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Broadway’s Back, Part 2: 2020 Tony Awards Should Be Coming This Fall to Launch Comeback

Roger Friedman
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Broadway’s Back, Part 2: 2020 Tony Awards Should Be Coming This Fall to Launch Comeback

The longest ever Tony Awards season may be coming to an end.

With the opening of Broadway theaters on September 14 we will be getting the Tony Awards for 2020 sometime in September.

I’m hearing that CBS and the Broadway League are working out the date. But then maybe we will see Aaron Tveit, the only nominee for Best Actor in a Musical, “Moulin Rouge,” receive his prize.

And Adrienne Warren, star of “Tina: The Musical,” finally get hers for playing Tina Turner.

The 2020 season ended abruptly, causing many shows never to open and become eligible for Tonys. A big one was the original musical “Girl from the North Country,” with Bob Dylan’s songs. Now if star Mare Winningham returns, she will be back in play for 2022 Best Actress in a Musical. “Tina” will be out of the way.

Here are/were the nominees. My choices are bold faced.

Best Play
Grand Horizons
The Inheritance
Sea Wall/ A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside


Best Revival Of A Play
Betrayal
A Soldier’s Play
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune

Best Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Book Of A Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Aaron Tviet, Moulin Rouge!

**From The Tony Awards Rules: If the Tony Awards Nominating Committee has determined that if there is only one nominee in a category listed, such category shall be submitted to the Tony Voters which may, by the affirmative vote of sixty (60%) percent of the total ballots cast, grant an Award in that category

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge!
Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge!
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
A Christmas Carole
The Inheritance
The Rose Tattoo
Slave Play
The Sound Inside

Best Direction Of A Play
The Sound Inside
The Inheritance
A Soldier’s Play
Betrayal
Slave Play

Best Direction Of A Musical
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge

Best Choreography of a Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Orchestrations
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Scooped Here First: Justin Bieber Tour 2020, then 2021, Now Set for February 2022 Downsized Opening (Maybe)

Roger Friedman
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Scooped Here First: Justin Bieber Tour 2020, then 2021, Now Set for February 2022 Downsized Opening (Maybe)

Here we go again.

Justin Bieber’s 2020 tour was scrapped, then his 2021 tour was postponed. Now new dates are set for starting February 2022.

I told you exclusively AND FIRST that the 2021 tour was goners. Other outlets picked it up later and claimed the scoop. But it came from this column.

What no one is getting is that the first two tours weren’t just canceled because of the pandemic. Ticket sales were anemic. There was no buzz. We’ll see what happens this time around.

The 2020 tour was downsized to smaller venues well before the pandemic interfered. You’ll notice the routing has been changed here. The four NYC area dates have been broken up, so Brooklyn and New Jersey are preceding MSG by a couple of months.

Bieber released two new albums, “Changes” and “Justice,” to promote those original tours. The albums will be well out of date and off the radio by February. How will Scooter Braun deal with that? Release new tracks? Deluxe albums? More singles? Even “Peaches” will be rotten by then!

Here are the new dates:

Friday, February 18, 2022 San Diego, CA Pechanga Arena
Sunday, February 20, 2022 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 Glendale, AZ Gila River Arena
Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Inglewood, CA The Forum
Saturday, February 26, 2022 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
Monday, February 28, 2022 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Friday, March 4, 2022 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Monday, March 7, 2022 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
Friday, March 11, 2022 Portland, OR MODA Center
Sunday, March 13, 2022 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Home Energy Arena
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Denver, CO Ball Arena
Friday, March 18, 2022 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Monday, March 21, 2022 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
Friday, March 25, 2022 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Monday, March 28, 2022 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Thursday, March 31, 2022 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Friday, April 1, 2022 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
Monday, April 4, 2022 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Thursday, April 7, 2022 Jacksonville, FL Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena***
Saturday, April 9, 2022 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
Monday, April 11, 2022 Orlando, FL Amway Center***
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 Cincinnati, OH Heritage Bank Center***
Thursday, April 21, 2022 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse***
Sunday, April 24, 2022 DesMoines, IA Wells Fargo Arena***
Monday, April 25, 2022 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 Austin, TX Moody Center***
Friday, April 29, 2022 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sunday, May 1, 2022 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center
Friday, May 6, 2022 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Monday, May 9, 2022 Chicago, IL United Center
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 Chicago, IL United Center
Thursday, May 12, 2022 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Saturday, May 14, 2022 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
Monday, May 16, 2022 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Sunday, June 5, 2022 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Friday, June 10, 2022 Washington DC Capital One Arena
Monday, June 13, 2022 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thursday, June 16, 2022 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Saturday, June 18, 2022 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena***
Monday, June 20, 2022 Boston, MA TD Garden
Friday, June 24, 2022 Milwaukee, WI American Family Insurance Amphitheater

***On Sale Soon

Broadway’s Back: “Six” Will Finally Open October 3rd, “Company” to Announce Return Next Week, David Byrne Show Sept. 17th

Roger Friedman
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Broadway’s Back: “Six” Will Finally Open October 3rd, “Company” to Announce Return Next Week, David Byrne Show Sept. 17th

Broadway’s back.

Tickets are on sale now and going on sale for a bunch of shows as little by little we acknowledge the pandemic is receding.

David Byrne’s American Utopia starts performances again on Septembe r7th.

The much anticipated “Company” with Patti Lupone will announce their return date next week. They never opened. Now they will. I will be at the first performance, trust me.

“Six,” which also never got to open, now does on October 3rd.

More to come. Keep refreshing…

 

Pandemic Negative Effects on Broadway Community Huge In Actors Fund Survery Of Mental Health, Lost Income, Displaced Housing

Roger Friedman
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Pandemic Negative Effects on Broadway Community Huge In Actors Fund Survery Of Mental Health, Lost Income, Displaced Housing

The Actors Fund survey of the Broadway community concerning the pandemic has alarming results. ”

Here it is. It’s not good news.

The survey identified significant loss of income, food insecurity, lost housing, financial hardship and concerns about the future, among others. The survey, which has a margin of error of +/- 1.2%, was conducted by Morey Consulting.

The majority of the respondents to the survey, who come from all parts of the United States, work in television and/or film (67% and 64% respectively), followed by theater (49%), music (24%), digital (19%), performance art (15%), radio/audio (15%), dance (13%), cultural center/performance venues (11%), clubs (6%), and theme parks (4%). Eight percent work in some other area of entertainment or performing arts.

Joe Benincasa, CEO of The Actors Fund, said: “The last year has exposed how vulnerable people in our community are. We need to continue to provide critical support while the industry safely returns to work, and we intend to continue to explore ways to ensure more access to our services going forward.”

Impacts of Covid-19

The median household income among all respondents was $34,186. Given the low income and lack of savings, it is not surprising that the economic impact of Covid was greatest, with 76% of those surveyed saying they lost income, 62% reporting they lost part-time or gig employment, and 49% lost full-time employment in entertainment. Of the respondents who lost full-time or part-time employment in the entertainment industry, 22% do not know when they will return to work, 29% expect to return in less than six months, 34% in six to 12 months, 11% in one year.

Income loss of course impacted other areas of respondents’ lives, including:

· 28% fell behind in rent or mortgage

21% are six or more months behind while 30% are one month behind, 24% two months behind, 16% three months behind, 6% are four months behind, and 3% are five months behind

69% of respondents rented their homes, 24% owned their homes and 7% had some other living arrangement

· 20% were forced to change housing

68% of those who lost housing moved to another state, 28% to another city within the state and 4% percent have moved outside of the United States

31% of these respondents do not know when their housing will return to pre-Covid conditions.

13% of NYC respondent residents moved out of New York State, 7% of Los Angeles area respondent residents moved out of California.

Of those who have not lost their housing, 5% said they were likely and 12% said they were somewhat likely to lose it when the eviction moratorium is lifted.

10% had to sell a large asset, such as a house or a car.

40% of the respondents reported reduced food security.

Impact on BIPOC Entertainment Professionals

BIPOC respondents – approximately 27% of those surveyed – were more likely to experience reduced food security, forced housing change, increased credit card or other debt, and/or to have changed utility usage as compared to white respondents.

Health Insurance & Mental Health

Access to health care remains a significant challenge for survey respondents. 10% of the respondents reported that they lost health insurance and have not had it replaced. A stunning 79% reported that Covid-19 has had a negative impact on their mental health, pointing to increased feelings of anxiety or depression, symptoms of stress, and a decreased ability to cope with economic uncertainty.

Among respondents who have lost health insurance and do not have health insurance now, 13% expect to have coverage in less than 6 months, 18% in 6 to 12 months, 17% in 1 year, and 11% in 2 years or more. 40% do not know when they will have health insurance again and 1% never expect to have health insurance again.

BIPOC respondents were slightly more likely to have lost health insurance and not have health insurance.

Respondents who have health insurance were asked the likelihood of losing their health insurance in the next 12 months. 16% of respondents said they were very likely to lose insurance, 20% somewhat likely, and 38% were not at all likely to lose health insurance in the next 12 months. 25% of respondents do not know if they will lose their health insurance in the next 12 months.

Watch: 14 Months Later, a Final Trailer for Emily Blunt and Co Mum’s the Word in Scary “A Quiet Place II”

Roger Friedman
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Watch: 14 Months Later, a Final Trailer for Emily Blunt and Co Mum’s the Word in Scary “A Quiet Place II”

Shhh! Emily Blunt and her family are back, along with Cillian Murphy and Djimon Honsou in John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place II.”

Spoiler alert: the second part of this trilogy is excellent, very scary, and sets up the finale beautifully.

We last saw this film on March 8, 2020. Fourteen months later, here it comes to theaters on May 28th. It’s the best new film of 2021.

And oh yes, John’s character died in the first episode, but he’s still around. You’ll see.

“Stranger Things” Have Happened: Matthew Modine Returns in Chilling Teaser for Season 4 of Netflix Series

Roger Friedman
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“Stranger Things” Have Happened: Matthew Modine Returns in Chilling Teaser for Season 4 of Netflix Series

Dr. Brenner is alive! In the teaser for “Stranger Things” season four, Matthew Modine is seen returning to the spooky series. Yay!

Brenner also seems to be holding Eleven, played by Millie Bobbie Brown, in a cell numbered 11. How did that happen? When last we saw the “Stranger Things” gang, all the supernatural stuff was resolved, everyone moved away from Hawkins. Brenner had already died at the end of Season 1. We’re very happy to see him back. (Is this a prequel? An alternate universe? A sequel? Who cares!)

 

 In February we learned that David Harbour’s Jim Hopper was alive and held captive in a Russian work camp. Remember all those articles about Is he coming back? And we said, Yes, don’t be ridiculous? On TV no one dies. It’s not like real life. It’s all about contract negotiations. Ask Ellen Pompeo.

Wyatt Pike, Who Mysteriously Left “American Idol” Mid-Season Lands a Live Gig on Staten Island

Roger Friedman
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Wyatt Pike, Who Mysteriously Left “American Idol” Mid-Season Lands a Live Gig on Staten Island

Wyatt Pike is the 20 year old kid from Utah who mysteriously left “American Idol” this season just before audience voting began.

He was considered a top choice for winner if he kept going. But he dropped out, citing personal reasons.

Now Pike has announced he’s landed a live gig on Staten Island in New York’s least glamorous borough, on June 6th.

Pike will perform at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, whatever that is, on June 6th. It seems like he’s opening for Julia Gargano,, a runner up from last year’s “American Idol,” who reportedly signed a deal with the “Idol” label, 19 Recordings. Gargano is from Staten Island.

I swear to you, I am not making this up. “American Idol” will have just concluded two weeks earlier, where Pike could have won the contest or finished in the top 3, and had a record contract and management. He would have been part of the “Idol” machine and perhaps had hit records.

But no, Snug Harbor was calling out to him. It’s like the opposite of “Working Girl.”

Like it Or Not, “The Phantom of the Opera,” a Show about a Man Already Wearing a Mask, Will Return to Broadway This Fall

Roger Friedman
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Like it Or Not, “The Phantom of the Opera,” a Show about a Man Already Wearing a Mask, Will Return to Broadway This Fall

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” is returning to Broadway whether we like it or not.

The tourist trap musical, about a man and his chandelier, will reopen on October 22nd after 19 blissful months of silence.

It’s the longest running show on Broadway, more akin to a piece of Junior’s cheesecake than art. But it’s a big employment center, and Broadway needs that right now.

Luckily, the main character already wears a mask, so he’s covered when the show must adhere to COVID guidelines. If the audience members also wear masks, there will be mass confusion in the theater about who’s actually the star of the show.

The actor currently playing the Phantom is Ben Crawford, who was forced to take the name of the original Phantom, Tony winner Michael Crawford, by producer Cameron Mackintosh. It meant quicker edits on the merchandise.

Mackintosh must have some information about the return of Japanese tourists to the theater district, as they make up the bulk of “Phantom” audiences. Welcome back, everyone!

TV Exclusive Update: HBO Confirms Our April 27th Scoop, Oscar Winner Adrien Brody Joining “Succession”

Roger Friedman
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TV Exclusive Update: HBO Confirms Our April 27th Scoop, Oscar Winner Adrien Brody Joining “Succession”

It’s always nice to be right.

I told you on April 27th that Oscar winner Adrien Brody had joined the cast of HBO’s “Succession.” He was spotted around Montauk that week and the Hamptons, shooting scenes for the popular series.

Now today HBO confirmed my scoop and every outlet picked it up like it was news.

Brody won the Oscar in 2003 for Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist.” Before that and after he’s worked steadily, appearing Wes Anderson films and lots of other good projects. I think “Succession” is his first American TV series. He’s been on “Peaky Blinders.”

Brody is also going to play Pat Riley in an HBO basketball miniseries coming up. “Succession” has another big guest star next season in Alexander Skarsgaard, who’s become a favorite at the cabler after making pulses race in “True Blood.” He won awards for “Big Little Lies” from HBO. He’s certainly found a home there!

 

Billy Crystal Makes a Throwback Comedy Smartly Featuring Tiffany Haddish Holding Her Own and Singing!

Roger Friedman
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Billy Crystal Makes a Throwback Comedy Smartly Featuring Tiffany Haddish Holding Her Own and Singing!

Here today, gone tomorrow. That’s the theme of “Here Today,” starring and directed by our beloved Billy Crystal and co-written with the “SNL” genius Alan Zweibel. It’s a throwback movie with a lot of shmaltz and many parts to recommend it starting with Billy’s lovely performance and astonishingly real and poignant Tiffany Haddish.

Indeed, Tiffany — whose talents are still  being discovered — sings, she plays a singer who’s very Macy Gray like and excellent. She also reassuringly sings Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” over the credits.

What happens here are a lot of things. Billy’s character, Charlie, has onset dementia. He and Haddish’s Emma meet cute, and become fast friends. It’s kind of clear that her fondness for him will turn not into a romance, but she will become his caregiver down the line. Don’t worry, the movie ends before we get into anything grim.

Zweibel and Crystal have set the movie in a familiar venue, an “SNL” type show on a Comedy Channel type channel. So there’s a cast, producers, and sketches. Some of them work, some don’t and it doesn’t matter. We’re in a warm, familiar setting as a backdrop to Charlie’s slow deterioration.

Charlie is not only an Alan Zweibel type character at this fake “SNL” but he also has some movies and books under his belt. One of them starred Kevin Kline and Sharon Stone, directed by Barry Levinson, all of whom make welcome cameos in “Here Today.” So does Yitzhak Perlman, playing the violin. Zweibel also makes a cameo.

A lot of this you could have expected. Laura Benanti and Penn Badgley play Charlie’s kids, and they don’t get his relationship with Emma. Benanti also has a daughter getting Bat Mitvahed, played by the very engaging Asian American actress Audrey Hseih. They never explain that she’s adopted, which is a nice touch. She just ‘is,’ and she reads from the Torah capably.

There’s an audience that will kvell over “Here Today,” particularly in the much tighter first and second acts. The third act takes on water like the Titanic, I wish they’d thought it through more. And I wish we’d known a little more about Emma. The screenplay simply avoids developing her beyond Charlie’s world. But that might have brought in other issues. Luckily, Haddish just plays it and you go with her.

Look, Billy Crystal and Alan Zweibel are heroes to my generation, our Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. I’m happy to spend time with whatever they do, and “Here Today” is a left field gift.

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