Wake Up With BWW 12/28: PARADE Reading, Kennedy Center Honors, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld, and welcome to the final Friday of 2018! Take a look back at some of the recent top Broadway stories below! Want our morning reports delivered via email? Subscribe here!

1) VIDEO: Watch the Full 2018 Kennedy Center Honors, Celebrating HAMILTON, Cher, and More!

The 2018 Kennedy Center Honors aired on CBS Network for the 41st consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special last night, Wednesday, December 26 at 8 p.m. ET. Missed last night's broadcast, or just want to relive the action? Watch the full broadcast on CBS!. (more...)

2) BWW Exclusive: Ben Platt, Michaela Diamond & More Lead Michael Arden-Helmed PARADE Reading

BroadwayWorld has learned that just last week, Roundabout Theatre Company held a star-studded reading of Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry's Parade, helmed by Tony nominee Michael Arden and led by Ben Platt as Leo Frank and Michaela Diamond as Lucille Frank.. (more...)

3) Photo Flash: See the HAMILTON Cast, Kristin Chenoweth, Adam Lambert and More at the Kennedy Center Honors

The 2018 Kennedy Center Honors aired on CBSNetwork for the 41st consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special last night, Wednesday, December 26 at 8 p.m. ET.. (more...)

4) Disney's Film Chief Says THE LION KING Will Be New Form of Filmmaking
by TV News Desk

Sean Bailey, Disney's live-action studio chief, Sean Bailey sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk all things coming up in the live-action film world of Disney.. (more...)

5) Review Roundup: The Critics Weigh in on DEAR EVAN HANSEN in Los Angeles, Arizona, and San Francisco!
by Review Roundups

'Dear Evan Hansen' is currently playing at the Curran in San Francisco, following its tour stops in Denver, Los Angeles, and Arizona. Let's see what the critics are saying about the recent tour stops.... (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

-Carl Tanner will sing the title role in today's performance of Verdi's Otello, replacing Stuart Skelton, who is ill.

American tenor Carl Tanner has performed the role of Otello earlier this season at the Met. The cast for the December 28 performance of Otello includes Julianna di Giacomo as Desdemona, Jennifer Johnson Cano as Emilia, Alexey Dolgov as Cassio, eljko Lui as Iago, and James Morris as Lodovico. Gustavo Dudamel conducts. Performances of Otello, with Sonya Yoncheva as Desdemona, continue through January 10, 2019.

BWW Exclusive: See How STAN & OLLIE Make Comedic Movie Magic

BroadwayWorld has an exclusive clip from STAN & OLLIE, which shows how the stars created their film magic behind the scenes.

Laurel & Hardy, one of the world's great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as The Kings Of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans.

What we're geeking out over: WICKED, TOOTSIE, THE BAND'S VISIT, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, AND COME FROM AWAY To Ring In The New Year On CNN

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will check-in on Broadway's biggest hits on New Year's Eve when they ring in 2019 on CNN's "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen" airing Monday, December 31st starting at 8pm (ET).

Throughout the broadcast Anderson and Andy will check in with the casts of Broadway's 10-time Tony Award-winning musical THE BAND'S VISIT, this season's biggest new hit musical PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, the winner of Best Musical all across North America COME FROM AWAY and Broadway's long running mega-smash hit WICKED. They will also check in with the critically acclaimed new comedy musical TOOTSIE, coming to Broadway this spring.

Social Butterfly: SUMMER's Storm Lever Takes Over Instagram Today!

Go behind the scenes of Broadway's Summer: The Donna Summer Musical with Storm Lever, as she takes over the BroadwayWorld Instagram today, December 28th! Follow along as Lever takes you behind the scenes of her two-show day as Duckling Donna!

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Denzel Washington, who turns 64 today!

Denzel Washington is an American actor, director, and producer. He has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day(2001).

In the summer of 1990, Washington appeared in the title role of the Public Theater's production of Shakespeare's Richard III. In 2005, he appeared onstage again as Marcus Brutus in a Broadway production of Julius Caesar. In the spring of 2010, Washington played Troy Maxson, opposite Viola Davis, in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play on June 13, 2010.

From April to June 2014, Washington played the leading role in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Kenny Leon.

On stage, Washington most recently starred as Theodore "Hickey" Hickman in the Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh.

See you bright and early Monday, BroadwayWorld!