Michael Riedel
Latest Articles
Inside a storied Broadway legend’s life and his friend's tragic death
Bob Avian will never forget the moment Michael Bennett told him he had AIDS. The two had been friends since 1959, when they met as dancers on a tour of...
Writers strike back against New York Musical Festival
The New York Musical Festival was created to give new writers a start. So isn’t it “ironic,” says Josh Canfield, whose “Alive! The Zombie Musical” played NYMF last year, that...
Neil Diamond 'visibly moved' by Broadway bio musical
The show may stand out because of its writer — Anthony McCarten, who's up for a 2020 Oscar for his movie "The Two Popes."
Stephen Sondheim's in good 'Company' with Marianne Elliott
Stephen Sondheim has been a fan of director Marianne Elliott’s ever since he saw her production of “Saint Joan” in London at the National Theatre in 2007. Sondheim knows a...
'Hee Haw' gets closer to Broadway
Ready for my favorite “Hee Haw” joke? Q: What do you call a man who doesn’t believe in birth control? A: Daddy! Exactly six years ago, I was picking up...
'Hello, Dolly!' is a classic, but Jerry Herman loved 'La Cage aux Folles'
It’s been a week since the death, at 88, of Jerry Herman, whose scores to “Hello, Dolly!” and “Mame” defined the brassy, sassy sound of a musical comedy at the...
Don Imus was abrupt, harsh and a one-of-a-kind, fearless talent
If you tried too hard to be funny, Don Imus wouldn’t help you with fake laughter. If you tried to poke fun at him and he wasn’t in the mood,...
The theater legends we lost in 2019: From the creator of 'Annie' to Rhoda
The theater lost three giants in 2019: Hal Prince, Franco Zeffirelli and Carol Channing. Here, in their own words, are several other greats worth remembering. Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll, who...
How and why 'Beetlejuice' got evicted by its Broadway theater
Its weekly grosses were so low, the Shuberts exercised the stop clause.
Andrew Lloyd Webber talks 'Cats' movie starring Taylor Swift and Judi Dench
When Andrew Lloyd Webber read the screenplay for “Cats,” he knew something was missing: a song for Victoria, an abandoned cat who wasn’t in his stage musical. “She had no...
'Mrs. Doubtfire' musical producers dogged by 'Tootsie' Broadway failure
“Tootsie” flopped on Broadway. It’s a terrific show, but its early closing is scaring the hell out of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” another musical whose leading man is also a leading lady....
'The Inheritance' struggles at Broadway box office
It may not recoup its $9.5 million investment.
'Tootsie' was a Broadway flop because theater is fickle: insiders
"Tootsie” had everything going for it: great title, terrific reviews, star-making turn by Santino Fontana, snappy score by David Yazbek and a hilarious book by Robert Horn. And yet one...
Run if you want to see Ian McKellen on stage
The delightful Ian McKellen, who turned 80 this year, has a message for anybody who wants to see him on stage: “Run!” New Yorkers have that chance Tuesday at the...
'The Crown' couple heating up the stage in London
The buzziest show in London right now is “Lungs,” starring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Or, as they’re known in real life, Claire Foy and Matt Smith, the royal...
Eileen Atkins dishes on her fellow Dames, her #MeToo moment and more
Eileen Atkins is the only Dame of the English theater who hasn’t been invited to lunch with the Queen at Sandringham House. All the other Dames — Judi (Dench), Maggie...
Brian Cox used 'muscle memory' to tackle 'The Great Society' role
Brian Cox had no intention of tackling a meaty character like Lyndon Baines Johnson in Robert Schenkkan’s “The Great Society.” He'd moved away from big theater roles to focus on...
Cameron Crowe discusses making his new musical, 'Almost Famous'
Cameron Crowe ran into Elton John last year at a party thrown by David Geffen. “I hear you’re doing a musical version of ‘Almost Famous,’” John said. “I love Tom...
The real hitmaker behind Alan Menken's 'Little Shop of Horrors'
“Little Shop of Horrors” may be the most adorably creepy — and enduring — musical of all time. It opened in 1982 at the small WPA Theatre in Chelsea, then...
'Betrayal' stars Hiddleston, Cox dish on being total theater geeks
Who knew Loki and Daredevil are the biggest theater geeks in town? Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Charlie Cox (Daredevil) are starring in the spare — but scorching — revival of...