Techno Blender
Digitally Yours.
Browsing Tag

Broadway Musical

‘Wicked’ Trailer Starring Ariana Grande Debuts During Super Bowl

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in the first trailer for Wicked, which his theaters this Thanksgiving After years of anticipation, the first trailer for Wicked starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday.  The film, adapted from the famous Broadway musical which is also based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is set in the universe of Oz before Dorothy arrives from Kansas. Glinda, known

‘Mean Girls’ Directors Defend TikTok-Heavy Movie: ‘Let the Kids Decide’

You might be familiar with Mean Girls on Broadway, most recently toplined by Sabrina Carpenter and Reneé Rapp, and you’ve almost definitely seen the 2004 movie, packed with more quotable moments than one can count. So, in the new movie musical Mean Girls, directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. had big shoes to fill.   To prepare for the Tina Fey-scripted, Lorne Michaels-produced film, the married directing duo headed to a high school in Ottawa, Canada, and learned from the pros: Gen Z theater kids. They…

‘Mean Girls’ Directors Defend TikTok-Heavy Movie: ‘Let the Kids Decide’

You might be familiar with Mean Girls on Broadway, most recently toplined by Sabrina Carpenter and Reneé Rapp, and you’ve almost definitely seen the 2004 movie, packed with more quotable moments than one can count. So, in the new movie musical Mean Girls, directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. had big shoes to fill.   To prepare for the Tina Fey-scripted, Lorne Michaels-produced film, the married directing duo headed to a high school in Ottawa, Canada, and learned from the pros: Gen Z theater kids. They…

Taraji P. Henson Is No Longer Settling

Taraji P. Henson is no stranger to hustle. Throughout college, she spent most post-class evenings singing, dancing, and waiting tables on a D.C. cruise ship and her early mornings as a receptionist at The Pentagon to help cover her Howard University tuition. Henson still wears many hats as the owner of the haircare line TPH by Taraji, the founder of the mental wellness nonprofit Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, and most recently as the brazen Shug Avery in the blockbuster musical The Color Purple.  “I just had my…

‘The Color Purple’ Director Isn’t Worried About the Golden Globes Snub

Blitz Bazawule could care less about The Color Purple’s recent award nominations. The film’s director isn’t worried about the movie-musical’s Best Picture snub at the Golden Globe or wowed by the musical’s five Critics Choice nominations and three mentions on the Oscars’ shortlist for its music. He understands the significance of such accolades, but says he prefers to focus on how viewers will receive the Broadway musical adaptation.  “I honestly do not pay attention to any of it,” Bazawule tells Rolling Stone, the…

Why Did Two Hall and Oates Musicals Mysteriously Fall Apart?

In the mid 2000s, Bob Garrett was invited backstage at a Daryl Hall and John Oates concert in Southern California. Garrett, whose credits include working on Broadway shows like The Color Purple and Sing! and writing songs recorded by Tina Turner, Heart and others, remembers how he and his creative partner at the time, Christian Taylor, were greeted. “Daryl said, ‘We’ve been waiting for you,’” Garrett recalls. “They really wanted to do a Broadway show.” That meeting would be the first of many steps in what has…

Betty Who on Playing Persephone in ‘Hadestown,’ Broadway Dreams

To fans of Betty Who, the queer Australian pop star is one of the music industry’s best-kept secrets — a whirlwind of Eighties pop and synth influences that can captivate festivals and intimate venues alike. Those closer to the singer and artist, who uses she/they pronouns, might be more familiar with their birth name, Jessica Newham, and the story of a classically trained cellist who decided the life of a pop star would simply be more fun. But even those best acquainted with Newham might have trouble recognizing the…

Ariana Grande’s boyfriend, Ethan Slater, rose to fame with his role as SpongeBob | Hollywood

Ethan Slater, who has worked alongside the "Positions" singer on wicked movies and is reportedly dating the star Ariana Grande, recently showcased an award-winning performance at The Broadway Musical. Ariana Grande X Ethan Slater(Jezebel) Slater also highlighted his dance performance as he sang "Best Day Ever," indulging the crowd with some fun-filled entertainment and earning him a Drama Desk Award for his act. He was cast along with Ariana Grande for the film adaptation of Wicked around December last year…