Latest news with #ByeByeBirdie
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
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CNN to Air Live Broadcast of George Clooney's ‘Good Night and Good Luck' in Broadway First
The Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney, will be broadcast live on CNN. The broadcast, which is the first time a live performance of a play will be televised, is scheduled to air live on June 7 at 7 p.m. ET across CNN, CNN International and streaming on CNN's website. The televised performance is the second-to-last scheduled performance of the play on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater. More from The Hollywood Reporter C-SPAN's Next Big Bet Is a "Radically Different" Sort of Cable News Show: 'CeaseFire' Charles Strouse, Tony-Winning Composer of 'Annie' and 'Bye Bye Birdie,' Dies at 96 David Lindsay-Abaire Brings New Play 'The Balusters' to Broadway in 2026 'I can't tell you how exciting it is to do something that's never been done. CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone,' Clooney said in a statement. 'Good Night, and Good Luck is not just a celebration of a golden age in TV journalism,' said CNN chairman and CEO Mark Thompson. 'It's also about the importance of the free press and the need for strong news organizations to report the facts in a fair-minded way. That's something we still care deeply about.' The play, which was adapted from the 2005 film, follows journalist Edward R. Murrow, played by Clooney, in his efforts to take down Sen. Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism on air amid concerns from the federal government and CBS station heads. The broadcast will be executive produced by Clooney and Grant Heslov — they co-wrote the play together — Deena Katz, Todd Wagner and Jeff Skoll. The play opened on Broadway April 3 and is scheduled to run through June 8. The live broadcast of the show is also notable as the production has broken records as the play with the highest weekly gross in Broadway history, recently becoming the first play to make more than $4 million in one week. The production also announced the recoupment of $9.5 million capitalization Monday. The broadcast is set to air the evening before the Tony Awards. Clooney is nominated for his role as Murrow, and the play is nominated for best scenic, costume, lighting and sound. CNN will also be working on special pre-show coverage outside of the theater. Following the production, CNN will host a Good Night, and Good Luck special to discuss the production and state of global journalism. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 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 Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Husband Of 'Today' Show Co-Host Dead At 45
Uche Ojeh, the husband of 'Today' show co-host Sheinelle Jones, has died at the age of 45. The heartbreaking news was announced on Friday's broadcast by her colleagues. Jones and Ojeh were married for 17 years. 'With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our dear friend and 'Today' co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,' host Savannah Guthrie shared. Guthrie continued to say that 'there are no words for the pain' that she and the rest of the staff are experiencing for Jones' family, including her three children. 'Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him,' Guthrie added. The couple were married in September 2007 in Jones' hometown of Philadelphia after meeting while students at Northwestern University in the late '90s. She was 19 years old, and he was 17 years old when they met. Ojeh is remembered for being an 'enthusiastic soccer player' with a successful career in consulting, but family, friends and his 'unabiding faith was always his true north.' 'One thing he always talked about, he talked about those kids,' co-host Craig Melvin said. 'He loved those kids more than anything else in this world. He was that dad that was on the sidelines at every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.' On Friday, Jones shared the show's tribute to her husband on Instagram, writing simply, 'Thank you, for all of your love and support.' According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no cure for glioblastoma, and its cause often isn't known. Undefeated Just-Married Boxer Dies At Age 25 Democratic Congressman Dead Months After Taking Key Position Charles Strouse, Composer Of 'Annie' And 'Bye Bye Birdie,' Dead At 96
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Charles Strouse, Broadway composer of ‘Annie' and ‘Bye Bye Birdie,' dies at 96
NEW YORK — Charles Strouse, the three-time Tony Award winner and Broadway master melody-maker who composed the music for 'Annie,' 'Bye Bye Birdie' and 'Applause,' died Thursday. He was 96. Strouse died at his home in New York City, his family said. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Strouse wrote more than a dozen Broadway musicals, as well as film scores and 'Those Were the Days,' the theme song for the sitcom 'All in the Family.' Strouse turned out such popular — and catchy — show tunes as 'Tomorrow,' the optimistic anthem from 'Annie,' and the equally cheerful 'Put on a Happy Face' from 'Bye Bye Birdie,' his first Broadway success. 'I work every day. Activity — it's a life force,' the New York-born composer told the Associated Press during an interview on the eve of his 80th birthday in 2008. 'When you enjoy doing what you're doing, which I do very much, I have something to get up for.' Deep into his 90s, he visited tours of his shows and met casts. Jenn Thompson, who appeared in the first 'Annie' as Pepper and directed a touring version of 'Annie' in 2024, recalls Strouse coming to auditions and shedding a tear when a young girl sang 'Tomorrow.' She said: 'He's so gorgeously generous and kind. He has always been that way.' His Broadway career began in 1960 with 'Bye Bye Birdie,' which Strouse wrote with lyricist Lee Adams and librettist Michael Stewart. 'Birdie,' which starred Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera, told the tale of an Elvis Presley-like crooner named Conrad Birdie being drafted into the Army and its effect on one small Ohio town. Strouse not only wrote the music, but he played piano at auditions while Edward Padula, the show's neophyte producer, tried to attract financial backers for a production that would eventually cost $185,000. 'We never stopped giving auditions — and people never gave money at all. The idea of using rock 'n' roll — everybody was so turned off,' Strouse said. Finally, Padula found Texas oilman L. Slade Brown. When he heard the score, he said, in a Texas twang, 'I like those songs,' pushed Strouse aside and picked out the tune of 'Put on a Happy Face' on the piano. Brown then said, 'How much do you fellas need?' and wrote out a check for $75,000 to cover the start of rehearsals. 'Suddenly, the world turned Technicolor,' Strouse remembered. The popularity of 'Birdie' spawned a film (with Van Dyke, Janet Leigh and Ann-Margret) in 1963 and a television adaptation with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams in 1995. Strouse and Adams gave several non-musical theater stars, including Sammy Davis Jr. and Lauren Bacall, stage successes for 'Golden Boy' and 'All About Eve,' respectively. But it was 'Annie' (1977) that proved to be Strouse's most durable — and long-running — Broadway hit (over 2,300 performances). Chronicling the Depression-era adventures of the celebrated comic strip character Little Orphan Annie, the musical featured lyrics by Martin Charnin and a book by Thomas Meehan. It starred Andrea McArdle as the red-haired moppet and Dorothy Loudon, who won a Tony for her riotous portrayal of mean Miss Hannigan, who ran the orphanage. The musical contained gems such as 'You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile' and 'It's the Hard Knock Life.' The 1982 film version, which featured Carol Burnett in Loudon's role, was not nearly as popular or well-received. A stage sequel called 'Annie Warbucks' ran off-Broadway in 1993. The show was revived on Broadway in 2012 and made into a film starring Quvenzhané Wallis in 2014. NBC put a version on network TV in 2021 called 'Annie Live!' Strouse and Charnin, who both won Grammy Awards for the 'Annie' cast album, found shards of their work included in Jay-Z's 1998 Grammy-winning album 'Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life.' 'Tomorrow' has been heard on soundtracks from 'Shrek 2″ to 'Dave' to 'You've Got Mail.' In 2016, Lukas Graham used parts of the chorus from 'Annie' for his 'Mama Said' hit. Strouse had his share of flops, too, including two shows — 'A Broadway Musical' (1978) and 'Dance a Little Closer,' a 1983 musical written with Alan Jay Lerner, that closed after one performance. Among his other less-than-successful musicals were 'All-American' (1962), starring Ray Bolger, 'It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman' (1966), directed by Harold Prince, and 'Bring Back Birdie' (1981), a sequel to 'Bye Bye Birdie.' Among Strouse's film scores were the music for 'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967) and 'The Night They Raided Minsky's' (1968). Theater beckoned when he and Adams got a chance in the early 1950s to write songs for weekly revues at an Adirondacks summer camp called Green Mansions. Such camps were the training ground for dozens of performers and writers. 'I would write a song and I would orchestrate it and copy the parts,' he said in the AP interview. 'And rehearsal was the next day at nine, so at four in the morning, I am crossing the lake with the parts still wet. I just loved it. I never was happier.' His wife, Barbara, died in 2023. He is survived by four children, Ben, Nick, Victoria and William. Kennedy writes for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jane Bright Dies: ‘Survivor: Nicaragua' Fan Favorite Was 71
Jane Bright, the Survivor: Nicaragua contestant, has died. She was 71. The Season 21 Fan Favorite's daughter Ashley Hammett announced her mother's death in a Facebook post on Thursday after her body was discovered earlier that day in her North Carolina home. More from Deadline Charles Strouse Dies: Prolific Composer Of Broadway's 'Bye Bye Birdie,' Film's 'Bonnie & Clyde' And TV's 'All In The Family' Theme Was 96 Joe Don Baker Dies: 'Walking Tall' Star Who Appeared In Three James Bond Films Was 89 Samuel French Dies: 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' & 'Fear The Walking Dead' Actor Was 45 'Today Jane Hammett Bright was found passed away within her home by a good friend and county sheriff,' wrote Hammett in the post. A cause of death was not disclosed. Born Dec. 13, 1953 in Jackson Springs, N.C., Bright was a 56-year old dog trainer when she appeared on the CBS competition series in 2010. Separating the castaways into two tribes based on age, she started off in the older Espada tribe. Despite being the oldest contestant of the season, Bright pulled her own weight, praised for her strength and contributions to the tribe. After being the 13th castaway voted off, she won the audience-voted Sprint Fan Favorite, along with a $100,000 prize. Bright was remembered by fans and fellow Survivor cast members, including Survivor: Ghost Island's Donathan Hurley, who remembered her as 'a firecracker.' 'Lord, I sure did get my heart broken when I opened up Facebook after work!' he wrote on X. 'One of my favorite Survivor family members, as I call them all, has passed away. I loved Jane so much!!! This lady was a firecracker! Always ready to have a good time and a good laugh! RIP Jane.' Best of Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Where To Watch All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies: Streamers With Multiple Films In The Franchise
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jane Bright Dies: ‘Survivor: Nicaragua' Fan Favorite Was 71
Jane Bright, the Survivor: Nicaragua contestant, has died. She was 71. The Season 21 Fan Favorite's daughter Ashley Hammett announced her mother's death in a Facebook post on Thursday after her body was discovered earlier that day in her North Carolina home. More from Deadline Charles Strouse Dies: Prolific Composer Of Broadway's 'Bye Bye Birdie,' Film's 'Bonnie & Clyde' And TV's 'All In The Family' Theme Was 96 Joe Don Baker Dies: 'Walking Tall' Star Who Appeared In Three James Bond Films Was 89 Samuel French Dies: 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' & 'Fear The Walking Dead' Actor Was 45 'Today Jane Hammett Bright was found passed away within her home by a good friend and county sheriff,' wrote Hammett in the post. A cause of death was not disclosed. Born Dec. 13, 1953 in Jackson Springs, N.C., Bright was a 56-year old dog trainer when she appeared on the CBS competition series in 2010. Separating the castaways into two tribes based on age, she started off in the older Espada tribe. Despite being the oldest contestant of the season, Bright pulled her own weight, praised for her strength and contributions to the tribe. After being the 13th castaway voted off, she won the audience-voted Sprint Fan Favorite, along with a $100,000 prize. Lord, I sure did get my heart broken when I opened up Facebook after work! 💔💔💔 One of my favorite Survivor family members, as I call them all, has passed away. 😢 I loved Jane so much!!! This lady was a firecracker! Always ready to have a good time and a good laugh! RIP Jane. — Donathan Hurley (@donathanhurley) May 15, 2025 Bright was remembered by fans and fellow Survivor cast members, including Survivor: Ghost Island's Donathan Hurley, who remembered her as 'a firecracker.' 'Lord, I sure did get my heart broken when I opened up Facebook after work!' he wrote on X. 'One of my favorite Survivor family members, as I call them all, has passed away. I loved Jane so much!!! This lady was a firecracker! Always ready to have a good time and a good laugh! RIP Jane.' Best of Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Where To Watch All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies: Streamers With Multiple Films In The Franchise Everything We Know About 'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 2 So Far
