Odds & Ends: Grease Star & Pop Singer Olivia Newton-John Dies

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed.

Grease Star Olivia Newton-John Dies at 73
Olivia Newton-John, "Physical" pop singer and actress known for starring in the movie musicals Grease and Xanadu, died on August 8 at her home in Southern California. She was 73. Her husband, John Easterling, announced the news on Newton-John's Instagram on August 8. Newton-John became a household name for starring as Sandy in 1978's film adaptation of the stage musical Grease. In 1980, she starred as Kira in Xanadu, a musical fantasy that got a stage adaptation on Broadway in 2007. She is a four-time Grammy Award winner known for the hit single "Physical." Newton-John is survived by her husband Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi. 

 

 

 

 

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Tom Cruise-Led Movie Musical in the Works
Tom Cruise will star in a new movie musical, according to Deadline. The Oscar nominee and frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, who are currently working on Mission Impossible: 8 and enjoying the box office success from Top Gun: Maverick, announced a slew of upcoming projects, including an "original song and dance-style musical" crafted as a star vehicle for Cruise. The actor appeared in the film adaptation of Rock of Ages as Stacee Jaxx in 2012. Information on the upcoming project is being kept under wraps. 

Go Inside Opening Night of The Devil Wears Prada
New musical The Devil Wears Prada officially opened at Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre on August 7. Based on Lauren Weisberger's bestselling 2003 novel and the 2006 film of the same name, the production features music by Elton John and lyrics by Shaina Taub. The Devil Wears Prada follows Andy Sachs, a smart but drab aspiring journalist who gets sucked into the glamorous world of the elite fashion magazine Runway and the servitude of its cutthroat editor, Miranda Priestly. Tony winner Beth Leavel and Taylor Iman Jones take on the roles of Priestly and Sachs, respectively, along with Javier Muñoz as Nigel Owens, Christiana Cole as Lauren, Megan Masako Haley as Emily Charlton, Tiffany Mann  as Kayla, Michael Tacconi as Nate Angstrom and Christian Thompson  as Christian Thompson. Check out the photo of the curtain call below.