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Legendary broadway icon passes away

<p>Iconic Broadway performer Chita Rivera has passed away at the age of 91. </p> <p>The dynamic dancer, singer and actress scored two Tony awards throughout her career, while blazing a trail for Latin American artists to shine on stage. </p> <p>On Wednesday morning, Rivera's daughter Lisa Mordente confirmed the news of her passing, sharing that her mother had died in New York after a brief illness. </p> <p>Rivera's representative Merle Frimark also shared a statement about her death, writing, "It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved Broadway icon Chita Rivera. My dear friend of over 40 years was 91."</p> <p>"She is also survived by her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero, (her older sister Carmen predeceased her), along with her many nieces, nephews and friends."</p> <p>"Her funeral will be private. A memorial service will be announced in due course."</p> <p>Rivera's breakout role came in 1957 as she starred as Anita in the original production of <em>West Side Story</em>, and she stayed performing in a multitude of roles until 2015.</p> <p>Chita starred in Broadway shows such as <em>Bye Bye Birdie</em>, <em>Chicago</em>, <em>Merlin</em>, <em>Jerry's Girls</em>, <em>Nine</em>, and many more. </p> <p>She also released two solo albums during her career, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former US president Barack Obama.</p> <p>Rivera won Tonys for <em>The Rink</em> in 1984 and <em>Kiss of the Spider Woman</em> in 1993, and when accepting a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018, she said, "I wouldn't trade my life in the theatre for anything, because theatre is life."</p> <p>In 2015, she told <em>The Associated Press</em>, "I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't moving or telling a story to you or singing a song." </p> <p>"That's the spirit of my life, and I'm really so lucky to be able to do what I love, even at this time in my life."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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"OMG that's Nicole Kidman!": Magic moment at Hugh Jackman's Broadway fundraiser

<p dir="ltr">Nicole Kidman surprised fans when she appeared at fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman’s Broadway show. </p> <p dir="ltr">The actress attended New York's The Winter Garden Theatre to watch Hugh’s <em>The Music Man</em> show and was ready to dig deep into her pockets to support a charity. </p> <p dir="ltr">During a break in the show, Hugh came back on stage and announced that he will be auctioning off his signed hat.</p> <p dir="ltr">The winning bidder will see their proceeds going to Broadway Cares – a nonprofit US organisation that helps provide medicine, health care, and meals to those in need. </p> <p dir="ltr">As the bidding started, Nicole could be heard offering a huge US$100,000 (AU$150,000) for the hat and was met with cheering from the crowd. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CldqPWVOr1z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CldqPWVOr1z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Nicole won the bid and made her way to the stage as the crowd applauded her generosity. </p> <p dir="ltr">Later on Instagram, Hugh thanked her for her generosity in a post that showed him handing over the hat to her. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The generosity and love emanating from @nicolekidman leaves me speechless. Thank you Nic for your friendship and support! @musicmanbway @nicholastheward @bcefa,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">She replied: “Darling Hugh, To my friend of 30 years. Right back at you such a generous gorgeous man, it was a brilliant night in the theatre and an honor to be able to donate to @bcefa! + Congratulations to the talented cast.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Check out the amazing moment in full <a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/nicole-kidman-hugh-jackman-the-music-man-broadway-show-bids-150000-for-hat/5d6a88fc-a056-4d33-9a66-a66e41c3ddb9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Critics slam new “sanitised” Michael Jackson musical

<p dir="ltr">Theatre critics have slammed the new Michael Jackson musical that hit Broadway this year for its blatant “sanitisation” of child abuse allegations against the late popstar. </p><p dir="ltr">The musical, called <em>MJ</em>, documents Michael as he prepared for his four-continent Dangerous Tour of 1992, while also dealing with an MTV documentary crew who filmed his incessant rehearsals. </p><p dir="ltr">Throughout the musical, fans get glimpses into the artist's life, with flashbacks to his time in the Jackson Five and his difficult upbringing. </p><p dir="ltr"><em>MJ</em> was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, and was produced by Jackson's estate with an apparent promise not to mention the young boys who accused the star of sexually harassing them, despite taking place just one year before the first allegation came out. </p><p dir="ltr">The musical debuted on Broadway recently, with Michael’s three children Paris, 23, Prince, 24, and Prince Michael “Bigi” Jackson, 19, in the audience. </p><p dir="ltr">Critics at the show’s opening night rallied against the musical, noting that the show attempts to separate the art from the artist, while conveniently ignoring the child sex abuse allegations that overshadowed Jackson's career.  </p><p dir="ltr">Many of the reviews, including one for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/theater/mj-musical-review.html">New York Times</a>, mentioned the fact that Jackson's estate were involved in producing what was essentially an 'authorised autobiography', which is why the story featured such watered-down references.</p><p dir="ltr">The review, written by Jesse Green, says, “In this, <em>MJ</em> is trying to have it both ways. It wants to blame everything sad and weird about Jackson on others… but credit him alone for his every good deed and success.”</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Remembering Zoe Caldwell

<p>Australian-born stage, TV and film star Zoe Caldwell has died.</p> <p>Her son Charlie Whitehead said she died of Parkinson’s disease complications on Sunday at her home in New York. She was 86.</p> <p>The veteran actress won four lead actress Tony Awards spanning 30 years from the plays <em><span>The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie</span></em><span> (1968), <em>Slapstick Tragedy </em>(1966), <em>Madea </em>(1982) and <em>Master Class</em> (1996).</span></p> <p>Caldwell was born in Melbourne on September 14, 1933. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959 and made her Broadway debut in 1965 as a replacement player in <em>The Devils</em>.</p> <p>One of her most famous roles is as the opera great Maria Callas in <em>Master Class</em>. From 1995 to 1997, the show played nearly 600 performances at the John Golden Theatre.</p> <p>Caldwell also starred in a number of films, including Disney’s <em>Lilo &amp; Stitch </em>and romantic fantasy <em>The Purple Rose of Cairo</em>.</p> <p>In 2001, Caldwell published her memoir <em>I Will Be Cleopatra</em>, which detailed her journey as an aspiring actor to achieve the role of the Egyptian ruler opposite Christopher Plummer in the 1967 production of <span>Shakespeare’s <em>Antony and Cleopatra</em>.</span></p> <p>She is survived by two sons, Sam and Charlie Whitehead, and grandchildren Ross and Ward Whitehead.</p>

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Princess Diana brought to life in new Broadway musical

<p>A new musical about the late Princess Diana is currently in the works with performances taking place in March 2020. The director, Christopher Ashley, won a Tony Award for his work on<span> </span><em>Come From Away</em><span> </span>with the show’s music and book written by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, who won a Tony for Memphis in 2010.</p> <p>Diana will be played by Jeanna de Waal.</p> <p>“To bring Diana to life onstage is obviously a huge privilege,” said de Waal of the role, as reported by<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.marieclaire.com.au/" target="_blank"><em>Marie Claire</em></a>. “I feel very daunted by the prospect, but I hope people who didn’t know about her and weren’t aware of her journey leave the theatre with an idea of what she did for the world. She made everyone feel special, from the highest person to the lowest-ranking person, and I think we want to celebrate her.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1E_xUUnIr8/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1E_xUUnIr8/" target="_blank">A post shared by kembricistan (@kembricistan)</a> on Aug 12, 2019 at 1:54pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>There will be 23 songs featured throughout the show, with one of them being “<em>A Pretty Girl in a Pretty Dress</em>,” which will seemingly reference Diana’s famous “revenge dress” – a black, off-the-shoulder Christina Stambolian gown that she wore while attending the Serpentine Gallery summer party in 1994.</p> <p>The Princess wore the jaw-dropping ensemble the same night Prince Charles confessed to having an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles in a televised documentary.</p> <p>DiPietro, who took great interest in Tina Brown’s book<span> </span><em>The Diana Chronicles</em><span> </span>told the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/" target="_blank"><em>Post</em></a><span> </span>that “(Diana) was a blue blood, she was beautiful, and she was a virgin, which was hard to find in 1980s London.”</p> <p>The musical is said to focus on Diana’s life, with her tragic death being referenced in an epilogue.</p> <p>Performances will begin on March 2, 2020 at the Longacre Theatre in New York.</p>

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Bette Midler breaks Broadway record

<p>A new revival of <em>Hello, Dolly!</em> starring Bette Midler has broken a Broadway record for highest first-day ticket sales.</p> <p>More than $9.08m (£6.96m) was spent in the first day of ticket sales for the show which will open at New York's Shubert Theatre in April.</p> <p>Midler tweeted, “Wow!” when she learned of the new record. 70-year-old Midler will play the lead role of Dolly Gallagher Levi, an outspoken widow who makes her living in 1890s New York by matchmaking wealthy clients.</p> <p>Ever since <em>Hello, Dolly!</em> first opened on Broadway in 1964, with Carol Channing in the lead role, it has been a hit. At the time, it was the longest-running production in the history of Broadway musicals. Give years later, Barbra Streisand starred in a movie version, which went on to win three Oscars.</p> <p>Philip J Smith, chairman of the Shubert Organisation, released a statement saying he was "thrilled with the tremendous response".</p> <p>"The combination of this show and Bette Midler has proven irresistible to theatregoers,” it read.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/2016/07/12-iconic-roles-almost-given-to-others/"><em>12 iconic movie roles almost given to other actors</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/2016/07/7-actors-who-got-their-big-break-later-in-life/"><em>7 actors who got their big break later in life</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/2016/07/what-10-stars-looked-like-when-they-were-young/"><em>What 10 stars looked like when they were young</em></a></strong></span></p>

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Wicked movie gets 2019 release date

<p>Musical lovers, rejoice. One of the most popular Broadway productions in recent history is coming to the big screen – <em>Wicked</em>.</p> <p>Since its first show in 2003, <em>Wicked</em> has run more than 5,300 shows, won 3 Tony Awards, and was the fastest Broadway musical in history to earn $1 billion. It should come as no surprise that film executives have been fighting it out to bring the hit production to the big screen, and Universal Pictures have announced they’ll finally be doing just that – on 20 December 2019.</p> <p><em>Billy Elliot</em> director Stephen Daldry is up for the challenge of bringing Wicked to the silver screen, with Gregory Maguire (author of the book from which <em>Wicked</em> is adapted) and the musical’s composer and lyricist, Steven Schwartz, will be writing the screenplay.</p> <p>So far there’s no news as to who will play the leads in the <em>Wizard of Oz</em> prequel, but original cast member Idina Menzel (who played Elphaba) says as much as she would love to be involved in the film, it’s probably not realistic. “I’m gonna be way too old by the time [producer Marc Platt] gets it done,” she told the media at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. “Unless he CGI’s it, and he knows how I feel about that – I really want him to do that.”</p> <p>If past Broadway-to-big-screen adaptations are anything to go by, <em>Wicked</em> is set to be a blockbuster. To date <em>Mamma Mia</em> is the highest-earning adaptation, raking in more than US$600 million in 2008.</p> <p>Who would you like to see in the roles of Elphaba and Glinda? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/06/favourite-musical-films/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Our favourite musical films</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/05/highest-earning-films-of-all-time/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Highest-earning films of all time</em></span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/05/8-classic-films-getting-remakes/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 classic films getting remakes</strong></em></span></a></p>

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