Wake Up With BWW 6/28: MOULIN ROUGE! Begins Previews, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

First, we'd like to wish a happy first preview to the cast and crew of Moulin Rouge! The highly anticipated new musical, starring Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo, begins performances tonight at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre!

In further exciting Broadway news, Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, and Charlie Cox are headed to Broadway in Betrayal! Direct from its London run, the strictly limited 17-week engagement will begin performances Wednesday, August 14 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, with an official opening night on Thursday, September 5.

The lineup has been announced for Broadway in Bryant Park! Beginning on July 11, shows like Be More Chill, Oklahoma!, Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, The Cher Show, Tootsie, and many more, will take the stage in Bryant Park for free weekly concerts!

Read more on these and other top stories below!

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1) Breaking: Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, And Charlie Cox Will Lead BETRAYAL On Broadway

BroadwayWorld has learned that Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, And Charlie Cox will lead an upcoming revival of Betrayal, direct from its critically acclaimed London run.. (more...)

2) Photo Flash: Al Hirschfeld Theatre Transforms Into the MOULIN ROUGE!

The highly anticipated new musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical will begin performances tomorrow, Friday, June 28 on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre ahead of a July 25 opening night. The company has been busy transforming the theatre into the Moulin Rouge and Jujamcyn Theatres' Jordan Roth is giving a sneak peek of Derek McLane's incredible scenic design. Check it out below!. (more...)

3) BE MORE CHILL, OKLAHOMA!, BEETLEJUICE, and More Set For Broadway In Bryant Park

106.7 LITE FM's Broadway in Bryant Park returns this summer for its 20th year!. (more...)

4) Alison Luff Is The Next Jenna In WAITRESS On Broadway; Shoshana Bean Extends Through 7/21

It was announced today that Alison Luff with join the Broadway cast as Jenna on July 23rd. Shoshana Bean, who was previously set to perform through July 7th, will extend her run and play her final performance on July 21st.. (more...)

5) Ramin Karimloo, and More Will Join Barbra Streisand At Hyde Park

Ramin Karimloo, The Kingdom Choir, and Richard Marx have been announced as special guests for Barbra Streisand's show at Hyde Park this summer. As previously announced, she will also be joined by Bryan Ferry and Kris Kristofferson.. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

MOULIN ROUGE! begins previews on Broadway tonight!

The highly anticipated new musical begins performances tonight at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre ahead of a July 25 opening night.

The cast, from the sold-out, record-breaking run at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre this past summer, includes Karen Olivo (Tony Award® for West Side Story, In the Heights) as Satine, Aaron Tveit (Catch Me If You Can, Next to Normal) as Christian, Danny Burstein (six-time Tony Award®-nominee, Fiddler On the Roof, Cabaret) as Harold Zidler, Sahr Ngaujah(Tony® and Olivier award-nominee for Fela) as Toulouse-Lautrec, Tam Mutu(Doctor Zhivago, Encores!'s Hey, Look Me Over! and The New Yorkers) as The Duke of Monroth, Ricky Rojas (Burn the Floor) as Santiago and Robyn Hurder(Nice Work If You Can Get It) as Nini.

Broadway-bound TEA AT FIVE officially opens tonight!

Tea at Five, starring Academy Award-winner Faye Dunaway as Katharine Hepburn, is playing at the Huntington Avenue Theatre in Boston. The Matthew Lombardo play directed by Tony Award nominee John Tillinger will be presented until Sunday, July 14th.

BWW Exclusive: Listen to Grace McLean Sing 'Isn't It a Trial?' from ALICE BY HEART

The cast recording of new musical Alice By Heart is available for digital download and streaming today, June 28. The CD release is planned for later this year. Customers who pre-order the digital album will immediately receive a download of the first single, "Down the Hole."

The album is based on the show's recent New York premiere production from MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director). Alice By Heart has a book by Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson; music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater, and direction by Jessie Nelson. The album is produced by Duncan Sheik and Kurt Deutsch, with Craig Balsam and Cody Lassen serving as executive producers. To pre-order the album, please visit ghostlightrecords.lnk.to/alicebyheart

BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you an exclusive first listen of one of the tracks from the album- "Isn't It a Trial?," performed by Grace McLean!

What we're geeking out over: Manhattan Concert Productions Will Present 50th Anniversary Concert of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT in 2020

Manhattan Concert Productions (MCP) has just announced the tenth installment of its Broadway Series with a 50th Anniversary Celebration of the critically-acclaimed musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, for one night only in Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall.

This concert performance on February 17, 2020 at 8:00pm will feature a chorus of over 200 singers from across the United States, a star-studded cast and creative team, and the outstanding New York City Chamber Orchestra.

What we're watching: Watch the All New Teaser Trailer For MOULIN ROUGE!, 'Freedom'???????

The highly anticipated new musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical will begin performances tonight, Friday, June 28 on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre ahead of a July 25 opening night.

Watch teaser video, "Freedom," now!

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Mel Brooks, who turns 93 today!

Mel Brooks recently performed in residency at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, June 17 and 18, 2019.

Brooks' career began in television writing for Your Show of Shows and together with Buck Henry creating the long running TV series Get Smart. He then teamed up with Carl Reiner to write and perform the Grammy-winning 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums & books.

Brooks won his first Oscar in 1964 for writing and narrating the animated short The Critic and his second for the screenplay of his first feature film, The Producers in 1968. Many hit comedy films followed including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. His film company, Brooksfilms Limited also produced critically acclaimed films such as The Elephant Man, The Fly, Frances, My Favorite Year and 84 Charring Cross Road. For three successive seasons, 1997-1999 Mel Brooks won Emmy Awards for his role as "Uncle Phil" on the hit sitcom Mad About You.

Brooks received three 2001 Tony Awards and two Grammy Awards for The Producers: the New Mel Brooks Musical, which ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2006. The Producers still holds the record for the most Tony awards ever won by a Broadway musical. He followed that success with The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, which ran on Broadway from 2007 to 2009 and opened in London's West End in the Fall of 2017 to rave reviews.

See you bright and early Monday, BroadwayWorld!