Lindsay Mendez’s “Merrily We Roll Along” Broadway Cast Recording Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums Chart

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez is back on top of the charts…

The new Broadway cast recording of Merrily We Roll Along, featuring the 40-year-old Mexican American Broadway singer/actress, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart dated November 25.

In addition to Mendez, the musical also stars Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff, who have all been part of at least one top 10-charting Cast Album previously. (Groff, notably, performs on both the Nos. 1 and 2 titles on the latest Cast Albums chart – as Merrily We Roll Along bumps Hamilton: An American Musical from the top slot down to No. 2.)

Billboard’s Top Cast Albums chart ranks the top-selling musical cast recordings of the week in the U.S., based on traditional album sales, as tracked by Luminate. The new Cast Albums chart dated November 25 reflects the sales week ending November 16.

Merrily We Roll Along has music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim, with a book by George Furth, based on the play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1981 for a brief run, and the 2023 production is its first revival on Broadway. It’s slated to run through March 24, 2024.

The new iteration began off-Broadway in 2022 at the New York Theatre Workshop, with the same leading cast, and played through January 22, 2023. It then began previews on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre on September 19, and officially opened on October 10.

Mendez has appeared on five top 10-charting sets on Cast Albums: Grease (the new 2007 Broadway cast recording, No. 4), Everyday Rapture (original Broadway cast recording; No. 8, 2010), Dogfight (original cast recording; No. 2, 2013), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel (2018 Broadway cast recording; No. 2, 2013), Godspell (the new 2012 Broadway cast recording; No. 1) and now Merrily We Roll Along.

Mendez also scored a Grammy nomination for best musical theater album, for Carousel.

Lindsay Mendez Starring in Ryan Murphy’s FX Anthology Series “American Sports Story”

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez is getting in the game…

The 40-year-old Mexican American Broadway singer/actress has been cast as a series regular alongside Josh Andrés Rivera and Patrick Schwarzenegger in Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology American Sports Story.

American Sports Story, a new extension of Murphy’s “American Story” franchise, is a scripted anthological limited series focusing on a prominent event involving a sports figure and re-examines it through the prism of today’s world, telling that story from multiple perspectives.

The first installment, written by Stu Zicherman, is based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from the Boston Globe and Wondery.

It charts the rise and fall of NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez, played by Rivera, and explores the connections of the disparate strands of his identity, his family, his career, his suicide, and their legacy in sports and American culture. Schwarzenegger portrays Hernandez’s friend, former college teammate and fellow former NFL star Tim Tebow.

Mendez plays Tanya Singleton, Aaron’s cousin and favorite relative who becomes his de-facto mother.

Mendez, a Tony Award winner for Carousel, is currently back on Broadway top-lining the praised revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll along opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff.

She most recently was a series regular on the Warner Bros. series All Rise for CBS and then OWN.

Lindsay Mendez’s Broadway Revival of “Merrily We Roll Along” Breaks House Record at Hudson Theater

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez’s latest production is breaking records…

Broadway‘s starry Merrily We Roll Along revival, starring the 40-year-old Mexican American Broadway singer/actress, has reported another strong run of previews last week, grossing a hefty $1,471,644 and setting another house record at the Hudson Theatre.

The Stephen Sondheim–George Furth musical starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Mendez topped the venue’s previous seven-performance record of $1,431,543, held by David Byrne’s American Utopia.

Merrily We Roll Along was the only show on the boards officially filling all its seats for the week ending October 1.

Hamilton was a virtual sell out, with 99.7% of seats filled (and a gross of $1,776,084), and The Lion King was at 99.4% of capacity at the Minskoff (grossing $1,923,263, even with a TDF reduced-rate Sensory Friendly matinee on October 1).

Two productions opened last week: Purlie Victorious, grossing $358,336 at the Music Box, and Melissa Etheridge: My Window taking $179,113 at Circle in the Square. Press and opening night comps no doubt took a bite into receipts.

In all, the 26 Broadway productions took in $23,116,749 for the week, a small 3% increase over the previous week. Attendance for the week held steady at 199,458. Average ticket price was $115.90.

Season to date, Broadway has grossed $543,413,435 with total attendance of 4,477,657 at 88% of capacity.

All figures courtesy of The Broadway League.

Opening Night for Broadway Revival of Stephen Sondheim & George Furth’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” Starring Lindsay Mendez Set for October

Posted on September 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez is rolling along toward opening night…

An official opening night date has been set for the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along, starring the 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer and Broadway star.

Following the previously announced September 19 preview launch, the opening night for the revival will be Tuesday, October 10 at the Hudson Theatre.

The first, star-packed Broadway revival of Sondheim and Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along has extended its engagement by two months, giving ticket buyers until March 24, 2024 to see the production featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Mendez.

Performances begin Tuesday, September 19 at the Hudson Theatre. The original closing date was January 21, 2024. The extension was announced this week by producers Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo and Jeff Romley, who cited popular demand as the reason for the longer run.

Directed by Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along features music & lyrics by Sondheim, a book by Furth, and is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart. Radcliffe plays Charley Kringas, Groff is Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez is Mary Flynn.

Additionally, the production will feature Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson.

The cast will also include Max Rackenberg, Brady Wagner, Sherz Aletaha, Maya Boyd, Leana Rae Concepcion, Morgan Kirner, Ken Krugman, Corey Mach, Talia Robinson, Amanda Rose, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Brian Sears, Evan Alexander Smith, Christian Strange, Koray Tarhan, Vishal Vaidya, Natalie Wachen and Jacob Keith Watson.

The production began a sold-out run Off Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in 2022 after engagements at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory and an Olivier Award-winning West End transfer.

Lindsay Mendez’s Revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” to Open on Broadway in September

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez will be rolling along in September…

The upcoming Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Merrily We Roll Along starring the 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress and singer, Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff will play its first performance at the Hudson Theatre on Tuesday, September 19, producers have announced.

Directed by Maria Friedman, the production played a sold-out Off Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop last year. The preview date for the strictly limited, 18-week Broadway engagement was announced by producers Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo and Jeff Romley.

Merrily We Roll Along features music and lyrics by Sondheim, a book by George Furth, and is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart. The revival is choreographed by Tim Jackson

In addition to the previously announced stars (Radcliffe will play Charley Kringas; Groff, Franklin Shepard; and Mendez, Mary Flynn), the production will feature Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. The cast will also include Sherz Aletaha, Leana Rae Concepcion, Morgan Kirner, Corey Mach, Talia Robinson, Amanda Rose, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Brian Sears, Evan Alexander Smith, Christian Strange, Koray Tarhan, Vishal Vaidya, Natalie Wachen, and Jacob Keith Watson.

Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts “the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley.” The production describes the musical as an “inventive cult-classic ahead of its time” featuring such Sondheim songs as the title number, “Old Friends,” “Not a Day Goes By,” and “Our Time.”

The musical, considered one of Sondheim’s trickiest to stage due to its reverse-chronology plot, also is being developed as a film – unrelated to the Broadway production – by Richard Linklater and set to star Ben Platt, Paul Mescal and Beanie Feldstein. Like Linklater’s 2014 film Boyhood, Merrily will be filmed over the course of more than a decade.

Hulu Renews Chris Estrada’s “This Fool” for Second Season

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Chris Estrada will be fooling around a little longer…

Hulu has renewed This Fool, starring the Latino comedy writer and actor, for a second season.

This Fool is a half-hour comedy set in working-class South Central Los Angeles. The show centers around Julio Lopez (Estrada), a 30-year-old who still lives at home, has been dating his girlfriend (Michelle Ortiz) on and off since high school, and finds any excuse to avoid dealing with his own problems. Julio works at Hugs Not Thugs, a gang rehabilitation non-profit, where he butts heads with his older cousin Luis (Frankie Quiñones), an ex-gang member who just got out of prison and moved in with Julio and his family.

The cast also includes Laura Patalano, Julia Vera and Michael Imperioli.

The first season premiered on August 12 and all 10 episodes are now streaming on Hulu.

This Fool is written and executive produced by Estrada, Pat Bishop, Jake Weisman and Matt Ingebretson. Jonathan Groff and Fred Armisen also serve as executive producers on the series. It’s a Hulu Original series from ABC Signature.

The second season will also consist of 10 episodes.

Lindsay Mendez to Star in Off-Broadway Revival of “Merrily We Roll Along”

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez is rolling along…

The 39-year-old half-Mexican American actress, singer and Broadway star has been cast in the highly anticipated off-Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along.

Mendez will play Mary and Jonathan Groff will play Franklin in the project, which will begin previews at New York Theatre Workshop on November 21 ahead of an official opening night on December 12.

The run is scheduled through January 8.

With a score by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, Merrily We Roll Along is based on a play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, and features classic songs like “Old Friends,” “Not a Day Goes By,” and “Our Time.”

It tells the story of a trio of creative friends making their way in New York, and is famously told in reverse chronology.

Mendez won the “triple crown” (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards) for her performance in the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel.

Mendez and Groff join the previously announced Daniel Radcliffe, who stars as Charley.

Presented in a special arrangement with Sonia Friedman Productions, the Menier Chocolate Factory (Artistic Director David Babani), and Patrick Catullo, Merrily We Roll Along will be directed by Maria Friedman and choreographed by Tim Jackson.

The creative team for Merrily We Roll Along will include Catherine Jayes as music supervisor and Alvin Hough, Jr. as music director, with scenic & costume design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, and sound design by Kai Harada.

Dave Anzuelo will serve as fight & intimacy director, with Jhanaë K-C Bonnick as stage manager.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, September 21, at noon ET.

Hulu Gives Series Order to Chris Estrada’s Comedy “The Fool”

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Chris Estrada is foolin’ around…

Hulu has given the Latino actor/comedian’s comedy This Fool, formerly known as Punk Ass Bitch, a series order.

Earlier this year, Hulu piloted the project, which is written and exec produced by Estrada and Jake Weisman, Matt Ingebretson and Pat Bishop with Fred Arminsen and Black-ish EP Jonathan Groff also executive producing.

The series stars rising Latino comedian Estrada as Julio Lopez, a self-described “punk ass bitch” who still lives at home and goes out of his way to help everyone but himself.

The half-hour series sees Lopez work at a gang-rehabilitation non-profit and his quest to overcome his codependency issues with his family as he navigates working class life in South Central Los Angeles. It is produced by ABC Signature. Frankie Quinones and Michelle Ortiz are set as series regulars.

Jordan Helman, who was recently appointed as head of scripted content at Hulu, told Deadline that This Fool, along with Love, Victor and drama pilot Olga Dies Dreaming, was part of its strategy to beef up its Latinx programming. “[We want] to ensure that we are reflecting our programming to the nature of the country,” he said.

“Breaking out new and distinct voices continues to be a hallmark of Hulu Original programming, and we are incredibly excited to add Chris Estrada to our roster of multi-hyphenate creators and to bring This Fool to our viewers,” added Craig Erwich, President Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment.

Frankie Quinones to Star in Hulu’s Comedy Pilot “Punk Ass Bitch”

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Frankie Quinones is in a real punk…

The Mexican actor/comedian has been cast alongside Michelle Ortiz as series regulars in Punk Ass Bitch, Hulu’s half-hour comedy pilot starring up-and-coming comedian Chris Estrada and produced by ABC Signature.

Written by Estrada and Jake Weisman, Matt Ingebretson and Pat Bishop, with Jonathan Groff supervising, Punk Ass Bitch is based on Estrada’s comedy and reflects his Latino identity.

It’s inspired by Estrada’s life in South Central Los Angeles and nearby Inglewood, where, by his own recollection, he spent his formative years running from loose pit bulls, getting robbed, and geeking out over comic books and punk rock.

The series centers on Julio Lopez (Estrada), a punk-ass bitch with a heart of gold who goes out of his way to help everyone but himself. Inspired by the life and stand-up comedy of star, co-creator and real-life punk ass bitch Estrada, the cinematic half-hour comedy explores Julio’s attempts to better his community, overcome his codependency issues with his family and navigate working class life in South Central.

Quinones plays Luis, a tatted up gangster who’s just finished eight years in prison, tough, aggressive, macho, yet immature. He’s not just a hard ex-gangster, he’s someone who also has not grown up yet emotionally.

Ortiz portrays Maggie. Feisty, strong-willed and fierce, Maggie is Julio’s ex, and it’s clear that they still have a spark and hang out together even though they both drive each other crazy.

Estrada executive produces with Fred Armisen, Groff, under his overall deal at ABC Signature, Weisman, Ingebretson and Bishop.

The pilot will be directed by Bishop, who directed all episodes of the Comedy Central series Corporate. Bishop and his Corporate collaborators Weisman and Ingebretson will serve as showrunners.

Quinones was a series regular in TBS comedy series The Dress Up Gang. He also was a member of the voice cast in Victor & Valentino and guest-starred on The Guest Book, among other credits.

Ortiz was a series regular on MADtv. She was most recently seen in recurring roles in Gentefied and Tacoma F.D., and she previously guest-starred on Mom.

Gina Rodriguez to Star On Netflix’s Live-Action/Animation Hybrid Family Series “Lost Ollie”

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is getting lost in her work…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress has been cast in Netflix’s Lost Ollie, a live-action/animation hybrid family series based on William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg’s book Ollie’s Odyssey.

Rodriguez, who rose to acclaim on Jane The Virgin, will star opposite Jonathan Groff, Mary J. Blige, Tim Blake Nelson, Jake Johnson and Kesler Talbot in a mix of live action and voice roles in the series from Shannon Tindle, Peter Ramsey, producer Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment and Industrial Light & Magic.

Created, adapted and executive produced by Tindle, Lost Ollie follows a lost toy, searching across the countryside for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend.

Groff will voice Ollie, a handmade toy rabbit stitched together from odds and ends. Ollie has a pure spirit with a heart of gold and never ruins a chance to make friends. He’s been best friends with Billy since forever, until one day he ends up in a resale shop with no way home. Though he’s often afraid of the unknown, Ollie puts on a brave face and sets off to find Billy, meeting other toys to help him along the way.

Rodriguez will play Momma. Billy’s mother Sharon is a loving woman who inspires creativity and imagination in her son. She makes sure to cherish their time together, teaching Billy all the things he’ll need to know to find happiness in the future.

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