Last month, it was announced that Patrick Wilson, who has starred in the likes of three Conjuring movies and three Insidious movies (one of which he directed), is producing a stage musical adaptation of Joel Schumacher’s 1987 vampire classic The Lost Boys (watch it Here). Now that project is taking a big step forward, as Deadline has learned that there’s going to be an industry presentation of the show next month, with Frozen‘s Caissie Levy, Dear Evan Hansen‘s Nathan Levy, and & Juliet‘s Lorna Courtney having been cast in major roles. This private presentation is scheduled to be held on February 23rd – and even though only industry insiders will get to watch it, that’s enough to inspire the people behind the show to release a teaser trailer for what they’re calling The Lost Boys: A New Musical. You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
- 1/24/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Lost Boys, the previously announced, in-development stage musical adaptation of 1987 horror classic, has set an invitation-only industry presentation for next month, with Frozen‘s Caissie Levy, Dear Evan Hansen‘s Nathan Levy and & Juliet‘s Lorna Courtney in pivotal roles.
The private presentation in New York City will take place on February 23. A high-concept teaser trailer was released today, which includes a snippet of a haunting song with the repeated lyrics “when the secret comes out…” Watch it above.
The new musical, announced in December, will feature a book by David Hornsby (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia writer/EP) & Chris Hoch, music & lyrics by pop-rock band The Rescues. Tony winner Michael Arden (Parade), will direct.
Caissie Levy will play Lucy Emerson, the recently divorced mom who unwittingly moves herself and two sons to a vampire-infested California beach town. The younger son is Sam, to be played by Nathan Levy.
The private presentation in New York City will take place on February 23. A high-concept teaser trailer was released today, which includes a snippet of a haunting song with the repeated lyrics “when the secret comes out…” Watch it above.
The new musical, announced in December, will feature a book by David Hornsby (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia writer/EP) & Chris Hoch, music & lyrics by pop-rock band The Rescues. Tony winner Michael Arden (Parade), will direct.
Caissie Levy will play Lucy Emerson, the recently divorced mom who unwittingly moves herself and two sons to a vampire-infested California beach town. The younger son is Sam, to be played by Nathan Levy.
- 1/24/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Married actors Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Mark Menchaca (Ozark) have been set to star in Long Pork, a revenge thriller short helmed by up-and-comer Iris Dukatt, who also wrote the screenplay.
Produced by Madhouse Films, the rising female led-production company founded by Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman, as well as Elizabeth Valenti, the film takes place in a future post-Roe America where all reproductive rights have been banned. Headey plays Lily Williams, master chef at the renowned Foal’s Steakhouse, who lost her only daughter to forced birth under the federal ban. When Lily learns that Philip Anderson (Menchaca), the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s abortion request, is coming to dine at Foal’s, she enlists her team of cooks to exact bloody revenge, setting the stage for revolution.
Also starring in the pic, intended as a proof of concept for a feature, include Catherine Curtin,...
Produced by Madhouse Films, the rising female led-production company founded by Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman, as well as Elizabeth Valenti, the film takes place in a future post-Roe America where all reproductive rights have been banned. Headey plays Lily Williams, master chef at the renowned Foal’s Steakhouse, who lost her only daughter to forced birth under the federal ban. When Lily learns that Philip Anderson (Menchaca), the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s abortion request, is coming to dine at Foal’s, she enlists her team of cooks to exact bloody revenge, setting the stage for revolution.
Also starring in the pic, intended as a proof of concept for a feature, include Catherine Curtin,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Game of Thrones” star Lena Headey has taken the lead in “Long Pork,” a short thriller from Madhouse Films set in a post-Roe v Wade America.
Marking the directorial feature debut of Iris Dukatt, “Long Pork” sees Headey play Lily Williams, a chef at a renowned steakhouse whose daughter has died under forced birth laws. When the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s request to have an abortion makes a booking at the steakhouse, Lily embarks on exacting a bloody revenge.
Joining Headey in the pic is “Ozark” star Marc Menchaca, who will play Judge Philip Anderson. Catherine Curtin, Lorna Courtney, Zoe Cipres, and Tl Thomspon also star.
Dukatt wrote the screenplay. Madhouse Films’ Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman produce alongside Elizabeth Valenti.
Romans and Traisman founded Madhouse Films in 2022 with the aim of centering marginalized voices. The company’s first short, “See This,” is set to premiere on the 2024 festival circuit.
Marking the directorial feature debut of Iris Dukatt, “Long Pork” sees Headey play Lily Williams, a chef at a renowned steakhouse whose daughter has died under forced birth laws. When the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s request to have an abortion makes a booking at the steakhouse, Lily embarks on exacting a bloody revenge.
Joining Headey in the pic is “Ozark” star Marc Menchaca, who will play Judge Philip Anderson. Catherine Curtin, Lorna Courtney, Zoe Cipres, and Tl Thomspon also star.
Dukatt wrote the screenplay. Madhouse Films’ Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman produce alongside Elizabeth Valenti.
Romans and Traisman founded Madhouse Films in 2022 with the aim of centering marginalized voices. The company’s first short, “See This,” is set to premiere on the 2024 festival circuit.
- 11/13/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
On Sunday night, Broadway honored the best live theater of the year at the 76th annual Tony Awards.
At a time of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, it was a possibility that the ceremony would not happen this year, but the WGA and the Tony Awards’ organizers reached an agreement where the show would not be picketed and the writers would not work on the telecast. The previous time this occurred was in 1988 when Phantom of the Opera and Into the Woods competed for Best Musical.
The Tonys was the first major ceremony to take place amid the current writers’ strike. While other awards shows need a host and numerous presenters to say written remarks about the competitors and provide good ratings, the Tonys already have a built-in fan base that only requires around a dozen performances and winners’ speeches to succeed.
Ariana DeBose returned as the host,...
At a time of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, it was a possibility that the ceremony would not happen this year, but the WGA and the Tony Awards’ organizers reached an agreement where the show would not be picketed and the writers would not work on the telecast. The previous time this occurred was in 1988 when Phantom of the Opera and Into the Woods competed for Best Musical.
The Tonys was the first major ceremony to take place amid the current writers’ strike. While other awards shows need a host and numerous presenters to say written remarks about the competitors and provide good ratings, the Tonys already have a built-in fan base that only requires around a dozen performances and winners’ speeches to succeed.
Ariana DeBose returned as the host,...
- 6/12/2023
- by Alex Nguyen
- Uinterview
The 2023 Tony Awards just honored a fresh group of incredible talents. Trophies were handed out at the United Palace Theater in NYC on June 11. This year's big winners include "Killing Eve" star Jodie Comer for her role in "Prima Facie," the play "Leopoldstadt," and the musical "Kimberly Akimbo."
"Shucked" star Alex Newell and "Some Like It Hot" star J. Harrison Ghee also made history as they became the award show's first openly nonbinary acting winners. The Tony Awards do not have gender-neutral acting categories. Newell, an alum of "The Glee Project," took home the award for featured actor in a musical. Ghee also won in their category, best actor in a musical.
The annual theater award ceremony was hosted by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, who is emceeing without a script amid the 2023 writers strike.
Ahead, these are the 2023 Tony winners.
Best Musical
"& Juliet"
Winner: "Kimberly Akimbo"
"New York, New York...
"Shucked" star Alex Newell and "Some Like It Hot" star J. Harrison Ghee also made history as they became the award show's first openly nonbinary acting winners. The Tony Awards do not have gender-neutral acting categories. Newell, an alum of "The Glee Project," took home the award for featured actor in a musical. Ghee also won in their category, best actor in a musical.
The annual theater award ceremony was hosted by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, who is emceeing without a script amid the 2023 writers strike.
Ahead, these are the 2023 Tony winners.
Best Musical
"& Juliet"
Winner: "Kimberly Akimbo"
"New York, New York...
- 6/12/2023
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
On Sunday evening, the 2023 Tony Awards will recognize the best of Broadway during the 76th annual celebration hosted by Ariana DeBose. The ceremony, which unfolded a bit differently this year after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike with studios over fair compensation, revealed the winners of 26 categories while still providing a showcase for many of the top nominees with live musical performances.
Leading up to the big night, a total of 27 new productions were nominated, with the musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot coming out on top with a total of 13. The other top musicals were & Juliet, New York New York and Shucked with nine each and Kimberly Akimbo with eight. The most nominated revived musical, meanwhile, was Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which also garnered eight nods.
On the play side, Ain’t No Mo’ and Leopoldstadt were the most nominated originals...
Leading up to the big night, a total of 27 new productions were nominated, with the musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot coming out on top with a total of 13. The other top musicals were & Juliet, New York New York and Shucked with nine each and Kimberly Akimbo with eight. The most nominated revived musical, meanwhile, was Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which also garnered eight nods.
On the play side, Ain’t No Mo’ and Leopoldstadt were the most nominated originals...
- 6/12/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Broadway stars and beyond came out in fashion for the 2023 Tony Awards on Sunday. We’ve rounded up some of the most notable looks from the red carpet, which boasts nominees like Amber Ruffin, Jodie Comer and Jessica Chastain. Below, find Samuel L. Jackson, Jordan E. Cooper, Lupita Nyong’o, Lea Michele, Michelle Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Julia Lester, Crystal Lucas-Perry, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anna Wintour, Julianne Hough, Justin Cooley, Lorna Courtney, Annaleigh Ashford, Sarah Bareilles, Rachel Brosnahan, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Jeremy O. Harris and plenty more hitting the red carpet ahead of the Tony Awards.
We’ll be updating this post with more Tony Awards red carpet arrival photos throughout the night...
We’ll be updating this post with more Tony Awards red carpet arrival photos throughout the night...
- 6/11/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, May 2 by Lea Michele and Myles Frost. While the nominations for the 76th annual Tony Awards were determined by 40 theatre professionals, winners were decided by over 750 members of the Broadway community.
A whopping 38 shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there were 17 original works and six revivals in the running for nominations. Over on the musical side, nine new tuners were in contention for bids as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.
The Tony Awards are set for June 12 at United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights and will be hosted for the second year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. The earlier “Act One” ceremony will be hosted by Julianne Hough and Skylar Astin.
Musicals
Best Musical
& Juliet
X — Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked
Some Like It Hot...
A whopping 38 shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there were 17 original works and six revivals in the running for nominations. Over on the musical side, nine new tuners were in contention for bids as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.
The Tony Awards are set for June 12 at United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights and will be hosted for the second year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. The earlier “Act One” ceremony will be hosted by Julianne Hough and Skylar Astin.
Musicals
Best Musical
& Juliet
X — Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked
Some Like It Hot...
- 6/11/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
On Sunday, Broadway stepped out for its biggest night as the Tony Awards celebrated the year’s best talent live from the United Palace in New York City. The ceremony was hosted by stage star-turned-Oscar winner Ariana DeBose in a three-hour ceremony that aired at 8/7c on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Going into the 76th annual awards, Some Like It Hot led the pack of musicals with a whopping 13 nominations, including one for Best New Musical. But Kimberly Akimbo ultimately won the top prize, in addition to other top honors for both its lead and supporting actress. As far as plays go,...
Going into the 76th annual awards, Some Like It Hot led the pack of musicals with a whopping 13 nominations, including one for Best New Musical. But Kimberly Akimbo ultimately won the top prize, in addition to other top honors for both its lead and supporting actress. As far as plays go,...
- 6/11/2023
- by Claire Franken
- TVLine.com
Has there ever been a less predictable Tony Awards?
Just a few weeks ago there were doubts that a televised ceremony would even happen, due to the ongoing WGA strike. That problem proved to be just a speed bump: The guild agreed not to picket the show, but the show will include no scripts, no pre-written introductions or podium banter. There will be the usual musical numbers from the nominated shows — the heart of the ceremony — as well as some additional performances, tributes to John Kander and Joel Grey, the traditional In Memoriam segment and, well, we’ll all just have to wait and see for the rest.
Related: Tony Award Nominations – The Complete List
But the usual Will Wins/Should Wins are predictions of a different sort, and no strike or toxic-looking orange sky over New York City can stop those speculations. So here we go. Deadline’s 2023 Tony Awards Predictions,...
Just a few weeks ago there were doubts that a televised ceremony would even happen, due to the ongoing WGA strike. That problem proved to be just a speed bump: The guild agreed not to picket the show, but the show will include no scripts, no pre-written introductions or podium banter. There will be the usual musical numbers from the nominated shows — the heart of the ceremony — as well as some additional performances, tributes to John Kander and Joel Grey, the traditional In Memoriam segment and, well, we’ll all just have to wait and see for the rest.
Related: Tony Award Nominations – The Complete List
But the usual Will Wins/Should Wins are predictions of a different sort, and no strike or toxic-looking orange sky over New York City can stop those speculations. So here we go. Deadline’s 2023 Tony Awards Predictions,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
After an extraordinary season boasting 38 productions of musicals, plays, and revivals, Broadway will toast its nominees and crown new winners at the upcoming 76th annual Tony Awards. If predicting the winners seems overwhelming with so many terrific contenders to choose between, check out our racetrack odds below for all 26 categories.
These official odds for the Tonys are derived from the predictions of our Experts who write about theatre year-round, our in-house team of Editors, the Top 24 Users who did the best predicting last year’s ceremony, the All-Star Top 24 who have the highest scores when you combine predictions from the last two years, and all our Users who make up the largest and often savviest bloc of predictors.
On June 11, the Tonys begin with the first round of awards during a special called “Act One,” hosted by Julianna Hough and Skylar Astin, which airs at 6:30pm Et on Pluto TV...
These official odds for the Tonys are derived from the predictions of our Experts who write about theatre year-round, our in-house team of Editors, the Top 24 Users who did the best predicting last year’s ceremony, the All-Star Top 24 who have the highest scores when you combine predictions from the last two years, and all our Users who make up the largest and often savviest bloc of predictors.
On June 11, the Tonys begin with the first round of awards during a special called “Act One,” hosted by Julianna Hough and Skylar Astin, which airs at 6:30pm Et on Pluto TV...
- 6/8/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Lorna Courtney was barely out of the University of Michigan when Broadway first came calling. A native New Yorker – Queens, to be exact – and graduate of Manhattan’s performing arts Laguardia High School, Courtney was a standby in Dear Evan Hansen in 2019 and 2020 before being cast in director Ivo van Hove’s boldly reimagined West Side Story, a production that did away with the iconic Jerome Robbins in favor of the riskier, more avant-garde stylings of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker.
Both shows, but particularly the short-lived 2020 West Side Story – which closed due to the Covid pandemic shutdown and never re-opened – were learning experiences for Courtney, who now draws upon those earlier shows for her Tony-nominated performance as the star and title character of & Juliet. The musical, which features songs written by hit-maker Max Martin, has become one of Broadway’s most successful crowd-pleasers, routinely pulling in weekly grosses well in excess of $1 million and filling seats at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Deadline spoke this week to Courtney as she gears up for Sunday’s Tony Awards. She’d just taped an appearance for The View and seemed to be operating on a combination of excitement, pride and maybe a jitter or two. She spoke of & Juliet, the Tonys, West Side Story, and the responsibilities and joys of leading a Broadway production night after night.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Lorna Courtney, ‘& Juliet’ (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
Deadline: So, congratulations. What has this week been like for you?
Lorna Courtney: This week has been challenging in the best ways and also tiring in the best ways. Today I got up at 4:30 and performed on The View, and I met Whoopi Goldberg.
Deadline: Is it just the crazed schedule that’s challenging or are there other things weighing on you?
Courtney: Because this is my first lead role I didn’t know what to expect. I knew what it took to be a leader, but I didn’t know all of the expectations and all of the press things. It’s more than just doing the eight shows a week, and that I didn’t know, and I didn’t know how it would affect my body. First and foremost, I want to be as healthy as possible so I can do my job every night.
Deadline: I thought you were going to say “First and foremost I want to sleep.”
Courtney: Well, that too.
Deadline: You said you know how to be a leader. But I’m wondering how you learned that. This is your first lead role on Broadway.
Courtney: I like to think it’s because I take everyone into consideration and have everyone’s thoughts in my mind, that way I don’t not include anyone’s voice, by making sure everyone is heard, their concerns even if it’s like something in their personal life, I’ll talk to them and I’ll check in with them. I also like to bring a positive attitude to work, an uplifting one because we’re all tired these past couple of weeks. If one of us or some of us can at a ten while others are maybe at a a six or a seven, then it balances everything out.
Deadline: You were working at an Equinox Health Club when you got the news that you’d been cast in & Juliet. What a ride this must have been. How do you think coming so far so quickly impacts your performance as a leader?
Courtney: I think that because of all this great press and publicity that there are certain expectations of excellence, right? Well, this is live theater. Anything can happen, particularly with my character. The reason I love my character so much – and she’s a lot like me – is that she learns there is no such thing as perfection and it’s in the imperfections that we find grace and that we learn and that we grow as human beings. That’s what I love about my job, knowing that I don’t have to carry all of the burden because it’s really not about me. It really does take every single person in our production to make this show happen every night, and every single person was specifically picked for a reason that’s so individual, even in the way that they move. We don’t all move the same.
Deadline: Let’s talk about the Max Martin songs. Did knowing these hits beforehand give you any trepidation in performing them?
Courtney: I think initially the thought came into my head that, oh my gosh, these are songs that everyone knows and everyone knows so well. There is a bit of fear associated with that if you think of it as doing a cover version, but we are not doing covers of the songs. We’re actually storytelling using the lyrics, and even though a lot of the songs are recognizable, I think because of the new orchestrations they’re a bit different than what people expect. So you might not realize what the song is until certain lyrics come up, and then some people chuckle or giggle or laugh because they’re like, Oh! I know this song. Then they really listen because they’re hearing the words in a completely different way. And that’s how I approached them as an actor. Who am I talking to with this song, what am I trying to say? And that’s how I was able to disassociate them from the fact that they’re so famous. And it works.
Deadline: So there wasn’t the pressure of thinking, Ok, I’ve got to sound like Britney Spears here.
Courtney: I could try and sound like Britney Spears if we were doing that type of, like, impersonation, you know, that type of musical, but we’re not, and there’s so much freedom in that. Not once did Max say to me, ‘You need to sound this way.’ Maybe he gave me a little, like, ‘Oh you can scoop up on this part,’ but I think that’s why they chose me – they liked all of the musical experience and background that Lorna has, which comes from gospel music, jazz, R&b, pop, and studying opera in high school and musical theater in college.
Deadline: Yes, I suppose the songs have to be recognizable for the show but at the same time you have to bring yourself to them, or what’s the point?
Courtney: Exactly.
Deadline: Speaking of bringing yourself, let’s talk about the shows you did before & Juliet. What did you learn from Dear Evan Hansen and West Side Story. Especially West Side Story, which I think was a really interesting production that should have lasted longer.
Courtney: With Dear Evan Hansen, I went into that show a week after I graduated from U Mich and I was thrown into a show that had already been set, a show that was a commercial success. The direction was very specific and particular because they knew what worked and what didn’t. So there was some room for creativity but not much. But I will say that working with a smaller cast was really amazing and you become like family, which I love.
And then on the flip side of that, there was West Side Story, a revival. We all know West Side Story, but that version completely turned everything on its head and really looked at it with a different lens, literally because they integrated film into the musical and that was the first time that I’ve ever experienced having mixed media with theater. I thought it was beautiful. I mean, it took all of the elements of why we love film, the close-ups and the things that we normally wouldn’t be able to see sitting in a large Broadway theater.
And the dance was all new choreography, and the fight scenes looked like actual fight scenes because they weren’t doing ballet. They had knives. So it was dark, but it was human, and it was beautiful. We had two months of rehearsals figuring out what to do and creating a show as if it was a workshop, but we were going to Broadway. The cast was huge, and the orchestra was huge, and it was an amazing experience.
But Mia [Pinero] – the other understudy for the role of Maria – and I were put in an uncomfortable position. I didn’t even have a dance call for the show and I was thrown in as a dancer. It was completely new to me. I had no clue what style of dance [choreographer] Anne Teresa creates, and I didn’t know how to move my body like that, so it was very challenging. I think in the end it helped push me into expanding beyond what I think I can’t do, if that makes sense.
Courtney (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
Deadline: What you think you can’t do that maybe you actually can.
Courtney: Exactly. Exactly. I can do it. And with this show, & Juliet, I mean, it is pretty impossible to do eight times a week. It’s very, very hard. Physically and of course vocally, it’s very challenging. The way I’m able to do it is when I’m not on stage I spend time working on my body and working with [movement consultant] Marcia Polas, who does craniosacral therapy and myofascial release techniques, and with Matt Farnsworth, our voice consultant for this show, to ensure that I’m keeping myself as healthy as possible. I haven’t had an injury. Yay!
Deadline: That’s really good to hear. People who are do eight shows a week, injuries are pretty common.
Courtney: After the show I get home as quickly as I can. I run a bath with Epsom salt. Heat up my prepared meals from CookUnity, and to save time I eat in the tub. Then after that I get on the ground and use different Pilates balls to release tension and reset my spine before I go to bed. Sometimes I’ll put on magnesium lotion and arnica gel. Cool down vocally. And then do it all again the next day.
Deadline: What’s the day like before you go into the show?
Courtney: It changes every day but as of late I haven’t had a day off really for the past month. Today is a Monday and I’m working. I’m doing performances whether it’s singing or interviews, which I’m happy and I’m blessed to do. I’m so blessed that this show is what it is and that people react to it the way that they do. The crowd goes wild, they absolutely love it, and they have the best time and they come back. They often message me or I’ll see them at the stage door and they’ll tell me, especially little girls, that they look up to me and are inspired. I’ll see them in the audience and that’s all that I want to do, to be there for them. I want them to be able to see themselves on stage and to see themselves as a lead and as a person of color who’s a lead.
Melanie La Barrie and Courtney (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
Deadline: And Juliet is, finally, a lead in her own story. She’s not the plus-one anymore.
Courtney: And she let’s girls see that there is no such thing as perfection. As Mel [Melanie La Barrie, who plays Juliet’s nurse] sings, ‘You’re f’ing perfect to me.” It’s okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to pick yourself up and to try again. Juliet realizes that she loves herself, and that maybe the people who you think you should love the most, when they’re not there for you, it’s okay. You have your friends. You have the people in your life that are not your biological family but are family to you. She gives so much of her heart and supports everyone in the show, and by the end when she needs the support everyone comes to her, and she’s able to rise up on that platform and sing.
Deadline: One more question then I’ll let you go. The Tonys are this Sunday. What do you plan to do that day?
Courtney: You know, I don’t even have a dress yet, I really don’t. But I’m not worried about it. I’m hopeful everything will come together. I’m taking it as an opportunity to celebrate Broadway, to celebrate my peers, and I’m really glad that it’ll be happening and that it’s happening at the United Palace theater, such a historic theater, such a beautiful venue and space. And I will be performing at the Tony Awards! Like, I could cry. I will actually be performing on the Tony Awards, and that in and of itself is it for me. I’m so glad that I’m doing it with this show and with this cast. And then we’ll just see how the rest of the night goes.
Both shows, but particularly the short-lived 2020 West Side Story – which closed due to the Covid pandemic shutdown and never re-opened – were learning experiences for Courtney, who now draws upon those earlier shows for her Tony-nominated performance as the star and title character of & Juliet. The musical, which features songs written by hit-maker Max Martin, has become one of Broadway’s most successful crowd-pleasers, routinely pulling in weekly grosses well in excess of $1 million and filling seats at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Deadline spoke this week to Courtney as she gears up for Sunday’s Tony Awards. She’d just taped an appearance for The View and seemed to be operating on a combination of excitement, pride and maybe a jitter or two. She spoke of & Juliet, the Tonys, West Side Story, and the responsibilities and joys of leading a Broadway production night after night.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Lorna Courtney, ‘& Juliet’ (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
Deadline: So, congratulations. What has this week been like for you?
Lorna Courtney: This week has been challenging in the best ways and also tiring in the best ways. Today I got up at 4:30 and performed on The View, and I met Whoopi Goldberg.
Deadline: Is it just the crazed schedule that’s challenging or are there other things weighing on you?
Courtney: Because this is my first lead role I didn’t know what to expect. I knew what it took to be a leader, but I didn’t know all of the expectations and all of the press things. It’s more than just doing the eight shows a week, and that I didn’t know, and I didn’t know how it would affect my body. First and foremost, I want to be as healthy as possible so I can do my job every night.
Deadline: I thought you were going to say “First and foremost I want to sleep.”
Courtney: Well, that too.
Deadline: You said you know how to be a leader. But I’m wondering how you learned that. This is your first lead role on Broadway.
Courtney: I like to think it’s because I take everyone into consideration and have everyone’s thoughts in my mind, that way I don’t not include anyone’s voice, by making sure everyone is heard, their concerns even if it’s like something in their personal life, I’ll talk to them and I’ll check in with them. I also like to bring a positive attitude to work, an uplifting one because we’re all tired these past couple of weeks. If one of us or some of us can at a ten while others are maybe at a a six or a seven, then it balances everything out.
Deadline: You were working at an Equinox Health Club when you got the news that you’d been cast in & Juliet. What a ride this must have been. How do you think coming so far so quickly impacts your performance as a leader?
Courtney: I think that because of all this great press and publicity that there are certain expectations of excellence, right? Well, this is live theater. Anything can happen, particularly with my character. The reason I love my character so much – and she’s a lot like me – is that she learns there is no such thing as perfection and it’s in the imperfections that we find grace and that we learn and that we grow as human beings. That’s what I love about my job, knowing that I don’t have to carry all of the burden because it’s really not about me. It really does take every single person in our production to make this show happen every night, and every single person was specifically picked for a reason that’s so individual, even in the way that they move. We don’t all move the same.
Deadline: Let’s talk about the Max Martin songs. Did knowing these hits beforehand give you any trepidation in performing them?
Courtney: I think initially the thought came into my head that, oh my gosh, these are songs that everyone knows and everyone knows so well. There is a bit of fear associated with that if you think of it as doing a cover version, but we are not doing covers of the songs. We’re actually storytelling using the lyrics, and even though a lot of the songs are recognizable, I think because of the new orchestrations they’re a bit different than what people expect. So you might not realize what the song is until certain lyrics come up, and then some people chuckle or giggle or laugh because they’re like, Oh! I know this song. Then they really listen because they’re hearing the words in a completely different way. And that’s how I approached them as an actor. Who am I talking to with this song, what am I trying to say? And that’s how I was able to disassociate them from the fact that they’re so famous. And it works.
Deadline: So there wasn’t the pressure of thinking, Ok, I’ve got to sound like Britney Spears here.
Courtney: I could try and sound like Britney Spears if we were doing that type of, like, impersonation, you know, that type of musical, but we’re not, and there’s so much freedom in that. Not once did Max say to me, ‘You need to sound this way.’ Maybe he gave me a little, like, ‘Oh you can scoop up on this part,’ but I think that’s why they chose me – they liked all of the musical experience and background that Lorna has, which comes from gospel music, jazz, R&b, pop, and studying opera in high school and musical theater in college.
Deadline: Yes, I suppose the songs have to be recognizable for the show but at the same time you have to bring yourself to them, or what’s the point?
Courtney: Exactly.
Deadline: Speaking of bringing yourself, let’s talk about the shows you did before & Juliet. What did you learn from Dear Evan Hansen and West Side Story. Especially West Side Story, which I think was a really interesting production that should have lasted longer.
Courtney: With Dear Evan Hansen, I went into that show a week after I graduated from U Mich and I was thrown into a show that had already been set, a show that was a commercial success. The direction was very specific and particular because they knew what worked and what didn’t. So there was some room for creativity but not much. But I will say that working with a smaller cast was really amazing and you become like family, which I love.
And then on the flip side of that, there was West Side Story, a revival. We all know West Side Story, but that version completely turned everything on its head and really looked at it with a different lens, literally because they integrated film into the musical and that was the first time that I’ve ever experienced having mixed media with theater. I thought it was beautiful. I mean, it took all of the elements of why we love film, the close-ups and the things that we normally wouldn’t be able to see sitting in a large Broadway theater.
And the dance was all new choreography, and the fight scenes looked like actual fight scenes because they weren’t doing ballet. They had knives. So it was dark, but it was human, and it was beautiful. We had two months of rehearsals figuring out what to do and creating a show as if it was a workshop, but we were going to Broadway. The cast was huge, and the orchestra was huge, and it was an amazing experience.
But Mia [Pinero] – the other understudy for the role of Maria – and I were put in an uncomfortable position. I didn’t even have a dance call for the show and I was thrown in as a dancer. It was completely new to me. I had no clue what style of dance [choreographer] Anne Teresa creates, and I didn’t know how to move my body like that, so it was very challenging. I think in the end it helped push me into expanding beyond what I think I can’t do, if that makes sense.
Courtney (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
Deadline: What you think you can’t do that maybe you actually can.
Courtney: Exactly. Exactly. I can do it. And with this show, & Juliet, I mean, it is pretty impossible to do eight times a week. It’s very, very hard. Physically and of course vocally, it’s very challenging. The way I’m able to do it is when I’m not on stage I spend time working on my body and working with [movement consultant] Marcia Polas, who does craniosacral therapy and myofascial release techniques, and with Matt Farnsworth, our voice consultant for this show, to ensure that I’m keeping myself as healthy as possible. I haven’t had an injury. Yay!
Deadline: That’s really good to hear. People who are do eight shows a week, injuries are pretty common.
Courtney: After the show I get home as quickly as I can. I run a bath with Epsom salt. Heat up my prepared meals from CookUnity, and to save time I eat in the tub. Then after that I get on the ground and use different Pilates balls to release tension and reset my spine before I go to bed. Sometimes I’ll put on magnesium lotion and arnica gel. Cool down vocally. And then do it all again the next day.
Deadline: What’s the day like before you go into the show?
Courtney: It changes every day but as of late I haven’t had a day off really for the past month. Today is a Monday and I’m working. I’m doing performances whether it’s singing or interviews, which I’m happy and I’m blessed to do. I’m so blessed that this show is what it is and that people react to it the way that they do. The crowd goes wild, they absolutely love it, and they have the best time and they come back. They often message me or I’ll see them at the stage door and they’ll tell me, especially little girls, that they look up to me and are inspired. I’ll see them in the audience and that’s all that I want to do, to be there for them. I want them to be able to see themselves on stage and to see themselves as a lead and as a person of color who’s a lead.
Melanie La Barrie and Courtney (Credit: Matthew Murphy)
Deadline: And Juliet is, finally, a lead in her own story. She’s not the plus-one anymore.
Courtney: And she let’s girls see that there is no such thing as perfection. As Mel [Melanie La Barrie, who plays Juliet’s nurse] sings, ‘You’re f’ing perfect to me.” It’s okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to pick yourself up and to try again. Juliet realizes that she loves herself, and that maybe the people who you think you should love the most, when they’re not there for you, it’s okay. You have your friends. You have the people in your life that are not your biological family but are family to you. She gives so much of her heart and supports everyone in the show, and by the end when she needs the support everyone comes to her, and she’s able to rise up on that platform and sing.
Deadline: One more question then I’ll let you go. The Tonys are this Sunday. What do you plan to do that day?
Courtney: You know, I don’t even have a dress yet, I really don’t. But I’m not worried about it. I’m hopeful everything will come together. I’m taking it as an opportunity to celebrate Broadway, to celebrate my peers, and I’m really glad that it’ll be happening and that it’s happening at the United Palace theater, such a historic theater, such a beautiful venue and space. And I will be performing at the Tony Awards! Like, I could cry. I will actually be performing on the Tony Awards, and that in and of itself is it for me. I’m so glad that I’m doing it with this show and with this cast. And then we’ll just see how the rest of the night goes.
- 6/7/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a shadow hanging over the 2023 Tony Awards, and we don’t just mean the WGA strike, which nearly derailed Broadway’s biggest night. In a Broadway season boasting three nonbinary actors in major musical roles, the Tonys continue to require performers to submit themselves in either of the gendered actor and actress categories.
Both Some Like It Hot’s J. Harrison Ghee and Shucked’s Alex Newell are frontrunners in the categories they selected, while Justin David Sullivan, who would have been eligible in one of the featured performer categories for & Juliet, removed themselves from consideration early in the season. This year, the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards, which recognize both Broadway and Off Broadway productions, shed their gendered performance categories, allowing recent wins at both ceremonies for Ghee and Newell in all-gender fields.
If Ghee and Newell repeat those victories at the Tonys, it’ll...
Both Some Like It Hot’s J. Harrison Ghee and Shucked’s Alex Newell are frontrunners in the categories they selected, while Justin David Sullivan, who would have been eligible in one of the featured performer categories for & Juliet, removed themselves from consideration early in the season. This year, the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards, which recognize both Broadway and Off Broadway productions, shed their gendered performance categories, allowing recent wins at both ceremonies for Ghee and Newell in all-gender fields.
If Ghee and Newell repeat those victories at the Tonys, it’ll...
- 6/7/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
Despite the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike, Broadway’s most important show must go on. Here’s everything you need to know for streaming the 76th annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 11.
This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Broadway star-turned-Oscar winner Ariana DeBose at the United Palace in New York and air live at 8/7c on CBS. (A first batch of awards will be handed out from 6:30 to 8 pm on Pluto TV). The Tonys will also be available to stream live on Paramount+, for those who subscribe to the Premium plan.
More from TVLineFlamin' Hot: Here Is How...
This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Broadway star-turned-Oscar winner Ariana DeBose at the United Palace in New York and air live at 8/7c on CBS. (A first batch of awards will be handed out from 6:30 to 8 pm on Pluto TV). The Tonys will also be available to stream live on Paramount+, for those who subscribe to the Premium plan.
More from TVLineFlamin' Hot: Here Is How...
- 6/7/2023
- by How to Stream Team
- TVLine.com
2023 Drama League Awards winners: Annaleigh Ashford (‘Sweeney Todd’) takes Distinguished Performance
Winners of the 2023 Drama League Awards were announced on Friday, May 19, 2023, at an in-person ceremony, hosted by Emmy-winning reporter Frank Dilella at The Ziegfeld Ballroom. The Drama League Awards honor both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions from the 2022-2023 theater season.
“Leopoldstadt” asserted itself as the dominant play of the season, picking up the Best Play prize. Tom Stoppard’s drama has been perched atop Gold Derby’s Tony Awards odds since we launched the prediction center. With Tony favorite “Kimberly Akimbo” out of the running for Best Musical (the Drama League already considered that tuner for its Off-Broadway run), “Some Like it Hot” cruised to a win in that category. It prevailed over four of its fellow Tony nominees: “& Juliet,” “New York, New York,” and “Shucked.”
The Drama League bolstered the Tony prospects of “A Doll’s House” by bestowing it with the Best Revival of a Play prize. But the...
“Leopoldstadt” asserted itself as the dominant play of the season, picking up the Best Play prize. Tom Stoppard’s drama has been perched atop Gold Derby’s Tony Awards odds since we launched the prediction center. With Tony favorite “Kimberly Akimbo” out of the running for Best Musical (the Drama League already considered that tuner for its Off-Broadway run), “Some Like it Hot” cruised to a win in that category. It prevailed over four of its fellow Tony nominees: “& Juliet,” “New York, New York,” and “Shucked.”
The Drama League bolstered the Tony prospects of “A Doll’s House” by bestowing it with the Best Revival of a Play prize. But the...
- 5/20/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Lea Michele and Myles Frost hosted ‘The 76th Annual Tony Award Nominations (Photo by Jenny Anderson / Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
Funny Girl‘s Lea Michele and Tony Award winner Myles Frost had the honor of announcing The 76th Annual Tony Awards. Some Like It Hot earned the most nominations with 13, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and two in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category.
Shucked, & Juliet, and New York, New York picked up nine nominations each. Kimberly Akimbo and Sweeney Todd earned eight, followed by Ain’t No Mo’, A Doll’s House, Into the Woods, Parade, and Leopoldstadt with six.
Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) returns to host the live Tony Awards show airing on June 11, 2023 at 5pm Pt / 8pm Et. This year’s ceremony will be broadcast on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.
Funny Girl‘s Lea Michele and Tony Award winner Myles Frost had the honor of announcing The 76th Annual Tony Awards. Some Like It Hot earned the most nominations with 13, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and two in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category.
Shucked, & Juliet, and New York, New York picked up nine nominations each. Kimberly Akimbo and Sweeney Todd earned eight, followed by Ain’t No Mo’, A Doll’s House, Into the Woods, Parade, and Leopoldstadt with six.
Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) returns to host the live Tony Awards show airing on June 11, 2023 at 5pm Pt / 8pm Et. This year’s ceremony will be broadcast on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.
- 5/2/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
In a Broadway season bursting at the seams with critically-acclaimed production — 38 musicals, plays, and revivals opened during the 2022-2023 eligibility window — it is no surprise that the 40 Tony Awards nominators caught theatre aficionados off guard with some of their choices.
In particular, two new plays exceeded our nominations expectations. Ahead of the announcement this morning, our official odds predicted only a single nomination for the Pulitzer Prize-winner “Cost of Living” for Katy Sullivan in Featured Actress — although many of our savvy editors and experts knew this would break through in Best Play. But few anticipated it would earn five bids, including Director for Jo Bonney, who ranked in 12th place with only 11 folks predicting her, Kara Young for Featured Actress in ninth place and David Zayas for Featured Actor in eighth place.
See the complete list of 2023 Tony Awards nominations
Jordan E. Cooper’s acclaimed and sadly short-lived “Ain’t...
In particular, two new plays exceeded our nominations expectations. Ahead of the announcement this morning, our official odds predicted only a single nomination for the Pulitzer Prize-winner “Cost of Living” for Katy Sullivan in Featured Actress — although many of our savvy editors and experts knew this would break through in Best Play. But few anticipated it would earn five bids, including Director for Jo Bonney, who ranked in 12th place with only 11 folks predicting her, Kara Young for Featured Actress in ninth place and David Zayas for Featured Actor in eighth place.
See the complete list of 2023 Tony Awards nominations
Jordan E. Cooper’s acclaimed and sadly short-lived “Ain’t...
- 5/2/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
On Tuesday, performers Lea Michele and Myles Frost presented the nominees for the 76th annual Tony Awards live on “CBS This Morning” before finishing the list from the heart of Broadway at the Sofitel New York.
Recognizing the best in live theatre, the Tony Awards cap off a strong year for Broadway, which bounced back during the 2022-2023 season with a number of acclaimed and groundbreaking productions. In total, there were 38 eligible shows, including 17 original plays and nine new musicals as well as six play revivals and six musical revivals.
Earning the most of any production, Some Like It Hot came out on top, with a total of 13 nominations. The most nominated play, meanwhile, is Ain’t No Mo’, which garnered six. Additionally, Sweeney Todd and A Doll’s House were the two most recognized revivals of the year, collecting eight and six nominations, respectively.
When it comes to the acting prizes,...
Recognizing the best in live theatre, the Tony Awards cap off a strong year for Broadway, which bounced back during the 2022-2023 season with a number of acclaimed and groundbreaking productions. In total, there were 38 eligible shows, including 17 original plays and nine new musicals as well as six play revivals and six musical revivals.
Earning the most of any production, Some Like It Hot came out on top, with a total of 13 nominations. The most nominated play, meanwhile, is Ain’t No Mo’, which garnered six. Additionally, Sweeney Todd and A Doll’s House were the two most recognized revivals of the year, collecting eight and six nominations, respectively.
When it comes to the acting prizes,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
It’s a big day for Broadway: With just over a month until the 2023 Tony Awards, we’re finally learning which shows and stars are being recognized.
Funny Girl star Lea Michele and Tony winner Myles Frost (Mj) are announcing this year’s nominees from the Sofitel New York, which you can watch in the live stream above beginning at 9 am. (Some nominations were also announced live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 am.)
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Funny Girl star Lea Michele and Tony winner Myles Frost (Mj) are announcing this year’s nominees from the Sofitel New York, which you can watch in the live stream above beginning at 9 am. (Some nominations were also announced live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 am.)
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- 5/2/2023
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
The 2023 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, May 2 by Lea Michele and Myles Frost. The reveal of the roster of contenders was carried on the Tonys YouTube channel. While the nominations for the 76th annual Tony Awards were determined by a few dozen theater professionals, winners will be decided by upwards of 800 members of the Broadway community.
A whopping 38 shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are 17 original works and six revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, nine new tuners were in contention as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.
The Tony Awards are set for June 12 at United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights and will be hosted for the second year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.
The 2023 Tony Awards nominations list below includes all 26 competitive categories.
Musicals
Best Musical
& Juliet
Kimberly Akimbo
New York,...
A whopping 38 shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are 17 original works and six revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, nine new tuners were in contention as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.
The Tony Awards are set for June 12 at United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights and will be hosted for the second year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.
The 2023 Tony Awards nominations list below includes all 26 competitive categories.
Musicals
Best Musical
& Juliet
Kimberly Akimbo
New York,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
”I love working with actors, it’s so fun,” says Jennifer Weber in our recent webchat. She adds, “Because you get to find what’s unique about each person and the way they bring their own personality to the journey of the character.” The choreographer made her Broadway debut this season with two musicals, “& Juliet” and “Kpop,” which both required her to investigate specifics of how actors would live within distinct pop music worlds. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“It’s the choreographer’s job to make each performer in the show able to bring their character to life in a really specific way,” explains Weber. For the jukebox musical “& Juliet,” that meant tapping into the specific physical language found in the live performances of today’s top artists. “We are really inspired by the explosion of numbers in pop concerts,” she notes. Pop stars incorporate larger-than-life performance elements in their shows,...
“It’s the choreographer’s job to make each performer in the show able to bring their character to life in a really specific way,” explains Weber. For the jukebox musical “& Juliet,” that meant tapping into the specific physical language found in the live performances of today’s top artists. “We are really inspired by the explosion of numbers in pop concerts,” she notes. Pop stars incorporate larger-than-life performance elements in their shows,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
According to our combined predictions as of this writing, the five who are expected to receive Best Actress in a Musical nominations at this year’s Tony Awards are Victoria Clark (“Kimberly Akimbo”), Annaleigh Ashford (“Sweeney Todd”), Micaela Diamond (“Parade”), Sara Bareilles (“Into the Woods”), and Patina Miller (“Into the Woods”). However, there is a contender I think deserves to be in the conversation much more, and that would be Adrianna Hicks (“Some Like It Hot”).
In this stage musical adaptation of Billy Wilder‘s 1959 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Hicks plays Sugar Kane, the lead singer of an all-girl band. While venturing out to San Diego, she develops a friendship with the band’s newest musicians who happen to be a pair of men disguising themselves as women to escape the mob. One of them in particular, Joe/Josephine, falls in love with Sugar. Hicks had huge...
In this stage musical adaptation of Billy Wilder‘s 1959 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Hicks plays Sugar Kane, the lead singer of an all-girl band. While venturing out to San Diego, she develops a friendship with the band’s newest musicians who happen to be a pair of men disguising themselves as women to escape the mob. One of them in particular, Joe/Josephine, falls in love with Sugar. Hicks had huge...
- 4/17/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Lorna Courtney gets the crowds at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre to dance and groove in their seats eight times a week in the infectious new musical “& Juliet.” The show utilizes iconic pop hits from songwriter and hitmaker Max Martin to imagine what Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” would look like if Juliet chose to live at the end of the play. But the tuner’s breakout star is quick to assert that there’s a deeper meaning to the story than just bopping along to the catalog of radio hits. “It’s the story of Juliet and her journey through womanhood, and finding herself,” expresses Courtney, “and putting herself first.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Higher stakes and themes of empowerment can be heard from the moment that Juliet opens her mouth to sing her first song: “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears. “Everyone knows that song, but...
Higher stakes and themes of empowerment can be heard from the moment that Juliet opens her mouth to sing her first song: “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears. “Everyone knows that song, but...
- 4/14/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Strap on your Laducas and warm up your best 16 bars. The 2023 Tony Awards nominations prediction center is open for business, and a medley of musicals are vying for a spot in this year’s competitive races. Fifteen musicals will compete for Broadway’s biggest honors, and it’s time for you to make your best educated picks as to which ones will rise to the top.
The fall and winter have already seen several new tuners make a play for the coveted Best Musical award. “Kimberly Akimbo” is the latest work from Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”) and book writer/lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire. The story is adapted from Lindsay-Abaire’s straight play of the same name, which centers on the teenage Kimberly (Tony winner Victoria Clark) who has a rare disease that causes her body to age rapidly. The heartwarming and intimate show earned impressive reviews and has audiences swooning.
The fall and winter have already seen several new tuners make a play for the coveted Best Musical award. “Kimberly Akimbo” is the latest work from Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”) and book writer/lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire. The story is adapted from Lindsay-Abaire’s straight play of the same name, which centers on the teenage Kimberly (Tony winner Victoria Clark) who has a rare disease that causes her body to age rapidly. The heartwarming and intimate show earned impressive reviews and has audiences swooning.
- 3/3/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the first time during the 2022-2023 Broadway season on January 31 to discuss eligibility of 20 productions for the 76th Annual Tony Awards in 2023. The productions discussed were: “The Kite Runner,” “Into the Woods,” “Leopoldstadt,” “Cost of Living,” “1776,” “Death of a Salesman,” “The Piano Lesson,” “Topdog/Underdog,” “Walking With Ghosts,” “Almost Famous,” “Kimberly Akimbo,” “Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and The Pool,” “& Juliet,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Kpop,” “Ain’t No Mo’,” “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,” “Ohio State Murders,” “Some Like it Hot,” and “The Collaboration.”
See 2023 Tony Awards: Get your MetroCard ready, new venue is 6 miles from Broadway
The following determinations were made:
Gavin Creel, Joshua Henry and Phillipa Soo will be considered eligible in the Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical categories for their respective performances in “Into the Woods.”
Amir Arison will be considered eligible in the Lead Actor...
See 2023 Tony Awards: Get your MetroCard ready, new venue is 6 miles from Broadway
The following determinations were made:
Gavin Creel, Joshua Henry and Phillipa Soo will be considered eligible in the Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical categories for their respective performances in “Into the Woods.”
Amir Arison will be considered eligible in the Lead Actor...
- 2/1/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced its first round of eligibility rulings for this Broadway season, determining some of the trickier potential nominees and their respective categories.
Both co-stars of The Collaboration – Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope – will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, rather than split up into leading and featured slots. Ohio State Murders, written by Adrienne Kennedy in 1991 and performed regionally but never on Broadway until this season, will be considered a revival in keeping with similar rulings in recent years about Broadway debuts of older shows such as The Boys in The Band.
Perhaps among the more surprising rulings is for Sharon D Clarke, who played Linda Loman opposite Wendell Pierce’s Willy Loman in Miranda Cromwell’s Death of a Salesman revival. Clarke will be eligible as a Featured Actress rather than Leading.
Both co-stars of The Collaboration – Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope – will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, rather than split up into leading and featured slots. Ohio State Murders, written by Adrienne Kennedy in 1991 and performed regionally but never on Broadway until this season, will be considered a revival in keeping with similar rulings in recent years about Broadway debuts of older shows such as The Boys in The Band.
Perhaps among the more surprising rulings is for Sharon D Clarke, who played Linda Loman opposite Wendell Pierce’s Willy Loman in Miranda Cromwell’s Death of a Salesman revival. Clarke will be eligible as a Featured Actress rather than Leading.
- 2/1/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Amid a stacked fall season on Broadway, “Kimberly Akimbo” has emerged as an early Best Musical frontrunner for next spring’s Tony Awards. The new show from Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire oozes heart and charm, and earned unanimous critical praise when it opened on November 10. If star Victoria Clark can leverage the musical’s success into a Tony win in June, she will join an elite group of Tony-winning women.
Clark portrays the titular Kimberly, a young girl from New Jersey about to celebrate her 16th birthday. Only Kimberly isn’t quite so young on the outside. She has an incredibly rare disorder, similar to progeria, which causes her body to age at four times the normal rate. The average lifespan for folks with her disease is 16, giving Kimberly an acute awareness of her own mortality and a desire to experience all the joys and wonders of life in whatever time she has left.
Clark portrays the titular Kimberly, a young girl from New Jersey about to celebrate her 16th birthday. Only Kimberly isn’t quite so young on the outside. She has an incredibly rare disorder, similar to progeria, which causes her body to age at four times the normal rate. The average lifespan for folks with her disease is 16, giving Kimberly an acute awareness of her own mortality and a desire to experience all the joys and wonders of life in whatever time she has left.
- 11/21/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
What if Juliet had lived? What if she had not given her 14-year-old life for a wild boy she barely knew? What if she had not let brash youthful narcissism deformed by the patriarchy and male violence overtake her better judgment and lived a full, happy, maybe even quiet life well into whatever passed for adulthood in 14th Century Verona.
Directed by Luke Sheppard and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, & Juliet, the new jukebox musical of songs written by super-producer Max Martin, with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, posits an answer to all those questions, though “quiet” never quite enters the equation. No, had Juliet lived, this musical, opening tonight on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, suggests she and her pals would spend a great deal of their time belting ballads of empowerment and lecturing all within earshot about pride,...
Directed by Luke Sheppard and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, & Juliet, the new jukebox musical of songs written by super-producer Max Martin, with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, posits an answer to all those questions, though “quiet” never quite enters the equation. No, had Juliet lived, this musical, opening tonight on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, suggests she and her pals would spend a great deal of their time belting ballads of empowerment and lecturing all within earshot about pride,...
- 11/18/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Two-time Tony nominee Stark Sands, currently starring in the Toronto production of the Broadway-bound musical & Juliet, has signed with Bill Butler & Michelle Kittrell at Industry Entertainment for management.
Sands, who was was Tony-nominated in 2007 in the Best Featured Actor/Play category for Journey’s End and in 2013 as Best Actor/Musical for Kinky Boots. Other Broadway credits include To Kill A Mockingbird and American Idiot.
TV credits include Six Feet Under and Generation Kill (both HBO), Fox’s Minority Report and CBS’ NYC 22, among others. Films include Pretty Persuasion, Flags of Our Fathers, Inside Llewyn Davis and Steven Spielberg’s The Post.
His current project, & Juliet, is an Olivier Award-winning musical with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read and music from five-time Grammy-winning “Roar” songwriter and producer Max Martin. Producers recently announced that the musical, currently playing in Toronto, will begin Broadway previews October 28 at the...
Sands, who was was Tony-nominated in 2007 in the Best Featured Actor/Play category for Journey’s End and in 2013 as Best Actor/Musical for Kinky Boots. Other Broadway credits include To Kill A Mockingbird and American Idiot.
TV credits include Six Feet Under and Generation Kill (both HBO), Fox’s Minority Report and CBS’ NYC 22, among others. Films include Pretty Persuasion, Flags of Our Fathers, Inside Llewyn Davis and Steven Spielberg’s The Post.
His current project, & Juliet, is an Olivier Award-winning musical with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read and music from five-time Grammy-winning “Roar” songwriter and producer Max Martin. Producers recently announced that the musical, currently playing in Toronto, will begin Broadway previews October 28 at the...
- 7/19/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
A pop-song infused musical take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is coming to Broadway this fall.
Featuring a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, the musical, called & Juliet, envisions what would happen if Juliet did not die at the end of the story. Her journey is set to a backdrop of popular songs, written by record producer and songwriter Max Martin and collaborators, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
& Juliet begins previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Oct. 28, ahead of a Nov. 17 opening. The production is currently playing a run in Toronto, which will conclude before Broadway, and has been playing the West End since 2019.
Luke Sheppard is directing and the musical is choreographed by Jennifer Weber. The production...
A pop-song infused musical take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is coming to Broadway this fall.
Featuring a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, the musical, called & Juliet, envisions what would happen if Juliet did not die at the end of the story. Her journey is set to a backdrop of popular songs, written by record producer and songwriter Max Martin and collaborators, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
& Juliet begins previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Oct. 28, ahead of a Nov. 17 opening. The production is currently playing a run in Toronto, which will conclude before Broadway, and has been playing the West End since 2019.
Luke Sheppard is directing and the musical is choreographed by Jennifer Weber. The production...
- 7/7/2022
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
& Juliet, the Olivier Award-winning musical with a book by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, will make its Broadway debut this fall, with previews beginning October 28 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre ahead of a Nov. 17 opening.
The production will transfer directly from its current engagement in Toronto. Making the move will be the Toronto cast: newcomer Lorna Courtney as Juliet; Tony Award-winner Paulo Szot (South Pacific) as Lance; Betsy Wolfe as Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway; Stark Sands as Shakespeare; Justin David Sullivan as May; Melanie La Barrie as Nurse; Ben Jackson Walker as Romeo and Philippe Arroyo as Francois.
In addition to the book by the Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner, & Juliet features music from five-time Grammy-winning “Roar” songwriter and producer Max Martin, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography byJennifer Weber.
The musical includes a roster of hit songs written by Martin and his collaborators, including (in addition to “Roar”) “Since U Been Gone,...
The production will transfer directly from its current engagement in Toronto. Making the move will be the Toronto cast: newcomer Lorna Courtney as Juliet; Tony Award-winner Paulo Szot (South Pacific) as Lance; Betsy Wolfe as Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway; Stark Sands as Shakespeare; Justin David Sullivan as May; Melanie La Barrie as Nurse; Ben Jackson Walker as Romeo and Philippe Arroyo as Francois.
In addition to the book by the Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner, & Juliet features music from five-time Grammy-winning “Roar” songwriter and producer Max Martin, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography byJennifer Weber.
The musical includes a roster of hit songs written by Martin and his collaborators, including (in addition to “Roar”) “Since U Been Gone,...
- 7/7/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jen Namoff, whose 15-year career has included casting, artist representation, talent management and production in both New York and Los Angeles, is launching Namoff & Company, a bi-coastal, full-service talent management and production company representing clients across television, film, music, and theater with a client roster that includes Tituss Burgess, Tammy Blanchard, Katrina Lenk and others.
Joining Namoff in the new venture, which was announced today, are John Bautista as Director of Operations/Talent Manager and Doug Middlebrook as Creative Director/Producer.
In a statement describing the new company’s mission statement, the three principals sid, “We are inspired by artists who push boundaries, guiding them to reach their creative potential in every arena. We are committed to telling stories that are relevant, inclusive, and forward-thinking.”
In addition to Burgess, Blanchard and Lenk, Namoff & Company’s current roster of clients includes Gabrielle Carrubba, Julia Mattison, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Solea Pfeiffer, Ben Ahlers,...
Joining Namoff in the new venture, which was announced today, are John Bautista as Director of Operations/Talent Manager and Doug Middlebrook as Creative Director/Producer.
In a statement describing the new company’s mission statement, the three principals sid, “We are inspired by artists who push boundaries, guiding them to reach their creative potential in every arena. We are committed to telling stories that are relevant, inclusive, and forward-thinking.”
In addition to Burgess, Blanchard and Lenk, Namoff & Company’s current roster of clients includes Gabrielle Carrubba, Julia Mattison, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Solea Pfeiffer, Ben Ahlers,...
- 1/11/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) walks into a dark room in Coney Island where some scuzzy guys are holding a young woman (Lorna Courtney) against her will. McCall politely but firmly asks them to let her go, but the men don’t listen. They tell her to mind her own business, and McCall responds, “I tried that, but I’m…...
- 2/8/2021
- by Stephen Robinson on TV Club, shared by Stephen Robinson to The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
In CBS’ New York City-set re-imagining of the 1980s series “The Equalizer,” starring the late Edward Woodward as the stoic menace with a populist message, multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah plays Robyn McCal. She’s an enigmatic former CIA operative who uses her particular set of rather extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. As yet another one of CBS’ exhumations of classic last-century crime/drama series, this “Equalizer” feels thoroughly unoriginal. There are a number of callbacks to the original series, which the reboot relies on primarily (not the Denzel Washington movie adaptations), but they probably won’t mean anything to new audiences.
Like the male “Equalizer” characters, Latifah’s McCall is a former intelligence operative for the CIA who became disillusioned with the government’s methods and opted for civilian life. What prompts her to enter a new career of reformer is a chance entanglement with the...
Like the male “Equalizer” characters, Latifah’s McCall is a former intelligence operative for the CIA who became disillusioned with the government’s methods and opted for civilian life. What prompts her to enter a new career of reformer is a chance entanglement with the...
- 2/7/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
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