All stories by William Earl on BroadwayStars

Friday, August 29, 2025

Metallica Shreds Tiny Hamptons Show for David Zaslav, Sylvester Stallone and Dozens of Die-Hard Fans: Concert Review by William Earl

The Hamptons was faced with culture shock on Thursday night when some of Metallica's most faithful fans descended upon the upscale vacation spot for an intimate, invite-only show to see the …

SOURCE: Variety at 02:29PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 27, 2025

'Joe Bob's Splatterween,' 200th 'Last Drive-In' Episode, Sets Shudder Date, GWAR Performance; Briggs Reflects on Devoted Fans and Favorite E by William Earl

Joe Bob Briggs is celebrating a scary impressive milestone. The iconic cult movie host has set the 200th episode of his Shudder series "The Last Drive-In," which will be a Halloween extravag…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Jacob Elordi and Oscar Issac on Netflix's $120 Million 'Frankenstein' Gamble: 10 Hours in Makeup, a Monster With Daddy Issues and Why It's Not by William Earl

Jacob Elordi is unrecognizable in "Frankenstein." He's not the high school jock who struts the halls of "Euphoria" High, the college boy worth killing for in "Saltburn," the taller-than-life…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, August 15, 2025

Inside Eli Roth's Bloody Brave Plan to Revive Hollywood: Go Directly to Theater Owners With Movies That Scare the S" Out of Him by William Earl

Eli Roth has spent decades in the entertainment industry, but he's still chasing the high of telling his schoolyard friends about the wild new movie he just saw. "If someone had given me thi…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:13PM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 7, 2025

Sam Nivola Breaks Out: 'The White Lotus' Favorite on Getting 'Lost' in Character, Why Hollywood Must 'Create New Stars' and Getting 'Cut by William Earl

"Fuckin' hot!" are the first words out of Sam Nivola's mouth when I meet him in the back of a small Japanese restaurant. I've just asked him "How are you?" and it's a fair response, consi…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Sunday, July 20, 2025

Men I Trust Adds Live Grit to Gorgeous, Shimmering Dreampop Songs at Brooklyn Tour Launch: Concert Review by William Earl

Canadian indie outfit Men I Trust seems beamed down from the heavens to be a headphones band. Lead singer and guitarist Emmanuelle Proulx's gentle vocals float along over a textured dreampop…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:40PM[SHARE]
Saturday, June 14, 2025

Tom Hiddleston's Epic Dance Is the Most Important Scene in 'The Life of Chuck.' Here's How He Learned to Move Like Gene Kelly by William Earl

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers about "The Life of Chuck," now playing in theaters via Neon. Choreographer Mandy Moore is one of Hollywood's most in-demand dance experts, de…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 11, 2025

How Steve Jobs Courted Hollywood by William Earl

Sometimes, a decision speaks a thousand words. The first-ever celebrity spokesman hired by Apple to pitch its personal computers in television ads was Dick Cavett. The company was barely 5 y…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:30PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 10, 2025

How Meghann Fahy Created a Rebellious Character Whose 'Disdain' for Flowery Dresses Disrupted the Wealthy World of 'Sirens' by William Earl

Meghann Fahy plays the brutally honest Devon on "Sirens," a woman whose brash personality and grungy fashion sense are at odds with the wealthy socialite (played by Julianne Moore) she think…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:30PM[SHARE]
Friday, June 6, 2025

In 'I Don't Understand You,' Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells Play a Relatable Couple Who Break Hollywood's 'Bitchy Best Friend' Gay Stereot by William Earl

David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano's new film "I Don't Understand You," in theaters today via Vertical, is a comedy that swerves into horror movie territory midway through. But it was also a…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:42PM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 5, 2025

Mike Flanagan on How a Studio Would've Ruined 'Life Of Chuck,' Stephen King's Notes and Why He First Said No to the 'Carrie' Series by William Earl

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains light spoilers about "The Life of Chuck," now playing in select theaters via Neon, before a nationwide expansion on June 13. Mike Flanagan's latest fi…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:00PM[SHARE]
Monday, June 2, 2025

Penguins Unite! Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito on Lusting After Catwoman, Staying Sober and How 'It's Always Sunny' Is Like 'I Love Lucy' on by William Earl

Danny DeVito and Colin Farrell, who've known each other for decades, have both had the experience of being buried under prosthetics in order to play Batman's nihilistic antagonist " the Peng…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, May 30, 2025

'The Bondsman' Star Jolene Purdy on the Secret to Going Toe-to-Toe With Kevin Bacon: 'I Am in Control' by William Earl

Kevin Bacon may star as demon hunter Hub Halloran in the Prime Video drama "The Bondsman," but the real power lies with his boss, Midge Kusatsu. Jolene Purdy inhabits the role of a no-nonsen…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:00PM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 26, 2025

Cole Escola and Darren Criss Embrace Chaos and Crying on Broadway by William Earl

Darren Criss plops into a swivel chair, directly across from "Oh, Mary!" creator Cole Escola, and stashes his phone between the cushions. The former "Glee" star, on Broadway in "Maybe Happy …

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, April 25, 2025

Nicole Scherzinger and Jonathan Groff Bond Over NSFW Banter, Performing Sick on Broadway and 'Patti F"ing LuPone' by William Earl

Jonathan Groff is swooning over Nicole Scherzinger. "You're hot. You're so hot," he tells the pop star-turned-Broadway darling as she descends a spiral staircase, decked out in a form-fittin…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, April 24, 2025

'Succession' Siblings Reunite: Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook on Forgetting Lines, Acting in Bad Projects and Why Broadway Is 'So F"ing Athleti by William Earl

"Succession" might have ended in a boardroom shocker, but after manipulating each other out of the family media empire, the Roy siblings are reuniting in New York. Real-life friends and Emmy…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Jake Gyllenhaal and Audra McDonald on Playing Broadway Villains, Stage Fright and Cellphones Disrupting Broadway Shows: 'I Snapped!' by William Earl

Audra McDonald and Jake Gyllenhaal are playing iconic villains on Broadway, and when the two actors meet up before a Friday evening performance, they bond over their refusal to view their ch…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 22, 2025

George Clooney and Patti Lupone Get Honest About Broadway Pay, Surviving the Trump Era and Elon Musk: 'Isn't He Destroying the Government?' by William Earl

"Be careful, George " we need you," Patti LuPone cries out with theatrical concern.   The "George" the legendary diva is referring to is none other than George Clooney, who is pe…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Thursday, March 27, 2025

Texting, Weed and Sing-Alongs: Four Radical Ideas for Bringing New Audiences to Movie Theaters by William Earl

It's time for moviegoing to get a makeover. From selling pot along with popcorn to offering cellphone-friendly screenings, cinema owners could soon overhaul the way their customers watch fil…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:19PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Marlee Matlin Says Hollywood Hasn't Changed Since 'CODA,' but That Won't Stop Her From Creating Her Own Projects: 'I'm Still Knocking on D by William Earl

Marlee Matlin is an Oscar winner for her work in "Children of a Lesser God," and starred in the 2021 film "CODA," which won the Oscar for best picture, but she feels that Hollywood is so rig…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:40PM[SHARE]
Monday, January 6, 2025

Cynthia Erivo's Intricate Golden Globes Nails Took Five Hours to Create by William Earl

"Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo has showcased incredible nail art through the film's press cycle, and debuted her most intricate look yet at Sunday's Golden Globes. While speaking about the desi…

SOURCE: Variety at 09:48AM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 2, 2025

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Tell All on 'Wicked' Oscar Buzz, Queer Glinda, That Viral Press Tour and What to Expect From Part 2 by William Earl

Seeing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in action is a remarkable study in contrasts. Even after months of their omnipresence on social media and TV screens " as fans have consumed every mors…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:08PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Ariana Grande and Paul Mescal Go Full 'Glicked' as They Dish on Singing, Fight Scenes and That 'Insufferable' Press Tour by William Earl

Ariana Grande travels with a furry companion; no, not Toto, but close. The Grammy-winning pop singer " and, thanks to her film "Wicked," newly minted movie star " shows up at our shoot hours…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Rachel Zegler on Reinventing Snow White and Juliet and Facing Off Against Toxic Disney Fans: 'I've Watched Women Get Torn Down My Whole Life' by William Earl

"Spoiler alert: I die," Rachel Zegler says. You'll have to forgive the 23-year-old actress for giving away the ending to her next project. But to be fair, it's been 400 years since a certain…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, March 8, 2024

'Stranger Things' Play Eyes Move to Broadway as New York City Casting Search Begins by William Earl

"Stranger Things: The First Shadow," the prequel play to the popular Netflix series, looks to be headed to the Great White Way after debuting in London. Broadway World was the first to repor…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:13PM[SHARE]
Sunday, January 21, 2024

'I.S.S.' Star Ariana DeBose on That Shocking Ending, Making a Space Thriller Out of U.S.-Russia Tension and Her Broadway Future by William Earl

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses plot twists in the new movie "I.S.S." "I.S.S." is a thriller set in outer space, but the creative team was filled with pioneers in their own right. "…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:04PM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 7, 2023

Halle Bailey and Rachel Zegler on Becoming Disney Princesses, Singing Live on Set and Blocking Out Toxic Fans: 'Stay Grateful and Ignore the Hate' by William Earl

Shortly after Halle Bailey and Rachel Zegler were crowned real-life Disney princesses, they met for the first time at a ball " the 2021 Met Gala, to be exact. It was the beginning not only o…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Jodie Comer Leaves 'Prima Facie' Broadway Performance After 10 Minutes, Says She 'Can't Breathe' Due to NYC Air Crisis by William Earl

Jodie Comer is getting rave reviews for her performance in the one-woman Broadway play "Prima Facie," but her June 7 performance was cut short due to nearly unbreathable air in New York City…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:52PM[SHARE]
Thursday, April 6, 2023

Will Aaron Sorkin's First Musical Be a Hit? Why Broadway Director Bartlett Sher Thinks 'Camelot' Will Shine by William Earl

It's the second day of tech rehearsals for the new adaptation of Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot," the 1960 musical based on the Arthurian legend " this time rewritten by Aaron Sorkin " at the V…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:22PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Jonathan Groff on Why Lea Michele 'Is New York' to Him and How the 'Funny Girl' Is 'Bringing Big Business Back to Broadway' by William Earl

Lea Michele and I met 17 years ago, at the audition that led us to playing opposite each other in "Spring Awakening." I was from the farmlands of Lancaster, Penn., and Lea was this tough kid…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:00PM[SHARE]

Mindy Kaling Pays Tribute to Michael R. Jackson and His 'Breakthrough Masterpiece' Broadway Musical 'A Strange Loop' by William Earl

Michael R. Jackson is, in a word, dazzling. His Broadway musical, "A Strange Loop," is a breakthrough masterpiece whose plot I won't describe here because it's so inventive that my summary w…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:00PM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off