Wake Up With BWW 4/25: BEETLEJUICE Opens, Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

First, we'd like to wish a happy opening to Beetlejuice, which officially opens on Broadway tonight, April 25!

Last night, Ink officially opened! We brought you all of the coverage, including photos, videos, and of course, the reviews! Check it all out below!

The Drama Desk Award nominations are announced today! Be sure to check back here later today to read up on all of the nominees!

Beauty and the Beast is headed back to Broadway! Tom Schumacher of Disney Theatrical revealed recently that he is working on the production. He has not revealed a location or timeframe yet.

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

1) Miller, Matarazzo, Williams, & Goldberg Among Initial Stars of Hollywood Bowl's INTO THE WOODS

Preliminary casting has been announced for the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of Into the Woods.. (more...)

2) Photo Coverage: Santino Fontana, Lilli Cooper & More Celebrate Opening Night of TOOTSIE on Broadway!
by Linda Lenzi

Tootsie officially opened last night, April 23! BroadwayWorld was there for the big night and we're taking you inside the after party below!. (more...)

3) Playwright Mark Medoff Dies at 79

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of playwright and educator Mark Medoff. He was 79.. (more...)

4) Photo Coverage: Santino Fontana and the Cast of TOOTSIE Take Their Opening Night Bows
by Walter McBride

Tootsie officially opened last night, April 23! BroadwayWorld was there for the big night and you can check out photos of the cast, led by Santino Fontana, taking their opening night bows below!. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

BEETLEJUICE officially opens tonight!

BEETLEJUICE stars Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman (School of Rock) in the title role, Two-Time Lortel Award nominee Sophia Anne Caruso (Lazarus) as Lydia, Tony Award nominee Kerry Butler (Mean Girls) as Barbara, Tony Award Nominee Rob McClure (Honeymoon In Vegas) as Adam, Obie Award Winner Adam Dannheisser (Rock of Ages) as Charles, and Two-Time Drama Desk Award Nominee Leslie Kritzer (The Robber Bridegroom) as Delia, with Jill Abramovitz (Fiddler on the Roof) as Maxine Dean, Kelvin Moon Loh(SpongeBob SquarePants) as Otho, Danny Rutigliano (Holiday Inn) as Maxie Dean, and Dana Steingold (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as the Girl Scout, in a cast of 25 that includes Tessa Alves, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Will Blum, Johnny Brantley III, Ryan Breslin, Natalie Charle Ellis, Brooke Engen, Abe Goldfarb, Eric Anthony Johnson, Elliott Mattox, Mateo Melendez, Sean Montgomery, Ramone Owens, Presley Ryan and Kim Sava.

It's showtime, folks! The ghost-with-the-most makes his Broadway debut in this edgy and irreverent musical comedy based on Tim Burton's dearly beloved film. Beetlejuice tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium, and the biggest sandworm Broadway has ever seen.

Drama Desk Award nominations are announced today!

Drama Desk Award-winning actor Michael Urie (Torch Song, Buyer and Cellar, "Ugly Betty") will host The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards, Sunday, June 2 at 8PM at The Town Hall in New York City. This marks Urie's fourth consecutive time hosting the ceremony. Public tickets are now on sale for the 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards, and can be purchased at www.DramaDeskAwards.com.

Nominations for The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced on Thursday, April 25th.

Opening Night Coverage:

Ink is officially open on Broadway! Read the reviews here!

Check out photos of the cast taking their opening night bows:

We took you on the red carpet at the opening night celebration! Check out the video and photos below:

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Set Your DVR...

-Alan Cumming and Laurie Metcalf will appear on TODAY this morning!

What we're geeking out over: Disney Theatrical's Tom Schumacher Reveals a Revival of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is Coming to Broadway

Disney on Broadway is celebrating its 25th anniversary! With that big milestone, comes a big announcement.

Thomas Schumacher, the president and producer of Disney Theatrical, has revealed in a recent feature on Nightline, that he is working on a revival of Beauty and the Beast.

"I'm not announcing location or time," he said. "But I am deep in it, so yeah, it's happening."

What we're listening to: Podcast: Broadway's Backbone with BEETLEJUICE Dance Arranger David Dabbon

BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you new episodes of Broadway's Backbone- a podcast dedicated to the men and woman of the ensemble: the chorus of dancers, singers, and actors that are the foundation of every Broadway musical. These often-unsung gypsies are the hardest working people on the boards and are Broadway's backbone.

Beetlejuice's dance arranger David Dabbon started as a dancer with the Boston Ballet, but after attending Hartt and later Carnegie Mellon, he had a musical change of direction. Currently making a name for himself as a Broadway dance arranger, his job is to re-imagine and re-interpret, but not rewrite. He also works as a composer, musical director, arranger and coach, because in show business, one always needs many irons in the fire. His driving force is always maintaining specificity in what he does, having compassion for young artists, and being able to use the word interstitial casually in a sentence.

Social Butterfly: TOOTSIE's John Behlmann Takes Over Instagram For Opening Night!

Earlier this week, Dorothy Michaels officially came to Broadway with the opening of Tootsie at the Marquis Theatre, and cast member John Behlmann took over BroadwayWorld's Instagram Story all throughout the most important night and gave us an inside look at everything from pre-show to the after party! If you missed all the fun (or just want to relive it all again), we've compiled footage from the takeover for you to enjoy; check it all out!

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to xxX, who turns XX today! xxx

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!