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James Van Der Beek and Kerr Smith are looking back at filming Dawson’s Creek and recalled some death-defying experiences they had on jet skis at the time.

This week, the two actors told People magazine at 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut, that things would sometimes get a bit wild behind the scenes of the hit teen drama when they were filming in Wilmington, North Carolina.

“A couple of the guys on the crew had boats and you know we had the guest stars come in and the writers come in every episode and we would take them out on the water on the weekends,” Smith, who played Jack McPhee, recalled. “We’d stop and eat crab in the morning yet. And we’d fill up the boats with whatever we needed. We would barbecue out on the island. We all had jet skis.”

He went on to remember one specific...

From 1998 through 2003, Michelle Williams played Jen Lindley on the TV series "Dawson's Creek." It's where most of us first saw her; for some people, it was a formative part of their teenage years. Jen Lindley appeared on the scene in season 1, a girl from the small town of Capeside who had gone to New York City and had a rough time with drugs and sex. When she returns, judgments are made, she's part of a love triangle between Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes), and she has a problematic relationship with her conservative Christian grandmother, aka Gram (Mary Beth Peil). Through the seasons (and Williams appeared in all of them), Jen became a beloved character right up until the tragic end. 

The show tackled issues of teen sex, homophobia, mental illness, drug abuse, and so much more, and though it's dated now, it was pretty frank about...

It’s easy to write off the Gotham Awards as an early bird ceremony that is decided by a jury of five industry players. It’s too small and niche to signal much of anything, right? Well, yes and no. Like any awards show, the Gothams are an opportunity for the performers and filmmakers who are gaming out a seemingly endless awards season to gain favor with Oscar voters.

To that end, the campaigns of several of the Gothams’ tribute award recipients — Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”), Adam Sandler (“Hustle”) and director Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”) — all got high-profile boosts. Each artist used their moment on stage to share important parts of their talent and personal stories with an audience of industry heavyweights. They were alternately hilarious and reflective, passionate and self-deprecating, delivering gripping stories spun by master storytellers.

Williams talked about her journey from teen soap opera actress to...

Michelle Williams is honoring “Dawson’s Creek” and her on-screen grandmother.

“The Fabelmans” actress paid tribute to her Capeside past on Monday night at the 32nd annual Gotham Awards in New York City, immediately bringing up Mary Beth Peil, who played Evelyn “Grams” Ryan on the WB series.

“Whenever something good happens for me in my life, I can draw a straight line back to somebody who was meant to be here tonight but, being a New Yorker, means living in a reality that you are definitely not in control of — so she’s not in the room, but she’s in my heart. Mary Beth Peil played my grams on Dawson’s Creek,” Williams began. “I was an emancipated minor when we met. I was 16 years old, and I was totally alone. Mary Beth Peil was the first artist that I had ever met in my life. She didn’t call herself that,...

The 2021-2022 Broadway season has been quite a busy one for actor Brandon J. Dirden. First he appeared opposite Phylicia Rashad in Manhattan Theatre Club’s presentation of Dominique Morisseau‘s play “Skeleton Crew” this past winter. Now he can be seen in Second Stage Theater’s revival of Richard Greenberg‘s 2003 Tony-winning play “Take Me Out.” After having previously appeared in award-winning Broadway productions of “Clybourne Park” (2012), “All the Way” (2014), and “Jitney” (2017), will either of Dirden’s two main stem appearances from this past year make him a first-time Tony nominee?

In “Skeleton Crew,” Dirden played Reggie, the manager of one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit. The company is on shaky ground and the workers have to make choices about how to move forward if their plant goes under. All the while Reggie is torn between doing right by his work family and the red tape in his office.

Tonight, May 13 8pm Et 'Spotlight on Plays' series will continue withLillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine starring Academy award winner Ellen Burstyn, Alan Cox, Sasha Diamond, Alfred Enoch, Carla Gugino, Luca Padovan, Tony Award nominee Mary Beth Peil, Gabriella Pizzolo, Neel Sethi Tony Award nominee Jeremy Shamos, directed by Sarna Lapine. While we await the big night, study up on the company with BroadwayWorld's Stage Mag below...

The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held at 8:00pm (Eastern and Pacific) on Friday night, June 26, in a ceremony broadcast on CBS and hosted by “The Talk” stars Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and Marie Osmond. “General Hospital” was the top nominee with 23 bids, followed closely by “Days of Our Lives” (22) and “The Young and the Restless” (21). But who were the big winners? Scroll down for the complete list in all categories from Best Drama Series to Best Special Effects Costumes, Makeup and Hairstyling.

SEEWhen are the Daytime Emmys? New dates for 2020 nominations and ceremony finally announced

Not all of the winners were presented during the telecast, which was held virtually to prevent the further spread of Covid-19 as the pandemic raged on in the United States. Many top categories were handed out during the two-hour prime time event, but additional categories were announced right...

Today we rewind to the first Broadway revival of Nine in 2003. The musical, which ran for 283 performances at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, starred Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, Chita Rivera, Mary Beth Peil, Mary Stuart Masterson, and more. Ninefocuses onfilm directorGuido Contini, who is dreading his imminent 40th birthday and facing amidlife crisis, which is blocking his creative impulses and entangling him in a web of romantic difficulties in early-1960sVenice.

The 2020 Daytime Emmy nominations were announced on Thursday, May 21, live on CBS’a “The Talk.” So who made the cut at the 47th annual kudos? Scroll down for the list of nominees.

These nominations were originally scheduled to be announced on April 27, and the trophies were set to be handed out during two Creative Arts ceremonies on June 12 and June 13 and then the main ceremony on June 14, but those plans had to be revised after the coronavirus pandemic caused public events to be cancelled or postponed across the globe. (The Olympics and the Tony Awards were also among the high-profile events affected).

SEEWhen are the Daytime Emmys? New dates for 2020 nominations and ceremony finally announced

But the Daytime Emmys regrouped and winners will be presented during a virtual ceremony to be held on Friday night, June 26, on CBS, which will be the first time since 2011 that the awards are shown on a broadcast TV network.

Rosalind Elias, a mezzo-soprano who at 24 began a 42-year association with the Metropolitan Opera but didn’t make her Broadway debut until she’d turned 81, died Sunday, May 3, in New York. She was 90.

Her death was reported by the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Opera News. No cause was given.

Elias, though long known to opera devotees, was a newcomer to many in the Broadway audience when she played Heidi in the 2011 Kennedy Center production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (the limited engagement revival premiered at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center prior to it transfer to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre). Directed by Eric Schaeffer, the Follies revival featured a star-filled cast including, among others, Danny Burstein, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige, Bernadette Peters, Jayne Houdyshell, Mary Beth Peil and Kirsten Scott..

Even among such Broadway veterans, Elias received considerable public and press attention for her performance as Heidi Schiller, a Broadway legend who performs Follies‘ “One More Kiss” (the young version of the character was played in the revival by Leah Horowitz).

In a 2011 interview with Playbill, Elias said she identified with Heidi “because I am of the age of ‘Never look back’…It’s not an easy thing to do, because I keep looking back, but I try not to. When I do look back, I’m not bitter. I’m happy because I’ve had a blessed path.”

Elias sang 687 performances with New York’s Metropolitan Opera and on tour from 1954 to 1996, spanning 35 Met seasons. Occasional forays into musical theatre included the Follies revival, a 1984 New York City Opera staging of Sweeney Todd, and a 2008 Hawaii production of A Little Night Music.

Rip, #RosalindElias, 1930-2020. In light of her recent passing, we honor mezzo-soprano and friend of the Guild, Rosalind Elias. Ms. Elias joined the Guild's board in 2012 and was one of the inaugural members of the our Artists’ Council. Full obituary – https://t.co/sR3ia6F1Zt pic.twitter.com/mpkqmndkPr

— Met Opera Guild (@MetOperaGuild) May 4, 2020...

Directed and choreographed by Will Davis, with music direction by James Moore, Road Show tells the somewhat true story of the Mizner brothers who inherit a small fortune at the turn of the 20th Century and set out to grab their piece of the American Dream in a country where anything seems possible. The production will star Chuck Cooper Papa Mizner, Ral Esparza Wilson Mizner, Jin Ha Hollis Bessemer, Mary Beth Peil Mama Mizner, and Brandon Uranowitz Addison Mizner.

Wrapping up the Encores Off-Center season isStephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Road Show,running July 24-27.Directed and choreographed by Will Davis, with music direction by James Moore, Road Show tells the somewhat true story of the Mizner brothers who inherit a small fortune at the turn of the 20th Century and set out to grab their piece of the American Dream in a country where anything seems possible. The production will star Chuck Cooper Papa Mizner, Raul Esparza Wilson Mizner, Jin Ha Hollis Bessemer, Mary Beth Peil Mama Mizner, and Brandon Uranowitz Addison Mizner.

In her final film role, “The Song of Sway Lake,” the late Elizabeth Peña delivers withering looks — equal parts disgust and dismay — to a variety of characters, all of whom ably deserve her scorn. A clunky, lurching affair populated by barely sketched individuals who seem to be competing for a most-intolerable prize, Ari Gold’s drama concerns a young man who returns to his grandparents’ lake house in search of a rare treasure, for reasons as thinly defined as everything else in this saga. Shot years ago (Peña passed away in 2014), and released more than 15 months after its below-the-radar Los Angeles Film Festival premiere, it should have remained on whatever shelf it’s been occupying.

In the wake of dad Tim’s (Jason Brill) suicide, Ollie Sway (Rory Culkin) visits Sway Lake, a peaceful upstate New York idyll where he and best friend Nikolai (Robert Sheehan) hope to locate Tim...

Mary Beth Peil will play her final performance as the Dowager Empress in the hit Broadway musical Anastasia on September 23, 2018. Peil is an original member of the Broadway company and was nominated for the 2017 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her performance. She is a celebrated singer and stage and screen veteran, well known for her work in The King and I Tony nomination, Dawson's Creek and The Good Wife. Next, she can be seen starring in the acclaimed film The Song of Sway Lake opening in cinemas September 21, 2018.

"I gave you a home, I didn't give you my name!" The Orchard has debuted a new official trailer for an indie film titled The Song of Sway Lake, a funky musical fable of sorts about a boy who tries to steal a rare vinyl record from his own family's estate. Rory Culkin stars in this as Ollie, and the cast includes Robert Sheehan, Isabelle McNally, Mary Beth Peil, Elizabeth Peña, Jack Falahee, Brian Dennehy, and Anna Shields. This is actually, strangely enough, supposedly a musical featuring vocal performances by Brian Dennehy, John Grant, and The Staves. This looks wacky and weird and a bit too strange to actually be any good, but you never know. If you think any of this sounds compelling, then check out the trailer below. Here's the new official trailer (+ poster) for Ari Gold's The Song of Sway Lake, direct from YouTube: A...

The Orchard has acquired U.S. rights to Ari Gold’s drama The Song of Sway Lake, starring Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan and Mary Beth Peil.

The film, which Gold co-wrote with Elizabeth Bull, follows a young man, played by Culkin, who sets out to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house, only to have his plan derailed by his accomplice, played by Sheehan.

The distributor plans to release the film theatrically Sept. 21 and on VOD and Digital HD on Sept. 25.

The film was produced by Grack Films’ Gold, Michael Bederman, Allison Rose Carter ...

The Orchard has acquired U.S. rights to Ari Gold’s drama The Song of Sway Lake, starring Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan and Mary Beth Peil.

The film, which Gold co-wrote with Elizabeth Bull, follows a young man, played by Culkin, who sets out to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house, only to have his plan derailed by his accomplice, played by Sheehan.

The distributor plans to release the film theatrically Sept. 21 and on VOD and Digital HD on Sept. 25.

The film was produced by Grack Films’ Gold, Michael Bederman, Allison Rose Carter ...

Theatrical, digital release planned for September.

The Orchard has picked up Us rights to The Song Of Sway Lake starring Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan and Mary Beth Peil after commencing talks in Cannes.

The distributor, hot off the heels of its North American acquisition of Directors’ Fortnight opener Birds Of Passage, plans a September 21 theatrical release followed by VOD and digital launches on September 25.

Ari Gold directed from a screenplay he wrote with Elizabeth Bull about a young man whose plans to steal a long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house is derailed when his accomplice falls for the matriarch.

The Orchard has acquired U.S. rights to The Song of Sway Lake, the Ari Gold-directed pic that premiered at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival. Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan and Mary Beth Peil star in the jazz-inspired drama that Kew Media Group launched sales on this month in Cannes. The film is set for a September 21 theatrical release followed by a September 25 bow on VOD and digital.

Featuring original and classic songs, Sway Lake centers on a young man (Culkin) who plots to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from the lake house owned by his grandmother (Piel). His plan is derailed when his accomplice (Sheehan) falls for the matriarch. Grack Films’ Gold produced with Michael Bederman, Allison Rose Carter and Social Construct’s Zak Kilberg. Garrett P. Fennelly and Anne Bernstein are executive producers.

The Orchard’s Evan Morehouse negotiated the U.S. deal with Paradigm’s...

The Orchard announced Wednesday that it has acquired U.S. rights to director Ari Gold’s “The Song of Sway Lake.”

Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan (“Geostorm”) and Mary Beth Peil (“Dawson’s Creek”) star in the film, which follows a young man (Culkin) who plots to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house. His plan is derailed when his accomplice (Sheehan) falls for the matriarch.

The Orchard plans a theatrical release on Sept. 21, with VOD and digital HD to follow four days later.

Also Read: The Orchard Acquires Award-Winning Documentary 'The Dawn Wall'

Gold, who co-wrote the script with Elizabeth Bull, also produced along with Michael Bederman (“Spotlight”), Allison Rose Carter (“American Honey”) and Social Construct’s Zak Kilberg. The film was executive produced by Garrett P. Fennelly and Anne Bernstein.

Evan Morehouse from The Orchard negotiated the U.S. deal with Benjamin...

The Orchard has acquired U.S. rights to the jazz-inspired drama “The Song of Sway Lake,” starring Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan, and Mary Beth Peil.

“Sway Lake” is directed by Ari Gold (“Adventures of Power”), who co-wrote the film with Elizabeth Bull. Culkin portrays a young man who plots to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house. His plan is derailed when his accomplice (Sheehan) falls for the matriarch.

The movie will be released in theaters on Sept. 21 and on VOD and digital HD on Sept. 25. Producers are Gold through his Grack Films company, Michael Bederman (“Spotlight”), Allison Rose Carter (“American Honey”), and Social Construct’s Zak Kilberg. The film was executive produced by Garrett P. Fennelly and Anne Bernstein.

Kew Media Group launched the film to the international market at the Cannes Film Festival. The film will be continuing to tour international festivals this summer.

Death comes for Carrie Bradshaw.

At the start of documentarian Fabien Constant’s first fiction feature, Blue Night, New York resident Vivienne (Sarah Jessica Parker) is told she has a likely malignant brain tumor. (Her doctor is played by former “Grams” Mary Beth Peil; it’s the Dawson’s Creek-Sex and the City crossover you never knew you needed!) Unlike Parker’s most famous character, however, Vivienne isn’t the kind of person who can go gab with doting gal pals or turn her tale of woe into a homiletic gossip column. She’s a moody lounge singer after all (Parker at one point gets to croon a Rufus Wainwright...

Death comes for Carrie Bradshaw.

At the start of documentarian Fabien Constant’s first fiction feature, <em>Blue Night, </em>New York resident Vivienne (Sarah Jessica Parker) is told she has a likely malignant brain tumor. (Her doctor is played by former “Grams” Mary Beth Peil; it’s the <em>Dawson’s Creek-Sex and the City </em>crossover you never knew you needed!) Unlike Parker’s most famous character, however, Vivienne isn’t the kind of person who can go gab with doting gal pals or turn her tale of woe into a homiletic gossip column. She’s a moody lounge ...

Can you believe it's been 20 years since Dawson's Creek began? Recently, the cast of the WB TV show spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the big anniversary.The coming-of-age drama explored the lives of teens living in the quiet Massachusetts town of Capeside. The cast included James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, Kerr Smith, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, John Wesley Shipp, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Phillipps. The series ran for six seasons before ending in 2003.Read More…...

I don't know how many of you watched Dawson's Creek when you were growing up, but it is an iconic teen drama from late 90s early 2000s that had a huge following, so chances are some of you watched the coming-of-age drama. You don't have to admit it if you don't want to! I'm not going to admit it.

The series ended in 2003 and after fifteen years, the cast has reunited for the first time since the show went on the air. Entertainment Weekly got several of the cast members back together for the 20th Anniversary of when the series premiered, which was in 1998.

The actors in attendance include Katie Holmes (Joey Potter), James Van Der Beek (Dawson Leery), Joshua Jackson (Pacey Witter), Michelle Williams (Jen Lindley), Busy Phillips (Audrey Liddell), Kerr Smith (Jack McPhee), Meredith Monroe (Andie McPhee), and Mary Beth Peil (Evelyn “Grams” Ryan). Creator Kevin Williamson (Scream...

“Dawson’s Creek” creator Kevin Williamson is all for a reboot — as long as he isn’t involved.

Williamson told Entertainment Weekly he didn’t feel he could provide the show with any new emotional material while commenting on a discussion during a cast reunion, in which the actors pondered the possibility of a return. EW hosted the reunion, which included original cast members Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, Mary Beth Peil, and Busy Philipps.

“If someone else out there could … I would love to see someone else’s take on it, but I don’t think it’s gonna be me,” Williamson said.

When posed with the reboot question, Williams exclaimed, “I’m dead!” referring to the exit of her character Jen Lindley.

But Smith posed a solution that would ensure Williams’ return, suggesting that she come back as the...

It’s almost impossible to believe that it’s been two decades since we first met Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen in the fictional, sleepy-yet-tumultuous town of Capeside, Massachusetts. But alas, it was Jan. 20, 1998, that Dawson’s Creek splashed onto screens in its debut on The WB (which was eventually replaced by The CW).

From the first time Katie Holmes‘ Joey Potter scaled a ladder that led to the Steven Spielberg-adorned bedroom of the titular character, played by James Van Der Beek, tweens and teens within five miles of a television were instantly hooked. Next-door-neighbors-turned-BFFs forced to grapple with...

Is there a chance for a Dawson's Creek comeback? Recently, creator Kevin Williamson spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the possibility of a reboot for the WB TV show.The drama centered on the relationships between a group of friends growing up in the small, seaside town of Capeside. The cast included James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, Kerr Smith, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, John Wesley Shipp, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Phillipps.Read More…...

Yesterday was Saturday, and that means it's time for what has become one of the theatre community's most beloved traditions- BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' roundup This week Anastasia is taking a moment for home, love, and family with a stop to visit Broadway royalty Mary Beth Peil, and the ladies of A Bronx Tale are showing off their gorgeous style. Check out more Saturday Intermission Pics below...

What do John Rubinstein, Mary Beth Peil, Jenn Colella, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ken Marks, Josh Carpenter, Haven Burton, Roger Michelson, Walker Jones, Jennifer Smith and John Treacy Eagan have in common...

In this episode of Broadway Bartender, host Anthony Caporale welcomes special guest from Anastasia, Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil for a round at the bar...

What do John Rubinstein, Mary Beth Peil, Jenn Colella, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ken Marks, Josh Carpenter, Haven Burton, Roger Michelson, Walker Jones, Jennifer Smith and John Treacy Eagan have in common...

There is a certain joy about going in to an unexpected movie. You can find yourself stumbling onto unexpected gems, or you can find yourself careening into a hot mess of a flick. While I wouldn’t necessarily call any aspect of The Song of Sway Lake a “hot mess,” I do think this film is an example of some very Great filmmaking mixed in with a bit of a questionable and meandering story.

The Song of Sway Lake is written by Elizabeth Bull and Ari Gold, and directed by Ari Gold. The film premiered at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, and it follows the young twenty-something Ollie and his Russian friend Nikolai as they search for priceless record from his grandmother’s vacation home in Sway Lake. The record is an original unopened “Sway Lake” record, and he believes that his father (who had recently committed suicide...

Exclusive: Ari Gold’s The Song Of Sway Lake is having its world premiere next week at the Los Angeles Film Festival, debuting in the Premieres section. Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan and 2017 Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil star in the story of a young jazz collector (Culkin) who plots to rob his wealthy grandmother (Peil) of a rare 78 record, but his plan is derailed when his accomplice (Sheehan) falls for the glamorous matriarch. Isabelle McNally, Elizabeth Peña, Jack Falahee…...

After a career in opera, Mary Beth Peil made her Broadway debut in 1985's The King And I, forwhich she was nominated for a Tony Award. Now, 32 years later, she's back on the ballot, earning herself a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performances as the dazzling Dowager Empress in Anastasia. Below, watch as she explains the promises she made to herself 32 years ago, and how surreal this moment is for her...

Sometimes you blow an acting audition so spectacularly, it’s like a waking nightmare. You flub your lines, forget your lyrics, you’re meeting casting directors in the middle of a bad day—as Tony-nominated “Sweat” star Michelle Wilson says, “If you don’t have a humiliating story about auditioning, you’re not an actor.” Take it from the best of the 2016–17 Broadway season (Lucas Steele, Stephanie J. Block, and more!)—horrible auditions will help make you a better, more resilient performer and person. And hey, if you’re as talented as Mary Beth Peil, your worst audition in front of Stephen Sondheim may not end up as badly as you might expect! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Backstage YouTube Channel for more acting advice! And join Backstage in tuning into the Tony Awards this Sunday, June 11 on CBS. Check out Backstage’s Broadway audition listings!

Tony-nominated actors know a thing or two about nailing theater auditions. Backstage asked some of this year’s Broadway greats—from Mary Beth Peil to Denée Benton—for their best practical tips in the exclusive video below. “Imagine it’s the only time you will ever get a chance to play that part,” David Hyde Pierce of “Hello, Dolly!” advises. Stephanie J. Block of “Falsettos” has tips on what to do before an audition, while Jenn Colella of “Come From Away” maintains a post-audition routine. And if you’re looking for a way to recalibrate your attitude toward the entire process, listen to the wisdom of “Jitney’s” John Douglas Thompson. Don’t forget to check out Set the Scene, our video series of advice for actors, and be sure to subscribe to the Backstage YouTube Channel. Happy Tony Awards week! To book your next audition, check out Backstage’s Broadway audition listings!

Ever performed eight shows a week, for weeks on end? The Tony Award-nominated stars in the Backstage exclusive video below sure have! Whether it’s sugar-free cough drops or just a well-timed nap, every Broadway performer has different techniques for surviving such a grueling schedule in the spotlight. We asked this year’s Tony nominees Stephanie J. Block (“Falsettos”), Mary Beth Peil (“Anastasia”), Jayne Houdyshell (“A Doll’s House, Part 2”), Denée Benton (“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”), David Hyde Pierce (“Hello, Dolly!”), John Douglas Thompson (“August Wilson’s Jitney”), and Brandon Uranowitz (“Falsettos”) for their advice on snacking and drinking, vocal care, and what other secret weapons help them endure. Read: The 2017 Tony Nominees: Actors in a Musical Don’t forget to check out Set the Scene, our video series of advice for actors, and be sure to subscribe to the Backstage YouTube Channel. Happy Tony Awards week! Check...

While Hamilton dominated Broadway theater in 2016, this year's Tony nominations are more evenly distributed.

The 71st annual Tony Awards nominations were unveiled on Tuesday morning live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Announced by Jane Krakowski and Hamilton alum Christopher Jackson, the honorees were led by Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 with 12 nominations, including Best Musical and Best Leading Actor for Josh Groban's role in the War and Peace-inspired story.

Related: Kristen Bell Shares Dax Shepard's Hilarious Review of 'Hamilton' After Seeing the Musical for the First Time

Dear Evan Hansen landed nine nominations, two of which were for Best Musical and Best Leading Actor (Ben Platt of Pitch Perfect). The stage adaptation of Groundhog Day and the 9/11 musical, Come From Away, rounded out the Best Musical noms.

Bette Midler also scored a Best Leading Actress nomination for her performance in Hello, Dolly! -- her...

The new musical, Anastasia, dances intoBroadway's Broadhurst Theatre 235 West 44th Street tonight,April 24, 2017, produced by Stage Entertainment, Bill Taylor Sister Act, Rocky, Tom Kirdahy It's Only A Play, The Visit and Hunter Arnold Kinky Boots, Spring Awakening. The company is led by Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Ramin Karimloo, Caroline O'Connor and Mary Beth Peil. Scroll down to get to know the company before they take their opening bows...

The new musical, Anastasia, will open on Broadway on April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre 235 West 44th Street, produced by Stage Entertainment, Bill Taylor Sister Act, Rocky, Tom Kirdahy It's Only A Play, The Visit and Hunter Arnold Kinky Boots, Spring Awakening. The company is led by Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Ramin Karimloo, Caroline O'Connor and Mary Beth Peil. BroadwayWorld has a first look at their 'journey to the past' onstage below...

Anastasia, the 1997 hit animated movie starring the voices of Meg Ryan and John Cusack, is making its move from the screen to the stage — and People’s got the exclusive first look at the production.

The new Broadway musical, now in previews at New York City’s Broadhurst Theatre, brings the legend of Russia’s Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna to life.

Newcomer Christy Altomare plays Anya — an 18-year-old amnesiac orphan who, with the help of a con-man Dmitry (Derek Kelna), poses as the long-lost Grand Duchess Anastasia. In doing so, she learns a secret about her past while fighting to secure a future for herself.

Anastasia will begin previews on March 23, 2017 and open on Broadway on April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre 235 West 44th Street. Starring Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Ramin Karimloo, Caroline O'Connor, and Mary Beth Peil, the musical features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally and a lush, original score by Tony Award winners Stephen Flaherty music and Lynn Ahrens lyrics. Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak directs.

Betty White's got nothing on Mary Beth Peil, TV’s beloved grandmother from Dawson’s Creek and The Good Wife, who is busier than ever after wrapping up seven seasons on the latter as the ever-watchful and prudish Jackie Florrick and now doing double duty on stage with back-to-back Broadway productions.

“It's thrilling, especially at my age,” Peil tells Et by phone. “There is no way to even dream -- as I get older, life gets better, as far as my professional life is concerned.”

“I am now closer to the age of Grams than I was 20 years ago,” the actress, now 76, says of playing the beloved grandmother to Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams) on Dawson’s Creek. “People recognize me as Grams more now than they did then.”

More: 2017 Spring Theater Preview

Last fall, the Tony Award nominee appeared in the Broadway revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Liev Schreiber. The play closed...

Anastasia will begin previews on March 23, 2017 and open on Broadway on April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre 235 West 44th Street. StarringChristy Altomare, Derek Klena, John Bolton,Ramin Karimloo, Caroline O'Connor, and Mary Beth Peil, the musical features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally and a lush, original score by Tony Award winners Stephen Flaherty music and Lynn Ahrens lyrics. Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak directs.

It's all water under the bridge now, but Busy Philipps and James Franco's romantic connection on Freaks and Geeks was true acting. In fact, when the cameras weren't rolling, they "really disliked each other."

Philipps, now 37, told Flipping Out star Jeff Lewis on Watch What Happens Live that Franco, now 38, was once one of the most difficult people with whom she's ever worked.

"James Franco and I really didn't get along when we were on Freaks and Geeks," she said. "We were 19, and we really, really disliked each other – it's well-documented. He shoved me to the ground once. It was really brutal.

[Youtube "Z6gQOgQyS3o"] It's all water under the bridge now, but Busy Philipps and James Franco's romantic connection on Freaks and Geeks was true acting. In fact, when the cameras weren't rolling, they "really disliked each other." Philipps, now 37, told Flipping Out star Jeff Lewis on Watch What Happens Live that Franco, now 38, was once one of the most difficult people with whom she's ever worked. "James Franco and I really didn't get along when we were on Freaks and Geeks," she said. "We were 19, and we really, really disliked each other - it's well-documented. He shoved me to the ground once.

The title alone makes you think twice. Upon first hearing the words "the good wife," the phrase sounds like a reference to the Stepford Wives era of the 1950s. But, after seven years on air before concluding its run May 8, Robert and Michelle King's complex and complicated television show The Good Wife has demonstrated that being "good" is anything but simple.

The legal drama has followed the life of once-happy housewife and mother Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), who was thrust into the public eye when her husband, State's Attorney Peter (Chris Noth), was caught with a prostitute, lost his...

[Youtube "7Wy6iHhWFFU" "auto"] Michelle Williams has taken to hosting her own, very exclusive Dawson's Creek reunions. Williams sat down with Today co-host Savannah Guthrie on Monday to discuss her latest role in the Broadway play Blackbird, and Guthrie couldn't help ask the question of the moment: What are the chances of a reunion?To fans' disappointment Williams, 35, acknowledged her character Jen Lindley's chances of appearing in any sort of reboot or revival are slim. "I died," she reminded Guthrie. "I would have to come back as a ghost - or put a lot of filters on the camera, and I'll do flashback scenes.

Michelle Williams has taken to hosting her own, very exclusive Dawson's Creek reunions.

Williams sat down with Today co-host Savannah Guthrie on Monday to discuss her latest role in the Broadway play Blackbird, and Guthrie couldn't help ask the question of the moment: What are the chances of a reunion?

To fans' disappointment Williams, 35, acknowledged her character Jen Lindley's chances of appearing in any sort of reboot or revival are slim.

"I died," she reminded Guthrie. "I would have to come back as a ghost – or put a lot of filters on the camera, and I'll do flashback scenes."

Added Williams,...