“We’re doing an outdoor public campaign that involves subways and taxi tops and things like that in the outer boroughs, which are very purposefully an invitation to the city at large. The intention is that we aren’t just trying to reach people that are already seeing 12 shows a year.” - Variety
“Thomas Schumacher, who led Disney Theatrical Group for decades and helped it produce enduring musical theater hits like The Lion King and Aladdin, changing Times Square and Broadway itself, is leaving the company.” - AP
“(The judge) ruled against Equity’s claim that Spotlight is an employment agency … (and) concluded that Spotlight, a website widely used by U.K. talent and casting agents, is a directory service.” Spotlight said afterward, “We strongly believe that Equity launched cynical, performative and expensive legal proceedings against Spotlight as a publicity stunt.” - Variety
“Kokuho, which means ‘national treasure,’ has already grossed more than 10 billion yen ($68 million), making it the second-highest grossing Japanese live-action film of all time. ... It stars heartthrobs Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, who portray longtime rivals and soulmates. They are both Kabuki ‘onnagata’ actors, (who) specialize in women roles.” - AP
The world that received “Hamilton” in July 2020, however, was not the world that had made it the toast of the 2016 Tony Awards. The show’s promise of a multiethnic America fueled by immigrant ingenuity seemed, after four years of the Trump presidency, like an Obama-era fantasy. - The New York Times
Should Portland State build two new performing arts centers to handle Broadway tours while the earthquake-unsafe Keller Auditorium is renovated? Can the city in any way afford this? And what about traffic? - Oregon ArtsWatch
“Broadway musicals overwhelmingly focus on historical or fictional events; it’s exceptionally rare for an actress to cultivate a long relationship with a subject that she will embody through pop ballads and box steps. Especially one who’s investing in her project.” - The New York Times
About 71% of theaters there have seen audience numbers improve since the COVID shutdowns, though only 41% are back to pre-2020 levels. The major problem right now is that 30% of theatergoers in the city, and 22% in the region, use mass transit, which is undergoing savage cuts. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Tshidi Manye has played the mandrill shaman who sings “Circle of Life” in roughly 9,000 performances, a large majority of them on Broadway. - The New York Times
“Hip-hop, (songwriter Dave Hook) argues, has never blandly replicated itself, but always adapted to new circumstances. … By giving hip-hop a Scottish voice and, in this case, bringing it into the world of William Wallace, Hook believes he is staying true to the genre’s political roots.” - The Guardian
If it works for the few but not more widely – in particular, if it doesn’t work for global-majority artists or those breaking with popular forms – what does that mean about the fringe as a marketplace for the wider industry? - The Stage
The Citizens Theatre closed in 2018 for what was supposed to be a three-year rehabilitation. The COVID pandemic, and the ensuing inflation, both delayed the completion of the project by years and caused expenses to soar; the final cost of the renovation will likely be double the original £20 million budget. - BBC (MSN)
Fringe has long since eclipsed the original festival it was founded alongside. It typically sells upwards of 2.5 million tickets a year. But 80 years on, performers and spectators alike say rising costs threaten the Fringe's free-for-all vibe. - NPR
“The figures showed around 2.6 million tickets were sold for 3,893 shows — a similar level to last year and well below the peak of three million sold in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.” The ever-rising cost of performing at, or even attending, the Fringe is thought to be the main factor. - The Scotsman
If the merger proceeds and is successful, it could become a national model for regional theater companies in other cities and states around the country, which are all facing similar financial challenges. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
