Lindsay Mendez’s Broadway Revival of “Merrily We Roll Along” Breaks House Record at Hudson Theater

Lindsay Mendez’s latest production is breaking records…

Broadway‘s starry Merrily We Roll Along revival, starring the 40-year-old Mexican American Broadway singer/actress, has reported another strong run of previews last week, grossing a hefty $1,471,644 and setting another house record at the Hudson Theatre.

Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll AlongThe Stephen SondheimGeorge Furth musical starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Mendez topped the venue’s previous seven-performance record of $1,431,543, held by David Byrne’s American Utopia.

Merrily We Roll Along was the only show on the boards officially filling all its seats for the week ending October 1.

Hamilton was a virtual sell out, with 99.7% of seats filled (and a gross of $1,776,084), and The Lion King was at 99.4% of capacity at the Minskoff (grossing $1,923,263, even with a TDF reduced-rate Sensory Friendly matinee on October 1).

Two productions opened last week: Purlie Victorious, grossing $358,336 at the Music Box, and Melissa Etheridge: My Window taking $179,113 at Circle in the Square. Press and opening night comps no doubt took a bite into receipts.

In all, the 26 Broadway productions took in $23,116,749 for the week, a small 3% increase over the previous week. Attendance for the week held steady at 199,458. Average ticket price was $115.90.

Season to date, Broadway has grossed $543,413,435 with total attendance of 4,477,657 at 88% of capacity.

All figures courtesy of The Broadway League.

Mario Lopez to Appear During This Year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Mario Lopez has firmed up his Thanksgiving plans…

The 49-year-old Mexican American actor and television personality will appear during this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Mario LopezLopez, who currently serves as the host of Access Hollywood, will appear alongside his family during the parade.

The parade will also include the traditional line-up of Broadway performances, with Lea Michele and the cast of Funny Girl scheduled to participate, Macy’s has announced.

The Broadway productions listed in the performance line-up this year, in addition to Funny Girl, are Disney’s long-running The Lion King, as well as new Broadway arrivals A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical, and Some Like It Hot, the musical adaptation of the 1959 classic film comedy.

Other entertainers included in this year’s parade are Paula Abdul; Carlos PenaVega and his Big Time Rush mates; Cam; Jordan DavisBlue’s Clues & Youhost Josh Dela Cruz; Gloria, Sasha and Emily Estefan; Jimmy Fallon & The Roots; Fitz and the Tantrums; Kirk Franklin; Ziggy Marley; Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street; Sean Paul; the cast of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); the Radio City Rockettes; Joss Stone; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue; Jordin Sparks; Dionne Warwick; and Betty Who.

The annual New York event airs live on NBC and Peacock Thanksgiving Thursday, November 24 at 9:00 am in all time zones.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Encanto” Soundtrack Reaches Fifth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 

It’s an enchanting five for Lin-Manuel Miranda

Walt Disney Records’ Encanto soundtrack, containing eight original songs written by the 42-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning star and produced by Mike Elizondo, spends its fifth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the soundtrack with the most weeks atop the chart since Disney’s own Frozen ruled for 13 nonconsecutive weeks in 2014.

Encanto

With their totals at No. 1 (so far), Frozen and Encanto boast the most, and second-most, weeks at No. 1, respectively, among soundtracks in the 21st century.

Encanto earned 110,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending February 10 (down 2%), according to MRC Data.

Of Encanto’s 110,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 91,000 (down 3%, equaling 134.82 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 17,000 (up 5%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 28%).

Encanto continues to be powered largely by streaming activity for its songs, including its five top 40-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (which spent its second week atop the February 12-dated chart), “Surface Pressure,” “The Family Madrigal,” “What Else Can I Do?” and the Academy Award-nominated “Dos Oruguitas.”

Notably, Encanto is one of only six soundtracks to spend at least five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the last 30 years. Before Encanto, there was Frozen (13 weeks, 2014), Titanic (16, 1998), Waiting to Exhale (five, 1996), The Lion King (10, 1994-95) and the Whitney Houston-led The Bodyguard (20, 1992-93). (Before that, the last soundtrack with at least five weeks at No. 1 was Prince’s Batman in 1989, with six weeks at No. 1.) The soundtrack — and overall album — with the most weeks at No. 1 is West Side Story, with 54 weeks atop the list in 1962-63.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by MRC Data. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Tops Billboard’s Hot 100 Songwriters Chart for First Time in His Career

It’s a songwriting first for Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate tops Billboard’s Hot 100 Songwriters chart dated January 15, reigning as the top songwriter in the U.S. for the first time due to his work on six songs on the latest Billboard Hot 100, all from the new smash Disney animated film Encanto.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Leading his haul is “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which soars from No. 50 to No. 5 on the Hot 100, becoming just the fifth song from a Disney animated film to reach the top five.

It follows Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s “A Whole New World” from Aladdin (No. 1, one week, 1993); Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King (No. 4, 1994); Vanessa Williams’ “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas (No. 4, 1994); and Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go” from Frozen (No. 5, 2014).

The song also earns the Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner, among Miranda’s numerous other career honors, his first top 10 on the Hot 100 as a songwriter (or in any capacity).

Here’s a look at all six of Miranda’s writing credits on the current Hot 100. Notably, he is the only credited writer on all six entries.

Rank, Artist Billing, Title
No. 5 (new high), Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
No. 14 (new high), Jessica Darrow, “Surface Pressure”
No. 62 (debut), Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz & Encanto Cast, “The Family Madrigal”
No. 67 (debut), Diane Guerrero & Stephanie Beatriz, “What Else Can I Do?”
No. 82 (debut), Stephanie Beatriz, “Waiting on a Miracle”
No. 83 (debut), Sebastian Yatra, “Dos Oruguitas”

As four of the songs above debut on the latest Hot 100, Miranda has now written 13 Hot 100-charting hits. Prior to Encanto, he penned four Hot 100 entries from the Disney film Moana, two charity singles and a mash-up.

Here are all seven of Miranda’s Hot 100-charting songs, as a writer, outside of Encanto (ranked by peak position):

Peak Position, Artist Billing, Title (co-songwriters in addition to Lin-Manuel Miranda), Peak Year
No. 20, Lin-Manuel Miranda feat. Artists for Puerto Rico, “Almost Like Praying” (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim), 2017
No. 41, Auli’i Cravalho, “How Far I’ll Go,” 2017
No. 49, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt, “Found / Tonight” (Benj Pasek, Justin Paul), 2018
No. 56, Alessia Cara, “How Far I’ll Go,” 2017
No. 65, Dwayne Johnson, “You’re Welcome,” 2017
No. 72, Jennifer Lopez & Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Love Make the World Go Round” (Mike Molina, Melody Hernandez, John Mitchell, Nelson Kyle, Marcus Lomax, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Jennifer Lopez), 2016
No. 93, Opetaia Foa’i & Lin-Manuel Miranda, “We Know the Way” (Opetaia Foa’i), 2016

The soundtracks for Miranda’s projects also have successful histories on Billboard‘s charts, with Encanto surging to No. 1 on the latest Billboard 200, up 76% to 72,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week ending January 6, according to MRC Data.

Additionally, Miranda ties at No. 3 on the latest Hot 100 Producers chart with collaborator Mike Elizondo, as the pair co-produced all six Hot 100-charting Encanto hits.

The weekly Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Hot 100; plus, genre-based songwriter and producer charts follow the same methodology based on corresponding “Hot”-named genre charts. As with Billboard’s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings).

Disney’s “Encanto” Soundtrack, Featuring Songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rises to No. 1 on Billboard 200

Lin-Manuel Miranda has left America encantado

The soundtrack to the Walt Disney animated musical film Encanto, featuring songs written by the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, songwriter, singer, playwright, producer, and film director, has surged to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated January 15.

EncantoThe Encanto soundtrack jumps 7-1 in its sixth week on the list.

It’s the first soundtrack to hit No. 1 in more than two years – since Disney’s Frozen II chilled atop the list for one week, on the chart dated December 14, 2019.

Encanto earned 72,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Januaruy 6 (up 76%), according to MRC Data. Streaming activity of the set’s songs drove the majority of that unit sum.

Of Encanto’s 72,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending January 6, SEA units comprise 58,000 (up 91%; equaling 87.69 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 11,000 (up 33%) and TEA units comprise 3,000 (up 33%).

The album’s two most popular songs of the week, by SEA units, are “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure.” “Bruno” and “Surface” both debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated January 8 and should jump up the list dated January 15.

The Encanto soundtrack, with songs written by Miranda and scores by Germaine Franco, was released on Nov. 19, before the film arrived in U.S. theaters on November 24. The movie was released via the Disney+ streaming service a month later — which is likely helping the album’s exposure and promotion in the last two tracking weeks. A week ago, the album leaped 110-7 after its premiere on Disney+.

Encanto is just the sixth animated film soundtrack to hit No. 1 since the Billboard 200 began regularly publishing on a weekly basis in 1956. Encanto follows Frozen II (one week at No. 1, 2019), Frozen (13 weeks, 2014), Jack Johnson’s Curious George (one, 2006), Pocahontas (one, 1995) and The Lion King (10, 1994-95). (All but Curious George are Disney films.)

Christina Aguilera to Perform on ABC’s “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II” Special

Christina Aguilerais returning for more Disney family fun…

The 39-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer has been added to the roster of performers for this weekend’s The Disney Family Singalong: Volume IIthe ABC special airing on Mother’s Day.

Christina Aguilera

Aguilera, who was a member of The Mickey Mouse Club, appeared on the first edition of the Disney family singalong last month. She performed “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King.

This time around, Xtinawill perform Remember Me” alongside Miguel, who originally performed the track from Coco

In addition to Aguilera, other new additions include 

Katy PerryJohn LegendJennifer Hudson, the MuppetsTituss BurgessSabrina CarpenterLang Langand pros from Dancing with the Stars.

The special will air on Sunday, May 10, at 7:00 pm EDT.

Here’s the lineup for The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II,for which the Muppets will do a curtain-raiser and Burgess will provide a vocal warmup:

“A Whole New World” – Idina Menzel and Ben Platt
“Almost There” – Chloe x Halle and Anika Noni Rose
“Baby Mine” – Katy Perry
“Beauty and the Beast” – John Legend and Jennifer Hudson
“Hakuna Matata” – Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner feat. Donald Glover and Walter Russell III
“Part of Your World” – Halsey
“Poor Unfortunate Souls” – Rebel Wilson
“Remember Me” – Miguel feat. Christina Aguilera
“Step in Time” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” – Derek Hough, Julianne Hough and Hayley Erbert
“Try Everything” – Shakira
“When I Am Older” – Josh Gad
“You’ll Be in My Heart” – Disney on Broadway stars Merle Dandridge, Heather Headley, Adam Jacobs, Caissie Levy, Kara Lindsay, Kevin Massey and Josh Strickland
“Your Mother and Mine” – Sabrina Carpenter feat. Lang Lang
“Zero to Hero” – Keke Palmer feat. “Dancing with the Stars” Pros Lindsay Arnold, Alan Bersten, Witney Carson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Sasha Farber and Emma Slater

Adam Valdez to Receive One of Variety’s Artisan Awards

Adam Valdez is a true artisan

The Latino Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor will be one of the honorees at Variety’s sixth annual Artisans Awards, which celebrates those essential to the filmmaking process and who’ve exhibited the most exciting and innovative work of the year in their respective fields.

Adam Valdez

Valdezis being recognized for his work on Disney’s The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau. Valdez, along with Rob Legato, serves as the film’s visual effect supervisor. 

Previously, he has worked on the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. And he nabbed an Oscar for his work on Jungle Book, also directed by Favreau.

The tribute evening will take place during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday, January 19 at the Lobero Theatreand will be moderated by Variety’s senior VP and awards editor, Tim Grayand Variety’s artisan editor Jazz Tangcay.

The 35th Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs from January 15 through January 25.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Group Mates Release Cover of “The Lion King” Classic

Kirstin Maldonado is feelin’ the love…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members have released their latest track, a timely cover of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from The Lion King.

Pentatonix

In typical Pentatonix fashion, the Texas a capella group have added their own spin on the classic, making it slightly more upbeat, showing off their powerhouse vocals and even adding a key change towards the end.  

Pentatonixis currently on tour and will make their next stop at Missouri’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatreon August 11. 

Listen to the epic cover and find remaining tour dates below.

8/11/2019 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Maryland Heights, MO
8/13/2019 – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, MO
8/14/2019 – Illinois State Fair – Springfield, IL
8/15/2019 – Ravinia Festival – Highland Park, IL
8/17/2019 – Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, IA
8/19/2019 – Brandon Amphitheater – Brandon, MS
8/20/2019 – Amphitheater at the Wharf – Orange Beach, AL
8/22/2019 – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater – Tuscaloosa, AL
8/24/2019 – Daily’s Place – Jacksonville, FL
8/26/2019 – Merriweather Post Pavillion – Columbia, MD
8/27/2019 – Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) – Canandaigua, NY
8/29/2019 – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
8/31/2019 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel, NY
9/1/2019 – Canfield Fair – Canfield, OH

Carlos Rivera to Voice Simba in Spanish-Dubbed Version of Disney’s “The Lion King”

Carlos Rivera is the head of the pride…

The 33-year-old Mexican singer/actor is set to voice the character of Simba in the Spanish-dubbed version of Disney’s computer-animated remake of the 1994 classic movie, The Lion King.

Carlos Rivera

Rivera, who rose to fame by becoming the winner of the third generation of La Academia, will be heard in the Spanish-dubbed version of the film in Latin America.

 “The Lion King returns to surprise my life, it is my beautiful ‘Endless Cycle,’” wrote Rivera on social media. 

This isn’t the first time Rivera has channeled his inner Simba. In 2011, he portrayed the beloved lion character in a musical of the same name. 

“My dream was to play Simba in The Lion King. It was one of my good choices in life,” Rivera previously told Billboard. “It made me learn English, in case I was ever offered the role in English. Doing musical theater helped me a lot. I knew it would generate credibility and respect. There’s no cut-and-paste there.”

Rivera also starred in the Beauty and the Beast musical, the first major Broadway-like production produced by Disney in Mexico and formed part of the soundtrack for Disney’s Coco with his heartwarming track “Recuerdame.”

Donald Glover is the voice of Simba in the English version of the film, which will be released on July 19.

Pedro Pascal to Star in Disney+’s Live-Action Star Wars Series “The Mandalorian”

May the Force be with Pedro Pascal

The 43-year-old Chilean actor is joining the Jedi universe, portraying the title character in The Mandalorian, the live-action Star Wars series that will be a flagship program for Disney+, the ambitious streaming service launching in 2019.

Pedro Pascal

Pascal is in final negotiations to star in the series, which chronicles the lone-wolf odyssey of a character who hails from the planet Mandalore, which Star Wars fans know as the homeworld of the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett and Jango Fett.

Pascal memorably portrayed the passionate warrior Oberyn Martell, aka the Red Viper, on the fourth season of the HBO series Game of ThronesHe also played DEA agent Javier Peña on three seasons of Narcos, when the Netflix series centered on the cocaine cartels of Colombia. Pascal also played Agent Whiskey in the Foxfeature film Kingsmen: The Golden Circle in 2017.

The Mandalorian is written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, the director of Jungle BookIron Man as well as the upcoming reinterpretation of The Lion King. Favreau’s official description of the show: “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”

The events depicted in the series are set after the events of Return of the Jedi, which concluded with the fiery funeral of Darth Vader on the forest moon of Endor.

The first episode of the series will be directed by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Also on board to direct early episodes are Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones) and actress Bryce Dallas Howard, whose previous directorial work has been limited to short films.