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Turns out that there’s a second act to Shia LaBeouf’s abrupt departure from the Broadway show Orphans – and it’s playing out on Twitter.
Yesterday, producers announced that LaBeouf was leaving the play due to “creative differences.” According to the Transformers star, though, that was far from the whole story. Last night, he took to his Twitter page to prove what “creative differences” really means.
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Did you hear the people singing yesterday? To be fair, it was mostly the screams of excited Les Misérables fans when they heard the show was coming back to Broadway, set for a new opening in March 2014. Details right now are scarce – although we do know that the new production will be based on the current West End revival of the piece, which contains slightly different staging and other adjustments.
As for casting, it’s too early in the game for official announcements – which is where the fun comes in. Below, see some dream picks for all the big roles when the show hits Broadway next year. Because this production is obviously happening in part because of renewed interest because of the Oscar-nominated movie, the film cast (and the publicity they would bring) seem obvious choices. But for this (day)dream I dreamed, let’s assume that the stars of the film are all Les Mis’d out (no matter how much Anne Hathaway may want a Tony), and it is other performers’ moment. See some of our picks below, and then add your own. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Shia LaBeouf is leaving the Broadway production of Orphans, citing “creative differences.” LaBeouf was supposed to play the role of Treat, one of two poor Philadelphia brothers who plan to kidnap a wealthy man. Tom Sturridge and Alec Baldwin are also attached to the production, which was written by Lyle Kessler in 1983 and is being directed by Daniel Sullivan.
Despite the departure, previews for the show are still scheduled to start on March 19, and opening night is April 7 at the Schoenfeld Theatre.
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‘Glee’ star Jane Lynch to make Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’
Cheerios, rejoice! Jane Lynch, who won an Emmy as sharp-tongued cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Fox’s Glee, will make her Broadway debut this spring in the hit musical revival of Annie. The role seems like a perfect fit for the star: Miss Hannigan, the drunken and scheming head of young Annie’s orphanage who melodically complains about being surrounded by “little girls.” Lynch, an Illinois native who got her start in theater at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Second City, will appear in the musical for eight weeks only, from May 16 through July 14. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Michael Le Poer Trench
Cameron Mackintosh has re-imagined the beloved musical again – this time for its original home on the stage. Mackintosh produced the original stage version of Les Misérables and served as co-producer of this year’s Oscar-nominated film version.
The new vision of the show is based on paintings by Victor Hugo, said Mackintosh in a release. Photos show a use of light and drama that will give the familiar show a new flavor. The new stage version will open on Broadway in March 2014. A specific theater has not yet been determined, but producers said it will be at a Shubert-owned venue.
The original production is in its 28th year in London, where it has has moved to three different theaters. It holds the record as the world’s longest running musical, and is the fourth-longest running Broadway production of all time. Adapted in 22 languages, the musical has been seen in 42 countries, with celebrations for its 10th and 25th Anniversaries.
The 2012 film version, which has won four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and is nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, has proven that the familiar story resonates with audiences today, and the play’s return to Broadway will surely be met with excitement.
As the play continues to garner more popularity, perhaps the classic novel has joined the ranks of Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and it’s time to make some loosely-based adaptations. A story about poverty-stricken students in the modern age who strike against their unlucky lot in life would certainly work in a contemporary re-telling. Love triangles work in any era. Would it be blasphemy to take Valjean and put him in the 1960′s? To see some creative liberty taken with the story might be a welcome surprise.
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Back in November of 2011, Page 6 reported that Scarlett Johansson had auditioned for the role of Eponine in Tom Hooper’s then-upcoming movie musical version of Les Misérables. As it turns out, Johansson was actually up for the part of Fantine, the disgraced factory worker who sings the heart-wrenching ballad “I Dreamed a Dream” — a part that ultimately went to Oscar-nominee Anne Hathaway.
And according to Johansson, that’s exactly what should have happened. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Joan Marcus
It’s hard to believe that Tom Hanks has never been on Broadway before. But the two-time Oscar winner will make his debut this spring in Lucky Guy, a new play by Nora Ephron, the late writer-director of two of his biggest box office hits (Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail). And this is no one-man vanity project, as you can see from this exclusive first photo from the production, which begins previews March 1 before an official opening April 1 under the direction of two-time Tony winner George C. Wolfe. READ FULL STORY »
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The rhythm is going to get Broadway!
The Nederlander Organization and Estefan Enterprises announced today that Latin music legend Gloria Estefan and her husband of nearly 35 years, 19-time Grammy winner Emilio, are developing a musical based on their life stories. Bernie Yuman, producer and manager of Siegfried & Roy’s long-running Las Vegas magic show, will also produce the Estefan’s show. The title, creative team, and more details have yet to be announced.
“We are very excited to share this story, which is based on hope, determination and the belief that with hard work and passion, our dreams can become our reality,” Gloria and Emilio Estefan said in a joint statement. “Our music has been a true reflection of who we are, where we came from and the journey that has brought us to where we are today…Sharing our life story through music will give us a new opportunity to honor our roots and, hopefully, to be able to inspire generations to come.” Not to mention lead a conga line down the Great White Way each night.
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Image Credit: Joan Marcus
Heading into its final week on Broadway, The Heiress is emerging as a surprising box office hit. Producers of the drama revival starring Jessica Chastain and Dan Stevens announced that the show should recoup its investment before the final performance this Saturday. Ever since Chastain won the Golden Globe last month for Zero Dark Thirty, ticket sales have spiked. According to the Broadway League, the show had its best-ever grosses for the week ending Feb. 3: $673,973, a 11 percent gain from the previous week and 71 percent of the potential earnings for the Walter Kerr Theatre. (Perhaps Chastain should have her three-legged dog, Chaplin, make more impromptu cameos in the production to boost sales even more.)
READ FULL STORY »
Not only is Alan Cumming hitting the Broadway stage in the latest production of Macbeth, but he’s doing it alone.
For only 73 performances, Cumming will star in a one-man version of the Shakespearean drama, in which he plays a patient in a psychiatric unit. The Tony Award winner then proceeds to inhabit every part within the play. Directed by Tony Award winners John Tiffany and Andrew Goldberg, Cumming’s Macbeth is coming to Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theater from April 7 through June 30 after successful stints at the National Theatre of Scotland and the Lincoln Center Festival.
“Performing Macbeth last year was the most challenging and fulfilling experience of my career by far, and so I am both honored and daunted to do it again in my adopted hometown of New York City,” Cumming said in a press release.
The play’s opening night is Sunday, April 21.
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