Tag Archives: Kristin Chenoweth

Apple TV+ Renews Musical Comedy “Schmigadoon!,” Starring Ariana DeBose, for Second Season

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There’s more Schmigadoon in Ariana DeBose’s future…

Apple TV+ has ordered a second season of its musical comedy Schmigadoon!, starring the 31-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress.

Ariana DeBose,Hailing from creators Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio and executive producer Lorne Michaels, the series stars Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, DeBose, Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ann Harada, Jane Krakowski, Martin Short and Aaron Tveit — all of whom are set to return.

Tituss Burgess and Patrick Page will also join the fun in the new season, which will find Josh (Key) and Melissa (Strong) in Schmicago, the world of 60’s and 70’s musicals.

Following its global debut on Apple TV+ last year, Schmigadoon! was honored with an AFI Award, and has received wide acclaim and accolades, including a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Chenoweth.

The series hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Paul, who is the showrunner, wrote all of the original songs for the series. Robert Luketic directs and co-executive produces. Andrew Singer serves as an executive producer, while Micah Frank is a co-executive producer. Strong and Caroline Maroney are producers.

Camila Cabello to Take Part in “Concert For Ukraine” to Raise Money for the People of Ukraine

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Camila Cabello is helping raise money for the people of the war-ravaged Ukraine…

The 25-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony member is among an all-star group of artists coming together for a special telethon to raise money for the embattled people of Ukraine.

Camila CabelloThe March 29th Concert For Ukraine is slated to take place at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.

Along with Cabello and her “Bam Bam” collaborator Ed Sheeran, the event will also feature sets from Emeli Sandé, Gregory Porter and Snow Patrol, with more acts to be added soon.

The live two-hour special will raise funds for humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine, who have been under relentless attack by Russian forces since Vladimir Putin started a war with the former Soviet satellite country nearly three weeks ago.

The broadcast will air on ITV, STV, ITV Hub and the STV Player in a collaboration with the Disasters Emergency Committee, with the goal of spreading a message of “hope and support, and most importantly, raising funds for the ongoing DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal,” according to a statement.

“I will be singing to try to help every innocent human being forced to flee their home and in solidarity with those being racially discriminated against even within this humanitarian crisis,” said Sandé in a statement. “Nobody should be refused access to relief, aid and the right to cross the border to safety, and I’m pleased for the chance to support the DEC’s appeal to help all people whose lives have been affected by the conflict.”

All sponsorship and advertising revenue generated from the broadcast — expected to raise nearly $4 million — will be donated by ITV to the DEC appeal. Tickets for the event are available here.

The ITV event will take place just three days after another star-studded fundraiser for the people of Ukraine, who have bravely battled relentless bombardment from Russian forces accused of war crimes in the one-sided invasion that has reportedly hit a number of civilian targets.

Rosie Perez, Steve Martin, Annette Bening, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce have signed up for the 10-hour telethon Stars in the House, which will air on Saturday, March 26 from noon-10 p.m. ET. The special can be viewed and listened to on the series’ site, the Stars in the House YouTube channel, as well as SiriusXM Stars109.

Rosie Perez to Take Part in “Stars in the House” Telethon to Benefit Victims of the War in Ukraine

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Rosie Perez is helping raise money for the people of the Ukraine…

The 57-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress is among an all-star roster of film, television and theater performers who’ve signed up for a 10-hour telethon to raise money for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

Rosie PerezEntitled “Stars in the House,”the special will air on Saturday, March 26 from noon-10:00 pm Eastern.

In addition to Perez, the other celebrities scheduled to appear on the telethon include Steve Martin, Annette Bening, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin, as well as Tituss Burgess, Kelli O’Hara, Donna Murphy, Annaleigh Ashford, Jessie Mueller, Josh Groban, Judith Light, John Stamos, Lindsay Mendez, Laura Benanti, Norman Lear, Betty Buckley, Mandy Patinkin, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Wilson, Shoshana Bean, James Monroe Iglehart, Brittney Johnson, Santino Fontana, Judy Kuhn and Norbert Leo Butz.

The event also hopes to feature Ukrainians, including Oleg Karpenko, a Ukrainian theater and film actor who co-starred with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Servant of the People.

The special can be viewed and listened to on the series’ site, the Stars in the House YouTube channel, as well as SiriusXM Stars109.

Donations made during the event will benefit the International Rescue Committee and its humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Stars in the House is a live-streamed concert series created by SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley that has raised over $1 million for the Actors Fund’s COVID-19 relief program and other nonprofits.

It’s just one way the theater community has tried to help Ukrainians: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awarded $300,000 in emergency grants to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and a portion of ticket sales for “The Minutes” will go to Save the Children’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

Ariana DeBose to Appear on Season Finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s On Demand Streaming Talk Show “Crossovers Live!”

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Ariana DeBose is preparing for a crossover…

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer will be a guest on the season finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s on demand streaming talk show Crossovers Live!.

Ariana DeBose

DeBose will appear along side fellow Broadway star Audra McDonald.

Portions of ticket sales for the live show will benefit The Actors Fund.

The season holiday finale episode is set for Monday, December 20 at 8:00 pm ET.

A Stellar Original presentation in association with Atomic Focus Entertainment, Crossovers Live! was created and will be directed by Tom Wiggin, and is designed to showcase performers who have made the jump from stage to film, television or music.

Since the monthly series debuted last June, Crossovers Live!, hosted by Mitchell, has featured such guests as Vanessa Williams, Daniel J. Watts, Marc Shaiman, Megan Hilty, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce.

Blending candid interviews, rare footage and various surprises, the series is livestreamed in New York City and also available on demand. Ticket info is available here, with a minimum of 10% of net proceeds benefiting The Actors Fund.

DeBose made her television debut competing on So You Think You Can Dance and her Broadway debut in the musical Bring It On. Other Broadway credits have included Motown: The Musical, the revival of Pippin, A Bronx Tale and as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a Tony Award nomination.

On film and television, she appeared in the filmed version of Hamilton, Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Broadway musical The Prom, and most recently in Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!.

She’ll soon be seen on the big screen as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Appear on “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” Special

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrating Broadway’s reopening…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and playwright will take part in Broadway’s Back!, the live two-hour broadcast special immediately following this Sunday’s streaming-only Tony Awards ceremony.

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

In addition to Miranda, who created the Broadway hits In The Heights and Hamilton, the program will include appearances by Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Broadway legend Chita Rivera, Daphne Rubin-Vega, who originated the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and more, according to CBS and The American Theatre Wing.

The special, presented live on Sunday, Sept. 26 from Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, will be hosted by Leslie Odom, Jr.

Designed as a celebration of Broadway’s return to the stage following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, the special (full title: The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!) airs on CBS from 9:00 – 11:00 pm ET (live) and PT (delayed). The special also will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The concert special will include Broadway performers and Tony Award winners re-uniting on stage to perform classics, and will feature performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders: Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.

The special also will include the live presentation of three Tony Awards: Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical.

The 74th Annual Tony Awards, delayed from June 2020 due to COVID-19 and representing a shorter roster of nominees because of the shutdown, will stream exclusively on Paramount+ live beginning at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT. The ceremony will be hosted by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Audra McDonald, and will cover productions from the abbreviated 2019-2020 Broadway season.

The line-up of Broadway’s Back! performers and presenters also includes Annaleigh Ashford, Kerry Butler, Christopher Jackson, Ruthie Ann Miles, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kelli O’Hara, Ben Platt, Jeremy Pope and BD Wong. Additional performers and presenters will be announced later this week.

The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! will be produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment, the team behind the annual Tony Awards telecast. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.

Rita Moreno to Perform in PBS’ “Wicked in Concert” Special

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It’s a wicked time for Rita Moreno…

The 89-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer, a living Latina legend, will take part in PBS’ Wicked in Concert special.

Rita Moreno

Co-hosted by the Tony Award-winning musical’s original Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the musical event will feature performances by Moreno, Mario Cantone, Gavin Creel, Ariana DeBose, Cynthia Erivo, Stephanie Hsu, Jennifer Nettles, Alex Newell, Isaac Powell, Amber Riley, Gabrielle Ruiz and Ali Stroker.

The starry line-up was announced by Nouveau Productions Executive Producer Robert Pullen. The concert special will air on Sunday, August 29 at 9:00 pm ET on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

The concert, directed by Baayork Lee, is designed as a celebration of the return of Broadway following the 16-month COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

This special will feature reimagined, never-before-heard Wicked musical arrangements created by music director and conductor Luke Frazier just for this broadcast, with performances filmed in multiple locations including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York City.

Since opening on Broadway in 2003, Wicked, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman based on Gregory Maguire’s novel reimagining some characters from The Wizard of Oz, is the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history.

The musical has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide and has amassed over $5 billion in global sales.

Colman Domingo to Appear at the Democratic National Committee’s Upcoming Pride Celebration Fundraiser

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Colman Domingo is celebrating Pride with the DNC…

The 51-year-old Guatemalan American actor will take part in a special Pride Celebration fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee next week.

Colman Domingo

Vice President Kamala Harris will headline the event, which will include a number of performances and an introduction by Barbra Streisand.

The DNC traditionally hosts a Pride month event, but the fundraiser also speaks to the desire among party activists to have a large war chest heading into next year’s midterms.

The performers on the bill for the virtual event on June 30 include Andra Day, Billy Porter, Kristin Chenoweth and Melissa Etheridge.

In addition to Domingo, other stars making appearances include Andy Cohen, George Takei, Matt Bomer and Whoopi Goldberg.

Tickets to the event start at $50, and rise to $20,000 for a co-host designation and access to a VIP “clutch.” Those who write or raise $40,000 will get a host designation and access to the clutch. The New York Times first reported on the event.

The DNC raised $12.1 million in May, according to reports to the Federal Election Commission, while the Republican National Committee raised about $11.1 million. Those are hefty sums for an off-year period and, according to Bloomberg News, a record amount.

Last year, as the pandemic prevented in-person fundraising, Democrats capitalized on the ease of holding virtual events, both in drawing talent and in bringing in greater numbers of small-dollar donors.

Jaime Camil to Star in Still Untitled Apple TV+ Musical Comedy

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Jaime Camil has found the Apple (project) of his eye…

Apple TV+ has set a star-studded ensemble cast for its upcoming musical comedy that includes the 47-year-old Mexican actor, singer and television personality.

Jaime Camil

In addition to Camil, the project – which will be led by Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong and executive produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video – will also star Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada.

Written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the as-yet untitled comedy series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts as if they’re in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”

Key will play Josh, Melissa’s (Strong) long term, pragmatic partner, and the last person who wants to be stuck in this magical town. Cumming is Mayor Menlove, the welcoming mayor of the town with a secret (and a song) in his heart. Armisen plays Reverend Layton, the mild-mannered religious leader of the town. Chenoweth is Mildred Layton, Reverend Layton’s morally superior wife who is in everybody’s business. Tveit plays Danny Bailey, the town bad boy who is trouble with a capital T, especially once he sets his sights on Melissa. Cameron is Betsy, the farmers daughter who instantly falls for Josh. DeBose portrays Emma Tate, a more modern woman and the town’s teacher, she struggles to fit into the town’s strict mold. Camil plays Doc Lopez, the handsome town doctor with an icy heart. Krakowski plays The Countess, a stunning and sophisticated woman determined to marry Doc Lopez. Harada is Florence Menlove, the oblivious and dutiful wife of Mayor Menlove.

Paul will serve as showrunner, and will write all of the original music. Barry Sonnenfeld will direct.

The series hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Camil earned two Teen Choice Awards for his scene-stealing role on Jane the Virgin.

Rodrigo y Gabriela Appear in KCET’s Series “In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl”

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Rodrigo y Gabriela are ready to bowl you over…

The Mexican acoustic guitar duo, composed of Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero, appear in the premiere of KCET’s six-episode series In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

“It’s one of the most beautiful venues,” says Quintero of performing at the Hollywood Bowl. “And it’s one of my favorite spots, which is the Hollywood Hills. And nearby is the Observatory. Also it has good acoustics and the audiences there are just so loving. It’s magical every time.”

In January — after around two decades as professional musicians —Rodrigo y Gabriela won their first Grammy award for their album Mettavolution.

“Oh my goodness, this year was going to be a very busy one. We had a full year [of touring] booked,” says co-founder Quintero. Instead — as concert tours around the world were cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic — the duo have spent the past few months in the Pacific coast Mexican town of Zihuatanejo.

Even though live shows are on hold, Rodrigo y Gabriela can be seen in action in a never-before-televised performance on In Concert at The Hollywood Bowl, which runs on PBS SoCal and which runs through September 23.

Produced in association with The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the shows are a selection of some of the best performances at the iconic L.A. venue over the last 10 years, all drawn from the L.A. Phil’s archives. The Bowl itself closed this summer for the first time in its 98-year history.

The first episode — hosted, as all in the series are, by L.A. Phil Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel — is titled “Hecho en Mexico” and also features Los Angeles Azules with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) and Paolo Bortolameolli, La Santa Cecilia and Natalia Lafourcade.

“Even though we met for the first time at the rehearsal, it felt like he was an old friend,” says Quintero of working with Dudamel. “It felt so familiar. And then working with him, it was incredible to feel his energy and watch him with the Philharmonic. As a human being, he’s a really nice guy and very down to earth.

Upcoming episodes of the weekly series will feature performers like Kristin Chenoweth, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Carlos Santana and ballet star Misty Copeland.

Juan Pablo Di Pace to Take Part in Project Angel Food’s COVID-19 Emergency Telethon, ‘Lead With Love’

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Juan Pablo Di Pace is ready to take your call… all for a great cause.

Project Angel Food will be holding a special telethon this Saturday, June 27, with the 40-year-old Argentinian actor/singer and Fuller House scene-stealer set to man the phones.

Juan Pablo Di Pace

The Lead With Love: Project Angel Food Emergency Telethon will air from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm PT on KTLA 5in Los Angeles and stream live on the channel’s website and on the Project Angel Food page.

The goal is to raise $500,000 to support Project Angel Food’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, set up for increased needs due to the coronavirus. In the past two months, the organization has gone from serving 1,600 people a day, to serving 2,000 people a day.

Along with a mix of in-studio and virtual appearances, the telethon will include a live phone bank where callers can talk to celebrity guests, including Di Pace, Jonathan Adams, Joely Fisher, Rachel Lindsay, Peter Porte, Charlie Carver, Lawrence Zarian, Sasha Roiz and Lauren Tom. 

Scheduled performers include Annie Lennox, Kristin Chenoweth and Kelly Clarkson, with Eric McCormack, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jessica Holmes hosting.

Other performers include Cee Lo Green, Deborah Cox and Billy Idol, and the event will include appearances by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Elton John, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Marie Osmond, Zachary Levi, Pauley Perrette, Marianne Williamson, John Goodman, Valerie Bertinelli, Marlee Matlin, Olivia Newton-John, Kelly Osbourne, Margaret Cho, Charo, Danny Trejo, Matt Bomer,Cheryl Tiegs, Tyler Henry, Carson Kressley,Eileen Davidson, Chrissy Metz, Sandra Lee, Lisa Rinna, Harry Hamlin, Jimmy Smits, Victoria Principal, Yvette Nicole Brown, Loni Love, Chaz Dean, Sasha Alexander, Ron Cey and Josh Flagg.

The event is being presented by City National Bank, and executive producer is Brad Bessey. Lisa Foxx will serve as announcer and auctioneer Gabriel Butu will be the money man.

Founded in 1989 during the AIDS crisis, Project Angel Food medically tailored meals to people with life-threatening illnesses, including those who are at high risk for COVID-19.

“This event will blend the best nostalgic elements from the Jerry Lewis Telethon with the modern virtual fundraisers of today,” Project Angel Food executive director Richard Ayoub said in a statement.

Click here for more information on the event and learn how to donate.