Pasadena Playhouse has announced initial casting for its production of Head Over Heels. Leading the cast will be Alaska 5000 RuPaul's Drag Race, Lea DeLaria Orange is the New Black, Yurel Echezarreta Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, Tiffany Mann Be More Chill, George Salazar Little Shop of Horrors, Emily Skeggs Fun Home, and Shanice Williams 'Dorothy' in NBC's The Wiz Live.
- 9/23/2021
- by Chloe Rabinowitz
- BroadwayWorld.com
Stars in the House continues tonight 8pm Et with aGODSPELL50th Anniversary Reunion featuring Stephen Schwartz and the players who originated these iconic songs Peggy Gordon By My Side, which she also co-wrote, Joanne Jonas Bless The Lord, Gilmer McCormick Learn Your Lessons Well, Steve Nathan who played Jesus, Mark Planner Original New York production, and George Salazar Broadway revival.
- 5/22/2021
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Broadway Records recently announced the release of In Pieces, a new musical by Joey Contreras. This energetic and emotional 10-track highlights album features a robust lineup of talent from popular artists, including David Archuleta, Andrew Barth Feldman, George Salazar, Solea Pfeiffer, Ben Fankhauser, Natalie Weiss, Ashley De La Rosa, Leslie Hiatt, and Emily Kristen Morris. Showcasing their unique and powerful voices, along with their flair for storytelling, In Pieces brings the musicals candid themes of our human existence to light.
- 4/16/2021
- by Courtney Savoia
- BroadwayWorld.com
It felt surreal to see “Superstore” wind down to its final episodes. Despite running six full seasons at a time when sitcoms more and more rarely get the chance, “Superstore” never had a dip in quality that signaled its natural end. It was consistently, impressively funny and adaptable. That its creators would have to eventually figure out the curveball of a premature cancellation, and that they nailed it, makes a sad but fitting end for a show that always embraced the opportunity to change with the times.
Many people, myself included, have written plenty about how well “Superstore,” a sitcom about the employees of a Walmart-esque big box store, dealt with capital i Issues over the years. Its first two seasons alone tackled topics like gun control, birth control, racism and the everyday peril of being undocumented, as well as a union drive that would eventually fold under incredible corporate pressure.
Many people, myself included, have written plenty about how well “Superstore,” a sitcom about the employees of a Walmart-esque big box store, dealt with capital i Issues over the years. Its first two seasons alone tackled topics like gun control, birth control, racism and the everyday peril of being undocumented, as well as a union drive that would eventually fold under incredible corporate pressure.
- 3/26/2021
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
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,...
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,...
- 10/22/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (Lgbtq) media advocacy organization, today hosted a digital event to highlight the Lgbtq response to Covid-19 and to raise money for CenterLink and local Lgbtq centers affected by Covid-19.
“Together in Pride: You are Not Alone”, hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh, brought the Lgbtq community together with messages of acceptance and honored Lgbtq heroes providing direct services during Covid-19. The event raised an initial donation of over $225,000 for the Lgbtq community centers that are members of CenterLink. Donations are still being collected. The Ariadne Getty Foundation (Agf), GLAAD’s largest donor, made a donation of $150,000 to the event. Ariadne Getty, President and Executive Director of Agf, said: “Lgbtq community centers and GLAAD are cornerstones of the community and we are proud to help their important work to help Lgbtq people everywhere.”
To watch the event: click here...
“Together in Pride: You are Not Alone”, hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh, brought the Lgbtq community together with messages of acceptance and honored Lgbtq heroes providing direct services during Covid-19. The event raised an initial donation of over $225,000 for the Lgbtq community centers that are members of CenterLink. Donations are still being collected. The Ariadne Getty Foundation (Agf), GLAAD’s largest donor, made a donation of $150,000 to the event. Ariadne Getty, President and Executive Director of Agf, said: “Lgbtq community centers and GLAAD are cornerstones of the community and we are proud to help their important work to help Lgbtq people everywhere.”
To watch the event: click here...
- 5/1/2020
- Look to the Stars
Hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh, GLAAD’s Together In Pride: You Are Not Alone livestream event featured members of the Lgbtq community from Hollywood and beyond as well as allies to help raise funds for Lgbtq community centers that have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. The streaming event that featured interviews, special appearances and musical performances raised over $225,000 for CenterLink, a group of more than 250 Lgbtq community centers from 45 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, as well as Canada, China, Mexico, and Australia.
The event was filled with names encouraging words from GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, Billy Porter, Dan Levy, Sean Hayes, Matt Bomer, Rosie O’Donnell, Wilson Cruz, Sharon Stone, Tatiana Maslany, Ross Mathews, Michelle Visage, Shangela and more. We also heard — no video, unfortunately — from the legendary Barbra Streisand as she advocated for the Lgbtq community. We also were treated to performances...
The event was filled with names encouraging words from GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, Billy Porter, Dan Levy, Sean Hayes, Matt Bomer, Rosie O’Donnell, Wilson Cruz, Sharon Stone, Tatiana Maslany, Ross Mathews, Michelle Visage, Shangela and more. We also heard — no video, unfortunately — from the legendary Barbra Streisand as she advocated for the Lgbtq community. We also were treated to performances...
- 4/27/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Billy Porter, Pete & Chasten Buttigieg, Rosie O’Donnell, Jonathan Van Ness, Brian Michael Smith, Ross Mathews, and Tyler Oakley are the newest additions to GLAAD’s upcoming event Together in Pride: You are Not Alone. The online special, which will be co-hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh, will stream live on GLAAD’s YouTube channel and Facebook April 26 at 8pm Et. Together in Pride is GLAAD’s response to Covid-19 and will raise funds for Lgbtq community centers that are members of CenterLink.
Alex Newell and the cast of Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill have also joined the lineup of previously announced special performances that include Kesha and Melissa Etheridge as well as Mj Rodriguez and George Salazar, who recently appeared in Little Shop of Horrors at Pasadena Playhouse.
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Alex Newell and the cast of Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill have also joined the lineup of previously announced special performances that include Kesha and Melissa Etheridge as well as Mj Rodriguez and George Salazar, who recently appeared in Little Shop of Horrors at Pasadena Playhouse.
More from DeadlineS&p Lowers Disney's Credit Rating On Covid-19 Economic Uncertainty, Closed ParksWatch: The Rolling Stones Release Timely New Song...
- 4/23/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
In case you were wondering exactly how talented Pose star Mj Rodriguez is, the limit does not exist! The actress appeared on The Late Late Show With James Corden to perform alongside her Little Shop of Horrors costar George Salazar, and we're properly blown away by their rendition. The two delivered their first television performance of the show's classic love ballad "Suddenly Seymour" with just a few folding chairs and a blessed chorus to back them up, and damn did they deliver! Seriously, those runs? Those harmonies?! Musical-lovers will definitely be eating well with this performance!
Salazar and Rodriguez currently star in the Pasadena Playhouse revival of the 1982 horror musical as the eponymous Seymour and his star-crossed love interest Audrey, respectively. The new production has a limited run until Oct. 20, and also stars Glee alum Amber Riley as the mouthy Venus flytrap Audrey II. Check out the stellar performance above,...
Salazar and Rodriguez currently star in the Pasadena Playhouse revival of the 1982 horror musical as the eponymous Seymour and his star-crossed love interest Audrey, respectively. The new production has a limited run until Oct. 20, and also stars Glee alum Amber Riley as the mouthy Venus flytrap Audrey II. Check out the stellar performance above,...
- 10/6/2019
- by Mekishana Pierre
- Popsugar.com
The original production of Little Shop of Horrors first debuted Off-Off-Broadway in 1982 and then suddenly Seymour and company made their way to the Orpheum Theater for an Off-Broadway production that ran for five years. A hybrid of sci-fi and comedy, the musical about a carnivorous plant looking to take over the world became a cult classic spawning numerous productions and had a film adaptation starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene in 1986. After almost four decades, it has still retained its cult status with its R&b flair and irreverent, yet earnest lyrics and the new production at the Pasadena Playhouse continues the tradition with a fresh, inclusive iteration of the musical favorite.
The genre-driven musical comedy with music by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by the late, great Howard Ashman still feeds the soul with camp, humor, heart and its subversive charm. The Pasadena Playhouse production may just be a cast of eight,...
The genre-driven musical comedy with music by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by the late, great Howard Ashman still feeds the soul with camp, humor, heart and its subversive charm. The Pasadena Playhouse production may just be a cast of eight,...
- 10/1/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been quite a week for “Pose” star Billy Porter.
“You know, it’s a whirlwind. I’m trying to breathe, trying to take it all in, you know. It’s a lot coming at me and I feel very blessed,” Porter told Variety on the red carpet Wednesday for the opening night of “Little Shop of Horrors” at Pasadena Playhouse.
Just a couple of days after his historic Emmy win — which saw him become the first openly gay Black man to win the award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series — and announcing that he’ll make his TV directorial debut on season 3 of “Pose,” Porter was out in full force to support his co-star Mj Rodriguez, who stars in the production.
“There’s a lot of love coming my way from all sides,” Porter said of the reaction to his win. “It’s really inspiring and I...
“You know, it’s a whirlwind. I’m trying to breathe, trying to take it all in, you know. It’s a lot coming at me and I feel very blessed,” Porter told Variety on the red carpet Wednesday for the opening night of “Little Shop of Horrors” at Pasadena Playhouse.
Just a couple of days after his historic Emmy win — which saw him become the first openly gay Black man to win the award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series — and announcing that he’ll make his TV directorial debut on season 3 of “Pose,” Porter was out in full force to support his co-star Mj Rodriguez, who stars in the production.
“There’s a lot of love coming my way from all sides,” Porter said of the reaction to his win. “It’s really inspiring and I...
- 9/27/2019
- by Haley Kluge and Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Will is Freaking out over today's guest George Salazar is coming off his iconic run in the hit 'Be More Chill' to mount a reinterpretation of the classic Little Shop of Horrors starring alongside Mj Rodriguez Pose As 'Audrey,' and Amber Riley Glee as 'Audrey II' in a classic boy meets girl, power-hungry, Rb singing, carnivorous plant strives for world domination.
- 9/12/2019
- by West of Broadway
- BroadwayWorld.com
Tonight's the night The 11th annual Jimmy Awards ceremony will be presented tonight, June 24 at 730Pm at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre. The six presenters will include Derek KlenaJagged Little Pill, George Salazar Be More Chill, Jimmy Awards alumni and current Broadway stars Andrew Barth Feldman Dear Evan Hansen, Renee Rapp Mean Girls, Kyle Selig Mean Girls, and Stephanie Styles Kiss Me, Kate.
- 6/24/2019
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
Be More Chill, the Joe Iconis musical with a road-to-Broadway story nearly as surprising as its sci-fi teen comedy plot, has posted an Aug. 11 closing notice. The musical at the Lyceum Theatre will have played 30 previews and 177 performances when it swallows its final Squip.
“Pride massively understates what everyone at Be More Chill feels for this show,” producers Jerry Goerhing and Mike Mitri said in a statement. “Every step in our journey has been special and one-of-a-kind – just like every member of our company, creative team, and crew, and each fan who has supported us. Our time at the Lyceum Theatre has been a true honor and a joy. We are so excited to have been able to touch the hearts of our diverse audiences and hope to watch the show’s continued influence grow in years to come.”
The closing notice is the latest in the annual Broadway...
“Pride massively understates what everyone at Be More Chill feels for this show,” producers Jerry Goerhing and Mike Mitri said in a statement. “Every step in our journey has been special and one-of-a-kind – just like every member of our company, creative team, and crew, and each fan who has supported us. Our time at the Lyceum Theatre has been a true honor and a joy. We are so excited to have been able to touch the hearts of our diverse audiences and hope to watch the show’s continued influence grow in years to come.”
The closing notice is the latest in the annual Broadway...
- 6/21/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The annual post-Tony shake-out of Broadway closings has yet to get underway, but the pre-scheduled departure of Network last week saw the Bryan Cranston starrer set a couple of records on its way out, contributing $1.1M to Broadway’s total weekly $35M gross for Week 2 of the season.
In all, the tally for Week 2 for the 37 productions was $35,439,599, a small 3% bump over the previous week. Attendance held steady at 306,842.
Most productions saw at least some modest increases at the box office in the week leading up to the big night, though whatever boosts from wins or the broadcast performances of musical numbers themselves mightn’t be immediately apparent. The TodayTix ticket-selling platform tells Deadline that Hadestown, The Ferryman and Oklahoma! saw sales boosts on its platform of between 31% and 47% during the Sunday night broadcast on CBS, with more modest but still significant increases the following morning.
In all, the tally for Week 2 for the 37 productions was $35,439,599, a small 3% bump over the previous week. Attendance held steady at 306,842.
Most productions saw at least some modest increases at the box office in the week leading up to the big night, though whatever boosts from wins or the broadcast performances of musical numbers themselves mightn’t be immediately apparent. The TodayTix ticket-selling platform tells Deadline that Hadestown, The Ferryman and Oklahoma! saw sales boosts on its platform of between 31% and 47% during the Sunday night broadcast on CBS, with more modest but still significant increases the following morning.
- 6/10/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Update with George Salazar response James Corden is giving some Be More Chill credit where it’s due.
After drawing some online criticism for not tipping off the national Tony Awards audience that his “James in the Bathroom” comedy number was a takeoff of the song performed by George Salazar in Joe Iconis’ Be More Chill, Corden tweeted a clip of Salazar performing “Michael in the Bathroom,” noting that the song is his favorite of the Broadway season.
“Our song ‘James in the Bathroom’ is a parody of an incredible Joe Iconis song from the musical @BeMoreChill it’s my favourite song of the season and here is the original,” Corden tweeted today.
“James Corden. Classy man. Thanks, sir” Salazar tweeted in response.
James Corden. Classy man. Thanks, sir. https://t.co/ocUPG0cnIv
— George Salazar (@georgesalazar) June 10, 2019
On the CBS broadcast last night, Corden performed a parody version of the song,...
After drawing some online criticism for not tipping off the national Tony Awards audience that his “James in the Bathroom” comedy number was a takeoff of the song performed by George Salazar in Joe Iconis’ Be More Chill, Corden tweeted a clip of Salazar performing “Michael in the Bathroom,” noting that the song is his favorite of the Broadway season.
“Our song ‘James in the Bathroom’ is a parody of an incredible Joe Iconis song from the musical @BeMoreChill it’s my favourite song of the season and here is the original,” Corden tweeted today.
“James Corden. Classy man. Thanks, sir” Salazar tweeted in response.
James Corden. Classy man. Thanks, sir. https://t.co/ocUPG0cnIv
— George Salazar (@georgesalazar) June 10, 2019
On the CBS broadcast last night, Corden performed a parody version of the song,...
- 6/10/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
While the Drama Desk Awards nominate a slew of off-Broadway fare, the winners invariably come from Broadway. That was once again the case on Sunday when all but one of the 16 champs in the musical races were Broadway productions while it was 8 of 12 on the play side.
This love of all things Broadway even extended to “Hadestown,” which was only in contention for new elements such as cast members after having contended here previously for it Off-Broadway run. It won four awards: Director (Rachel Chavkin), Featured Actor in a Musical (Andre De Shields), Lighting Design, and Sound Design.
One of its main rivals for Best Musical at the Tony Awards is “Tootsie,” which claimed victories for Best Actor (Santino Fontana), Book, Music, and Lyrics. But it was another contender, “The Prom,” that swooped in and claimed Best Musical despite losing all of its other bids.
The all Yiddish production of...
This love of all things Broadway even extended to “Hadestown,” which was only in contention for new elements such as cast members after having contended here previously for it Off-Broadway run. It won four awards: Director (Rachel Chavkin), Featured Actor in a Musical (Andre De Shields), Lighting Design, and Sound Design.
One of its main rivals for Best Musical at the Tony Awards is “Tootsie,” which claimed victories for Best Actor (Santino Fontana), Book, Music, and Lyrics. But it was another contender, “The Prom,” that swooped in and claimed Best Musical despite losing all of its other bids.
The all Yiddish production of...
- 6/3/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The winners for the 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced Sunday night with Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman winning for Outstanding Play and The Prom taking home the trophy for Outstanding Musical.
Other big winners for the night included The Waverly Gallery and Fidder on the Roof winning for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Outstanding Revival of a Musical respectively. Dance Nation received a special Ensemble Award while Montana Levi Blanco was honored with the Sam Norkin Award.
The ceremony was hosted by Michael Urie and took place at at The Town Hall in Manhattan. The evening included performances by Drama Desk nominee George Salazar (Be More Chill) who was accompanied by composer/lyricist and Drama Desk nominee Joe Iconis. Other performers included Drama Desk nominees Stacey Sargeant and Andrew R. Butler (Rags Parkland) and Drama Desk and Tony®Award winner Lillias White who sang the In Memoriam.
Other big winners for the night included The Waverly Gallery and Fidder on the Roof winning for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Outstanding Revival of a Musical respectively. Dance Nation received a special Ensemble Award while Montana Levi Blanco was honored with the Sam Norkin Award.
The ceremony was hosted by Michael Urie and took place at at The Town Hall in Manhattan. The evening included performances by Drama Desk nominee George Salazar (Be More Chill) who was accompanied by composer/lyricist and Drama Desk nominee Joe Iconis. Other performers included Drama Desk nominees Stacey Sargeant and Andrew R. Butler (Rags Parkland) and Drama Desk and Tony®Award winner Lillias White who sang the In Memoriam.
- 6/3/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Audiences don’t alway see eye to eye with Tony voters, as we see again in this year’s Audience Choice Awards from Broadway.com. Presented exclusively to Deadline for today’s reveal, the fan-selected top winners are Be More Chill, Pretty Woman and American Son, none of which scored Tony noms for best musical or play.
And Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill A Mockingbird, snubbed by Tony as best play, was named just that by audiences.
This year – the awards’ 20th – Be More Chill tops the list with four awards, including Favorite New Musical, Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical (George Salazar), and – in very non-Tony-like categories, Favorite Funny Performance (Stephanie Hsu) and Favorite Onstage Pair (Will Roland and George Salazar).
Coming in with three awards was Pretty Woman – The Musical: Favorite Leading Actor/Musical (Andy Karl), Favorite Featured Actress/Musical (Orfeh), and, again in a non-Tony-ish achievement,...
And Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill A Mockingbird, snubbed by Tony as best play, was named just that by audiences.
This year – the awards’ 20th – Be More Chill tops the list with four awards, including Favorite New Musical, Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical (George Salazar), and – in very non-Tony-like categories, Favorite Funny Performance (Stephanie Hsu) and Favorite Onstage Pair (Will Roland and George Salazar).
Coming in with three awards was Pretty Woman – The Musical: Favorite Leading Actor/Musical (Andy Karl), Favorite Featured Actress/Musical (Orfeh), and, again in a non-Tony-ish achievement,...
- 5/16/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Dave Bova, whose hair, wig and makeup designs for productions including Be More Chill and 2017’s Sunset Boulevard and M. Butterfly brought a distinctive visual panache to Broadway over the last five years, died yesterday in New York. He was 41.
Details of his death have not been disclosed, but colleagues, friends and the Broadway community expressed their heartbreak on social media.
“The company of Be More Chill expresses its profound sadness about the loss of Dave Bova, our hair, wig and makeup designer. Dave brought such joy to all he met, and we were all so proud to be in his company. Not only was he a master of his craft, he was deeply caring, funny and kind. It’s impossible to think of a world without him. We at Be More Chill promise to keep his legacy alive.”
George Salazar, who plays Michael Mell in Be More Chill, called...
Details of his death have not been disclosed, but colleagues, friends and the Broadway community expressed their heartbreak on social media.
“The company of Be More Chill expresses its profound sadness about the loss of Dave Bova, our hair, wig and makeup designer. Dave brought such joy to all he met, and we were all so proud to be in his company. Not only was he a master of his craft, he was deeply caring, funny and kind. It’s impossible to think of a world without him. We at Be More Chill promise to keep his legacy alive.”
George Salazar, who plays Michael Mell in Be More Chill, called...
- 5/9/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Twenty-four hours haven’t been nearly enough to settle, in my mind anyway, yesterday’s Tony Awards Sorkin Snub, but for the most part, the nominations sit well. Certainly they represent a decent scope of styles and approaches that make for a Broadway inclusive enough to find space for something as quirky (understatement of the day) as Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus and as traditional (if woke) Kiss Me, Kate.
I wrote about the snubs and surprises of the Tony Award nominations yesterday, so today I’ll walk through some random Broadway byways – congratulations, disappointments and shout-outs to performances and productions that didn’t make the Tony cut but merit remembering as this season heads to a close (Tony eligibility is done and dusted; the ceremony is June 9).
Best Musical Of the big, end-of-ceremony categories, this one probably has the least to quibble with, though I will: Be More Chill should have been here.
I wrote about the snubs and surprises of the Tony Award nominations yesterday, so today I’ll walk through some random Broadway byways – congratulations, disappointments and shout-outs to performances and productions that didn’t make the Tony cut but merit remembering as this season heads to a close (Tony eligibility is done and dusted; the ceremony is June 9).
Best Musical Of the big, end-of-ceremony categories, this one probably has the least to quibble with, though I will: Be More Chill should have been here.
- 5/1/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Looking for a handy cheat sheet before entering your predictions for the 2019 Tony Awards nominations? The nominations will be announced on April 30 with the ceremony set for June 9. Take a look at our racetrack odds below for all of the top categories. The predicted winners are indicated in gold.
These official odds for the Tonys are derived from the predictions of our Experts who write about theater year-round, our in-house team of Editors, the Top 24 Users who got the top scores predicting last year’s nominations the All-Star Top 24 who got the highest scores when you combine predictions from the last two years, and all Users who make up the largest (and often savviest) bloc of predictors.
We’re predicting 17 categories. Below, find out who we’re betting on as of this writing. And there’s still time to make or edit your own predictions before the nominations are unveiled on Tuesday morning.
These official odds for the Tonys are derived from the predictions of our Experts who write about theater year-round, our in-house team of Editors, the Top 24 Users who got the top scores predicting last year’s nominations the All-Star Top 24 who got the highest scores when you combine predictions from the last two years, and all Users who make up the largest (and often savviest) bloc of predictors.
We’re predicting 17 categories. Below, find out who we’re betting on as of this writing. And there’s still time to make or edit your own predictions before the nominations are unveiled on Tuesday morning.
- 4/29/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
By now the story of Be More Chill, “Michael in the Bathroom” and George Salazar has entered Broadway lore, so just a quick recap: Joe Iconis’ musical about high school theater geeks, teenage angst and a seductive new pill-sized technology that can turn a kid from nobody to popular in one gulp began its road to Broadway in New Jersey. Or on the internet. Or both.
After a 2015 production at New Jersey’s Two River Theater came and went, its cast album that went viral, with 170 million fans around the world streaming the music. Mostly, at least at first, they streamed “Michael in the Bathroom,” a cri de coeur performed by actor George Salazar as Michael, best friend of Chill‘s lead character Jeremy. Abandoned by his pal after years of us-against-them in the middle-school trenches, Michael takes refuge in a bathroom at a cool-kids party, hiding from the world...
After a 2015 production at New Jersey’s Two River Theater came and went, its cast album that went viral, with 170 million fans around the world streaming the music. Mostly, at least at first, they streamed “Michael in the Bathroom,” a cri de coeur performed by actor George Salazar as Michael, best friend of Chill‘s lead character Jeremy. Abandoned by his pal after years of us-against-them in the middle-school trenches, Michael takes refuge in a bathroom at a cool-kids party, hiding from the world...
- 4/17/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
“Playing the character is literally a dream come true” says George Salazar of his character Michael in “Be More Chill” the new musical from Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz. Salazar’s Michael is the type of nerdy outsider audiences can’t help but root for. The actor sat down to discuss his performance and the show’s long journey to Broadway. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Salazar says that he fell in love with the character immediately because he “saw so much of myself” in Michael. Growing up mixed race, Salazar says “I didn’t see myself represented” in media, but “Be More Chill” has allowed the performer a chance to infuse so much of himself in the character. He admits that its grown to a point where “Michael is kind of like my soul mate.”
The diverse and young crowds at the Lyceum Theatre are incredibly vocal in their love of the show,...
Salazar says that he fell in love with the character immediately because he “saw so much of myself” in Michael. Growing up mixed race, Salazar says “I didn’t see myself represented” in media, but “Be More Chill” has allowed the performer a chance to infuse so much of himself in the character. He admits that its grown to a point where “Michael is kind of like my soul mate.”
The diverse and young crowds at the Lyceum Theatre are incredibly vocal in their love of the show,...
- 4/4/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The Off-Broadway League announced nominations for the 34th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards on April 3rd. As the first nominations announcement of the theatre awards season, several Tony Award hopefuls got an early boost thanks to their previous Off-Broadway incarnations. It’s common for Broadway shows to begin their New York life Off-Broadway before transferring to the Great White Way. Several of this season’s high profile productions followed this trend.
Of the Broadway transfers, “Be More Chill” performed the best with the Lortels. The teen sci-fi musical netted four nominations: Outstanding Musical, Featured Actor in a Musical (George Salazar), Featured Actress in a Musical (Stephanie Hsu), and Projection Design.
This is great news for the hit show. It has a cult teen following, but is narrowly holding onto fourth place in Gold Derby’s combined Tony odds for Best Musical. At the Lortel Awards, “Be More Chill” will have...
Of the Broadway transfers, “Be More Chill” performed the best with the Lortels. The teen sci-fi musical netted four nominations: Outstanding Musical, Featured Actor in a Musical (George Salazar), Featured Actress in a Musical (Stephanie Hsu), and Projection Design.
This is great news for the hit show. It has a cult teen following, but is narrowly holding onto fourth place in Gold Derby’s combined Tony odds for Best Musical. At the Lortel Awards, “Be More Chill” will have...
- 4/3/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Michael did not spend this party in the bathroom.Just last night the company of the cult hit Be More Chill, featuring music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, a book byJoe Tracz , direction by Stephen Brackett and choreography by Chase Brock, celebrated opening night on Broadway. We're taking you inside the festivities with Iconis, Will Roland, George Salazar, Stephanie Hsu, Jason Tam and more below...
- 3/11/2019
- by TV - Opening Night Special
- BroadwayWorld.com
What’s that joyful, rowdy, roof-raising noise shaking things up on Broadway with the highest decibel count around? It’s Be More Chill, a rock-the-house teen musical phenom looking to get in on the action being generated by Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls and The Prom. The strange thing is that Be More Chill almost died in vitro. When the show first tested the waters at a nowhere theater in Jersey four years ago, the critics shot it down. But the bastards couldn’t kill it. When the show moved...
- 3/11/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
To quote a song from the tenacious – and tenaciously enjoyable – Be More Chill, the Joe Iconis-Joe Tracz musical arrives on Broadway with just enough of an “upgrade” from last summer’s Off Broadway staging to fill its new home and the greater expectations that come with the move. The costumes, the scenic design, the projections of computer gimcrackery and video game effects all seem buffed, beglittered and amped up just enough to suit Broadway demands without swamping the heart and humor that caught everyone’s attention in the first place.
By now, you might have heard about Be More Chill, if only for its unusual route to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre (where it opens tonight under the swift and generous direction of Stephen Brackett). Based on a novel by the late Young Adult author Ned Vizzini, Be More Chill first hit the stage at a New Jersey theater...
By now, you might have heard about Be More Chill, if only for its unusual route to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre (where it opens tonight under the swift and generous direction of Stephen Brackett). Based on a novel by the late Young Adult author Ned Vizzini, Be More Chill first hit the stage at a New Jersey theater...
- 3/11/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As we’re now about halfway through the Broadway season, there are currently seven productions of musicals 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 musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast, creative types, the opening, and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Be More Chill” (previews begin February 13; opens March 10)
In this musical adaptation of Ned Vizzini’s 2004 novel of the same name, Jeremy Heere is your average, nothing-special teenager at Middleborough High School in nothing-special New Jersey. That is, until the day he finds out about ‘The Squip.’ Thus begins a journey that pits Jeremy’s desire to be popular against his struggle to remain true to his authentic self.
With a book by Drama Desk nominee Joe Tracz and a score by Joe Iconis, this production is...
“Be More Chill” (previews begin February 13; opens March 10)
In this musical adaptation of Ned Vizzini’s 2004 novel of the same name, Jeremy Heere is your average, nothing-special teenager at Middleborough High School in nothing-special New Jersey. That is, until the day he finds out about ‘The Squip.’ Thus begins a journey that pits Jeremy’s desire to be popular against his struggle to remain true to his authentic self.
With a book by Drama Desk nominee Joe Tracz and a score by Joe Iconis, this production is...
- 2/1/2019
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/24/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/23/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/21/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/20/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/18/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Will Roland, George Salazar and the rest of the popular Be More Chill Off Broadway cast will take the Broadway stage when the Joe Iconis musical hits the Lyceum Theatre in February.
Producers announced today that the entire Off Broadway company will make the previously announced transition to Broadway.
“We are absolutely thrilled that the entire New York premiere company will be making the journey with us to Broadway,” said lead producer Gerald Goehring. “This company has collaborated to bring Joe Iconis’ and Joe Tracz’s beautiful and universal musical to life Off Broadway this summer and we could not have been more thrilled with the outpouring of love we received from our fans around the world. The entire company cannot wait to bring the production to an even greater audience at The Lyceum in the new year.”
Be More Chill will begin previews at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre on Wednesday,...
Producers announced today that the entire Off Broadway company will make the previously announced transition to Broadway.
“We are absolutely thrilled that the entire New York premiere company will be making the journey with us to Broadway,” said lead producer Gerald Goehring. “This company has collaborated to bring Joe Iconis’ and Joe Tracz’s beautiful and universal musical to life Off Broadway this summer and we could not have been more thrilled with the outpouring of love we received from our fans around the world. The entire company cannot wait to bring the production to an even greater audience at The Lyceum in the new year.”
Be More Chill will begin previews at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre on Wednesday,...
- 12/18/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/17/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/16/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/15/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/14/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited the incredible George Salazar to share his favorite holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made his list...
- 12/13/2018
- by George Salazar
- BroadwayWorld.com
Ghostlight Records and Two River Theater will celebrate the vinyl edition of the Be More Chill Original Cast Recording with an exclusive in-store signing and performance at Barnes amp Noble on Thursday, December 6 at 700 Pm. The event will include original cast members featured on the 2015 Two River Theater cast recording Gerard Canonico, Katlyn Carlson, Stephanie Hsu, Lauren Marcus, and George Salazar. Along with Joe Iconis, who wrote the music and lyrics, they will perform musical selections and sign albums.
- 11/20/2018
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
On Broadway and beyond, a curtain can rise as quickly as it can fall; a star can be swapped as easily as Bernie Telsey can say, “That’s enough.” Theater is the beating heart of New York show business and, if you want to make it here, it’s crucial you’re up to date on incoming projects, latest castings, and other industry news. Don’t worry, Broadway baby, Backstage has your back. Every week, we’re rounding up the can’t-miss stories no thespian should live without, so you can focus on important matters like hitting your high F. Curtain up and light those lights! Broadway will get an upgrade.Fans of the musical “Be More Chill” have reason to lose all chill entirely. Just before concluding its sold-out Off-Broadway run on Sept. 30, the megahit announced it will move to Broadway—this season. Previews will begin at the Lyceum...
- 9/6/2018
- backstage.com
Joe Iconis’ Be More Chill – the musical that sold-out its 10-week Off Broadway run after a 2015 cast album went viral – will get its anticipated Broadway run. Performances begin Wednesday Feb. 13, 2019, with an official opening on Sunday, March 10, at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre.
“The fact that I get to make my Broadway debut as a writer surrounded by so many long-time collaborators and beloved friends both on stage and behind the scenes is a literal dream come true,” says Joe Iconis (NBC’s Smash). “Be More Chill has surprised me and Joe Tracz every step of the way and we can’t believe that our celebration of misfits, losers, and underdogs gets to take up residence on 45th Street.”
Be More Chill, features music and lyrics by Iconis and a book by Tracz (Netflix’s Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) based on the cult novel by Ned Vizzini.
“The fact that I get to make my Broadway debut as a writer surrounded by so many long-time collaborators and beloved friends both on stage and behind the scenes is a literal dream come true,” says Joe Iconis (NBC’s Smash). “Be More Chill has surprised me and Joe Tracz every step of the way and we can’t believe that our celebration of misfits, losers, and underdogs gets to take up residence on 45th Street.”
Be More Chill, features music and lyrics by Iconis and a book by Tracz (Netflix’s Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) based on the cult novel by Ned Vizzini.
- 9/6/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Before Be More Chill was an Off-Broadway sensation, actor and singer George Salazar and composer-lyricist-book writer Joe Iconis were close friends. Over the years, Salazar has gotten to sing and even premiere some of Iconis's best work. Recently, Ghostlight Records released Two-player Game, an album that took the pair's sold-out cabaret show at Feinstein's 54 Below and put that concept on an a delightfully entertaining and intoxicatingly fun album.
- 8/15/2018
- by David Clarke
- BroadwayWorld.com
Technology plays a major role onstage in “Be More Chill,” the high school-set musical that uses a brain altering super-computer — masquerading as a popularity drug — as a plot device to poke satirical fun at the all-consuming, all-connecting dangers of faceless social media and needy groupthink.
But tech also played a backstage role in this production of composer Joe Iconis and book-writer Joe Tracz’s musical, now playing Off Broadway after a brief 2015 run at New Jersey’s Two River Theater. What Jersey couldn’t do for Iconis’ 80s New Wave-ish musical score, the internet has made up for. Its electro pop-inspired tunes (think “Stranger Things” with a hammily melodic Broadway through line) went viral, racking up 150 million+ streams in the United States alone, to say nothing of the fan art shared from Japan to New Jersey. Given the might of the meme, commercial producers took a chance on “Chill.”
But...
But tech also played a backstage role in this production of composer Joe Iconis and book-writer Joe Tracz’s musical, now playing Off Broadway after a brief 2015 run at New Jersey’s Two River Theater. What Jersey couldn’t do for Iconis’ 80s New Wave-ish musical score, the internet has made up for. Its electro pop-inspired tunes (think “Stranger Things” with a hammily melodic Broadway through line) went viral, racking up 150 million+ streams in the United States alone, to say nothing of the fan art shared from Japan to New Jersey. Given the might of the meme, commercial producers took a chance on “Chill.”
But...
- 8/10/2018
- by A.D. Amorosi
- Variety Film + TV
Ilana Levine sat down with Be More Chill composer Joe Iconis, producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper and co-stars Lauren Marcus and George Salazar this past Sunday afternoon at Subculture to discuss this summer's hotly anticipated off-Broadway musical. Little known facts were revealed about the upcoming off-Broadway production and the real side of what it is to pursue a career in the arts. After the talk, there was live performance of songs from the musical as well as a QampA session. The afternoon was co-produced by Ilana Levine and John Zeitoun.
- 6/4/2018
- by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
- BroadwayWorld.com
Ilana Levine will sit down with Be More Chill composer Joe Iconis, co-producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper and co-stars Lauren Marcus and George Salazar this Sunday afternoon at Subculture to discuss this summer's hotly anticipated off-Broadway musical. This Sunday at 3pm, little known facts will be revealed about the upcoming off-Broadway production and the real side of what it is to pursue a career in the arts. After the talk, fans can expect a live performance of songs from the musical as well as a QampA session. The afternoon is co-produced by Ilana Levine and John Zeitoun.
- 5/30/2018
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Matthew Morrison, Rachel Bloom, Wayne Brady and cast members of Hamilton, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and The Band’s Visit will be among the Broadway and TV performers in a one-night-only Florida benefit concert for victims and survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Some of the songs have been written by Msd students in collaboration with pro composers.
From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Parkland, USA, announced today, is set for Monday, April 16 at the Bb&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The benefit follows similar From Broadway With Love concerts held after the Pulse nightclub and Sandy Hook shootings.
This time, though, the concert will include some songs that were written by Stoneman Douglas students in collaboration with such pro composers as Joe Iconis, Bobby Cronin, Zoe Sarnak and Drew Gasparini. Additional songs were written solely by the students.
Also planned is a special performance by the...
From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Parkland, USA, announced today, is set for Monday, April 16 at the Bb&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The benefit follows similar From Broadway With Love concerts held after the Pulse nightclub and Sandy Hook shootings.
This time, though, the concert will include some songs that were written by Stoneman Douglas students in collaboration with such pro composers as Joe Iconis, Bobby Cronin, Zoe Sarnak and Drew Gasparini. Additional songs were written solely by the students.
Also planned is a special performance by the...
- 4/3/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Bobby Darin was the most captivating and versatile entertainer of his time, a singersongwriterarranger who effortlessly bridged the gap between rock 'n' roll, sophisticated nightclub swing, and folk. Lyrics amp Lyricists' 2018 season kicks off with a celebration of Darin's life and improbable career in The Bobby Darin Story, with Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff Hamilton, David Pittu The Front Page, George Salazar Here Lies Love, Elena Shaddow The Visit and Stephanie Styles Roman Holiday Shn San Francisco. LampL producer Ted Chapin wrote the script and helms the creative team of director Alex Timbers, and music directors Andy Einhorn and Andrew Resnick, with musical staging by Chase Brock.
- 1/4/2018
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
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