Tag Archives: Broadway

It’s official: Disney’s ‘Frozen’ is coming to Broadway in 2018

Step aside, Aladdin and The Lion King. A new Disney musical is coming to town and it’s primed to be a guaranteed sensation. Today, Disney Theatrical Productions made it official: Frozen is making its long-anticipated bow on Broadway in Spring 2018. It will be based on the original movie and not the in-the-works sequel. Fans of the critically acclaimed animated film will surely revel in the fact that Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez–composers of the the movie’s classic tunes–are leading the musical’s creative team. The dynamic husband-and-wife duo, who previously worked on Broadway musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, will adapt the Frozen songs you know and love (“Let It Go“, and so on) for the stage; additionally, they are currently concocting brand new songs that will feature exclusively in the musical. Also coming over from the movie to collaborate on the musical is Frozen‘s screenwriter and co-director Jennifer Lee; she’s penning the performance’s book.

The rest of Frozen: The Broadway Musical‘s creative team is dominated by Tony Award winners and nominees including director Alex Timbers (Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle), choreographer Peter Darling (Billy Elliot), scenic and costume designer Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), lighting designer Natasha Katz (Aladdin), sound designer Peter Hylenski (Motown), and music supervisor Stephen Oremus (Wicked).

Performance dates, the venue, and the cast have yet to be finalized. First things first, though; an out-of-town tryout performance will play in summer 2017. Do you think you’d have what it takes to channel Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff under the bright lights of Broadway? Stay tuned for details as they come!

[Via Disney; Playbill]

‘Bombshell,’ the Marilyn Monroe musical from ‘Smash,’ is upgrading to Broadway

Good news, Smashers! The musical within the musical drama is coming to Broadway. Of course I’m talking about Bombshell, the fictional B’way musical featured in NBC’s short-lived drama starring Katherine McPhee and Megan Hilty. After getting cut two seasons in, fans of the show we all loved to hate-watch continued to support it by buying the Bombshell soundtrack. The creatives behind the show and the music caught wind of this, teamed up with the non-profit Actors Fund, and took to Kickstarter to rake up the cash to bring the Marilyn Monroe musical to life at the Minskoff Theater for one-night only. The limited engagement sold out in minutes, and lucky fans in attendance experienced the Smash songs with more than a handful of the show’s stars belting them out, including leads McPhee and Hilty, as well as Christian Borle and Debra Messing. The show was such a success that Universal Stage Productions has decided to move forward with the idea on everyone’s minds: just bring Bombshell to Broadway already!

Smash executive producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, who also produced live adaptations The Sound Of Music and Peter Pan for NBC, will produce the new Bombshell when its hits a stage under the bright lights of New York City. Joining them as EPs are Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote the Bombshell songs for the TV series. Though the behind-the-scenes crew is shaping up nicely, there hasn’t been any word as to whether or not any Smash actors are participating in this extended encore of sorts. (Please Megan Hilty, be our Marilyn!)

NBC head Bob Greenlight is excited for the work ahead: “There is a still a lot of love for ‘Smash’ and a rabid fan base out there, and we’re thrilled to be able to keep the dream alive as we work towards bringing ‘Bombshell’ to theatre audiences. ‘Smash’ was ambitious because every episode was a complicated musical for television and we also built the foundation of the musical-within-the-musical about Marilyn’s endlessly fascinating and tumultuous life. Over the course of two seasons an entire ‘Bombshell’ score was written to service ‘Smash’ storylines, and now that show will have a chance to stand on its own.”

“We are so thrilled that Smash isn’t over and that Bombshell gets to live on,” Zadan chimed in. “The Emmy-nominated songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, including the iconic ‘Let Me Be Your Star,’ are every bit the caliber of their Tony- and Grammy-winning Broadway work. The Actors Fund benefit reinforced how alive this material is on stage and how much the audience wants to see the Marilyn Monroe musical in its entirety.”

“As life imitates art, Joshua Bergasse, our brilliant Emmy-winning choreographer from ‘Smash,’ actually made his Broadway debut this season as a choreographer and was nominated for a Tony Award,” added Meron. “Now he will get the chance to reimagine his exhilarating ‘Bombshell’ dances for the theatre.”

Click here to catch glimpses of the one-off benefit concert, perhaps a window into what we can expect when Bombshell comes to Broadway for good!

[Via Broadway World]

‘Smash’s “Bombshell” explodes on Broadway, see clips from the concert inside

Bringing “Bombshell” to Broadway was a Smashing success. After amassing a whopping $318,120 for the non-profit Actors Fund on Kickstarter, the short-lived NBC musical drama Smash brought its Marilyn Monroe musical-within-a-show “Bombshell” to actual Broadway for a one-night limited engagement.

Though the star-studded concert featuring songs from Smash‘s “Bombshell” was not recorded in full due to legal reasons, Broadway.com managed to capture bits and pieces from it. Above, see Christian Borle and Debra Messing introduce the score for the musical “they wrote” in the show as songwriting partners Julia Houston and Tom Levitt. You’ll see snippets of Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee belting out hit songs from “Bombshell” including “Big Finish” and of course “Let Me Be Your Star.” After you’ve finished with this clip, jump after the break for two more! And if you’re interested in getting a full breakdown of the night, check out EW‘s inside scoop.

Obviously there’s interest not only to bring Smash back but also to get “Bombshell” as a mainstay on B’way. Though the former is likely to never happen, the latter has a glimmer of hope. Musical co-writer and director Scott Wittman shared his enthusiasm with EW to possibly make that happen: “The songs have such a life, and [on YouTube there are covers by] everyone from a drag bar in Atlanta to a 14-year-old boy in his bedroom to high school choirs and marching bands. I know there’s a life out there for it somewhere.” He added, “Even though Smash didn’t have enough viewers to allow NBC to continue it, it was still millions of people. Millions of people were hearing these songs every week, and that’s a lot of people!”

Smash executive producer Neil Meron built on top of that: “Of course we’d love to see Bombshell have a life on the stage. But we’d also like to catch our breath and then see where everyone is at.” Even Debra Messing thinks, “There’s a real musical there” and Katharine McPhee says, “[Bombshell] would make a great Broadway show. You never know.” Continue reading ‘Smash’s “Bombshell” explodes on Broadway, see clips from the concert inside

‘Smash’ B’way musical ‘Bombshell’ comes to Broadway this summer

Smash is coming to Broadway! Well, sorta.

NBC’s short-lived, cult musical drama was cancelled after two seasons on the air, but that couldn’t stop the fat lady from singing just yet. About seven months after the finale aired, series stars Jeremy Jordan, Andy Mientus, and Krysta Rodriguez performed songs from Hit List–a Broadway show within the show–at 54 Below, an intimate club in New York City.

And now, even more actors from Smash are reuniting to perform songs from the series’ other Broadway musical, Bombshell. The Marilyn Monroe musical, which includes the popular Smash song “Let Me Be Your Star,” is coming to real-life Broadway for one night this summer. Christian Borle, Will Chase, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee, and Debra Messing are locked in to hit the stage, and surprise guests are a possibility. Smash producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron also join this special reunion to produce the stage show, which will take place at the 1,700-seat Minskoff Theater.

Here are the details you really want. Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster on April 14; they will be priced at the following intervals: $100 / $125 / $200 / $250 / $500. All proceeds go to The Actors Fund and the money will “help people in performing arts and entertainment who are in need, crisis, or transition,” according to a press release. Oh did I mention? This is actually a benefit concert on Broadway, technically speaking. To cover the cost of production, Bombshell hopped on Kickstarter to raise the funds. In under a day, it surpassed its pledge goal of $50,000 and surpassed the $200,000 mark. People who pledged $25 or more will gain early access to tickets on April 13. As of now, all pledge rewards have been accounted for, so if you’re looking to nab tickets for the big night, you’ll have to visit Ticketmaster on 4/14 along with the general public. However, you can still contribute $10 if you’re looking to lend a hand to the production.

“When we started doing the TV series, we thought it was [lyricists] Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s best work since Hairspray, and we always believed it was something that needed to be heard as an entity, instead of just hearing a song here and there,” Zadan told The New York Times. Well, Smashers, this is your chance to see Karen Cartwright, Ivy Lynn and more belt out your favorite Bombshell tunes once more–don’t miss out!

‘Smash’s fictional Broadway show ‘Hit List’ coming to NYC

NBC’s Broadway musical drama Smash is getting a new lease on life, but not in the way you might expect. No, NBC is not bringing the show back from the dead (it was cancelled after two seasons); season 2 showrunner Joshua Safran, along with Julia Brownell, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and musical director Benjamin Rauhala are bringing the show’s fictional Broadway show Hit List to New York’s club 54 Below.

In December many of Smash‘s stars will bring Hit List to life, namely Jeremy Jordan (he played Jimmy Collins), Andy Mientus (Kyle Bishop), and Krysta Rodriguez (Ana Vargas); additional performers will be announced at a later date and here’s to hoping the show’s main star Karen Cartwright (aka Katharine McPhee) will be one of them. Watching Jordan and McPhee truly bring Hit List to life will be a boon for fans.

And here we have an actual logline for the seven time Tony-winning Broadway show within a show: “HIT LIST, a modern fable about identity and the price of fame, tells the tragic love story of a wannabe pop singer who transforms herself to become a star and the hidden songwriter she uses to get there – but at what cost?”

NYC’s 54 Below is hosting two performances on December 9 and the shows will include original songs made popular in Smash as well as additional songs from the drama’s composers (Drew Gasparini, Joe Iconis, Andrew McMahon, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, and Lucie Silvas) that were intended for Hit List but never made it to air. Tickets for the show were on sale at the venue’s website but unfortunately they sold out in minutes. I don’t know about you, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled for added performances.

[Via NYT]

‘Back to the Future’ might find new life on the Broadway stage

Take a deep breath, this is heavy. The classic 1980s trilogy Back to the Future might be revisited, not on the silver screen but on Broadway! According to Deadline, Robert Zemeckis–director of all three Back to the Future films–is in “early talks” with his BTTF co-writer Bob Gale and the film’s talented composer Alan Silvestri. If it all comes together, Zemeckis’ production company ImageMovers will be involved. The three movies have grossed almost $1 billion worldwide, and so a plan to tap back into the franchise’s success shouldn’t come as a total shock. The recent Blu-ray release and Nike’s sneaker auction justifiably injected hype and excitement into the acclaimed sci-fi saga. I hope you’re with me when I say that a stage adaptation of Back to the Future is a tantalizing prospect worth salivating over.

[Via Deadline]

Trey Parker and Matt Stone want to make a ‘Book of Mormon’ movie

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, are itching to adapt yet another one of their works of art for the big screen. According to EW, the comedic duo are interested in adapting their Tony-winning musical The Book of Mormon into a feature-length film. The musical has been a raging success ever since it debuted on Broadway in February. I was in attendance at the very first preview night and early mishaps included I was blown away. This absurdly foul and endearing story is outrageously hilarious and so good that it deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. Making a movie will give people around the world an opportunity to witness Parker and Stone’s years-in-the-making creation that follows Mormon missionaries on the hunt for converts in Uganda of all places. Whether or not Broadway stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad will appear in the movie is still up in the air. Stone tells EW: “We want to do it some day. The great thing is, a lot of Broadway teams would have to go team up with a Hollywood producer and bring on a Hollywood director, but Trey’s a director and Scott [Rudin]’s a great producer. We’ve all made movies. So it’s kind of cool, it can stay in the same family.” Parker, Stone, and collaborator Robert Lopez are taking Mormon on a national tour next summer and after that they’ll start to focus on the production of the movie.

Whether or not you’ve seen the show, visualize it and laugh your ass off and listen to the soundtrack available here.

[Via EW]

South Park creators are doing a Broadway musical

Matt Stone and Trey Parker, aka the creators of South Park, are writing a musical…for Broadway!  The plot does not revolve around Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny.  Stone and Parker are finalizing a story “about a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get.”  This is an elaborate musical they’ve been working on for the last five years.  And if you’re a fan of the brilliantly raunchy duo you should know that they hold a special place in their hearts for musicals.  Their very first feature film was Cannibal! The Musical (1993), and this was followed by Orgasmo (1997) which they say “should have been a musical”–they wrote it that way.  And although South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999) and Team America (2004) were not billed as musicals, Stone and Parker admit that they not-so-subtlety injected tunes into them because they just couldn’t help it.  If you’re an avid South Park fan I’m sure by now you’ve picked up on the creators’ passion for musicals.  With all that said, it shouldn’t come to a surprise that these guys are living their dream by actually making a live musical for Broadway.

Josh Gad (The Daily Show With Jon Stewart) and Andrew Rannells (Jersey Boys) are set to play the two male leads.  Other cast members include Nikki M. James, Rory O’Malley, and Michael Potts.  The Book of Mormon‘s music and lyrics are by Stone, Parker and Robert Lopez, the showrunner for Broadway’s long-running puppet show Avenue Q.  Stone and choreographer Casey Nicholaw will direct.  Preview performances begin February 24, 2011 in New York at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre and opening night is expected to roll around in late March.  Get your tickets now before they go on sale to the public at large!  Look after the break to hear Stone and Parker talk about the show.  You know it’s gonna be pure adulterated gutbusting insanity.

[Via SouthParkStudios] Continue reading South Park creators are doing a Broadway musical

Pee-wee & the Playhouse Gang are coming to Broadway this fall

Hot off his uber-successful comeback stage show at LA’s Club Nokia venue, Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) is ready to bring his nostolgic magic to Broadway.  “The Pee-wee Herman Show” will play at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City and will have a six-week run.  The show will feature many members of Pee-wee’s Playhouse Gang including Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis, Jambi the Genie, Pterri, Conky, and Chairry.  Alex Timbers, the director of the LA show, will return to helm the Broadway spectacle.  Enter the mailing list for advanced tickets here!

[Via Peewee; thanks @andysomm]