Broadway news stories on Newser

The Real Tribute to Great Theater: a Seated Ovation

Matt Cantor — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:33:05 CDT

At one time, a standing ovation may have meant something—but lately, you can hardly go to a Broadway show without being forced to join in one. Almost every show "ends with people jumping to their feet and beating their flippers together like captive sea lions when the zookeeper arrives...

Candace Bergen Had Secret Stroke

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:30:00 CDT

Murphy Brown and Boston Legal star Candace Bergen very quietly had a stroke six years ago. She returned to work just two weeks later, but her memory is still "not quite the same," the actress reveals in a surprising New York Magazine interview. Bergen, now 65, is reluctant to discuss...

Broadway's Most Expensive Flop Is Back

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:01:09 CST

When the musical Carrie had a sudden early death on Broadway in 1988, few were as unhappy as three men who worked hard to give it life. Lawrence D. Cohen, Michael Gore, and Dean Pitchford, who wrote the script, music, and lyrics, clearly were not happy with the final product,...

Coming Soon: Austin Powers , the Musical

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:16:05 CST

Austin Powers on Broadway? Yeah, baby! A source tells the New York Post that Mike Myers is in talks to turn the spy-spoof franchise into a "musical stage show." Though Myers will be "heavily involved" in writing it, he won't star in it, the source says—"even though he has...

Fired Director Sues Spider-Man Show Bosses

Matt Cantor — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:21:41 CST

More drama behind the curtains for Broadway’s Spider-Man : Former director Julie Taymor is suing the show’s producers over what she says is a lack of compensation for her creative work. “The producers' actions have left her no choice but to resort to legal recourse to protect her rights,” her attorney...

How Spider-Man Spent $75M

Matt Cantor — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:17:45 CDT

Amid injuries, delays, and firings, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has managed to eat through $75 million, New York state financial statements reveal. To put that in perspective: The play The Book of Mormon cost $9 million, reports the New York Times . Here’s where some of the money—and time—...

Spidey Musical Finally Opens

Rob Quinn — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:13:06 CDT

After multiple delays, a record-breaking 183 preview performances, and so many mishaps that "troubled" seemed like part of its name, the Spider-Man musical officially opened on Broadway Tuesday night. True to form, the curtain rose for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark almost an hour later than scheduled, the Wall Street...

Broadway's Spider-Man Flies Again

Thu, 12 May 2011 08:57:02 CDT

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark , Broadway's most expensive and audacious show, flies back into action tonight—with what the creative team and producers say is a cleaner story and has tighter music. The $70 million musical emerges from a three-week hiatus with most of the cast intact, but minus Julie...

West Side Story Playwright Dead at 93

Rob Quinn — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:30:00 CDT

Arthur Laurents, writer of landmark Broadway musicals including West Side Story and Gypsy , has died at his Manhattan home at the age of 93. Laurents' career as a playwright spanned seven decades. He also enjoyed success as a director and as screenwriter of movie classics including Rope and The Way...