All stories by Jessica Gelt on BroadwayStars

Friday, July 24, 2026

'It's not coming back': Oskar Eustis and L.A. theaters confront the end of the nonprofit movement by Jessica Gelt

Oskar Eustis, who's stepping down as the artistic director of New York's Public Theater in 2028, shook up the arts world with his comment that the American nonprofit theater movement was ove…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 03:50PM[SHARE]
Sunday, June 7, 2026

Tony Awards 2026: An upset win delivers the night's most political speech (with vampires as a metaphor) by Jessica Gelt

Ali Louis Bourzgui scored an upset win for performance by an actor in a featured role and went on to make a passionate speech in support of Palestine and immigrants — using vampires as a m…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 10:32PM[SHARE]

Tony Awards 2026: Three's a charm, John Lithgow, Laurie Metcalf achieve Tony trifectas by Jessica Gelt

John Lithgow won his third Tony Award for "Giant," while Laurie Metcalf took home her third statue for "Death of a Salesman" at the 2026 Tony Awards.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 09:31PM[SHARE]
Friday, May 29, 2026

Judge orders removal of Trump's name from Kennedy Center, halts closure by Jessica Gelt

A federal judge has ruled that President Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 03:52PM[SHARE]
Friday, March 6, 2026

Kennedy Center loses National Symphony Orchestra director to major L.A. performance center by Jessica Gelt

Jean Davidson, the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., is stepping down to take the top position at the Wallis Annenberg Center f…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 02:00PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 13, 2026

'Amadeus' at Pasadena Playhouse is a 'fever dream': Behind the scenes of the lavish show by Jessica Gelt

With its intricate set design, period costumes and array of delicate powdered wigs, 'Amadeus' might be Pasadena Playhouse's most lavish production yet.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 1, 2026

Trump says 'dilapidated' Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovations by Jessica Gelt

President Trump says he will move to close the Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 11:05PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Arcade Fire's Will Butler knows a thing or two about volatile bands. Cue 'Stereophonic' by Jessica Gelt

Former Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Will Butler appeared at Amoeba Music with the cast of the Broadway tour of 'Stereophonic.' Butler composed the music for the play, which follows the …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 10, 2025

The cure to Ben Platt's anxiety? The controlled chaos of performing by Jessica Gelt

Broadway superstar Ben Platt discusses returning to L.A. for a 10-day residency at the Ahmanson Theatre, sharing his marriage online but still maintaining boundaries, and the sources of his …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, December 9, 2025

A desert theater's comeback: Palm Springs historic treasure reopens after $34-million renovation by Jessica Gelt

Palm Springs' historic Plaza Theatre, which first opened in late 1936 with the world premiere of a Greta Garbo film, returns to the spotlight with help from Cynthia Erivo.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, November 17, 2025

Women's suffrage takes center stage as U.S. faces 'an assault on storytelling' by Jessica Gelt

Shaina Taub is a triple threat, having written the music, lyrics and book for 'Suffs,' a musical about the women's suffrage movement that's staging its L.A. premiere at the Pantages.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Sunday, November 2, 2025

Dodgers win electrifies LACMA's starry Art + Film gala with Cynthia Erivo, George Lucas, more by Jessica Gelt

At the glitzy LACMA Art + Film gala, guests including Cynthia Erivo, Hannah Einbinder, George Lucas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angela Bassett, Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford and Dustin Hoffman erupted …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 02:38PM[SHARE]
Monday, October 13, 2025

The 'Les Miz' you haven't seen: Behind the curtain on opening night at the Pantages by Jessica Gelt

We went backstage before curtain of the touring production of 'Les Misérables' at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Here's a look a the well-orchestrated chaos.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 7, 2025

'We have work to do': 'Jaja's African Hair Braiding' cast finds humor amid political turmoil by Jessica Gelt

The actors who play the sisterhood of stylists in 'Jaja's African Hair Braiding' sit down for a candid beauty-shop conversation in light of the show's L.A. premiere at Center Theatre Group's…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, September 8, 2025

Essay: 'Hamilton' on the big screen might be the most political film of the year by Jessica Gelt

You'd be hard-pressed to find any greater pop-culture rebuke of the anti-immigrant, anti-DEI messages promulgated by the Trump administration than in the big-screen spectacle of Lin-Manuel M…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 11:26AM[SHARE]

His son died in the Parkland shooting. He's fighting for gun reform onstage and with a controversial AI clone by Jessica Gelt

Manuel Oliver lost his son, Joaquin 'Guac' Oliver, in the Parkland school shooting. He's now bringing his gun-reform activism to the stage in a one-man show that's playing at Kirk Douglas Th…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 12, 2025

Downtown L.A. curfew update: City carves out exemptions for L.A. Opera and the Mark Taper Forum by Jessica Gelt

Los Angeles will allow ticket holders for Center Theatre Group's 'Hamlet,' L.A. Opera's 'Rigoletto' and others to stay out past Mayor Bass' curfew; the Broad museum plans to close this weeke…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 07:08PM[SHARE]

Pasadena Playhouse wades into the vaccine debate with 2025-26 season led by Tony winner 'Eureka Day' by Jessica Gelt

Pasadena Playhouse artistic director Danny Feldman announces a lineup that includes the comedy 'Eureka Day,' a fresh take on 'Brigadoon,' Peter Shaffer's 'Amadeus' and the hip-hop musical 'M…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 12:10PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Protests and curfew cancel L.A. Phil and 'Hamlet' as arts groups' losses mount by Jessica Gelt

L.A. Opera lets patrons exchange tickets, MOCA and the Broad curtail hours, Center Theatre Groups tabulates revenue losses from cancellations. How L.A. arts groups have been affected by the …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:30PM[SHARE]
Friday, May 16, 2025

'A Doll's House, Part 2' at Pasadena Playhouse: A woman walks out on her husband and child, and then ... by Jessica Gelt

'Twilight' actor Elizabeth Reaser and 'Ozark' actor Jason Butler Harner star as Nora and Torvald, picking up where Ibsen left off in Lucas Hnath's Tony-nominated play 'A Doll's House, Part 2…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 10:01PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 6, 2025

UCLA, LACO, South Coast Rep: How Trump's NEA cuts are hitting home by Jessica Gelt

National Endowment for the Arts, facing an existential threat from President Trump, cancels grants for L.A. Theatre Works, L.A. Chamber Orchestra and other groups " some of which already spe…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 08:10PM[SHARE]
Friday, March 21, 2025

Kennedy Center contract employee strips nude in protest video and is promptly fired by Jessica Gelt

Kennedy Center contract employee Tavish Forsyth, troubled by President Trump's takeover of the national arts institution, strips naked and delivers a 35-minute protest poem suggesting that a…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 08:54AM[SHARE]
Monday, March 10, 2025

New LACMA building to get three outdoor artworks to join 'Urban Light' and the Rock by Jessica Gelt

The L.A. County Museum of Art announces three commissions for large-scale outdoor art around its new David Geffen Galleries, including one work that could end up being a civic landmark like …

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 08:08AM[SHARE]
Friday, March 7, 2025

'Gracias Gustavo': Details of the L.A. Phil's plans for Dudamel's final season by Jessica Gelt

A golden era at the Los Angeles Philharmonic approaches its end as the organization announces its final season under Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel before he departs for the New…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 07:50AM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 22, 2025

Kennedy Center says J6 Prison Choir is not a 'confirmed event,' despite what Steve Bannon says by Jessica Gelt

The Kennedy Center downplays CPAC comments from longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon that a choir composed of Jan. 6 rioters will perform at the Kennedy Center.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 09:36AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 13, 2025

New Kennedy Center board makes Trump chairman, prompting Shonda Rhimes and others to resign by Jessica Gelt

A new board of Trump allies makes him chairman of the Kennedy Center and fires the arts organization's longtime leader, Deborah Rutter.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 08:03AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 9, 2025

Trump to make himself chair of the Kennedy Center, says he'll dismiss board members by Jessica Gelt

President Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint himself chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The org says it has 'received no official communications' about…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 10:59PM[SHARE]
Sunday, January 12, 2025

The architecturally significant houses destroyed in L.A.'s fires by Jessica Gelt

Historic landmarks by the likes of Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey and a noted Midcentury retreat by architect Ray Kappe have been lost. Here's our residential architecture list, to be updated reg…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 09:35AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Rainn Wilson and Aasif Mandvi are waiting for 'Godot' at Geffen Playhouse by Jessica Gelt

It's not often that two major stars of the small screen appear together onstage in one of the 20th century's most significant works of modernist drama. But that's just what's happened as Aas…

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 01:47PM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 13, 2024

How to watch the 2024 Tony Awards by Jessica Gelt

Here's how you can watch, and stream, the 2024 Tony Awards on Sunday " all three hours of it.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 12:58PM[SHARE]
Thursday, May 16, 2024

A year after its Tony boost, Pasadena Playhouse unveils 2024-25 season by Jessica Gelt

A year after winning the Regional Theatre Tony Award, Pasadena Playhouse unveils its 2024-25 season and readies to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its historic building.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times at 06:00AM[SHARE]

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