Latest news with #Beetlejuice
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tonys: Sarah Paulson on the Truth-Teller Behind the Pulitzer-Winning Play ‘Purpose'
This past April, on a particularly balmy night, I walked down the aisle of the Helen Hayes theater, a storied old playhouse on 44th St. whose backstage I knew intimately but whose orchestra I wasn't fully acquainted with and took my seat. I held in my hand a Playbill with the title Purpose blazed across it and waited for the lights to go down. Turns out the experience of being inside a playwright's world when performing a play on stage and sitting in the dark watching a playwright's world come to life before you, can feel the same — if the playwright is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Beetlejuice' Returning to Broadway for Third Run Gotham TV Awards: 'Adolescence' Sweeps Limited Series Categories John Mulaney Explains Why He Declined Offer to Host 2024 Oscars Branden is a master of mood and the unspoken. He has the ability to set you on fire by placing you smack in the middle of a family dynamic that you seamlessly recognize and fear. Whether you like it or not, truths will be told — you might suffocate from laughter — and the earth beneath you will be scorched. But more remarkably, you will see yourself, your cousin, your mama, your daddy, your siblings, in all their messy human glory. Branden's writing will not apologize for showing you things about yourself that you would rather not discuss. He will, however, ask you to take it. Demand that you take it. It's not the job of the artist to ingratiate himself — the artist wants you to let it in, bear witness. To quote James Baldwin, 'The job of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover — if I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don't see.' Branden is the embodiment of this notion. There are few things of which I am certain in this life. We don't deserve dogs. Oreo ice cream is superior to strawberry. And Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is the playwright of our time. I know this in my marrow. I spent the fall of 2023, and the better part of 2024, immersed in a universe he created, and it was one of the richest, most artistically fortifying experiences of my life. I began my acting career in theatre but had left it behind for the bright lights and possibilities of film and television. I found myself living in Los Angeles, after having spent the last 20-some years of my youth in New York City. I was offered a play here and there over the years, but nothing pulled me back east. The rigors of an eight-show week, constant vocal rest, living an essentially monastic life, all meant that for me to say 'yes' to something, it had to be a piece of writing that burrowed itself into my bones. Ten years had gone by, and nothing took up residence, so I stayed away. PING. Sept. 10th, 2021 I looked at my phone. An email from my agent. The subject line: 'Appropriate.' I scrolled down. 'A play to be directed by Lila Neugebauer and written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.' I felt a flutter in my belly. A play by a living writer and a director I had long admired… But. I live in LA. I have three dogs. I'm old, and I'm tired. 'Read it,' I thought. 'Just read it. Maybe it won't speak to you, maybe it won't be for you, maybe it will be the greatest thing you've ever read!' I don't want to sound hyperbolic here, but facts are facts: reading the play changed my life. I said, 'Yes' almost immediately, and after many fits and starts along the way, I at last found myself in New York to begin rehearsals in the late fall of 2023. That's two years later, folks. I refused to let this one go. The thought of another actress getting to say these words literally filled me with a red-hot rage I think can only be described as nuclear, and I probably should just leave it at that. I hadn't been in a rehearsal hall in a decade and hadn't done a play with a living playwright save for maybe twice in my career. Now, a living playwright can be both a blessing and a curse. When your author isn't present for you to pepper with questions about their original intentions, you can feel both free and compromised — free to make your own choices but compromised by your own thoughts of perhaps not executing what the playwright may have dreamt of. (Because let me tell you, if Tennessee Williams had been alive to see my interpretation of Laura Wingfield, I am certain he would have taken away my Equity card himself.) On our first day of rehearsal for Appropriate, I was sufficiently nervous. I had read the play, I believed it belonged in the canon of great American plays, and there was the writer of this masterwork sitting right across from me. But what came to be clear over the course of our rehearsal process was that, I — we, the company — had a partner in Branden. He spent as much time refining his own writing as he did helping us crack it. He was immersed with us. Branden was my lighthouse, guiding me to shore, discerning, relentless, tireless in his pursuit of truth. My time with him working — really working — on his play revealed something vital to our survival as a society. Sitting in a dark theater, with a room full of strangers, feels almost holy. The richness of shared experiences, for all of life's separateness, in that sacred place, brings a very potent togetherness. And everyone who goes to the theater does want something, is hoping for something. The artist is reaching, and the audience is reaching, we all want the same thing, and that is to feel seen. To be known. Sitting in that holiest of theaters, that balmy April evening, the same theater where I had the privilege of giving voice to Branden's words night after night, of being carried by their invincible wings, now I felt a current of joy that felt like a miracle, because there it was again! His fire, his inexorable brilliance. Purpose is the work of a fire-maker. When the smoke clears, you are down to ashes. Everything is known, and only what is indestructible remains. The truth. Sarah Paulson is an Emmy- and Tony-winning actress. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Beetlejuice' Returning to Broadway for Third Run
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is returning to Broadway for the third time. The first national tour of Beetlejuice The Musical will play at The Palace Theatre from Oct. 8 for a 13-week engagement through Jan. 3, 2026. The third return to Broadway is unusual (and in keeping with the plot of the show) as the musical's two previous Broadway engagements were in the last five years and the production has had a bumpy trajectory. More from The Hollywood Reporter Tonys: Sarah Paulson on the Truth-Teller Behind the Pulitzer-Winning Play 'Purpose' Mia Farrow on Her First Tony Nomination, Returning to Broadway in 'The Roommate' Audra McDonald Says She Didn't Know About "Rift" Between Her and Patti LuPone The musical originally ran at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre from April 2019, and initially saw low ticket sales until its fortunes turned around, thanks in part to traction on social media and a successful Tonys performance. Despite the reversal in the production's grosses, theater owners announced plans to force the show out of the theater by June 2020, to make room for The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. Those plans were delayed by the pandemic, but Beetlejuice did vacate and plan its return to Broadway, based on the momentum of the show and the popularity of the cast recording, said producers. Beetlejuice returned to Broadway, at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran from April 2022 through January 2023 and saw a return of most of its Broadway cast, including Alex Brightman, playing the title character. However, the musical struggled to recapture the same momentum from before the pandemic and ended its run early. Now it returns after the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to the 1988 film, this fall, which had the second best September launch of all time. Warner Bros. is the producer of the film and its theatrical arm is a producer of the Broadway show. Casting for the Broadway engagement has not yet been announced. The first national tour of the musical launched in December 2022, and will end its run on Broadway. There have also been productions of the show in Tokyo, Seoul, and Melbourne, and an upcoming production in Sydney. Based on the Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice is directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!), with an original score by Eddie Perfect (King Kong), a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, with choreography by Connor Gallagher. The show's run is also part of a returning industry trend in which national tours make stops on Broadway, including The Wiz, which ran at the Marquis Theatre from April to August 2024, before theaters. Beetlejuice takes over the Palace Theatre, which is currently home to Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Kieran Culkin, Bill Burr and Bob Odenkirk, which is scheduled to end its run there on June 28. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Beetlejuice The Musical' Returning To Broadway This Fall For Limited 13-Week 'Resurrection'
Beetlejuice The Musical will return to Broadway for the third time when the First National Tour of the international hit musical comedy begins performances Wednesday, October 8 at The Palace Theatre. The First National tour of the musical launched on December 7, 2022, at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre and is now in its third year. The tour will play a limited 13-week Broadway resurrection engagement at the Palace through Saturday, January 3, 2026. More from Deadline Whoopi Goldberg's 'The Whoopi Monologues' (Without Whoopi) And Acclaimed 'Kyoto' Join 'Ragtime' In Upcoming Lincoln Center Theater Season Darren Criss Could Have A Bunch Of Maybe Happy Endings On Tony Awards Night - The Deadline Q&A 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Casting was not announced. For ticket information visit Beetlejuice had two unconventional, record-breaking Broadway runs that brought a new and very engaged audience to Broadway via Tiktok, YouTube and social media, playing to sold-out, standing-room-only audiences in 2019 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre and again in 2022 at the Marquis Theatre for a total of 679 Broadway performances. The First National tour of the musical is concluding a critically acclaimed, record-breaking 88-city tour with one last Broadway resurrection at the Palace. In addition to the First National tour, Beetlejuice has played internationally in Tokyo, Seoul, and Melbourne, and is coming soon to Sydney. Beetlejuice, based on the 1988 Tim Burton film, is directed by Alex Timbers with an original score by Eddie Perfect, a book by Scott Brown & Anthony King, with choreography by Connor Gallagher and music supervision, orchestrations and incidental music by Kris Kukul. Beetlejuice is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Networks Presentations, Langley Park Productions, Jeffrey Richards, Steve Traxler, Rebecca Gold, James L. Nederlander, Warner/Chappell Music Inc., in association with deRoy Federman Productions/ Mary Lu Roffe, Marc Bell & Jeff Hollander, The John Gore Organization, Ruth & Steve Hendel, Gabrielle Palitz, and Pierce Friedman Productions. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More Everything We Know About 'Happy Gilmore 2' So Far
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Beetlejuice The Musical' Returning To Broadway This Fall For Limited 13-Week 'Resurrection'
Beetlejuice The Musical will return to Broadway for the third time when the First National Tour of the international hit musical comedy begins performances Wednesday, October 8 at The Palace Theatre. The First National tour of the musical launched on December 7, 2022, at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre and is now in its third year. The tour will play a limited 13-week Broadway resurrection engagement at the Palace through Saturday, January 3, 2026. More from Deadline Whoopi Goldberg's 'The Whoopi Monologues' (Without Whoopi) And Acclaimed 'Kyoto' Join 'Ragtime' In Upcoming Lincoln Center Theater Season Darren Criss Could Have A Bunch Of Maybe Happy Endings On Tony Awards Night - The Deadline Q&A 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Casting was not announced. For ticket information visit Beetlejuice had two unconventional, record-breaking Broadway runs that brought a new and very engaged audience to Broadway via Tiktok, YouTube and social media, playing to sold-out, standing-room-only audiences in 2019 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre and again in 2022 at the Marquis Theatre for a total of 679 Broadway performances. The First National tour of the musical is concluding a critically acclaimed, record-breaking 88-city tour with one last Broadway resurrection at the Palace. In addition to the First National tour, Beetlejuice has played internationally in Tokyo, Seoul, and Melbourne, and is coming soon to Sydney. Beetlejuice, based on the 1988 Tim Burton film, is directed by Alex Timbers with an original score by Eddie Perfect, a book by Scott Brown & Anthony King, with choreography by Connor Gallagher and music supervision, orchestrations and incidental music by Kris Kukul. Beetlejuice is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Networks Presentations, Langley Park Productions, Jeffrey Richards, Steve Traxler, Rebecca Gold, James L. Nederlander, Warner/Chappell Music Inc., in association with deRoy Federman Productions/ Mary Lu Roffe, Marc Bell & Jeff Hollander, The John Gore Organization, Ruth & Steve Hendel, Gabrielle Palitz, and Pierce Friedman Productions. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More Everything We Know About 'Happy Gilmore 2' So Far
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Beetlejuice' Is Coming Back to Broadway
'Beetlejuice' isn't dead quite yet. The national tour production of the fan-favorite musical comedy, which has had two previous Broadway runs in 2019-20 and 2022-23, will head to the New York stage this fall, producers announced Tuesday. The show, which is adapted from Tim Burton's 1988 film and tells the story of a goth girl and a pushy poltergeist, is set to play the Palace Theater for 13 weeks, beginning Oct. 8 and running through Jan. 3, 2026. Casting will be announced at a later date. In his review of the original Broadway production, which starred Alex Brightman as the title ghoul in a striped suit, The New York Times's Ben Brantley praised Brightman's performance and the 'jaw-droppingly well-appointed gothic funhouse set' by the set designer David Korins ('Hamilton'), though he lamented that the show 'so overstuffs itself with gags, one-liners and visual diversions that you shut down from sensory overload.' No matter: The musical became a fan favorite, with people dressing in costume, lip-syncing to the cast recording on TikTok and showering the show's cast with fan art. With a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect, and direction by Alex Timbers (who won a Tony Award for directing 'Moulin Rouge!'), the stage production was nominated for eight Tony Awards, but won none. 'Beetlejuice' is having a bit of a cultural moment: A popular sequel film, 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,' also directed by Burton, was released last year, more than three decades after the original, which starred Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), Alec Baldwin (Adam Maitland), Catherine O'Hara (Delia Deetz) and a young Winona Ryder (Lydia Deetz). The national tour production, which began performances in 2022, has played 88 cities over the last two and a half years. The musical has also had productions in Tokyo; Seoul; and Melbourne, Australia; and is heading soon to Sydney.
