Wake Up With BWW 2/13: BE MORE CHILL Begins Previews, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! First, we'd like to wish a happy first preview to the cast and crew of Be More Chill! The show begins performances tonight at the Lyceum Theatre!

In casting news, we learned that Krystina Alabado will join the cast of Mean Girls in the role of Gretchen Wieners. Alabado begins performances on Tuesday, March 12. Tony Award nominee Ashley Park will play her final performance in the role on Sunday, March 10.

Jagged Little Pill has released its first preview of what we can expect from its upcoming Broadway run this fall. You can now listen to the first song, All I Really Want.

For the 12th year, BroadwayWorld asked your favorite stars what their favorite Broadway love song is! You can check out the list of over 1200 stars' answers below!

Read more about these and more stories below! Want our morning reports delivered via email? Subscribe here!

1) Review Roundup: Critics Weigh In On Paper Mill's MY VERY OWN BRITISH INVASION

Paper Mill Playhouse's world premiere of My Very Own British Invasion with book by Tony award-winner Rick Elice is now on stafe. My Very Own British Invasion will continue through Sunday, March 3, 2019, at Paper Mill Playhouse.. (more...)

2) Photo Coverage: Inside the THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG 40th Anniversary Concert, Starring Lucie Arnaz and Robert Klein
by Walter McBride

A 40th Anniversary reunion benefit concert of the 1979 hit Broadway production of They're Playing Our Song was held on Monday, February 11th at 7:30 pm at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th St.). The show starred the Broadway cast members Lucie Arnaz as 'Sonia Walsk' and Robert Klein as 'Vernon Gersch'.. (more...)

3) Krystina Alabado Joins the Cast of MEAN GIRLS as Gretchen Wieners March 12th

Mean Girls announces that Krystina Alabado will join the cast in the role of 'Gretchen Wieners' beginning Tuesday, March 12. Tony Award nominee Ashley Park will play her final performance in the role on Sunday, March 10.. (more...)

4) VIDEO: You Oughta Listen! JAGGED LITTLE PILL Releases First Song
by Paul Smith

Get your headphones on! Jagged Little Pill has just released the first song ' All I Really Want' from their upcoming album. The song comes from Alanis Morrissette and her album Jagged Little Pill where many of the show's songs originated.. (more...)

5) BWW Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, New Wimbledon Theatre
by Aliya Al-Hassan

Theatre audiences are certainly less easy to shock these days than they were back in 1973 when Richard O'Brien's outrageous musical The Rocky Horror Show first debuted at the Royal Court. These days gender is a much more fluid concept and cross-dressing is commonplace rather than quirky. Shows such as Everyone's Talking About Jamie and Kinky Boots have The Rocky Horror Show to thank for elevating cross dressing to the mainstream. Despite the fact that the show is no longer radical, here's still something deliciously teasing about a show that celebrates an alternative sexual reality and the joy of grown men wearing fishnets.. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

BE MORE CHILL begins previews tonight!

Be More Chill will begin performances at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street) on Wednesday, February 13 at 8PM. The official opening night is Sunday evening, March 10.

Be More Chill, features music and lyrics by Joe Iconis (NBC's "Smash," The Black Suits, Broadway Bounty Hunter) and a book by Joe Tracz (The Lightning Thief, Netflix's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events") based on the cult sensation novel by Ned Vizzini. Stephen Brackett (Buyer & Cellar) directs and Chase Brock (HBO's "Last Week Tonight," Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark)choreographs.

BWW Exclusive: What's the Greatest Broadway Love Song Ever? 1200+ Stars Decide!

From the melodies of Rodgers and Hammerstein to the lyrics of Jason Robert Brown, nothing says romance like a Broadway ballad, and it's that special time of year to celebrate the best of them. This is BroadwayWorld's 2019 Valentine's Day Special... and it's bigger than ever!

Our 12th annual Valentine's Day gift to you asks simply: "What's the Most Romantic Broadway Love Song Ever?" We've gathered responses from over 1200 performers, composers, industry professionals, and personalities from across the globe.

View the full list here!

Set Your DVR...

-Josh Groban will appear on THE TALK, TODAY, and Jimmy Kimmel LIVE today!

What we're watching: Lily James, Ed Sheeran And More Rock Out To The Beatles In First Trailer For YESTERDAY

See Lily James, Ed SHeeran, Kate McKinnon and newcomer Hamish Patel get fab in the first trailer for Yesterday, a new musical film from Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle.

The film tells the story of Jack Malik a struggling singer-songwriter who becomes the only person on Earth to remember the Beatles following a freak world wide blackout.

On the strength of classic songs like "Let It Be", "Hey Jude" and of course, "Yesterday", the young musician rises to worldwide stardom and takes the musical adventure of a lifetime

Social Butterfly: Celebrate Valentine's Day With Our BroadwayWorld Love Songs Playlist!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, BroadwayWorld has prepared for the special occasion by asking some of your favorite Broadway stars to tell us their all-time favorite Broadway love songs, with everything from Golden Age classics from "South Pacific" and "On the Town" to newer additions like "The Color Purple" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Now from the hundreds of song choices we received, we've compiled some of the most popular answers into a playlist for all of your Valentine's celebrations! Check out the full playlist!

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Stockard Channing, who turns 75 today!

Most recently Stockard Channing appeared in the West End, and Off-Broadway in APOLOGIA. The Tony winner last starred on Broadway in IT'S ONLY A PLAY.

Before that, she took the stage in OTHER DESERT CITIES, PAL JOEY, THE LION IN WINTER, THE LITTLE FOXES, FOUR BABOONS ADORING THE SUN, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, LOVE LETTERS, THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, JOE EGG, THE RINK, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA and more. She is best known for playing 'Betty Rizzo' in the 1978 GREASE movie, and 'First Lady Abbey Bartlet' on THE WEST WING TV series.

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!