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When the stage-musical and camera combine, the two mediums can make a tremendously profitable hybrid. Disney might be considered the master of the form, having churned out family-friendly musical movies for thirty years (from 1937 to 1967)—and then another thirty-plus years (late 80s to the present). By now, no one is shocked by Box Office Mojo reporting that the 10 highest-grossing movie musicals in the United States have largely been Disney productions familiar to audiences all over the world. Of course the non-Disney ones are super famous, too.

The top 10 are:

• The Lion King (2019) - $565 million
• Pinocchio (1940)
• Sleeping Beauty (1959)
• The Jungle Book (1967)
• Grease (1978)
• Mary Poppins (1964)
• Fantasia (1940)
• The Lion King (1994)
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
• The Sound of Music (1965) - $1.3 billion

According to Darren Criss, he and Evan Rachel Wood will be headed to Skid Row for a short run as Seymour and Audrey, beginning in late January through the end of March.

Criss announced the limited engagement on Sirius XM On Broadway during "A Very Darren Crissmas Hour."

"Folks, Evan [Rachel Wood] and I, if you haven't heard, will be going into Little Shop of Horrors at the West Side Theatre Off-Broadway, and I'm going to be doing that from I think late January through the End of March. It'll be short and sweet, but I'm so excited to be announcing that to you if you didn't already know that," stated Criss during the show.

Darren Criss recently starred on Broadway in David Mamet’s American Buffalo alongside Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell. He also appeared on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He is best known for the YouTube viral hit A Very Potter Musical and his role as Blaine Anderson in the television show Glee.

Evan Rachel Wood's recent film and television roles include Dolores Abernathy in the HBO series Westworld and Madonna in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story opposite Daniel Radcliffe. She also voiced Queen Iduna in the Disney animated film Frozen II.

There has been a remarkable intersection between video games and musical performance this year, from villains lending vocals to their own theme tunes to interactive songs.

The article discusses (and has clips from):

• Baldur’s Gate 3's "Raphael’s Final Act" musical number
• Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion's "Delicate Weapon" musical number
• Alan Wake 2's "Herald of Darkness" musical biopic
• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

The cast for the Mean Girls musical movie has been spilling the beans on which numbers have successfully made it from stage to screen.

From the interviews thus far, numbers that have been confirmed as recorded (though not necessarily included in the final cut, mind) include “A Cautionary Tale” (performed by Cravalho and Spivey, whose narration acts as the framing device for the feature), as well as “World Burn”, “Rather Be Me” (with Cravalho apparently “sprinting” throughout the number), “What’s Wrong With Me”, “Someone Gets Hurt [Reprise]”, “Stars”, “Sexy”, “Revenge Party” (which is set to be presented as a major, eight-minute sequence that was filmed over many days across different weeks).

There will also be a new number replacing “It Roars”, penned by Rapp, with composer Jeff Richmond saying that the film’s flavour was all about “changing the palette from Broadway to radio.”

Tina Fey also mentioned in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the team had to convince Paramount Pictures that a new film would be a good idea, emphasising the difference in form and tone. Rice understood that, ultimately, there will be a lot of Broadway enthusiasts keenly anticipating the film’s take: “Musical theatre fans are so dedicated and passionate – in a way that is frightening – I am a huge musicals fan myself, so I know there’s a big responsibility.”

Sickness on Broadway led to a mid-show shuffling of swings and understudies.

Usually, a principal is out and they're replaced with an understudy from the ensemble, who's themselves replaced with a swing. And sometimes, there's the December 19 performance of Hamilton on Broadway.

According to a TikTok post from ensemble member Jennifer Geller, a unique set of circumstances that evening led to a highly unusual intermission role swap. The performance started with Alexander Hamilton standby Marc delaCruz on in the Tony-winning musical's title role. Kyle Scatliffe was in his regular role as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. By intermission, Scatliffe was forced to go home due to sickness. And who happened to be the only person in the building left who's rehearsed to cover Lafayette and Jefferson? Marc delaCruz.

Luckily, there was one other person at the Richard Rodgers who was rehearsed to play Alexander Hamilton: ensemble member Alexander Ferguson. And that meant for Act Two, delaCruz became Jefferson and Ferguson became Hamilton, with swing Adam Ali-Perez taking over in Ferguson's ensemble track. Live theatre!

According to this Redditor who was in the audience, there were no complaints with performers at this caliber handling things. "I thought they both did a great job!," the audience member writes.

Starring an electrifying Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard ends its limited run at London’s Savoy Theatre on January 6. However, Deadline can reveal in its 2024 West End look ahead that the singer will lead the Andrew Lloyd Webber show to Broadway in November, according to insiders connected with the production.

Scherzinger, who won the Evening Standard’s best musical performance prize for her show-stopping turn as Norma Desmond, has indicated to producers that she will commit to a six-month season in New York, we understand.

The Sunset Boulevard revival does not at all resemble the original London production directed by Trevor Nunn, choreographed by Bob Avian and starring a breathtaking Patti LuPone. Lloyd has stripped it down to its bare essentials. Gone are big sets and Norma Desmond’s extravagant gowns.

Scherzinger appears on stage in a silk slip and simply sizzles as Desmond. The director has certainly found new ways to dream, to borrow a line from Billy Wilder’s 1950 classic film and a lyric from the show’s book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.

Lloyd Webber’s re-orchestrated score is allowed to soar. A long-rumored screen adaptation, set to star Glenn Close who won a Tony for her interpretation, has been put on hold and there has been a lot of chatter about the possibility of Scherzinger taking on the role should a feature get the green light. Much will depend on how Scherzinger fares on Broadway.

The Color Purple movie musical features several new songs with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. With the additional of new material, some of the songs from the stage production have been cut. Check out a guide to new and old songs from The Color Purple on Broadway and on screen.

Broadway brought in more than $31 million last week, playing to nearly 90% full houses at an average paid admission of $140.

Leading that high average ticket price continues to be the starry revival of Merrily We Roll Along. Its average of $250 (thanks to a top ticket price of $650), is far and away the highest on Broadway, beating runner-up The Lion King's average ticket price by around $50. Celebrities and Sondheim are proving to be a powerful combo, with both the Daniel Radcliffe-, Jonathan Groff-, and Lindsay Mendez-led revival of Merrily We Roll Along and Josh Groban- and Annaleigh Ashford-led Sweeney Todd now reliable mainstays in the weekly top five highest grossers.

Leading the pack as usual is The Lion King with $2.5 million, followed by Wicked and Hamilton with $2.3 and $2 million, respectively. Wicked, at the high capacity Gershwin Theatre, also continues to reliably top the list of most attended—15,304 people saw the Wizard of Oz prequel musical last week, beating runner-up Aladdin by more than 2,000. In fact, all of Broadway is pretty well attended, with 17 shows playing to 90%-or-higher capacities.

It should be noted that last week's grosses were 15% lower than the same December week in 2022, though that can be attributed to there being eight fewer shows playing this December compared to last December.

The cast for Broadway Center Stage’s production of tick, tick... BOOM! at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC has just been announced. It will star Tony Award winner Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt, Falsettos) as Jon, Tony Award nominee Denée Benton (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1912; The Gilded Age) as Susan, and Tony Award nominee Grey Henson (Shucked, Mean Girls) as Michael.

As previously announced, the show will be directed by Emmy and Tony Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Neil Patrick Harris.

Last week, whilst I was overseas doing important journalism in London, I bought tickets to see “Les Misérables” in the West End, because I’m a woman from Utah and that’s just what we do when we go to London at Christmastime. I don’t make the rules; I just enthusiastically keep them.

I’ve seen “Les Misérables” in some form or another probably 20 times. I have the entire score and script memorized. I’ve had “Do You Hear the People Sing?” stuck in my head since my parents first bought the soundtrack after seeing the production on tour at Capitol Theater in Salt Lake City 30 years ago. I later saw it for myself the next time the tour came around. I watch the Tom Hooper movie — a film I don’t even like but which makes me cry every time I watch it — at least once a year when I get the itch to watch Anne Hathaway sniffle onscreen. I have “One Day More” on my workout playlist. When my children used to request “Sesame Street,” I always played the episode that features Cookie Monster doing “Les Mousserables.”

There’s no “Les Misérables” content I have not consumed. I even followed one TikToker’s journey as she played the score on her otamatone, one part at a time.

So you would think I’d find the entire production repetitive when I saw it Friday night at the Sondheim Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.

AND YET. Four minutes in, when the bishop not only tells the French police that he gifted Jean Valjean the silver he actually stole but that also Valjean forgot the candlesticks, I was sobbing.

By the time Fantine perished in her hospital bed (spoiler, sorry, but also the novel was published in 1862 so that one might be on you), I was convulsing. At the conclusion of the epilogue, tears were streaming faster than I could wipe them away.

Since then, I’ve been singing lines like “10 francs may save my poor Cosette,” with the passion of a scorned woman living on the streets from my very comfortable suburban home.

I’ve had the soundtrack on repeat singing every song loudly to my children, because at this point there’s no hope of ever getting any of it out of my head. It’s like a musical hair of the dog.

Revisiting the soundtrack with such frequency has given me a chance to reflect on the choices made by many of the story’s central characters. Obviously, Victor Hugo wrote the characters the way he did for the sake of a very compelling read. And this is in no way a criticism of his literary masterpiece.

I just feel like if most of these characters had one close friend, their stories may not have ended quite so tragically. I’ve decided to make that friend me, and tell you what I wish for the following characters:

Éponine

Look. There’s a reason the book “He’s Just Not That Into You” was such a runaway hit. It was a revolutionary message for many women. Sometimes your love is unrequited, and it’s best to just accept that and move on with your life instead of endlessly pining (though honestly, doing some of the best singing in the whole show). As much as I would hate to lose “On My Own,” I want what’s best for Éponine. And what’s best for her is a friend looking her in the eyes and telling her “It’s time to let go” and keeping her from following Marius to the barricade, thereby preventing her premature death.

Javert

One important thing to remember about Javert is that, really, he was just trying to do his job well. And that’s great, in theory. But there’s a fine line between meeting your deadlines and becoming a workaholic, and Javert clearly had no work-life balance and became obsessed with the pursuit of Jean Valjean, ultimately leading to his demise. What I wish for Javert is that he had a hobby. Something else to think about. Maybe bird-watching? Coin collecting? A quilting group? Might lend some perspective.

Cosette

Who among us didn’t have a thing for an activist in college? There’s something very attractive about a man with political passion who believes he can change the world. But there comes a day when those men realize they actually can’t change much and they get real bummed out, and I just don’t want Cosette to have to spend her life trying to cheer up Marius because his revolution didn’t really work. Also, this is her first relationship after a childhood and adolescence spent in near reclusion, and that’s a red flag. A good friend would tell her to wait a beat, I think, and live a little before settling down.

Jean Valjean

I get that after the encounter with the bishop Jean Valjean wanted to start life anew, but I think it might have been a good idea for him to check in with his parole officer, thereby avoiding a lifetime on the run from the law. Sure, it would require some back and forth, pretending to be two different people at once — Jean Valjean and Le Maire — but if Mrs. Doubtfire could do it, anyone can!

Monsieur Thénardier and Madame Thénardier (better known as innkeeper and wife)

Honestly, the Thénardiers might have one of the better relationships in the whole story. They’re united in purpose — making as much money as possible at every opportunity. They have the ruthlessness and drive necessary to turn a profit in the fast-paced world of hospitality. I just have a few minor critiques. For one, maybe treat the child you agreed to take in a little better. Like, bathe her every now and again. Also, it’s not great that you don’t recognize your own daughter when you go to rob Jean Valjean’s house. Also not great that you attempted to rob Jean Valjean’s house. But other than that? No notes.

In a highly competitive selection process this year, musical stars Kim Jun-su, Cho Seung-woo, Choi Jae-rim, Hong Kwang-ho and Park Kang-hyun were nominated for the best actor award at the 8th Korea Musical Awards.

The Korea Musical Theatre Association unveiled the final nominees for the awards during a press conference held at Seoul’s Hongik Art Center, on Monday.

In the grand prize, "22 Years and 2 Months," "The Devil: Eden,” “The Secret Garden,” “Sun-sin” and "SheStars!” have been nominated. The award for the grand prize is presented to an original production that premiered during the year regardless of production size.

The best musical of the year award, irrespective of production size, sees fierce competition in two subcategories. For productions with 400 seats or more, "Memphis," "Moulin Rouge!," "Six the Musical," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "If/Then" are vying for the spot. In the under-400 seats category, "L’Art Reste," "The Secret Garden," "Wasted," "Inside William" and "Pann" are in contention.

The battle for the best actor award is fierce, with musical stars Kim Jun-su (“Death Note”), Park Kang-hyun (“Memphis”), Cho Seung-woo and Choi Jae-rim (“The Phantom of the Opera”) and Hong Kwang-ho (“Moulin Rouge!”) competing for the accolade.

Nominees for the best actress category are Min Kyoung-ah (“Red Book”), Ivy (“Moulin Rouge!”), Yuria (“Memphis”), Lee Ja-ram (“Sun-sin”) and Jeong Sun-ah (“If/Then”).

In the best new actor category, the spotlight falls on Park Bo-gum, making his debut in the musical realm with "Let Me Fly." He faces competition from Kim Joo-taek and Hwang Gun-ha (“The Phantom of the Opera”), Park Sang-hyeok (“The Brothers Karamazov”), and Yoon Seok-ho (“Cinderella Homme”).

The best new actress nominees include Kim Se-young (“Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!!”), Ryu In-a (“Les Miserables”), Park Sae-him (“Interview”), Sohn Ji-soo and Song Eun-hye (“The Phantom of the Opera”).

In his last season playing in "Rent," Kim Ho-young earned a nomination for best supporting actor alongside Kim Dae-jong (“Red Book”), pansori singer Kim Jun-soo (“Gone Tomorrow”), Seo Kyung-Soo (“Death Note”) and Ahn Jee-hwan (“Let Me Fly”).

In the best supporting actress category, Na Ha-na (“Let Me Fly”), Lee Arumsoul (“If/Then”), Chang Eun-ah (“Death Note”), Cho Jung-eun (“Les Miserables”), and Choi Jung-won (“Memphis”) vie for recognition.

Additionally, awards such as ensemble, producer, direction and playwriting will honor exceptional artists, while special categories like lifetime achievement and family musicals will also be acknowledged.

Leading the pack with nominations in 10 categories, "Memphis" is poised to compete for the top honor, best actor and best supporting actress, among others.

Established in 2016, the nation’s musical awards select winners each year through a collective decision of experts and the general public voting online.

The 8th Korea Musical Awards ceremony will be held at Kyung Hee University Grand Peace Palace, on Jan. 15.

Broadway's Tony-winning revival of Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry's Parade will embark on a national tour beginning in January 2025. The production will launch from Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre.

Casting and further dates are to be announced.

The official premiere in Minnesota will follow technical rehearsals and public preview performances as Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York.

Michael Arden will be back to recreate his Tony-winning direction, working with his entire Broadway creative team.

Parade tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was wrongfully accused and convicted of murdering a 13-year-old girl in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1913. It features a score by Brown and a book by Uhry.

This production began with a 2022 limited run at New York City Center. Much of that cast continued on with the Braodway transfer, including Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond as Leo and Lucille Frank, respectively. The revival won two 2023 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Arden.