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Universal Television casting head Beth Klein is set to retire and depart the studio at the end of the year.

Klein, who first joined Utv in 2011, has increased representation in front of the camera through her work, which included Jason Katims’ “As We See It,” which centered around three roommates on the autism spectrum, and David Schulner’s “New Amsterdam,” with characters often portrayed by actors living with the actual illnesses featured in the storylines.

She was also instrumental in the creation of “StandUp NBC,” where diverse stand-up comedians across the country would compete for the chance to win a talent-holding deal; and worked closely with NBCUniversal’s Launch Talent and Casting Assistant program that develops aspiring episodic casting directors during a ten-month paid pipeline initiative.

“I have been fortunate to collaborate with some of the best in the business during my career, and while I will miss my colleagues,...

Exclusive: Universal Television’s EVP of Talent and Casting Beth Klein will be leaving the studio at the end of the year when she will retire after a 37-year career as a casting executive. There is no immediate replacement.

Klein has been Universal TV’s first — and only — head of casting. She joined the studio, now a division of Universal Studio Group, in September 2011 as part of a new executive team for the unit as it was being rebranded from Universal Media Studios to Universal TV.

With Chicago Fire and Brooklyn Nine-Nine among her first shows, Klein has spearheaded casting for four Peabody Award-winning series and 20 Emmy-winning series, most recently, Hacks, as well as the the Law & Order, One Chicago and FBI franchises, The Gilded Age, Loot, Schmigadoon! and “Girls5eva, Bel-Air, Never Have I Ever and The Best Man: The Final Chapters, among others. She also oversaw casting on NBC’s live musicals,...

We’ve got questions, and you’ve (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we’re lobbing queries left and right about SNL, Abbott Elementary, Chicago Fire, Days of Our Lives and more!

1 | How many General Hospital fans paused the TV to crunch the age math when Jason (who was a toddler when Finola Hughes first joined the ABC soap as an adult superspy) kissed Anna? And based on the debut of Aiden recast Colin Cassidy and the pre-debut pic of Van Hansis as a recast Lucas, are we to assume that the soap thinks all gay men rock the same hairdo?...

Nicole Scherzinger has left The Masked Singer. She wasn’t on the show last season because of a play she was starring in. She also didn’t return this season and has announced a new reality competition show she will appear on. However, her biggest news is her first role in a Broadway musical.

In an interview promoting the musical, Nicole opened up about her feelings that her industry had “discarded” her.

Nicole Scherzinger Says Her Industry Discarded Her

Nicole Scherzinger is preparing for a new role in a Broadway musical. This is her first chance on Broadway, and she seems excited about the possibility. She has been interviewing for the role, and in a recent discussion, she said she relates to the role because her industry “discarded” her.

Nicole Scherzinger | YouTube

That role is Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. This is the same role for which she left The...

Fumi Nikaido could be one of several “Shōgun” stars who go on to earn Emmy nominations for their career-best work in the FX series.

Adapted from James Clavell‘s 1975 historical book of the same name, Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks’ limited series follows multiple factions all vying for control over the five Regents in Japan at the end of the 16th century. Meanwhile, a British sailor (Cosmo Jarvis) begins a brand new life after becoming shipwrecked in Japan and entering the service of Hiroyuki Sanada‘s Lord Yoshii Toranaga.

Jarvis and Sanada are both competing for lead actor nominations and so, too, is Anna Sawai. Nikaido, meanwhile, is one of several supporting players who are looking for an Emmy citation for their work on the show. Nikaido plays Ochiba no Kata, a consort of the Japanese leader Taikō (Taikō’s death is the incident that triggers the five Regents power...

BroadwayHD, the musical streaming service, has partnered with NBCUniversal to bring the NBC live musicals to streaming. NBC’s televised live musicals are currently not available on Peacock or other streaming services. The Prince of Egypt: The Musical‘s professional recording will also make its streaming debut on BroadwayHD. The Prince of Egypt: The Musical debuts on November 15 on BroadwayHD. The Wiz Live! (2015) and Hairspray Live! (2016) are already available on the platform. Later this fall, The Sound of Music Live! (2013) and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018) will become available, in addition to the Shrek the Musical (2013) pro shot. The Sound of Music Live!, starring Carrie Underwood, True Blood‘s Stephen Moyer, Life & Beth‘s Laura Benanti, Smash‘s Christian Borle, and The Gilded Age‘s Audra McDonald, will land on BroadwayHD on November 1. Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert starring John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Alice Cooper...

There has always been a tenuous relationship between live theatre and streaming. Some old-school voices in the theatre believe that allowing people to watch stage shows from the comfort of their own homes would disincentivize them from showing up to see shows in person. More progressive voices in the community argue that by giving audiences opportunities to stay excited about theatre in between trips to see shows only makes them more and more excited to see the real thing live and in person.

One company that is looking to bridge that gap is BroadwayHD, which launched in 2015 and has been a platform for filmed theatrical productions and stage-to-screen adaptations ever since. On Thursday, the company announced that it had reached a deal with NBCUniversal to stream a collection of NBC’s live musicals, including “Hairspray Live!”, “The Sound of Music Live!”, and “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.” These titles...

Exclusive: Neil Meron, a force behind bring live events to television including such musicals as Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie and The Sound of Music, has joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s London-based Really Useful Group as a consultant, Lloyd Webber announced today.

An acclaimed film, television and theater producer, Meron will work closely with Rug’s Licensing and Production team to identify and develop new opportunities for Lloyd Webber’s IP across North America, including mining talent and building new relationships with film companies, networks, streamers, dance companies and new media.

Meron also is expected to work closely with Lloyd Webber’s new joint venture with acclaimed British theater producer Michael Harrison to support new opportunities to explore in North America.

Said Lloyd Webber, “Neil and I go back a very, very long way, so it feels quite fitting that he take on this advisory role at Rug at this point in my career,...

Micaela Diamond, currently costarring in Broadway’s hit musical revival Parade, has signed with CAA.

After graduating from New York City’s performing arts school Fiorello H. Laguardia High School, Diamond made her professional debut as a featured member of the ensemble in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert.

On Broadway, Diamond originated the role of “Babe” (the youngest version of Cher) in The Cher Show, a performance that made her a 2019 Theatre World Awards honoree. She also originated the roles of “Lindy” and “Dorothy” in the world premiere of Ethan Coen’s A Play Is A Poem at Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum.

In her critically acclaimed performance as the wife of the falsely accused Leo Frank in Parade, Diamond costars opposite Ben Platt and is directed by Michael Arden. Both Platt and Arden are CAA clients, as is Parade‘s composer Jason Robert Brown.

Diamond is...

Presidents of the United States (both sitting and former) have won. So have former Beatles. And a First Lady. And a lot of other unlikely movie types. The truth is, with so many Primetime Emmy Awards handed out – well over 100 annually – it’s easy for some intriguing victors in both the deeper past and more recently to slip through the cracks.

So as a public service, here are a few dozen-plus Emmy winners you may have missed.

Barack Obama – Yes, our 44th President took home an Emmy trophy in 2022 as best narrator for an episode of the doc series “Our Great National Parks.” He thus became the second President to be so honored. To find out the first, see below. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – It may have escaped your gaze, but the former Beatles won an Emmy last year for top documentary/nonfiction series (shared with Peter Jackson and...

The trailer for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” the live-action reimagining of the studio’s animated musical classic, debuted on Sunday night during the Oscars.

Two of the film’s stars, Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy, introduced the trailer on ABC’s live broadcast of the 95th Annual Academy Awards. “The Little Mermaid,” helmed by visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall, opens exclusively in theaters nationwide May 26, 2023.

“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life...

King Charles III’s coronation will be one of the biggest events of 2023, drawing foreign dignitaries and celebrities to the UK. One of the most special parts of the ceremony will be the music, which will include a specially commissioned piece from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed a special new piece for King Charles’ coronation Andrew Lloyd Webber promoting his latest musical “Bad Cinderella” I Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Webber, known for musicals like The Phantom of the Opera and Cats has adapted a piece of church music for the king’s coronation.

“I hope my anthem reflects this joyful occasion,” Webber said in a statement about the piece. He added that he hopes the music encourages the event’s singers to make a “joyful noise.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s career as a composer

It’s no surprise Webber was called on to create a...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, Peacock has landed for development, The Show Must Go On, an hourlong murder mystery anthology, which would mark the first time Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera musical is used as part of a TV series. The high-profile project comes from the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playbook creator Austin Winsberg, former top TV executive and award-winning producer Robert Greenblatt, Egot Lloyd Webber, as well as Zoey’s producer The Tannenbaum Company, pilot director Richard Shepard and studio Lionsgate Television.

Written by Winsberg, The Show Must Go On is a darkly comedic murder mystery anthology series. Each season would take place in the days leading up to a big, live, televised event and would tackle a new murder with a refreshed cast.

Season 1 is set behind the scenes during the making of a fictitious version of Lloyd Webber’s worldwide mega-hit: The Phantom of The Opera Live!

Exclusive: Samantha Mathis and Norm Lewis and are set as series regulars opposite Matt Passmore and Floriana Lima in Blank Slate, NBC’s drama pilot from Dean Georgaris, John Fox, Davis Entertainment and Universal Television.

Created by Georgaris and Fox, written by Georgaris and to be directed by Richard Shepard, Blank Slate draws some parallels to Davis Entertainment’s long-running NBC series The Blacklist. In Blank Slate, Special Agent Alexander McCoy (Passmore) is a legend in law enforcement, the agent we all hope is out there, the agent we’d all like to be. The only issue is — he doesn’t actually exist. He’s a ghost, a phantom. So what happens when a man claiming to be Alexander McCoy walks through the door with all of his skills and knowledge but with an agenda nobody will see coming?

Mathis will play Dr. Sylvia Matthews, the team’s forensic psychologist.

Tony Award-nominated choreographer Camille A. Brown will make her Broadway directing debut with a 2022 production of Ntozake Shange’s 1976 classic for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, becoming what producers say is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on a Broadway production in more than 65 years.

Brown previously choreographed director Leah C. Gardiner’s 2019 Off Broadway production of the play at The Public Theater. Her upcoming directing debut was announced today by producers Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons and Kenneth Teaton.

“I’m extremely thrilled and honored to helm this new production of for colored girls…,” Brown said in a statement. “It’s an amazing feeling to bring this seminal show back to Broadway 45 years after it opened at the Booth Theatre on September 15, 1976. I look forward to diving into the divine Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and celebrating her legacy.”

Brown...

At the Emmys, Best Pre-recorded Variety Special is turning into a race between three very different programs: the TV version of the stage hit “Hamilton,” a comedy special from Emmy favorite Dave Chappelle and an innovative show by Bo Burnham.

“Hamilton” was hailed by both audiences and critics when Disney+ streamed it during the tumultuous worldwide lockdown last year. It scores 97% at Rotten Tomatoes based on nearly 200 reviews, and boasts an impressive 8.4/10 rating on IMDb. After being recognized by the Golden Globes, Screen Actors’ Guild and Critics’ Choice Association. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical reaped a resounding 10 Emmy bids including a record-breaking seven acting nominations.

Three years ago, another stage to TV transfer, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” won a program award at the Emmys. However, that victory came in the “Live” category with the “Pre-recorded” prize going to Chappelle’s stand-up special “Equanimity.” Chappelle repeated in that race in 2020 for “Sticks and Stones.

Robert Lopez is not only an Egot winner, but he’s also the youngest to reach it (at 39 years and 8 days old) and is the first to achieve a double Egot, having won each accolade twice. But there are some who feel his Egot ought to be asterisked because his two Emmys are Daytime Emmys, but Lopez can now shut those haters up in one fell swoop with double Primetime Emmy wins this year.

Shared with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lopez nabbed two nominations for “WandaVision”: music and lyrics for “Agatha All Along” and main title theme music. These are his fourth and fifth Primetime Emmy bids; he previously lost the songwriting category for “Scrubs” in 2007, and “The Comedians” and the Oscars, both in 2015.

Lopez was never the favorite in those years — he lost to “Saturday Night Live’s” “Dick in a Box” and “Inside Amy Schumer’s” “Girl...

Taraji P. Henson has an exciting new role.

The former Empire star and Academy Award nominee will star as Miss Hannigan in NBC's Annie Live!, premiering Thursday, December 2.

“Carol Burnett, who brought Miss Hannigan to life in the classic 1982 movie, is someone I have studied and idolized as far back as I can remember,” Henson said in a statement.

“So when the opportunity came to me to join NBC and this incredible group of producers, I jumped! Carol, I hope to do you proud!”

“When we decided to bring back NBC’s holiday musical tradition, we were looking for something that was critically acclaimed and universally beloved — and while that’s definitely the case with Annie, it absolutely applies to Taraji as well,” added said Susan Rovner, Chairman of Entertainment Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

“Watching her take on this iconic role will be a thrill that has...

The woman formerly known as Cookie Lyon is headed for Easy Street. Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson will star as Miss Hannigan in NBC’s Annie Live!, premiering Thursday, Dec. 2.

“Carol Burnett, who brought Miss Hannigan to life in the classic 1982 movie, is someone I have studied and idolized as far back as I can remember,” Henson said in a statement. “So when the opportunity came to me to join NBC and this incredible group of producers, I jumped! Carol, I hope to do you proud!”

More from TVLineNew Amsterdam Video: Ryan Eggold and Freema Agyeman Tease Finale's 'Sharpwin' Moment,...

NBC will broadcast the holiday musical event Annie Live!, with Robert Greenblatt as executive producer along with Neil Meron, who has served as executive producer on such NBC’s live musicals The Sound of Music Live! and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

Annie Live! will be directed by Lear deBessonet, Artistic Director for New York’s revival series Encores and creator of the Public Works program at the Public Theatre, which produces community-engaged productions with as many as 200 performers.

Sergio Trujillo will choreograph the production, Paul Tazewell will design the costumes and Jason Sherwood the scenery. Tazewell is a veteran of two NBC live musicals, The Wiz Live! and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. He recently designed costumes for film Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. Sherwood was production designer for Rent: Live and the 2020 Oscars.

Greenblatt brought live musicals back...

Former NBC boss Robert Greenblatt will produce

NBC is getting back into the live TV musical game with a production of “Annie” set to air this holiday season.

Former NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt will produce “Annie Live!” alongside Neil Meron, who has served as an executive producer on all of NBC’s live musicals since 2013’s “The Sound of Music Live!”

The 1977 musical about a Depression-era orphan features a score by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and book by Thomas Meehan. The Tony winner has seen two big-screen adaptations, one in 1982 with Albert Finney and Carol Burnett and another in 2014 with Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhané Wallis in the title role.

The show will be produced by Chloe Productions, with Lear deBessonet serving as director. Alex Rudzinski will oversee the broadcast as “live television director” and executive producer, returning to NBC after most recently helming “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

NBC is getting a New Deal for Christmas, as it gets back into the live TV musical business with “Annie Live!” Set to air during the holidays, “Annie” also represents a homecoming of sorts for producers Bob Greenblatt and Neil Meron.

Greenblatt, of course, is the former NBC Entertainment chairman who found success in bringing live musicals to the network, starting with “The Sound of Music Live!” in 2013. Meron and the late Craig Zadan were the producers behind that special, which was a tremendous hit — averaging 21.8 million viewers in live+3 ratings. It spawned follow-up events including “Peter Pan Live!” in 2014, “The Wiz Live!” in 2015, “Hairspray Live!” in 2016 and “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” on Easter in 2018.

“Annie Live!” landed at NBC after being shopped to all four major broadcast networks. “NBC is where we started these live musicals and I still have so much affection for it,” Greenblatt said.

NBC’s staged musical presentation of Dr Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! starring Matthew Morrison delivered a 0.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic and and 2.50 million viewers Wednesday night, numbers well off of the network’s yearly Rockefeller Center holiday special last week.

Morrison starred as the small-hearted Grinch and Denis O’Hare played his mutt Max, with The Descendants‘ Booboo Stewart as the younger Max. The two-hour production from London’s West End was down from NBC’s last stage musical, April 2018’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, which drew a 1.7 rating and 9.4 million viewers.

Fox won last night in primetime with The Masked Singer holiday special, which dipped in the ratings but was the night’s most-watched program. It was followed by the finale of I Can See Your Voice, which hit its lowest numbers with its final hurrah for the season.

At CBS, Seal Team saw a...

The theater industry’s pandemic-shortened season seems to have opened up the Grammy playing field for cast albums, as only two of the six just-announced nominees for the 2021 awards represent the usually-dominant Broadway.

The two Broadway cast albums included in today’s nominations for Best Musical Theater Album are David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway and Jagged Little Pill, the musical consisting of Alanis Morissette songs. Two London cast albums were nominated, as were two from Off Broadway.

Last year, all five nominees in the category were Broadway productions (Hadestown won), while the year before Broadway accounted for four of the five nominees, with TV’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert filling out the category (Broadway’s The Band’s Visit won). Previous years show a similar pro-Broadway pattern.

A slew of highly anticipated 2020 Broadway musicals were...

Producer Mike Jackson is ready and waiting for Hollywood to get the greenlight so Get Lifted Film Co. can get out there and resume production.

The company, co-founded in 2012 with John Legend and Ty Stiklorius, focuses its storytelling on multi-cultural content. Its credits include: “Jesus Christ Superstar Live!,” Wgn’s “Underground” and “La La Land.”

When the coronavirus pandemic forced a shutdown, Jackson, like many other producers, didn’t stop working — he pivoted. During the pandemic, Jackson relied on Zoom and scouting for safe filming locations to produce “John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day,” while developing other projects when Hollywood reopens.

Below, Jackson provides insight into how he’s been navigating production restart in a pandemic landscape, and the stories Get Lifted Film Co. has been highlighting long before the Black Lives Matter movement.

How are you navigating your way around and what do you see...

John Legend is a lover man, a family man, a soul man, an Egot, a film and television producer, and — in a role that certainly has not escaped the attention of the president of the United States, or most anyone else — a political animal. That he does it all with conscience and consciousness is what makes Legend a potent force, whether he’s discussing public policy, dissing Donald Trump or crooning the songs of hope, heritage and devotion recently found on his seventh studio album, “Bigger Love.”

Notwithstanding his visible and talked-about role as a social justice gadfly and policy wonk, Legend, 41, remains a deeply passionate musician who in 2020 has made colorful R&b that’s optimistic and bright, even in the face of a global pandemic and radical social upheaval. Talk to the singer-songwriter about the Juneteenth-released “Bigger Love,” and he explains that the joy, grief and romance that...

Exclusive: “We had no idea, of course, that we would soon be on the brink of an historic moment in race relations in this country. So this racial equity fund is now suddenly more enormous in its significance than we imagined. But then again, Craig always did seem to have his finger on the pulse of what was coming, didn’t he?”

Those are the words of Elwood Hopkins, husband of the late Emmy-winning producer Craig Zadan and member of the board of trustees of the Educational Theatre Foundation. He was describing the timing, now more prescient than ever, of Etf’s Craig Zadan Memorial Fund For Racial Equity In School Theatre, which began with $250,000 in seed money that was raised from a November 2018 memorial concert honoring Zadan shortly after his unexpected death. It is now a permanent endowment that will bestow five grants a year for school theatre programs...

John Legend, father of two and Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony winner, is hosting a celebration of dads with a one-hour variety special, John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day. The show is airing Sunday, June 21 at 8 Pm Et on ABC.

The evening blends live musical performances with comedy and what’s touted as “plenty of surprises.” Legend will perform material from his new album, Bigger Love, out June 19.

Joining him are Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Common, Michael Ealy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jim Gaffigan, Tony Gonzalez, Lil Rel Howery, Taran Killam, Ne-Yo, Shaquille O’Neal, Patton Oswalt, Scottie Pippen, Ahmad Rashad, Andy Roddick, Deion Sanders, Marlon Wayans, Stevie Wonder and Roy Wood Jr.

Also appearing are Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, and John and Chrissy’s kids, Luna and Miles.

“Some of us may wonder if it’s okay to laugh right now,” said Legend. “But music and humor...

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, tomorrow, May 1, The Shows Must Go On continues with a celebratory tribute to musical compositions of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, live from the Royal Albert Hall. Featuring hits from some of his most renowned productions, such as Starlight Express, Evita, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, and more. Available globally for 48 hours from Friday 2pm.

When Harvey Mason, jr. took the job as chair of the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees last June, it’s safe to say he had no idea what was coming.

A veteran songwriter-producer who has worked with Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton and Jennifer Hudson as well as film and television hits like “Dreamgirls,” “Pitch Perfect,” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and many more, Mason has also been a Recording Academy board member since 2007. He rose through the ranks and was named chair of the Board of Trustees last June at the same time Deborah Dugan was officially announced as president/CEO; the two of them took the helm of an Academy that had been rocked by scandal in the wake of former chief Neil Portnow’s misspoken 2018 comment that female artists and executives needed to “step up” in order to advance in the music industry.

Earlier this month, Hedonist Records released She Is Risen Volume One, a concept Ep of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar performed by an all female cast. The record, inspired by and featuring cast members of a 2017 concert at the Highline Ballroom, takes the cherished rock opera back to its 1970 concept album roots by letting listeners experience magnificent highlights from the score while envisioning an exhilarating new chapter for this triumphant piece of theater.

“American Idol” dipped from its week-ago episode on Easter Sunday with the airing of Part 1 of “This Is Me,” a contestant backstory special comprised of never-before-seen footage, which was created by ABC to help fill out the season amid production shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the singing competition was still primetime’s highest-rated show, according to preliminary data from Nielsen.

Per ABC, “While preparing for the results of America’s first vote, ‘American Idol’ delves deeper into the lives of the remaining Top 21 contestants, sharing incredible, unseen performances and moments while rediscovering previous fan favorites.” At the end of Part 2, which airs next Sunday, fans will find out whether its Grace Leer or Lauren Mascitti who will be joining the Top 20.

Meanwhile, CBS won another Sunday in total viewers, thanks to “60 Minutes” and its “NCIS” dramas. Elsewhere, broadcast nets aired mostly reruns during Easter’s primetime.

Also...

“American Idol” didn’t quite hit its usual high notes on Sunday night, but still led ABC to an overall ratings victory.

“Idol,” which aired part 1 of its clip show about the contestants, scored a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 and drew 5.8 million total viewers, its lowest tally of season 18 in both metrics and a 16% viewership loss from last week. “The Rookie” followed that up with a 0.7 and 4.8 million viewers, a slight down tick from last week’s 0.8 rating and season high 5.9 million viewers. A replay of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” scored a 0.8 and 5.7 million viewers earlier in the night.

CBS was the only other network to air mostly original content on Sunday night, with “60 Minutes” leading the way at a 0.9 and just under 10 million total viewers. “God Friended Me” came in even on last episode at a 0.6 and 5.9 million pairs of eyeballs. “NCIS: Los Angeles” also didn’t budge from its previous episode,...

Chicago – In 1973, director Norman Jewison fashioned a radical film version of the rock opera/Broadway show “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and the cinematic innovations plus stellar cast equaled a timeless movie musical classic. Josh Mostel portrayed King Herod and Barry Dennen was Pontius Pilate in the iconic film.

Jesus Christ Superstar (Jcs) began it’s life as a rock opera, a concept record released in 1969 with Ian Gillan of the rock group Deep Purple singing the part of Jesus. Two key members of the album’s cast went on to do the film … Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene and Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate. The Broadway show adaptation opened two years later, and the 1973 film followed with Ted Neeley as Jesus.

Josh Mostel as King Herod and Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

Photo credit: Universal Studios Home Video

In 2013, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com got the opportunity...

On the red carpet at this year’s Oscars, Lin-Manuel Miranda confirmed in an interview with Variety that he has written an original song for the end credits of the upcoming film adaptation of his 2008 Tony-winning musical “In the Heights,” which opens on June 26. He is already an Oscar nominee for writing the song “How Far I’ll Go” from Disney’s 2016 animated movie musical “Moana,” but ended up losing to “City of Stars” from “La La Land.” Could the show that launched his career give him another shot of completing his Egot next year?

In Jon M. Chu’s upcoming movie adaptation, a young bodega owner (Anthony Ramos) has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother’s fortune. The original Broadway production won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It also ended up winning the very first Tony and...

In the eight years since Get Lifted Film Co.’s start, the partnership launched by John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius has grown to become an industry player. Launched in 2012, Get Lifted has delivered one thunderclap after another, from Wgn America’s record-setting sensation “Underground,” to the Oscar winning “La La Land,” for which the company served as executive producer. On the stage, Get Lifted produced a 2017 Broadway production of August Wilson’s “Jitney,” for which its founders won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

The trio has built a successful and influential independent production house without much fanfare, and have largely avoided any vanity press. They have more recently started to discuss the company, and all three founders sat with IndieWire last month for a lengthy and candid conversation about the origins of the company and its vision for the future.

“Hollywood has changed over the years,...

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is in rehearsals for the Broadway Center Stage production of the Pulitzer Prize- winning musical, Next to Normal, starring Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award winner Rachel Bay Jones Dear Evan Hansen, Pippin as Diana with Tony and Emmy Award nominee Brandon Victor Dixon Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, Shuffle Along as Dan.

John Ridley has signed on to the untitled musical drama in the works at Showtime.

Ridley will serve as executive producer, writer, and director on the show, which was first announced in July. He joins previously announced executive producers Alicia Keys, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Marc Platt, R.J. Cutler, and Adam Siegel. Fox 21 Television Studios will produce.

“Having worked with John Ridley many times over the years, I know firsthand how talented and fearless he is both as a writer and director,” said Gary Levine, co-president of entertainment for Showtime. “Combining his dramatic depth with the musical brilliance of Pasek and Paul and Alicia Keys promises a wildly original and entertaining series for Showtime.”

The project centers on an emotionally complex family story that spans generations and threatens the fabric of the community in present day Milwaukee.

A Milwaukee native, Ridley won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for “12 Years a Slave.

John Ridley will write and direct Showtime’s upcoming musical drama that is being executive produced by Alicia Keys.

Keys will executive produce an untitled musical drama series, along with the Oscar and Tony-winning team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

“Having worked with John Ridley many times over the years, I know firsthand how talented and fearless he is both as a writer and director,” said Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks. “Combining his dramatic depth with the musical brilliance of Pasek and Paul and Alicia Keys promises a wildly original and entertaining series for Showtime.”

Also Read: Alicia Keys, 'La La Land' Team to Executive Produce Untitled Musical Drama Series for Showtime

According to the network, the series “traverses generations to tell an emotionally complex family story that interweaves modern-day and 1959 Detroit, centering on a mystery uncovered by a young musician who moves back to her childhood home.

John Legend earned the title of Egot in September with his Emmy win for “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and now he’s hoping to add an Annie Award to that and become an Egoat.

The singer is executive producer and voice star of “The Crow: The Legend,” a new animated film following the Native American story about the bird’s cultural genesis. He also wrote the film’s original song, “When You Can Fly.”

The movie received an Annie Awards nomination — the top prizes given out in the field of animation — this week for Best Virtual Reality Production.

Also Read: Macy's Digs Up Chrissy Teigen's Old Parade Diss as John Legend Joins Float

“A lot of time my work in film and television involves me collaborating with a writer and director and figuring out with another creative person how we can interact and make something special together,...

Merry Christmas from the Legends — and NBC!

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen will team up with the broadcaster for “A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy,” an hour-long special that will air on Nov. 28, TheWrap has learned exclusively.

Legend will perform songs from his upcoming holiday album, “A Legendary Christmas,” which will be released on Oct. 26. The couple will be joined by friends and family, as well as other well-known personalities, who will be announced at a later date.

See Photo: Chrissy Teigen Sends Mixed Message to John Legend on Wedding Anniversary: 'I Love You,' But 'You Are an A-hole'

The special — produced by Universal Television, Done + Dusted and Friends at Work — marks the latest in a string of collaborations between Legend and NBC.

Last month, the singer won a producing Emmy for “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” — the network’s April 2018 TV musical, in which he...

And it’s a tie!

HBO and Netflix shared the Emmys crown Monday night, as the premium cable network and streamer both took first place in total wins at the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

The two platforms jockeyed for the lead all night, with the Outstanding Drama Series category (which was claimed by “Game of Thrones”) being the one that left HBO and Netflix neck-and-neck.

“Game of Thrones,” led the series race with nine wins, “Saturday Night Live” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” tied for second with eight, and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” came in fourth place with seven awards.

Also Read: Emmys 2018: 9 Snubs and Surprises (Photos)

“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and “The Crown” tied for fifth place in total show wins with five apiece.

Netflix began to dominate the Emmys conversation back in July when,...

CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and “Saturday Night Live” racked up big wins Sunday on the second night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Sunday’s ceremony completes the Television Academy’s two-night presentation of awards in 96 categories. HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” with seven trophies, and FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” with four, were the big winners at the close of Saturday’s ceremony. Over the course of the two nights, “Thrones” and “Saturday Night Live” topped the list of programs with the most wins, with seven awards each.

“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” collected a total of five trophies, as did “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The victories were emotional for those affiliated with both shows. Bourdain took his own life in July, and “Jesus Christ...

Have we mentioned lately how much we love Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's relationship?

The 2018 Emmy nominations dropped on Thursday, and unsurprisingly NBC's wildly successful live production of Jesus Christ Superstar is up for a whopping 13 awards. Also unsurprising is Chrissy's hilarious response to John's nominations. "13 nominations for Jesus Christ Superstar this morning! John got two emmy nominations!" the mother of two wrote. "If he wins, he will complete his EGOT and my spike tv award will probably be moved. But it's ok I Am So Proud!" EGOT is an acronym for people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony over the course of their careers, and John is only one award away from obtaining it. While it's certainly a huge honor, it seems like Chrissy's dad wasn't too impressed, as she posted his hilarious reaction on Twitter.

Of course, John isn't the only member of...

Lorne Michaels continues to pull ahead with the most Emmy nominations in history for an individual. The “Saturday Night Live” creator and executive producer added a writing nomination to his tally in 2018, bringing his total to 82 — ahead of now-retired HBO documentary maven Sheila Nevins, who’s in second place with 76.

Nevins is still the person with the most Emmys won as an individual in history, at 30.

Speaking of Michaels, it was another stellar season for “Saturday Night Live,” which increased its total Emmy nominations to 252 (adding 21 more this year). But the big change in 2018 is for second place: The return of “Game of Thrones” netted 22 nominations for the HBO series, bringing its total haul over seven seasons to 129. That puts it ahead of long-time leader “ER,” which amassed 124 nominations over its 15 seasons, and now drops to third.

“Game of Thrones” was out of the running last year, but now it...

Blessed be NBC. The net’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live” converted 9.360 million total viewers into believers last night, topping its Easter Sunday competition in the process.

The live TV musical earned a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49, which was also better than ABC’s “American Idol” and anything else that aired across broadcast’s primetime hours. NBC won the evening. NBC’s Nielsen numbers could and probably will adjust up in fast official numbers, which are expected a little later today. Read about the show’s earlier-available overnight ratings here.

Sara Bareilles has joined the cast of NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” as Mary Magdalene, the network announced on Saturday. Bareilles, star and composer of the Broadway adaptation of “Waitress,” joins John Legend and Alice Cooper in the live musical set to air on Easter Sunday, April 1. Legend will play Jesus in the rock opera about the final week of the Biblical figure’s life. Cooper will play King Herod. David Leveaux is set to direct the show, which will open in front of a large audience at the Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Also Read: John Legend.

Good God: John Legend is set to play Jesus in NBC’s upcoming live TV musical adaptation of “Jesus Christ Superstar Live.” The R&B star will join Alice Cooper — the production’s previously announced King Herod — in the Easter Sunday rock opera. “We’re all overjoyed to have world-class musical artist and producer John Legend starring as Jesus,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman, NBC Entertainment. “This score demands a singer with an amazing range and an actor with great depth, and there isn’t anyone better to bring this story to a new audience. His casting is also groundbreaking as the traditional image.