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☆ Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

US singer Tony Bennett (Anthony Dominick Benedetto) performs on stage during an invitation only concert at the newly opened Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Massachusetts on August 8, 2019. "No country has given the world such great music," Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. The evening's performance resulted in the album, "Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged," which won two Grammys, including album of the year. Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists ("Here's to the Ladies"), Billie Holiday ("Tony Bennett on Holiday"), and Duke Ellington ("Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot & Cool"). He also won two Emmy Awards — for "Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special" (1996) and "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" (2007).

Persons: Tony Bennett, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, Bennett, Antonia Benedetto, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Sylvia Weiner, Bennett didn't, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Sinatra, Sinatra's, Cheek, Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, Oscar, Amy, Porter, George Gershwin, George Cory, Douglass Cross, Ralph Sharon, Ralph, Danny, David Letterman, Fred Astaire, Elvis Costello, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, — Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Long, Susan Crow Benedetto, Anthony, Anna, James Infirmary, Bel, Miriam Spier, you'll, it's Bing Crosby, Art Tatum, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Joe Bari, Rosemary Clooney, Arthur Godfrey's, Pearl Bailey, Bob Hope, Mitch Miller, Hank Williams, Miller, Chuck Wayne, Chico Hamilton, Art Blakey, Count Basie, Harry Belafonte's, Martin Luther King Jr, Selma, Bennett's, Johnny Mandel's Oscar, Clive Davis, Tony, Bill Evans, Patricia Beech, Sandra Grant, Susan, Johanna, Antonia, Dae, —, Benedetto — Organizations: Associated Press, American, MTV, Ellington, New, Frank Sinatra School of, Arts, Armed Forces Network, Armed Forces Radio, American Theater, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, Greenwich Village, Paramount Theater, Sinatra, Columbia Records, Count Basie Orchestra, Army, Civil Rights Movement, Carnegie Hall, Columbia, IRS, Kennedy, National Endowment, Arts Jazz, Smithsonian Museum of American Locations: Everett , Massachusetts, Francisco, New York, San Francisco, Little Rock , Arkansas, Astoria, New York City, Queens, Italian, Germany, Greenwich, Montgomery, Los Angeles

☆ Tony Bennett’s 10 Essential Songs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Rob Tannenbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Anthony Dominick Benedetto was growing up in Astoria, Queens, during the Depression, his parents couldn’t afford to pay for the singing lessons he wanted. Anthony Benedetto later took the advice of the comedian Bob Hope and adopted the more Americanized stage name Tony Bennett. Voice lessons, however long delayed, were important to his development. After he served in World War II, Bennett studied, thanks to the G.I. In 1965, Frank Sinatra told Life magazine, “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business.” He held on to that distinction for decades to follow.

Persons: Anthony Dominick Benedetto, John Benedetto, Anthony Benedetto, Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Bennett, Bill, Cole Porter, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra Organizations: Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, American Theater Wing Locations: Astoria , Queens, Italy, Manhattan, Italian

☆ Opinion | American Theater Is Collapsing. The Federal Government Must Save It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Isaac Butler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The American theater is on the verge of collapse. The Humana Festival of New American Plays, a vital launching pad for such great playwrights as Lynn Nottage and Will Eno over the past four decades, was canceled this year. This season the Williamstown Theater Festival, one of our most important summer festivals, will consist of only one fully produced work, alongside an anemic offering of staged readings. The Lookingglass, a major anchor of Chicago’s theater scene, is halting production for the year. Nonprofit theaters are where many recent hits — including “A Strange Loop” and “Hamilton,” both of which won Pulitzer Prizes — started out.

Persons: Lynn Nottage, Will Eno, Edward Albee, August Wilson, Tony Kushner, Annie Baker, Simon, Garfunkel’s, “, “ Hamilton, ”, — Organizations: Public, New, Williamstown Theater, Oregon Shakespeare, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Nonprofit Locations: Oregon, New York

☆ Sarah Benson Thinks Audiences Want a Challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Elisabeth Vincentelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Did you leave because you wanted to spend more time on directing and less on paperwork? It’s been an incredible gift to be working at that level of artistic risk and to be surrounded by other artists working at that level of risk. Why choose “Blasted” for your first outing as director at Soho Rep? I’m always attentive to what feelings I get because that is the best information that’s going to take me to “What’s the real material? What can I bring to this material?” I’m always trying to seek out that charge.

Persons: It’s, “, Marin Ireland, I’d, I’m Organizations: Soho Rep

☆ Tony Awards 2023: Highlights and winners
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/25] The cast of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" perform onstage at the 76th Annual Tony Awards in New York City, U.S., June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EJ6C05QLC2See pictures and a running list of winners at the 76th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater. BEST MUSICALKimberly AkimboBEST PLAYLeopoldstadtBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAYPrima Facie: Jodie ComerBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAYGood Night, Oscar: Sean HayesBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: Victoria ClarkBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICALSome Like it Hot: J. Harrison GheeBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: Bonnie MilliganBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICALShucked: Alex NewellBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAYThe Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window: Miriam SilvermanBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Brandon UranowitzBEST BOOK OF A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: David Lindsay-AbaireBEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICALParadeBEST REVIVAL OF A PLAYSuzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/UnderdogBEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICALParade: Michael ArdenBEST DIRECTION OF A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Patrick MarberBEST CHOREOGRAPHYSome Like it Hot: Casey NicholawBEST ORIGINAL SCOREKimberly Akimbo: Jeanine Tesori for music and David Lindsay-Abaire for lyrics. BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Brigitte ReiffenstuelBEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICALSome Like it Hot: Gregg BarnesBEST ORCHESTRATIONSSome Like it Hot: Charlie Rosen and Bryan CarterSee picotures and a running list of winners at the 76th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater.cNew York, New York: Beowulf BorittBEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Tim Hatley and Andrzej GouldingBEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICALSweeney Todd: Natasha KatzBEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Tim LutkinBEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Carolyn DowningBEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICALSweeney Todd: Nevin SteinbergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sweeney Todd, Barber, Tony, Brendan Mcdermid, Tony Awards, Kimberly Akimbo, Jodie Comer, Sean Hayes, Victoria Clark, Bonnie Milligan, Alex Newell, Miriam Silverman, Brandon, David Lindsay, Lori Parks, Michael Arden, Patrick Marber, Casey Nicholaw, SCORE Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori, Abaire, Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Gregg Barnes, Charlie Rosen, Bryan Carter, Tim Hatley, Andrzej Goulding, Natasha Katz, Tim Lutkin, Pi, Carolyn Downing, Nevin Steinberg Organizations: REUTERS, Prima, Victoria Clark BEST, Michael Arden BEST, SCORE, theater.c, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, York , New York

☆ 'The Little Mermaid's' box office will say a lot about Disney's live-action remake strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

That opening is on par with the $91 million "Aladdin" secured in 2019 on its way to more than $1 billion at the global box office. Audience buzz has become an increasingly important factor in box office success in the wake of the pandemic. Those that skip out on seeing a film during its opening weekend can be enticed to cinemas by positive chatter, helping to bolster the film's overall box office. The studio, which is known for its animated content, saw two of its recent releases — "Lightyear" and "Strange World" — flounder at the box office. Although there were two live-action films based on "101 Dalmatians" in 1996 and 2000, Disney didn't start producing these remakes in earnest until 2010's "Alice in Wonderland."

Persons: Alice, Maleficent, Lilo, Shawn Robbins, it's Organizations: Disney, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, BoxOffice.com Locations: Wonderland

☆ Tony Awards Officials Ask Striking Writers to Reconsider Broadcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Michael Paulson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Broadway producers and industry leaders say that the annual awards show is a vital marketing tool for the industry, and particularly important to the financial health of new musicals. members are striking for better compensation and structural changes to the way writers relate to studios, streaming services and networks as the entertainment industry evolves. Conversations between theater industry leaders, union leaders, and CBS are ongoing. The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, which jointly present the Tony Awards, are hoping to resolve the crisis soon. If a broadcast proves impossible, many industry leaders appear determined to hand out the prizes as scheduled, either at a nontelevised event or simply by announcing the winners.

☆ Review: ‘The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,’ Uneven Yet a Powerful Draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Laura Collins-Hughes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Sidney Brustein, whom she has placed at the center of this crowded tragicomedy, is not an interesting person. (The play is a Tony nominee for best revival; Silverman is its only acting nominee.) Terrible at business, he has just bought a local newsweekly without mentioning it to Iris, because theirs is nowhere near a marriage of equals. The title nods to that: It’s Sidney’s window, not Iris’s too, even though it is in their living room. Sidney finds a smidgen of purpose when he agrees to back his politician friend Wally (Andy Grotelueschen), and puts a campaign sign in the window, advocating reform.

☆ 'Some Like It Hot' leads 2023 Tony nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Film-turned-musical "Some Like It Hot," led the nominations announced Tuesday for the 2023 Tony awards, the highest honors in American theater, followed by "& Juliet," "New York, New York," and "Shucked." "Kimberly Akimbo," and a revival of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," also topped the list of nominations by production for the 76th annual awards, according to a statement from the Tony Awards committee. Best new musical nominees were "& Juliet," "Kimberly Akimbo," "New York, New York," "Shucked" and "Some Like it Hot," with "Sweeney Todd" and "Into the Woods" among the productions earning nods for best musical revival. The stage adaptation of the 1959 crime comedy film "Some Like It Hot," opened on Broadway in December and topped the list with 13 nominations. Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tony Nominations 2023 Live Updates: How to Watch the Announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michael Paulson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ETImage Ariana DeBose will return this year after hosting last year’s Tony Awards ceremony. Credit... Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesNominations for this year’s Tony Awards, which honor plays and musicals performed on Broadway, are being announced on Tuesday morning in New York. There are 26 competitive categories, and the Tonys hand out some noncompetitive awards as well. The Tony Awards ceremony, presented by the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, will be on June 11. To be eligible for this year’s Tony Awards, shows must have opened between April 29, 2022, and April 27, 2023.

☆ Ariana DeBose to Return as Tony Awards Host This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Michael Paulson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ariana DeBose, whose exuberant embrace of song and dance enlivened last year’s Tony Awards, will return to host the annual ceremony this spring. Earlier this year, she sang the opening number at the BAFTA Awards, and a rapped section paying tribute to female movie stars was mocked and memed for a hot second. DeBose, who is 32, seems to have taken it in stride — in London earlier this month, she turned the kerfuffle into merch that raised money for charity, and last weekend she performed at Lincoln Center. This year’s awards ceremony will for the first time take place at the United Palace, a large theater in Washington Heights, in Upper Manhattan. The ceremony, which is presented by the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, honors plays and musicals staged on Broadway; it is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, June 11, and to be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

☆ Why 94-year-old ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ star James Hong says he's not close to retiring
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Onstage, Hong reflected on the early days of his career, when he often played side characters to white leads in yellowface. Hong recalled that producers "said Asians were not good enough and they are not box office. After decades in the industry, Hong is getting greater public recognition for his work. Hong received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022, making history as the oldest recipient to receive the honor. Hong says he's a better actor today than ever.

☆ How 'Skinamarink' made $1.5 million on a $15,000 budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In this article AMCX Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA still promo for the film Skinamarink. Coutesy: Bayview EntertainmentExperimental horror film "Skinamarink" has been all the buzz on social media for months — and now it's a sleeper hit at the box office. Much of these sales come from the most wide-released horror films that had budgets between $16 million and $35 million. Independent horror films are released every week, and it's very difficult to stand out among these releases, he said. Still shot from the film "Skinamarink".

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' failed to live up to box office expectations on its opening weekend, reports say — putting pressure on Disney's $2 billion bet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

"Avatar 2" isn't living up to box-office expectations on its opening weekend. Disney cut its forecast from above $150 million to between $130 million and $150 million. Box Office Pro analyst Shawn Robbins had predicted earlier this month the movie would bring in somewhere between $167 million and $192 million after positive hype. Disney took control of the rights to "Avatar" with its $71 billion acquisition of Fox in 2019. Despite failing to live up to initial heady hopes, the "Avatar 2" opening weekend still represents a sizeable intake, outpacing the opening for "Top Gun: Maverick."

This fall, Ross made history as the first trans woman to ever play a leading role on Broadway. He added that Ross’ debut in the long-running American musical “opens the door to full acceptance” for the transgender community. “Black theater artists are asking for white American theater to see us and consider us in producing work,” Jackson said. The Black Theatre Coalition said it aimed “to remove the ‘ILLUSION OF INCLUSION’ in the American Theatre,” by combating racism and providing more work opportunities for Black artists, according to the group’s mission statement. “I hope there’s an Angelica Ross backstage, whether that’s in stage management, whether that’s in front of the house,” he said.

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