Features

The Broadway actress, recognizable as the original Regina George in Mean Girls and Campbell in Bring It On, is thriving in a new role – starring in the NBC sitcom Kenan. Alongside co-stars Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd, Louderman plays “Tami,” an ambitious and well-intentioned news anchor who co-hosts a morning program called “Wake Up With Kenan!” Season Two of Kenan is currently airing on NBC, but in her freetime, Louderman continues to run her non-profit songwriting contest Write Out Loud.Last week, I met with Taylor over Zoom to chat about her transition between stage and screen in a conversation full of laughs and plenty of coffee. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Winnie the Pooh at Theatre Row is like a long exhale. Settling into a comfy chair, holding a warm mug. It’s a production that is crisp, beautifully executed, and - if you asked the toddler sitting near me at the performance - the most gripping story line ever written about a bear in dire need of honey. The characters, conventions, and general sound of the show bring something comfortable and nostalgic, easy to do since the source has been around since 1926. It is the production aspects however, that offer effortlessly lovely artistry in a format we don’t see too frequently. Each and every detail created this cozy little world, where I was just a guest in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Before “phan”-favorite Meghan Picerno leaves Phantom of the Opera this week, we checked in with the her to reflect on the past few years in the role of Christine before her final journey into the Phantom's lair on Sunday.

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Derrick Williams (and his pup!) from The Book of Mormon to spend an afternoon with him. Get to know a bit more about Derrick in his #DayOffDiary!

Writer-comedians Reid Pope and Zach Schiffman are three things. Comedians, musical theatre fans, and very online—decide for yourself whether the list ascends or descends in unfortunateness. But, as such, they’ve gathered up a crew of fellow three-peat offenders for a show titled Comedians Earnestly Singing Musical Theatre, which promises (threatens?) fresh takes on popular showtunes. They’d done a digital version of this, back in November 2020, hosted Brooklyn Comedy Collective on their TVCO service. Per Schiffman, “everyone performed on Zoom, and it was streamed to a now-defunct app.” This time, they’ve booked Feinstein’s/54 Below for a late January show. We thought it’d be fun, given the funny people involved, to ask them a bit about comedy in musical theatre.

We spoke with Reed Wiklerson, general manager of Second Stage here in New York about how took their acclaimed Broadway production of Clyde's by Lynn Nottage and are live streaming it around the world.

Almost every theatre fan has their own “underground” favorite: a show that they fell in love with through things like cast recordings, but have never had the opportunity to see in person; a show that makes a fan wish they had a time machine, just so they could go back and see their favorite show on stage. J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company is looking to turn some of those dreams into reality. Every season, J2 presents short revivals of classic Broadway shows, most of which did not receive lengthy original runs in New York. The company gives audience members the opportunity to revisit these shows or, in some cases, see them for the first time while also utilizing emerging artists in New York City. Artistic director Robert Schneider said the idea to start J2 was born out of a conversation between him and executive producer Jim Jimirro, centered on their shared love of obscure musicals. 

A frequently slept upon, yet key player for any production of Wicked, Madame Morrible stands out for her mysterious turn from mentor to villain- unless she was actually an antagonist all along. While we've had an excellent run of Morrible talent (Jayne Houdyshell, Carol Kane, Alexandra Billings,) there will maybe, probably, likely come a time when Wicked needs the publicity and ticket sales that come with a stunt casting. So, as a public service, I’ve rounded up six very bold choices for future Madame Morrible’s including Taraji P. Henson, Katie Couric, Kristina Wong, Ziwe, J. Smith Cameron, and Tavi Gevinson.

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is a holiday season staple for many. But for Mark Shanahan, it’s much more than that—Shanahan headed five different Christmas Carol-inspired adaptations this holiday season. One of those shows is A Sherlock Carol, a new play written and directed by Shanahan, which will be playing at the New World Stages through Jan. 2. A sort of sequel to Dickens’s original story, A Sherlock Carol centers on Sherlock Holmes, who is called in to investigate the death of Ebenezer Scrooge by a grown-up Tiny Tim. “Along the way, as we mash up the world of Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters, we meet lots of different characters from the original Sherlock Holmes story and the original tale of A Christmas Carol,” Shanahan said. “It’s a fun mash-up.”

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Caitlin Houlahan from Girl From The North Country to spend an afternoon with her. Get to know a bit more about Caitlin in her #DayOffDiary.

Our thoughts on why playwright Jeremy O. Harris needs to be on Big Brother, the hit CBS reality competition. Best known for Slave Play (and subsequently Zola and his appearance on season 2 of Emily in Paris), Jeremy O. Harris has become a household name for any theatre lover. What you may not know about him is his love of reality television. Recently O. Harris tweeted his “10 TV Shows to know me,” with Big Brother and Survivor both cracking the top 10 (great picks imo). After revealing this, he tweeted, “Listen @cbs I told @JeffProbst that unfortunately I could never hack it on Survivor…I would embarrass myself and the fandom… BUT I NEED TO BE ON BIG BROTHER. I could go the distance! I could be the Mike white of BB!” (For those who aren’t Survivor fans, Mike White is a well-known screenwriter and director (School of Rock, Nacho Libre, and White Lotus to name a few) who made it to the final 3 of Survivor: David vs. Goliath in 2018 and played amazingly.)

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Kara Young, who plays Letitia in Clyde’s on Broadway, near her childhood home in Harlem. Get to know a bit more about Kara in her #DayOffDiary.

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. We recently caught up with Samantha Williams, who plays Emmie Thibodeaux in Roundabout’s revival of Caroline, or Change on Broadway, and spent her day off running around the city and getting to know her better. 

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Ben Porter from Woman In Black to spend an afternoon with him. Get to know a bit more about Ben in his #DayOffDiary.

Hey, all my Sex and the City lovers: what’s your ideal night out on the town in NYC? Is it grabbing a drink at the most Instagrammable, pink-themed bar? Or is it seeing a play - especially one with riveting female characters? Maybe you’re content just relaxing in your apartment, re-reading Candace Bushnell’s iconic novels. Well, you can have all of these experiences mashed into one with Broadway Plus’s VIP Package for Bushnell’s off-Broadway, one-woman play: Is There Still Sex in the City?

We all know and love Kristin Chenoweth for iconic roles like Glinda in Wicked, Sally Brown in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and the iconic April Rhodes on Glee. What you may not know is, she has two amazing (in my opinion) Christmas albums, A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas (2008) and Happiness is…Christmas! (2021). While everyone else has been listening to the likes of Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé this holiday season, I’ve been listening to these two albums on a loop. Nothing against Mariah or Michael, but nothing hits quite like Kristin’s iconic voice this time of year (especially her high notes).Here are my top 10 songs from her two albums (in no particular order)

We sat down to chat with Michael Anthony Williams and David Emerson Toney, two actors in Arena Stage’s production of August Wilson Seven Guitars.

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Stephanie Torns from Waitress to spend a morning with her. Get to know a bit more about Stephanie in his #DayOffDiary: 

Almost one year ago today, Netflix graced us with “Bridgerton” and the world was soon changed. Soon after, writing duo Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear practically broke the internet as they started writing a musicalized version on TikTok. Cut to today, where the pair has earned their first Grammy nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album” for their recently released, The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. The album hit #1 on iTunes U.S. Pop Albums within two hours of release, and Top 10 worldwide. #BridgertonMusical has also reached hundreds of millions of views. Theatrely has your exclusive look at a new video for “Balancing The Scales”

There is no doubt that this past year has been one of the toughest to produce arts in recent times. From incredible Broadway debuts to innovative digital performances that left us breathless, Theatrely’s Editor-in-Chief Kobi Kassal and Chief Critic Juan Ramirez sat down and chose their picks for the best of 2021!

By all accounts, even before 2015, Sharon Wheatley had a fruitful career on Broadway. From the final company of Cats to Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Avenue Q, Wheatley had fulfilled her childhood dream of making it to the Great White Way. Soon after, she left the business and moved to California, vowing to never return until one day a Facebook message changed the course of her career. Enter Come From Away, an emotional new story from Irene Sankoff and David Hein that explores the kindness and gratitude of Gander, Newfoundland, a town that welcomed over 7,000 stranded passengers following the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Wheatley joined the company for its out of town tryout in San Diego and hasn’t looked back since. I spoke to Wheatley via Zoom about the show, her upcoming book, and reflections on her seven-year journey with the musical.

Two years after his Tony-nominated performance in the revival of My Fair Lady, Harry Hadden-Paton returns to Broadway in Flying Over Sunset, which opens on Broadway tonight.On a surface level, Flying Over Sunset is about a fictional meeting between Aldous Huxley (who Hadden-Paton portrays), Clare Boothe Luce and Cary Grant, who all used the drug LSD in the 1950s. But Flying Over Sunset at its core is a story about human connection. “What it deals with is loss and connection and communication and friendship, which are all very relevant after the pandemic,” Hadden-Paton said. “That’s really what it’s about: focusing on what’s important and being made to focus on the now and what our priorities are in life and connecting with other people.”

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Anthony Murphy from Diana The Musical to spend a morning with him. Get to know a bit more about Anthony in his #DayOffDiary:

Here is your roundup of all of the Broadway stars and talent involved in Steven Spielberg's new West Side Story. With a new screenplay by Tony Kushner, the film features a large cast of multi-talented actors, ranging from veteran performer and beloved EGOT-winner Rita Moreno to newcomer and New Jersey-native Rachel Zegler.

Netflix’s Tick, Tick...Boom! could not have arrived with more felicitous timing, offering both a time machine back to 1990’s New York City and a mirror image of the theatre community today as it once again faces the challenge of art during crisis, and cinematographer Alice Brooks contributed much to the rawness and reality of its storytelling.Originally an off, off-Broadway autobiographical musical, Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick...Boom! musically narrates his life and experience creating and composing musical theatre in an industry that often prioritizes profitability over provocative new ideas. Since its premiere at Second Stage Theater, and following Larson’s unexpected death in 1996, it has served not only as a well-loved underground classic, but a self-written testimony of 90’s New York theatre history, and Larson’s large role in it. 

For many actors, after a long 8-show week, their one day off is time to rest and recharge. This week, we caught up with Bonnie Milligan, who plays Debra in Kimberly Akimbo down at the Atlantic Theater. Get to know a bit more about Bonnie in her #DayOffDiary: 

The hip old granny has finally made her way to the Great White Way. Last night, Mrs. Doubtfire celebrated their opening night at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre followed by an elegant party at Cipriani 42nd Street. With a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, this production marks director Jerry Zaks’ 25th Broadway show.Mrs. Doubtfire features Tony nominee Rob McClure as Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire, Jenn Gambatese as Miranda Hillard, Peter Bartlett as Mr. Jolly, Charity Angél Dawson as Wanda Sellner, Mark Evans as Stuart Dunmire, J. Harrison Ghee as Andre Mayem, Analise Scarpaci as Lydia Hillard, Jake Ryan Flynn as Christopher Hillard, Avery Sell as Natalie Hillard and Tony Award nominee Brad Oscar as Frank Hillard. Mrs. Doubtfire also features Cameron Adams, Calvin L. Cooper, Kaleigh Cronin, Maria Dalanno, Casey Garvin, David Hibbard, KJ Hippensteel, Aaron Kaburick, Jodi Kimura, Erica Mansfield, Brian Martin, Alexandra Matteo, Sam Middleton, LaQuet Sharnell Pringle, Akilah Sailers, Jaquez André Sims, Addison Takefman, Travis Waldschmidt and Aléna Watter.

Julia Murney is one of those actors who you know will deliver a top-rate performance, every single time. In her latest role, she has joined Out of the Box Theatric’s new and improved version of David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr.’s Baby as Arlene. I recently caught up with Murney via Zoom to chat all about updating the script, finally getting her Arlene moment, and returning to the stage. 

The hit improv hip-hop sensation Freestyle Love Supreme is officially back on Broadway and we caught up with beatboxer extraordinaire Kaila Mullady a.k.a. Kaiser Rözé to chat all about the show and making it to the Great White Way. 

The hit improv hip-hop sensation Freestyle Love Supreme is officially back on Broadway after a star-studded opening night this past Tuesday. Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Anthony Veneziale, the group is currently performing a limited engagement at the Booth Theatre through January 2, 2022. Go on the town and see photos from opening night. 

Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori’s acclaimed musical Caroline, or Change officially opened on Broadway last night at 54 Below where it will run in a limited engagement through January 9, 2022. Go on the town and see photos from opening night:

I always get excited when I see Cassie Beck’s name appear in a program or pop up at the bottom of my screen when I’m watching some television. Beck has made a name for herself both here in New York and at regional theatres across the country as an actor’s actor. Last seen on Broadway in 2019’s The Rose Tattoo, many will remember her as creating the character of Aimee Blake in Stephen Karam’s The Humans. Now Beck is packing her bags once again as she heads out on the national tour of Heidi Schreck’s What The Constitution Means To Me. I caught up with Beck via Zoom from the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis to chat all about the national tour, looking up to her friend Heidi, and all the food joints she plans to stop by across America. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

History will be made tonight at the American Airlines Theatre, where for the first time a work by playwright Alice Childress will premiere. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, Trouble in Mind begins previews this evening ahead of an official opening on November 18, 2021. Trouble in Mind is led by LaChanze as “Wiletta Mayer,” with Michael Zegen as “Al Manners,” Chuck Cooper as “Sheldon Forrester,” Danielle Campbell as “Judy Sears,” Jessica Frances Dukes as “Millie Davis,” Brandon Micheal Hall as “John Nevins,” Simon Jones as “Henry,” Alex Mickiewicz as “Eddie Fenton,” and Don Stephenson as “Bill O’Wray.”

Theatrely was on the scene earlier tonight at RPM Underground for Broadway For Racial Justice and Broadway Black’s The Reckoning Halloween Party. Hosted by Celia Rose Gooding and Reneé Rapp, the night celebrated Tony winner Adrienne Warren fresh off her final performance in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical. Many stars showed up donning their best costumes ranging from Squid Game soldiers to Willy Wonka herself. Cast members from multiple shows including Caroline, or Change, The Book of Mormon, Tina, Fairycakes, and more were there dancing the night away. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many people suffered with feeling isolated. In response to this loneliness, lots of people looked for new ways to build communities as a way to adapt to this new normal. For some, this meant finding online spaces bound by common interests. For others, it looked like connecting with family and neighbors.For Kristina Wong, it meant starting up a network of hundreds of volunteers, the Auntie Sewing Squad, to make facemasks for vulnerable groups. Playing at the New York Theatre Workshop, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord tells a story of finding community in a time of isolation while revisiting and reflecting on the social and political landscape in the United States over the past 18 months. Director Chay Yew described Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord as a sort of “docutestimonial” about Wong’s own experience, starting in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2020.

We’d all like to propose a toast now that Company is back in performance on Broadway. Marianne Elliott’s stunning new production, direct from London’s West End, restarted preview performances earlier tonight at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre here in New York City. The Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical will officially open on Thursday, December 9, 2021. Go on the town and see photos from tonight’s first performance.

Carolee Carmello has been wowing audiences for years with iconic roles in Parade, The Addams Family, Scandalous, The Hello Dolly National Tour — the list could keep on going. She is now back for her first performance post quarantine in Paper Mill Playhouse’s new vibrant production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World. I recently caught up with Carmello as she was headed to the gym (yes, exercise), to chat about her fabulous co-stars, a quick rehearsal process, and jumping back into musical theatre. 

From the brainchild of producer and director Holly-Anne Devilin, who brought us Speakeasy at Bond 45 earlier this year, comes New York, New York, the ultimate celebration of the best city on earth. This musical revue is the perfect way to start off your night right here in Times Square at the beloved New York institution: the Brooklyn Diner. As they say in the show, it’s time to put down your pastrami and put your hands together for a wonderful evening of entertainment.

Scenic designer Dan Daly has recreated The Huron Club in painstaking detail, carefully utilizing elements of the Playhouse building harken back to its 1929 form along the way, while also throwing in some contemporary flourishes as needed. Dan Daly guided Theatrely through his designs for Tammany Hall to give us a taste of this immersive experience.

When Jessica Vosk steps onto the stage, all eyes are always on her. From Wicked to Fiddler on the Roof, Vosk and her incredible vocals always deliver an incredible evening of entertainment. For her next show, she will be headlining Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall with her upcoming engagement of My Golden Age this upcoming Monday evening. I recently caught up with Vosk to chat about the famed musical venue, her gaggle of special guests joining her, and how being a Libra is extremely hard when putting together a setlist. 

It looks like the diner is getting a bit sweeter with Sugarland’s very own Jennifer Nettles who stepped into the role of Jenna in Waitress beginning tonight. Sara Bareilles’ hit musical tells the story of Jenna, a master pie baker trapped in a loveless marriage in a small town. With a book by Jessie Nelson, the production is directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus. Along with Nettles, the cast includes Maiesha McQueen, Ashley Blanchet, Erich Bergen, Ben Thompson, Dakin Matthews, Eric Anderson, and Nik Dodani as Ogie. The cast is rounded out by Tyrone Davis, Jr., Matt DeAngelis, Andrew Fitch, Henry Gottfried, Emily Koch, Molly Jobe, Anastacia McCleskey, Gerianne Pérez, Curtis Thomas, Stephanie Torns, Hattie Cecelia Tutalo, Nyla Watson, and Nora Lincoln Weiner. 

Jamie Smithson is a fantastic actor who has delighted audiences across the country and can now be seen in Bedlam’s newest production of Jane Austen’s final novel Persuasion. Adapted by Sarah Rose Kearns, the performance is directed by Eric Tucker. We recently spoke with Smithson via Zoom on becoming a new father, his love of Jane Austen, and where he hopes Bedlam goes next.

Last night at the Circle in the Square Theatre, the new comedy Chicken & Biscuits officially opened on Broadway. Written by Douglas Lyons, the play is directed by Zhailon Levingston, who made history last night by becoming the youngest Black director in Broadway history. Go on the town and see photos from yesterday’s opening night!

As the New York City theatre community faces the collective reopening of Broadway shows while still reeling from nearly two years of crisis, Lackawanna Blues offers a space for healing within the memories and montages of one man’s childhood in mid-century New York.Based on writer and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s own life experiences, Lackawanna Blues is a one-man-and-one-guitarist show commemorating the woman who raised young Santiago-Hudson, Miss Rachel. He describes the play as “a love letter to the Black women that kept our communities standing on solid ground, and provided the sustenance we needed as human beings: spiritually, physically, mentally.” Santiago-Hudson is the only actor, and he is accompanied by blues-rock musician Junior Mack on guitar. 

Jarvis Derrell and Rob Morean are figures well-known in two distinct, but not entirely separate, New York social spheres: theatre and queer nightlife. The two friends are lifelong performers and personalities—Morean was an understudy in the Broadway revival of Torch Song Trilogy, and Derrell is perhaps best known for his “She Has Had It!” Instagram account—who can often be seen toasting each others’ theatrical nature around the NYC queer scene.They’ve now partnered up to host Backstage Tea, a weekly Broadway-themed cabaret at Motel 23, a gay cocktail lounge which opened last year in Chelsea. The show promises well-known stars and up-and-coming performers “singing their favorite songs, answering your burning questions, and spilling all the tea,” with their first lineup featuring J. Harrison Ghee (Mrs. Doubtfire, Kinky Boots) and Danny Peter Smith, and future guests including Jelani Remy (Ain’t Too Proud, The Lion King) and Sojourner Brown.The Monday night residency at first seems unlikely programming for the revelrous club perhaps best known for hosting Lil Nas X’s SNL after-party, so I spoke with Derrell and Morean ahead of their first performance to get the scoop on their ambitious plan. 

At a first glance, it may not seem like the worker at your local Sweetgreen has much in common with the Vice President of the United States. But a theatrical installation with New York Theatre Workshop is looking to challenge that idea. Written and directed by Whitney White, “Semblance” explores how Black women are perceived in society and challenges audiences to think about how they encounter Black women in everyday life. Nikiya Mathis, who stars in “Semblance,” says the show is a portrait of Black women, examining how Black women are perceived by others and how these perceptions line up with who these women really are. 

Gideon Glick has been endearing himself to audiences since originating the role of shy, lovestruck Ernst in Spring Awakening. An actor capable of generating an incredible amount of empathy for his often bashful characters, he was last seen onstage as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors—a lauded run which was cut short by the pandemic.Never one to stay too far away from the spotlight, he recently appeared in the second season of HBO’s hit series, The Other Two, created by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider . Playing Jess, the level-headed boyfriend of co-lead Cary Dubek (Drew Tarver) he stuck out in the surreal, pop culture-savvy comedy. His character’s sheer normalcy gave the show—possibly the sharpest, funniest critique of modern gay culture—a chance to explore gay relationships in the age of Instagram.

Juan A. Ramirez spills on all of his thoughts on this year's Tony Awards in his latest column AND...SCENE!

Two options. You either know Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, or you are about to. The newest songwriting duo quickly (and I mean quickly) rose to fame via TikTok at the start of this year when they started composing a musicalilzed version of Netflix’s Bridgerton. Since posting their first video back in January of this year, the two creators have garnered millions upon millions of views. This past month, they released the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical concept album which has topped the charts ever since. (And yes, it really is as good as everyone says.) Now, the pair joins a star-studded roster of performers for The Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert which was taped a few weeks ago and will premiere on PBS tonight. 

On any typical night at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre before the curtain rises for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, there is a certain excitement that brews in the air. Walking in and seeing Derek McLane’s Tony winning scenic design truly immerses the audience in a way that is so rarely experienced in a Broadway house.But tonight was different. Tonight was the first performance since the team took home ten Tony Awards this past Sunday at the 74th Annual Tonys. Those awards included Best Musical, Best Scenic Design for Derek McLane, Best Sound Design for Peter Hylenski, Best Costume Design for Catherine Zuber, Best Lighting Design for Justin Townsend, and Best Orchestrations for Justin Levine with Matt Stine, Katie Kresek, and Charlie Rosen.

After almost a year and a half from their first announcement, the 74th Annual Tony Awards finally happened last night. Here’s our ranking of the highs, the lows, and the whoas.

Chances are you’ve seen Lily Rabe in your favorite season of American Horror Story (AHS): she’s been on all but one of the long-running anthology’s ten iterations. The daughter of playwright David Rabe and actor Jill Clayburgh, she has made as much an impact onstage as she has onscreen, notably appearing in four productions at the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park—one of which, The Merchant of Venice, earned her a Tony nomination.Back in the innocent Murder House days of the first AHS season, it’s unlikely that series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck had envisioned forging what would essentially become a repertory theatre troupe. Now in its tenth season, the show has become a recurring playground for stage actors like Sarah Paulson, Denis O’Hare, and Adina Porter.

Broadway productions are reopening for the first time in almost a year and a half, but the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the theatre community are still present. Places, Please, a film written and directed by Reed Luplau (who can currently be seen in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway), follows a group of theatre artists reflecting on the shutdown of the theatre industry and sharing their experiences about how it has affected them individually. 

Last night, Disney celebrated its return of the acclaimed hit musical Aladdin as it reopened at the New Amsterdam Theatre for the first time following the pandemic shutdown. See photos of the cast take their first bows back on Broadway.

Earlier tonight, A Commercial Jingle For Regina Comet, the first new musical to premiere in New York City since the pandemic shutdown opened at the DR2 Theatre down in Union Square. Performances run through November 14, 2021. The cast includes Broadway favorites Bryonha Marie Parham, Alex Wyse, and Ben Fankhauser. Fankhauser and Wyse are also responsible for the Book, Music, and Lyrics. See the cast celebrate and take their opening night bows:

Live Commentary on the 2020 Tony Awards from Theatrely staff as we watch and dish about this year's ceremony.

As we near this Sunday and the 74th Annual Tony Awards, which celebrates the Broadway season of almost two years ago, we at Theatrely got together to try and rack our brains and reflect on the 19/20 season. Editor-in-Chief Kobi Kassal, Chief Critic Juan A. Ramirez, and Contributing Writer Meg Masseron recently sat down to discuss this year’s Tonys and see the results of the Theatrely team’s ballot. We had 20 of our staff members fill out their picks and our conversation followed.

What’s a Tony Awards night without some celebratory toasting to the Great White Way? Take your celebration a step further this year with Theatrely’s 2020 Tony Awards Drinking Game. Follow our rules and we guarantee you’ll be sloshed enough to think the show was actually worth watching. Bottoms up*

To honor Jeremy H. Harris and Slave Play's historic twelve Tony Award nominations, culture writer Nathan Pugh looks at how the new generation of Black playwrights have leaned on their past predecessors that have yet to have shows produced on Broadway.

Yes you can can can! The Moulin Rouge is back open for business at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The acclaimed show, which is nominated for 14 Tony Awards including Best Musical, reopened on Broadway last night and Theatrely was on the ground to catch all the action. Check out photos from Moulin Rouge! The Musical’s first performance back and tune into the 74th Annual Tony Awards tomorrow evening, September 26 at 7pm ET, to see how many awards they take home.

The Tony-winning Come From Away has officially resumed performances at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway last night. Watch the cast and team at their first night back on Broadway.

Our top three reasons why you should not miss out on Moulin Rouge!'s return to Broadway.

We guarantee you this is going to be the most fun you will ever have at a funeral! Written by Douglas Lyons and directed by Zhailon Levingston who is set to become the youngest Black director in Broadway history at the age of 27, Chicken & Biscuits begins previews tonight at the Circle in the Square Theatre. An official opening night is set for October 10, 2021. Meet members of the cast and team, and see why Chicken & Biscuits is a must see show this fall!

Our top three reasons why you should not miss out on Come From Away's return to Broadway.

The hit musical Come From Away recently honored the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with a concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

September 14, 2021 was a very special day for many of us who hold Broadway and the American Musical Theatre so near and dear to us. After 17 long months away, many shows were finally able to re-open including Wicked, Chicago, The Lion King, Hamilton, and the first preview of Lackawanna Blues at Manhattan Theatre Club. While Pass Over, Waitress, and Hadestown have been running, as of tonight we now have eight wonderful shows running on the Great White Way. 

Since opening on Broadway in 1997, The Lion King has dazzled millions of fans across the globe, and last night celebrated its triumphant return to the Great White Way. After many months away, the animals are back home at the Minskoff Theatre officially. Watch clips from the first performance back with "The Circle of Life" and remarks from Tony Award Winning director Julie Taymor.

Theatrely was on the scene last night in Midtown Manhattan to capture the magic of Broadway’s jubilant return. Wicked, Chicago, The Lion King, and Hamilton are all beloved musicals in their own right, and last night all were able to safely reopen on the Great White Way. Go on the town and get a look at this historic night.

There was an electric feeling in the air at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre last night where Six The Musical started performances on Broadway once again. From writers Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, the Queens are back bringing their “Divorced Beheaded Live Tour” to 47th Street right here in New York City. See photos from their first night back on stage.

This past Friday evening, David Byrne’s American Utopia returned to Broadway, this time at the St. James Theatre. The hit theatrical concert based off Byrne’s 2018 album of the same name features returning band members Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan and Bobby Wooten III.

To kick-off a jam-packed weekend of Broadway festivities, hosts Norm Lewis and Michael Urie from the upcoming Chicken & Biscuits introduced a myriad of speakers including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, and Commissioner Anne Del Castillo of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. President of the Broadway League Charlotte St. Martin, President of the John Gore Organization Lauren Reid, Playbill’s Vice President and Chief Operating Office Alex Birsh, and Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris were also on hand to celebrate the official start of the festival. 

As the story states, on the twenty first day of the month of September...Little Shop of Horrors is set to reopen their acclaimed musical revival tonight at the Westside Theatre on 43rd Street. See photos of the new cast including Jeremy Jordan, Tammy Blanchard and Christian Borle.

Earlier this evening, the future of Broadway congregated on the main stage of Curtain Up! as alumni of the Jimmy Awards returned to perform classics of Broadway old and new. Host Jelani Alladin of Hercules and Frozen fame welcomed fans and ushered in a new era for the Great White Way. The concert featured performances from Bryson Battle, John Clay III, Sofia Deler, Caitlin Finnie, Elena Holder, Lily Kaufmann, McKenzie Kurtz, Sam Primack, Josh Strobl, and Ekele Ukegbu.

In Juan's column this week, he was on the ground at Chicago's opening night on Broadway and it was certainly a night for the books.

Playwright Lydia R. Diamond sits down with Theatrely's Nathan Pugh to chat about her play Toni Stone at Arena Stage.

Chicago is currently the second longest running musical in Broadway history, and after a long intermission, the revival of the hit Kander and Ebb show has officially resumed performances at the Ambassador Theatre on 49th Street. Watch Bianca Marroquín lead the cast as Velma Kelly in the show’s iconic opening night: “All That Jazz”

Comedian Jacqueline Novak is headed out across America to fill in audiences on a subject very near and dear to her heart: Blow jobs. Her quirky one-woman show Get On Your Knees is currently taking up residence at the Calderwood Pavilion’s Robert’s Studio Theatre by way of ATG’s Emerson Colonial in Boston.

Move over Jimmy Fallon, take a seat Andy Cohen...there’s a new host in town and he just so happens to have a Tony Award. Brian Stokes Mitchell is now in the host’s seat with a bevy of his Broadway friends for some riveting and fun conversations on Crossovers Live! 

For the first time since March 11, 2020, audiences had the chance to ride that train down to Hadestown which is now back in performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre. The Tony-winning musical reopened on Broadway last night after an 18-month intermission and Theatrely was on the ground to capture that electrifying first night back.

Waitress is now in performances at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on 47th Street in New York City through January 9, 2022. Our top picks as to why to catch the show!

Hadestown is now in performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 48th Street in New York City.

This past Thursday evening, Broadway Plus celebrated their 5th anniversary with a star-studded party atop Manhattan’s Skylark rooftop lounge. The night began with a lively red carpet session, where attendees posed cheerfully together at what is likely one of their first red carpets of the past year-and-a-half. Beloved Broadway actors Tamar Greene of Hamilton, Andrea Macasaet of Six, and Max von Essen of Anastasia, are just some of the many stars that posed for photos before eventually making their way to the main floor for an endless array of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

I attended BroadwayCon for the first time this year, and, long story short, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. In past years, BroadwayCon seems like a gathering place for theatre superfans with the opportunity to connect with fellow enthusiasts and the Broadway stars we love.

In Peter Gray’s new comedy The Karens, he deconstructs what it means to be a Karen through the lens of three high school besties all named… Karen. The show, directed by Michael Alvarez, is a hilarious exploration of privilege, reclamation, and interaction within the digital world. I recently caught up with the playwright and chatted about what it was like to create the piece.

Juan dives deep into "Respect" with Jennifer Hudson and debates why this biopic wasn't quite what he was hoping for in this week's AND...SCENE!

Aaron Tveit has had a busy pandemic on-screen, from shooting two episodes of American Horror Stories on FX to starring in Schmigadoon on Apple TV+. I caught up with Aaron after his second episode of AHS, “Feral”, dropped to talk about how his theatre background helped him approach this challenging role, and what he would create if he could imagine a new season of American Horror Story.

The Broadway League recently announced they would not be releasing grosses for the upcoming Broadway season. Contributing writer Joey Sims makes his case for why they are vital for the industry in his first Op-Ed for Theatrely.

We spoke the 2021 Jimmy Award Winners Elena Holder and Bryson Battle all about their experience and what comes next!

For any fan of Broadway, Gavin Creel is certainly a name you will know. From Thoroughly Modern Millie to She Loves Me and Waitress, The Book of Mormon, and his Tony winning performance in Hello Dolly!, Creel has cemented himself firmly in the American Musical Theatre canon. For his latest role, he has taken a turn to the darker side in American Horror Stories, a new anthology series on FX.

You may know Nico Greetham from The Prom on Netflix, as the Yellow Power Ranger in Power Rangers Ninja Steel, as a finalist on season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance, or if you really want to go back as Darcy and Jojo in Newsies on Broadway. This week you can catch him as total dude and aspiring social media influencer Zinn in the episode “The Naughty List” of American Horror Stories.

See the first company bow of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over, that includes Tony Award nominee Jon Michael Hill, Namir Smallwood and Tony Award winner Gabriel Ebert. The performance is now in previews on Broadway.

Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over, the first play to begin performances on Broadway since the pandemic shutdown, had its first preview tonight at the August Wilson Theatre on 52nd Street in New York City. Directed by Danya Taymor, the play reunites the original cast from the Lincoln Center Theater production: Tony Award nominee Jon Michael Hill, Namir Smallwood and Tony Award winner Gabriel Ebert. 

Reed Birney is one of those incredible performers who has graced our stages and screens for many years. The Tony Award winner has recently been starring as Sylvester Lisko in the latest season of Home Before Dark on Apple TV Plus. 

On Monday evening, the Majestic Theatre opened its doors for the first time since March 12, 2020 for the premiere of The Show Must Go On, a new documentary from theater director Sammi Cannold. See the stars arrive on the red carpet.

About midway through the first night of her Feinstein’s/54 Below residency, Amber Iman, a performer perhaps best known for her roles in Shuffle Along and Hamilton, said she “hates musical theatre, but loves not being homeless.” She was (sort of) kidding but, with a setlist that barely even touched the Broadway songbook, proved her talents brighter than a midtown marquee.

Krysta Rodriguez has spent much of her career playing ambitious, off-beat women. From Wednesday Addams, to Ilse in Spring Awakening, and Megara in the Public’s Hercules, her characters have often reflected her own scrappy, can-do spirit.In the Netflix miniseries Halston, about the fashion trailblazer’s life, she has found a perfect match playing Liza Minnelli. The EGOT recipient was a close friend of the fashion icon, and their Studio 54-heavy lifestyles closely mirrored each other in their highly publicized mix of brilliance and self-destruction.

I recently caught up with members of the Schmigadoon! team including showrunner and co-creator Cinco Paul, Tony Award-nominee Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, and Ann Harada to learn more about the hilarious new series, and what they might include in their own auction picnic basket.

Juan A. Ramirez spent the past weekend jumping from concert to concert and seeing stars from Adrienne Warren to Larry Owens. He reflects in this week's AND...SCENE!

After over three decades of producing thought-provoking and politically aware theatre that delves into topical and timely issues, Potomac Theatre Project continues its work with three virtual productions as part of its 34th year. Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1987, PTP was created with the primary goal of creating a theatre company that focused on politically charged pieces and allowed theatre to be used as a place to have deeper conversations about the human condition. Jim Petosa, PTP’s co-founder and co-artistic director, said that PTP’s early productions focused on issues such as Social Darwinism, the AIDS epidemic and corporate greed, all of which were hot-button issues around the time of PTP’s founding. While the themes and focuses of PTP productions have changed over time, PTP’s dedication to exploring timely issues has remained the same.

Caroline Giovannucci returns to in-person performances and notes how we as audiences members must do better.