Interview: Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins On Adapting KINDRED Into a Series
by Michael Major - Jan 18, 2023
Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has made his television debut with a series adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s seminal 1979 sci-fi novel Kindred. BroadwayWorld caught up with Jenkins, who is known for his plays like An Octoroon, Gloria, War, Appropriate, Neighbors and Everybody, to discuss the new series.
Interview: Writer/Performer Anzu Lawson on the L.A. Debut of her Solo Show THE RUB
by Shari Barrett - Jan 17, 2023
Anzu Lawson is gearing up to debut her second one-woman show, The Rub, inspired by her 30-minute single camera comedy pilot about her life as a stand-up comic who secretly pays her bills by being every Asian mother's worst nightmare... a masseuse. I first met Anzu when she was performing as Yoko Ono during the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival, a role she inhabits with her entire body, heart and soul. So it makes perfect sense that The Rub debuts on Yoko Ono’s 90th birthday on Saturday, February 18 at 8pm as part of Whitefire Theatre's Solofest 2023. Here's my interview with her about the show.
Interview: Michael And Matthew Gardiner of RIVERDANCE at Dr. Phillips Center - January 20 - 22
by Joseph Harrison - Jan 14, 2023
Chances are you may have been scrolling through Tik Tok or Instagram over the last two years and happened upon a video of two brothers performing fresh, fun and amazing Irish dance routines together. Those brothers, Michael and Matthew Gardiner are currently on tour with the 25th Anniversary tour of RIVERDANCE which will make a stop here in Orlando January 20th – 22nd. I had a chance to speak with the brothers to learn more about how they got started dancing, their newfound social media fame and their involvement in what has become a global phenomenon over the last 28 years.
VIDEO: Apple TV+ Shares SHAPE ISLAND Series Trailer
by Michael Major - Jan 10, 2023
The series features the beloved familiar voices of Yvette Nicole Brown (“Disenchanted”) as the Narrator, Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows”) as Square, Scott Adsit (“30 Rock”) as Triangle, and Gideon Adlon (“Blockers”) as Circle. Watch the video trailer for the new series now!
Interview: Jamie Wollrab Smoothly Multi-Tasks BROTHERS PLAY With His Many Other Projects
by Gil Kaan - Jan 5, 2023
Breaking With Tradition Productions’ latest production Brothers Play by Matthew Doherty will open January 14, 2023, at Legacy LA (with one preview January 13th). James Eckhouse directs the cast of Rob Nagle, Jeffrey Nordling and Jamie Wollrab. I had the opportunity to get some insight into Brothers Play from Jamie, as well as some of the many activities he has juggling in the air.
Interview: Heather Alicia Simms Chats About the Premiere of DES MOINES
by Carissa Chesanek - Jan 5, 2023
Des Moines is the final play written by the late Denis Johnson, a legendary author, and playwright, and recently opened at Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn. We spoke with Heather Alicia Simms, who plays Mrs. Drinkwater, about what it's like to be in this show, the challenges that came up, and why it's important that this play is out right now.
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Complete Series to Be Released on DVD Next Month
by Michael Major - Jan 3, 2023
The “Orange Is the New Black” Complete Series Collection contains every episode of the four-time Primetime Emmy® winner and its story of Piper Chapman, a public relations executive with a career, a fiancé – and a wild past involving a suitcase full of drug money. Sentenced to a federal women’s penitentiary, Piper slowly adjusts to her new reality.
VIDEO: Harvey Fierstein Discusses Upcoming WE ARE HERE Concert on GMA3
by Michael Major - Dec 29, 2022
Harvey FiersteinHarvey Fierstein appeared on GMA3 to discuss his recent memoir, 'I Was Better Last Night,' and the upcoming We Are Here concert. Fierstein looked back on his career, discussing how he was able to look back on the low points of his life in a comedic way. Watch the new interview video now!
2022 Year in Review: Kat Mokrynski's Best of 2022
by Kat Mokrynski - Dec 22, 2022
Well, we may not know how we got here, but here we are - December 2022. Somehow, we are nearly at the end of the insane year that has been 2022. In this article, I take a look back at some of the highlights of my time in the theatrical worlds of New York and London these past twelve months.
Daveed Diggs & Ariana DeBose Join New FRAGGLE ROCK Season
by Michael Major - Dec 12, 2022
Tony and Grammy Award winner, and Emmy Award nominee Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) will return for season two of “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” the reboot of Jim Henson’s beloved classic “Fraggle Rock.” Also joining the new season is Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (“Schmigadoon!”, 'West Side Story').
VIDEO: Apple TV+ Shares THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX & THE HORSE Trailer
by Michael Major - Dec 9, 2022
Produced by Academy Award nominee Cara Speller (“Pear Cider and Cigarettes”) of NoneMore Productions and J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella of Bad Robot Productions. Directed by Peter Baynton (“The Tiger Who Came To Tea”) and Mackesy, the film is adapted from the book in collaboration with Jon Croker (“Paddington 2”). Watch the new video trailer now!
Toronto Biennial Of Art Announces Curatorial Team For 2024 Edition
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 7, 2022
Toronto Biennial of Art (TBA/the Biennial) has announced the appointment of Dominique Fontaine and Miguel A. López as co-curators to guide TBA's exhibition for the third edition of the city-wide art event taking place from September 21 - December 1, 2024.
VIDEO: Jesse Tyler Ferguson Discusses TAKE ME OUT's Relevancy on CBS MORNINGS
by Michael Major - Dec 5, 2022
Jesse Tyler Ferguson appeared on CBS Mornings to discuss his return to Broadway in Take Me Out. Ferguson discussed the play's significance and why the story is still relevant. Watch the complete video now, in which Ferguson also discusses officiating his Modern Family co-star Sarah Hyland's wedding, juggling fatherhood and his career, and more.
Review: A FUNNY THING Happened in a Relatively Short Play with the Unspeakably Long Title
by Robert Encila-Celdran - Nov 27, 2022
So here we are with a loud reminder of our mortal limits - not to mention the 'acceptable' limits of a public joke and a brazen sexual encounter - as Ms. Feiffer regards our presumed taboos with a shrewd riposte. I'm reminded of H.G. Wells' famous denouncement of the 'irreverent laugh,' man's presumed default from the paucity of insight into the natural order of things.
Yet, in the playwright's judgment, irreverence is a natural byproduct of bottled outrage. There's no place in a sane world to land a good joke about terminal cancer - but now and then, wisdom takes the form of a middle finger, and with that comes a wink of personal advantage. Halley Feiffer attempts to reveal the unpredictable guffaw on the other side of grief; you have to face the uglies head-on, is all.
SITI Company Announces Final Details for Legacy Plan Including a Living Archive & More
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 14, 2022
The award-winning SITI Company has announced the final details for the SITI Legacy Plan. This includes the SITI Living Archive - a robust physical and digital archive, the book SITI Company: This Is Not A Handbook, transition grants for ensemble artists totaling $180,000, and the appointment of Brad Carlin as Managing Director.
VIDEO: Daveed Diggs Voices 'Jamdolin' in FRAGGLE ROCK Holiday Special Trailer
by Michael Major - Nov 14, 2022
It’s the Night of the Lights, the most Fraggily holiday of the year, and the Rock is filled with songs and cheer. When Jamdolin (voiced by Emmy Award nominee Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton') encourages Wembley to make a special wish, the Fraggles head out on an adventure to find the brightest light and, maybe, the true meaning of the holiday. Watch the new video trailer now!