Ariana DeBose to Host Tony Awards for Third Consecutive Year

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ariana DeBose is heading back to Broadway for a special night…

The 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress, singer and dancer will return as host of this year’s Tony Awards, marking her third consecutive year fronting Broadway‘s biggest night.

The 77th Annual Tony Awards airs live nationwide (8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT) on Sunday, June 16, on CBS, streaming on Paramount+.

The ceremony will take place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

DeBose, an Oscar winner (West Side Story) and previous Tony nominee (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical), will serve as a Tony producer and will choreograph the opening number for this year’s show.

“I couldn’t pass up the chance to host the Tonys one more time, at Lincoln Center,” DeBose said in a statement. “I’m excited to collaborate with the team to create an incredible celebration of this season’s achievements on Broadway for our community and for everyone at home.”

“Ariana’s unique sense of artistry, creativity and talent continues to elevate the show and captivate nominees and viewers alike,” shared Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League. Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment, said, “The third time is definitely going to be a charm for a host who is as charming and insanely talented as Ariana DeBose.”

Tony organizers also announced today that CBS and Pluto TV will once again partner to present The Tony Awards: Act One, the pre-show of live, exclusive content leading into awards ceremony. Act One, available on Pluto TV, includes the presentation of a first round of Tony Awards. Hosts and further details will be announced in the coming weeks.

This year’s Tonys will recognize and honor the Broadway productions of the 2023- 2024 theater season. Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, April 30.

The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment.

Eden Espinosa to Reprise Role on Broadway in Acclaimed Musical “Lempicka”

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Eden Espinosa is the (Lem)pick(a) the week…

The 45-year-old Mexican American Broadway actress and singer is starring as Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka in the Carson Kreitzer–Matt Gould Broadway musical Lempicka.

Espinosa originated the title role in critically acclaimed performances at Williamstown Theatre Festival and La Jolla Playhouse.

Lempicka will begin performances at Broadway‘s Longacre Theatre on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, ahead of an official opening night on Sunday, April 14, producers Seaview and Jenny Niederhoffer have announced.

Directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin and featuring choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Kreitzer, and book and music by Gould. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Tamara de Lempicka’s life spanned some of the most consequential eras in modern history,” said Chavkin in a statement, “and her deep and complex story is an ideal subject for exactly the kind of show I love to both see and create: one that is simultaneously intimate and epic.”

She continued, “I think Carson and Matt are visionary storytellers — Carson is an under-recognized leader in the new play field, known for exquisite sparseness and thematic density, and Matt is a wild heart whose music fuses contemporary vibes with classical musical theater…and simply makes your heart swell. How lucky for all of us to have this piece brought to life by a performer as dynamic and brilliant as Eden Espinosa.”

Best known for her Art Deco portraits and nudes, Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980) was born in Warsaw but spent most of her working life in France and the United States.

“When I first saw this show inspired by the life and times of Tamara de Lempicka, my great-grandmother, I got goosebumps and tears in my eyes,” said Marisa de Lempicka, President of Tamara de Lempicka Estate, LLC stated. “ The music, the story, the choreography, the set, and the incredibly talented cast, directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, were truly moving. We feel so happy and proud that Tamara’s art and life story keep inspiring new generations, almost one hundred years later, and that her resilience and iconic creativity are being portrayed in this extraordinary production.”

Lempicka had its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2018, drawing excellent reviews. From there the production played at La Jolla Playhouse in 2022.

The creative team for Lempicka includes Riccardo Hernández (scenic design), Paloma Young (costume design), Bradley King (lighting design), Peter Hylenski and Justin Stasiw (sound design), Peter Nigrini (projection design), Mia Neal (hair and wig design), Remy Kurs (music supervision), Charity Wicks (music direction), Cian McCarthy (orchestrations), and Peter Duchan (creative consultant).

Wagner Johnson Productions serves as Executive Producers.

Espinosa’s Broadway credits include ‘Elphaba’ in Wicked and ‘Maureen’ in the closing Broadway company of Rent. She currently stars in Michael John LaChuisa’s The Gardens of Anuncia at Lincoln Center.

Lindsay Mendez Wins Outer Critics Circle Awards Trophy for “Merrily We Roll Along” Performance

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez is having an Outer this world moment…

The Outer Critics Circle has named announced its award winners, with the 40-year-old half-Mexican American Tony Award-winning actress coming away with one prize.

Mendez was named Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off Broadway Musical for her performance in Merrily We Roll Along.

The Circle is made up of writers on New York theater for out-of-town newspapers and national publication.

In all, Some Like It Hot topped the winners list with five, in all – with Leopoldstadt coming in second with three awards.

Winners of the 72nd Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, May 25 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for The Performing Arts.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Some Like It Hot

Outstanding New Broadway Play
Leopoldstadt

Outstanding New Off Broadway Musical
The Harder They Come

Outstanding New Off Broadway Play
Downstate

John Gassner Award for New American Play (Preferably by a New Playwright)
Fat Ham by James Ijames

Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Topdog/Underdog

Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Parade

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical
Harrison Ghee – Some Like It Hot

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical
Alex Newell – Shucked

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play
Sean Hayes – Good Night, Oscar

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play
Brandon Uranowitz – Leopoldstadt

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off Broadway Play
Bill Irwin – Endgame

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off Broadway Play
Todd Freeman – Downstate

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off Broadway Musical
Jonathan Groff – Merrily We Roll Along

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off Broadway Musical
Lindsay Mendez – Merrily We Roll Along

Outstanding Solo Performance
Jodie Comer – Prima Facie

Outstanding New Score
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman – Some Like It Hot

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Robert Horn – Shucked

Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical)
Beowulf Boritt – New York, New York

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Gregg Barnes – Some Like it Hot

Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Tim Lutkin – Life of Pi

Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)
Joshua D. Reid – A Christmas Carol

Outstanding Video or Projection Design (Play or Musical)
Andrzej Goulding – Life of Pi

Outstanding Orchestrations
Bryan Carter and Charlie Rosen – Some Like It Hot

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Arden – Parade

Outstanding Choreography
Susan Stroman – New York, New York

Outstanding Director of a Play
Patrick Marber – Leopoldstadt

Special Achievement Award
B.H. Barry, one of the world’s foremost fight directors, in recognition of a distinguished six-decade career capped off with Camelot at Lincoln Center Theater.

Pedro Almodóvar to be a Guest Speaker at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 50th Anniversary Gala

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Almodóvaris headed to the Big Apple for a special occasion…

The Film Society of Lincoln Center has invited the 69-year-old legendary Spanish director to be a guest speaker at its 50th Anniversary Gala on Monday, April 29, 2019 in Alice Tully Hall.

Reflecting and building upon the organization’s half-century introducing New York audiences to many of the industry’s most acclaimed and important filmmakers, the Gala will honor the Film Society’s legendary past and vibrant present, and look ahead as we extend our commitment to the film community.

Almodóvar will be joined by Darren Aronofsky, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dee Rees, and Martin Scorsese, Marielle Heller, Tilda Swinton, and John Waters, who will also be feted.

Almodóvar has a specialconnection with the New York Film Festivaland FSLC.

His film What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984) screened in New Directors/New Films, and since then he has premiered 10 films in the New York Film Festival;

The 50th Anniversary Gala will tell the story of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s semi-centennial, reflecting and building upon the organization’s half-century introducing New York audiences to many of the industry’s most acclaimed and important filmmakers. The special guest speakers will present this history alongside a collection of interviews and archival footage, photographs, and film clips that will reflect upon the organization and its role in New York City film culture. In honoring the past, the evening will celebrate a film community that is helping to shape the future of our art form.

Mon Laferte to Perform at the Immigrant Rights-Themed “Selena for Sanctuary” Concert

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Mon Laferte is taking on the music of a legend… And it’s all for a good cause.

The 35-year-old Chilean singer-songwriter will perform at “Selena for Sanctuary,” a free concert that’s part of the summer festival Lincoln Center Out of Doors.

The concert aims to raise awareness about the dire situation of undocumented immigrant that has caused a national outcry, with the music of Selena being used to entertain and educate people about the plight of undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

“I am very excited to be part of this event,” said Laferte, a Latin Grammy winner. “I admire Selena and I grew up singing her songs. It is an honor for me to be able to sing her songs and to support this initiative with a subject like migration, which concerns us all.”

The show will also feature singers Gaby Moreno, Cuco and Nina Diaz, as well as special guest appearances by guitarist Chris Perez, Selena’s widower; Omar Apollo, and August Eve.

Created by Doris Munoz, daughter of undocumented immigrants, “Selena for Sanctuary” pays tribute to the most successful artist in Latin music while fighting for a cause. It arrives at the outdoor stage of the prestigious Lincoln Centerafter having smaller editions in South California.

“This event started as a simple idea and call to action after the current administration threatened our community’s sanctuary cities which affected my working-class undocumented parents,” Munoz said, referring to the policies of President Donald Trump.

She added: “It only feels necessary to leverage the platform we have been blessed with to help our community in need. This event is as personal as it gets, there are millions of families like my own and if this inspires at least one person to get involved we’ve done our job.”

More than two decades after her passing, Selena Quintanilla still inspires fans and musicians alike.

“We know Selena is a Tejano music icon and a legend, but beyond that, she represents the Latin American people as someone who fought for her dreams, overcoming many difficulties, always defending tooth and nail the Latino roots she carried inside,” Moreno said in an email.

Selena broke barriers for women in Latin music and opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences.

She was fatally shot by her fan club’s president at 23. She has sold more than 65 million units worldwide, making her the best-selling female artist in Latin music history.

To Cuco, the late Tejano star launched a new era of representation for people of color in the industry.

“This event is important to me because it paves a way for people that went through the same struggle that my parents went through,” said the Mexican-American singer.

Torres Among the Red-Hot Models at the Heart Truth Red Dress Collection Show

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Torres is always red-y to raise awareness about women’s heart health…

The 44-year-old Cuban American actress, who currently stars as Jessica Pearson on the USA Network’s popular legal series Suits, had fashionistas seeing red during the Heart Truth Red Dress Collection show in New York City.

The event, sponsored by the American Heart Association Go Red For Women campaign, kicked off New York Fashion Week Thursday night at the Lincoln Center.

In honor of American Heart Month, Torres, Bella Thorne and Victoria Justice joined other red-hot celebrities, including NeNe Leakes, Anika Noni Rose and Leona Lewis, to walk the runway in designer red frocks, all to raise money for the cause.

This year’s Red Dress Collection designers included Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Carmen Mark Valvo, Mark Zunino and Donna Karan.

Here’s a look at Torres, Thorne and Justice in their red dresses.

Gina Torres flaunts her curvas in an eye-catching Marchesa dress during The Heart Truth Red Dress show.

Bella Thorne dons a sleek Badgley Mischka dress in the Go Red For Women-The Heart Truth Red Dress runway show.

Victoria Justice strikes a pose in a flowery Oscar de la Renta dress in the Red Dress show.

Heart disease reportedly causes one in three women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute. It’s estimated that 43-million women in the United States are affected by heart disease.

Here are some important facts about Latinas and heart disease:

Hispanic women are likely to develop heart disease 10 years earlier than Caucasian women.
Only 1 in 3 Hispanic women are aware that heart disease is their No. 1 killer
Only 3 in 10 Hispanic women say they have been informed that they are at a higher risk.

“It Just Got Real,” Declares Mars at His Super Bowl Press Conference

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Ready or not, Bruno Mars is about to take the biggest stage of his career this Super Bowl Sunday.

“I’ve never had to do a press conference before I perform, so it just got real, I guess!” joked the 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer at a Super Bowl press conference at Lincoln Center‘s Rose Theater in New York City.

Asked by Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, reporting for omg! Insider, how he felt about accepting the invitation to headline the halftime show, Mars responded, “We were all watching you as a band last year when you performed with Beyonce, and we were wondering just like, ‘What if one day we get the call to do that?'” he said, later noting that his favorite halftime acts to date also include Prince, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. “It definitely came soon.”

Mars noted that he began rehearsing two nights ago, and was faced with the reality of the brutal cold in New Jersey and New York.

“There was a lot of things that happened — the microphone turns into a popsicle!” he explained. I’m grabbing the mic and it’s frozen! Just stuff like that that we’re taking into consideration, and getting some heaters on everything.”

But how will he keep his signature hairdo intact? “I got three gallons of hairspray in this thing, so I’m good!”

While he won’t be giving away any secrets about his set list — “It’s only a couple days away, they can hold tight,” he told reporters — Mars will stay true to his usual laid-back big-band aesthetic. “No matter where I perform, it’s my job to uplift the people — whether I’m performing at a graduation party, wedding, bar mitzvah, Grammys, Super Bowl, I’m gonna give it all I got,” he said of the gig. “I don’t trapeze and all that stuff. I hope to get people dancing and get people smiling. If you ever come to my shows, it’s just us up there with these songs and our instruments. I hope that’s enough.”

Mars also explained how he chose his co-performers. “The first band I thought of was the Red Hot Chili Peppers — I’ve been a fan of theirs for such a long time, I admire their career,” he recalled when the NFL presented him with the opportunity. “They’re a soulful band — and not just musically, but as people. I sat down with Flea, and he’s so passionate about music. Even to this day, doing it for so long, he’s still so passionate about creating music and performing. I want to surround myself with guys like that forever, and it’s an honor to share the stage with them. They’re one of my personal favorite bands of all time.”

He thanked the NFL for the rare chance to headline the televised event. “I still feel like a new artist — the NFL is such a prestigious stage, and they’re giving the new guy a shot. No, I haven’t been able to take it in, but I will. Come Sunday, I will.”

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