Josh Andrés Rivera to Star as the Late Aaron Hernandez in FX’s “American Sports Story” Anthology Series

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Josh Andrés Rivera is hitting the football field…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star in the first installment of Ryan Murphy’s American Sports Story anthology series for FX.

Rivera will portray the late former NFL star Aaron Hernandez in the season that’s based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from the Boston Globe and Wondery.

Rivera’s co-star will be Patrick Schwarzenegger as fellow former NFL star Tim Tebow.

The first installment charts the rise and fall of NFL superstar Hernandez 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.

Tebow and Hernandez were longtime friends going back before their time in the National Football League. They were onetime teammates at the University of Florida, where they won the 2008 SEC Championship and went on to beat Oklahoma for the BCS Championship title. Tebow was known for looking out for Hernandez while on the team, including protecting Hernandez from being kicked off over marijuana use and helping to diffuse a situation in a bar when Hernandez got into an altercation with the bar manager. The two first met when Tebow hosted Hernandez on a recruiting trip to UF before he graduated high school.

Both castings were completed in early 2023, prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but were never confirmed by FX.

“We have a fairly complete set of scripts for American Sports Story by Stu Zicherman,” FX chairman John Landgraf said back on January 12, noting at the time that the series is “heading toward production.”

That was delayed by the WGA strike, which started in May, and the SAG-AFTRA strike, which has been going on since July.

American Sports Story, one of two new offshoots in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise alongside American Love Story, 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.

Rivera next stars in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. He recently played Chino in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story. He notably performed in the original company on the first national tour of Hamilton.

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.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Take Part in “Broadway for Biden” Fundraising Event

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda will be performing on Broadway with a special purpose…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican Tony-winning songwriter, actor, filmmaker and playwright will be taking part in a Broadway fundraising concert next month for President Joe Biden.

In addition to Miranda, who created the Tony-winning musicals Hamilton and In The Heights, will feature some of theater’s other biggest stars, including Josh Groban, Ben Platt, Sara Bareilles, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr. and Laura Benanti, among others, with the president himself scheduled to attend.

There’s at least one detail being kept under wraps for the moment – the Broadway venue in Times Square has not been identified – the date has been set for Monday, September 18, with ticket prices ranging from $250 for rear mezzanine seats to $7,500 for orchestra center front.

The seating chart at the ticket website indicates that the concert will take place at an indoor theater rather than outdoors in Times Square.

Other stars to be featured at the concert are Annaleigh Ashford, Josh Gad, Alex Edelman, Christopher Jackson, LaChanze, Ruthie Ann Miles, Andrew Rannells and Aaron Tveit.

The one-night-only concert fundraiser is being hosted by Broadway producers and supporters Jeffrey Seller, Thomas Kail, Luz & Luis Miranda, Bruce Cohen & Gabe Catone, Tom Healy & Fred P. Hochberg, Barbara Marcin & Orin Kramer, Stacey & Eric Mindich, Karen & Gary Rose, Janet & Marvin Rosen, Alexandra & Eric Schoenberg, Ted Snowdon & Duffy Violante, Henry Tisch & Sean Walsh.

The Broadway for Biden event is being described by organizers as both a celebration of Biden’s political career and “a call to action, emphasizing the importance of his reelection in 2024.”

Anthony Ramos In Talks to Star in Series “Twisters,” a New Chapter to 1996 Box Office Hit

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Ramos is getting twisted…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actor and singer is in talks to join Twisters, a new chapter to the 1996 box office hit, for Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell are also on board.

Lee Isaac Chung is on board to direct from a script by Mark L. Smith. The film will be co-financed by Warner Bros.

Starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, Twister was a massive hit in 1996, scoring more than $494 million at the worldwide box office thanks in no small part to its groundbreaking special effects.

The original film was helmed by Jan De Bont and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by author Michael Crichton.

EVP Production Sara Scott and creative executive Jacqueline Garell will oversee Twisters for Universal Pictures, and Ashley Jay Sandberg will oversee for Kennedy/Marshall.

Following breakout roles in the Broadway smash Hamilton and Oscar-winning A Star Is Born, the Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated Ramos has begun filling a slate with upcoming franchises. Next up, he leads Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

He will also star in the upcoming Marvel series Iron Heart for Disney+, as well as the feature films Distant for Amblin and Dumb Money for Sony.

Ramos inaugurated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Hamilton and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Usnavi in John M. Chu’s In the Heights.

Ariana DeBose to Return as Host of This Year’s Tony Awards Ceremony

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ariana DeBose will be heading back to the Tony Awards…

The 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress/singer will return as host of this year’s Tony Awards ceremony.

DeBose, who earned a Tony nomination for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, hosted last year’s broadcast to general acclaim.

This year’s event, the 76th Annual Tony Awards, will air live from United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights on Sunday, June 11, on CBS.

“I was honored to serve as host last year and even more so to be asked back,” DeBose said in a statement. “So looking forward to celebrating this incredible season and the people who make the work happen. Here’s to adding some uptown flavor to the magic of the Tony Awards.”

Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League said in a joint statement that DeBose is a “force both on and off the stage,” and that the event presenters and producers are “thrilled to welcome back one of Broadway’s brightest lights to dazzle, inspire and illuminate this year’s Tony Awards.”

“Ariana will host and dance and sing, we’re so thrilled she’s back to do the thing,” said Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, Executive Producers, White Cherry Entertainment.

DeBose won an Oscar last year for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and was Tony-nominated in 2018 for her role as “Disco Donna” in Broadway’s Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Other stage credits include Hamilton, A Bronx Tale, Pippin and Motown the Musical, among others.

Notable television and film credits include the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon! and the Netflix adaptation of the Broadway musical The Prom. She’ll next be seen in the feature films Kraven the Hunter, Wish, House of Spoils, Argylle and I.S.S.

The 76th Tonys celebration will recognize Broadway productions of the 2022-2023 season. The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the season is Thursday, April 27; nominations will be announced on Tuesday, May 2.

The 76th Annual Tony Awards will air live Sunday, June 11, at 8:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm PT on CBS, and stream live and in-demand on Paramount+.

Anthony Ramos to Receive Rising Star of the Year Award at Cinema Con 2023

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Ramos’ star is on the rise…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actor and Dominique Fishback have been set to receive the Rising Stars of the Year Award at CinemaCon 2023.

The Transformers: Rise of the Beasts stars will receive the recognition from NATO’s official convention at its Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony, which takes place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas the night of April 27.

They join a list of honorees that also includes Oppenheimer‘s Christopher Nolan & Emma Thomas (NATO Spirit of the Industry Award), the cast of Lionsgate’s Joy Ride (Comedy Ensemble of the Year Award) and the Dune franchise’s Zendaya (Star of the Year Award).

The new Steven Caple Jr.-helmed Transformers film set for release in theaters June 9 hails from Paramount Pictures and Skydance, in association with Hasbro and New Republic Pictures.

It’s billed as a globetrotting adventure transporting audiences back to the ’90s alongside the iconic Autobots, which also introduces a brand-new faction of Transformers, the Maximals, to join them as allies in the ongoing battle for Earth.

Ramos’ and Fishback’s human characters participating in that fight are tech wiz Noah Diaz and museum artifact researcher Elena Wallace, respectively.

“With a breadth of experience across theater, television and film, Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback will undoubtedly captivate audiences as they take on their first action-packed franchise film in this summer’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser said. “We are thrilled to be honoring these two talented individuals with this year’s CinemaCon Rising Stars of the Year Award.”

A Grammy winner, as well as a Golden Globe and Emmy nominee, Ramos is best known for originating the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Tony-winning Broadway smash Hamilton, and for leading Warner Bros’ feature adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other famed musical In the Heights. He’s also previously been seen in films like Godzilla: King of the Monsters and A Star Is Born, along with series including She’s Gotta Have It and In Treatment. Other upcoming projects include the films Distant and Dumb Money, as well as the Disney+ Marvel series Iron Heart.

CinemaCon takes place this year from April 24-27.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Appear on Disney+’s Series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is playing messenger…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican actor, filmmaker, composer and lyricist has landed a key guest-starring role on Disney+’s upcoming series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Based on Rick Riordan’s bestselling book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson (Walter Scobell), who’s just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.

Miranda, who is a fan of the Percy Jackson books along with his son, will play Hermes, the messenger god who looks out for travelers and thieves, and is a bit of a trickster himself. He is charismatic & boisterous, the life of the party. Unfortunately, his charm does not do much to heal his strained relationship with his son, Luke (Charlie Bushnell). He’s hesitant to help Percy and his friends on their quest as sometimes getting involved is more trouble than it’s worth.

In addition to series regulars Scobell, Simhadri, Jeffries and Bushnell, Miranda joins previously announced guest stars Megan Mullally, Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Jason Mantzoukas, Timm Sharp, Dior Goodjohn, Olivea Morton, Adam Copeland, Suzanne Cryer and Jessica Parker Kennedy.

The series is currently in production in Vancouver and is expected to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2024.

Riordan and Jon Steinberg wrote the pilot, and James Bobin directs.

Miranda is a Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning songwriter, actor, director and producer. Creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning Hamilton and In the Heights, his additional Broadway credits include Freestyle Love Supreme, Bring It On: The Musical and the 2009 revival of West Side Story. His TV and film credits include tick, tick… BOOM!, Vivo, the feature adaptation of In the Heights, Emmy-winning Hamilton, His Dark Materials, Fosse/Verdon, We The People and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Miranda earned guest actor Emmy nominations for Curb Your Enthusiasm and as host of Saturday Night Live, and Oscar nominations for Best Original Song for Moana, Mary Poppins Returns and most recently Encanto.

Ariana DeBose to Star in Blumhouse Television & Prime Video’s Thriller “House of Spoils”

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ariana DeBose is embracing the spoils…

The 31-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress will star in the Prime Video and Blumhouse Television psychological thriller House of Spoils, playing an ambitious chef who opens her first restaurant but has to contend with the powerful spirit of the estate’s previous owner who threatens to sabotage her at very turn.

Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy are directing off their script based on their original idea.

Cameras will roll in the fall.

The project reunites with Blumhouse with Amazon, which have made the collection of genre movies, Welcome to the Blumhouse, and the recently wrapped slasher horror-comedy film Totally Killer, directed by Nahnathcka Khan starring Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, and Randall Park.

Prime will stream Blumhouse’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Nanny from first-time feature writer-director Nikyatu Jusu starting December 16.

DeBose took home an Oscar, BAFTA, Critics Choice and SAG Awards prize for her star-making role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. In winning her Oscar, she became the first openly queer Afro Latina to win an Academy Award.

She is also starring in Sony’s Kraven the Hunter, which will be released on January 13, and Matthew Vaughn’s action film Argylle for Apple. She will also star in Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s space thriller I.S.S.

DeBose’s other credits include AppleTV+’s Schmigadoon! and Ryan Murphy’s Netflix adaptation of the hit-Broadway musical The Prom. She starred on Broadway as part of the original cast of Hamilton and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Said Chris McCumber, president of Blumhouse Television: “We’re excited to see Ariana’s fresh, bold and spirited energy that won her an Oscar in a role that is completely different. And with the gifted filmmaking team of Bridget and Danielle, the talent in front of and behind the camera is exceptional.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda & His “Hamilton” Musical Team Up with Prizeo for Fundraising Campaign to Support Abortion Access

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is taking a stand for women’s reproductive rights…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican actor, rapper, songwriter, playwright and filmmaker and his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton are teaming up with Prizeo on Ham4Choice, a fundraising campaign to support organizations providing abortion access and other reproductive health services.

“We are devastated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating the right to abortion which has been a right since 1973,” the production said in a statement. “In response, we are teaming up with organizations providing support, access and travel expenses to those seeking these services.”

The effort is part of the show’s larger Ham4Progress philanthropic platform, run by a collective of Hamilton cast members and staff.

Launched in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in June, the show — which has its own constitutional connection — said funds raised through Ham4Choice will support the Abortion Support Network, ARC Southeast, Ciocia Basia, Deeds Not Words, Planned Parenthood, Profamilias Puerto Rico, The Brigid Alliance, The National Network of Abortion Fund and The Tuscan Abortion Support Collective.

“We’re stronger when we work together,” the statement, which urged fans to support reproductive access and reproductive choice, continued. “We can stand up for every person’s right to make decisions about their own body and their own lives.”

Ham4Choice asks fans to donate funds — as little as $10 — from Aug. 9 to Sept. 22, which will automatically enter them for a chance to win a special Hamilton package. The grand prize winner and a guest will be flown out to Hamilton‘s opening night in Hamburg, Germany, where the musical will be performed in German in its first non-English translation.

While there, they’ll meet Miranda at an exclusive pre-show reception and attend the post-show celebration before being flown out, along with tickets and hotel accommodations, where they’ll get to watch and meet the casts in London and New York. Signed memorabilia will be given to the winner to help commemorate the experience.

Each donation serves as a single entry, with no limit on the number of donations, which can be made at Ham4Choice.com. The fundraiser is just the latest Ham4Progress initiative, the collective focused on highlighting social justice causes, serving as a gathering place for discussion and acting as a platform for progress and organizations the group wants to support.

Miranda has worked with Prizeo in the past on similar efforts, including a 2017 fundraising campaign for Planned Parenthood that gave winners tickets to the Broadway show.

Josh Andrés Rivera to Star in Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” Prequel, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Games on for Josh Andrés Rivera…

The 27-year-old Latino actor has joined the growing ensemble cast of Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Rivera will reunite with his West Side Story co-star Rachel Zegler, one of the film’s leads.

The prequel centers on 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), who as we know will become the tyrannical President of Panem. He is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.

Rivera will play Sejanus Plinth, a close friend of young Coriolanus Snow, and the mentor to a tribute from District 2.

Other castmembers include Jerome Lance who will play Marcus, the tribute from District 2. Ashley Liao will play Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11. Knox Gibson will play Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing will play Coral, tribute from District 4; while Aamer Husain will play Felix Ravinstill, the mentor to a tribute from District 11.

Francis Lawrence is returning to the franchise to direct for a theatrical worldwide release on November 17, 2023. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are also returning to produce for the franchise with Lawrence. Author Suzanne Collins, Tim Palen, and Jim Miller are executive producers. Michael Lesslie wrote the latest draft off Collins and Michael Arndt’s previous script based on the author’s bestselling novel.

Rivera played Chino in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning adaption of West Side Story. Rivera will next appear in Susanna Fogel’s adaptation of Cat Person, based on Kristen Roupenian’s buzzy short story published in The New Yorker. He shares the screen with Nicholas Braun, Emilia Jones and Geraldine Viswanathan.

Rivera was a series lead in the HBO Max pilot Vegas High, directed by Gillian Robespierre and produced by Michael Showalter.

He performed in the original company on the first national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton.

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