Latest news with #plays
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
13 Off Broadway Shows to See in May
Together, a new company founded by Hugh Jackman and the producer Sonia Friedman, kicks off with two plays presented in repertory at the Minetta Lane Theater, in collaboration with Audible. Jackman himself stars in Hannah Moscovitch's 'Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes' alongside Ella Beatty — and when was the last time we saw him in such an intimate space? Starting May 10, the show will alternate with a new adaptation of August Strindberg's 'Creditors' by Jen Silverman ('The Roommate'), starring Liev Schreiber, Maggie Siff and Justice Smith. Both productions are directed by Ian Rickson. (Through June 18, Minetta Lane Theater) Michael Thurber and Saheem Ali's new musical, with additional book material by James Ijames, is set in a nightclub in Mombasa, Kenya. Ali directs at the Public Theater, where he staged Ijames's hit play 'Fat Ham' before it transferred to Broadway. Amber Iman ('Lempicka') plays Nadira, a singer who actually is the title deity, Marimba, the ruler of music. (Through June 8, Public Theater) Skating? Been there, done that onstage, from 'Starlight Express' to 'Kimberly Akimbo.' Skateboarding is a much rarer beast. Now the Vineyard Theater is getting an in-the-round makeover to accommodate Nazareth Hassan's new play about hip-hop and the culture that gave us ollies and airwalks. A co-production with National Black Theater in association with the New Group. (Through June 8, Vineyard Theater)
Android Authority
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
This new Spotify podcast metric might change your listening habits
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Spotify now shows how many times podcast episodes have been played. This new metric aims to help users find popular show episodes and to show creators what content is resonating. Spotify added five million new Premium subscribers in Q1 of this year, but it still trails YouTube as a podcast platform. Spotify has been working to make podcasts a bigger part of its platform, even as YouTube continues to lead the space. Now it's rolling out a small but potentially helpful new metric, letting you see how many times each podcast episode has been played. As reported by TechCrunch, the new 'plays' count appears across the app on episode pages, show pages, and even the home screen. It covers both audio-only and video podcasts, and the numbers are also visible to creators via Spotify for Creators and Megaphone. Play counts have been part of Spotify's music experience for years, so this move brings podcasts more in line with how tracks are displayed. That kind of transparency could help users spot breakout episodes and discover new shows they might otherwise skip over. For podcasters, it's a useful way to see what's landing with listeners and how their episodes compare to others in the space. The feature was announced shortly after Spotify's Q1 earnings call, where it revealed a gain of five million premium subscribers. That brings the total to 268 million, marking the company's biggest first-quarter jump since 2020. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Letter: Philip Lowrie obituary
In 1983 I engaged Philip Lowrie for a season of plays at Nottingham Playhouse. I knew something of his work in regional theatre but nothing of his time in Coronation Street; the stage seemed to be his natural home. In his year spent at the Playhouse his wide variety of parts included James Morell in Shaw's Candida, the Chaplain in Brecht's Mother Courage with Miriam Karlin and, most notably, a Scots Aufidius in Coriolanus. He was also in plays by Wilde, Ayckbourn and Wilder. A stalwart and invaluable company member, he was always anxious to develop his craft as an actor and to widen his already considerable range. Three years later, in my production of Ibsen's A Doll's House at the Lyric theatre, Belfast, he was a wonderfully self-centred Torvald; but, for me, his greatest triumph came the following year, again at the Lyric, when at very short notice and in the middle of rehearsals he took over the role of James Tyrone in O'Neill's Moon for the Misbegotten. There he came into his own as the tragic, imaginative but dissipated figure of Jim. Working with him was always a creative pleasure and I remember him with great affection.
TechCrunch
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- TechCrunch
Spotify now shows how many times people listened to podcast episodes
YouTube continues to dominate the podcasting space, but Spotify is actively working to close the gap. The latest development: a new feature that lets users see how many times an audio-only or video podcast episode has been actively listened to or watched. The streaming giant revealed its new podcast metric called 'plays' on Tuesday, making it possible for users to see which podcast episodes are most popular. This is the first time a podcast metric like this will be viewable for creators and users. The plays will appear next to a podcast episode throughout the app, including the home page, episode page, and show page. It's also available for creators on Spotify for Creators and Megaphone. With this new metric for podcasts, Spotify aims to encourage users to explore podcasts they may not be familiar with, especially if they see that other listeners highly favor these episodes. For creators, this information sheds light on which episodes resonate most with audiences and, more importantly, allows them to benchmark their performance against competitors. Spotify's announcement follows its first-quarter earnings, revealing a gain of 5 million premium subscribers, totaling 268 million. This marks the second-highest total ever and the largest first-quarter increase since 2020.
