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Critics Choice Will Kick Off Movie Awards Season with First Crack, Ahead of Golden Globes

Roger Friedman
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Critics Choice Will Kick Off Movie Awards Season with First Crack, Ahead of Golden Globes

Awards season 2026 is starting to get together, and that’s ironic since there are no movies yet.

But they’re coming.

First up for awards season will be the Critics Choice Awards on January 5, 2026. The awards will be broadcast for the second time on the E! channel. This past year’s show was a huge success despite having to move twice thanks to the wildfires.

Taking the January the spot means the CCA will fall a week before the Golden Globes. They will also precede both the New York Film Critics Circle and National Board of Review dinners.

The CCA covers both movies and TV, and has increased its influence exponentially by having 500 members who actual critics and journalists. Chelsea Handler is a very adept host.

So off we go! Studios had better screen their movies early to make the eligibility date.

BROADWAY: George Clooney, Denzel Washington Snubbed by First Theater Award Nominations; $900 Tix Didn’t Help

Roger Friedman
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BROADWAY: George Clooney, Denzel Washington Snubbed by First Theater Award Nominations; $900 Tix Didn’t Help

Selling $900 tickets didn’t endear Hollywood stars to the Outer Critics.

Today’s announcement of the first real theater awards didn’t include George Clooney or Denzel Washington.

Also, their productions of “Goodnight and Good Luck,” and “Othello,” got no love either. “Good Night and Good Luck” was thrown a bone: nominee for Best First Play.

There were plenty of lesser priced entries that struck out, also. “Pirates! A Penzance Play,” got zip, even David Hyde Pierce. “The Last Five Years” was snubbed, with Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren.

Also not on the list: “Sleeping Beauty” herself, Rachel Zegler, from “Romeo & Juliet,” even though her Romeo was included.

Definitely on the list: Kieran Culkin, from “Glengarry Glen Ross.” If he wins, he’ll have had a Tony, Emmy, and Oscar in the same cycle.

Culkin’s “Succession” co-star Sarah Snook will win a Tony for Best Solo Performance.

The OCC excluded “Dead Outlaw,” because it already won last year’s Off Broadway award.

Outstanding New Broadway Play
Cult of Love
The Hills of California
John Proctor Is the Villain
Purpose
Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Boop! The Musical
Death Becomes Her
Maybe Happy Ending
Operation Mincemeat
Real Women Have Curves

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
The Big Gay Jamboree
Drag: The Musical
We Live in Cairo

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
The Antiquities
Grangeville
Here There Are Blueberries
Liberation
Table 17

John Gassner Award (new American play preferably by a new playwright)
Amy Berryman, Walden
George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck
Marin Ireland, Pre-Existing Condition
Lia Romeo, Still
Emil Weinstein, Becoming Eve

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Floyd Collins
Gypsy
Once Upon a Mattress
Sunset Boulevard

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Beckett Briefs: From the Cradle to the Grave
Glengarry Glen Ross
Romeo + Juliet
Vanya
Yellow Face

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play
Kit Connor, Romeo + Juliet
Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Mia Farrow, The Roommate
Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play
Kieran Culkin, Glengarry Glen Ross
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
Francis Jue, Yellow Face
Mare Winningham, Cult of Love
Kara Young, Purpose

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical
Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical
Danny Burstein, Gypsy
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat
Michele Pawk, Just in Time
Christopher Sieber, Death Becomes Her
Michael Urie, Once Upon a Mattress

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical
Nick Adams, Drag: The Musical
Marla Mindelle, The Big Gay Jamboree
Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Safety Not Guaranteed
Alaska Thunderfuck, Drag: The Musical
Taylor Trensch, Safety Not Guaranteed

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical
Ali Louis Bourzgui, We Live in Cairo
Paris Nix, The Big Gay Jamboree
Eddie Korbich, Drag: The Musical
J. Elaine Marcos, Drag: The Musical
Andre De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Henry Stram, Three Houses

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play
Caroline Aaron, Conversations with Mother
F. Murray Abraham, Beckett Briefs: From the Cradle to the Grave
Jayne Atkinson, Still
Adam Driver, Hold On to Me Darling
Anthony Edwards, The Counter
Paul Sparks, Grangeville

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play
Betsy Aidem, Liberation
Sean Bell, The Beacon
Michael Rishawn, Table 17
Richard Schiff, Becoming Eve
Frank Wood, Hold On to Me Darling

Outstanding Solo Performance
David Greenspan, I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Khawla Ibraheem, A Knock on the Roof
Sam Kissajukian, 300 Paintings
Andrew Scott, Vanya
Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat
Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour, We Live in Cairo
Bob Martin, Boop! The Musical
Marco Pennette, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat
David Foster and Susan Birkenhead, Boop! The Musical
Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, Real Women Have Curves
Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Doug Besterman, Death Becomes Her
Joseph Joubert and Daryl Waters, Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Daniel Lazour and Michael Starobin, We Live in Cairo
Andrew Resnick, Just in Time

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Robert Hastie, Operation Mincemeat
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Trip Cullman, Cult of Love
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
Phylicia Rashad, Purpose
Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain

Outstanding Choreography
Jenny Arnold, Operation Mincemeat
Warren Carlyle, Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Shannon Lewis, Just in Time
Jerry Mitchell, Boop! the Musical

Outstanding Scenic Design
Miriam Buether, Jamie Harrison, and Chris Fisher, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Dane Laffrey, Maybe Happy Ending
Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Costume Design
Gregg Barnes, Boop! The Musical
Wilberth Gonzalez and Paloma Young, Real Women Have Curves
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Lighting Design
Kevin Adams, Swept Away
Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Sound Design
Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard
Peter Hylenski, Death Becomes Her
Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
John Shivers, Swept Away

Outstanding Video/Projections
59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Boulevard
David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Hana S. Kim, Redwood
Finn Ross, Boop! The Musical

Back to the Future: 50 Year old Folk Album by Two of The Roche Sisters Suddenly Hits Number 6 on iTunes Top 100

Roger Friedman
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Back to the Future: 50 Year old Folk Album by Two of The Roche Sisters Suddenly Hits Number 6 on iTunes Top 100

No one seems to know when “Seductive Reasoning” came out. It was either 50 years ago today, 50 years ago this past New Year’s Eve.

Whenever it was, it was a huge flop. The folk album by Maggie and Terre Roche picked up a cult following especially four years later when the two sisters added another one, Suzzy.

That first album was re-released by Sony in 1981. It’s since disappeared. It doesn’t seem available in physical form anywhere. Amazon is selling rare vinyl copies for at least $200.

But then intrepid author David Browne released his excellent book, “Talkin’ Greenwich Village,” last fall. He dug up “Seductive Reasoning” and wrote about it. He got the ball rolling. Then Dwight Garner wrote about the anniversary in the Times two days ago.

Today, “Seductive Reasoning” has jumped to number 8 on iTunes, literally out of nowhere. Maggie passed away a few years ago. Terre and Suzzy (who’s not on this album) are very much around.

Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced Carly Simon’s and Cat Stevens’ early records, is the producer. Paul Simon plays guitar. The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is on these tracks. So is John Hall from “Orleans.” Why was “Seductive Reasoning” ignored? Browne and Garner ask that question, now we all will.

The album is available on Spotify and YouTube. Maybe Sony Legacy will put out a CD based on this response. What’s it like, by the way? Gorgeous. Stunning. Refreshing.

Happy anniversary.

Now I’m waiting for a total revival of another New York legend, Garland Jeffreys. An award winning documentary about him called “The King of Inbetween” starts rolling out in theaters next month.

Tony Awards: David Hyde Pierce Tightens Up the Best Actor Race in Uneven Revival of “Pirates of Penzance”

Roger Friedman
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Tony Awards: David Hyde Pierce Tightens Up the Best Actor Race in Uneven Revival of “Pirates of Penzance”

David Hyde Pierce has really made Broadway his home post-“Frazier.”

He has one win for Best Actor in a Musical, two more nominations, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. His work in “Spamalot, “Vanya and Sonya,” and “Hello Dolly!” has been outstanding.

With tonight’s opening in the more or less revival of “Pirates: The Penzance Musical,” DHP heads toward another nomination in a tight year. In the extremely modified Gilbert & Sullivan classic “Pirates of Penzance,” he upends the curious production as the Major General, taking it from other very persuasive players.

George Rose was nominated for a Tony as the Major General the last time this show was revived in 1981. That production was so good that “Pirates” has not been revived since then. Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Tony Azito, and Rex Smith was so good it last almost two years and still resonates in memory.

Director Wilford Leach and choreographer Graciela Daniele stuck to the original material, but turned the up clever whenever they could. In the new one, Scott Ellis has done a lot working with a bad idea for an updated script by Rupert Holmes. Holmes has set “Pirates” in New Orleans and added jazz and R&B arrangements, plus songs from other shows. Why? I don’t know.

This “Pirates” is gold when it sticks to the original material, and gives appreciate nods to the 1982 version. Hyde Piece soars singing the show’s famous “Modern Major General.” IFYKNY when he does patters away at the showstopper, it’s like his bar mitzvah. Kudos to Ramin Karimloo, the first Pirate King since Kevin Kline. His voice is a little underused but he has his moments. But his comic timing and athleticism are nonpareil.

David Rockwell’s sets lift up the whole production, as well as the clear euphoric energy of the whole cast. One breakout performance: Preston Truman Boyd, who hasn’t been on Broadway since 2019. That should be rectified immediately.

Listen, the audience loved this show. Among them tonight: big stars Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer with their suddenly hot as a pistol actor son Sam Nivola, of “White Lotus” fame. I was happy to run into both Patricia Clarkson and Tovah Feldshuh. Nivola brought his mom, fresh from cataract surgery, who added to the many ovations. Debra Monk was in the audience.

Conclusion: don’t miss these performances.

JFK Grandson Jack Schlossberg Boycotting Met Gala: “It’s not the time for that”

Roger Friedman
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JFK Grandson Jack Schlossberg Boycotting Met Gala: “It’s not the time for that”

JFK grandson Jack Schlossberg is taking a brave stand.

He’s boycotting Anna Wintour’s Met Gala.

“It’s not tome for that,” he says on social media.

Instead he says he’s working on launching a twice weekly live YouTube show starting next month.

Jack has invented himself as an internet personality with great agility. Watch his career take off like a rocket!

I don’t think Jack is shying away from the ball because of the dress code. You could imagine him dressing as a dandy easily!

Long Goodbye: “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” Has 3 Hour Run Time, Longest in Franchise History

Roger Friedman
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Long Goodbye: “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” Has 3 Hour Run Time, Longest in Franchise History

Get ready for a long sit.

Mission Impossible 8, aka “Final Reckoning” is going to be long goodbye.

The possible last Tom Cruise outing as Ethan Hunt will run two hours, 50 minutes, give or take.

That’s about a four hour commitment when the action film starts previews the night of May 22nd.

Christopher McQuarrie directs the equivalent of a Martin Scorsese opus.

In Cannes the film debuts on May 14th, just two days after the opening. I’m so glad I’ll see it in New York, in the right time zone. No jet lag. In the Palais they will hear a lot of snoozing.

Not because “MI8” is boring. It can’t be. You know Cruise and McQuarrie have pulled out all the stops. Look for at least a $100 million opening weekend, probably more.

Is this really the end? Cruise turns 63 in July. It seems inevitable that Glen Powell will be Cruise’s successor for the next installment. It’s hard to believe that Cruise might be turning up in emeritus roles soon.

“The Last of Us” Dropped by 300K Viewers for 2nd Episode as Pedro Pascal’s Joel Seriously Beaten to Death

Roger Friedman
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“The Last of Us” Dropped by 300K Viewers for 2nd Episode as Pedro Pascal’s Joel Seriously Beaten to Death

The second season first episode of “The Last of Us” was a huge hit for HBO. Linear viewers on the cable channel came in at 983,000.

HBO was so happy it trumpeted 5 million with streaming. Big stuff.

This past Sunday was a different story. Star Pedro Pascal was killed off, beaten mercilessly to death. It was an unexpected move for viewers — like me — unfamiliar with the video game on which it was based.

Fans were not pleased. Linear viewers dropped by almost 300,000 for episode 2, to 643,000. Boom! Joel’s death was brutal. The producers could have easily saved Joel’s death, and gone their own way. It’s not like the video game was Shakespeare.

It’s hard to say what will happen now to the ratings. In weeks to come, Jeffrey Wright joins the show. There are some exciting things planned. And surprises. But “The Last of Us” may not survive the loss of Pascal. It’s as if the powers that be skipped to a fifth season when the show would be in retreat.

I guess the big question will come this Sunday: will fans settle for wrapping up a dead Joel’s story, and look to focus on other characters? I don’t get it. Joel was the central character. Couldn’t he have had a secret twin?

Stay tuned…

“The Conners” Comes to An End Without an Image of Roseanne Barr, But a Little Tribute from John Goodman

Roger Friedman
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“The Conners” Comes to An End Without an Image of Roseanne Barr, But a Little Tribute from John Goodman

After 7 seasons, “The Conners” has ended.

A show forced into being when Roseanne Barr blew up her career, “The Conners” had a finale tonight to wrap up most of the loose ends of the show.

There were some flashbacks to “Roseanne,” but nary an image of the comedian who invented the show almost four decades ago.

John Goodman, maybe on his own or as part of the script, acknowledged Barr in a way. In the final scene, the family visits Roseanne’s grave. After everyone says goodbye, Goodman places a stone on it, a nod to the real Roseanne, who is Jewish. It was obvious because Roseanne Connor was not Jewish. It’s unclear if she had a religion.

If Barr hadn’t Tweeted a racist post about Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, she might not have needed a stone. When the “Roseanne” show was, they should have let the sitcom go. Barr, never a comforting presence, had gone into TV exile without anyone knowing what was lurking under all thsoe facelifts.

But bringing Barr back a time when she had unbridled access to social media was the mistake. The real Barr — conservative, racist, full of hate, actually crazy — had been hidden. When she leveled that hate at Jarrett, the party was over.

Now “Roseanne” and “The Conners” head off into syndication. The survivors are very wealthy Metcalf heads back to Broadway, Goodman has movies. Katey Sagal will be back on some show by September.

For most of them it’s a happy but bittersweet ending. The producers gave everyone a little farewell except for Michael Fishman, who played and Goodman and Barr’s son until a couple of years ago. No one even mentioned him. The Conners seemed sentimental at the end, but they’re just like the worst people they portray.

Oy Vey Como Va: Carlos Santana Tests Positive for COVID, Should Be Back to Work Soon (PS New Album Out!)

Roger Friedman
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Oy Vey Como Va: Carlos Santana Tests Positive for COVID, Should Be Back to Work Soon (PS New Album Out!)

Carlos Santana, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer — not the baseball player – is in the hospital.

The legendary guitarist fell ill on stage yesterday in San Antonio, Texas. When he got medical attention, he tested positive for COVID.

Now Santana will get a little rest and hydration before returning to the stage.

The 77 year old needed the promo attention. He has a new album out! It’s called “Sentient,” a collection of past collaborations. Listen to it here. That will make him feel much better.

Oy vey como va, Carlos! You’ve got to change your hydration ways!

PS I have a lot of favorite Santana tracks, but I always love his cover of the Zombies’ “She’s Not There.” (see below)

Ex Con Billy McFarland Says He’s Selling the Fyre Brand After Screwing Up Festival 2.0

Roger Friedman
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Ex Con Billy McFarland Says He’s Selling the Fyre Brand After Screwing Up Festival 2.0

Ex con and con man Billy McFarland says he’s selling the Fyre brand after screwing up his second festival.

What else is there to do? Why would anyone believe anything this guy says? He spent four years in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud in March 2018.

There have been two documentaries about the first Fyre Festival. The second one, which he’s promoted heavily, isn’t happening.

Here’s his latest piece of fiction:

When my team and I launched FYRE Festival 2, it was about two things: finishing what I started and making things right.
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Over the past two years, we’ve poured everything into bringing FYRE back with honesty, transparency, relentless effort, and creativity. We’ve taken the long road to rebuilding trust. We rebuilt momentum. And we proved one thing without a doubt:
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FYRE is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.
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Since 2017, FYRE has dominated headlines, documentaries, and conversations as one of the world’s most talked-about music festivals. We knew that FYRE was big, but we didn’t realize just how massive the wave would become. That wave has brought us here: to a point where we know it’s time to call for assistance.
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This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own. It’s a movement. And it deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its potential.
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We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach, and cultural capital – to an operator that can fully realize its vision.
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There is a clear path for operators and entrepreneurs with strong domain expertise to build FYRE into a global force in entertainment, media, fashion, CPG, and more. For example, in the two years since we’ve re-launched FYRE Festival, Hollywood and entertainment executives have already licensed the brand to develop properties specifically in theatre, music streaming, and Free Ad-Supported TV.

In addition, following the challenges we faced in Mexico, we were approached by several Caribbean destinations eager to host FYRE Festival 2. We dove into the process—meeting with national officials, conducting site visits—and we’re confident we’ve found the ideal location for the festival. While I’m incredibly excited, I can’t risk a repeat of what happened in Playa Del Carmen, where support quickly turned into public distancing once media attention intensified. For FYRE Festival 2 to succeed, it’s clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently, bringing the vision to life on this incredible island.
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I’ve stood by my team, our partners, and our fans since Day 1 of FYRE Festival 2. Giving control of the brand to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do: build a global entertainment brand, host a safe and legendary event, and continue to pay restitution to those who are owed from the first festival.
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To the supporters, believers, and builders who’ve stuck with my team and me: thank you. We will pick the new group based on their ability to execute the vision of FYRE in a transparent, grand, and expeditious manner. The next chapter of FYRE will be bigger, better, and built to last without me at the helm.

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