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.
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 andTina: 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.
The 42-year-old part-Spanish Australian actress/singer has been cast as the lead role of Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, filling the vacancy left when the Tony Award-nominated Karen Olivo resigned in April.
With the casting of Mendoza, the full Moulin Rouge!cast is in place for the resumption of performances on Friday, September 24, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
The musical originally opened on July 25, 2019, but performances were suspended in March 2020 when Broadway went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
Mendoza joins a principal cast that also includes Aaron Tveit, Danny Burstein, Sahr Ngaujah, Tam Mutu, Ricky Rojas and Robyn Hurder.
The casting is a bit of a homecoming for Mendoza, who portrayed a can-can dancer named China Dollin Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge!
“From the moment Natalie was cast as China Doll in Moulin Rouge! the film, we knew we had discovered a major young talent,” Luhrmann said in a statement. “That young talent has now blossomed into the lead in our Broadway production. I could not be more thrilled that Natalie will be lowered in that glorious swing as Broadway’s Sparkling Diamond.”
Said Mendoza, “Having been involved with the film from its early conception, the role of Satine has always been close to my heart. This rare jewel of an opportunity to play a character like her on Broadway feels like a full circle moment. With this stunning group of bohemian artists and this uniquely conscious creative team I couldn’t be in better care.”
Mendoza, raised in Australia, previously worked with the Broadway musical’s director Alex Timbers when she appeared as Imelda Marcos in Here Lies Loveat London’s Royal National Theatre.
He starred on the BBC One drama series Hotel Babylon andThe Descenthorror film franchise.
On the film side, she’ll next be seen in the buzzy Cannes Film Festival film Annette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.
Mendoza’s other credits include Michael Winterbottom’s futuristic thriller Code 46, Miramax’s The Great Raidand, on television, ABC’s production of South Pacific, ITV’s McDonald & Dodds, CBS’ Blue Bloods and in upcoming episodes of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan.
On stage, additional credits include Miss Saigon, Spiderman: Turn Off The DarkandGhost.
The 42-year-old Mexican American actress and Broadway star, best known for her performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles, and San Francisco productions of the musical Wicked, will take part in Sunday’s Broadway Does Mother’s Day, a digital variety benefitting Broadway Cares’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund.
Cast members from Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Jagged Little Pill, Company,Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Chicago, Diana, Mean Girls, Girl from the North Country, Six, andMrs. Doubtfirewill take part.
The show is designed to replace some of the money usually raised by Broadway’s annual Easter Bonnet Competition, an event that was canceled this year due to the coronaviruspandemic.
The digital sketch show will include Broadway stars, their children and their mothers, with musical numbers, comedy and special guests planned.
In addition to Espinosa, scheduled guests so far includeJill Abramovitz, Kate Baldwin, Jenni Barber, Laura Benanti,Betty Buckley, Carolee Carmello, Victoria Clark, Chuck Cooper, Claybourne Elder, Beanie Feldstein, Harvey Fierstein, In The Heights’ Mandy Gonzalez, Celia Rose Gooding, Molly Griggs, James Monroe Iglehart, Judy Kaye, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Raymond J. Lee, Lesli Margherita, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Alexis Michelle, Vanessa Williams, Betsy Wolfeand LaChanze.
Sketches from Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Jagged Little Pill, Company, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Chicago, Diana, Mean Girls, Girl from the North Country, Six, andMrs. Doubtfire will also be included.
“We’re delighted to see the theatercommunity come together for Broadway Does Mother’s Day and honored to be a beneficiary of what promises to be such a special show,” said Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. “When crises hit, the Broadway community and theatre fans everywhere have always responded with generosity, compassion and action. We launched the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund on behalf of and for those onstage, backstage and behind the scenes who need a helping hand during this pandemic.”
The 26-year-old Spanish singer/songwriter has earned the first two Grammy nominations of her career, including a historic nod for Best New Artist.
Rosalia, a five-time Latin Grammy winner, is the first all-Spanish language singer to be nominated in the best new artist category. Other Latino artists have been nominated in the category over the years, including Vikki Carr in 1963, and Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Esperanza Spalding have won the award. Even José Feliciano won best new artist in 1969, bolstered by his hit version of the Doors’ “Light My Fire.” But the previous nominees and winners were not, however, honored for their work recorded exclusively in Spanish.
Rosalia’s second nomination comes in the Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album category for her second studio album, El Mal Querer. The album took home all the Latin Grammy awards it was nominated for, including Album of the Year, one of the top awards of the night.
Bad Bunny picked up two nominations… in the same category.
The 25-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer-rapper is nominated in the Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album category for his Latin Grammy-winning debut album X 100PRE, as well as his collaborative album with J Balvin, Oasis.
Esperanza Spalding, a four-time Grammy winner, including Best New Artist, has picked up two nods this year.
The 35-year-old part-Latinajazz bassist and singer is nominated in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category for her album12 Little Spells. She’s also up for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for serving as the arranger on her own single track “12 Little Spells (Thoracic Spine).”
Vince Mendoza is back in familiar territory…
The 58-year-old Latino music arranger, conductorand composer, a multi-Grammy winner, has picked up four nominations.
He’s nominated in the Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals category for his work on Trisha Yearwood’s “Over The Rainbow.”
Mendoza picked up two nods in the Best Instrumental Composition category for conducting Fred Hersch & The WDR Big Band’s “Begin Again,” as well as composing “Love, A Beautiful Force,” his single with Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts and the Temple University Studio Orchestra.
Emilio Solla is in the running for a Grammy this year…
The Argentine pianist and composer is nominated in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category for arranging “La Novena,” his single with the Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra.
Diego Figueiredo picked up a nod
The 39-year-old Brazilian musician is nominated in the Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals category for arrangement alongside Cyrille Aiméeon Aimée’s “Marry Me A Little.”
Camila Cabello, a two-time Grammy nominee last year, has earned a nod this year…
The 22-year-old Mexican and Cuban singer and former Fifth Harmony member is nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category for her collaboration with Shawn Mendes, “Señorita.”
Cardi B has earned a nod this year…
The 27-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar, who picked up her first Grammy at this year’s awards show for her debut album Invasion of Privacy, is up for Best Rap Performance for her work opposite Offset on “Clout.”
Rodrigo y Gabrielahave reason to celebrate…
The Mexican acoustic guitar duo, comprised of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero, picked up its first Grammy nomination. Rodrigo y Gabriela is nominated in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category for Mettavolution.
Jessie Reyez is a first-time Grammynominee…
The 28-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is nominated in the Best Urban Contemporary Album category for her sophomore album Being Human In Public. The album picked up a Juno Award in her home country of Canada for RnB/Soul Recording of the Year.
Sebastian Plano is celebrating his Grammy nod…
The Argentine composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist is nominated in the Best New Age Album category for his albumVerve.
Melissa Aldana has picked up her first Grammy nomination…
The 30-year-old Chilean tenor saxophone player is nominated in the Best Improvised Jazz Solo category for “Elsewhere.”
The nominees in the Best Latin Jazz Album include Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band (Antidote), Thalma De Freitas with Vitor Gonçalves, John Patitucci, Chico Pinheiro, Rogerio Boccato & Duduka Da Fonse (Sorte!: Music By John Finbury), Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis & Rubén Blades (Una Noche Con Rubén Blades), David Sánchez (Carib), and Miguel Zenón (Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera)
The Best Latin Pop Album nominees include an eclectic mix of artists: Luis Fonsi (Vida), Maluma (11:11), Ricardo Montaner (Montaner), Alejandro Sanz (#ELDISCO), and Sebastian Yatra (Fantasía).
In addition to Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Rosalia, the nominees in the Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album category include Flor De Toloache (Indestructible) and iLe(Almadura).
The Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) include Joss Favela (Caminando), Intocable (Percepción), La Energia Norteña (Poco A Poco), Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea (20 Aniversario), and Mariachi Los Camperos (De Ayer Para Siempre).
The Best Tropical Latin Album nominees include Marc Anthony (Opus), Luis Enrique + C4Trio (Tiempo Al Tiempo), Vicente Garcia (Candela), Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 (Literal) and Aymée Nuviola (A Journey Through Cuban Music).
The Best Musical Theater Album nominees includeHadestown, with Eva Noblezada as one of the principal soloists, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, with Karen Olivo as one of the principal soloists. It’s the first Grammy nod for both Noblezada, who is half-Mexican American, and Olivo, who is part Puerto Rican and Dominican American.
Gustavo Dudamelis back in the hunt for a Grammy…
The 38-year-oldVenezuelan-Spanish conductor and violinist, who won his first Grammy in 2011, is nominated in the Best Orchestral Performance category for conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonnic’s “Norman: Sustain.”
FKA Twigs has picked up her first Grammy nomination…
The 31-year-old part-Spanish singer is up for Best Music Video for her acclaimed music video for “Cellophane.”
Lizzo led the pack with eight nods, while Billie Eillish and Lil Nas Xfollowed close behind with six nominations each. All three musicians are first-time Grammy nominees.
Alicia Keyswill return as host the ceremony for the second year in a row, making her the third womanand the first female musician to host the show twice.
The Grammy Awardswill take place on January 26 at the Staples Centerin Los Angeles. The broadcast will air live on CBSat 5:00 pm PT/ 8:00 pm ET.
Here’s a look at the categories with Latino nominees:
GENERAL FIELD
Best New Artist Black Pumas Billie Eilish Lil Nas X Lizzo Maggie Rogers Rosalía Tank and the Bangas Yola
POP FIELD
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Boyfriend” — Ariana Grande & Social House “Sucker” — Jonas Brothers “Old Town Road” — Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus “Señorita” — Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Ancestral Recall — Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Star People Nation — Theo Croker Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music! — Mark Guiliana Elevate — Lettuce Mettavolution — Rodrigo y Gabriela
R&B
Best Urban Contemporary Album: Apollo XXI — Steve Lacy Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) — Lizzo Overload — Georgia Anne Muldrow Saturn — Nao Being Human In Public — Jessie Reyez
RAP
Best Rap Performance: “Middle Child” — J.Cole “Suge” — DaBaby “Down Bad” — Dreamville ft. J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, Earthgang & Young Nudy “Racks In The Middle” — Nipsey Hussle ft. Roddy Ricch & Hit-boy “Clout” — Offset ft. Cardi B
NEW AGE
Best New Age Album: Fairy Dreams — David Arkenstone Homage To Kindness — David Darling Wings — Peter Kater Verve — Sebastian Plano Deva — Deva Premal
JAZZ
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Elsewhere” — Melissa Aldana, soloist “Sozinho” — Randy Brecker, soloist “Tomorrow Is The Question” — Julian Lage, soloist “The Windup” — Brandford Marsalis, soloist “Sightseeing” — Christian McBride, soloist
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Thirsty Ghost — Sara Gazarek Love & Liberation — Jazzmeia Horn Alone Together — Catherine Russell 12 Little Spells — Esperanza Spalding Screenplay — The Tierney Sutton Band
Best Latin Jazz Album: Antidote — Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band Sorte!: Music By John Finbury — Thalma De Freitas With Vitor Gonçalves, John Patitucci, Chico Pinheiro, Rogerio Boccato & Duduka Da Fonseca Una Noche Con Rubén Blades — Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis & Rubén Blades Carib — David Sánchez Sonero: The Music Of Ismael Rivera — Miguel Zenón
LATIN
Best Latin Pop Album: Vida — Luis Fonsi 11:11 — Maluma Montaner — Ricardo Montaner #ELDISCO — Alejandro Sanz Fantasía — Sebastian Yatra
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: X 100PRE — Bad Bunny Oasis — J Balvin & Bad Bunny Indestructible — Flor De Toloache Almadura — iLe El Mal Querer – Rosalía
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): Caminando — Joss Favela Percepción — Intocable Poco A Poco — La Energia Norteña 20 Aniversario — Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea De Ayer Para Siempre — Mariachi Los Camperos
Best Tropical Latin Album: Opus — Marc Anthony Tiempo Al Tiempo — Luis Enrique + C4 Trio Candela — Vicente García Literal — Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 A Journey Through Cuban Music — Aymée Nuviola
AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC
Best American Roots Performance: “Saint Honesty” — Sara Bareilles “Father Mountain” — Calexico With Iron & Wine “I’m On My Way” — Rhiannon Giddens With Francesco Turrisi “Call My Name” — I’m With Her “Faraway Look” — Yola
MUSICAL THEATER
Best Musical Theater Album: Ain’t Too Proud: The Life And Times Of The Temptations — Saint Aubyn, Derrick Baskin, James Harkness, Jawan M. Jackson, Jeremy Pope & Ephraim Sykes, principal soloists; Scott M. Riesett, producer (Original Broadway Cast) Hadestown — Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada & Patrick Page, principal soloists; Mara Isaacs, David Lai, Anaïs Mitchell & Todd Sickafoose, producers (Anaïs Mitchell, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast) Moulin Rouge! The Musical — Danny Burstein, Tam Mutu, Sahr Ngaujah, Karen Olivo & Aaron Tveit, principal soloists; Justin Levine, Baz Luhrmann, Matt Stine & Alex Timbers, producers (Original Broadway Cast) The Music Of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – In Four Contemporary Suites — Imogen Heap, producer; Imogen Heap, composer (Imogen Heap) Oklahoma! — Damon Daunno, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Ali Stroker, Mary Testa & Patrick Vaill, principal soloists; Daniel Kluger & Dean Sharenow, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (2019 Broadway Cast)
MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: The Lion King: The Songs — (Various Artists) Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood — (Various Artists) Rocketman — Taron Egerton Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse — (Various Artists) A Star Is Born — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
COMPOSING/ARRANGING
Best Instrumental Composition: “Begin Again” — Fred Hersch, composer (Fred Hersch & The WDR Big Band Conducted By Vince Mendoza) “Crucible For Crisis” — Brian Lynch, composer (Brian Lynch Big Band) “Love, A Beautiful Force” — Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra) “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite” — John Williams, composer (John Williams) “Walkin’ Funny” — Christian McBride, composer (Christian McBride)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: “Blue Skies” — Kris Bowers, arranger (Kris Bowers) “Hedwig’s Theme” — John Williams, arranger (Anne-Sophie Mutter & John Williams) “La Novena” — Emilio Solla, arranger (Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra) “Love, A Beautiful Force” — Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra) “Moon River” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: “All Night Long” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest) “Jolene” — Geoff Keezer, arranger (Sara Gazarek) “Marry Me A Little” — Cyrille Aimée & Diego Figueiredo, arrangers (Cyrille Aimée) “Over The Rainbow” — Vince Mendoza, arranger (Trisha Yearwood) “12 Little Spells (Thoracic Spine)” — Esperanza Spalding, arranger (Esperanza Spalding)
PACKAGE
Best Recording Package: Anónimas & Resilientes — Luisa María Arango, Carlos Dussan, Manuel García-Orozco & Juliana Jaramillo-Buenaventura, art directors (Voces Del Bullerengue) Chris Cornell — Barry Ament, Jeff Ament, Jeff Fura & Joe Spix, art directors (Chris Cornell) Hold That Tiger — Andrew Wong & Fongming Yang, art directors (The Muddy Basin Ramblers) i,i — Aaron Anderson & Eric Timothy Carlson, art directors (Bon Iver) Intellexual — Irwan Awalludin, art director (Intellexual)
NOTES
Best Album Notes: The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions — Judy Cantor-Navas, album notes writer (Various Artists) The Gospel According To Malaco — Robert Marovich, album notes writer (Various Artists) Pedal Steel + Four Corners — Brendan Greaves, album notes writer (Terry Allen And The Panhandle Mystery Band) Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection — Jeff Place, album notes writer (Pete Seeger) Stax ’68: A Memphis Story — Steve Greenberg, album notes writer (Various Artists)
CLASSICAL
Best Orchestral Performance: “Bruckner: Symphony No. 9” — Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) “Copland: Billy The Kid; Grohg” — Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Detroit Symphony Orchestra) “Norman: Sustain” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic) “Transatlantic” — Louis Langrée, conductor (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra) “Weinberg: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 21” — Mirga Gražinytė-tyla, conductor (City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Kremerata Baltica)
MUSIC VIDEO/FILM
Best Music Video: “We’ve Got To Try” — The Chemical Brothers, Ellie Fry, video director; Ninian Doff, video producer “This Land” — Gary Clark Jr., Savanah Leaf, video director; Alicia Martinez, video producer “Cellophane” — FKA twigs, Andrew Thomas Huang, video director; Alex Chamberlain, video producer “Old Town Road (Official Movie)” — Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus, Calmatic, video director; Candice Dragonas, Melissa Larsen & Saul Levitz, video producers “Glad He’s Gone” — Tove Lo, Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Natan Schottenfels, video producer
