Tag Archives: Broadway

Auli’i Cravalho to Make Broadway Debut as a New Lead in “Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club”

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Auli’i Cravalho will be spending her nights at the Kit-Kat Club.

The 23-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress/singer, who rose to acclaim as the lead of the voice cast of Disney’s Moana, and American Idol alum Adam Lambert  will step in the respective roles of Sally Bowles and Emcee in Broadway‘s Cabaret revival on September 16.

Auli’i CravalhoTheir limited engagement runs through March 30.

Gayle Rankin and Eddie Redmayne will give their final performances as Bowles and Emcee in the Tony-nominated Kander-and-Ebb musical two nights earlier.

“I’m thrilled to join the long line of talented women who have taken on the iconic Sally Bowles,’ most recently, the woman I watched with notebook and pen in hand, the dynamite Gayle Rankin,” said Cravalho in a statement. “To join a show with so much history—and such a stellar cast and crew—means it’s quite literally an honor to get my butt kicked each week.”

Lambert added, “Growing up on the musical theater stage, it was always a childhood dream to perform on Broadway. With this production of Cabaret, it finally felt like the right time to accept an invitation to make my debut. The themes of this show have always resonated with me and given the current sociopolitical climate the world is in, feel eerily timely.”

Officially titled Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club, the show moved to Broadway in April from London’s West End, where it dominated the 2022 Olivier Awards. It went on to score nine Tony nominations including Best Revival of a Musical, later winning for Tom Scutt’s scenic design.

The current Cabaret cast also includes Bebe Neuwirth, Ato Blankson-Wood, Steven Skybell, Henry Gottfried and Natascia Diaz.

Cameron Diaz to Star in DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek 5”

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Cameron Diaz is seeing green…

A fifth Shrek film is in the works, with the the 51-year-old Cuban American actress and fellow stars Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy set to return, per DreamWorks Animation.

Cameron Diaz“Not too Far, Far Away…” wrote a spokesperson for the studio on X. “@Shrek 5 is coming to theaters on July 1, 2026 with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz.”

Walt Dohrn, who worked on the second and third films as a writer and artist and as Head of Story on the fourth film, will direct Shrek 5.

Gina Shay is returning to produce alongside Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri, with Brad Ableson co-directing.

ShrekMurphy hinted that the project was in motion in a video interview with Collider just last month. “We started doing Shrek four or five months ago,” he said. “I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year. We’ll finish it up.” In that interview, Murphy let slip that his character Donkey, the trusty sidekick of Myers’ ogre Shrek, also will be getting his own spinoff movie.

One of DreamWorks’ most celebrated animated franchises, Shrek is based on the 1990 picture book from writer and cartoonist William Steig. The franchise kicked off with the 2001 film that introduced viewers to Shrek, an ogre embarking on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona (Diaz).

Winning the first Oscar for Best Animated Feature and grossing more than $488 million worldwide, the original film’s success paved the way to sequels Shrek 2 (2004), where Shrek meets Fiona’s parents, and Shrek the Third (2007), which follows Shrek’s journey to find the next heir to the throne.

The fourth installment, Shrek Forever After (2010), explores Shrek’s midlife crisis and his wish to erase his past.

The franchise also includes the spin-off Puss in Boots (2011), starring Antonio Banderas as the swashbuckling feline, and its sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which was Oscar-nominated and grossed $481M globally upon its December 2022 debut.

The first four Shrek films have earned more than $2.9 billion worldwide, spawning a global live-touring show, a Broadway musical that earned eight Tony nominations and 12 Drama Desk nominations, plus an immersive tourist destination in London and popular events and attractions across Universal Destinations & Experiences’ theme parks.

Sergio Trujillo to Direct & Choreograph The Broadway-Bound “Studio 54 The Musical”

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It’s a disco inferno for Sergio Trujillo…

The 61-year-old Colombian Tony Award-winning theater director, choreographer, dancer and actor will direct and choreograph the Broadway-bound Studio 54 The Musical.

Sergio TrujilloProducers Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron are developing the new work with a book by Chad Hodge.

The musical, which will feature a full playlist of hits from the disco era, will trace “the astonishing ascent and sudden downfall of the most legendary club in nightlife history.”

“Neil Meron and I started talking about the amazing story of Studio 54 as a possible series years ago,” said Greenblatt in an exclusive statement to Deadline, “but we finally came to our senses and realized we had the perfect musical right under our noses.”

Add Meron, “And with book writer Chad Hodge and the incredible Sergio Trujillo, who came of age during the disco dance craze in Toronto and New York, we have the perfect team to bring it to life.”

Casting details and production schedule are to be announced.

The synopsis: “In staggeringly short order, two scrappy impresarios turned an abandoned west side theater into the hottest club in the history of New York– utterly transforming music, nightlife, and celebrity culture in the process. It also transformed the lives of everyone who made it past the door, whether for one extraordinary night or every night. Until it all abruptly came to an end. Studio 54 The Musical will bring audiences past the velvet rope and into a world of unfathomable decadence, set to the thumping sound of the most iconic disco hits of the 1970s and populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, all having the time of their lives. Welcome to Studio 54.”

The legendary disco nightclub was opened by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager in 1977 and quickly become a cultural sensation. Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Truman Capote, Bianca Jagger and countless other celebrities made the venue their nighttime home-away-from-home, along with New York City’s most fabulous collection of gay, straight and trans nightclubbers. The club on West 54th Street in Manhattan is currently a Broadway theater operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Trujillo has an impressive roster of Broadway credits, including Ain’t Too Proud, Memphis, Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, On Your Feet! and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

He was most recently Director/Choreographer of the new musical Real Women Have Curves, which debuted at American Repertory Theatre, and he served as choreographer for the upcoming movie musical Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Jennifer Lopez.

He was Emmy-nominated for his choreography for NBC’s Annie Live!

Olga Merediz to Star in A24’s Rom-Com “Eternity”

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Olga Merediz isn’t waiting an eternity to lock in her next project.

The 68-year-old Cuban actress and singer has joined the cast alongside John Early of A24’s Eternity.

Olga MeredizThe romantic comedy, in which people must decide who they want to spend eternity with, also stars Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

David Freyne is directing the movie; Pat Cunnane wrote the script, which appeared on the 2022 Black List.

A24 is financing and distributing the rom-com, as well as producing with Star Thrower Entertainment and its founders Trevor White and Tim White. The film is currently in production.

Merediz is best known for originating the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical In the Heights. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance, and she reprised the role in Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation.

Merediz also voiced a role in Disney’s animated musical hit Encanto, and her television credits include Orange Is the New Black and Shades of Blue.

Lindsay Mendez Earns Tony Awards Nod for “Merrily We Roll Along” Performance

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Lindsay Mendez is celebrating a special nomination…

This year’s Tony Award nominations have been revealed, with the 41-year-old half-Mexican American actress and singer, best known for her work in American musical theater, earning a nod.

Mendez, who previously won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a Broadway revival of Carousel, is up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her work in Merrily We Roll Along.

Mendez will compete against Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer in the category.

The 46-year-old half-Puerto Rican musical theatre actress and singer earned the nod for her work in the Broadway revival of Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Eden Espinosa is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category.

The 46-year-old Mexican American actress/singer earned the nod for her performance in Lempicka, the stage musical based on the life of Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka.

Other Latinx nominees include David Israel Reynoso for Best Costume Design of a Musical for Water for Elephants, Emilio Sosa for Best Costume Design of a Play for Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, Riccardo Hernández for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Lempicka and Kristoffer Diaz for Best Book of a Musical for Hell’s Kitchen.

The 77th Tony Awards will be held on June 16 at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in New York City, airing on CBS. Ariana DeBose will host for a third consecutive year.

Here’s the complete list of Tony Award nominees:

Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen
Producers: AK Worldwide Media, Inc., Roc Nation, DML Productions, Mandy Hackett, The Sunshine Group, Julie Yorn, The Jacobs Family, No Guarantees Productions, Front Row Productions, Sharpton Swindal Productions, Grove Entertainment, The Jaime Family, John Gore Organization, Terria Joseph, Andy Nahas, James L. Nederlander, Candy Spelling, Clara Wu Tsai, Universal Music Publishing, Independent Presenters Network, Della Pietra Spark Theatricals, Today Tix ARGU, Score 3 Partners, Aaron Lustbader, The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham

Illinoise
Producers: Orin Wolf, Seaview, John Styles, David Binder, Emily Blavatnik, Susan Rose, ArKtype/Thomas O. Kriegsmann, David F. Schwartz, Patrick Catullo, Jon B. Platt, Diamond & Melvin, Nelson & Tao, Ruth Hendel, Elysabeth Kleinhans, Ted & Mary Jo Shen, Putnam & Thau, Chase & F.K.R., GJJJM Productions, Steve & Leticia Trauber, Tim Forbes, John Gore Organization, James L. Nederlander, Park Avenue Armory, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Nate Koch, TT Partners, Fisher Center at Bard

The Outsiders
Producers: The Araca Group, American Zoetrope, Olympus Theatricals, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Angelina Jolie, Betsy Dollinger, Jonathan & Michelle Clay, Cristina Marie Vivenzio, The Shubert Organization, LaChanze & Marylee Fairbanks, Debra Martin Chase, Sony Music Masterworks, Jamestown Revival Theater, Jennifer & Jonathan Allan Soros, Tanninger Entertainment, Tamlyn Brooke Shusterman, Geffen Playhouse/Howard Tenenbaum/Linda B. Rubin, Kevin Ryan, Mistry Theatrical Ventures, Galt & Irvin Productions, Tulsa Clarks, Paul & Margaret Liljenquist, Bob & Claire Patterson, Voltron Global Media, James L. Nederlander, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, The John Gore Organization, Independent Presenters Network, Stephen Lindsay & Brett Sirota, Jeffrey Finn, Playhouse Square, Sue Marks, Indelible InK, Lionheart Productions, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Starhawk Productions, Distant Rumble, Green Leaf Partnership, Michael & Elizabeth Venuti, Leslie Kavanaugh, Deborah & Dave Smith, Belle Productions, Chas & Jen Grossman, Miranda & Sahra Esmonde-White, Rungnapa & Jim Teague, Michael & Molly Schroeder, Casey & Chelsea Baugh, James L. Flautt, Jon L. Morris, Becky Winkler, William Moran Hickey, Jr. & William Horan Hickey, III, Oddly Specific Productions, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, Rachel Weinstein, Wavelength Productions, Rob O’Neill & Shane Snow, Eric Stine, Cornice Productions, La Jolla Playhouse

Suffs
Producers: Jill Furman, Rachel Sussman, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, Roy Furman, Allison Rubler, Cue to Cue Productions, Sandy Robertson, Kevin Ryan & Diane Scott Carter, Renee Ring & Paul Zofnass, Walport Productions, Judith Teel Davis & Joe Carroll, Tom D’Angora & Michael D’Angora, Louise Gund, Erica Lynn Schwartz, Stone Arch Theatricals/Mayer Productions, Xan Weiser/Matters of the Art, Nothing Ventured Productions, Christin Brecher, Chutzpah Productions, Morgan Steward, 16 Sunset Productions, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Ari Conte, Rose Maxi, Jennifer Friedland, David Carroll, Julie E. Cohen, The Garelicks, Ruth Ann Harnisch, Meena Harris, John Gore Organization, Laura Lonergan, Sally Martin, Peter May, The Mehiels, Nederlander Presentations, Brian Spector, Candy Spelling, Ed Walson, Zuckerberg/Segal, Needle Productions/Oddly Specific Productions, Alissandra Aronow/Wandi Productions, Craig Balsam/Jennifer Kroman, Burkhardt Jones Productions/Adam Cohen, Vibecke Dahle Dellapolla/Samantha Squeri, Funroe Productions/Kim Khoury, Sheri Clark Henriksen/Robert Tichio, Michelle Noh/Todd B. Rubin, Nick Padgett/Vasi Laurence

Water for Elephants
Producers: Peter Schneider, Jennifer Costello, Grove Entertainment, Frank Marshall, Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Seth A. Goldstein, Jane Bergère, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jason M. Brady, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Erica Rotstein & Crista Marie Jackson, Jana Bezdek & Jen Hoguet, John H. Tyson, Rich Entertainment Group, Jeremiah J. Harris, John Gore Organization, Jeff & Shannon Fallick, Patti & Mike Sullivan, Rodney Rigby, Larry Lelli, Bonnie Feld, Yonge Street Theatricals, Larry J. Kroll, The Shubert Organization, Nederlander Presentations, Nancy Gibbs, Jack Lane, Amy & PJ Lampi, Gwen Arment & Vasi Laurence, Mark Parkman Fairview Productions, Nothing Ventured Productions, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Pietra, Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw, The Glasshouse USA, Willette & Manny Klausner, John Paterakis, Hope Tschopik Schneider, Patty Baker, The Burcaws & Q’d Up Productions, Crescent Road, Cynthia Stroum, Sally Jacobs & Warren Baker, Tawnia Knox & Stuart Snyder, Madison Wells Live & Takonkiet Viravan, Terry H. Morgenthaler, Pamela Moschetti, Gabrielle Palitz & Fahs Productions, The Roehl Family & Chema Verduzco, Shapiro Jensen Schroeder, Tre Amici Productions, We Eat Dreams Productions, Rachel Weinstein, Maik Klokow, Margot Astrachan, Mehr-BB Entertainment

Best Play

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Author: Jocelyn Bioh
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings, Madison Wells Live, LaChanze, Taraji P. Henson

Mary Jane
Author: Amy Herzog
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings

Mother Play
Author: Paula Vogel
Producers: Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Lisa Lawer Post, Salman and Vienn Al-Rashid, Courtney Lederer and Mark Thierfelder, Jerry and Roz Meyer, Alix L.L. Ritchie, Jayne Baron Sherman

Prayer for the French Republic
Author: Joshua Harmon
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings

Stereophonic
Author: David Adjmi
Producers: Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Sonia Friedman Productions, Linden Productions, Ashley Melone, Nick Mills, Jillian Robbins, Stella La Rue, Alex Levy & David Aron, Dori Berinstein, James Bolosh, Burnt Umber Productions, The Cohn Sisters, Cathy Dantchik, Alexander R. Donnelly, Emerald Drive, Federman Koenigsberg, Dann Fink, Ruth Hendel, Larry Hirschhorn, Jenen Rubin, John Gore Organization, Willette & Manny Klausner, LAMF Protozoa, Katrina McCann, Stephanie P. McClelland, No Guarantees, Marissa Palley & Daniel Aron, Anna Schafer, Soto Namoff Productions, Sean Walsh, Bruce & Peggy Wanta, Hillary Wyatt, deRoy Howard, Winkler & Smalberg, 42nd.club, Craig Balsam, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Jonathan Demar, Douglas Denoff, DJD Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment, Faliro House, FilmNation Entertainment, Roy Gabay, GFour Productions, Candy Kosow Gold, Wes Grantom, Rachel Bendit & Mark Bernstein, Playwrights Horizons, Adam Greenfield, Leslie Marcus, Carol Fishman

Best Revival of a Play

Appropriate
Author: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Producers: Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Lisa Lawer Post, Ambassador Theatre Group, Amanda Dubois, Annapurna Theatre, Bad Robot Live

An Enemy of the People
New Version: Amy Herzog
Producers: Seaview, Patrick Catullo, Plan B, Roth-Manella Productions, Eric & Marsi Gardiner, John Gore Organization, James L. Nederlander, Jon B. Platt, Atekwana Hutton, Bob Boyett, Chris & Ashlee Clarke, Cohen-Demar Productions, Andrew Diamond, GI6 Productions, Sony Music Masterworks, Triptyk Studios, Trunfio Ryan, Kate Cannova, DJL Productions

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, Leslie Odom, Jr., Louise Gund, Bob Boyett, Curt Cronin, John Joseph, Willette and Manny Klausner, Brenda Boone, Salman Moudhy Al-Rashid, Creative Partners Productions, Irene Gandy, Kayla Greenspan, Mark and David Golub Productions, Kenny Leon, John Gore Organization, W3 Productions, Morwin Schmookler, Van Kaplan, Ken Greiner, Patrick W. Jones, Nicolette Robinson, National Black Theatre, Alan Alda, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Phylicia Rashad, Nnamdi Asomugha, Kerry Washington, The Shubert Organization

Best Revival of a Musical

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Producers: ATG Productions, Underbelly, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold, Smith & Brant Theatricals, Wessex Grove, Julie Boardman, Tom Smedes, Peter Stern, Heather Shields, Caiola Productions, Kate Cannova, Adam Blanshay Productions & Nicolas Talar, Aleri Entertainment, Alex Levy Productions, Bunny Rabbit Productions, D’Angora Padgett Productions, Cyrene Esposito, David Treatman, Eddie Redmayne, The Array IV, Bad Robot Live, BlueJay Productions, Grace Street Creative Group, Iocane Productions, Jim Kierstead, Marco Santarelli, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, George Waud, Yonge Street Theatricals, Federman Koenigsberg Productions/Sara Beth Zivitz, Tina Marie Casamento/Jennifer Johns, M. Kilburg Reedy/Tilman Kemmler, Greenspan Proffer/Kat Kit 4, Patty Baker/Matthew Christopher Pietras, Broadway Strategic Return Fund/Red Mountain Theatre Company, Evan Coles/The Cohn Sisters, Nolan Doran/Fakston Productions, Epic Theatricals/Jeffrey Grove, Jessica Goldman Foung/Andrew Paradis, William Frisbie Tilted Marguerite Steed Hoffman/Willette & Manny Klausner, Vasi Laurence/Stephen C Byrd, Brian & Dayna Lee/City Cowboy Productions, Maybe This Time/3D Productions, Nothing Ventured Productions/Theatre Producers of Color, Perfectly Marvelous/Catherine Schreiber & Co, Second Act/Freedom Theatricals, SSP Holdings/Todd & Bronwyn Bradley, Two Ladies/Nicole Eisenberg, Ilana Waldenberg/W Stage Productions, The Wolf Pack/Burnt Umber Productions, The Shubert Organization

Gutenberg! The Musical!
Producers: Ambassador Theatre Group, Patrick Catullo, Bad Robot Live, Seth A. Goldstein, Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Runyonland Productions, Elizabeth Armstrong, Timothy Bloom, Larry Lelli, Alchemation, The Council, Crescent Road, Wendy Federman, Marcia Goldberg, Hariton deRoy, LD Entertainment, James L. Nederlander, Al Nocciolino, Spencer Ross, Independent Presenters Network, Medley Houlihan/Score 3 Partners, Tryptyk Studios/Iris Smith, Jonathan Demar/Griffin Dohr, Andrew Diamond/Alexander Donnelly, Futurehome Productions/Koenigsberg Subhedar, Roy Gabay/Nicole Eisenberg, Jessica R. Jenen/Linda B. Rubin, Daniel Powell/Amplify Pictures, Jeremy Wein/Walport Productions, Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Bee Carrozzini

Merrily We Roll Along
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo, Jeff Romley, Debbie Bisno, Lang Entertainment Group, OHenry Productions, Winkler & Smalberg, Stephanie P. McClelland, Timothy Bloom, Creative Partners Productions, Eastern Standard Time, Fakston Productions, Marc David Levine, No Guarantees, Ted & Mary Jo Shen, Gilad Rogowsky, Playing Field, Key to the City Productions, Richard Batchelder/Trunfio Ryan, FineWomen Productions/Henry R. Muñoz, III, Thomas Swayne/Lamar Richardson, Abrams Corr/Mary Maggio, Osh Ashruf/Brenner-Ivey, Craig Balsam/PBL Productions, deRoy DiMauro Productions/Medley Houlihan, Andrew Diamond/Katler-Solomon Productions, Dodge Hall Productions/Carl Moellenberg, Friedman Simpson/Vernon Stuckelman, William Frisbie/J.J. Powell, Robert Greenblatt/Jonathan Littman, Cleveland O’Neal, III/Tom Tuft, Roth-Manella Productions/Seaview, New York Theatre Workshop

The Who’s Tommy
Producers: Stephen Gabriel, Ira Pittelman, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Mary Maggio & Scott Abrams, Tom Tuft and Glenn Fuhrman, Batman Harris/Elliott Cornelious, Laura Matalon/Spencer Waller, Richard Winkler, Sheldon Stone, Firemused Productions/Stone Arch Theatricals, LeonoffFedermanWolosky Productions/Koenigsberg Batchelder, Roy Putrino/Narang Moran, Rich Martino, Aged in Wood/Lee Sachs, Paul and Margaret Liljenquist, R & R Productions, Marla McNally Phillips, Merrie Robin, O’Neill Snow, Work Light Productions, Nederlander Presentations, Independent Presenters Network, John Gore Organization, Palomino Performing Arts, Wavelength Productions, Robert Nederlander, Jr., Botwin Ignal Dawson, Jamie deRoy, Betsy Dollinger, Stacey Woolf Feinberg, Gold Weinstein, Tyce Green, Jenen Rubin, Jim Kierstead, Marco Santarelli, Nancy Timmers, Thomas B. McGrath, Olympus Theatricals, Goodman Theatre

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Eden Espinosa, Lempicka
Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Brody Grant, The Outsiders
Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses
Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Will Brill, Stereophonic
Eli Gelb, Stereophonic
Jim Parsons, Mother Play
Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic
Corey Stoll, Appropriate

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play 

Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Doubt: A Parable
Juliana Canfield, Stereophonic
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play
Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
Jessica Lange, Mother Play
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
Amy Ryan, Doubt: A Parable

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

William Jackson Harper, Uncle Vanya
Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable
Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People
Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Roger Bart, Back To The Future: The Musical
Joshua Boone, The Outsiders
Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell’s Kitchen
Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders
Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
Steven Skybell, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen
Amber Iman, Lempicka
Nikki M. James, Suffs
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot
Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Orchestrations

Timo Andres, Illinoise
Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic
Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), The Outsiders
Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, Hell’s Kitchen
Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along

Best Choreography

Annie-B Parson, Here Lies Love
Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders
Justin Peck, Illinoise
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants

Best Direction of a Musical

Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along
Michael Greif, Hell’s Kitchen
Leigh Silverman, Suffs
Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants
Danya Taymor, The Outsiders

Best Direction of a Play

Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic
Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane
Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate
Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Best Sound Design of a Musical

M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, Here Lies Love
Kai Harada, Merrily We Roll Along
Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Gareth Owen, Hell’s Kitchen
Cody Spencer, The Outsiders

Best Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Leah Gelpe, Mary Jane
Tom Gibbons, Grey House
Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate
Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Brandon Stirling Baker, Illinoise
Isabella Byrd, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Natasha Katz, Hell’s Kitchen
Bradley King and David Bengali, Water for Elephants
Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, An Enemy of the People
Amith Chandrashaker, Prayer for the French Republic
Jiyoun Chang, Stereophonic
Jane Cox, Appropriate Natasha Katz, Grey House

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, Hell’s Kitchen
Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby
David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants
Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Paul Tazewell, Suffs

Best Costume Design of a Play

Dede Ayite, Appropriate
Dede Ayite, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
Emilio Sosa, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
David Zinn, An Enemy of the People

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen
Takeshi Kata, Water for Elephants
David Korins, Here Lies Love
Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, Lempicka
Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, Back To The Future: The Musical
Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Scenic Design of a Play

dots, Appropriate
dots, An Enemy of the People
Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
David Zinn, Stereophonic

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Days of Wine and Roses
Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel
Here Lies Love
Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim Lyrics: David Byrne
The Outsiders
Music & Lyrics: Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine
Stereophonic
Music & Lyrics: Will Butler
Suffs
Music & Lyrics: Shaina Taub

Best Book of a Musical

Hell’s Kitchen Kristoffer Diaz
The Notebook Bekah Brunstetter
The Outsiders Adam Rapp and Justin Levine
Suffs
Shaina Taub
Water for Elephants
Rick Elice

Lissette Feliciano to Write & Direct Film Adaptation of Gloria & Emilio Estefan Broadway Musical “On Your Feet”

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Lissette Feliciano is ready to get you on your feet.

The 33-year-old Latina writer, director and actress will write and direct On Your Feet, a feature adaptation of the same-name Broadway musical that’s in early development at Sony Pictures, Deadline has learned.

Lissette Feliciano, A jukebox musical that tells the inspiring true story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, two Cuban immigrants who launched themselves to international musical stardom from humble beginnings, On Your Feet will be produced by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, as well as John and Jordan Davis of Davis Entertainment, with John Fox executive producing.

Premiering in November 2015 at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway, where it ran for more than 750 performances, the show specifically hones in on Gloria’s Estefan’s trajectory from her early days in Miami to her breakthrough as the lead singer of the Miami Sound Machine — a crossover artist, blending Latin and pop music —  and ultimately, her triumphant return to the stage after a near-fatal accident. The musical delves into the challenges she faced as a young artist, including her struggles to balance her cultural identity, family expectations, and artistic ambitions, and at the same time explores her romantic relationship with Emilio.

With a book by Alexander Dinelaris, the show features such hit songs from the Estefans as “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” and “Get On Your Feet.”

Directed by Jerry Mitchell, it went on to earn a Tony Award nomination for Choreography, as well as seven Outer Critics Circle Award nominations and three Drama League Award nominations, before going on to tour the U.S. and internationally.

Feliciano is best known for Women Is Losers, the 2021 indie drama that marked her feature directorial debut. Set in ’60s San Francisco, the film watches as a once-promising catholic school girl, Celina Guerrera (Lorenza Izzo), sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time. Also starring Bryan Craig, Chrissie Fit and Simu Liu, the film premiered to critical acclaim at SXSW and was acquired by Max following its successful nationwide festival run.

An NYU Tisch alum and a Tribeca Film Institute AT&T Untold Stories grant recipient, the filmmaker is repped by Verve and Adelman Matz.

Rachel Zegler to Star in New Broadway Production of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo + Juliet” This Fall

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Rachel Zegler has landed a star-crossed starring role…

The 22-year-old half-Colombian American Golden Globe-winning actress will star opposite Kit Connor in the new Broadway production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet this fall.

Rachel Zegler, Kit ConnorDirected by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, the production will feature music by Grammy winner Jack Antonoff and movement by Tony winner Sonya Tayeh. 

The production should not be confused with yet another high-profile revival of the star-crossed lovers = the West End production of Romeo & Juliet starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, which also is eyeing a Broadway staging. Jamie Lloyd directs that one.

The Gold fall production will mark the Broadway debuts of Connor, Zegler and Antonoff, who in February won his third consecutive Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.

More information including theatre, dates, design team and additional casting will be announced at a later date.

“With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting,” said Gold.

Tickets will go on sale to the public in May.

Official synopsis: “The youth are fucked. Left to their own devices in their parents’ world of violent ends, an impulsive pair of star-crossed lovers hurtle towards their inescapable fate. The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way.”

Zegler earned a Golden Globe for her performance in West Side Story.

Daphne Rubin-Vega to Appear on Season 4 of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”

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Daphne Rubin-Vega has landed a killer role…

The 54-year-old Panamanian-American actress, singer-songwriter, dancer and Broadway star has joined the star-studded cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Daphne Rubin-VegaRubin-Vega is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Richard Kind, Catherine Cohen and Jin Ha.

They’ll appear in recurring roles.

Details regarding the new season’s plot and character descriptions remain under wraps.

But the new episodes will focus on unraveling the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Steve Martin) mind-bogglingly identical stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio: Charles, Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s killer.

New additions will also include Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Desmin Borges, Siena Werber and Lilian Rebelo, with Meryl Streep reprising the Season 3 role of Loretta Durkin.

In the Season 3 finale—following her highly praised performance in Oliver’s Broadway hit Death Rattle Dazzle— Loretta received two offers in productions that would require her to relocate to Los Angeles. Her new beau Oliver is into this idea as it would allow him to visit the City of Angels. Mabel’s new love interest Tobert (Jesse Williams) is also headed west, and surprisingly, she’s also keen on taking a little break from New York.

The Emmy-nominated comedy, produced by 20th Television, is co-created and co-written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Rubin-Vega earned a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of ‘Mimi’ in the original cast of Rent, and another for Anna in the Tropics. She was most recently seen starring in the Signature Theatre’s Night of the Iguana opposite Tim Daly and Lea DeLaria. She starred in the musical Miss You Like Hell at The Public Theatre and in the one-woman show Empanda Loca, which was written for her. She helped adapt the play into the scripted podcast, The Horror of Dolores Roach, which was then adapted into a TV series for Amazon.

Diego Luna to Star Opposite Jennifer Lopez in Film Adaptation of Broadway Musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman”

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Diego Luna is spinning a new web…

The 44-year-old Mexican actor, director and producer will star opposite Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spider Woman, the feature adaptation of the 1993 Broadway musical based on Manuel Puig’s landmark 1976 novel.

Diego LunaLuna will portray Valentin Arregui in the musical film.

Meanwhile, Tonatiuh will star in the adaptation as Luis Molina.

They join Lopez, who was previously announced in the titular role.

The show, which won seven Tony Awards, was written by Terrence McNally with a score by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. The film is scripted and directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon, with Barry Josephson, Tom Kirdahy and Greg Yolen producing alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for Artists Equity, which has secured independent financing for the film.

Michael Joe, Dani Bernfeld and Kevin Halloran will executive produce for Artists Equity alongside Condon on behalf of 1000 Eyes; Lopez and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas for Nuyorican Productions.

The musical is set in an Argentinian prison in 1981, against the backdrop of what is historically referred to as the Guerra Sucia (“Dirty War”) waged by the military dictatorship. Molina is a department store window dresser serving an eight-year sentence after being entrapped by police for allegedly corrupting a minor. To escape the horrors of imprisonment, he imagines a movie starring classic silver screen diva Ingrid Luna (Lopez) as both fashion editor Aurora and the Spider Woman, who kills her prey with a kiss. Molina’s life is upended when forced to share a cell with Marxist revolutionary Valentin, with whom an unlikely bond is formed.

Luna most recently starred in Disney+ series Andor, which earned him some of the best reviews of his career, as well as Golden Globe and Emmy recognition. He recently wrapped production on Season 2.

Tonatiuh can be seen next in the Netflix thriller Carry On; other credits include the TV series Vida.

Hagan Oliveras to Star in Broadway Revival of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town”

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Hagan Oliveras is coming to Town…

The upcoming fall Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town will feature a 28-actor cast, including the Latino actor.

Hagan OlivaresThe cast will be led by Jim Parsons, Zoey Deutch, Katie Holmes, Ephraim Sykes and Richard Thomas, per the producers.

The strictly limited engagement, directed by Kenny Leon, will begin previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Tuesday, September 17 ahead of an opening on Thursday, October 10.

Parsons will play the Stage Manager, with Deutch as Emily Webb, Holmes as Mrs. Webb, Sykes as George Gibbs and Thomas as Mr. Webb. Billy Eugene Jones will play Dr. Gibbs, Michelle Wilson will be Mrs. Gibbs and Julie Halston will portray Mrs. Soames. Donald Webber Jr. will play Simon Stimpson.

Also in the cast: Ephie Aardema, Heather Ayers, Willa Bost, Bobby Daye, Safiya Kaijya Harris, Doron JéPaul, Shyla Lefner, Anthony Michael Lopez, John McGinty, Bryonha Marie, Kevyn Morrow, Noah Pyzik, Sky Smith, Bill Timoney, Matthew Elijah Webb and Nimene Sierra Wureh.

Two final actors will be announced at a later date.

The production’s design team will include scenic design by Beowulf Boritt; costume design by Dede Ayite; lighting design by Allen Lee Hughes; and sound design by Justin Ellington.

The first Broadway revival of Our Town since a 2002 production that starred Paul Newman as the Stage Manager, the classic drama set in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, originally debuted on Broadway in 1938, winning the Pulitzer Prize and quickly becoming one of the most beloved and staged American plays of the 20th Century.

“Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in my mind stands at the top of the Mount Rushmore of great American Theatre,” said director Leon in a statement. “I feel blessed and fortunate to have gained the trust of The Wilder estate to present this classic to another generation of theatre lovers. It’s long been a burning desire to collaborate on a Broadway production of such magnitude that speaks so beautifully and intimately to all people about our shared time on the planet.”

The revival is being produced by Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, Patty Baker, Craig Balsam, Irene Gandy, Rebecca Gold, Louise Gund, Willette & Manny Klausner, M/B/P Productions, Daryl Roth and Jayne Baron Sherman.

Olivares previous credits include American Horror Stories.