Monday, December 22, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 97

Broadway: “Maybe Happy Ending,” “Purpose” Win Drama Desk Awards Before Tony’s, Women Sweep Acting Categories!

Roger Friedman
-
0
Broadway: “Maybe Happy Ending,” “Purpose” Win Drama Desk Awards Before Tony’s, Women Sweep Acting Categories!

The Drama Desk Awards just concluded on Broadway.

“Maybe Happy Ending” won Best Musical. “Purpose” won Best Play. They will certainly win at the Tony Awards next Sunday.

There were ties all through the acting awards. The big news is that “Sunset Boulevard” and star Nicole Scherzinger were shut out.

“Gypsy” won Best Revival of a Musical. Audra McDonald won Outstanding Performance in a Musical and tied with Jasmine Amy Rogers of “Boop,” who was a total find.

Revival of a Play went to “Eureka Day.”

There was a tie in Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play: Sarah Snook in “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Also Laura Donnelly in “The Hills of Calfornia.”

This means that four women won the top acting prizes. The men struck out. That’s what you get with gender free nominations.

Three men won in Featured Performance in a musical. Two women tied in Featured Performance in a Play.

A lot of this foreshadows the Tony Awards, although they have gender specific awards, which is a helluva lot better.

I didn’t go tonight but it sounds like fun. The Yankees beat the Dodgers 7 – 3.

Outstanding Play

Blood of the Lamb, by Arlene Hutton

Deep Blue Sound, by Abe Koogler

Grangeville, by Samuel D. Hunter

John Proctor is the Villain, by Kimberly Belflower

Liberation, by Bess Wohl

**Purpose, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Outstanding Musical

BOOP! The Musical

Death Becomes Her

Just in Time

**Maybe Happy Ending

Music City

Outstanding Revival of a Play

**Eureka Day

Garside’s Career

Home

Wine in the Wilderness

Yellow Face

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

Floyd Collins

**Gypsy

Once Upon a Mattress

See What I Wanna See

Sunset Blvd.

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play

Betsy Aidem, The Ask

**Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California

Patsy Ferran, A Streetcar Named Desire

Danny J. Gomez, All of Me

Doug Harris, Redeemed

Patrick Keleher, Fatherland

Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Lily Rabe, Ghosts

Jay O. Sanders, Henry IV (Theatre for a New Audience)

**Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Paul Sparks, Grangeville

Olivia Washington, Wine in the Wilderness

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical

Tatianna Córdoba, Real Women Have Curves

Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending

Sutton Foster, Once Upon a Mattress

Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.

Jonathan Groff, Just in Time

Grey Henson, Elf

Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins

**Audra McDonald, Gypsy

**Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical

Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.

Helen J Shen, Maybe Happy Ending

Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play

Greg Keller, Pre-Existing Condition

Julia Lester, All Nighter

Adrienne C. Moore, The Blood Quilt

Deirdre O’Connell, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

Maria-Christina Oliveras, Cymbeline

Maryann Plunkett, Deep Blue Sound

Michael Rishawn, Table 17

Jude Tibeau, Bad Kreyòl

Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire

Frank Wood, Hold On to Me Darling

**Amalia Yoo, John Proctor is the Villain

**Kara Young, Purpose

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical (3 way tie)

**Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash

Nicholas Barasch, Pirates! The Penzance Musical

André De Shields, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

John El-Jor, We Live in Cairo

Jason Gotay, Floyd Collins

Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time

**Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat

Lesli Margherita, Gypsy

Zachary Noah Piser, See What I Wanna See

Jenny Lee Stern, Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song

**Michael Urie, Once Upon a Mattress

Natalie Walker, The Big Gay Jamboree

Outstanding Solo Performance

David Greenspan, I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan

Ryan J. Haddad, Hold Me in the Water

Sam Kissajukian, 300 Paintings

Mark Povinelli, The Return of Benjamin Lay

**Andrew Scott, Vanya

Outstanding Direction of a Play

David Cromer and Caitlin Sullivan, The Antiquities

Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Tyne Rafaeli, Becoming Eve

Jack Serio, Grangeville

**Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain

Whitney White, Liberation

Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

**Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending

Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.

Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical

Alex Timbers, Just in Time

George C. Wolfe, Gypsy

Outstanding Choreography

Camille A. Brown, Gypsy

Warren Carlyle, Pirates! The Penzance Musical

Jakob Karr, Ain’t Done Bad

Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

**Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical

Sergio Trujillo, Real Women Have Curves

Outstanding Music

**Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

David Foster, BOOP! The Musical

Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, Real Women Have Curves

Zoe Sarnak, The Lonely Few

The Lazours, We Live in Cairo

Outstanding Lyrics

Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song

**Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat

Adam Gwon, All the World’s a Stage

Marla Mindelle and Philip Drennen, The Big Gay Jamboree

Luis Quintero, Medea: Re-Versed

Outstanding Book of a Musical

**Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat

Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver, Just in Time

Bob Martin, BOOP! The Musical

Marla Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage, The Big Gay Jamboree

Marco Pennette, Death Becomes Her

Outstanding Orchestrations

Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending

Doug Besterman, BOOP! The Musical

Joseph Joubert and Daryl Waters, Pirates! The Penzance Musical

**Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time

Michael Starobin, All the World’s a Stage

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play

Miriam Buether, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

**Miriam Buether, and Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher (illusions and visual effects), Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Gabriel Hainer Evansohn and Grace Laubacher, Life and Trust

Rob Howell, The Hills of California

Johan Kølkjær, Dark Noon

Matt Saunders, Walden

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical

Clifton Chadick, Music City

Rachel Hauck, Swept Away

**Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending (includes video design)

Derek McLane, Just in Time

David Rockwell and Finn Ross (projections), BOOP! The Musical

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play

Brenda Abbandandolo, The Antiquities

**Dede Ayite, Our Town

Christopher Ford, The Beastiary

Camilla Lind, Dark Noon

Karl Ruckdeschel, Twelfth Night

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical

**Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical

Sarah Cubbage, The Big Gay Jamboree

Toni-Leslie James, Gypsy

Qween Jean, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her

Catherine Zuber, Just in Time

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

**Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Natasha Katz, John Proctor is the Villain

Tyler Micoleau, The Antiquities

Paul Whitaker, SUMO

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Swept Away

Adam Honoré, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

**Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.

Philip S. Rosenberg, BOOP! The Musical

Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun (projections), Floyd Collins

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play

**Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Johnny Gasper, Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods

Matt Otto, All of Me

Bray Poor, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Fan Zhang, Good Bones

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical

Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.

**Peter Hylenski, Just in Time

Scott Lehrer, Gypsy

Mick Potter, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends

Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins

Outstanding Projection and Video Design

Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Blvd.

Jake Barton, McNeal

**David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Jesse Garrison, The 7th Voyage of Egon Tichy [redux]

Hana S. Kim, Redwood

Outstanding Wig and Hair

Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, SUMO

**Charles G. LaPointe, Death Becomes Her

Sabana Majeed, BOOP! The Musical

Nikiya Mathis, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”

Nikiya Mathis, Liberation

Outstanding Puppetry

Dorothy James, Bill’s 44th

Tom Lee, See What I Wanna See

Simple Mischief Studio, Small Acts of Daring Invention

**Amanda Villalobos, Becoming Eve

Kirjan Waage, Dead as a Dodo

Outstanding Fight Choreography

Drew Leary, Romeo + Juliet

Chelsea Pace and James Yaegashi, SUMO

**Rick Sordelet and Christian Kelly-Sordelet, Pirates! The Penzance Musical

Bret Yount, King Lear

Outstanding Adaptation

Becoming Eve, by Emil Weinstein

Cymbeline, by Andrea Thome

Medea: Re-Versed, by Luis Quintero

**Pirates! The Penzance Musical, by Rupert Holmes

The Devil’s Disciple, by David Staller

Outstanding Revue

**Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song

Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!

The Jonathan Larson Project

The World According to Micki Grant

Unique Theatrical Experience

Odd Man Out

The 7th Voyage of Egon Tichy [redux]

**The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Voices in Your Head

The Wind and the Rain: A story about Sunny’s Bar

No Worries About Justin Bieber: His Wife Just Made $800 Million Selling Her Upstart Cosmetics Company

Roger Friedman
-
0
No Worries About Justin Bieber: His Wife Just Made $800 Million Selling Her Upstart Cosmetics Company

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Justin Bieber being “broke.”

The tabloids in print and online are full of stories claiming Justin sold his music catalog for $200 million because he was in deep debt.

Does he owe ex-manager Scooter Braun millions for cancelling his concert tour? (Probably not, that’s why there’s insurance.) Does Braun owe Bieber millions (probably not, because Bieber was the building block for Braun becoming insanely wealthy).

But none of that matters now. On Friday it was announced that Bieber’s wife, Hailey Baldwin, daughter of actor Stephen and niece of Alec, hit a goldmine. She sold her upstart cosmetics company, called Rhode, to Elf Cosmetics for technically a billion dollars. She and her partner Michael Ratner, collect $800 million now and $200 million more if the company succeeds.

Not only that. Hailey retains the title of CEO and continues to create products and be the face of the brand.

In a strange plot twist, Hailey has bailed out Justin. He never has to work again. He can just keep posting weird photos on Instagram.

Bieber is 31 but he has the intellect of a small child. He does have mental health issues. But he also acts in public and dresses like a 13 year old skateboarder. He rarely wears a shirt so he can show off his massive number of tattoos. His pants are not just baggy but clownsized. Sometimes he grabs his crotch to keep the pants from falling down entirely.

Mrs. Bieber, however, is quite the opposite. She is never seen in any photo except perfectly styled. She exudes confidence and poise. Sometimes it seems like she’s just patiently putting up with her husband until she can figure out how to move on without him.

Hailey is now the most successful of all the Baldwins, which was also not expected. Uncle Alec made a lot of money in movies and TV, but he gave a lot away at one point to charitable causes. He’s still worth a lot, but nowhere near as much as Hailey will receive once she and Ratner get to the cash window.

As for Justin, his lack of emotional and intellectual growth is astounding after 15 years in show business. He posts pictures of himself frolicking with his buddies, smoking pot, and, again, showing off those tattoos.

According to Luminate, Bieber’s year-to-date sales so far are just 500,000, mostly from streaming. He hasn’t released a new album in four years. He needs one now to stay in the game. He’d be smart to record a catchy pop song for the Rhode commercials so the couple can cross market all their skills. But in the meantime, he can still afford to do whatever he likes thanks to his wife.

Behind every successful guy, yes, there’s a powerful woman.

Trump Reposts Claim on His Own Truth Social Biden was “Executed in 2020” and Replaced by Clones, Doubles and Robots

Roger Friedman
-
0
Trump Reposts Claim on His Own Truth Social Biden was “Executed in 2020” and Replaced by Clones, Doubles and Robots

If you’re a Democrat or Independent and you voted for Donald Trump, you must be so pleased.

Yesterday, Trump reposted a message from an account on his TruthSocial. He says that former president Joe Biden was “executed” in 2020, and replaced by clones and robots.

It reads: “There is no #JoeBiden – executed in 2020.
#Biden clones doubles & robotic engineered soulless mindless entities are what you see. #Democrats dont know the difference.”

If we had an FBI or Secret Service, they’d be interviewing Trump and the original account holder right now. “Executed” is not a word you throw around with past or present presidents.

Luckily, the FBI is now run by clowns who are investigating TACO, so Trump is free to offer dangerous ideas to his illiterate base.

Jake Tapper? CNN doesn’t care what Trump says. They’re only worried that Biden didn’t recognize George Clooney after not seeing him for a decade.

Box Office: “Lilo & Stitch” Nears $300 Mil, “Mission” Crawls Past $100 Mil, “Karate Kid” Reboot Choppy

Roger Friedman
-
0

It was a better weekend at the box office than it’s been in some time apart from Memorial Day.

“Lilo & Stitch” is still a phenom for Disney. The animated hit is now at $280 million domestic, and will hit $300 mil in the next couple of days.

Total worldwide: $610 million.

“Mission Impossible Final Reckoning” finally crossed $100 mil on Friday, and ended the weekend at $122 million. The slow down is apparent, which ain’t good for a $400 mil movie.

“FR” is also slowing internationally. They just got numbers from China — $25 mil — which brings worldwide to over $150 million. Most countries that matter are accounted for, but there will be dribs and drabs. Can “Reckoning” actually get to $00 mil worldwide?

The new “Karate Kid” chopped up $21 million, but the budget is low enough that they may be ok.

“The Phoenician” did $570,000 in six theaters. Die hard Wes Anderson fans filled up seats. But enthusiasms dim in the suburbs for the coming week. In Manhattan, AMC Lincoln Square has plenty of seats at all times.

The Weeknd’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is ending its theater run this week with just $5 million in receipts. It’s streaming in all the usual places, and coming on DVD if you need to have it in your possession.

PS! Barry Levinson’s “The Alto Knights” is coming to MAX this Friday, June 6th. Warner’s kind of threw it away, but watch it — it’s a total pleasure to see Robert De Niro in double roles. Debra Messing and Kathrine Narducci are top notch. Levinson is a master.

Netflix Wild Tudum Special: Lady Gaga “Wednesday” Performance, “Stranger Things” Return Date, “Frankenstein” Heads to Oscars (Videos)

Roger Friedman
-
0
Netflix Wild Tudum Special: Lady Gaga “Wednesday” Performance, “Stranger Things” Return Date, “Frankenstein” Heads to Oscars (Videos)

Netflix’s two hour Tudum special was wild.

“Stranger Things” final season will commence on November 26th, hit a peak on Christmas Day and end on January 1, 2026.

Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” looks like a big Oscar movie. I hope they let it have a theatrical release.

Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man,” or Knives Out 3, also looks like a hit.

Did I mention Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in “RIP”?

“Wednesday” is coming back and Lady Gaga is in it. She just performed live an amazing performance singing “Zombie Boy” and “Abracadabra” in a staging for all time. Netflix had to have paid her a million dollars! Extraordinary.

The whole Tudum special took the place of an ‘upfront’ in New York. It was slickly produced, a total winner. It could be the first upfront to get an Emmy nomination.

Patti Lupone Apologizes for Terrible Things She Said About Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis After Being Shunned by Peers

Roger Friedman
-
0
Patti Lupone Apologizes for Terrible Things She Said About Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis After Being Shunned by Peers

Broadway star Patti Lupone says she’s sorry.

Lupone is apologizing after the dreadful — and maybe racist — things she said about fellow performers Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis.

The comments were made in a New Yorker article in which Lupone was over the top nasty, not just snarky. She claimed McDonald was not her friend despite their past relationship. And she went after Lewis, because her musical, “Hell’s Kitchen,” made too much noise while Lupone was on stage next door in a play.

It didn’t help that both McDonald and Lewis are Black actors starring in Black shows.

The result was 500 Broadway artists signing a letter in support of McDonald and Lewis, and castigating Lupone. They asked that she be disinvited from the Tony Awards.

She must have hired crisis PR over night because now she’s contrite.

“I made a mistake,” she says in the statement below. Will it work? The Tony Awards are a week away, and believe me, this will be the talk of the town, indeed.

One addendum: When I ran into Lupone at the opening of “Dead Outlaw,” she was particularly mean about McDonald starring in “Gypsy,” in a role Lupone is famous for. I was taken aback. She needs to muzzle herself going forward.

Elon Responds to New York Times Investigation: “I am NOT Taking Drugs” But Doesn’t Explain Why He Always Looks Zoned Out

Roger Friedman
-
0
Elon Responds to New York Times Investigation: “I am NOT Taking Drugs” But Doesn’t Explain Why He Always Looks Zoned Out

Elon Musk is fighting back against the New York Times.

The Times says in a well researched piece that the Tesla SpaceX founder has been out of his gourd for some time on drugs.

The Times has the goods. It sure looks like Musk is high a lot of the time. He’s constantly zoning out during press conferences. He swings and sways, his neck can’t support his head. He’s like a living bobblehead doll. If the Times is right, that means Musk might have been stoned when he destroyed thousands of lives by dismissing a huge part of the government including USAID.

What a legacy!

But Musk says it’s not true. He X’d this afternoon: “The 3 years of random drug testing was just because of one semi-puff during a Joe Rogan podcast! Also, to be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off. ”

He adds:

“I tried *prescription* ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.”

We’re lucky he’s left the government. But he’s also offered no explanation for his black eye (other than his toddler hitting him by accident). There’s also a lot of chatter about Musk hiring Stephen Miller’s wife to come work with him. None of it is good. But Miller is so unsympathetic a character, no one really cares if something tawdry is going on.

“Stranger Things” Season 5 Date Announcement Coming As Broadway Show Picks Up Steam at Box Office After Early Struggle

Roger Friedman
-
0
“Stranger Things” Season 5 Date Announcement Coming As Broadway Show Picks Up Steam at Box Office After Early Struggle

We’ll finally learn tonight when “Stranger Things” season 5 drops on Netflix this year.

At 8pm, while the Yankees and the Knicks are each in huge games, Netflix will air a live special called Tudum featuring all their stars and Lady Gaga.

It’s presumed that the “Stranger Things” announcement will come since three cast members are featured on social media promoting the event.

These are the “kids” from “Stranger Things” who are now in their 20s. Time flies!

Meantime, the “Stranger Things” Broadway show improved its box office last week. The show grossed a million dollars for the first time in a month.

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” hasn’t been a runaway hit, and has just 1 big Tony nomination. It should attract customers during the summer, and maybe the anticipation of Season 5 will gin up business.

Come back later for the TV announcement.

EXCLUSIVE Jake Tapper Ratings Fall to 387K Thursday as CNN Viewers Reject Biden Trash Talk, Book Promotion

Roger Friedman
-
0
EXCLUSIVE Jake Tapper Ratings Fall to 387K Thursday as CNN Viewers Reject Biden Trash Talk, Book Promotion

CNN may soon regret backing Jake Tapper and his book, “Original Sin.”

I reported exclusively this week that Tapper’s ratings had fallen precipitously in the last week as he promoted the book that bashes Joe Biden 24/7. (Other outlets then helped themselves to that story, natch.)

I also reported exclusively that sales of “Original Sin” were just 53K in its first week — not the blockbuster Tapper and co. had hoped for.

Now I can tell you that two nights ago, Tapper’s ratings fell wildly, to an average of 387,000.

The first hour of “The Lead” yielded 415,000 viewers. The second hour scratched up just 360,000.

Tapper was crushed at 5pm by MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace, with over 1 million. At 6pm, MSNBC’s Ari Melber took him down with 945,000 viewers.

Wallace and Melber each beat Tapper in key age demo share as well.

CNN viewers are sick of the non stop shilling by Tapper and other network personalities who have beaten a dead horse into dust over unsourced Biden criticism.

And what does Biden say? He told reporters this week of Tapper and co-author Alex Thompson: “I can beat the hell out of both of them.”

Wes Anderson’s “Phoenician Scheme” Faces Uphill Battle with C+ Reviews, Limited Run Opening to Stir Interest

Roger Friedman
-
0
Wes Anderson’s “Phoenician Scheme” Faces Uphill Battle with C+ Reviews, Limited Run Opening to Stir Interest

Wes Anderson used to be the darling of Hollywood.

But several movies ago, his cuteness faded. He kept making the same movie over and over.

After such favorites as “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “The Royal Tennenbaums,” Anderson fell into a rut.

His last couple of offerings, like “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City,” drifted off into a place where no one wanted to go.

Anderson wasn’t always this twee. Thirty years ago, his first films — “Bottle Rocket” and “Rushmore” — were real movies with characters and without over stylized set designs.

On Friday, Focus Features released “The Phoenician Scheme” in 6 theatres. Total take was $270,000 as Anderson diehards turned out en masse. limited theaters.In the UK, the movie has made just $1.6 million in the last week.

“The Phoenician Scheme” has a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, a C plus. On Metacritic, it’s 71. Audiences aren’t crazy about it. One civilian reviewer, Jason A, summed it up: “Wes Anderson is stuck. Visually stunning still but the stories are uninteresting and disjointed.”

In Cannes, there were TikTok videos of the audience pouring out of the premiere and telling interviewers that they hated it.

Still, Focus had a big premiere Thursday night as if nothing was wrong. But “Phoenician” is going to sink like a stone. It may never get more than a limited release once the novelty wears off in NY and LA.

1...969798...2,325Page 97 of 2,325

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com