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Moana star Dwayne Johnson has just given an exciting update on the upcoming live-action version of the beloved Disney animation. In a new BTS video, the actor revealed the production start for the upcoming film.

Dwayne Johnson is keeping his fans updated on his upcoming Disney films. The actor will reprise the role of the Demigod Maui in two upcoming projects. The first one is the surprise Moana sequel, which was initially planned as a TV series and will hit theaters later this year, and the live-action version of the 2016 hit animated film.

Related 'Bringing Maui Back to Life': Dwayne Johnson Shares Moana 2 BTS Images Dwayne Johnson shares images from behind the scenes of Moana 2's production and speaks about his return as Maui. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

In a new Instagram behind-the-scenes video, franchise star Dwayne Johnson revealed a glimpse...

The Egot is one of the most prestigious titles in all of Hollywood.

If you aren’t familiar with the acronym, it stands for “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony” and references a person who has won all four of the major awards across all the mediums in the entertainment industry.

We’ve compiled the list of all of the stars who are close to Egot status, meaning, they’re missing just one of the four!

Keep reading to find out more…

Every Star Who Needs the “Emmy”

Joel Grey

Justin Paul

Benj Pasek

Bruce Springsteen

Every Star Who Needs the “Grammy”

Ellen Burstyn

Jeremy Irons

Jessica Lange

Frances McDormand

Helen Mirren

Al Pacino

Vanessa Redgrave

Geoffrey Rush

Maggie Smith

Every Star Who Needs the “Oscar”

Dick Van Dyke

Cynthia Erivo

Anne Garefino

Hugh Jackman

John Kander

Alex Lacamoire

Cyndi Lauper

Katrina Lenk

Audra McDonald

Bette Midler

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Cynthia Nixon

Trey Parker...

Just weeks ago, Sir Elton John became the 19th entertainer to win the highly desirable Egot by claiming his first ever Emmy Award. And now, which person is the most likely to be the 20th Egot later this year, in 2025 or beyond? Here is a summary of the 80 people who have the best chance right now.

The most likely duo could be composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (actually meaning a 20th and 21st Egot if they win). They are producers and songwriters for the third season of “Only Murders in the Building,” so they will have a couple of opportunities in September at the Emmys. They first won an Oscar, Tony, and Grammy.

For the 2024 Grammys, nobody is nominated who could become an Egot, so the next possible chance would be 2025. There are a total of 25 people who have won everything needed except a Grammy. They are actress Ellen Burstyn,...

For the second consecutive year, Broadway cast albums made a clean sweep of the Grammy nominations for Best Musical Theater Album, shutting out both the West End and Off Broadway.

Competing for the 2023 Grammy will be Kimberly Akimbo, Parade, Shucked, Some Like It Hot and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Three of the five nominees are new shows, while two – Parade and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – are revivals.

With today’s announcement, the Grammys reprise last summer’s Tony Awards, when all five of the productions made strong showing in both nominations and wins. At the Tonys, Kimberly Akimbo won top honors for Best Musical and Best Original Score, while Parade was named Best Musical Revival – three wins that might be most relevant as a Grammy predictor.

Still, the Tonys also awarded performances from Some Like It Hot and Shucked – Kimberly Akimbo‘s Victoria Clark and Bonnie Milligan took the Actress nominations in those categories – while Parade‘s Michael Arden was honored for his direction. David Lindsay-Abaire won Best Book for Kimberly Akimbo.

Like last year, all five of the nominees are Broadway cast albums, bucking a previous nomination trend that saw strong showings from both London, Off Broadway and even a concept album from a TikTok musical (the 2022 winner The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical).

Related: 2023-24 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

Even in years when the nominations are more representative of theater both Broadway and non-Broadway, the Grammy winner almost always is a Broadway cast album, Bridgerton being the notable exception. The 2023 winner was the revival of Into The Woods, which began life Off Broadway as an Encores! presentation but took the Grammy for the recording of its subsequent Broadway staging.

Also worth noting: Of the five 2024 nominees, one has already closed (the limited engagement of Parade starring Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond), two will definitely be closed by the time the winners are announced on Feb. 4; and one – Sweeney Todd – will have lost its original leads (the final performances of Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford are January 14; Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster step in beginning February 9 for 12 weeks only).

The 2024 Best Musical Theater Album nominees, as listed by the Grammys, are:

Kimberly Akimbo – John Clancy, David Stone & Jeanine Tesori, producers; Jeanine Tesori, composer; David Lindsay-Abaire, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Parade – Micaela Diamond, Alex Joseph Grayson, Jake Pedersen & Ben Platt, principal vocalists; Jason Robert Brown & Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer & lyricist (2023 Broadway Cast)

Shucked – Brandy Clark, Jason Howland, Shane McAnally & Billy Jay Stein, producers; Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)

Some Like It Hot – Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bryan Carter, Scott M. Riesett, Charlie Rosen & Marc Shaiman, producers; Scott Wittman, lyricist; Marc Shaiman, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street – Annaleigh Ashford & Josh Groban, principal vocalists; Thomas Kail & Alex Lacamoire, producers (2023 Broadway Cast)...

Eight-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan is writing the music and lyrics for an original stage musical called Five Notes about Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, the singer announced today.

In an Instagram post, Estefan said she’s collaborating with her daughter Emily Estefan for the music, with the book written by playwright Karen Zacarías. Dear Evan Hansen director Michael Greif will direct Five Notes, according to Estefan.

Five Notes is inspired by the Orquesta De Reciclados De Cateura, also known as The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura or simply the Recycled Orchestra, an orchestra composed of children from Asunción, Paraguay, who played musical instruments made from scrap materials collected from a local landfill. Formed in 2012, the orchestra performed internationally with Stevie Wonder and the American heavy-metal bands Metallica and Megadeth, and was the subject of the 2015 documentary Landfill Harmonic.

Estefan writes that the new musical – which she says is in...

Exclusive: Shadowhunters alumna Katherine McNamara has signed with Independent Artist Group for representation.

McNamara is maybe best known for her starring role as Clary Fray on all three seasons of Freeform’s Shadowhunters, based on the bestselling The Mortal Instruments novels. She most recently starred as the title character of Abby Walker in CW’s Walker: Independence and in Charlie Day’s directorial debut film Fool’s Paradise starring Day, Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale and Adrien Brody.

McNamara also starred in the CW’s Arrow as Mia Smoak Queen (aka Blackstar/ Green Arrow). She

was recently seen in Paramount+ miniseries The Stand, opposite James Marsden, Whoopi Goldberg and Alexander Skarsgaard, as well as the independent feature Finding You opposite Vanessa Redgrave. She originated the role of Sonya in the second Maze Runner film The Scorch Trials, and she reprised the role in Maze Runner: The Death Cure alongside Dylan O’Brien and...

The Sony Pictures Animation movie Vivo features a cast full of familiar voices for its colorful range of animated characters like Vivo, Gabi, and the nefarious Lutador. The 2021 family movie may have flown relatively under the radar, but the surprisingly deep script is brought to life by some instantly recognizable names — all of which feel incredibly well placed (especially during the many musical numbers). The cast includes a number of performers who viewers may be more familiar with from their time in front of the camera, or even on stage. The heavily Latin American voice cast of Vivo is headed up by multi-talented star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also played a major role in the film's creation.

Vivo is a family-oriented musical about a performing kinkajou who goes on a mission to honor his master's last wish. This goal takes him on an odyssey across Florida alongside an imaginative young girl.

Only 18 people have won the awards grand slam known as the Egot. They are (in chronological order of achievement) composer Richard Rodgers, actress Helen Hayes, actress Rita Moreno, actor John Gielgud, actress Audrey Hepburn, composer Marvin Hamlisch, orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, writer/director/composer Mel Brooks, director Mike Nichols, actress Whoopi Goldberg, producer Scott Rudin, composer Robert Lopez, singer and actor John Legend, composer Tim Rice, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer Alan Menken, actress/producer Jennifer Hudson and actress Viola Davis.

Tour our photo gallery above for information about the 28 living people who just need an Academy Award to achieve Egot. They are: actor Andre De Shields, actress Cynthia Erivo, composer/producer Anne Garefino, actor Hugh Jackman, actor James Earl Jones, composer and producer Quincy Jones, actress Rachel Bay Jones, composer John Kander, composer Tom Kitt, composer/actress Cyndi Lauper, composer Alex Lacamoire, producer Stan Lathan, actress Katrina Lenk, actress Audra McDonald,...

The power of "Sweeney Todd" lies in its ability to seduce its audience to stare (and chortle) at the ingenuity of murderous cannibalism. Since its 1979 opening on Broadway (starring Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury), the darkly comic "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" has been a general favorite of Stephen Sondheim's musicals (depending on who you ask). It exists at the intersection of traditional musical theatre and operetta, permitting a flexible theatricality from the small-scale (John Doyle's 2005 version and the 2017 Barrow Street immersive pie shop staging) to the grandiose opera stage. In the hands of "Hamilton" director Thomas Kail, "Sweeney Todd" stays true to its theatrical technicalities on the Broadway stage for the most part.

Inspired by the 1840s penny dreadful serial and Christopher Bond's 1973 stage retelling, Hugh Wheeler's book deals with injustice in 19th-century London. "Sweeney Todd" follows the eponymous barber who returns...

First “Company,” then “Into the Woods,” and now the demon barber of Fleet Street. In the year or so since legendary composer Stephen Sondheim’s death, Broadway has seen an increasing number of revivals of his works. The trend continued on March 26 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre with the opening of a new production of his masterpiece, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Tony nominee and internationally-renowned vocalist Josh Groban plays the menacing title role as the wronged barber out for revenge, starring opposite Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett, the schemer who devises baking Todd’s victims into meat pies in an austere nineteenth-century London.

Led by Tony-winning “Hamilton” director Thomas Kail, the ensemble also boasts Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles (“The King and I”), Jordan Fisher, Gaten Matarazzo, and many others amongst its 25 players. Kail has also enlisted three-time Tony winner Alex Lacamoire as music supervisor...

Only an elite group of 21 artists so far have achieved Egot status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

The rare and coveted Egot is not easy to come by, so it’s not surprising that fewer than two dozen have achieved this status. And while the artists don’t get a final Egot trophy when it happens, it’s nonetheless one of show business’ greatest honors.

So, who does have the Egot?

Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Legend, Tim Rice, Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Whoopi Goldberg, Helen Hayes, Marvin Hamlisch, Robert Lopez, Richard Rodgers, John Gielgud, Jonathan Tunick, Alan Menken, Jennifer Hudson, Viola Davis, Elton John and Scott Rudin are those who have won all four awards competitively.

While Barbra Streisand, James Earl Jones, Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones and Liza Minnelli have all received honorary non-competitive awards, not everyone considers them to be Egot achievements.

Songwriters...

Click here to read the full article.

Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will return to Broadway this spring in a revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

The revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical will be helmed by Hamilton director Thomas Kail and produced by Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller. Sweeney Todd will play the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with previews set to begin on February 26, 2023 ahead of a March 26 opening night.

The musical, which features a score by Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, originally premiered on Broadway in 1979 and was last revived on Broadway in 2005, in a production that starred Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris and called on its actors to play instruments. This revival will bring back a 26-person orchestra for the first time since the original production, with Alex Lacamoire as music supervisor.

Sweeney Todd tells the story of a murderous barber living in London in the mid-1800s.

As widely speculated, a new Broadway production of the Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler classic musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will begin performances on February 26, 2023, at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre with an official opening night of March 26, 2023.

Directing will be Thomas Kail (Hamilton). The news was announced today by producer Jeffrey Seller, who is leading the revival.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

The production will mark the first time since 1980 that Broadway audiences will experience Sweeney Todd as it was performed in the original production, with a Jonathan Tunick’s original 26-player orchestration. Alex Lacamoire will serve as Music Supervisor, and Steven Hoggett choreographs with set design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Natasha Katz and sound design by Nevin Steinberg.

Groban will play Sweeney Todd,...

By this time next year, it’s possible that Beanie Feldstein could be three-quarters of the way to completing her Egot.

Last year Feldstein starred as Monica Lewinsky on the FX anthology series, “Impeachment: American Crime Story.” Portraying the intern whose affair with President Bill Clinton led to the titular disciplinary process puts her right in the middle of the upcoming Emmy race for Best Movie/Limited Actress. But getting the nomination will be no easy task in an immensely crowded field as she’s currently in 14th place in our Emmy odds.

See‘Take Me Out’ reviews: ‘Provocative’ revival poised to hit home run at Tony Awards

Among the many other notable names looking to get nominated are Margaret Qualley (“Maid”), Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”), Claire Foy (“A Very British Scandal”), Jessica Chastain (“Scenes from a Marriage”), Lily James (“Pam and Tommy”), Renee Zellweger (“The Thing About Pam”), the...

In “Tick, Tick, …Boom!” the song “Therapy” is performed by Jonathan Larson, played by Andrew Garfield and Karessa played by Vanessa Hudgens. The number intercuts mid-argument between Larson and girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp), as they fight over Jonathan’s reluctance to understand that he has been shutting Susan out of his life as his musical’s workshop gets closer.

Director Lin-Manuel Miranda says the song, a Fosse-style inspired moment, is a charming number that pokes fun at counselor therapy speak, and the best way to tell your partner you’re ticked off at them. Says Miranda, “The tone of that song was on a collision course with where our characters were.”

In an interview with Variety, Miranda and WGA nominated screenwriter Steven Levenson explained they had road-mapped every song in the film with a postcard or note. “We settled on a big swing — this is our cabaret moment. The directive...

Only 16 people have won the awards grand slam known as the Egot. They are (in chronological order of achievement) composer Richard Rodgers, actress Helen Hayes, actress Rita Moreno, actor John Gielgud, actress Audrey Hepburn, composer Marvin Hamlisch, orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, writer/director/composer Mel Brooks, director Mike Nichols, actress Whoopi Goldberg, producer Scott Rudin, composer Robert Lopez, singer and actor John Legend, composer Tim Rice, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and composer Alan Menken.

SEEWhich 16 people have the Egot?

Tour our photo gallery above for information about the 29 living people who just need an Academy Award to achieve Egot. They are: actor Harry Belafonte, actor Andre De Shields, actress Cynthia Erivo, composer/producer Anne Garefino, actor Hugh Jackman, actor James Earl Jones, composer and producer Quincy Jones, actress Rachel Bay Jones, composer John Kander, composer Tom Kitt, composer/actress Cyndi Lauper, composer Alex Lacamoire, producer Stan Lathan, actress Katrina Lenk, actress Audra McDonald,...

Netflix’s investment in animation has paid off in a big way, as the streamer picked up a whopping 52 nominations at the 49th Annie Awards. Following behind is Disney, which received 29 bids between its film and TV projects.

Taking place on Feb. 26, 2022 at UCLA’s Royce Hall and presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, the Annie Awards recognize excellence in cinema and television.

Netflix picked up nine nominations for “Arcane,” its series based on Riot Games’ online multiplayer game “League of Legends.” The hit film from Sony Pictures Animation “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” earned eight nods, and Netflix’s own limited series “Maya and the Three,” directed by Jorge Gutierrez, has seven.

While Disney lagged behind Netflix for total nominations, the studio’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” led all content with 10 nominations, followed by its studio sibling “Encanto,” which picked up nine.

The Critics Choice Association announced the honorees and presenters for the inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema, taking place virtually on Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m. Pt / 8:30 p.m. Et. Writer, producer, actress and comedian Cristela Alonzo will host the event.

The director award will go to Reinaldo Marcus Green, director of “King Richard,” the biopic starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. Presenting the award will be Aunjanue Ellis, who plays Venus and Serena’s mother Oracene in the film.

Clifton Collins Jr. will receive the actor award for starring as Jackson Silva in Clint Bentley’s drama film “Jockey.” The role also won him a Sundance special jury award in 2021. Don Cheadle will present the award.

Olga Merediz will receive the actress award for playing Abuela Claudia in Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.” Merediz...

The Critics Choice Association on Monday announced the complete list of honorees and presenters for the inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema, taking place virtually on Thursday, December 9 from 5:30 – 6:45pm Pt / 8:30 – 9:45pm Et.

For the first time, the Critics Choice Association is celebrating groundbreaking achievements in Latino Cinema, from the outstanding work of Latino performers and creators in ten categories.

The event will be hosted by writer, producer, actress, and comedian Cristela Alonzo.

Invited guests will include members of the Critics Choice Association, AMPAS, PGA, WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, BAFTA, press and many in the Latino film production community.

The Celebration of Latino Cinema will honor the following:

Filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green is set to receive the Director Award for the movie King Richard.

Actor Clifton Collins Jr. will receive the Actor Award for his work in the forthcoming movie Jockey.

Actress Olga Merediz will receive the Actress...

The stars are set for the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema. The group said today that Clifton Collins Jr, Natalie Morales, Eugenio Derbez, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Olga Merediz and the creative team behind Vivo — including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Gloria Estefan — are among the honorees.

Cristela Alonzo will host the set for the December 9 event, which will be held virtually to fete groundbreaking achievements in Latino cinema from the outstanding work of Latino performers and creators in 10 categories.

Here are the honorees:

Filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green will receive the Director Award for the film King Richard. Aunjanue Ellis, who plays the Williams sisters’ mom in the pic, will present the award.

Actor Clifton Collins Jr. will receive the Actor Award for his starring role in the upcoming Sony Pictures Classics film Jockey. Don Cheadle will present.

Actress and humanitarian Olga Merediz will receive the Actress Award for...

Best original song Oscar contenders Beyoncé and Van Morrison are among those who received nominations in the visual media categories at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (Hmma). Composers Hans Zimmer and Nicholas Britell were included among the familiar names picking up nods in the score categories.

The awards will be presented Nov. 17. The HMMAs honor composers, songwriters, and music supervisors for their work in music for film, television, and videogames.

Nominations here have historically been a harbinger or guide for what nominees and winners will pop up in the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys that occur later in awards season, although there is a much wider field in the HMMAs, since there are separate divisions for sci-fi, animation, documentary and independent films in the score categories. The Hollywood Music in Media Awards will feature music performances, celebrity presenters, tributes to music industry icons, awards for composers, songwriters and...

Photo: ‘Vivo'/Netflix 'Vivo' - A Familiar Feeling New to Netflix this week is the animated musical ‘Vivo’ from executive producer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda of ‘Hamilton’ fame. The film follows a kinkajou living in Cuba named Vivo, portrayed by Miranda, who must begin a journey to travel to the United States in an effort to deliver a song to a lost old friend. The music of the film was co-written and composed by Miranda and partner Alex Lacamoire, who worked on musicals such as ‘In the Heights’ and Hugh Jackman’s ‘The Greatest Showman’, and features all original music. ‘Vivo’ is a film that is incredibly old-fashioned, giving off a feeling of comfort and familiarity as it tells its story. While at points the conventionality of its story can begin to weigh on the viewer, the characters, beautiful animation, and music elevate the film enough to...

From the start, Lin-Manuel Miranda envisioned his animated pet project, “Vivo”, as a love letter to the musical heritage of Cuba. In fact, he told director Kirk DeMicco (“The Croods”) when they started in 2016 that “Vivo” was a kindred spirit to “In the Heights.”

That’s why Miranda recruited “In the Heights” writer Quiara Alegría Hudes and composer Alex Lacamoire to join him on “Vivo.” But whereas “In the Heights” dealt with the nostalgic longing to return to the old country of Puerto Rico, “Vivo” was about journeying to Miami to spread the musical love and joy of Cuba on a very personal mission.

In addition to conceiving the idea for “Vivo” and writing eight original songs, Miranda voices the titular character: a singer-musician kinkajou (a rainforest “honey bear”), who plays music in a lively Havana square with his owner and duet partner Andrés (Juan de Marcos of the Buena Vista Social Club). That is,...

Lin-Manuel Miranda in the animated musical “Vivo” plays an adorable-looking kinkajou, or a “honey bear” native to the rain forest. And he’s been tasked with delivering a song and a love letter to a music superstar played by Gloria Estefan.

This first trailer for “Vivo” comes from Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation, and the film features new songs from the “Hamilton” creator as the kinkajou also named Vivo as he travels across the world. He teams up with an energetic tween girl to help him get to Estefan’s character and deliver a song that will change the world and help reconnect two former partners.

“Vivo” also stars in its voice cast Zoe Saldaña, Juan de Marcos, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Rooker, Nicole Byer and newcomer Ynairaly Simo as Vivo’s plucky young travel companion.

Kirk DeMicco (“The Croods”) directs “Vivo,” which is co-directed by Brandon Jeffords and written...

Netflix dropped the full trailer Thursday for “Vivo,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s love letter to Cuba and his first starring animated musical, made at Sony Pictures Animation (streaming August 6th). In addition to conceiving the idea a decade ago and writing eight original songs, Miranda voices the title character: a singer-musician kinkajou (a rainforest “honey bear”), who plays music in a lively Havana square with his beloved owner Andrés (Juan de Marcos of the Buena Vista Social Club). That is, until tragedy strikes, and Vivo journeys to Miami to deliver a love song to retiring superstar, Marta (Gloria Estefan) with the help of energetic tween Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo).

“It’s taken so many turns, but at the heart of this story is this incredible friendship between Andrés and Vivo, and how it launches Vivo on an incredible journey from Cuba to Florida, where he does a lot of growing up,...

“In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tale of the immigrant community of New York’s Washington Heights, will be released on Friday. Its four Tony Awards for the original Broadway show included best musical, best original score, and best orchestrations for Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman — who oversaw the musical transition from stage to screen. Variety talked with both about how the music was handled.

Alex and Bill, you’ve both been associated with Lin-Manuel for many years. What’s your history with “In the Heights”?

Bill Sherman: Lin put on “In the Heights” at Wesleyan [University] when we were sophomores, and I didn’t know him yet. I did music-direct every show that he did after that. But I didn’t even see “In the Heights”; I didn’t know anything about it. Then when we graduated from college, Lin and I lived together. And he was like, “These guys...

Lin-Manuel Miranda paid a visit to The Tonight Show to herald the return of Broadway by performing a song about all of his favorite musicals with host Jimmy Fallon.

The pair were joined by Jimmy Smits, Olga Merediz, Phylicia Rashad, Kristin Chenoweth, Christopher Jackson, and Laura Benanti as they referenced a slew of musicals, and performed a parody of Hamilton’s “You’ll Be Back.” The duo paid tribute to everything from Aladdin to Wicked to The Book of Mormon.

Miranda also sat down with Fallon for a lengthy interview...

Jon M. Chu’s “In the Heights” will screen at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival with a special preview on June 4 at Hollywood’s Tcl Chinese Theatre.

The film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical will screen five days before the Tribeca Film Festival.

“We cannot wait to share this incredible film with our audience as part of this year’s festival,” said Edward James Olmos, founder of the Latino Film Institute. “’In the Heights’ celebrates the Latino culture and allows us to continue to support our mission of providing a platform of stories that are told by us and for us. We are equally excited to partner with such a renowned film festival like Tribeca and we know that this will be a partnership that will flourish over the years.”

In addition, Laliff and Tribeca will partner as a celebration of their 20th anniversaries.

“Congratulations...

Exclusive: Netflix has licensed all global rights, sans China, to Sony Pictures Animation’s Vivo. The movie, directed by Oscar nominee Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) and co-directed by Brandon Jeffords (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2) with new songs written and performed by Tony-winning Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, was recently scheduled for a theatrical release on June 4. The new drop date on Netflix is still to be determined.

I understand this is a similar deal to Netflix’s pickup of Sony’s Kevin Hart movie Fatherhood whereby Netflix gets the first window, which is streaming, and Sony will retain home entertainment and linear TV rights to all other territories, including China theatrical, after the pic’s exclusive run on the streamer.

Note the recent licensing of Sony’s Vivo by Netflix is outside the streamer’s new multi-year $1 billion deal with the Culver City studio. That deal commences in 2022, as previously reported,...

“In the Heights,” the first track off the movie soundtrack of the same name, has offered a first listen of Jon M. Chu’s upcoming musical adaptation. The track features the film’s cast, including star Anthony Ramos.

The soundtrack to In the Heights will arrive via Atlantic Records on June 11th, the same day as the film itself. It will also feature a brand-new, original song titled “Home All Summer,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by the film’s stars: Ramos, Leslie Grace, and Marc Anthony. The soundtrack is available for preorder now.

Jennifer Nettles’ voice, outsized and dramatic, has always been suited for the stage. In 2015, she starred in Chicago on Broadway as Roxie Hart. Now the eclectic vocalist — and one-half of the country duo Sugarland — will release an album full of her versions of Broadway songs. Always Like New arrives June 25th on Concord Records.

Nettles offered a preview of the album on Friday with the release of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from the musical Guys and Dolls. It’s a jazzy rendition with blasts of brass exploding around Nettles’ voice.

Exclusive: The non-prof organization Musicians United for Social Equity, or Muse, announced today a set of scholarships supporting Bipoc musicians pursuing a career in theater, an initiative that marks the official launch of the organization.

Co-founded by music directors Kenny Seymour and Stephen Oremus, along with a board of award-winning musicians such as Alex Lacamoire, Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Mean Girls), and Zane Mark (Motown the Musical), Muse will attempt to cultivate increased racial equity in theatrical music departments by providing access, internships, mentorships, and support to historically marginalized people of color.

“Talent and passion nurtured by support and mentorship brings one that much closer to success,” co-chair Seymour says. “It is our hope at Muse that through these scholarships, we can help bring creative individuals closer to achieving their goals and dreams.”

The Muse Harold Wheeler Scholarship dedicates...

From hip-hop to Motown, music’s hottest names and some timeless legends stopped (virtually) by our weekly Rolling Stone Music Now podcast this year. Below are some of the highlights; press play on the episodes to listen now, or hear any episode and subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.

Dua Lipa talked about making her chart-topping, critically beloved Future Nostalgia, her reign as the queen of work-from-home pop stars, and more.

Motown legend Smokey Robinson joined us to tell the stories behind his best-known songs, from “My Girl” to “Cruisin’.”

Alanis Morissette...

Exclusive: Broadway actors have a long history of moonlighting – sunlighting? – on daytime soaps, at least they did in decades past when New York City still had soaps. With theaters now dark, what better time to resurrect the tradition? Tune in today to…As The Curtain Rises.

An ongoing fiction podcast set in backstage Broadway, As The Curtain Rises has recruited a stellar cast from top Broadway productions past and, well, more recently past: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Ariana Debose, Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen), Tony-winning James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin), Ilana Levine, Lesli Margherita (Matilda The Musical), Mauricio Martinez (On Your Feet!), Ashley Park, George Salazar (Be More Chill), Sarah Stiles, Michael Urie (Grand Horizons) and Tony-winner Lillias White (The Life).

The first episode is available today,...

When Lin-Manuel Miranda debuted the first song from what he was then calling The Hamilton Mixtape at the White House in 2009, Alex Lacamoire was there, accompanying him on piano. Lacamoire, who previously collaborated with Miranda on In the Heights (as well as Bring It On: The Musical), became Hamilton‘s musical director, arranging every song from Miranda’s home demos, leading the pit band, and co-producing the cast album.

With the filmed version of Hamilton on Disney+, and the cast album back near the top of Rolling Stone’s album chart,...

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical Hamilton has made its debut on Disney+ and it is causing a stir on social media.

Ava DuVernay is among those applauding the musical Friday, reflecting back on her 2015 tweet when she first saw it, saying she was “dazzled” by the production.

“Throwback to my first tweet about #Hamilton after seeing off-Broadway about a month after it opened at The Public,” she wrote. “Seen several times since, and I always feel the same as the first night. Tonight was no exception. Brava @Lin_Manuel and each beautiful artist who touched this gem.”

Throwback to my first tweet about #Hamilton after seeing off-Broadway about a month after it opened at The Public. Seen several times since, and I always feel the same as the first night. Tonight was no exception. Brava @Lin_Manuel and each beautiful artist who touched this gem. https://t.co/32oodfc238

— Ava...

Lin-Manuel Miranda and other members of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton will host an online watch party of the filmed version of the smash musical to mark its arrival on Disney+ Friday, July 3rd. A pre-show will start at 6:30 p.m. Et and the watch party will get underway at 7 p.m. Et.

Miranda will be joined by Leslie Odom Jr. (who played Aaron Burr), Anthony Ramos (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), Javier Muńoz (Miranda’s alternate as Hamilton) and Christopher Jackson (George Washington...

Last week, Breast Cancer Research Foundation held its first-ever Virtual Hot Pink Evening, taking their renowned Hot Pink Party to a new virtual format with a very special live-stream viewing experience.

The unforgettable evening raised over $5.2 million to support Bcrf’s global legion of leading scientists pursuing high-impact breast cancer research that is saving lives, even in the midst of the current global crisis. Breast cancer does not stop for Covid-19, and neither will Bcrf, thanks to the generous support of donors who are helping ensure that the organization’s vital work will continue without losing ground.

Guests were treated to a stirring opening number featuring Norbert Leo Butz singing “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story. A blockbuster Broadway tribute to breast cancer survivor and current Hamilton star Mandy Gonzalez featured Lin-Manuel Miranda, Laura Benanti, Krysta Rodriguez, Tituss Burgess, Tommy Kail, Alex Lacamoire, Judy Kuhn, James Monroe Iglehart, Sierra Boggess,...

Jennifer Nettles has released a new recording of “Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical Annie. The Sugarland singer and Broadway performer put the song and an accompanying video out as a gesture of hope and support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nettles’ interpretation of the standard, featuring musician and composer Alex Lacamoire, keeps things relatively stripped-down and simple, with only Nettles’ voice and a lovely piano part. A powerhouse singer who previously starred as Roxie Hart in the Broadway cast of Chicago, Nettles holds back through the first part of the song,...

James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, Wendell Pierce and Toby Jones are going head-to-head for best actor in this year’s Olivier Awards, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Hayley Atwell, Juliet Stevenson and Sharon D Clarke have been nominated for best actress.

New musical & Juliet has nabbed nine nominations, Trevor Nunn’s Fiddler on the Roof has secured eight and Dear Evan Hansen has scored seven.

The UK awards, which celebrates the best theatre in London, will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 5.

Here’s the full list of play and musical nominations:

Best New Play

A Very Expensive Poison at The Old Vic

The Doctor at Almeida Theatre

Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre

The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman

Best New Musical

& Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre

Amelie The Musical at The Other Palace

Dear Evan Hansen at Noel Coward Theatre

Waitress at Adelphi Theatre...

Broadway’s Freestyle Love Supreme, co-created by Hamilton team Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale, has recouped its investment after 14 weeks, making it one of the first shows of the season to recoup.

The improvisational production, which blends hip-hop and comedy, will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, January 12 at the Booth Theatre. The show began previews on September 13, 2019 and officially opened on October 2. When it closes, Freestyle Love Supreme will have played 23 previews and 118 regular performances.

Directed by Kail, the production has a core group of performers – Andrew Bancroft, Aneesa Folds, Arthur Lewis, Kaila Mullady, Chris Sullivan, Anthony Veneziale and Utkarsh Ambudkar – that’s often been joined by special guests including Wayne Brady, Daveed Diggs, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, James Monroe Iglehart, Christopher Jackson, Alex Lacamoire, Sarah Kay, Bill Sherman, and Miranda. Surprise appearances have been made by Josh Groban, Jimmy Fallon, Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren.

The...

Michelle Williams is engaged and expecting a baby with one of Broadway’s finest!

A source confirmed to People on Monday the Oscar-nominated actress, 39, was engaged to Hamilton director Thomas Kail.

The two are also expecting their first child together, the source added. Williams is already a mother to 14-year-old daughter Matilda, whom she shared with the late actor Heath Ledger.

Kail was previously in a relationship with Broadway actress Angela Christian starting in 2006.

While Williams’ career has taken center stage in films, Kail’s own trajectory has deep roots in theater beginning with his college career at Wesleyan University,...

Songwriter Ross Golan has frequently ranked high in the pop charts with hits for the likes of Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, and for his first venture into musical theatre, he's got some pretty high-ranking stars on his team as well, in director Thomas Kail, music supervisorarrangerorchestrator Alex Lacamoire and, most valuably, powerhouse singeractor Joshua Henry.

When Tony-winning (and Emmy and Grammy-winning) Broadway musical director Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen) happened to have a business trip to London scheduled recently, he saw a unique opportunity at hand, and made a call to Abbey Road Studios. Lacamoire had previously made multiple viral videos where he would play through entire albums (Billy Joel’s The Stranger, for one) on piano in under a minute, and the idea of speeding through Abbey Road at Abbey Road was too tempting to resist. Two accomplished friends, Hamilton director Thomas Kail...

Ahead of the Primetime telecast on Sunday, September 22, winners for the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys were announced at two ceremonies on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 in Downtown Los Angeles. (See a full list of Saturday’s winners here and a full list of Sunday’s winners here.) Over the last few months, Gold Derby has conducted video chats with 27 of the lucky victors, including Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), RuPaul Charles (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland” director) and Bradley Whitford (“The Handmaid’s Tale”).

See Creative Arts Emmys 2019 (Sunday): 13 exclusive red carpet interviews with Natasha Lyonne, Michael McKean, Carice van Houten… [Watch]

Click on any name below to be taken to their full interview.

Hisham Abed – Best Directing (Reality), “Queer Eye”

Marco Beltrami – Best Score (Documentary), “Free Solo”

Rachel Bloom – Best Music and Lyrics, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”

Nicholas Britell – Best Main Title Theme, “Succession”

RuPaul Charles – Best Reality Host,...

The BeyHive might be up in arms after the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday night, September 14. Beyonce had four nominations at the event for “Homecoming,” her Netflix music documentary about her lauded 2018 Coachella concert, but she was completely shut out. She has now been nominated eight times in her career without a victory. Check out the complete list of Creative Arts winners here.

Beyonce was up for Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) as a producer, as well as Best Variety Special Directing, Best Variety Special Writing and Best Music Direction. She lost the Variety Special award to “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney,” which was the third victory in four years for the James Corden automotive musical spin-off of his “Late Late Show” variety talk series. Elsewhere, the writing prize went to Hannah Gadsby for her “Nanette” special, directing kudos went to Thom Zimny for “Springsteen on Broadway” and the award...

“Free Solo,” “Queer Eye,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Saturday Night Live” were among the big winners Saturday after the first night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

“Free Solo,” the National Geographic feature documentary that already claimed the Oscar earlier this year, lead the field on the night largely devoted to unscripted programming with seven big wins. On Sunday, the remaining Creative Arts Emmys will be handed out for shows largely in the scripted genre.

RuPaul earned his fourth consecutive trophy as reality host for his work out front on VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Netflix’s “Queer Eye” nabbed four wins, including its second consecutive trophy for structured reality program. “The Simpsons” added more hardware to its trophy case with the win for animated program. And the late Anthony Bourdain earned two more Emmys for his CNN series “Parts Unknown,...

James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool” beat Bruce Springsteen and Beyonce to win the Emmy for pre-recorded variety special at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmys, which were handed out on Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles.

“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons'” won the award for live variety special, making the 97-year-old Lear the oldest winner in Emmy history.

In a ceremony devoted largely to nonfiction and reality television, the big winner was “Free Solo,” the NatGeo rock-climbing documentary that won an Oscar in February but also qualified for the Emmys. The film by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin won seven awards, taking home Emmys for its directing, cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing, picture editing, musical score and creative achievement in interactive media.

“Queer Eye” won the Emmy for Outstanding Structured Reality program,...

FX’s “Fosse/Verdon” had Emmy voters tapping their toes to the tune of 17 nominations, including Best Limited Series. Gold Derby recently spoke with several of the show’s contenders, including Best Movie/Mini Actress nominee Michelle Williams, Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actress competitor Margaret Qualley, director Jessica Yu, writer-producers Steven Levenson and Joel Fields, production designer Alex Digerlando, costume designer Melissa Toth, music supervisor Steven Gizicki and music director Alex Lacamoire, as well as star Susan Misner. Scroll down and click on any name below to be taken to their full interview.

A four-time Oscar nominee for her roles in “Brokeback Mountain” (2005), “Blue Valentine” (2010), “My Week with Marilyn” (2011) and “Manchester by the Sea” (2016), Williams earned her first Emmy bid this year for playing dancer Gwen Verdon, the wife and muse of director Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell). Williams, who’s also a nominated producer on the series, declares “I had no...

Michelle Williams is nominated for her first Emmy this year for playing performer Gwen Verdon in “Fosse/Verdon.” The actress has already earned a great deal of critical acclaim for her performance, winning the Television Critics’ Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.

Williams recently spoke with Gold Derby managing editor Chris Beachum about playing such a demanding role in “Fosse/Verdon,” working with co-star Sam Rockwell and her award show memories. Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the complete transcript below.

SEESteven Levenson, Joel Fields Interview: ‘Fosse/Verdon’ producers

Gold Derby: Before we get started, Michelle, congratulations. This weekend you got the TCA Award for Best Dramatic Performance of the Year. What was that moment like accepting in front of all those TV critics?

Michelle Williams: It was really exciting, I can’t lie to you. I was excited. I was super happy, super honored and my daughter was most...