Betty Boop: The Musical? Producers have announced that they'll be creating a musical about the cartoon character, based on the popular animated shorts from the 1930s and featuring music by David Foster, who has written songs for Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. We figure the producers think that since Betty already wiggled her way through rough times before, she should fare well in our current economic climate. [NY Times] More »

Female playwrights frustrated by the small...

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Female playwrights frustrated by the small number of plays in production and written by women for the 2008-9 season are holding a meeting tonight to air their grievances with representatives of leading theaters. Playwrights Sarah Schulman and Julia Jordan say that plays by men are being produced in Off Broadway theaters at 4 times the rate of plays by women. The problem is even worse on Broadway, where not a single play currently running was written by a woman. “I personally don’t think playwriting is a gene on a Y chromosome,” says playwright Theresa Rebeck. "Many of our male peers find the debate intolerable. Men in the community seem to think that everything is fine.” [NY Times] More »

Sussudio

Dodai Stewart — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Powersuits, nail guns, rubber gloves, blood? Four words: American Psycho: The Musical! An adaptation of the novel-turned-movie with '80s-tinged music is in development, reports Variety. The Wall Street serial killer story is headed to Broadway. Yeah, yeah, we know: You want to see Christian Bale naked. The pic at left is the best we could do. [Variety] More »

The Little Mermaid On Broadway: It's A Sinker

Jennifer — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:30:00 EST

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The Little Mermaid is one of best Disney movies. Sure, it's mildly demeaning to women, with a heroine who literally loses her voice and all, but you gotta love villianess Ursula the Sea Witch (Bitch). And also, the music rocks: Who amongst us does not know every single word to "Part of Your World"? [Me. -Ed.] Well, there's now a Broadway musical adaptation of the film, and, if the critics are piling on. (Frankly, it's a wonder they managed to write any reviews, considering they seemed to be banging their heads against their Playbills at the show's opening last night). Their takes, after the jump. More »

Not-so-early-riser Chaka Khan on winning...

Anna Holmes — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:45:00 EST

Not-so-early-riser Chaka Khan on winning the role of "Sofia" in the Broadway production of The Color Purple: "I met with [the producers] at some ungodly hour of the morning. Probably around noon. I was a complete bitch at the interview, and it only made them want me more. They said, 'You're perfect!'" [NY Times] More »

When Teens Go To Broadway Shows, Broadway Shows Start To Suck

Jennifer — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:30:00 EDT

Move over Noel Coward. And Stephen Sondheim. And Clive James. The most influential Broadway tastemakers today? Tween girls. Yes, the same demographic that drives the success of High School Musical and Hannah Montana is now the directional force in American theatre. With the runaway success of Wicked, which was adopted by adolescent girls as a favorite (despite the fact that it was never marketed to them to begin with), theatre producers are now trying to sell — and re-sell — the oldest, hackneyed, already-seen stories wrapped in some pretty, sparkly (and deceptive) packaging. See: Legally Blonde: The Musical, the number of "American Idol" losers currently having runs on The Great White Way, and the current workshopping of Clueless: The Musical. More »

Xanadu: It's Alive

Jennifer — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:18:06 EDT

Take that, Gawker Media video lads! The rest of the world (well, except for that grumpy Clive Barnes at the NY Post) agrees with us: Xanadu: The Musical is a hit on wheels. What the critics had to say, after the jump. More »

An Echo From Long Ago...

Jennifer — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:59:01 EDT

This morning the peeps over at Gawker HQ alerted us to a video segment that aired on ABC News on the latest movie-cum-musical to hit Broadway, Xanadu, thinking it would be something we'd want to mock. Clearly, they don't know fuck-all about us, because if there's one thing we love as much as the cult 80's film (Anna's dad took her to see it, uh, four times) featuring Olivia Newton-John, an amazing E.L.O. score, and roller-skating is a Broadway musical version of said movie, involving an actress actively doing an Olivia Newton-John impression (yes!) , that amazing E.L.O. score, and roller-skating. In fact, we were lucky enough to catch a preview of the show this weekend (it opens officially tonight) and we've been glowing ever since. After the jump, a completely and totally-biased rave review. More »

Judging The 'Gay Super Bowl'

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:00:37 EDT

The Tony Awards (otherwise known as the "Gay Super Bowl") were last night and, of course, we just had to comment on the clothes. The play-by-play, after the jump. More »