The Happy Time

“John Adams is a debut role for me. I love his passion.  He is the central catalytic force in the entire drama. He has dedicated his life to God, country, and family in that order.  He’s been toiling in the Continental Congress for years now, and he just wants to get the job [independence] done and go home to his family.” Actor James Patterson is speaking enthusiastically about the challenge of playing the Founding Father from Massachusetts in Maine State Music Theatre’s new production of 1776, created for America’s 250thanniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, that begins its run at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick, Maine on June 24th.

The 79th Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday, June 7, 2026. It's the biggest awards show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. Which Best Musical and Best Play nominees will take home the ultimate prize?

Premiere Stages at Kean University announced its 2026 season, featuring three full productions including MALA ARIA, the 2025 Play Festival winner, and the New Jersey premiere of FLAWLESS, a cautionary tale about AI and creativity.

The 2026 Tony nominees are already winners... literally. For some, this marks their first nomination, but others have already won Tony Awards in seasons past. We took a look at which nominees have won at least a Tony or two (or four!) - amongst them, they've gathered a total 64 awards.

Martin Short has his sights set on returning to Broadway, and he may be bringing Meryl Streep with him! In a new interview, Short teased that he and his Only Murders in the Building co-star Streep are working on a Broadway show together.

Avalon announced its Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre programme, featuring Bryony Kimmings' BOG WITCH, Flo & Joan's ONE MAN MUSICAL, and the UK debut of new musical THE REAL KYLE McCARREN.

Five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo and Senegalese icon Youssou NDour will perform at the Royal Albert Hall as part of their Chimes of Freedom European tour, marking the only UK date on the run.

Perhaps the most well-known instance of a show changing titles during the development process belongs to the groundbreaking 1943 phenomenon, Oklahoma! The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that changed the art form in terms of subject matter, integration of elements, and more was originally titled Away We Go! when it went out of town for a New Haven tryout. Oklahoma! is far from the only instance where a musical changed its title along the development road.

Saturday May 2 was a perfect blend of setting, energy, and most of all the MUSIC, as actor/vocalist Linda Purl with music director Tedd Firth took the stage of the beautiful new Glazer Hall in Palm Beach.

McFly drummer Harry Judd will play Coach Bolton in the London transfer of Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, taking over the role from Jason Donovan following a Salford run.

Astounding triple-threat talent is on display in big production numbers with attention-grabbing scenic elements by brilliant designers add to the artistic wonder of the entire production helmed by EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal, choreographed by Janelle Dote Portman, with music direction by Marc Macalintal.

Next week, 54 Below will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Paulo Szot, Kate Baldwin and many more.

Next month, 54 Below will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond for Women's History Month, including Linda Eder, Kate Baldwin, Jenn Colella and more. 

In WICKED, Eden Espinosa’s skin was green. In LEMPICKA, the Tony-nominated actress had to age from 19 to 85 in a musical. On Feb. 28, Espinosa gets to perform in the skin she feels the most comfortable – her own.

Olly Alexander and Iz Hesketh will join Vanessa Williams and Matt Henry in a UK reading of Stan Zimmerman's suicide awareness play, RIGHT BEFORE I GO, at London's Soho Theatre.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced its 2026 NEW YORK CITY BALLET (NYCB) residency from July 8-11 as part of its celebratory 60th anniversary season.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced its 2026 NEW YORK CITY BALLET (NYCB) residency from July 8-11 as part of its celebratory 60th anniversary season.

Death of a Salesman is back on Broadway! Arthur Miller’s American drama will star three-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane, two-time Tony Award winner Laurie Metcalf, Christopher Abbott and Ben Ahlers. Meet the cast of Death of a Salesman here!

Interview with Peter Jöback, Ellen Lindblad, Hanna Lindblad and director Edward af Sillén as the news of Chicago cast has been announced.

Having already announced their initial 2026 shows, UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell have added a stop of their Big Love Tour to ATG San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre.

SFJAZZ will present a diverse lineup of jazz performances in February 2026, featuring renowned artists and ensembles. The month-long event will take place at the iconic SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco.

Rubicon Theatre Company will present the Tony Award-winning comedy thriller THE 39 STEPS, adapted from John Buchan's novel and Alfred Hitchcock's film. Directed by Jenny Sullivan and featuring Joseph Fuqua, the show runs from February 11 to March 1, 2026, at Rubicon Theatre in Ventura.

If “& Juliet” works at all, it’s because it commits to the premise without apology: a Shakespearean remix told through the lens of pop music, meta-theatre, and a general belief that stories never really die, they just get re-written. This touring production of the still-running Broadway musical leaned into this ethos with a cast that understood the assignment – treating the material with enough sincerity to make it land, but enough wryness to make it feel like commentary.

'I went to school, did a couple of cruise ships, and then I moved to New York with two bags and a tube of Chapstick, and I've lived there for 15 years now. Which makes me official, I think.'

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is December 15, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed over the weekend.