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[This story contains major spoilers from the season finale of Grotesquerie.]

The plot of Grotesquerie may be more confusing than ever after the season finale’s cliffhanger ending. But one message that’s interwoven into the themes of women’s (and men’s) rights, AI and climate change that are explored in the Ryan Murphy horror series couldn’t be clearer for star Lesley Manville ahead of next week’s presidential election. “Be careful what you vote for,” the British actress tells The Hollywood Reporter of a takeaway for American viewers. “Think very carefully before you put your tick in the ballot box.”

Manville starts out playing Nurse Redd in the FX horror series, later appearing simply as Redd, the lover to Lois’ (Niecy Nash-Betts) husband Marshall (Courtney B. Vance) following the episode seven unveiling that the original characters in the story were projections created by Lois while in a liminal state. Marshall, who was originally thought to be in...

Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken’s Grotesquerie started in a rather unassuming fashion, but it was clear that a palpable darkness was brewing under the surface of its characters and setting, like a gaping chasm to Hell that could swallow the world at any moment. There’s been an emphasis on order ruling over chaos – particularly in the form of jigsaw puzzles – right from Grotesquerie’s first episode. Lois Tryon (Niecy Nash-Betts) and the rest of her family would innocently solve puzzles all season while she simultaneously tries to put together the pieces of a grander serial killer mystery where Lois can’t see the forest for the trees. To Grotesquerie’s credit, it’s a series that’s routinely kept its audience guessing regarding how all these pieces possibly fit together and what the finished picture is supposed to look like. Grotesquerie certainly hasn’t been...

[This story contains spoilers from episodes eight and nine of Grotesquerie.]

Following the shock-twist reveal that flipped everything viewers of FX horror series Grotesquerie thought they knew, the eighth and ninth episodes — which aired back to back this week — continued to peel back the layers of the complex world that had been created by Lois Tryon (Niecy Nash-Betts) while she was in a coma and dreaming while in a liminal state. With the introduction of Dr. Witticomb (Santino Fontana), the researcher tells Lois’ daughter Merritt (Raven Goodwin), “If we can advance the science of communicating with people in comas, my hope is we can find ways to awaken them.”

As Dr. Whitcomb talks Lois through the various alter-egos she created for the people in her real life, an unexpected new character appears to be awakened, however, in the form of a copycat killer recreating the murders Lois recalls from her dreams. In a somewhat full-circle moment, Lois and Megan (Micaela Diamond...

After four straight weeks of relentless mind-screwing, Grotesquerie actually started to make sense on Wednesday. And just in time for the finale!

Don’t get us wrong, there was still plenty of mind-screwing in Episodes 8 and 9. But it was a little gentler this time. It bought us dinner first.

More from TVLineThe Old Man Finale Recap: It's a Race to Save Chase - Plus, Grade It!What We Do in the Shadows Premiere Recap: Look What the Bat Dragged In - Plus, Grade It!Niecy Nash Reacts to Grotesquerie's Jaw-Dropping Twist, Says It Took 3 Days to Shoot Her Fight With...

Though it’s something of a backhanded paean to its eponymous city in question, the most enjoyable element to “Lost & Found in Cleveland” is its locations, locations, locations — cinematographer Davon Slininger’s widescreen images provide an appealing selective tour of a burg the film presents as quaintly lagging well behind the times. Otherwise, this slick if uninspired first feature for actors turned writer-directors Marisa Guterman and Keith Gerchak offers a pleasant-enough ensemble seriocomedy that straddles the terrains of Richard Curtis and Christopher Guest, without approaching either’s high points. The Newport Beach Fest world premiere’s familiar faces and story beats seem best suited to home viewing.

An opening montage to the retro pop of Bobby Darin singing “Artificial Flowers” — an incongruously brassy, “Mack the Knife”-like arrangement of a depressing slum-tragedy lyric from 1960 Broadway musical “Tenderloin” — introduces the characters, as well as a sense that this midwestern metropolis’ growth stalled some decades ago.

After this week’s Evil, The Manager won’t have Leland Townsend to kick around anymore. And that’s because Leland framed him, poisoned him, stabbed him and then ate his heart during a shareholder presentation. How’s that for a corporate shake-up?

Episode 9 marks a definite escalation in Leland’s diabolical minion-ship, which I’m guessing will be very bad news for #TeamGood in the near future. But at the moment, they’re preoccupied by talking to dead people and making tinfoil hats. True story.

More from TVLineHalo Cancelled at Paramount+ After 2 Seasons, Will Seek New HomeThe Boys' Antony Starr...

It’s been virtually 100 years to the day since Walt Disney’s animated mouse took the wheel of a steamship and steered himself into immortality. But for anyone who grew up watching Disney movies that might seem surprisingly recent. Since near its very inception, Walt Disney Animation Studios has evoked a timeless sensibility which seems eternal and everlasting. With likely your parents and grandparents growing up on Disney movies, the studio’s brand of hand-drawn magic has always been there in the background of living memory. But every magic has its dark side… and the shadows cast by the House of Mouse have always been faintly more sinister than parents remember until they put a little one in front of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Fantasia. You show a child Chernabog for the first time, and I’ll show you a week of nightmares.

Going back to the days of Walt,...

From left: Maleficent, Ursula, Chernabog, Dr. Facilier, Cruella de Vil (All images courtesy of Disney)Graphic: The A.V. Club

With the live-action version of The Little Mermaid now swimming in the calm blue waters of Disney+, audiences can see Melissa McCarthy camp it up as Ursula in all her glory.

It's tough to think of the Netflix fantasy series "The Witcher," based on the novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, without Henry Cavill at its center as Geralt of Rivia. He brought passion to the project as a massive fan of the novels and video games that already exist in the franchise, and he made Geralt a truly three-dimensional character with pathos. Even skeptical fans who thought the casting was a bit odd (I was holding out for Mads Mikkelsen) found themselves won over by Cavill's performance, impressed at the range he showed after gaining fame as Superman. Unfortunately, "The Witcher" will be going on without Cavill after the third season, with actor Liam Hemsworth stepping into his leather boots and silver wig for the show's fourth season. 

There has been quite a bit of discussion around why Cavill decided to leave, ranging from potential creative conflicts with the "Witcher...

Exclusive: Impossible Dream Entertainment and Double G Films have set a stacked cast for their dramatic comedy Lost & Found in Cleveland, marking the feature debut of writer-directors Marisa Guterman and Keith Gerchak. Leads for the film, currently in production in Cleveland, include Emmy and Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska), Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (Nebraska), Independent Spirit Award winner Yvette Yates Redick (Inherent Vice) and Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Broadway’s Tootsie).

An adult drama targeted toward the audience that recently made Paramount & Fifth Season’s 80 for Brady a hit, Lost & Found in Cleveland is billed as a new American fable about the post-Industrial American Dream in the Industrial Midwest — a slice-of-life depiction over a 24-hour period that follows the personal odysseys of five very different people, whose lives intertwine when...

Who doesn’t love a good Disney classic movie? One of the most beloved Disney classics to date is Frozen. This movie follows the adventures of Anna and Elsa, two sisters who battle the elements and discover the power of love and friendship. Join us as we explore the wonderful world of Frozen and its timeless messages.

The Storyline: A Tale of Love, Adventure and Magic

Frozen follows the story of two royal sisters, Anna and Elsa, as they go on a journey to discover the power of their bond and save their kingdom from eternal winter. The beautiful animation of the film brings a unique and enchanting story to life. With its captivating characters and compelling music, Frozen is a must-see movie. The story of true love and sisterly connection is sure to warm your heart and will have you singing along to all the catchy songs in no time.

A stage adaptation of The Pianist, based on the Władysław Szpilman memoir that was the source of the Oscar-nominated 2002 film, is being developed by director Emily Mann with an eye toward Broadway. An industry reading is set for New York City this month with Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Tootsie) starring as Szpilman.

The project was announced today by producers Robin de Levita Productions, Gorgeous Entertainment, and Wolk Transfer Company. Described as a play with music, The Pianist features an original score by Dutch concert pianist Iris Hond.

The invitation-only industry reading is set for June 23, with Fontana leading a company that includes Richard Topol, Georgia Warner, Claire Beckman, Arielle Goldman, Paul Spera, Addison Finley, Jordan Lage, Robert David Grant and Tina Benko.

The Pianist tells the true story of Szpilman, a survivor of Nazi-occupied Warsaw in World War II. The 2002 film adaptation of Szpilman’s 1946 memoir won Adrien Brody...

“That’s why it’s a real New York story. Skeptic from the start,” Krysta Rodriguez says of her new Hallmark Channel romantic comedy. In Just One Kiss (premiering April 2), Rodriguez plays Mia, a college literature professor who is a single mom going through a divorce when she meets bachelor Tony (Santino Fontana), a popular headliner in a Manhattan supper club. She read the script, and “I just was smiling the whole time. I really enjoyed myself,” Rodriguez tells TV Insider. “I thought that this woman that they had created had real stakes. It didn’t feel forced, and I really liked that she was living a life that was sort of in flux and she had to kind of find her way through that life.” Furthermore, with two Broadway stars as the leads, it’s no surprise that there’s singing for both of them — but that wasn’t originally the plan.

At the start of the pandemic, actor, musician and Sirius Xm host Seth Rudetsky and his producer husband James Wesley founded the charity initiative Stars in the House, a daily live-streamed series featuring guest conversations and performances for fundraising efforts.

Since its inception, the web series has raised over $1.1 million for the Actors Fund’s Covid Relief program, as well as funds for other nonprofits including the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Waterkeeper Alliance.

In mid-March, the two announced a 10-hour Ukraine telethon to aid humanitarian efforts through The International Rescue Committee. Featuring a star-studded guest list of both Hollywood and Ukrainian notables, the full-day event will include performances, interviews, and more. Here’s how to watch the telethon online.

When Is the Ukraine Telethon?

The show will air live on Saturday, March 26 from noon to 10 p.m. Et.

Where Is the Ukraine Telethon Streaming?

Viewers have...

A star-studded telethon to benefit victims of the war in Ukraine was announced today by Stars in the House founders Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley.

Among the big names taking part are Steve Martin, original Sctv (Second City Television) stars Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin, “Pose” star Billy Porter, Josh Groban, and theater luminaries including Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald, Mandy Patinkin, Betty Buckley, and Robin de Jesús.

The telethon will benefit International Rescue Committee and their humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine. The show will air live on Saturday, March 26 from 12:00 p.m. Et – 10:00 p.m. Et, and can be streamed at starsinthehouse.com, Stars In The House YouTube channel, and SiriusXM Stars109.

We're proud to announce Stars In The House For Ukraine, a 10-hour telethon benefiting the International Rescue Committee and their humanitarian efforts for refugees from Ukraine.

Saturday,...

A celebrity-packed 10-hour Stars in the House telethon raising money for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine has been scheduled for Saturday, March 26, with a line-up to include such Hollywood and Broadway stars as Steve Martin, Annette Bening, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Laurie Metcalf, Patrick Wilson, Judith Light and a new Sctv reunion of Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin.

The telethon was announced today by Stars in the House hosts and co-founders Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley. Donations raised from the event will benefit the International Rescue Committee and their humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

The show will air live on Saturday, March 26 from 12 pm to 10pm Et, and will be viewable on starsinthehouse.com and the Stars In The House YouTube channel. Listeners can tune in to SiriusXM Stars109.

The planned line-up so far: Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin,...

Kathryn Kates, a veteran character actress who appeared in such TV series as Orange Is the New Black, Seinfeld and Law & Order: Svu and The Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark, has died. She was 73.

Her reps at Headline Talent Agency said Kates died Saturday of cancer in Florida.

“Kathryn has been our client for many years, and we have grown much closer to her in this last year since she knew of her cancer returning,” Headline Talent said in a statement. “She was always incredibly brave and wise and approached every role with the greatest of passion. She will be greatly missed.”

A native New Yorker, Kates had a few small roles in the early 1980s but got busier during the following decade. By the mid-’90s, she was guesting on such series as Matlock, Thunder Alley and Seinfeld. She appeared as a counter clerk in...

The 74th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Audra McDonald, will be livestreamed Sunday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt, exclusively on Paramount+. The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!, hosted by Leslie Odom, Jr., airs at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

No red carpet events will be presented this year.

All but three Tony Awards will be presented during the Paramount+ livestream, with three awards – Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical – presented during the CBS concert portion live from Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre.

The Broadway’s Back! concert special also will include performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders, David Byrne and the cast of American Utopia, John Legend and the cast of Ain’t Too Proud.

Additional performers and presenters have been announced for The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!, the two-hour live concert special airing on CBS and Paramount+ this Sunday following the livestream-only presentation of the 74th Annual Tony Awards.

Joining the special’s roster are Jon Batiste, Stephanie J. Block, Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess, Darren Criss, Robbie Fairchild, Beanie Feldstein, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jordan Fisher, Santino Fontana, Andrew Garfield, Jared Grimes, Josh Groban, Jennifer Holliday, Nikki M. James, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Ron Cephas Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Norm Lewis, John Lithgow, Lindsay Mendez, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jennifer Nettles, Lynn Nottage, Adam Pascal, Bernadette Peters, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Andrew Rannells, Anthony Rapp, Anika Noni Rose, Lea Salonga, Ali Stroker, Black Thought, Courtney B. Vance, Daniel J. Watts and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The telecast also will feature performances including David Byrne and the cast of American Utopia, John Legend and the cast of Ain’t Too Proud,...

There has to be some confusion in a TV drama, a procession of things not-yet-understood. That’s the deal: accept temporary bafflement in the expectation that at some point, all will be revealed. Or even if it won’t be, at least there’s a reason it’s been left unsolved, like a Sudoku you’ve got jam on.

What doesn’t work is when a TV show that’s supposed to be taking you along with it, leaves you behind. That could be your fault (Did you stay awake? Skip an episode? Were you checking your phone? Was your dog doing that weird thing with the curtains so you had to get up and miss a bit?). Or it could be the fault of a TV show either too ambitious or inaccessible or illogical for comfort. We’ve chosen the episodes that left us scratching our heads; you can judge who’s to blame.

Paul Huntley, the celebrated wigmaker for film, stage and television who provided Dustin Hoffman with the coif that transformed the actor into Tootsie and did the same decades later for when Santino Fontana originated the role in a Broadway musical, died this morning at his London home following a short illness. He was 89.

His death was announced in a post today on his Instagram page.

During his more than five-decade career, he helped give the felines of Cats their sheen, topped Patti LuPone’s Evita with the now famous blonde bun and styled the signature black and white job Glenn Close wore as Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmations.

Huntley, who moved back to his native London recently from his longtime Manhattan home, retired earlier this year when Broadway’s Covid pandemic shutdown halted his professional opportunities, and after becoming bedridden following a fall at his Upper West Side home. His...

A line-up of nearly 30 stars – from Glenn Close, Patti LuPone, Darren Criss, Kelsey Grammar and David Alan Grier to Jake Gyllenhaal, Joshua Henry and Phillipa Soo – will perform title songs from more than 20 musicals for a special livestreamed musical event next month benefiting The Actors Fund.

The event, called Show of Titles, will feature title songs of Broadway musicals spanning nine decades, from “Lady Be Good” to “The Light in the Piazza.” In addition to the above-mentioned performers, the line-up includes Annaleigh Ashford, Len Cariou, Santino Fontana, Isabelle Huppert, Norm Lewis, Rob McClure, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Melba Moore, Jessie Mueller, Eva Noblezada, Kelli O’Hara, Laura Osnes, Steven Pasquale, Michael Rupert, Ernie Sabella, Lea Salonga, Will Swenson, Aaron Tveit, Leslie Uggams, Vanessa Williams and Patrick Wilson.

Making special appearances will be Broadway Inspirational Voices, Candice Bergen, Danny Burstein, Bryan Cranston, Sheldon Harnick, John Kander, Angela Lansbury, John Lithgow, Lindsay Mendez, Phylicia Rashad,...

Producers Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, alongside Broadway superstar Audra McDonald, director Schele Williams, and Broadway Inspirational Voices’ Joseph Joubert and Michael McElroy, announced today that they have released a very special recording and music video of the beloved song “Georgia On My Mind” to mark the first day of voting for the January 5th Georgia Senate runoff elections.

The song, which premiered during Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight organization’s “Rock The Runoff” Virtual Concert, will help to raise funds and awareness for Fair Fight’s work to ensure that every eligible Georgian has the resources and information they need to vote in the January 5th runoff election.

The single is released by Broadway Records, and is available wherever digital music is sold and on BroadwayRecords.com. The video, which was directed by Schele Williams, is available for viewing via Fair Fight’s YouTube Page.

The song was recorded by...

Exclusive: Disney Junior’s Emmy and BAFTA Award-nominated animated series Vampirina has lined up a roster of season 3 guest stars from both Broadway and television, including Audra McDonald and, from Hamilton, Christopher Jackson and Taran Killam, among others.

Season 3 of Disney Junior’s Vampirina premieres Monday, October 5, 11 a.m. Et/Pt on Disney Junior.

The series, which Disney describes as a blend of spooky fun, heartfelt storytelling and Broadway-caliber music, stars Lauren Graham, James Van Der Beek and Isabella Crovetti as a family of friendly vampires who have relocated from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell voice the recurring roles of Vampirina’s grandparents, Nanpire and Grandpop.

Joining as guest voices for the series’ third season are:

Christopher Jackson and Taran Killam (who both appeared in the Broadway production of Hamilton) as The Horseman and Ichabod, respectively; Audra McDonald (Broadway’s Porgy and Bess...

The pre-recorded 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards, postponed due to the Black Lives Matter protests in New York, has been rescheduled for streaming on Saturday, June 13, at 7:30pm Et.

The special presentation will stream on NY1.com and DramaDeskAwards.com. A simultaneous telecast is planned for New York City’s Spectrum News NY1 channel.

The pre-recorded ceremony was originally set to air May 31. An earlier live event planned for New York’s Town Hall theater had been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As previously announced, the special includes appearances by Tituss Burgess, James Corden, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Beanie Feldstein, Santino Fontana, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald, among others.

The ceremony also includes a celebration of the life and legacy of American theater producer and director Hal Prince as the Drama Desk Awards’ first-ever lifetime achievement honor.

Dreaming is considered by many people to be the gateway into understanding humanity, and what motivates people’s emotions and actions. Actor Santino Fontana is powerfully exploring what propels people’s thoughts while they’re asleep, as well as the line between dreams and reality, in this winter’s psychological thriller, ‘Impossible Monsters.’ After touring the country last year […]

The post Actor Santino Fontana Explores How Dreams Affect Reality in Impossible Monsters DVD Giveaway appeared first on Shockya.com.

Billy Elliot made a huge splash in London in 2005 before it crossed the Atlantic. The Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on November 13, 2008, where it remained for over three years and 1312 performances. The show made Tony winners of its three pint-sized leading men David lvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish and picked up nine other Tonys that season. The production also notabley starred Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara and a young, future Tony-winner, Santino Fontana.

On April 6, 2020, Carol Burnett will receive the 2020 Stephen Sondheim Award, to be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential musical theater writer and composer, benefits Signature's artistic, education and community programs.Kristin Chenoweth and Santino Fontana will perform in Carol Burnett's honor along with Washington's own Tracy Lynn Olivera, Nova Y. Payton and Bobby Smith.

Some of the most beloved songs of the musical theatre canon come from Bernstein's score, which includes 'Tonight,' 'America,' 'Maria,' and of course, Tony's big Act I moment, 'Something's Coming.'Today, we celebrate the show's return with that very tune, featuring original Tonys Larry Kert original Broadway cast and Richard Beymer 1961 film, Broadway leading men Matt Cavenaugh 2009 revival, Jeremy Jordan 2009 revival, Cheyenne Jackson, Gavin Creel, Colton Ryan, Santino Fontana, and Darren Criss, and even Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Game of Thrones” have taken home two of the major Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America.

The trophies, which honor excellence in casting, were unveiled at the 35th Annual Artios Awards held on Thursday in ceremonies in New York, Los Angeles and London. The New York ceremony was hosted by Michelle Buteau at Stage 48; Ron Funches emceed in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton, and Jason Isaacs hosted in London at the Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” won the big-budget feature drama award while “Knives Out” took the big-budget feature comedy trophy. “Marriage Story” received the studio or independent drama prize and “Jojo Rabbit” nabbed the comedy counterpart. “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” won the low-budget award.

“Toy Story 4” and “The Lion King” tied in animation. “Skin in the Game...

Dreaming is considered by many people to be the gateway into understanding humanity, and what motivates people’s emotions and actions. Actor Santino Fontana is powerfully exploring what propels people’s thoughts while they’re asleep, as well as the line between dreams and reality, in the new psychological thriller, ‘Impossible Monsters.’ In honor of the movie’s upcoming […]

The post Impossible Monsters Exclusive Poster Premiere Shows Santino Fontana Exploring the Dangers of Dreams appeared first on Shockya.com.

A star-studded cast including Sir Patrick Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu, Zachary Quinto, Michael C. Hall, Tony Shalhoub, Matt Bomer, Billy Porter, Judith Light and more will lend their voices to the audiobook edition of Fight Of The Century, a brand-new anthology curated by award-winning authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union to mark its 100-year anniversary.

Fight Of The Century takes you inside the landmark trials and the stories that have shaped modern life through original essays by 40 of the most influential writers at work today, including Jennifer Egan, Marlon James, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Salman Rushdie, and Jesmyn Ward. Some of the most prominent cases involving the Aclu — Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona — need little introduction. Others you may never even have heard of, yet their outcomes quietly defined the world we live in now.

Musical TV shows have always needed ubertalented casts, and the new comedy Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is no exception. Are the actors actually singing on screen? For the moment, it looks like yes, the main cast are doing all of their own singing rather than relying on postproduction dubbing by professional singers. Of course, it helps to have some veteran song-and-dance actors in the cast, too.

The show's premise explains its need for musical talents: our heroine Zoey (Jane Levy) suddenly develops the ability to hear the world's thoughts through song after an Mri gone wrong. Several of the show's lead cast members have experience singing, both in previous television work and on stage. Skylar Astin has perhaps the most extensive résumé, covering the trio of film, TV, and theater: he played college a cappella star Jesse in the Pitch Perfect movies, joined the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in its...

This year's concert line-up includes Tony nominee Jenn Colella Come From Away, Tony Award-winner Santino Fontana Tootsie, Ta'Nika Gibson Ain't Too Proud, Emmy Award-winner Judy Gold 'Kill Me Now' podcast, Tony nominee Megan Hilty 'Smash,', Emmy and Tony Award-winner Andrea Martin Pippin, Emmy and Tony Award-winner Laurie Metcalf 'The Conners', Brian Stokes Mitchell Kiss Me Kate, Javier Muoz Hamilton, Tony Award-winner Kelli O'Hara The King I, and more to be announced.

Exclusive: In a competitive situation with multiple bidders, Fox has handed a put pilot commitment with a big penalty to Football Book Club, a multi-camera comedy from Robert Horn and Scott Ellis, the duo behind the Tootsie Broadway musical, former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and Warner Bros. TV.

Written by Horn and to be directed by Ellis, Football Book Club is inspired by Mitchell’s experiences. In the comedy, when a career-threatening injury sidelines professional football wide receiver Lawrence Lasalle, a trip to an Athens, Georgia, bookshop unexpectedly lands him as the only male in an all-female Southern book club, started by recent suburban widow Nancy Leverett, looking to reconnect with life. These two opposite lives collide at a time of major transition for both, as a surprising relationship forms over beginnings, Beaujolais and books, bonding a group of opinionated Southern women...

When the animated musical Frozen skated into the multiplex in 2013, it grossed a record-breaking $!.27 billion in cold cash. Let it go? Hell, no! Six years later, Disney delivers an uneven but sensationally entertaining sequel to the Oscar winner that pulls out all the stops. The songs, again by the award-winning couple of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, are tantalizing earworms. The animation bursts with wonders — wait till you see what the CGI wizards do with water, the toughest element to animate. And it’s pleasure to re-connect with everyone’s...

It’s the end of a (very short) era. The Daytime Emmys announced on October 31 the elimination of an unusually consequential category: Best Musical Performance in a Daytime Program. That Halloween proclamation was scary news for musical theater actors who in recent years have been able to complete most of their Egot checklists thanks to that category.

Best Musical Performance was only presented four times. The first time it seemed like a way to help Adele to get to Egot. The Grammy and Oscar winner was nominated in 2016 for performing “Million Years Ago” on “Today,” but she surprisingly lost to Rachel Platten for singing her signature hit “Fight Song” on “Good Morning America.”

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All three winners that followed, however, were the casts of Broadway shows who managed to secure Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Awards within the span of a few months for their work.

Global Lyme Alliance (Gla), the leading 501c3 dedicated to conquering Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through research, education, awareness, and patient services today announced that its fifth annual New York City Gala raised over $2.5 million last night at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan.

Yolanda Hadid attends Global Lyme Alliance New York Gala

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images/Global Lyme Alliance

The money raised at the event will support Gla’s mission to advance scientific research leading to a reliable diagnostic test, improved treatment options, and ultimately, find a cure for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

The gala experience was produced by sponsor and celebrated event planner Larry Scott of Lawrence Scott Events, who donated his event planning and design services towards the Global Lyme Alliance’s New York Gala for the fifth consecutive year. Showcasing his unique commitment to philanthropic causes, the spectacular and one-of-a-kind gala was an evening to remember for invited celebrities,...

Gerard Alessandrini's Forbidden Broadway, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, is back this season after a five-year absence.Spoofs include Hadestown, Moulin Rouge, this season's Oklahoma revival, The Ferryman, Tootsie, Beetlejuice, Frozen, the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof,, Dear Evan Hansen, and the new generation of Broadway stars including Billy Porter, Santino Fontana, Karen Olivio, Alex Brightman and exciting turns by Bette Midler, Andre De Shields, Bernadette Peters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and several surprises.

Gerard Alessandrini's Forbidden Broadway, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, is back this season after a five-year absence. Spoofs include Hadestown, Moulin Rouge, this season's Oklahoma revival, The Ferryman, Tootsie, Beetlejuice, Frozen, the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof,, Dear Evan Hansen, What the Constitution Means to Me, and the new generation of Broadway stars including Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Santino Fontana, Karen Olivio, Alex Brightman and exciting turns by Bette Midler, Andre De Shields, Bernadette Peters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and several surprises.

Global Lyme Alliance (Gla), the leading 501©(3) dedicated to conquering Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, will hold its 5th Annual New York City Gala on Thursday, October 10th, 2019 at Cipriani 42nd Street.

The event aims to raise Lyme disease awareness and research funds to improve diagnostics, treatments and ultimately find a cure for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. This year’s honored guests include Bob and Karen Kelly, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, Lyme patient, and staunch advocates dedicated to finding a cure for this insidious disease. Adrienne Nolan-Smith, wellness and patient advocate, speaker and founder of WellBe (@getwellbe), a media company and lifestyle brand focused on bridging the gap between the healthcare system and the wellness movement; and David Nolan, father of three Lyme survivors and former vice chairman of Millennium Partners.

Celebrated event planner Larry Scott of Lawrence Scott Events is producing the gala experience and donating his designs and décor to the virtuous.

The moral of the “Frozen” movies has always been that sisters must stick together at all costs. In the new trailer for “Frozen II,” that bond is tested when Elsa has to use her powers to find a hidden, magical forest that threatens the safety of Arendelle.

“I’m going with you,” Anna declares. “Excuse me, I climbed a cliff, survived a frozen heart and saved you from my ex-boyfriend, so … you know, I’m coming.”

It’s a big taste of an actual plot that we didn’t see the first time around in the trailer for “Frozen II.” And this one has scores of action in the form of a dangerous wind storm, Elsa bounding across ice spires and even riding a frozen horse to battle a giant rock titan.

Also Read: Fall Box Office Preview: Can 'Star Wars,' 'Frozen' and 'Jumanji' Sequels Boost Sluggish 2019 Totals?...

Elsa, Anna and the Arendelle gang set out to save their kingdom in the first full-length trailer for Frozen 2.

The sequel picks up three years after the 2013 film. When Elsa (Idina Menzel) begins to hear a strange sound calling her to the north, Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven join her on a journey that goes beyond their homeland of Arendelle to discover the origin of Elsa's powers and to save their kingdom.

Santino Fontana, Evan Rachel Wood and Sterling K. Brown also lend their voices to the film, which was co-directed by ...

Elsa, Anna and the Arendelle gang set out to save their kingdom in the first full-length trailer for Frozen 2.

The sequel picks up three years after the 2013 film. When Elsa (Idina Menzel) begins to hear a strange sound calling her to the north, Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven join her on a journey that goes beyond their homeland of Arendelle to discover the origin of Elsa's powers and to save their kingdom.

Santino Fontana, Evan Rachel Wood and Sterling K. Brown also lend their voices to the film, which was co-directed by ...

“Let it go?” As if! The long-awaited sequel to 2013’s modern Disney classic “Frozen” is due in theaters Nov. 22. Once again directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, this installment follows the gang as they set out on a journey to find the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom.

Idina Menzel, who plays Queen Elsa, is reunited with Kristen Bell, who voices Queen Anna. Josh Gad is back as snowman sidekick Olaf, with Jonathan Groff as iceman Kristoff, and Santino Fontana as Hans, also in tow. New additions to the film, which picks up three years after the original, include Evan Rachel Wood as the siblings’ mother, and Sterling K. Brown.

In an extensive clip from the first act shown at D23 on Saturday, the sisters, Olaf, and Sven are playing a game of charades but Elsa is distracted by a mysterious voice that she hears singing.

Broadway was back to full power last week (New York City’s latest blackout bypassed the theater district), rebounding 12% to $34M from the previous week’s summer-without-a-Saturday box office bruising.

With nearly all 29 of the productions resuming their regular eight-performance schedules for Broadway’s Week 8 (ending July 21) , the expected boosts in box office receipts followed..

In all, box office for the 29 productions totaled $34,264,194, with attendance of 271,824 up a commensurate 12% from the previous week when most productions played just seven performances due to the July 13 Saturday night Midtown Manhattan power outage. (The July 21 heatwave power cut mostly hit Brooklyn.)

Power problems aside, Broadway’s summer of closings and closing notices had its usual bright spots last week. Ain’t Too Proud, the Temptations musical at the Imperial Theatre, was Sro yet again, grossing a hefty $1.6M.

Hadestown at the Walter Kerr was at 101% of capacity, grossing $1.3M, while the ever-mighty Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers scored its sold-out-as-always $3M.

Of special note last week: Beetlejuice at the Winter Garden wasn’t quite a sell-out (94% of seats filled) but posted a show best – and joined Broadway’s Millionaires’ Club in the bargain. Grossing a strong $1,036,333, the musical – directed by Alex Timbers, whose previewing Moulin Rouge! officially opens July 25 – played its 100th performance yesterday, hitting the million-dollar mark for the first time.

Timbers’ Moulin adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 hit movie continued its pre-opening momentum – Sro at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and grossing $1,724,492 for seven previews (the musical begins the standard eight-performance schedule upon opening).

Some other notable figures for the week:

Dave Chappelle closed out his two-week residency at the Lunt-Fontanne, playing six shows (one extra than originally scheduled to make up for the previous week’s Saturday night cancellation). Chappelle’s show (critics not invited) grossed $1.7M, filling all seats (Edit note: this number reflects a Broadway League revision from an earlier League report today); Frankie And Johnny In The Clair De Lune, starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon, is heading to its early close of July 28, the last-chance status not seeming to help overmuch. The revival at the Broadhurst grossed $311,165, with attendance below the 50% mark; The glowingly reviewed Tootsie, starring Tony winner Santino Fontana, didn’t have the week it should be having: The musical grossed $947,726, about 55% of potential, with attendance at 76% of capacity at the Marquis. Average ticket price last week was $97, about the same as The Cher Show starring the Tony-winning Stephanie J. Block.

Sell-outs for Week 8 were Ain’t Too Proud, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge!, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, To Kill a Mockingbird, What The Constitution Means To Me and Wicked.

Season to date, Broadway has grossed $275,371,299, down about 9% year to year. Total attendance to date is 2,300,490, about even with last season at this time.

All figures courtesy of the trade group Broadway League.

When Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck’s much-hyped “Frozen” sequel opens later this year, the Disney animated offering will likely answer some lingering questions leftover from the original smash hit. While early looks at the film have promised to explain the origin of Princess Elsa’s wintry powers, a new presentation from Disney brass at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival hints that the story is even more wide-ranging than previously disclosed. Like many Disney features, much of it might hinge on Elsa’s parentage.

Variety reports that during a special event held at Annecy’s lakeside Bonlieu Theater, “Frozen 2” head of animation Becky Bresee and head of effects animation Marlon West shared a slew of new details about the film, including three new pictures (which you can see throughout this article) and a key note on time: the film will pick up three years after the original wrapped.

Bresee...

It’s one of the biggest unanswered questions in not just the “Frozen” canon, but in the wider world of Disney animated offerings: why was Princess Elsa born with magical powers? Such is the tantalizing question that will form the backbone of Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck’s much-anticipated sequel to their 2013 smash hit.

Per the film’s official synopsis, the answer to that question is “calling her and threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven, she’ll set out on a dangerous but remarkable journey. In ‘Frozen,’ Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In ‘Frozen 2,’ she must hope they are enough.”

Based on early looks at the film, it seems as if Elsa might not be alone in her magical abilities. After the release of the first trailer for the film, fans theorized that the animated feature would introduce other princesses who have their own powers.

The annual post-Tony shake-out of Broadway closings has yet to get underway, but the pre-scheduled departure of Network last week saw the Bryan Cranston starrer set a couple of records on its way out, contributing $1.1M to Broadway’s total weekly $35M gross for Week 2 of the season.

In all, the tally for Week 2 for the 37 productions was $35,439,599, a small 3% bump over the previous week. Attendance held steady at 306,842.

Most productions saw at least some modest increases at the box office in the week leading up to the big night, though whatever boosts from wins or the broadcast performances of musical numbers themselves mightn’t be immediately apparent. The TodayTix ticket-selling platform tells Deadline that Hadestown, The Ferryman and Oklahoma! saw sales boosts on its platform of between 31% and 47% during the Sunday night broadcast on CBS, with more modest but still significant increases the following morning.

The 73rd Annual Tony Awards has wrapped up as one of the best editions of the annual Broadway celebration in recent memory. Take a look below at the many things that worked and the few things that didn’t during this year’s telecast (and check out the list of this year’s winners here).

SEE2019 Tony Awards: Best Musical ‘Hadestown’ sweeps with 8 wins, ‘The Ferryman’ takes Best Play [Updating Live]

The Good

In recent years I’ve felt like James Corden has been overused, so I wasn’t really looking forward to his return as host. But Corden rose to the occasion with his magnificent opening number. He highlighted the uniqueness of live theater while also taking some jabs at some of the unpleasantness of the modern theatrical experience. The parts about ticket prices and extremely uncomfortable seats were particularly resonant for me.

The rest of Corden’s performance as host was also good.