All articles tagged with #theatre
Broadway-bound musical adaptation of the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You features music/lyrics by Carly Rae Jepsen and Ethan Gruska and a book by Lena Dunham and Jessica Huang, with Christopher Wheeldon directing and choreographing; performances begin August 17, 2027, with casting and theater to be announced.
Disney’s The Greatest Showman stage musical will open in spring 2027 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London’s West End under director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw, with much of the Bristol Hippodrome cast returning (including Oliver Tompsett as P.T. Barnum and Samantha Barks as Charity Barnum). The show is adapted from the 2017 film with a book by Tim Federle and a score by Pasek and Paul, plus new material, produced by Disney Theatrical Group alongside The Seelig Group after a sell-out UK premiere earlier this year.
The Royal Shakespeare Company opens Game of Thrones: The Mad King in Stratford-upon-Avon, a 3h45m stage epic with a 36-strong cast featuring younger versions of Ned Stark, Lyanna Stark, Rhaegar Targaryen and Aerys II; George RR Martin was closely involved and attended the premiere. Critics broadly praise the spectacle (Telegraph, Guardian) but are mixed on pacing and dramatic poetry (Times), with some saying it works best for hardcore fans. The production aims to echo Shakespearean history and could extend beyond Stratford if successful.
Anonymous threatening texts that led Essex Community Players to cancel its Rocky Horror Show were traced to the production’s musical director, Kenneth Grenier, who admitted creating a self-sent account to justify stepping away from the show due to tensions with the cast. He received a misdemeanor citation for false reports, and the case is being handled by the Chittenden County Community Justice Center. The troupe plans a new show in October: Crime and Punishment, A Comedy.
Ariana Grande says she will step back from public-facing work after finishing her Eternal Sunshine Tour due to endless scrutiny, pulling out of the 2027 Barbican revival of Sunday in the Park With George where her role will be recast; the tour will finish as planned and Grande will take a much-deserved break from public life.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Game of Thrones, The Mad King, finally opened previews in Stratford-upon-Avon, earning a standing ovation after last-minute cancellations earlier in the week; director Dominic Cooke noted it’s a world premiere and previews may pause for technical issues, but the four-hour performance ran without unscheduled stops, with extra showings added and the official opening slated for August 8 as audiences, including travelers from abroad, await the full run.
Purple Rain, Prince’s 1984 film and album, is heading to Broadway in 2027 with previews starting March 12 and opening night April 12 at the Majestic Theatre. The adaptation features more than 20 Prince hits, with a book by Peter Duchan, directed by Saheem Ali, and music supervision by Jason Michael Webb, with Ebony Williams as choreographer. Cast for the Broadway transfer has not yet been announced, following a Minneapolis run that helped develop the production.
José Iglesias, the MLB star and Latin pop artist known as Candelita, will make his Broadway debut as the Narrator in the Tony- and Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club for six weeks beginning August 27. The show, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, chronicles the Cuban band’s rise and revival of Cuban music; it runs 2 hours 10 minutes with one intermission and tickets start at $64. Iglesias, who has played for several MLB teams and recorded the song “OMG,” says this is a dream and will be the first Latino MLB player to perform on Broadway, as the production continues its celebrated Broadway run following its 2025 Tony success.
IndieWire reviews Hadestown: The Musical as a filmed recording of the Broadway/West End production, captured from multiple performances with the original cast. While the on-screen version can’t fully recreate the live energy, it faithfully translates Anaïs Mitchell’s jazz-infused score and the show’s intimate industrial-meets-grotesque world, anchored by standout turns from André de Shields, Patrick Page, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada, and Reeve Carney. Directed for the screen by Brett Sullivan, the film offers close-ups and a clear sense of the stage’s atmosphere, arriving as a one-week theatrical release on July 24 and earning a solid B grade for its resonant storytelling and resilience in dark times.
After Cats: The Jellicle Ball closes on Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber warns that Broadway’s musical economy is in crisis due to mounting production costs, investor concerns and thin returns for new works, urging industry-wide action to preserve a future for bold theatre. Jellicle Ball had strong reviews and initial grosses (roughly $900k–$1M/week) but slumped after losing the Best Revival Tony to Ragtime; six originals debuted on Broadway last season, far fewer than in prior years. Lloyd Webber says he may bring Evita to Broadway next spring but remains wary about mounting new shows like The Illusionist, underscoring that Broadway must nurture new and daring work rather than rely on old hits.
Paddington: The Musical is headed to Broadway in spring 2027, opening at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre after Moulin Rouge’s seven-year run. Originating in London’s West End, the show features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard, telling Paddington’s London adventures with the Browns and a theme of home and belonging. Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley call it a joyful theatrical journey, with StudioCanal co-producing.
Paddington The Musical will transfer from London's West End to Broadway, opening March 30, 2027 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (Moulin Rouge! is there through August 30) with opening night on April 18. Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL, and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK, the show reunites its West End team under director Luke Sheppard, featuring a high-tech robotic puppet for Paddington. Casting is to be announced. The production followed a seven-Olivier Award win in London.
London’s Paddington: The Musical is heading to Broadway, opening March 30 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, after sweeping Olivier Awards; the show, based on A Bear Called Paddington, has a book by Jessica Swale and music/lyrics by Tom Fletcher; Broadway casting has not yet been announced; tickets start at $69, with the London run continuing through February 2028.
A cat wandered onstage during the Romeo and Juliet ballet in Izmir, Turkey, interrupting the tragic finale as Romeo had just died; the feline bit and scratched the dancer, Juliet dragged Romeo away, and the cat then peered from a table before leaving—production officials haven’t commented and it’s unclear if the cat will return.
Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson-starred The Fear of 13 has shortened its Broadway run, with the final two weeks removed from sale and the last performance moved up to June 28; the production, despite its cast, received two Tony nominations (Best Lighting Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Play) but did not win, losing those categories to Death of a Salesman.