An Intense ‘Fiddler on the Roof' Resonates in Chicagoland
The musical was adapted from Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem's tales about Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement, more specifically, during the pogroms of Czarist Russia in 1905.
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7 hours ago
Michelle Yeoh teases new songs coming in 'Wicked: For Good'
Michelle Yeoh is giving "Wicked" fans a sneak peek at the highly anticipated sequel. In a recent interview with People, the Oscar-winning actress, who plays Madame Morrible, hinted at what audiences can expect in "Wicked: For Good," which will arrive on Nov. 21. "I think you're getting some new songs," Yeoh teased, before joking, "I didn't say that." Fans of the Broadway show's beloved soundtrack won't be disappointed as Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics for the stage production, has previously confirmed he composed two new songs specifically for the film. "I have permission to say there are two new songs in the movie because the storytelling demanded it. One of them happens to be for the character of Elphaba. The other one happens to be for the character of Glinda," Schwartz told the outlet in June. Yeoh also shared that she and her castmates have remained close long after filming wrapped. "I was just at Hollywood Bowl [for] Cynthia," she said, referencing Cynthia Erivo's performance in "Jesus Christ Superstar." "I love her. She was so amazing." In June, fans got a special first look at the film's trailer, which featured Erivo and Ariana Grande reprising their roles as Elphaba and Glinda. Directed once again by Jon M. Chu, "Wicked: For Good" picks up with the two characters estranged and follows their journey to repair their friendship in order to save Oz for good. The film also stars Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, and Yeoh as Madame Morrible. The first "Wicked" film earned 10 Oscar nominations at the 97th Academy Awards and won two, including best costume design and best production design. Erivo received a best actress nomination, while Grande was nominated for best supporting actress. "Wicked: For Good" hits theaters Nov. 21, 2025.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Broadway Star Audra McDonald Said A Fan Followed Her Home Because They Thought They "Deserved" An Autograph, And People Are Scared For Her
Audra McDonald is reflecting on a "stalking" incident with a fan that left her uneasy. Audra is currently starring in the Broadway revival of the musical Gypsy, playing the notable role of Momma Rose at the Majestic Theatre. The show opened in December 2024 and will run until August 17, for 269 regular performances and 28 preview shows. She is the most decorated actor in Broadway history, while also making a name for herself on both the small and big screen in projects like Private Practice, The Good Fight, The Gilded Age, and Rustin, so it's safe to say she has a ton of supporters around the world. But what happens when a line is crossed in the name of support? Related: On Saturday, in a video shared to Instagram, Audra opened up about why she doesn't always use the stage door (an alternative exit/entrance that performers often use to leave/enter the building — fans often wait outside this door in hopes of meeting the performers). "There are a lot of reasons that performers don't do the stage door," Audra said. "There have been shows that I've done it and shows that I've not done it. But some of the reasons are: they're exhausted; some people have anxiety about doing stage door; some people are in a rush to catch trains so they can get home; and some people avoid the stage door because of health reasons." "And that's perfectly fair. Actors, as much as we would love to greet every single one of you after a show, sometimes we're just exhausted, and it's hard. There are a million reasons. And some people love to do it, and that's great. There have been shows when I've done it, but I have not been doing it in Gypsy for a myriad of reasons. The main ones have been because of health, exhaustion, and vocal health, and trying to conserve what little vocal energy I have so that I can get through the next show, and the next show, and the next show. So, I have not been doing the stage door." Audra added that when she can, she'll smile and wave, but most of the time she's just trying to get out of there. More importantly, Audra said she has a kid at home that she's trying to get back to — referring to her 8-year-old daughter Sally who she shares with her husband Will Swenson. Audra also has a 23-year-old daughter named Zoe from a previous marriage. But after leaving a show on Friday, she was forced into an extremely uncomfortable situation with a fan who had no regard for her boundaries and welfare, after they decided to follow Audra back to her temporary place of residence. Related: "Last night, someone, not only, I don't even know if they did the stage door or not, but they snuck around and found me the way I had exited from the theater last night and followed me all the way to where I was staying, came into the building, and was uncomfortably close." "Then, when I finally got some security to help me, their response was, 'Well, hey, I've come all the way — and they named some town, some city that they've come all the way from — and they wanted an autograph, and sort of deserve an autograph.' That is crossing a big old boundary, and I just want to call that out. That's a big no-no. That's now messing with my safety, and it's not right." She then sent a general message to fans about how to properly address and/or approach celebrities in the future: "When you see an actor leave the stage door, if they don't stop, leave them alone. There is a reason that they're not stopping, and it has nothing to do with you. It's them protecting their space and peace, whatever that may be, and if they do stop or wave or take a picture with you or sign an autograph, great, but please respect the proper boundaries." Her comments were filled with people acknowledging how scary that situation must've been, while also advocating for the right to privacy and respected boundaries: Related: The video eventually made its way to Reddit, where Redditors revealed that, unfortunately, in the Broadway community, this is nothing new: Iwoulddiefcftbatk commented, "How many people who 'stage door' would like a total stranger meeting them at their workplace at what is essentially the back door to say 'hi' to them or ask for a picture after clocking out of a shift? I don't care if they are actors, no one and I mean no one deserves to be harassed when they leave their job." They went on to say, "There are so many stories on the Broadway sub of unhinged 'stage-dooring' fan behavior where people will harass actors for blocks, even chasing them once they get into taxis, once they leave a theater after performing in a show. It's become so normalized that it's fine to swarm people leaving work just because you might have (not all 'stage doorers' do so) watched the show. It's so scary for all the staff and actors since it's getting worse. I'm glad Audra wasn't hurt, but there needs to be a hammer dropped on this since this is going to end badly for someone eventually." Related: joodee3 added, "Geez, I didn't know it was getting this bad. That truly sucks. I stage-doored when visiting Broadway a few years ago, and it was good vibes, but I know that's just an individual experience. That really sucks that the behavior is growing more prevalent. Yeah, if performers are feeling like things are getting too dangerous, then they should definitely do what makes them feel safe." LemonKurt said, "Broadway and theatre fans can be especially rabid. Something about the theatre space feeling smaller, the actors being less famous and having less media training and the direct access through stage doors etc. makes some people's parasocial relationships much more intense. So glad she's safe, but I feel like this entitled and scary behaviour happens way too often on Broadway and the West End." butterflyvision wrote: "This has happened to other performers this Broadway season as well. It's always been a problem, but it feels like post-COVID, the problems have really amped up. The obsessed, entitled fan culture is ruining things for everyone. I really hope shows stop doing stagedoor. I know she says she doesn't know if they were there or not, but it's getting SO dangerous." I'm glad everyone could see the danger in this situation and that no harm was brought to Audra. Everyone should remember that although we might feel like we know these celebrities or are big fans of their work, we're still not entitled to anything from even a greeting. Please be respectful. What are your thoughts on this? Watch her full video here, and share your comments with me. Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity:
Chicago Tribune
20 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Miles Davis releases ‘Kind of Blue'
Today is Sunday, Aug. 17, the 229th day of 2025. There are 136 days left in the year. Today in history: On August 17, 1959, trumpeter Miles Davis released 'Kind of Blue,' regarded as one of the most influential jazz albums of all time. Also on this date: In 1807, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat made its first voyage, heading up the Hudson River on a successful round trip between New York City and Albany. In 1863, federal batteries and ships began bombarding Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor during the Civil War, but the Confederates managed to hold on despite several days of shelling. In 1915, a mob in Cobb County, Georgia, lynched Jewish businessman Leo Frank, 31, whose death sentence for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan had been commuted to life imprisonment. (Frank, who had maintained his innocence, was pardoned by the state of Georgia in 1986.) In 1945, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed independence for Indonesia, setting off the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch rule. In 1945, the George Orwell novel 'Animal Farm,' an allegorical satire of Soviet Communism, was first published in London by Martin Secker & Warburg. In 1978, the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight ended as Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman landed their Double Eagle II outside Paris. In 1988, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq and U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel were killed in a mysterious plane crash. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave grand jury testimony via closed-circuit television from the White House concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky; he then delivered a TV address in which he admitted his relationship with Lewinsky was 'wrong' but denied previously committing perjury (Clinton was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives, but acquitted in the Senate). In 1999, more than 17,000 people were killed when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Kocaeli Province of Turkey. Today's Birthdays: Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton is 89. Actor Robert DeNiro is 82. Businessman Larry Ellison is 81. Film director Martha Coolidge is 79. Filmmaker/author Julian Fellowes is 76. Tennis Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas is 73. Singer Belinda Carlisle is 67. Author Jonathan Franzen is 66. Actor Sean Penn is 65. Singer/actor Donnie Wahlberg is 56. College Basketball Hall of Famer and retired NBA All-Star Christian Laettner is 56. Rapper Posdnuos (De La Soul) is 56. Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier is 55. Soccer great Thierry Henry is 48. Rock climber Alex Honnold is 40. Actor Austin Butler is 34. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers is 31.
