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South China Morning Post
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Super-producer on reviving Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, Broadway Sondheim show
The great theatre composer Stephen Sondheim loved puzzles, and when he died in 2021, he left one for his good friend, British super-producer Cameron Mackintosh. He left him an unfinished show. Advertisement The two men conceived of a revue of Sondheim's songs during the pandemic and began listing tunes they wanted. But with the death of his friend, it was up to Mackintosh to make the show real. 'I did say to him, 'I really want to concentrate on the music',' recalls Mackintosh. 'I want it to be personal, but we never really got that far with the construction of it.' Sondheim died in November 2021. Soon afterwards, Mackintosh created the skeleton of what would be Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, which has landed on Broadway and stars Tony award-winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. The final rundown has some of Sondheim's most memorable songs, including 'The Ladies Who Lunch', 'I'm Still Here', 'Send in the Clowns', 'Losing My Mind', 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' and 'Children Will Listen'.
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Cameron Mackintosh, one of the last great theater impresarios, has plans for stages everywhere
NEW YORK — The great theater composer Stephen Sondheim loved puzzles, and when he died in 2021, he left one for his good friend, British super-producer Cameron Mackintosh. He left him an unfinished show. The two men conceived of a revue of Sondheim's songs during the pandemic and they both began lists of tunes they wanted. But with the death of his friend, it was up to Mackintosh to make the show real. 'I did say to him, 'I really want to concentrate on the music,'' recalls Mackintosh. 'I want it to be personal, but we never really got that far with the construction of it.' Sondheim died in November 2021. Between Christmas that year and New Year's, Mackintosh created the skeleton of what would be 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends,' which has landed on Broadway starring Tony Award-winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. The final rundown has some of Sondheim's most memorable songs, like 'The Ladies Who Lunch,' 'I'm Still Here,' 'Send in the Clowns,' 'Losing My Mind,' 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' and 'Children Will Listen.' 'I wanted the songs to reflect the fun I'd had with him,' says Mackintosh. "We're both klutzy, we can't dance, we can't sing, we make terrible puns. 'We were silly together, and I think we loved being silly, making each other laugh. We never had a conversation in 45 years where we didn't make each other laugh even when we were grumpy.' Mackintosh had produced two Sondheim revues before — 'Side by Side' in 1976 and 'Putting It Together' in 1993. He wanted the third to emphasize that Sondheim, who had a reputation for brainy lyrics and complicated melodies, was actually an accessible writer. 'The great thing with 'Side by Side' is for the first time people saw the songs shorn of the books, and they were all like little playlets. And you realize, 'Oh my God, they live in their own world' and therefore anyone can understand it. You didn't need to have an intellectual passport to enjoy Steve's work.' 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' is just one of several projects the tireless Mackintosh is overseeing as one of the last great theater impresarios, one who champions Sondheim as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber. There's a revitalized, multiyear North American tour starting in November of 'The Phantom of the Opera' and two tours of 'Les Misérables' — one a worldwide arena concert tour and the other a traditional staging going through North America. A new production of 'Miss Saigon' will launch a U.K. tour in the fall and there's a fresh revival of 'Oliver!' — The Standard newspaper called it 'exceptional' — that opened earlier this year in London, which could end up on Broadway. Mackintosh has a knack for returning to former triumphs, stripping them down and then building them up again, adding fresh new talent and delighting a new generation. 'Most of my shows have turned out to be really good shows. They are, then, worth reinventing,' he says. 'I don't want it to ever become Madame Tussauds.' Mackintosh, doesn't do gut renovations to his revivals, just makes them more nimble with tweaks. Like the new 'Phantom,' which reduced its orchestra from 27 players to 14. The speed may be quicker, too. 'If you listen to a cast album of 40 years ago — for instance 'Les Miz' — to modern ears, well that sounds a bit slow. We've got used to doing materials slightly faster," he says. 'Have we changed the material? Have we cut it? No, it's just treating it as if it's brand new. And you go into it with a group of talented people and you create the show in the moment. What happened 10, 20, 30 years ago doesn't matter. To keep the shows fresh, you've got to create it as it is today.' Bonnie Langford, who was the original Rumpleteazer in 'Cats,' and has known Mackintosh for decades, recalls seeing him backstage when she appeared in 'Old Friends' in the West End. 'I just couldn't get over his enthusiasm after all these years. He was still so excited,' she says. 'He can be like a little boy in a candy shop sometimes. He was having the time of his life, and I found that so endearing for someone who's been in the business a long time. He just loves theater and shows.' Mackintosh has brought 'Les Misérables' to Broadway three times but doesn't plan to bring either current iterations to Broadway. He wants regional theaters to do it, even if that means leaving money on the table. 'I've got more than enough money, but the show needs to get back into the capillaries of the entertainment business and be great shows to bring new generations of audiences and actors into the profession.' If that's the plan for 'Les Miz,' he's plotting the return to New York of his new 'Phantom,' two years after the show ended its 35-year Broadway run. His reimagining of 'Oliver!' is a full-circle moment. He was an assistant stage manager — and understudied Phil Collins — in a touring company of 'Oliver!' in 1965. This time he worked with noted choreographer Matthew Bourne to 'come up with a modern contemporary spin on it.' Mackintosh even wrote a few scenes to strengthen the connective tissue. 'I don't mind changing it, but you don't change it unless it's at least as good. And maybe in a few instances you come up with a better idea,' he says. 'I've always had a very good instinct. for what's missing.' Mackintosh must be won over first by the dialogue and the plot, not the songs. 'I have to fall in love with the words — the characters — first. I want the music to be great, but if I don't love the story and the characters, I don't feel I've got anything to add to them,' he says. He loves classic authors, taking work by Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Giacomo Puccini, P.L. Travers or Gaston Leroux and putting their stories to soaring scores, luxurious costumes and sets. 'All the great musicals were mostly driven by the passion of the authors against the customary wisdom of saying, 'I don't think that'll work. No, no, no.' And then they become the classics,' he says, laughing.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2026 Golden Globes ceremony date revealed
Hollywood's biggest party officially has a 2026 date. CBS and the Golden Globes revealed on Thursday that next year's Golden Globe Awards ceremony will happen on Jan. 11, 2026. As previously announced, Nikki Glaser will return as host after her acclaimed appearance as emcee this year. More from GoldDerby Beth Leavel unpacks her 'The Ladies Who Lunch' performance in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' and reveals the 'most difficult' song to memorize The highest-rated Emmy contenders include 'Adolescence,' 'Severance,' 'Andor': Meet the 95-plus percent club Annaleigh Ashford on how 'Happy Face' offers a 'different perspective,' and why Dennis Quaid made her 'never eat shrimp again' The 2026 Golden Globes, billed by the group as the 'first major award show of the season,' start at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event will air live on CBS linear television and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. for subscribers of the Paramount+ with Showtime tier. This year's Golden Globes were viewed by roughly 9.3 million people, a slight decrease from the 2023 ceremony, which hit 9.4 million viewers (although that show had the added benefit of honoring blockbusters like Oppenheimer and Barbie). Winners this year included The Brutalist for Best Drama, Emilia Pérez for Best Musical/Comedy, Shogun for Best Drama Series, and Hacks for Best Comedy Series. Nominations for next year's Golden Globes will be announced on Dec. 8. The announcement of the Golden Globes date follows a busy week of jockeying for the awards season calendar. Other events newly dated include the Producers Guild Awards (Feb. 28, 2026) and the Screen Actors Guild Awards (March 1, 2026). The Oscars are set for March 15, 2026. Best of GoldDerby 2026 Oscars calendar: Key dates for awards shows, nominations announcements Al Pacino movies: 25 greatest films ranked worst to best Renee Zellweger movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
New York Times
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Show Tunes and Martinis at a Party for Michael Kors
When Michael Kors was still just a teenager from Long Island, he got a beguiling glimpse of Manhattan when he sneaked into a Bobby Short performance at the Café Carlyle on the Upper East Side. Years later, he opened his first store right across the street. On Monday night, Mr. Kors, who started his clothing label more than 40 years ago, was back at Bemelmans, the Carlyle's piano bar, to toast the opening of his new Michael Kors Collection flagship store on Madison Avenue. As red-jacketed bartenders poured martinis, the dimly lit room filled with celebrities including Katie Holmes, Alan Cumming, Sutton Foster and Iman. Seated at a small table, Mr. Kors reflected on his journey in American fashion — or at least along Madison Avenue. His new store is his third on the high-end stretch of this boulevard. 'There's still nowhere else like Madison Avenue,' Mr. Kors, 65, said. 'Italians speak of 'la passeggiata,' the daily stroll, and that's what happens on Madison Avenue. Everyone is fabulously dressed, even to walk their dog. I can't imagine not having a store here.' 'Good things for me have always happened at the Carlyle,' he added. 'Tonight isn't just about celebrating my new store but all the women who bring my clothes to life.' He considered the identity of the Michael Kors customer. 'She's never been an age,' he said. 'She's never been a size. What she is is self-aware, smart, opinionated and always looking ahead.' As the night carried on, his guests took a moment to describe who, exactly, the Kors woman was. 'She's me,' said Patti Hansen, one of the first supermodels, who was sitting next to her daughter Theodora Richards. 'Michael designs for the classic American woman, and that's who I am.' Hanging out by the bar, Nicky Hilton Rothschild weighed in. 'She's stylish and she's chic and she's not a slave to trends,' she said. 'That's because Michael is timeless. I still own my old boogie bags that he designed back when he was at Celine.' The actress Jane Krakowski pulled out her phone to play a YouTube clip of a 1970s commercial for Charlie, a once-popular Revlon fragrance. 'When I think of the Michael Kors woman, I think of the 'je ne sais quoi' of the Charlie girl,' Ms. Krakowski said. 'I think of the model in those commercials, how she had all the confidence in the world. Just look at her, living her jet-set life.' The room fell quiet when Mr. Cumming placed his martini on the piano at the start of his cabaret performance. 'It's so lovely to be surrounded by kindness tonight,' he said, 'because I just got back to this country, and I've found that kindness is not as prevalent as it used to be. But you know what I think the best way to deal with lack of kindness is? It's to be even kinder, to be even kinder to the people in our society right now who need it the most.' When the pianist, Henry Koperski, played the opening notes of the Stephen Sondheim classic 'The Ladies Who Lunch,' Mr. Cumming declared that it was 'maybe a little ballsy' to sing that one in this particular room. Fans in the crowd cheered, well aware that the song was a longtime signature piece for Elaine Stritch, a regular performer at the Carlyle who lived in the hotel upstairs for many years. As the party wound down, old friends lined up for goodbye kisses with Mr. Kors, while others — Julianna Margulies, Cristin Milioti, Nicole Scherzinger — lingered over their drinks. Taking her leave into the chilly night was Iman, who wore a Michael Kors outfit of a gold trench coat and gold lace pants, along with a necklace that read 'David' in honor of her late husband, David Bowie. She recalled Mr. Kors' first runway show in 1984, during which she was one of the models. 'He was just starting off, but I could already tell he was going to be big,' she said. 'Because he already knew the most important thing about fashion, which is that he knew what women want. He's always dressed the woman as she wants to see herself.'
