Daphne Rubin-Vega to Appear on Season 4 of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Daphne Rubin-Vega has landed a killer role…

The 54-year-old Panamanian-American actress, singer-songwriter, dancer and Broadway star has joined the star-studded cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Rubin-Vega is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Richard Kind, Catherine Cohen and Jin Ha.

They’ll appear in recurring roles.

Details regarding the new season’s plot and character descriptions remain under wraps.

But the new episodes will focus on unraveling the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Steve Martin) mind-bogglingly identical stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio: Charles, Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s killer.

New additions will also include Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Desmin Borges, Siena Werber and Lilian Rebelo, with Meryl Streep reprising the Season 3 role of Loretta Durkin.

In the Season 3 finale—following her highly praised performance in Oliver’s Broadway hit Death Rattle Dazzle— Loretta received two offers in productions that would require her to relocate to Los Angeles. Her new beau Oliver is into this idea as it would allow him to visit the City of Angels. Mabel’s new love interest Tobert (Jesse Williams) is also headed west, and surprisingly, she’s also keen on taking a little break from New York.

The Emmy-nominated comedy, produced by 20th Television, is co-created and co-written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Rubin-Vega earned a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of ‘Mimi’ in the original cast of Rent, and another for Anna in the Tropics. She was most recently seen starring in the Signature Theatre’s Night of the Iguana opposite Tim Daly and Lea DeLaria. She starred in the musical Miss You Like Hell at The Public Theatre and in the one-woman show Empanda Loca, which was written for her. She helped adapt the play into the scripted podcast, The Horror of Dolores Roach, which was then adapted into a TV series for Amazon.

Daphne Rubin-Vega to Guest Star in Vivienne Medrano’s Adult Animated Musical Comedy Series “Hazbin Hotel”

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Daphne Rubin-Vega is checking in to a new project…

The 54-year-old Panamanian-American actress, singer-songwriter, dancer and Broadway star will make a guest appearance in Vivienne Medrano’s adult animated musical comedy series Hazbin Hotel.

Rubin-Vega will portray Carmilla Carmine on the series.

Prime Video will premiere Hazbin Hotel on January 19, with episodes dropping exclusively on the streamer in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Created by Medrano, Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie, the princess of Hell, as she pursues her seemingly impossible goal of rehabilitating demons to peacefully reduce overpopulation in her kingdom. After a yearly extermination imposed by angels, she opens a hotel in the hopes that patrons will be “checking out” into Heaven. While most of Hell mocks her goal, her devoted partner Vaggie, and their first test subject, adult-film star Angel Dust, stick by her side. When a powerful entity known as the “Radio Demon” reaches out to assist Charlie in her endeavors, her crazy dream is given a chance to become a reality.

In addition to Rubin-Vega, best known for originating the roles of Mimi Marquez in the 1996 premiere of the Broadway musical Rent and Lucy in the 2007 premiere of the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating, other guest stars include Darren Criss (Saint Peter), Jeremy Jordan (Lucifer Morningstar), Patina Miller (Sera) and Jessica Vosk (Lute).

They join the previously announced main cast including Erika Henningsen, Stephanie Beatriz, Alex Brightman, Keith David, Kimiko Glenn, Blake Roman, Amir Talai, Christian Borle and Joel Perez.

The series will feature original music and lyrics from platinum-certified artist Sam Haft and Emmy-nominated Andrew Underberg.

Medrano serves as executive producer and directed all episodes.

Hazbin Hotel is produced by A24 and Fox Entertainment’s animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.

Eden Espinosa to Reprise Role on Broadway in Acclaimed Musical “Lempicka”

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Eden Espinosa is the (Lem)pick(a) the week…

The 45-year-old Mexican American Broadway actress and singer is starring as Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka in the Carson Kreitzer–Matt Gould Broadway musical Lempicka.

Espinosa originated the title role in critically acclaimed performances at Williamstown Theatre Festival and La Jolla Playhouse.

Lempicka will begin performances at Broadway‘s Longacre Theatre on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, ahead of an official opening night on Sunday, April 14, producers Seaview and Jenny Niederhoffer have announced.

Directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin and featuring choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Kreitzer, and book and music by Gould. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Tamara de Lempicka’s life spanned some of the most consequential eras in modern history,” said Chavkin in a statement, “and her deep and complex story is an ideal subject for exactly the kind of show I love to both see and create: one that is simultaneously intimate and epic.”

She continued, “I think Carson and Matt are visionary storytellers — Carson is an under-recognized leader in the new play field, known for exquisite sparseness and thematic density, and Matt is a wild heart whose music fuses contemporary vibes with classical musical theater…and simply makes your heart swell. How lucky for all of us to have this piece brought to life by a performer as dynamic and brilliant as Eden Espinosa.”

Best known for her Art Deco portraits and nudes, Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980) was born in Warsaw but spent most of her working life in France and the United States.

“When I first saw this show inspired by the life and times of Tamara de Lempicka, my great-grandmother, I got goosebumps and tears in my eyes,” said Marisa de Lempicka, President of Tamara de Lempicka Estate, LLC stated. “ The music, the story, the choreography, the set, and the incredibly talented cast, directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, were truly moving. We feel so happy and proud that Tamara’s art and life story keep inspiring new generations, almost one hundred years later, and that her resilience and iconic creativity are being portrayed in this extraordinary production.”

Lempicka had its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2018, drawing excellent reviews. From there the production played at La Jolla Playhouse in 2022.

The creative team for Lempicka includes Riccardo Hernández (scenic design), Paloma Young (costume design), Bradley King (lighting design), Peter Hylenski and Justin Stasiw (sound design), Peter Nigrini (projection design), Mia Neal (hair and wig design), Remy Kurs (music supervision), Charity Wicks (music direction), Cian McCarthy (orchestrations), and Peter Duchan (creative consultant).

Wagner Johnson Productions serves as Executive Producers.

Espinosa’s Broadway credits include ‘Elphaba’ in Wicked and ‘Maureen’ in the closing Broadway company of Rent. She currently stars in Michael John LaChuisa’s The Gardens of Anuncia at Lincoln Center.

Rosario Dawson to Help Reveal This Year’s SAG Awards Nominations

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rosario Dawson is helping with a big reveal…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist will team up with Vanessa Hudgens to announce this year’s SAG Awards nominations on Wednesday, January 12, at 10:00 am ET/7 am PT via Instagram Live.

This marks the second consecutive year the SAG nominations will be announced via Instagram Live as part of the @sagawards’ Instagram Stories.

With the Golden Globes mired in a diversity scandal, resulting in a non-telecast of the awards show on NBC, the SAG Awards this year reps the first big awards show to honor the best of actors and actresses in television and film for 2021.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher will give an introduction before the SAG nominations are revealed.

Nominations for the Outstanding Action Performances by Television and Film ensembles will follow, with announcements made by SAG Awards Committee members Jason George and Elizabeth McLaughlin.

The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT from The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Dawson recently starred in the Hulu series Dopesick, and stars next in the Disney+/Lucasfilm series Ahsoka as Ahsoka Tano and the HBO Max/DC series DMZ.

She’s filming Disney’s new Haunted Mansion movie with Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield and Danny DeVito.

Her feature credits include Harmony Korine’s Kids, Spike Lee’s He Got Game and The 25th Hour, as well as Alexander, Rent, Clerks II, Top Five, Trance, Unstoppable and Men in Black II, as well as the Sin City franchise.

For her performance in Seven Pounds, she won Best Actress in a Motion Picture Award at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards.

Netflix Releases Trailer for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Directorial Debut Film “tick, tick…BOOM!”

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is readying for a BOOM’in release…

Netflix has released the trailer, key art and the first single from the film’s official soundtrack entitled “30/90” for tick, tick…BOOM!, the film directed by the 41-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning talent behind the hit musicals Hamilton and In The Heights.

An adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical pre-Rent musical, the film stars Andrew Garfield as Larson.

Netflix’s tick, tick…BOOM! will premiere in theaters on November 12, 2021 and will hit streaming a week later on November 19th.

Garfield plays Jon, a young theater composer who’s waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. As described by Netflix: Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp), who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael (Robin de Jesús), who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security. Amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic, Jon feels the clock ticking and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have?

Larson, of course, would not live to see the success of his “next great American musical,” dying at age 35 on Januaruy 25, 1996, the morning of Rent’s first Off Broadway preview. The cause of death was an aortic aneurysm caused by undiagnosed Marfan’s Syndrome.

The film, which also stars Joshua Henry, MJ Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter, Judith Light and Vanessa Hudgens, will mark Miranda’s feature directorial debut.

In 2001, Miranda, then 21, was writing In The Heights when he attended an Off Broadway revival of tick, tick…BOOM! In 2014, Miranda, who would later say that Rent inspired him to begin writing musicals, portrayed Jon in a two-week Encores! production of tick, tick…BOOM!

tick, tick…BOOM!, with a screenplay by Steven Levenson based on Larson’s musical and choreography by Ryan Heffington.

The first single from the film’s official soundtrack entitled “30/90” is available here. Performed by Garfield and featuring additional vocals by Henry, Hudgens, Rodriguez, Shipp and de Jesús, the track is the lead offering from the full soundtrack of music written by Jonathan Larson as heard in the film

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

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

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 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.

Michaela Jaé (Mj) Rodriguez Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Michaela Jaé (Mj) Rodriguez has new representation…

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA).

Rodriguez, who was with Gersh, recently made history as the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy in any lead acting category for her role as house mother Blanca in the FX drama from Steven Canals and Ryan Murphy.

UTA will represent Rodriguez in all areas as she continues to grow her career in film, television, theater and music, among other mediums.

With Pose having wrapped its run earlier this year after three seasons, Rodriguez will next star opposite Maya Rudolph in Apple‘s comedy series Loot.

Her previous television credits include roles in Showtime‘s Nurse Jackie and Marvel‘s Netflix drama Luke Cage.

On the big screen, Rodriguez will next star in Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s feature adaptation of Jonathan Larson‘s Tick, Tick … Boom! She previously earned praise for her role in Saturday Church, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.

UTA will also help support Rodriguez as she expands her burgeoning music career. Rodriguez recently released a music video to accompany her debut single, “Something to Say,” the equality anthem she wrote with Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire, Neal Pogue and John Paris.

On stage, Rodriguez made her off-Broadway debut in the New World Stages production of Larson’s beloved Rent, playing the role of Angel. Her stage credits include the Encores! production of Runaways and portraying the lead role of Audrey in the Pasadena Playhouse’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Netflix Releases Trailer for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Feature Directorial Debut “tick, tick…BOOM!”

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is tickin’ ahead…

The first trailer has been released for tick, tick…BOOM!, directed by the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, director, producer, and playwright.

It’s a film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical pre-Rent musical.

Starring Andrew Garfield in the Larson-inspired lead role, Netflix’s tick, tick…BOOM! will hit the streaming service and theaters this fall.

Larson would not live to see the success of his “next great American musical,” dying at age 35 on January 25, 1996, the morning of Rent’s first Off Broadway preview. The cause of death was an aortic aneurysm caused by undiagnosed Marfan’s Syndrome.

The trailer begins with Garfield singing “Boho Days,” a song from the earliest incarnations of tick, tick…BOOM! It was the title song when Larson first performed the musical as a one-man show in 1990.

The film, which also stars Joshua Henry, MJ Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter, Judith Light and Vanessa Hudgens, will mark Miranda’s feature directorial debut.

In 2001, Miranda, then 21, was writing In The Heights when he attended an Off Broadway revival of tick, tick…BOOM! In 2014, Miranda, who would later say that Rent inspired him to begin writing musicals, portrayed Jon in a two-week Encores! production of tick, tick…BOOM!

The film adaptation of Miranda’s In The Heights, directed by Jon M. Chu, hit theaters and HBO Max today.

Robin de Jesus to Star in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Directorial Debut Project “tick, tick…BOOM!”

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Robin de Jesus’ career is in full boom…

The 35-year-oldPuerto Rican actor and Broadway star has joined the cast of tick, tick…BOOM!, the feature directorial debut project from Lin-Manuel Miranda.

de Jesus will star opposite Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Ship and Vanessa Hudgensin the Netflix adaptation based on the autobiographical Off-Broadwayshow written by the late Jonathan Larson.

The musical, written by Steven Levenson, is set in 1990 and will follow Jon (Garfield), an aspiring theater composer who waits tables in New York City while writing Superbia, which he hopes will be the great American musical that will finally give him his big career break. The young man is feeling pressure from his girlfriend Susan (Shipp), who is tired of continuing to put her life on hold for Jon’s career aspiration. Meanwhile, Jon’s best friend and roommate Michael has given up on his creative dream and has taken a high paying advertising job on Madison Avenue and is preparing to move out. As Jon approaches his 30th birthday, he is overcome with anxiety, wondering if his own impossible dream is worth the cost.

Miranda is producing with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Julie Ohof Imagine Entertainment. Julie Larson, sister of Rentcreator Jonathan, will serve as an executive producer along with Levenson and Celia Costas.

de Jesusearned a Tony Award nomination for his performance on Miranda’s In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles, and The Boys in the Band. He’s also starred in stage productions of Rentand Wicked.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” Musical Cast Recording Notches 100th Week on Billboard 200

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Make that a perfect 100 for Lin-Manuel Miranda…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, playright and actor’s original Broadway cast recording Hamilton: An American Musical notches its 100th consecutive week on the latest Billboard 200 albums chart (dated September 9).

The cast recording, which ranks at No. 24 o the list, also surpasses the total album sales of the original Broadway cast album to Rent.

In the latest tracking week (ending August 24), Hamilton sold another 7,000 copies, bringing its total sales to 1.285 million – slightly more than the 1.284 million of Rent (released in 1996).

Hamilton is now the sixth largest selling cast album of the Nielsen Music era (which started in 1991, when the company began electronically tracking music sales).

The top selling cast album in Nielsen Music’s history is the highlights edition of the original London cast recording of The Phantom of the Opera, with 4.97 million sold. (The complete recording of The Phantom of the Opera — which is tracked and charts separately — has sold 503,000 since 1991.)

The Phantom of the Opera (Highlights) is followed by the original Broadway cast recording of Wicked (2.7 million), the original cast recording of Mamma Mia! (1.72 million), the original Broadway cast recording of Les Miserables (1.66 million), the original Broadway cast recording of Jersey Boys (1.44 million) and Hamilton.

Further, Hamilton has sold 297,000 in 2017. It is one of only two cast albums to sell 100,000 copies this year; Dear Evan Hansen, at 116,000, is the other. Those totals also make 2017 the first calendar year since 2011 where two cast albums have cleared 100,000. That year, The Book of Mormon and Wicked respectively sold 182,000 and 133,000.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the week’s most popular albums based on their overall consumption. That overall unit figure combines pure album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the action on the latest Billboard 200 chart:

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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