Wake Up With BWW 9/12: Lea Michele Out of FUNNY GIRL Due to COVID-19, and More!
Plus, Barbara Tirrell made her debut in the show one day after she was hired as an offstage cover.
Sep. 12, 2022
Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Scroll down for the latest news.
Today's top stories include Lea Michele out of Funny Girl for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. Learn more about Julie Benko's upcoming schedule in the story below.
In other Funny Girl news, Barbara Tirrell made her debut in the show one day after she was hired as an offstage cover for Mrs. Brice, Mrs. Strakosh, and Mrs. Meeker.
Read more about these and other top stories below!
Want our morning reports delivered via email? Subscribe here!
Today's Top Stories
Barbara Tirrell Makes FUNNY GIRL Debut One Day After She Was Hired as Off Stage Cover
by Blair Ingenthron
According to a post on her Facebook account, Barbara Tirrell made her debut as Mrs. Meeker just one day after she was hired as an offstage cover for Mrs. Brice, Mrs. Strakosh, and Mrs. Meeker.. (more...)
Official: Lea Michele Out of FUNNY GIRL for 10 Days After Positive Covid Test
by Team BWW
Just days after joining the show, Lea Michele has tested positive for Covid. Get all the info on Julie Benko's performance schedule, and find out here when she'll be back to FUNNY GIRL on Broadway!. (more...)
VIDEO: Watch the cast of ROGERS: THE MUSICAL Perform Shaiman & Wittman's 'Save the City' at D23
by Blair Ingenthron
Watch the cast of ROGERS: THE MUSICAL perform 'Save the City' from the fictional musical featured in Disney+'s Hawkeye, at Marvel's D23 presentation.. (more...)
Words From the Wings: SIX's Keri Rene Fuller on Her Favorite Backstage Moments, and More!
by Stephi Wild
BroadwayWorld is bringing you Words From the Wings, a new series of interviews that take fans behind the scenes of some of their favorite Broadway stars' backstage routines! We're chatting with Keri Rene Fuller from Six, who told us all about her favorite backstage moments, must-have snacks, and more! . (more...)
VIDEO: Marc Reign Dishes on Working with the Iconic John Patrick Shanley on CANDLELIGHT
by Survival Jobs
Your favorite podcast hosts Jason A. Coombs and Samantha Tuozzolo sit down with actor and content creator Marc Reign, who discusses working with iconic playwright John Patrick Shanely on the off-Broadway play CANDLELIGHT at the Nylon Fusion Theater Company last fall. As someone with over 31,000 Instagram followers due to his prolific and entertaining comedy sketches, Marc also gives advice to his fellow actors on how to grow their social media pages organically. Watch thus video for the full episode.. (more...)
Mid-World Players to Partner with Action Youth America for Will Rogers' WRAP Drama Club's 2022/23 Season
by Blair Ingenthron
Jesse Seann Atkinson, Founder and Artistic Director of Mid World Players, has teamed up with Action Youth America to work together with Will Roger's Middle School WRAP Drama Club. The WRAP program is an after school event that allows middle school kids to participate in a number of clubs such as Cheerleading, Dungeon's and Dragon's and Drama Club.. (more...)
Eileen Barnett to Play Feinstein's at Vitello's in October
by Blair Ingenthron
FEINSTEIN'S at VITELLO'S presents Eileen Barnett in her acclaimed cabaret show, "You Must Believe in Spring" for one night only on Thursday, October 13 at 8pm. Eileen's choice of music features songs by, Rogers and Hart, Rogers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, William Finn, Billy Barnes, Randy Newman, Michel Lagrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman.. (more...)
Today's Call Sheet
- Broadway's James Earl Jones Theater is officially renamed and unveiled today.
- Amber Gray, Bonnie Milligan, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and more will perform at the American Theatre Wing Gala tonight
New Releases
Broadway Birthdays
And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Will Chase, who turns 52 today!
Chase started his acting career in Chicago, performing in regional theater productions and received three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations. He then played Chris in the 2nd National Tour of Miss Saigon. He first performed on Broadway in 1998 as the Squeegee Man and Roger understudy in Rent in the role originated by Adam Pascal; he also starred as the last Roger in the final Broadway company of Rent, which was recorded for the theatrical release entitled Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway. His additional Broadway credits include Miss Saigon (with the original star Lea Salonga playing Kim to close the Broadway production); The Full Monty, as Jerry Lukowski replacement (2001); Lennon (2005); Aida (Radames replacement, 2003-04), another role originated by Pascal; and Tony in Billy Elliot the Musical. He was also in A Little Princess the Musical as Captain Crewe. In 2005, he played Neville Craven in the 2005 World AIDS Day The Secret Garden concert.
In 2006, he starred in High Fidelity on Broadway, and starred as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, for which he received a nomination for the 2009 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor.
He appeared in The Pajama Game opposite Kate Baldwin at The Muny (St. Louis) in July 2007. He starred in Oklahoma in 2007 at the Lyric Theatre opposite Kelli O'Hara, and on Broadway in the musical The Story of My Life in 2009.
He was a nominee at the 2013 Tony Awards, nominated for Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as John Jasper / Mr. Clive Paget in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Chase guest starred as Michael Swift in the NBC series Smash. He then went on to play the role of country superstar Luke Wheeler on the television series Nashville. His other television appearances include Quantico, HBO's The Deuce, the recurring role of Pat Mahoney on Rescue Me, Cupid, Canterbury's Law, Law & Order, Third Watch, Conviction, and Queens Supreme, Hallmark's The Lost Valentine, alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt and Betty White; the 2011 season finale of Royal Pains (USA); Blue Bloods (CBS); and the ABC drama Pan Am. In 2012, he appeared on the series White Collar, in the episode "Neighborhood Watch", and appeared on the series Unforgettable, in the episode "The Comeback".
He played the title role in the 2013 film Butterflies of Bill Baker. Chase voices Angee in A Warrior's Tail (2016).
Chase assumed the role of William Shakespeare from Christian Borle on Broadway in the musical Something Rotten! on July 18, 2016.
Chase played the character Byron Marks on the September 27, 2017 season opening of Law and Order: SVU titled "Gone Fishin".
He played Neil Hargrove in the second season of the American supernatural horror-science fiction web television series, Stranger Things, which premiered on Netflix on October 27, 2017, and appears in HBO's drama Sharp Objects as Bob Nash.
He portrayed Fred Graham/Petruchio opposite Kelli O'Hara in the 2019 Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!
Videos