Scoop: Coming Up on a New Episode of THAT'S MY JAM on NBC - Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Get all the scoop on THAT'S MY JAM, airing on NBC on Tuesday, March 7, 2023! Celebrity guests Jason Derulo, Nicole Sherzinger, Kelsea Ballerini and Julia Michaels compete in a series of music, dance and trivia-based games and musical performances, including Air Guitar, Launch the Mic and new game Don’t Fear the Speaker. Watch a video preview!
BWW Exclusive: A History of ANNIE on Broadway and Beyond
Tonight, NBC will air its sixth live musical production. Following in the footsteps of The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Wiz, Hairspray, and Jesus Christ Superstar, the peacock network will be presenting Annie. Based on Harold Gray's comic strip titled Little Orphan Annie, this musical tells the story of a little orphan with equal measures of pluck and positivity who charms everyone's hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in New York City in the year 1933.
FLASH FRIDAY: A PHANTOM 25 Celebration
In honor of this week's US release of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on DVD/Blu-ray - PHANTOM 25 for short - today we are focusing on the multitude of attributes that have made Andrew Lloyd Webber's unforgettable gothic musical the most successful entertainment of all time, now in its 25th year onstage and about to reach 10,000 performances on Broadway, where it is the reigning longest running show of all time. The gargantuan excitement generated by and the enthusiastic reception enjoyed by PHANTOM for audiences worldwide is unprecedented, yet, the new ultimate presentation of the show - PHANTOM 25 - is even more spectacular and thrilling than any iteration of PHANTOM on any stage or screen thus far. Bringing together the cast of a lifetime with the electricity of a live audience, the HD preservation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL is positively peerless in its sleekness, precision and polish of presentation. Never before - not even in the vaunted hands and cords of original show stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford - has the show been this contemporary, sexual and hypnotizing. Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom brings a rawness and austerity to the role that commands attention and Sierra Boggess is, in a word, supreme, as the young ingenue under the Phantom's watchful musical tutelage. So, too, does Hadley Fraser's perfectly painted Raoul hit the right mark, as do the rest of the exceptional cast in their commitment to making clear-cut, strong and colorful impressions in their roles. The LED-enhanced set is an imaginative reworking of the designs by Maria Bjornson and the musical staging is smooth and assured thanks to original show choreographer Gillian Lynne. Yet, the star of PHANTOM 25 is, unquestionably, Andrew Lloyd Webber's rapturous, rich and enveloping score. Bringing together an impressive and inspired assortment of genres in creating the quintessential pop opera, Lloyd Webber employs elements of grand opera, opera bouffe, operetta and musical theatre, as well as incorporates a diverse range of musical styles - even a little heavy metal guitar in the title song, as we shall see (and hear). The score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest achievements and stands tall alongside his other classic scores for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA, CATS, SUNSET BOULEVARD among many other international hit shows. Indeed, the story and score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is so very complex and decadent as to allow for a continuation of the story, score, characters and overall themes in the form of the new musical, LOVE NEVER DIES, which premiered in a new version in Australia last year and whose story traces the relationship of the Phantom, Christine and Raoul from the end of the original show all the way from Paris to Coney Island ten years later where PHANTASMA is the show everyone must experience thanks to a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows beyond the carousel. In today's celebration of PHANTOM 25, we will take a look at the original music videos, the legendary Hal Prince production on Broadway and in the West End, the forthcoming LOVE NEVER DIES - coming to Fathom-equipped theaters nationwide later this month - all with a special spotlight on the most phantastic anniversary concert of all time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL.
Photo Flash: THE X FACTOR Visits Chicago & Seattle!
Hosted by Steve Jones, THE X FACTOR made its highly anticipated debut last week on FOX. THE X FACTOR judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Nicole Scherzinger began their search for undiscovered talent 12 years old and over - both solo artists and vocal groups - who are worthy of the largest prize in television history: a $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music. This week the judges travel to Chicago and Seattle for auditions.
Photo Flash: THE X FACTOR Premieres on FOX!
Hosted by Steve Jones, THE X FACTOR made its highly anticipated debut with a two-night series premiere event Wednesday, Sept. 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Sept. 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Be there as THE X FACTOR judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Nicole Scherzinger begin their search for undiscovered talent 12 years old and over - both solo artists and vocal groups - who are worthy of the largest prize in television history: a $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music.