Almost There: The cast of "A Raisin in the Sun"

by Cláudio Alves

The 1950s and 60s marked a time when the Academy Awards loved few things more than prestigious stage play adaptations. This was particularly true of the acting categories, where dozens of such movies scored multiple nominations. Comparing the Tony nods with the Oscars' is to find many of the same roles, like Tennessee Williams' heroines, Eugene O'Neill's human wrecks, Clifford Odet's tragic characters, and Edward Albee's domestic demons. For a short period, the Tonys were even better precursors for an Oscar victory than the Golden Globes. Still, even these trends have exceptions and one of the saddest was the 1961 movie based on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun…

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Tveit Sings A "Moulin" Tune!

Chris here. Plenty of folks may be ho-hum about this year's Tony nominations and the past season in general, but the good news is that we have major Broadway events just ahead - namely the long awaited stage adaptation of Baz Luhrman's masterpiece Moulin Rouge!

Lucky folks in Boston will get to see its pre-Broadway tryout next month, but theatre lovers elsewhere just got the first sampling of what awaits us on stage.

An opulent music video of star Aaron Tveit singing the musical's signature ballad "Come What May" has arrived. While I'm not a much of a fan of Tveit's voice (sorry!), the video does quite a bit to assuage any doubts that the stage would be cheapening Luhrman's decadence and luxouriousness. Guys, the smoke and paper/rose set dressing and plushy simplicity is simply gorgeous!

Now all that awaits is a glimpse of Karen Olivo filling the very large shoes of Nicole Kidman as grand courtesan Satine - but we're fine with the wait if it makes her arrival half as iconic as Kidman's emergence onscreen. Theatre fans know what an event Olivo's eventual Broadway return will be (for the unawares: post West Side Story Tony win, Olivo left the profession and since has returned via regional theatre and the Chicago production of Hamilton). For now, we await the sparkling diamond. What do you think of Tveit's take?

They Found Someone: Stephanie J. Block to Play Cher

By Spencer Coile 

Renowned (and Tony nominated) for The Mystery of Edwin Drood and for "breaking down" in Falsettos,  and for playing Liza Minnelli in the Hugh Jackman musical The Boy From Oz, theater star Stephanie J. Block is about to add another iconic character to her repertoire: Cher. The Cher Show, which will be penned by Jersey Boys writer Rick Elice, will tell the story of pop singer and Academy Award winning actress throughout her career...

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First Look: London's "Angels In America"

Chris here

While we will be discussing Tony nominations in the morning, there's also some excitement going on across the pond: the first London revival of Angels in America. Any revisit to Tony Kushner's masterpiece merits our highest enthusiasms, so let's pore over the first photos of the National Theatre production!

That's Nathan Lane as Roy Cohn to your left, a casting choice that I still argue is somewhat strange. However if there's a few necessary things Lane brings to the table, it's 1) his towering stage presence in roles that could swallow lesser actors whole and 2) impeccable comic chops - in Kushner's own notes, the play dies if its humor gets ignored.

If nothing else, it should be a small thrill to see a legend try to stretch their range onstage.

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London "Angels In America" Revival Coming to Cinemas!

Chris here, reminding you about an important revival coming across the pond. Tony Kushner's beloved Angels in America is getting a new production in London this spring, with probable Hacksaw Ridge Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield. But wait - it's also coming to cinemas!

The National Theatre production will be broadcast this summer with Part 1 on July 20 and Part 2 on July 21.  Garfield will play Prior Walter, but he's not the only star power in the production. Joining him will be Russell Tovey and Nathan Lane as Joe Pitt and Roy Cohn, respectively. All of this casting feels slightly off for my Angels-obsessive mind, but that's not enough to diminish my excitement! Here's a first look at the cast, which also includes James McArdle and Denise Gough:

The National Theatre has had several productions shown in cinemas, such as War Horse and Helen Mirren in The Audience. Have you seen any broadcast theatre productions on the big screen?