WICKED’s Eden Espinosa and HAIRSPRAY’s Kamilah Marshall tease return of popular pandemic GAME NIGHT series.

IT’S ICONIC!! Broadway powerhouses Eden Espinosa and Kamilah Marshall are teasing a possible exciting new project coming tomorrow on Broadstream. Fans of the dynamic duo are already predicting its the return of their popular GAME NIGHT web series. Tune in tomorrow to find out what it is.
For those who may now know, real life BFF’s Espinosa and Marshall (alumnis of the Broadway production of Rent & many of the hottest tickets on the Great Bright Way) teamed up with Musical Theatre West during lockdown as they competed against each other in a series of various Musical Theater Themed Trivia Games on Instagram Live every Thursday night. Each week featured various games including….
PICTIONARY,
NAME THAT TUNE,
CELEBRITY,
THE WHISPER GAME (which notably Espinosa and Marshall ended up creating the official nickname for Game Night…. BAIDA),
FIRST LETTER, LAST LETTER,
and more.
Along with the viewers getting involved and interacting during the Lives, GAME NIGHT also features a hilarious drinking game. Before they actually start playing, Espinosa & Marshall would also choose a random “word of the day” (several words in previous episodes include HURRY, DRAW, PERSON, JOY, or EASY). Everytime one of them says that chosen word while playing their games, you better DRINK FOR YOUR LIFE. Also in the comment section, you would share an emoji to let them know you’re drinking.
GAME NIGHT ended on Instagram September 2020 due to news of rules, regulations, and restrictions getting changed to Instagram with copyrights laws for the use of popular music on daily lives. The final 3 episodes were done as a full interactive edition on ZOOM.
Who is excited for Eden and Kamilah’s announcement?!!!

NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: # 10 – RENT

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See the source image
HOW’S IT GOING BROADWAY FANS?! The celebration of Live Theater’s return continues. We are only 10 DAYS till Broadway’s biggest Night of the year – The 74th Annual Tony Awards. This is the moment we are about to reach our TOP 10 portion of our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. We have an incredible lineup of legendary performances from previous telecasts in this lineup.
At # 10 on our countdown, we take you downtown to New York City’s bohemian lifestyle in the Alphabet City part of the East Village filled with struggling artists, drag queens, drug dealers, and people dying from serious diseases including HIV/AIDS in the late 80’s. This is Rent. An updated version of Puccini’s opera La Boheme, the show features a score and book by the late Jonathan Larson along with Billy Aronson.
From the 1996 telecast, here is the original Broadway cast performing a medley of 2 of the show’s anthems SEASONS OF LOVE & LA VIE BOHEME.
RENT was first conceived in the 80’s when a young aspiring composer by the name of Jonathan Larson met up with writer Billy Aronson who wanted to create an updated version of Puccini’s opera LA BOHEME set in present day New York City. Originally the story was set in SoHo but Larson knew that the show should be set in the area he was living at the time… New York’s East Village in the gritty area at the time of Bohemian Alphabet City. They began working on the project with Jonathan helping him out doing most of the work. From there, Larson and Aronson made a deal that if the show becomes a massive hit, Aronson would also share some of the credit. From there, Jonathan went to work on the show for many years while still working as a waiter at the Moondance Diner in SoHO. Larson was inspired by what was happening including his friends dying from serious conditions including AIDS which no one knew about at the time. He recorded many hours of cassette tapes and sent them out to numerous Theaters. Some approved and several rejected it. However his life changed when he came across a new Off Broadway house that just moved into the village at the time…. the New York Theatre Workshop. He got more information about the place before sending his demos to Jim Nicola (the artistic director) who replied really fast and accepted the piece. Nicola decided to give this new original rock musical a try. It went through many years of readings, workshops, and revamping before officially planning to launch a full scale production in 1996. Under the direction of Michael Grief, the team went to work on making the show a reality on stage.
Unfortunately for RENT’s road to the stage was very bittersweet and Jonathan Larson never lived to see RENT in it’s worldwide success. In the wee hours of the show’s first public preview performance at the New York Theatre Workshop, he unexpectedly died of an aortic aneurysm. Due to the emotional loss of their friend, the cast and creative team came together and decided to cancel the first preview to the public and instead invited all of Jonathan’s friends and family for a special memorial edition of the show. At the end of the show, there was a moment of silence and what broke it was a person in the audience cried out THANK YOU JONATHAN LARSON before erupting into a standing ovation.
RENT originally premiered downtown in a sold out run at the New York Theatre Workshop the next day before transferring to Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre playing a total of 5,124 performances. Under the direction of Michael Grief, the original cast featured…
Tony nominee Adam Pascal as “Roger”,
Anthony Rapp as “Mark”,
Tony nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega as “Mimi”,
Taye Diggs as “Benny”,
Jesse L Martin as “Tom Collins,
Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia as “Angel”,
Freddi Walker Browne as “Joanne”,
and
Tony winner Idina Menzel as “Maureen”.
The show went on to win 4 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score (for Jonathan Larson received by his sister Julie Larson). It also became one of the few musicals ever to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The show also brought more younger Theatergoers into the world of Theater. It also went on to play on 6 continents and translated into every major language.
Rent was later revamped as an Off Broadway revival in 2011 playing New World Stages for only 482 performances. The original revival cast featured…
Matt Shingledecker as “Roger”,
Adam Chanler-Berat as “Mark”,
Arianda Fernandez as “Mimi”,
Ephraim M. Sykes as “Benny”,
Nicholas Christopher as “Tom Collins”,
MJ Rodriguez as “Angel”,
Corbin Reid as “Joanne”,
and
Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford as “Maureen”.
Along with its success on stage, RENT became a massive hit on screen 3 times. The original film was released in 2005 featuring members of the original Broadway cast and new newbies consisting of…
Tony nominee Adam Pascal as “Roger”,
Anthony Rapp as “Mark”,
Rosario Dawson as “Mimi”,
Taye Diggs as “Benny”,
Jesse L Martin as “Tom Collins,
Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia as “Angel”,
Tracie Thoms as “Joanne”,
and Tony winner Idina Menzel as “Maureen”.
In 2008, the original production was filmed during his historical final Broadway performances. It was released for a limited engagement and later released on DVD. The filmed performance consisted of…
Will Chase as “Roger”,
Adam Kantor as “Mark”,
Tony winner Renée Elise Goldsberry as “Mimi”,
Original Ensemble member Rodney Hicks as “Benny”,
Michael McElroy as “Tom Collins,
Justin Johnston as “Angel”,
Tracie Thoms reprising her role from the film as “Joanne”,
and
Eden Espinosa as “Maureen”.
Most recently in 2019, a new generation got to experience RENT like never before as a live televised musical event for FOX. The cast featured…
Brennin Hunt as “Roger”,
Jordan Fisher as “Mark”,
Tinashe as “Mimi”,
Mario as “Benny”,
Brandon Victor Dixon as “Tom Collins”,
Valentina as “Angel”,
Kiersey Clemons as “Joanne”,
and
Vanessa Hudgens as “Maureen”.
FUN FACT: 90% of FOX’s RENT LIVE was actually pre-tapped. During the dress rehearsal, Brennin Hunt injured his foot during the end of WHAT YOU OWN. Despite his injury, the show still went on. However luckily the crew were prepared and used the archival dress rehearsal footage for most of the airing. During the actually technically live, the cast performed the 90% as a concert with Hunt in a wheelchair. The only parts where the show went live on the air was the entire final scene of the show and the encore of SEASONS OF LOVE (featuring the live TV production cast performing alongside the original Broadway cast). However, it received so much criticism from viewers and critics saying they should have used an understudy.
In addition, RENT opened the door for many of Broadway’s current acclaimed Tony Award winning and nominated writers including…
and
Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal and If/Then).
Today, RENT is still performed on tour across America, in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
If you want to learn more about RENT and it’s road to Broadway. Be sure to join us on our INSPIRATION OF RENT WALKING TOUR where we’ll take you to some of the key locations in the East Village where Jonathan got RENT on its feet as well as places he was inspired by that he wrote about for the show.
Doesn’t this musical make you want to celebrate life?

RENT | 1996 Tony Awards Performance – YouTube

Broadway favorite Eden Espinosa to perform in Las Vegas this Summer, Concert to be Livestreamed!!

Eden Espinosa
BREAKING NEWS: Following a triumphant engagement at The Green Room 42, Broadway favorite Eden Espinosa (WICKED, Brooklyn, Rent, Tangled, Falsettos, and the upcoming Lempicka) is bringing her critically acclaimed UNPLUGGED & UNPLANNED cabaret act to the Las Vegas strip this Summer. The powerhouse is set to play The Space LV on August 7th, 2021 at 8pm.
In addition for those who can’t make it to Vegas, you do NOT have to worry. The concert will also be LIVESTREAMED via The Space LV websites.
Tickets for both to be there in person or to watch it online is available now!!!
In case anyone may not know, Espinosa’s UNPLUGGED & UNPLANNED is stripped down acoustic solo concert. Accompanied by acoustic guitar, piano, and light percussion, It features a full diverse selection of Musical Theater and Pop/Rock favorites. You can expect to hear songs from Eden Espinosa’s unbelievable career from Broadway, Film/TV, and songs from her 2 acclaimed solo albums LOOK AROUND and REVELATION. It also features a Broadway Request selection where Espinosa will pull out Musical Theater songs out of a hat (based on suggestions from the audience).
Don’t miss this THRILLIFYING powerhouse!!!
Who is excited?!!!

Broadway Throwback: Tony winner Idina Menzel’s debut album

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2021 marks a huge year for Tony Award winning powerhouse Idina Menzel. Last month, she celebrated her 50th Birthday & the 25th Anniversary of the professional gig that started it all….. her Broadway debut in Rent. What an unforgettable legacy she has left within those past 25 years. We all love her success on stage and on screen. However, Menzel’s also had an amazing career as a Pop star releasing 8 solo albums. Get ready for a THRILLIFYING rare seen performance like no other…. during the early era before her career even skyrocketed as a global phenomenon with WICKED, Glee, and of course Frozen. Here is the music video of her debut single MINUET from her 1998 cult smash hit album STILL I CAN’T BE STILL.
The music video itself for MINUET is soooooooo hot!!!! It features Menzel in an old Volkswagen van driving through an automatic car wash. It also features an appearance by her fellow RENT co-star and now ex-husband Taye Diggs.
In case anyone may not know the story, Menzel’s journey to becoming a solo artist began back while she was performing in her Tony nominated breakout Broadway debut as the original “Maureen” in Rent. While doing the show 8 times a week, she got offered a record deal with Hollywood Records. After departing RENT in 1997, Menzel went straight to work on the album. Recorded in upstate New York, she worked with some incredible musical talents, geniuses, and creators. It was produced by Milton Davis. All the songs together were written by Menzel and Davis.
STILL I CAN’T BE STILL was released on September 13th, 1998. MINUET became the only single from the album reaching #48 on Radio & Records’ CHR/Pop tracks chart. To promote the album, Idina did various performances including in-store events, singing at the Lilith Fair Music Festival, and went on tour serving as the Opening Act for Francis Dunnery. The album sadly failed to top the charts, sold less than 10,000 copies, and Menzel was dropped from Hollywood Records. The label put the album out of print.
For Menzel, she went to a moment of obscurity but still had the courage, passion, and drive to write music. She and Milton Davis continued working together for a 2nd album done independently.
However, when Idina’s career took off with her Tony winning performance as “Elphaba” in WICKED, her expanded fanbase (known as THE FANZELS) began demanding to re-release STILL I CAN’T BE STILL. Thanks to them, it was re-released in September 2005.
Today, STILL I CAN’T BE STILL is still available to download digitally. There are also physical copies on Amazon.com as well.
Today, Menzel has continued to perform songs from that debut album in her ongoing solo concerts around the world.
As of March 2018, STILL I CAN’T BE STILL has sold over 18,000 copies.
How amazing is this video?
Anyone have that original debut album of Idina’s?!!!

RENT – 1996 Tony Awards performance


GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS! Can you believe we are just 3 DAYS AWAY till 73rd Annual Tony Awards and our TOP 40 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN continues. We got more of the greatest musical performances from Broadway's biggest night coming your way right now. Here comes another big number.

At # 3 on our countdown, we take you to down to New York City's bohemian lifestyle in the Alphabet City part of the East Village filled with struggling artists, drag queens, drug dealers, and people dying from serious diseases including HIV/AIDS in the late 80's. This is RENT. An updated version of Puccini's opera La Boheme, the show features a score and book by the late Jonathan Larson along with Billy Aronson.

From the 1996 telecast, the original Broadway cast perform a medley of 2 of the show's anthems SEASONS OF LOVE & LA VIE BOHEME.

RENT was first conceived in the 80's when a young aspiring composer by the name of Jonathan Larson met up with writer Billy Aronson who wanted to create an updated version of Puccini's opera LA BOHEME set in present day New York City. Originally the story was set in SoHo but Larson knew that the show should be set in the area he was living at the time… New York's East Village in the gritty area at the time of Bohemian's Alphabet City. They began working on the project with Jonathan helping him out doing most of the work. From there, Larson and Aronson made a deal that if the show becomes a massive hit, Aronson would also share some of the credit. From there, Jonathan went to work on the show for many years while still working as a waiter at the Moondance Diner in SoHO. Larson was inspired by what was happening including his friends dying from serious conditions including AIDS which no one knew about at the time. He recorded many hours of cassette tapes and sent it out to numerous Theaters. Some approved and several rejected it. However his life changed when he came across a new Off Broadway house that just moved into the village at the time…. the New York Theatre Workshop. He got more information about the place before sending his demos to Jim Nicola (the artistic director) who replied really fast and accepted the piece. Nicola decided to give this new original rock musical a try. It went through many years of readings, workshops, and revamping before officially planning to launch a full scale production in 1996. Under the direction of Michael Grief, the team went to work on making the show a reality on stage. Unfortunately for RENT's road to the stage was very bittersweet and Jonathan Larson never lived to see RENT in it's worldwide success. In the wee hours of the show's first public preview performance at the New York Theatre Workshop, he unexpectedly died of an aortic aneurysm. Due to the emotional loss of their friend, the cast and creative team came together and decided to cancel the first preview to the public and instead invited all of Jonathan's friends and family for a special memorial edition of the show. At the end of the show, there was a moment of silence and what broke it was a person in the audience cried out THANK YOU JONATHAN LARSON before erupting into a standing ovation.

RENT originally premiered downtown in a sold out run at the New York Theatre Workshop the next day before transferring to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre playing a total of 5,124 performances. Under the direction of Michael Grief, the original cast featured…

Tony nominee Adam Pascal as "Roger",
Anthony Rapp as "Mark",
Tony nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega as "Mimi",
Taye Diggs as "Benny",
Jesse L Martin as "Tom Collins,
Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia as "Angel",
Freddi Walker Browne as "Joanne",
and Tony winner Idina Menzel as "Maureen".

The show went on to win 4 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score (for Jonathan Larson received by his sister Julie Larson). It also became one of the few musicals ever to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The show also brought more younger Theatergoers into the world of Theater. It also went on to play on 6 continents and translated into every major language.

Rent was later revamped as an Off Broadway revival in 2011 playing New World Stages for only 482 performances. The original revival cast featured…

Matt Shingledecker as "Roger",
Adam Chanler-Berat as "Mark",
Arianda Fernandez as "Mimi",
Ephraim Sykes as "Benny",
Nicholas Christopher as "Tom Collins",
MJ Rodriguez as "Angel",
Corbin Reid as "Joanne",
and Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford as "Maureen".

Along with its success on stage, RENT became a massive hit on screen 3 times. The original film was released in 2005 featuring members of the original Broadway cast and new newbies consisting of…

Tony nominee Adam Pascal as "Roger",
Anthony Rapp as "Mark",
Rosario Dawson as "Mimi",
Taye Diggs as "Benny",
Jesse L Martin as "Tom Collins,
Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia as "Angel",
Tracie Thoms as "Joanne",
and Tony winner Idina Menzel as "Maureen".

Most recently in 2008, the original production was filmed during his historical final Broadway performances. It was released for a limited engagement and later released on DVD. The filmed performance consisted of…

Will Chase as "Roger",
Adam Kantor as "Mark",
Tony winner Ren?e Elise Goldsberry as "Mimi",
Original Ensemble member Rodney Hicks as "Benny",
Michael McElroy as "Tom Collins,
Justin Johnston as "Angel",
Tracie Thoms reprising her role from the film as "Joanne",
and Eden Espinosa as "Maureen".

Earlier this year, a new generation got to experience RENT like never before as a live televised musical event for FOX. The cast featured…

Brennin Hunt as "Roger",
Jordan Fisher as "Mark",
Tinashe as "Mimi",
Mario as "Benny",
Brandon Victor Dixon as "Tom Collins",
Valentina as "Angel",
Kiersey Clemons as "Joanne",
and Vanessa Hudgens as "Maureen".

FUN FACT: 90% of FOX's RENT LIVE was actually pre-tapped. During the dress rehearsal, Brennin Hunt injured his foot during the end of WHAT YOU OWN. Despite his injury, the show still went on. However luckily the crew were prepared and used the archival dress rehearsal footage for most of the airing. During the actually technically live, the cast performed the 90% as a concert with Hunt in a wheelchair. The only parts where the show went live on the air was the entire final scene of the show and the encore of SEASONS OF LOVE (featuring the live TV production cast performing alongside the original Broadway cast). However, it received so much critiscm from viewers and critics saying they should have used an understudy.

In addition, RENT opened the door for many of Broadway's current acclaimed Tony Award winning and nominated writers including…

Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights and Hamilton),

Pasek and Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, Greatest Showman, and La La Land),

and Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal and If/Then Musical).

Today, RENT is still performed on tour across America, in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.

If you want to learn more about RENT and it's road to Broadway. Be sure to join us on our INSIRATION OF RENT WALKING TOUR where we'll take you to some of the key locations win the East Village here Jonathan got RENT on it's feet as well as places he was inspired by that he wrote about for the show.

Doesn't this musical make you want to celebrate life?

#TonyAwards #CountdownToTheTonys #BroadwaysBiggestNight #NYBTTop40TonyAwardsCountdown #ThisIsBroadway



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