Odds & Ends: Sara Bareilles and Joe Tippett Get Engaged and More
(Photo by Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com)
Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed.
Sara Bareilles and Joe Tippett Are Engaged
Sara Bareilles and Joe Tippett are engaged. The performers met when Tippett played Earl in the world premiere production of Bareilles' Waitress at American Repertory Theater in 2015. They began dating in 2017. The couple announced the news on social media on January 1. Although Tippett did not first transfer to Broadway with Waitress, he joined the production in 2017 and continued the next year. He also played the role of Earl throughout the entirety of Waitress' 2021 run at the Barrymore Theatre. Originating the role of the Baker's Wife in the Encores! revival of Into the Woods, Bareilles is a two-time Tony nominee for her original songs in Waitress and SpongeBob SquarePants. She went on to star in Waitress multiple times on both Broadway and the West End. She has received six Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for 2008's breakout hit "Love Song." Tippett made his Broadway debut in 2007's Airline Highway. His screen credits include Mare of Easttown, The Morning Show, Rise, Patsy & Loretta and more.
Broadway's Pictures From Home Delays First Preview
The upcoming Broadway play Pictures From Home has delayed its debut. Originally announced to begin preview performances at Studio 54 on January 10, the new play will now start on January 13. Based on the photo memoir by Larry Sultan and adapted for the stage by Sharr White, Pictures From Home stars Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein and Zoë Wanamaker. Bartlett Sher directs the production, which brings to life a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother, a father and the son who photographed their lives.
Tony Winner Mandy Patinkin Announces Concert Tour
Tony and Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin will embark a 30-city concert tour in the fall. Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Diaries will begin at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center on October 30 before touring cities including Saint Louis, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Nashville. Patinkin is a Tony winner for his performance in Evita and received additional nominations for Sunday in the Park with George and The Wild Party. Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Diaries will feature songs by Stephen Sondheim, Randy Newman, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright and Patinkin's original work.
Courtney Reed & Nick Pflederer Are Engaged
Broadway's Courtney Reed, who is currently starring as Satine in the Moulin Rouge! The Musical tour, is engaged to her boyfriend of two years, Nick Pflederer. Reed announced the news on Instagram on January 2 with the caption "2023…you’ve got some big shoes to fill." Reed and Pflederer first met in 2004 and briefly dated in college. When Reed returned to her hometown of Chicago during the theater shutdown, they reconnected. Reed is known for originating the role of Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway. Pflederer is a photographer.
Watch Joaquina Kalukango Perform "Last Midnight" From Into the Woods
Tony winner Joaquina Kalukango is the newest star to join Broadway's Into the Woods, and now there is a clip of her performing the "Last Midnight" from the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical. Kalukango is a Tony winner for her performance in Paradise Square. She was also nominated for Slave Play. Into the Woods is now playing its last week at the St. James Theatre, with a final performance set for January 8. A national tour of the production will kick off in February.
Tony Winner Patti LuPone Joins Marvel Series Agatha: Coven of Chaos
Three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Deadline, the star will appear in the Marvel series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, a spin-off from WandaVision, starring Kathryn Hahn. The series will also feature Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Ali An, Maria Dizzia and Sasheer Zamata. In addition to her three Tony Awards for Company, Evita and Gypsy, LuPone has won two Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards. Her screen credits include Hollywood, American Horror Story, Pose, Life Goes On and more.
(Photo: American Girl Doll)
American Girl Doll's 2023 Girl of the Year Is a Broadway Fan
Meet Kavika Sharma, American Girl Doll's 2023 Girl of the Year—a spunky Broadway-loving dancer and singer. Sharma is the line's first South Asian main character. Unlike traditional American Girl dolls, Girl of the Year dolls are based on modern characters with contemporary stories, rather than based on American history. Sharma's character lives in Metuchen, New Jersey, which is only a train ride away from New York City, home to all of her favorite Broadway shows. American Girl said it will donate $25,000 to fund full and partial scholarships for kids, ages 7 to 14, participating in Camp Broadway's summer programs in New York.
Broadway’s Ali Ewoldt & Actor Mat Hostetler Engaged
Broadway's Ali Ewoldt and screen actor Mat Hostetler are getting married. Ewoldt announced the news on Instagram on January 2, saying that Hostetler surprised her by popping the question while taking a walk on the Brooklyn Promenade. Ewoldt, a former Broadway.com vlogger, is known for being the first Asian-American to play Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Hostetler’s screen credits include City on a Hill, The Gilded Age, Boardwalk Empire and more.
