Tag Archives: Here We Are

Bobby Cannavale to Star in First Staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Final Musical, “Here We Are”

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Bobby Cannavale is here…

The 53-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor will star in Here We Are, the first production of Stephen Sondheim’s final musical.

Bobby CannavaleCannavale is among a roster of cast members that include Francois Battiste, Tracie Bennett, Micaela Diamond, Amber Gray, Jin Ha, Rachel Bay Jones, Denis O’Hare, Steven Pasquale, David Hyde Pierce and Jeremy Shamos are set for the show, which will make its world premiere on September 28 for a limited Off Broadway engagement at The Shed.

Sondheim’s final, long-awaited musical will be directed by two-time Tony winner Joe Mantello.

Formerly known as Square One, the final musical composed by Sondheim before his death in 2021 features a book by David Ives and is inspired by the two films The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel by Luis Buñuel.

Executive Producers for Here We Are are Sue Wagner, John Johnson and Jillian Robbins, and the musical will be co-presented by The Shed; Artistic Director Alex Poots, President and COO Maryann Jordan, and Chief Executive Producer Madani Younis.

Here We Are will be the latest in a string of Sondheim musicals to receive New York stagings since the Broadway legend’s death, including Company and Into the Woods. Sweeney Todd is currently in previews on Broadway, and revival of Merrily We Roll Along will begin Broadway previews in September.

Shortly before his death, Sondheim appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and confirmed that the musical, then called Square One, was being readied for staging. He told Colbert that he’d been working on the musical for “a couple of years.” A workshop was held in 2016, and Nathan Lane said in 2021 that he Bernadette Peters had recently participated in a reading of the musical.

Gloria Estefan Nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Gloria Estefan has the write stuff of legends…

The 62-year-old Cuban singer/songwriter and former Miami Sound Machine member has been nominated for the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Gloria Estefan

Estefan, a three-time Grammy winner and three-time Latin Grammy, has penned numerousinternational chart-topping hits in English and Spanish, including  “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “1-2-3,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Here We Are,” “Coming Out of the Dark,” “Con Los Años Que Me Quedan,” “Mi Tierra” and “No Me Dejes de Querer.” 

Additionally, Estefan has penned songs for other artists, including “Let’s Get Loud,” performed by Jennifer Lopez, and “Whenever Wherever,” performed by Shakira. Additionally, she co-wrote “Reach,” one of two official songs of the 1996 Atlanta Games, with Diane Warren.

In all, 24 acts are in contention for the 2020 class. In addition to Estefan, performing nominees include Patti Smith, Journey, Vince Gill, the Isley Brothers, former Eurythmicsmembers Annie Lennoxand Dave Stewart, Mike Love, Bread’s David Gates and Steve Miller, The Neptunes, the creative, innovative production-songwriting duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, rap icons Outkast and rock pioneers R.E.M.Mariah Carey, who co-wrote 17 of her 18 No. 1 hits and earned her first Songwriters Hall nomination last year, is up for the prize again. 

The Songwriters Hall gave The Associated Press the list of nominees Tuesday (Nov. 5), a day ahead of its official announcement.

Non-performing solo nominees are William “Mickey” Stevenson, Rick Nowels, Sonny Curtis, Jerry Fuller, Tony Macaulay, Bob McDill and Roger Nichols. Non-performing songwriting duos nominated include the late Tommy Boyceand Bobby Hart,Lynn Ahrensand Stephen Flaherty, L. Russell Brownand the late Irwin Levine, and Kye Flemingand Dennis Morgan.

Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years. Six songwriters, or songwriting groups, will be officially inducted at the Hall’s 51st annual Induction & Awards Gala in New York on June 11, 2020. Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and three performing songwriters until December 16.