Bobby Cannavale to Star in First Staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Final Musical, “Here We Are”

Bobby Cannavale is here

The 53-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor will star in Here We Are, the first production of Stephen Sondheim’s final musical.

Bobby CannavaleCannavale is among a roster of cast members that include Francois BattisteTracie BennettMicaela DiamondAmber GrayJin HaRachel Bay JonesDenis O’HareSteven PasqualeDavid Hyde Pierce and Jeremy Shamos are set for the show, which will make its world premiere on September 28 for a limited Off Broadway engagement at The Shed.

Sondheim’s final, long-awaited musical will be directed by two-time Tony winner Joe Mantello.

Formerly known as Square One, the final musical composed by Sondheim before his death in 2021 features a book by David Ives and is inspired by the two films The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel by Luis Buñuel.

Executive Producers for Here We Are are Sue Wagner, John Johnson and Jillian Robbins, and the musical will be co-presented by The Shed; Artistic Director Alex Poots, President and COO Maryann Jordan, and Chief Executive Producer Madani Younis.

Here We Are will be the latest in a string of Sondheim musicals to receive New York stagings since the Broadway legend’s death, including Company and Into the Woods. Sweeney Todd is currently in previews on Broadway, and revival of Merrily We Roll Along will begin Broadway previews in September.

Shortly before his death, Sondheim appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and confirmed that the musical, then called Square One, was being readied for staging. He told Colbert that he’d been working on the musical for “a couple of years.” A workshop was held in 2016, and Nathan Lane said in 2021 that he Bernadette Peters had recently participated in a reading of the musical.

Camila Cabello to Take Part in “Concert For Ukraine” to Raise Money for the People of Ukraine

Camila Cabello is helping raise money for the people of the war-ravaged Ukraine…

The 25-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony member is among an all-star group of artists coming together for a special telethon to raise money for the embattled people of Ukraine.

Camila CabelloThe March 29th Concert For Ukraine is slated to take place at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.

Along with Cabello and her “Bam Bam” collaborator Ed Sheeran, the event will also feature sets from Emeli SandéGregory Porter and Snow Patrol, with more acts to be added soon.

The live two-hour special will raise funds for humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine, who have been under relentless attack by Russian forces since Vladimir Putin started a war with the former Soviet satellite country nearly three weeks ago.

The broadcast will air on ITV, STV, ITV Hub and the STV Player in a collaboration with the Disasters Emergency Committee, with the goal of spreading a message of “hope and support, and most importantly, raising funds for the ongoing DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal,” according to a statement.

“I will be singing to try to help every innocent human being forced to flee their home and in solidarity with those being racially discriminated against even within this humanitarian crisis,” said Sandé in a statement. “Nobody should be refused access to relief, aid and the right to cross the border to safety, and I’m pleased for the chance to support the DEC’s appeal to help all people whose lives have been affected by the conflict.”

All sponsorship and advertising revenue generated from the broadcast — expected to raise nearly $4 million — will be donated by ITV to the DEC appeal. Tickets for the event are available here.

The ITV event will take place just three days after another star-studded fundraiser for the people of Ukraine, who have bravely battled relentless bombardment from Russian forces accused of war crimes in the one-sided invasion that has reportedly hit a number of civilian targets.

Rosie Perez, Steve Martin, Annette BeningBilly PorterAudra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce have signed up for the 10-hour telethon Stars in the Housewhich will air on Saturday, March 26 from noon-10 p.m. ET. The special can be viewed and listened to on the series’ site, the Stars in the House YouTube channel, as well as SiriusXM Stars109.

Rosie Perez to Take Part in “Stars in the House” Telethon to Benefit Victims of the War in Ukraine

Rosie Perez is helping raise money for the people of the Ukraine

The 57-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress is among an all-star roster of film, television and theater performers who’ve signed up for a 10-hour telethon to raise money for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

Rosie PerezEntitled “Stars in the House,”the special will air on Saturday, March 26 from noon-10:00 pm Eastern.

In addition to Perez, the other celebrities scheduled to appear on the telethon include Steve Martin, Annette BeningBilly PorterAudra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin, as well as Tituss Burgess, Kelli O’Hara, Donna Murphy, Annaleigh Ashford, Jessie Mueller, Josh Groban, Judith Light, John Stamos, Lindsay Mendez, Laura Benanti, Norman Lear, Betty Buckley, Mandy Patinkin, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Wilson, Shoshana Bean, James Monroe Iglehart, Brittney Johnson, Santino Fontana, Judy Kuhn and Norbert Leo Butz.

The event also hopes to feature Ukrainians, including Oleg Karpenko, a Ukrainian theater and film actor who co-starred with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Servant of the People.

The special can be viewed and listened to on the series’ site, the Stars in the House YouTube channel, as well as SiriusXM Stars109.

Donations made during the event will benefit the International Rescue Committee and its humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Stars in the House is a live-streamed concert series created by SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley that has raised over $1 million for the Actors Fund’s COVID-19 relief program and other nonprofits.

It’s just one way the theater community has tried to help Ukrainians: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awarded $300,000 in emergency grants to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and a portion of ticket sales for “The Minutes” will go to Save the Children’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

Ariana DeBose to Appear on Season Finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s On Demand Streaming Talk Show “Crossovers Live!”

Ariana DeBose is preparing for a crossover

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer will be a guest on the season finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s on demand streaming talk show Crossovers Live!.

Ariana DeBose

DeBose will appear along side fellow Broadway star Audra McDonald.

Portions of ticket sales for the live show will benefit The Actors Fund.

The season holiday finale episode is set for Monday, December 20 at 8:00 pm ET.

A Stellar Original presentation in association with Atomic Focus EntertainmentCrossovers Live! was created and will be directed by Tom Wiggin, and is designed to showcase performers who have made the jump from stage to film, television or music.

Since the monthly series debuted last June, Crossovers Live!, hosted by Mitchell, has featured such guests as Vanessa Williams, Daniel J. Watts, Marc Shaiman, Megan Hilty, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce.

Blending candid interviews, rare footage and various surprises, the series is livestreamed in New York City and also available on demand. Ticket info is available here, with a minimum of 10% of net proceeds benefiting The Actors Fund.

DeBose made her television debut competing on So You Think You Can Dance and her Broadway debut in the musical Bring It On. Other Broadway credits have included Motown: The Musical, the revival of PippinA Bronx Tale and as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a Tony Award nomination.

On film and television, she appeared in the filmed version of Hamilton, Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Broadway musical The Prom, and most recently in Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!.

She’ll soon be seen on the big screen as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story.