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At the request of company members of Broadway’s The Minutes, producers announced today that audiences will be required to continue masking through the play’s final performance on Sunday, July 24, nearly a month after Broadway at large will shift to a mask optional policy.

The Minutes, at the Studio 54 theater, becomes the second production – following American Buffalo – to extend the mask mandate through their closing nights. (American Buffalo at Circle in the Square closed July 10.)

According to recent reports, six of the 11 cast members of The Minutes were out sick with Covid in mid-June.

The mask optional policy was announced by The Broadway League, the trade organization representing theater owners and producers, earlier this month. The new policy allows individual productions to set their own protocols.

The mask debate comes as New York City’s Covid positivity rates have plateaued or even crept up in recent weeks, with daily...

In a Broadway season teeming with exciting plays, musicals, and revivals, a dramatization of a small city council meeting may sound dull. Perhaps in the hands of a lesser playwright than Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Letts, but his fictional Big Cherry bureaucracy at the center of “The Minutes” is anything but tame. The “August: Osage County” scribe re-teamed with director Anna D. Shapiro for this genre-defying political satire with a horrifying underbelly. The ensemble comprises both New York and Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre mainstays, featuring the likes of Blair Brown, Jessie Mueller, Austin Pendleton, and Letts himself, with Noah Reid making his Broadway debut. “The Minutes” opened at Studio 54 on April 17 for a limited engagement.

Letts’ latest work received overwhelmingly strong notices from critics. In a rave review, Naveen Kumar (Variety) calls the play a “cunning,” “sensational,” and “astonishing feat” handled with “brilliant finesse.” He applauds Letts for penning this “thrilling...

Tracy Letts’ The Minutes would be one of the most thrilling new plays on Broadway this season even if recent real-life events hadn’t made it seem as uncanny as it is funny and, ultimately, disarming. The Minutes – there are a brisk 90 of them in all – begins as one thing and ends up quite another, and every step along the way is so finely rendered that we’re too busy savoring the moment to see what’s waiting just ahead.

Featuring an impeccable cast headed by Noah Reid – the Schitt’s Creek star makes a wonderful Broadway debut here – The Minutes reunites playwright and cast member Letts with his August: Osage County director Anna D. Shapiro, and together they find once again the eccentric, perfect balance of laugh-out-loud humor, dark undercurrents and emotional violence that made the prize-winning August unforgettable.

If the new play, opening tonight at Broadway’s Studio 54, doesn’t have the widely relatable,...

As of now, there is a lot of uncertainty around Covid when it comes to Broadway. Within the past couple of months, several shows had to suspend performances due to positive cases in their casts, some others had to close permanently, and a couple more are taking hiatuses. The American Theatre Wing also hasn’t announced key dates for this year’s Tony Awards yet.

With that being said, we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are currently 11 productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tonys? Below is an overview of each play as well as the awards histories of their authors, cast, and directors, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.

“Skeleton Crew” (opened January 26; closes February 20)

This new play by Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau is set in 2008 at a small automotive factory in Detroit,...

The Broadway production of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes is delaying its performance dates by two weeks this spring. The play, starring Schitt’s Creek actor Noah Reid, Letts, Blair Brown, Jessie Mueller and others, will now begin previews at Studio 54 on April 2, with opening night set for April 17.

The previous dates were about two weeks earlier.

Though the production has not indicated a reason for the delay, other shows have initiated similar spring delays due to the recent Omicron surge and its impact on rehearsal schedules, among other things.

The Minutes had already begun previews in spring 2020 when the Covid pandemic shutdown hit. At the time, the play was staged at the Cort Theatre. A planned renovation prompted the production’s move to the Studio 54 venue.

Also during the production’s hiatus, original star Armie Hammer withdrew amidst sexual misconduct allegations. Reid was later cast in the role.

Schitt’s Creek actor Noah Reid will make his Broadway debut next spring in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s The Minutes, the Tracy Letts play that was in previews when the Covid pandemic shutdown was announced in March 2020.

Reid will take the role of Mr. Peel, previously played by Armie Hammer, who withdrew from the production amidst sexual misconduct allegations.

The Minutes will resume performances at Studio 54 on March 19, 2022, with an official opening set for Thursday, April 7. Tickets are on sale today.

Reid will join the rest of the cast that was in place at the time of the shutdown: Letts, Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton and Jeff Still.

Best known for playing Patrick Brewer in TV’s Schitt’s Creek, Reid most recently starred in the independent feature film Buffaloed opposite Zoey Deutch and Judy Greer. He will next star...

Noah Reid has joined the cast of the Anna D. Shapiro-directed Broadway run of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes.

The Schitt’s Creek actor joins returning castmembers Letts, Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton and Jeff Still. The show is set to open April 7 at Studio 54, a little over two years after its original opening date. Previews will begin March 19.

Reid has replaced Armie Hammer, who dropped out in April, following sexual harassment allegations and a subsequent LAPD investigation. In a statement, Hammer said he was stepping back from the show “...

Noah Reid has joined the cast of the Anna D. Shapiro-directed Broadway run of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes.

The Schitt’s Creek actor joins returning castmembers Letts, Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton and Jeff Still. The show is set to open April 7 at Studio 54, a little over two years after its original opening date. Previews will begin March 19.

Reid has replaced Armie Hammer, who dropped out in April, following sexual harassment allegations and a subsequent LAPD investigation. In a statement, Hammer said he was stepping back from the show “...

Steppenwolf’s production of The Minutes, the new Tracy Letts play that had begun previews on Broadway when the industry shut down in March 2020, will resume performances in March 2022, with an official opening night on Thursday, April 7.

The play, with cast to be announced, will take up residence at Broadway’s Studio 54 theater, a move from its 2020 home at the Cort Theatre. Though Studio 54 is owned by the Roundabout Theatre Company, The Minutes is not a Roundabout production.

At the time of the shutdown, The Minutes starred Letts, Ian Barford, Armie Hammer, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton, and Jeff Still. Hammer dropped out of the production in April after becoming the subject of sexual misconduct allegations (the actor has denied all the accusations).

The cast for the 2022 production will be announced soon, producers say.

The Minutes chronicles the inner...

Armie Hammer has dropped out of a Broadway production of the play “The Minutes,” which was written by Tracy Letts and was meant to reopen at the Steppenwolf Theatre in 2022.

Hammer is leaving the project following accusations of sexual assault against him and as he is the suspect in a sexual assault investigation by the LAPD, claims which Hammer and his attorney have repeatedly denied.

“I have loved every single second of working on ‘The Minutes’ with the family I made from Steppenwolf. But right now I need to focus on myself and my health for the sake of my family. Consequently, I will not be returning to Broadway with the production,” Hammer said in a statement posted to Broadway’s Best Shows.

“Armie remains a valued colleague to all of us who have worked with him onstage and offstage on ‘The Minutes.’ We wish only the best for him and respect his decision,...

Armie Hammer has withdrawn from the planned 2022 Broadway production of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes, producers confirmed today. The news is the latest hit to Hammer’s career in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations and an LAPD rape investigation.

“I have loved every single second of working on The Minutes with the family I made from Steppenwolf. But right now I need to focus on myself and my health for the sake of my family. Consequently, I will not be returning to Broadway with the production,” Hammer said in a statement.

The production team, led by producer Jeffrey Richards, released the following statement: “Armie remains a valued colleague to all of us who have worked with him onstage and offstage on The Minutes. We wish only the best for him and respect his decision.”

The actor had been set to return to the suspended Broadway staging along with Letts, Ian Barford,...

Steppenwolf’s Broadway production of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes is exiting the Cort Theatre, its pre-covid home, with plans to re-open in 2022 at another Broadway venue.

The move signals yet another way the pandemic shutdown has impacted Broadway’s shuffle of theater tenants and reopening schedules.

The Minutes, a political comedy directed by Anna D. Shapiro and starring Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Armie Hammer, Tracy Letts, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton, and Jeff Still, began previews at the Shubert Organization’s Cort Theatre on Feb. 25, 2020. Its planned opening date of March 15, 2020, was scuttled when all of Broadway went dark just three days prior due to Covid-19.

As with most other suspended productions early in the pandemic months, The Minutes had initially hoped to reopen at its original home venue. Had the shutdown not occurred, The Minutes was set to play at the...

The Broadway revival of American Buffalo, orignally set to star Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell and Darren Criss, and the Steppenwolf production of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes are targeting Spring 2021 openings, though producers say the development of a coronavirus vaccine is “essential” to the plans.

Both productions had been scheduled to open during Spring 2020 prior to Broadway’s coronavirus shutdown in March. The casts have not been confirmed.

In a statement, producers of both shows (they share lead producer Jeffrey Richards), said, “It is the intent to open these plays — both powerful, funny and relevant dissections of Americana — in the spring of 2021, on the exact dates they were scheduled to open in 2020. However, we will only do so knowing that there are safeguards in place that will encourage audiences to return to the theatre, and that our government will allow us to have gatherings of more than 500 people. We, the producing team,...

As we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are currently 12 productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below, we recap the plot of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, creative types, the opening, and (where applicable) closing dates.

“My Name is Lucy Barton” (opens January 15; closes February 29)

In this stage adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 novel of the same name, the story follows the title character, who, unsteady after an operation, awakens to find her mother sitting at the foot of her bed. She hasn’t seen her in years, and her visit brings Lucy back to her desperate rural childhood and her escape to New York. As she begins to find herself as a writer, she is still gripped by the urgent complexities of family life.

Broadway’s upcoming The Minutes by Tracy Letts has set its large cast with a roster that includes Armie Hammer, Jessie Mueller, Blair Brown and Letts himself in a production directed by Anna D. Shapiro, producers announced today.

The Letts-Shapiro pairing marks their first trip to Broadway since 2007 with their Pulitzer- and Tony-winning August: Osage County.

Previews for the 16-week limited engagement begin Feb. 25, 2020, at Broadway’s Cort Theatre, with an opening night of Sunday, March 15.

Letts, currently represented on Broadway with his play Linda Vista and last season starred in a revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, first staged The Minutes at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2017.

The official synopsis: “The record-breaking hit production from Steppenwolf Theatre Company takes a look at the inner-workings of a city council meeting in the small town of Big Cherry – and the hypocrisy, greed, and ambition that follow. This powerful,...

Emanating from their studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, The History of Bad Ideas sees hosts Jason, Jeff and Blake talk about all things geeky on their podcast. Whether it’s rumours of the latest comic book movies, debating who really is the worst villain of all time, discussing the latest comic issues or just wondering about life in general, you are sure to have a fun time with them! In theory.

If you haven’t listened to the show before – why not? – you can check out previous episodes of The History of Bad Ideas podcast on iTunes and look out for new episodes here on Nerdly each and every week…

Episode 168: Swipe Right on Prinder!

The Hobi Gang is back for another geek-filled episode and talking about the lack of love for the Power Rangers! Jason is still confused about Legion while Jeff still hasn’t seen Logan but did binge watch Iron Fist!

The Broadway adaptation of Therese Raquin will star Academy and Golden Globe nominee Keira Knightley Therese making her Broadway debut alongside Tony award winner Gabriel Ebert Camille, Matt RyanLaurent and two-time Tony award winner Judith Light Madame Raquin. This adaptation of Therese Raquin is written by Helen Edmundson, based upon the novel by Emile Zola, directed by Evan Cabnet. The full cast will also include David Patrick Kelly, Jeff Still, Mary Wiseman, Glynis Bell, Alex Mickiewicz, Sara Topham, Ray Virta.

From starring on the cult NBC show Community to landing a big role in Will Ferrell's upcoming comedy Get Hard, Alison Brie clearly has a lot going on. Despite her busy schedule, she added a new project to her ever-growing résumé by partnering with Adam Scott and Smirnoff for their new campaign, The Party. We got a chance to catch up with Alison about working with another NBC fan favorite in Scott; their upcoming movie, Sleeping With Other People; and how she and the rest of the Community family deal with the ever-looming threat of cancellation. Considering that the show's team is once again waiting to hear if they will get renewed for a sixth season, it was an unfortunately apropos time to be talking about the show's future. Source: Getty / Jon Kopaloff Popsugar: You and Adam teamed up for this new campaign, The Party with Smirnoff. What was...

I’ve never seen an episode of ABC’s Nashville, but I’ve been hearing so much about the closeted gay character Will Lexington this season, played by one of my favorite multi-slashes (actor/model/singer) Chris Carmack, that I decided to give it a go, especially since it was supposed to be a pivotal week for Will.

But before we get to Will, let’s talk a bit about Connie Britton who plays country queen bee Rayna James on this show. How fabulous is Britton? This is an actress who can move effortlessly from Spin City to Friday Night Lights to American Horror Story. And … she spent a year studying in China during her freshman year at college with NY senator and faboo ally Kirsten Gillibrand).

Anyway, her character is walking through Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, talking about being blacklisted, and how country radio doesn’t like controversial artists.

As the new season of "Flipping Out" moves into its second week on Wednesday (March 12), it's clear that a major focus will be design assistant Andrew Coleman and his continued unprofessional behavior.

As revealed in last week's Season 7 premiere, Jeff Lewis' trustworthy assistant Jenni Pulos, she of the gigantic pregnant belly, is about ready to pop, which means maternity leave is knocking on the door. While Jeff admitted he was worried about what he'd do without her, Andrew reminded everyone just how delusional he is, suggesting he may get more responsibilities at Jeff Lewis Design in her stead.

Except, as even a casual viewer of the Bravo series knows, there's nothing in Andrew's history as an employee of Jeff's that would remotely suggest that he deserves more responsibility. And this is something Jeff is clearly keenly aware of.

Enter: Megan. At the start of tonight's episode, we learn that...

What you should remember about this week’s Nashville: Juliette strikes a blow for female artists’ rights, Deacon makes significant progress in redefining both his career and his relationship with his daughter, Teddy officially makes the worst decision of his life, and Luke and Rayna get a little aw-yeah going on all over his sprawling estate.

What you will remember about this week’s Nashville: The hot, rich wife of the hot, rich guy Juliette’s been sleeping with… wants to sleep with Juliette, as well.

You know you want details, so read on for what goes down in “She’s Got You.

Tribes Barrow Street Theatre Run extended through January 6, 2013

Something is in the water on Barrow Street and when David Cromer drinks it, phenomenal theater happens. Tribes opened on March 4 this year, but shows no signs of aging. If its presence has escaped your awareness up to this point, as it had for this reviewer, then you have a treat in store for you. This is one of those ever-so-rare, all-around powerful pieces where a stellar cast, brilliant directing, commanding script, and beautiful design all work together to make for a theatrical experience that is likely to stay with you for years to come, continuing to outshine more trivial diversions.

David Cromer proves once again that he is one of the most promising directors in the American Theatre with the living, breathing work that has been brought to fruition on this stage. Under his steady hand, these aren't characters, they are people.

Due to popular demand, the producers of Off-Broadway’s “Tribes” have extended the show’s run at the Barrow Street Theatre through Jan. 6, 2013. “Tribes” is the story of a young deaf man whose life as the only non-hearing member of his family is upended when he meets Sylvia, who is slowly losing her hearing as well.The cast features Theatre World Award Winner Russell Harvard, Susan Pourfar, who won Obie, Theatre World, and Clarence Derwent awards for her performance, Jeff Still, Emmy-winner Mare Winningham, Will Brill, and Gayle Rankin. “Tribes” was written by Nina Raine and directed by Lucille Lortel and Obie Award winner David Cromer. Since its debut in March, the play has won a slew of awards, including a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play, and the Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play.

Zap2it: The show has had a rocky ride. What's that been like?

Joel McHale: In what sense? The food? Why don't we have a craft-services truck? They made us remove it because of health code. They made everybody remove the trucks, every production, and then every production brought them back, except ours. And we had one of the best trucks around.

Zap2it: Has your character, disbarred lawyer Jeff Winger, been redeemed?

Joel McHale: No, not at all. He's got all sorts of problems. It's just like real life. You can have epiphany moments, definitely, but it doesn't always mean your behavior changes overnight in any way. That's what real life is like. It's gradual. He has learned a ton. He loves the group now, but he's still pretty selfish. Those things always come up, not when you least expect it, but they come up in areas...

NBC’s Community “Digital Exploration of Interior Design” (Season 3 Episode 13) Review

“Digital Exploration of Interior Design” was a well-crafted episode of Community, delivering three equally solid storylines and a sense of normality (for this show at least) that came as a breath of fresh air after last week’s overload of wackiness. I have a hard time picking my favorite storyline, because they all managed to stand out, but in the end I would have to go with Jeff and Annie’s bit as the most successful. The other two, involving Troy and Abed building competing forts and Britta infiltrating the new Subway for Pierce and Shirley, were superb, but suffered from little oddities that didn’t quite work, mostly because of a lack of explanation. I’ll explain more on that when I get to them. First of all, let’s talk about Jeff, Annie, and the tragic non-death of Kim.

When we last left "Survivor: One World," Monica got axed from the new, weaker Manono tribe. Following Tribal, Alicia is congratulating herself on sticking with the guys and ousting Monica and Colton is a snotty witch to Christina's face. I mean, he just sits there and is mean to her while Alicia strokes his hair. Ugh, he and Alicia can go jump in some shark-infested waters. They are such jerks.

Later, Christina tries to find a place to sleep and Alicia continues to be a huge word I can't print here because we're a family-friend blog. HOw can you be such disgusting human beings? Who raised you like that?

In the morning at Salani, Kat regales everyone with her very deep, prophetic dream about Alicia killing her in a mall. Whatever, valley girl. But we suppose if it makes them suspicious of Alicia, that's Ok.

Reward Challenge

The teams...

"Survivor: South Pacific" goes completely off the rails tonight. I don't even know, y'all. Strap in, this is a long recap.

Te Tuna

The final five are quite congratulatory and Coach is going on about "honor and integrity," then Brandon rounds up a group prayer. But then - it's game on. Albert is targeting Sophie in a big way.

In the morning, Albert lays out Sophie's resume and says how dangerous she is as a person to be sitting with at the end. I totally get him. If I were Albert, I'd want to be sitting with Brandon and Rick. Brandon's insane and Rick hasn't done anything, that's money in the bank and Albert knows it.

Redemption Island

It's Ozzy vs. Edna, which would seem like a very uneven match-up, but it's two puzzles split up by a hatchet chop. So Edna has a chance. Ozzy gets his hatchet...

Community always serves up great holiday episodes, so it came as no surprise that I loved "Horror Fiction In Seven Spooky Steps." Although I will say that Jeff's story was lacking. Was his idea of spooking everyone to wear a hideous Fast and the Furious jacket? I kid, I kid.

Before I go on, a question: who did everyone think would have the only sane psychology test result?

I have to say that I missed Chang this week. Well, I missed the old Chang, not that crazy character who was mumbling gibberish from a few weeks ago. His cameo was totally underused. The dean, on the other hand, was awesome in his role as the devil. Will I ever get sick of seeing him in costumes?

Nope. Just like I will never get sick of the bromance between Troy and Abed and their sewn together awesomeness. Knocking out Pierce and making a ham sandwich?...

Community, Season 3, Episode 3: “Competitive Ecology″

Airs Thursdays, 8pm Et on NBC

A common theme in sitcom television is that the characters within the world of the television show only interact with each other and never make any friends outside of their group. If they do, they are only pushed away by other members of the group, or fazed out, never to return again. Just look at the cast of Friends. Very rarely was someone allowed into their group for very long. Perhaps the longest recurring character allowed to be a part of them was Mike but that was only because the show was coming to an end anyway.

Community mocks this notion in this latest episode, in which the group are assigned lab partners by Professor Kane based on who they are sitting opposite. Unfortunately for them, they are all facing people they do not know. People don’t like the unfamiliar.

Ashley became ‘The Bachelorette’ to find love — but Jeff confesses that the majority of guys just weren’t into her! That sucks!

Poor Ashley Hebert! She went on The Bachelorette hoping to find love, but also fearing that the 25 male contestants would wish that The Bachelorette had been someone besides herself like Emily Maynard. During the premiere episode, Ashley told host Chris Harison that she was worried the men wouldn’t find her attractive. Well it seems Bentley Williams wasn’t the only contestant who led Ashley on to think that he was on the show for her.

“Maybe only three or four guys there were legitimately into her,” eliminated contestant Jeff Medolla — famous for the mask he sported on the show — tells RealityTVWorld.com during a conference call.

Jeff believes this problem developed because ABC didn’t inform the contestants of The Bachelorette‘s identity during casting. “You don...

Jeff has a girlfriend! Jeff has a girlfriend!

Somehow this taunt isn't as vicious when said girlfriend is incredibly attractive and cool enough to get turned on (38% more) by secret sex in her office.

Indeed, the main focus of "Interpretive Dance" was Jeff's burgeoning relationship with Professor Michelle Slater (Lauren Stamille). The newfound maturity and commitment Jeff displayed with her caused Britta's feelings for the man to finally rise to the surface.

Will this be a good thing or a bad thing? Jeff's heretofore rejected attempts to woo Britta have made for some of the funniest moments on the show. It's unclear if a role reversal will result in as many laughs.

It is clear, however, that we're happy Pierce is alive. The group's fear, at the episode's outset, that its oldest member had died made for the best lines of the night, led by Troy and Britta's shared final words to him: Suck it.