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.

Netflix’s “The Boys in the Band,” Starring Robin de Jesus, Added to Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival Lineup with Special Cast Conversation

Robin de Jesus is going Inside Out

The 30th annual Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival has announced its lineup for this year’s virtual edition, with the 36-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer’s highly anticipated The Boys in the Band part of the roster.

Robin de Jesus, The Boys in the Band

de Jesus and his The Boys in the Band cast members will take part in an exclusive conversation about the film.

Based on the Tony Award-winning play, the new film also stars Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons. It’s directed by Joe Mantello and produced by Ryan Murphy.

The Boys in the Band debuts on September 30 and will be available for audiences to stream ahead of the conversation.

Meanwhile, some of the Latinx directed and/or Latino-related films that form part of the lineup include Adam Golub’s documentary Your Mother’s Comfort (Brazil), Gil Baroni’s narrative film Alice Junior (Brazil), Daniel Nolasco’s narrative film Dry Wind (Brazil), Clarisa Navas’ narrative film One In a Thousand (Argentina/Germany), Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo’s narrative film The Strong Ones (Chile) and StormMiguel Florez’s documentary The Whistle (USA).

The lineup for the 10-day festival will include drive-in and special events, as it showcases 150 films and nine episodic series. The fest was originally set for May, but was pushed to October 1-11 due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

“The queer community is no stranger to extraordinary situations. Who could have predicted a global pandemic would become the entry point to mobilize around new ideas, new connections and collaborations, to ensure we could still deliver the best and safest possible 30th anniversary,” added the festival’s director Andrew Murphy. “Film is really now the safest way to travel, and this year’s lineup provides a unique opportunity to escape into the many complicated queer worlds via the brilliant minds of our filmmakers, icons, and peers.”

Films will be in competition for jury and audience awards and for the first time award winners will be revealed on opening weekend, giving audiences the opportunity to view the winning films throughout the entire festival.

Click here to see the entire lineup.

Netflix Releases Trailer for Robin de Jesús’ “The Boys in the Band”

Robin de Jesús is playing with the Band

Netflix has released the official trailer for its upcoming Ryan Murphy-produced The Boys in the Band, featuring the 36-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer, who is best known for his role as Sonny in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In the Heights.

Robin de Jesus, The Boys in the Band

The Boys in the Band is Joe Mantello’s film adaptation of his hit Tony Award-winning Broadway staging. de Jesus starred as Emory in that 2018 staging, earning a Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Starring the Broadway cast – including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells – this adaptation is both faithful to Mart Crowley’s 1968 play while offering a subtle and fresh perspective.

The logline: A group of gay men gather for a birthday party in 1968 New York City, only to find the drinks and laughs interrupted when a visitor from the host’s past turns the evening upside down.

In addition to Parsons, Quinto, Bomer, Rannells and de Jesús, The Boys in the Band also stars Charlie Carver, Brian Hutchison, Michael Benjamin Washington and Tuc Watkins.

With a co-writing credit given to Ned Martel, The Boys in the Band includes some brief scenes you wouldn’t have seen in the 2018 Broadway production nor William Friedkin’s 1970 film version.

The Boys in the Band premieres on September 30 on Netflix.

de Jesús’ previous credits include the films Gun Hill Road and Camp.

Mendez Set to Star in Broadway’s Hit Musical “Wicked”

Lindsay Mendez is preparing for a wicked role…

The Latina actress has landed the lead role of Elphaba in the Broadway company of Wicked.

Lindsay Mendez

Mendez, who earned a Drama Desk nod for her performance in Dogfight recently, will assume the role beginning on May 28, 2013.

She’ll take over the role from Willemijn Verkaik, who will play her final performance on May 26.

Mendez has previously worked with both the composer and director of Wicked, having appeared in the 2011 Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz‘s Godspell, and, more recently in the Off-Broadway musical, Dogfight, staged by Wicked director Joe Mantello.

Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003 and is currently selling tickets through January 5, 2014.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

Mendez’s credits include the Broadway revival of Grease in 2007, Everyday Rapture and The Marvelous Wonderettes.