Hugh Jackman

 

“Hugh Jackman Talks Taking Zoom Dance Classes in Preparation For The Music Man” by BroadwayWorld – “Hugh Jackman recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Jackman revealed that he has been taking the Zoom dance classes offered by the Broadway Dance Center. “I gotta say, sometimes it’s humiliating because there’ll be like 70 people in the class,” Jackman said. “I don’t have my [webcam] on, obviously, but I do look and it’s just basically 68 of them are teenage girls, and me. And I think, ‘Is this weird? This is weird.'”” http://bway.ly/kxut9g


Red Bull Theater
 announced that their 2020-21 season will kick off on September 14 with the one-night-only benefit reunion reading of Red Bull’s production of The Revenger’s Tragedy, featuring members of the cast of the 2005 Off-Broadway production. The online reading will be directed by Jesse Berger.

 

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is proud to present a benefit concert of SOLDIERGIRLS, a new two-person musical with book and lyrics by Em Weinstein and music by Emily Johnson-ErdaySOLDIERGIRLS uses real letters and a collage of found and original text to look at love, liberation, and lesbianism in the Women’s Army Corps in World War II. This free online benefit will raise money for SPART*A (Service Members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All) and will take place on Monday, August 31st at 7pm ET. Online reservations are encouraged. Please visit www.soldiergirls.org for more information.

“Broadway productions in Branson? A rapidly growing Facebook group is working on opening doors” by Branson TriLakes News’ Cliff Sain – “Bring Broadway to Branson has established committees, has had discussions with a Broadway booking agent to find out what needs to happen, and they think they even have a theater lined up.” http://bway.ly/25tbk4

“OP ED: The back-to-school plan that serves children AND breathes life into Broadway” by W42St’s Julie Ridge – “Instead of cramming [students] into our traditional schoolrooms, some here, some there, we must find other spaces. … Broadway houses and performance centers have excellent ventilation, high ceilings, stage space, lobby space, shop spaces downstairs. These spaces could become home to thousands of students.” http://bway.ly/sbk6pg

“Goodman Theatre announces changed 2021 season, still including pre-Broadway ‘The Outsiders'” by The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones – “Chicago’s Goodman Theatre has announced plans for an eight-show season that the theater now hopes to complete within the first eight months of 2021. … The Goodman is not saying when any of these shows will be produced, nor even in what order … ” http://bway.ly/bap268

“Arena Stage’s Playwrights’ Arena Program Features Partnerships With Howard and Georgetown Universities” by Playbill’s Andrew Gans – “Students and alumni from each university will participate in the year-long artistic initiative.” http://bway.ly/u9xt8j

ACROSS THE POND:
“The Tour Is Off, but That Won’t Keep ‘Romantics’ Apart”
 by The New York Times’ Eric Grode – “Almost six months later, “Romantics Anonymous” is on the road again. Sort of. But instead of the production traveling to its original tour destinations of Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, S.C., audiences in those cities and others will take turns coming to the Bristol Old Vic in England — virtually — over five consecutive nights.” http://bway.ly/ycrafs

 

Beverley Knight (Getty Images)

“The Drifters Girl, Starring Beverley Knight, Shifts London Premiere to 2021” by Broadway.com‘s Lindsey Sullivan – “The Drifters Girl musical … will now start performances on October 9, 2021. … The production … will then transfer to the Garrick Theatre beginning on November 4 with opening night set for November 25.” http://bway.ly/2w4o4o

“As UK Actors Return To Work, What Are Equity’s Guidelines?” by Backstage’s Laurence Cook – “The union warns: “Ultimately, only you can decide whether you will return to the workplace taking into consideration the health and safety measures put in place by the production and the risks to your own health that returning to work entails.”

 

EVENT: “Final Casting Announced for Playbill’s Women in Theatre: A Centennial Celebration” by Playbill’s Ruthie Fierberg – “Ashley Park, Jacqueline B. Arnold, and Alysha Umphress join the ranks of the not-to-miss evening; plus the debut of a new song from the creators of SIX and sneak peeks at new musicals Jeannette and Gun & Powder.” http://bway.ly/n0igy5

FILM: “Upcoming Cinderella Movie, Featuring Billy Porter and Idina Menzel, Resumes Production in the U.K.” by Playbill’s Ryan McPhee – http://bway.ly/32uwmf

TV: “Netflix Karaoke Competition Show ‘Sing On!,’ With Host Tituss Burgess, to Premiere in September” by Variety’s Kate Aurthur – “The eight-episode show … will premiere on Sept. 16.” http://bway.ly/synaq4

ONLINE:
— “Marc Shaiman, Nikki Blonsky and More Join Hairspray Night on Billy Masters Live” 
by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/0nd34s
— “Annaleigh Ashford and Deedee Magno Hall to Join E-Ticket to Broadway and Mamas Talkin’ Loud Special Live Edition” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/zfhsjx

 ‘Diana: A New Musical’ hits Netflix before Broadway — and the old walls between screen and theater tumble” by The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones – “Assuming the Netflix streaming reaches a large audience, there could be a groundswell of popular opinion mounting for the show in advance of its actual live opening night. … For the first time in Broadway history, a review of a new musical will land in an environment where hundreds of thousands of people already will have seen the show.” http://bway.ly/zqrfbr