Odds & Ends: Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda & the Stars of tick, tick...BOOM! Show Off Party Tricks & More
Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed recently.
Party with the Cast of tick, tick...BOOM!
Cast parties are always a blast, and Lin-Manuel Miranda and the stars of tick, tick...BOOM!, including Andrew Garfield, Robin De Jesús, Vanessa Hudgens, Joshua Henry and Alexandra Shipp, are letting fans in on theirs. They gathered around a piano to reminisce about their early theater obsessions, show off their party tricks and so much more. Watch the video below!
Broadway Faves Make Oscars Shortlist
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 94th Oscars ceremony, and some Broadway faves have made the cut. Variety reports that Lin-Manuel Miranda, Idina Menzel, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are all on the list for Original Song; Miranda would become a member of the EGOT club if he took home an Oscar for “Dos Oruguitas” from Disney's Encanto. Menzel is on the list alongside Laura Veltz for "Dream Girl" from Cinderella, and Dear Evan Hansen is the gift that keeps on giving for Pasek and Paul with the new film song “The Anonymous Ones” making the shortlist. Steven Spielberg's West Side Story also scored shortlist spots in both the Makeup and Hairstyling as well as Sound categories. Oscar nominations will be announced on February 8, 2022.
Hugh Jackman, Sarah Jessica Parker & More Honored by Variety500
The fifth annual Variety500 was revealed on December 22. The robust list honors the 500 most influential executives and creatives working today. This year's roster includes James Corden, Daniel Craig, Cynthia Erivo, Sonia Friedman, John Gore, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lee, Cameron Mackintosh, Frank Marshall, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ryan Murphy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Marc Platt, Billy Porter, Jordan Roth, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more. See the complete Variety500 here.
Cinderella Suspends West End Performances Through February
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Cinderella has canceled performances at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre through February 9, 2022 due to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The production announced the postponement on social media on December 21. Cinderella began previews on June 25 and officially opened on August 18. Carrie Hope Fletcher leads the cast in the production, which features an updated story and book by Oscar-winning screenwriter Emerald Fennell. Lloyd Webber composed the music, and David Zippel wrote the lyrics.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Postpones Off-Broadway Engagement
The previously announced off-Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has been postponed until summer 2022. The staging had been scheduled to begin performances on January 14, 2022 at the Theater at St. Clements. The cast of the play, including Sonoya Mizuno, Matt de Rogatis, Christian Jules Le Blanc, Alison Fraser, Austin Pendleton, Milton Elliott, Tiffan Borelli, Carly Gold and Spencer Scott, will remain intact for the summer engagement. “In the current theater climate, we believe it is in the best interest of the show, our actors and crew, and our audiences to postpone Cat on a Hot Tin Roof until the summer of 2022. While not an easy decision, we are committed to keeping everyone safe while delivering the best on stage product that we can," the show's producers said in a statement. "Lastly, we sincerely thank the Tennessee Williams estate for continuing to work with us during these uncertain times." New dates for the porduction will be announced later.
Is There Still Sex In The City? Played Final Off-Broadway Performance
Is There Still Sex In The City?, Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell’s off-Broadway solo show, played its final performance on December 19. Bushnell has tested positive for COVID-19, which was first detected on the evening of December 21, just before Bushnell was scheduled to go on stage. A national tour is in the works, as well as plans to take the production to Europe, Asia and Australia. “Working in the theater to create Is There Still Sex in the City? has been one of the most thrilling experiences of my life,” Bushnell said. “I can’t wait to take the show on the road and to continue working with this very wonderful and supportive community in the future!”
Kate Baldwin & Aaron Lazar Set for The Bridges of Madison County
The Axelrod PAC in New Jersey has announced two-time Tony nominee Kate Baldwin and Aaron Lazar as the leads for their production of The Bridges of Madison County, directed by Hunter Foster (who appeared in the original Broadway cast). The production is scheduled to run from March 11, 2022 through March 27. Based on the novel by Robert James Waller and featuring a score by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Marsha Norman, The Bridges of Madison County centers on Francesca, an Italian immigrant housewife living a happy existence on a farm. When her family goes off to the Iowa State Fair, she meets Robert Kincaid, a National Geographic photographer on assignment filming bridges in the area. Their initial friendship develops into a brief but passionate affair, which has devastating consequences.
