Wake Up With BroadwayWorld December 9, 2025- Go Inside BUG with Carrie Coon and More

But first…

Are Worst Of Lists the Worst Of Cultural Criticism? It makes no matter that the year is not yet over and these are really December to November rundowns. The nation’s cultural critics either rush or are pushed to recap all they’ve seen or consumed in some fashion. Those who follow arts criticism and its dedicated purveyors aren’t necessarily surprised by these lists, since they well may be evident to readers with long memories.

Video: Darren Criss Discusses the ‘Joy’ of Returning to MAYBE HAPPY ENDING by Josh Sharpe Darren Criss is back on stage in the hit musical Maybe Happy Ending, once again starring in his Tony Award-winning role of Oliver. On Monday, he joined TODAY with Jenna & Friends to discuss returning to the show, winning a Tony, and more. Watch the interview now. . (more…)

Video: Ashley Park Covers Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ in New Clip of EMILY IN PARIS Season 5 by Josh Sharpe Watch Tony nominee Ashley Park perform Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song, ‘Espresso’, in character as Mindy Chen in a new clip from Season 5 of Emily in Paris.. (more…)

Video: Jason Gotay, Britney Coleman & More in Sacramento’s WHITE CHRISTMAS by Joshua Wright Get a first look at Broadway at Music Circus’ production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. The production stars Jason Gotay, Britney Coleman, Michael Starr, Keely Beirne, Nathaniel Stampley, Aniya Simone, Andrew Eckert, Gerry McIntyre, and Omari Tau, with Vicki Lewis. . (more…)

Photos: Carrie Coon and the Cast of BUG Meets the Press by Bruce Glikas Performances begin this month for the Broadway premiere of Bug, written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. The cast recently meet the press, check out photos here!. (more…)

Photos: Scott Elllis Receives Portrait at Sardi’s by Bruce Glikas Tony Award nominee and Interim Artistic Director of Roundabout Theatre Company, Scott Ellis, received his iconic caricature at Sardi’s on Thursday, December 4. Check out photos here.. (more…)

Photos: THE BFG is Now Playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre by Stephi Wild All new production photos have been released for The BFG, based on the novel by Roald Dahl and directed by RSC Co-Artistic Director, Daniel Evans. Check out the photos here!. (more…) Photos: Laura Osnes, Michael Crawford & More at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors by Josh Sharpe On Sunday, December 7, the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors took place in Washington, D.C., honoring Tony Award-winning performer Michael Crawford, actor/writer Sylvester Stallone, country music star George Strait, disco and gospel artist Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band KISS. Check out photos from the ceremony here.. (more…)

DEAR EVAN HANSEN Is Now Available to License Through MTI
by Nicole Rosky
Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) announced that the Tony®, Grammy® and Olivier Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen is now available for licensing. (more…)

Industry Pro Newsletter: Woolly Mammoth Announces New AD, RSC Faces ‘financial peril’
by Alex Freeman
This week’s stories highlight a theater landscape in motion, with notable leadership shifts, community celebrations, and major institutional changes shaping the field. Helen Shaw’s appointment as Chief Theater Critic at The New York Times marks a significant moment in arts journalism, while audiences worldwide engage with the newly opened voting for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards. Onstage, Broadway prepares for star-studded fundraising at Red Bucket Follies, and regional companies navigate both exciting transitions and unexpected setbacks. Internationally, major UK institutions confront financial challenges and ambitious renovations, reflecting a moment of both reckoning and renewal across the global arts community.. (more…)

Second Cycle of the Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions Launched
by Stephi Wild
The Terrence McNally Foundation and The Recovery Arts Project have announced the second cycle of the Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions. Learn more here!. (more…)

What Will The Neighbors Say? Awarded $15k By The New York State Council On The Arts
by Chloe Rabinowitz
What Will the Neighbors Say? received a grant award totaling $15k from the New York State Council on the Arts to support the arts and culture sector.. (more…)

New Theater Initiative to Bring Crowdsourced Trigger Warnings To Live Performance
by Chloe Rabinowitz
Nonprofit organization Hire Survivors and their Hire Survivors Broadway division have partnered with the FlashCue Project and Does the Dog Die to expand the crowdsourced trigger-warning platform.. (more…)  

Review Roundup: SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN at Royal Exchange Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz
Raz Shaw has returned to The Royal Exchange Theatre to stage SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, a musical that traces the shift from silent movies to ‘the talkies’, is full of wit, charm and famous song and dance routines. Read the reviews!. (more…)    

WICKED: FOR GOOD, BLUE MOON & More Receive 2026 Golden Globes Nominations – Full List
by Josh Sharpe
Wicked: For Good, Blue Moon, Hamnet, and more have been nominated for Golden Globes!. Check out the full list of nominees, which also includes Amanda Seyfried, Tessa Thompson, Sarah Snook, Carrie Coon, and more.. (more…)

Crystal Lucas-Perry, Grey Henson, and More Will Lead BIGFOOT! Off-Broadway
by Stephi Wild
Initial casting has been announced for the off-Broadway production of BIGFOOT!, the new musical comedy by Amber Ruffin, David A. Schmoll, and Kevin Sciretta. Learn more here!. (more…)

David Byrne Unveils 2026 North American Tour Dates

by Josh Sharpe

David Byrne recently wrapped up the first leg of his “Who Is The Sky” tour, celebrating the release of his new album of the same name. Now, he unveiled another run of North American dates which kick off April 4 in Vancouver.. (more…)

Kristin Chenoweth Returns to QUEEN OF VERSAILLES After Knee & Neck Injury

by Michael Major
Kristin Chenoweth returned to the Queen of Versailles on Sunday after injuring her knees and neck after a performance last week. She took to Instagram to share that she was returning to the show after Sherie Rene Scott had stepped in for her.. (more…)

Review: TINSELCOLOR: HOLIDAY SOUNDTRACKS LIVE at CineVita
by Melissa Heckscher
Backed by powerhouse vocals, infectious energy and a tent dripping with Old-Hollywood glamour, TINSELCOLOR makes even the most familiar Christmas tunes feel freshly magical.. (more…)

BroadwayWorld Introduces My Shows Curtain Call and New Merchandise Partnership
by BWW Staff
BroadwayWorld announced today that the My Shows platform has officially launched My Shows Curtain Call, a personalized year-end feature designed to celebrate each user’s year in theatre.. (more…)

Review: LAST DAYS, Royal Ballet And Opera
by Alexander Cohen
We still don’t know what Kurt Cobain did in the days before his suicide in 1994. Gus Van Sant offered one hallucinatory guess in Last Days, refashioned into opera by Oliver Leith and now revived at the Royal Ballet And Opera.. (more…)

Voting Open to Pick the Top 5 of Next On Stage: Season 6
by Team BWW
Voting is now open for BroadwayWorld’s Next On Stage, Broadway’s biggest national competition for high school and college students. Who’s ready to party? It’s The Great Gatsby week, so every song comes straight from the hit Broadway musical that has audiences cheering every night at the Broadway Theatre! Now starring Jeremy Jordan, it’s the biggest party on Broadway.. (more…)

The Muny Will Upgrade Seats and Improve Drainage in $9.5 Million Auditorium Overhaul
by Stephi Wild
The Muny will embark on an extensive overhaul of its nearly 11,000-seat auditorium at the end of the 2026 season, upgrading aging seats, replacing deteriorating concrete and improving stormwater drainage.. (more…)

Broadway Cast of & JULIET to Perform on THE VIEW This Week
by Josh Sharpe

On Tuesday, the Broadway cast of & Juliet will take the stage on The View for a special performance from the hit musical. Tune in to watch the performance, airing Tuesday, December 9, at 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT on . . (more…)

OPERATION MINCEMEAT to Partner With Cradle of Aviation Museum for Onsite Scavenger Hunt
by Chloe Rabinowitz
Operation Mincemeat will partner with the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island for an onsite scavenger hunt. The challenge: Find the letters on the briefcases throughout the galleries to unscramble the secret code word.. (more…)

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See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!