Show Announcements: Ephraim Sykes will star as Michael Jackson in "MJ" the musical at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre this summer; Martin McDonagh's "Hangmen" will play a limited engagement at Broadway's Golden Theatre this spring (read my review from Off-Broadway); "Tootsie" will close on January 5th (read my review), a national tour launches in October 2020, while Tony Award-winning Best Musical "Hadestown" recouped its $11.5M investment (read my review) after only six months; and on the West End, Imelda Staunton will star in a new production of "Hello, Dolly!" alongside Jenna Russell
Film Announcements: Dominic Cooke, who helmed the acclaimed 2017 production for the National Theatre, will direct a film adaption of Sondheim and Goldman's "Follies"; let the dream casting begin!
News: “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” “Hadestown,” “Beetlejuice”, and “Ain’t Too Proud” will perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, along with Billy Porter, Idina Menzel, Lea Michelle, and the Radio City Rockettes; a memorial service for legendary director and producer Hal Prince will be held at the Majestic Theatre on December 16th; The Drama Book Shop will reopen in a new location at 266 West 39th Street in 2020; Patti LuPone's theatrical archives will be housed at Columbia University's Rare Book & Manuscript Library; composer Marc Shaiman will write original music for the Broadway revival of "Plaza Suite"; Arifa Akbar will replace Michael Billington as The Guardian's chief theatre critic; Signature Theatre in Virginia will honor Carol Burnett with their 2020 Stephen Sondheim Award; and Ali Stroker, a Tony Award winner for "Oklahoma!" is on TIME's 100 Next list
Rumor: Antonio Banderas' Spanish-language production of "A Chorus Line" in Málaga might be headed to New York
Development: a "Jaws"-themed musical is in the works from the team behind "Bandstand", and a musical involving the Griswold Family from the "Vacation" franchise, called "Broadway Vacation", held a reading
Watch: highlights from "Evita" at New York City Center and the new trailer for "Cats"
Read: this piece by critic Jose Solís about the systemic racism he encounters in the theatre, this piece outlining Belgian auteur Ivo van Hove's changes to "West Side Story", and this piece about the economic impact of non-Broadway theatre in New York
RIP: Laurel Griggs, who performed over 1,000 performances in two Broadway shows, has died at age 13 from a massive asthma attack
