Parade

Neo-nazis tend to be a noisy bunch, and it takes an extraordinary and confident work of art to drown out their loud, ugly racket. Parade , opening tonight on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, is that work of art. With a serendipitous advertising slogan – “This Is Not Over Yet” – borrowed from one of the most powerful songs from a lovely score, the revival of 1998’s Parade arrives just when it’s needed most, providing an eloquent smackdown response to the rise in antisemitism made all too clear by the hate group protesting outside the show’s first preview (they haven’t been back). With a cast as fine as it is large, led by Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond – two of the best singers currently on Broadway – Parade , set in 1913 Georgia, scores its topical points with all the artistry and theatrical know-how to meet and exceed its noble intensions. Parade is as commanding as any musical revival to hit Broadway in years. Directed by Michael Arden, … [Read more...] about ‘Parade’ Broadway Review: Ben Platt & Micaela Diamond Lead Exceptional March Through History

Broadway’s old and new teamed up last week to boost total box office nearly 20%, with The Phantom of the Opera (the old) posting a best-ever $3 million weekly gross and The Jonas Brothers (the new, to Broadway anyway) taking in $1.6 million for their five-concert residency. In all, Broadway’s 29 productions grossed a total $34,124,422 for the week ending March 19, a jump of 19.1% over the previous week. Total attendance was 259,832, a 13% increase (the previous week had two fewer shows on the roster). With Phantom now in its final weeks – the closing date (for now, anyway: Webber has teased the possibility of a return at some point) is April 16 – the musical posted the biggest weekly gross in its 35-year history: $3,029,826 for eight performances (its first $3M+ tally). That tops even previous nine-show weeks. Attendance at the Majestic was 101.71%, with a big average ticket price of $232.01. The Jonas Brothers on Broadway , the March 14 to March 18 residency … [Read more...] about ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ Scores Record $3M; Jonas Brothers, ‘Parade’ & ‘Shucked’ Sell Out – Broadway Box Office

TMZ.com "Last of Us" actor Storm Reid isn't letting a bunch of anti-LGBTQ+ internet trolls rain on her parade, telling us no matter how much they bash the show's inclusive episodes ... she knows it's important to tell those stories. HBO We caught up with the talented young actress Friday at LAX. If you missed it, she had a guest role on episode 7 of the insanely popular HBO series where she played Riley, the best friend and love interest of the show's star Ellie ... played by Bella Ramsey . Of course, the episode received a ton of praise, but there were also lots of people who thought it was unnecessary for "Last of Us" to include a lesbian plot. Storm says not only are the stories told on "Last of Us" very real, but they're also purposeful ... and she's choosing to ignore the folks who can't see that. HBO Those naysayers flocked to the show's public forums to leave negative reviews, and even went so far as to rank it … [Read more...] about ‘Last of Us’ Actress Storm Reid Defends Show’s LGBTQ-Inclusive Episodes

Your first thought after seeing Bad Cinderella , the latest musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , is, well, she isn’t that bad. For better and worse. The musical, energetically directed by Laurence Connor, opens on Broadway tonight with quite a reputation: We’ve heard it was lambasted by critics in London (it wasn’t). That Andrew Lloyd Webber himself trashed it (he didn’t). The truth: Bad Cinderella , known as plain old Cinderella during an abbreviated London run that had the dreadful timing to coincide with the Covid pandemic (that was Lloyd Webber’s point when he lamented opening the show then), is a musical that upends and modernizes the age-old tale with an irreverent, knowing tone meant to smirk away the old lessons and replace them with new ones – with morals, as in the moral of the story, that more closely aligned with today’s thinking. What, you’ve seen this before, maybe when it was called Wicked ? Into the Woods ? Six ? There is no shortage of … [Read more...] about ‘Bad Cinderella’ Broadway Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Latest Could Use Some Badness