Alexa Spiegel

In a time where source material is a controversial topic, many people state that there have been a lack of original ideas for Broadway shows. Recently, movie adaptations have been the newest trend to hit the stage. However, adaptations are certainly not a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of what is generally considered the traditional Broadway musical, shows have been adapted from other works. Classic shows such as SHOW BOAT and THE KING AND I found the origins to their stories in novels. More recently, novel adaptations have found success with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and the 2014 Tony Winner for Best Musical, A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER.

WAITRESS, which begins performances at the Brooks Atkinson on March 25th, is making history! It will be the first show in Broadway history to have four top creative spots in a show filled by four separate women. The team includes music and lyrics by Sara Barellies, book by Jessie Nelson, choreography by Lorin Latarrom and direction by Diane Paulus. While this is definitely a landmark, other Broadway shows have had a significant number of female creatives, or a completely female creative team - driven by one person! So embrace your inner girl power, and celebrate the amazing female driven shows that came before!

In anticipation of the live 88th Annual Academy Award broadcast on ABC on Sunday, February 28th, BWW will be spotlighting the Oscar nominated movie performances of some of Broadway's biggest stars. Today, we take a look back at the incredible careers, both stage and screen, of the cast of SPOTLIGHT, nominated for Best Picture. SPOTLIGHT is the story of how four Pulitzer Prize-winning columnists broke the story of the Boston archdiocese priest sex-abuse scandal in 2001. We are profiling three members of it's amazing cast, Brian d'Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, and Len Cariou.

SHUFFLE ALONG was an unlikely hit in 1921. It was one of the first hit Broadway shows starring, written, and directed by African Americans, but it has been overwhelming ignored in theatre history. Ninety-five years later, George C. Wolfe is preparing to bring the show back to Broadway, with a new and updated book by Wolfe. The revival will not only bring the original show' music and lyrics back to the stage, but will also tell the backstage story of its creation, and the impact it had on the theatre scene. SHUFFLE ALONG, OR, THE MAKING OF THE MUSICAL SENSATION OF 1921 AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED, is set to shuffle onto Broadway in the spring, so we're taking a look at the inspiration driving the revival, and a look back on the show's remarkable history.

What do you think of when someone says 'Grease'? The movie? The most recent revival? The original Chicago production? Whichever one, chances are hand-jives, summer lovin' and Sandy's iconic 'bad girl' outfit are a few things that come to mind. Grease and it's beloved Pink Ladies and T-Birds (or Burger Palace Boys, as they were originally called!) have had a long journey from Chicago to Fox's upcoming production of Grease: Live, that will air tonight, Sunday, January 31st!