OnSaturday 19thDecemberat 730pm GMTSimG ProductionsandMusical Theatre Radio’sfourth ‘One Night Only’ Reunion event will reunite the writers and creatives from the International hit musical’Come From Away’, alongside actors who have appeared in productions across the globe.
BroadwayWorld’sRichard Ridgeis keeping up with all of your favorite stars’ latest projects on Backstage Live, bringing you in-depth interviews twice weekly. On November 25, he chattedwith Broadway power couplePatti MurinandColin Donnell.
Are you ready to virtually wander around the 18th century sidewalks that Alexander Hamilton trod in “the greatest city in the world?” Hamilton fans and history buffs can explore the theatre district and NYC from their couches December 2 and 9 in a two-part virtual HamilTour from Broadway Up Close’s Tim Dolan and Playbill Social Selects.
In addition to exploring the historical sites from the musical, audiences will hear first-hand accounts from the making of the musical.
Click here to purchase a discount ticket for both parts. As part of the purchase, audiences receive a downloadable map to follow Dolan’s virtual footsteps as he brings participants around town.
READ: The Broadway Walking Tour Made for Theatre Fans, History Buffs, and Broadway Newbies
Combining his storytelling skills as an actor and his love for Broadway history, Tim created Broadway Up Close Walking Tours in 2010. Over the past decade, the company has established six different tour experiences. In 2019, he opened a freestanding gift shop in the middle of Times Square that offers custom Broadway merchandise.
On the small screen, Dolan was featured on Season 2 of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. In theatre, Tim was the Dance Captain in the Off-Broadway revival of Once Upon A Mattress, starring Jackie Hoffman and John “Lypsinka” Epperson. He also performed as Abraham in the long-running hit musical Altar Boyz.
Tickets are also available for Part 1 and Part 2 of HamilTour individually. For a full list of Playbill Social Select events, click here.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Nurse Heroes Live all-star concert addressed the worldwide shortage of nurses and raised money for nursing programs and scholarships. For those who might have missed the benefit show, Nurse Heroes Live will be available on Peacock beginning Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020 until January 2, 2021.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, reworked due to the public health crisis, features performances from the Broadway casts of Jagged Little Pill, Hamilton, Mean Girls, and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. The segments were pre-taped outside of the shows Theatre District homes.
Tune in on NBC November 26 beginning at 9 AM ET (the event will also stream on Verizon’s YouTube channel).
Viewers can expect performances of “Someone Gets Hurt” from Reneé Rapp and her Mean Girls co-stars; a Motown medley from Ain’t Too Proud‘s Nik Walker, James Harkness, Jawan M. Jackson, Matt Manuel, and Jelani Remy; the Hamilton bop “The Schuyler Sisters” (with an appearance by Tony nominee Joshua Henry as Aaron Burr); and Alanis Morissette’s “You Learn” with the stars of Jagged Little Pill.
Typically, Broadway shows perform outside the iconic storefront at the top of the proceedings, with floats, guest stars, and Santa subsequently parading down from the Upper West Side. This year, the spectacle will be condensed to one city block on 34th Street, primarily just for broadcast rather than in-person crowds.
Among the additional stars slated to appear are Hamilton Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr., Patti LaBelle, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Tori Kelly, characters from Sesame Street, Keke Palmer, Dolly Parton, Pentatonix, and Jordin Sparks. Another performance, presented by New York City Ballet, will feature a solo ballerina dancing as The Nutcracker‘s Sugar Plum Fairy
Liz Callaway has announced a brand- new Christmas album. ‘Comfort and Joy - An Acoustic Christmas’ featuring10 songs with acclaimed guitarist Peter Calo anda duet with Grammy- nominee Jann Klose.
Read on for some recent theatre headlines you may have missed in today’s news.
New NBC Musical Comedy Series Starring Amber Riley in Development
Olivier winner Amber Riley (Dreamgirls, Glee, The Wiz Live!) will star in the NBC musical comedy series Dream, from writer-producer Lisa Muse Bryant (black-ish) and producers Neil Meron and Universal TV, Deadline reports. The music-driven series, currently in development, centers on Dream Morgan (Riley), a former teen mom who decides to pursue a singing career after her son graduates from college. Riley also co-produces.
Feinstein’s/54 Below Announces New Steaming Series
NYC supper club Feinstein’s/54 Below has created a new performance series, filmed live from the venue exclusively for streaming. 54 Below Premieres concerts for the month of December include Broadway Princess Holiday Party with Laura Osnes, Susan Egan and Courtney Reed; Sondheim Unplugged with Darius DeHaas, Natalie Douglas, and Telly Leung; and a Norm Lewis set with special guest Sierra Boggess. Future shows will be announced in the coming weeks. To purchase tickets, visit 54Below.com.
Black Theatre Coalition and Columbia University Partner for Weekly Webinar Series
BTC, founded by T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald “Reggie” Van Lee with Afton Battle and Tamica Clanton, is joining forces with Columbia University’s School of the Arts to present a weekly webinar series for potential BTC fellows. The 11-week Introduction to the Business of Theatre workshop will focus on managerial, legal, marketing and financial aspects of the theatre industry. BTC aims to close the disparity gap between the illusion of inclusivity on stage and the stark lack of Black professionals offstage. For more information, visit BlackTheatreCoalition.org.
Also, enjoy this new music video, titled “Quarantine Dream,” from Drag Race alum Nina West and Disney animator Dan Lund. As Nina says: Mask Up, Stay Home, and Watch a Musical!
West Side Story star Shereen Pimentel joins Coach Joe Rosko of Built for the Stage for Playbill’s Motivation Monday November 23 to discuss fitness, singing and dancing, and life during the pandemic. Watch the interview above beginning at 11:30 AM ET.
Pimentel made waves earlier this year as Maria in the 2020 revival of West Side Story, but the performer actually made her Broadway debut in 2009 as Young Nala in The Lion King. On top of starring in the Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim-Arthur Laurents musical, Pimentel graduated this past summer from Juilliard with a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance.
READ: Shereen Pimentel’s Maria Is Not the West Side Story Ingénue You Expect
As these tough times of this global pandemic continue, human connection is as important as ever in regards to health and fitness. Built For The Stage offers a seven-day free trial that allows participants to interact with a coach to talk about goals, try out some actor-athlete workout sessions, and more.
BFTS not only provides training programs for professionals in the business, but recently launched its new program, BFTS University, for theatre majors. BFTSU helps students in building their fitness and nutrition foundation to enable them to ready themselves for the demanding requirements of a career in theatre.
For more information about these programs, the BFTS Swag Shop, or BFTS podcast episodes, visit BuiltfortheStage.com.