Wake Up With BWW 12/16: SING STREET Opens Tonight, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

We'd like to wish a happy opening to Sing Street which officially opens off-Broadway tonight!

It was revealed that the national tour of Once is set to close early due to scheduling and route changes. The tour will conclude its run after its stop in Florida this weekend.

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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1) BWW TV: Joaquina Kalukango, James Cusati-Moyer & Paul Alexander Nolan Both Keep and Tell the Secrets of SLAVE PLAY!
by Backstage With Richard Ridge

Provocative. Scalding. Explosive. Radical. Daring. These are just a few words that have used to describe Jeremy O. Harris's latest work- Slave Play, which plays through January 19 at the Golden Theatre. The critically acclaimed play, brought to life onstage by director Robert O'Hara, has been rocking the world of audiences since it opened on October 6, and long before that, during its off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop.. (more...)

2) ONCE Tour Will Close Next Week Due to 'Route Changes and Scheduling'

It has been announced that the national tour of Once will close early, after its current stop in Lauderhill, Florida, due to 'route changes and scheduling.' The run ends on December 22.. (more...)

3) 12 Days of Christmas with Norm Lewis: Johnny Mathis Croons a Classic
by Norm Lewis

Anyone who knows me knows that my love for Johnny Mathis is infinite. He was a singer I recognized, very early on, who looked like me and made all that beautiful sound- making contact with the most glorious music and lyrics. I'd be lying if I didn't say he was a huge influence on me. He also became synonymous with Christmas and the holiday season. I could never have dreamed that one day I would get to sing with him, but blessed as I've been, it happened. I love him, I love this song... and I love that fireplace!. (more...)

4) BWW Exclusive: Arielle Jacobs and the Cast of ALADDIN Get December Feels on Carols For A Cure
by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Carols for a Cure is back for 2019 in its 21st edition! Below, check out exclusive photos as Arielle Jacobs and the cast of Aladdin gathers to record their track- 'December Feels.'. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

Sing Street officially opens off-Broadway tonight!

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) presents the World Premiere of Sing Street, a new musical based on the motion picture written and directed by John Carney (Once, Begin Again). Sing Street features a book by Tony Award winner & NYTW Usual Suspect Enda Walsh (Once, Lazarus), music and lyrics by Carney & Gary Clark (frontman of Danny Wilson), direction by Tony Award winner & NYTW Usual Suspect Rebecca Taichman (Indecent) and choreography by Obie Award winner Sonya Tayeh(Hundred Days).

Cynthia Erivo and Shoshana Bean return to the Apollo Theater for Annual Holiday Event NIGHT DIVINE tonight!

After a sold out 2018 engagement, two of the most gifted singers on earth return to lift their voices for one incredible Night Divine. This musical match made in heaven brings a soulful glamour to the holidays, reimagining the sound and style of the season with a 13-piece orchestra and an inspired collection of duet looks by star designers Christopher Palu and Christian Siriano. With the nostalgic elegance and candid humor of a Judy Garland Christmas special, Night Divine carries the torch of the most iconic showstoppers, burning brightly from the historic Apollo stage.

BWW Exclusive: Arielle Jacobs and the Cast of ALADDIN Get December Feels on Carols For A Cure

Carols for a Cure is back for 2019 in its 21st edition! Below, check out exclusive photos as Arielle Jacobs and the cast of Aladdin gathers to record their track- "December Feels."

For over twenty years, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' holiday CD, Broadway's Carols for a Cure, has been a staple of every theatre-lover's wish list. The beloved series pairs casts from award-winning Broadway musicals with seasonal songs that are both classic and new.

This year's compilation, Broadway's Carols for a Cure Volume 21, features 18 tracks from the companies of Hadestown, Beetlejuice, Ain't Too Proud, Freestyle Love Supreme, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, and more! It is available now for $25 in the Broadway Cares store, along with Volumes 1 through 20. Broadway's Carols for a Cure Volume 21 is also available at participating theaters.

What we're geeking out over: Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta Don GREASE Costumes For Film Sing-A-Long

Grease was the word today at Coral Sky Amphitheatre as Danny and Sandy themselves, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, slipped back into their iconic costumes from the film to host the Meet n' Grease Sing-a-long!

The event featured a sing-a-long presentation of 'Grease', followed by a fan Q&A with the two stars. Audience members were also encouraged to dress as their favorite Grease character.

What we're watching: Tina Fey and Renee Rapp Meet Lizzo at Jingle Ball

Tina Fey and Reneé Rapp, who currently stars in Mean Girls on Broadway as Regina George, headed to Madison Square Garden for the 2019 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball - and met a very special guest backstage. Their encounter with the legend that is Lizzo began with Tina advising first-time Jingle Ball attendee Reneé to "play it cool like Regina would" - only for Tina to quickly let loose with her admiration for the most Grammy-nominated star of the year.

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to LaChanze, who turns 58 today!

LaChanze is currently starring in A CHRISTMAS CAROL on Broadway. Before that, she appeared on the Great White Way in IF/THEN, THE COLOR PURPLE, which earned her a Tony Award in 2006, RAGTIME, COMPANY, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, DREAMGIRLS and UPTOWN...IT'S HOT!, as we as a concert production of FUNNY GIRL. Among her off-Broadway credits are INKED BABY, DESSA ROSE, THE BUBBLY BLACK GIRL SHEDS HER CHAMELEON SKIN, THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, OUT OF THIS WORLD and more.

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!