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Theater

Arrest Made In Murder Of Broadway Actress From NJ, Prosecutor Says Arrest Made In Murder Of Broadway Actress From NJ, Prosecutor Says
Arrest Made In Murder Of Broadway Actress From NJ, Prosecutor Says Murder charges have been filed against a 35-year-old Edison man who officials say stabbed a 26-year-old woman dead over the weekend. Jordan D. Jackson-Small has been charged in the Sunday, Dec. 21 death of Imani Dia Smith, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said. A GoFundMe launched by Smith's aunt said she was killed by her boyfriend. While Ciccone did not confirm the nature of their relationship, she did confirm that they knew each other. The prosecutor further said that authorities responded to a home on Grove Street in Edison on Sunday morning at 9:18 a.m., where Smith was fou…
Actress Wenne Alton Davis Killed After Midtown Manhattan Car Crash; Appeared In ‘Mrs. Maisel’ Actress Wenne Alton Davis Killed After Midtown Manhattan Car Crash; Appeared In ‘Mrs. Maisel’
Actress Wenne Alton Davis Killed After Midtown Manhattan Car Crash; Appeared In ‘Mrs. Maisel’ Actress Wenne Alton Davis was killed after being struck by a car in Midtown Manhattan. The 60-year-old Davis was crossing Broadway near West 53rd Street just before 9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, when a Cadillac XT6 SUV made a left turn and hit her, according to the New York Daily News.  The news of Davis’ death has left many in the local theater and television community shocked and saddened. The driver, 61, remained at the scene, and Davis’ friend told the Daily News that they had the right of way at the time of the crash, the outlet said. Emergency responders found Davis with severe hea…
Sitcom Star Polly Holliday Dies, Made 'Kiss My Grits!' A Catchphrase Sitcom Star Polly Holliday Dies, Made 'Kiss My Grits!' A Catchphrase
Sitcom Star Polly Holliday Dies, Made 'Kiss My Grits!' A Catchphrase Polly Holliday, who turned “Kiss my grits!” into a pop-culture staple as Flo on the hit sitcom "Alice," has died. She was 88. Holliday died in New York City Tuesday, Sept. 9 at her home in Manhattan, according to The New York Times, which cited her longtime agent and friend Dennis Aspland.  An Alabama native who came up through regional theater and Broadway, Holliday broke out as Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry on CBS’s "Alice" (1976–80), then headlined the spinoff Flo (1980–81), where her brassy one-liners — especially “Kiss my grits!” — became part of the American vernacular.  …
Broadway Star's Real-Life BF Replacing Filipino Actor Sparks Double Backlash Broadway Star's Real-Life BF Replacing Filipino Actor Sparks Double Backlash
Broadway Star's Real-Life BF Replacing Filipino Actor Sparks Double Backlash The lead actress in Broadway’s "Maybe Happy Ending" is speaking out after her real-life boyfriend was cast to replace a Filipino American actor in the Tony Award-winning musical — a casting decision that has ignited backlash over both racial representation and personal optics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrew Barth Feldman (@andrewbfeldman_) Helen J Shen, 25, who co-leads the show and is originally from Basking Ridge, NJ, responded to the controversy in an Instagram post on Thursday, July 31.  Shen’s boyfriend, Andrew …
Lynn Hamilton, ‘Sanford And Son,’ ‘The Waltons’ Actress, Dies At 95 Lynn Hamilton, ‘Sanford And Son,’ ‘The Waltons’ Actress, Dies At 95
Lynn Hamilton, ‘Sanford And Son,’ ‘The Waltons’ Actress, Dies At 95 Lynn Hamilton, best known for her roles on The Waltons and Sanford and Son, has died at the age of 95. Hamilton passed away in Chicago of natural causes, according to her former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Calvin Carson (@calvincarson67) She was surrounded by grandchildren, loved ones, and caregivers, he said. Born Alzenia “Lynn” Hamilton-Jenkins, the legendary actress leaves behind a five-decade legacy in film, television, theater, and modeling.  She was widely recognize…
From STEM to Spotlight: CT's Liana Sonenclar Set For Off-Broadway Breakthrough From STEM to Spotlight: CT's Liana Sonenclar Set For Off-Broadway Breakthrough
From STEM to Spotlight: CT's Liana Sonenclar Set For Off-Broadway Breakthrough Liana Sonenclar is a name you may not know yet, but it's one you'll likely hear soon — and often. The 28-year-old, Westport-born writer's new play, "Before This New Year," is set to begin production later this month before making its Off-Broadway debut on March 19. It's the culmination of years of work that started after she achieved her dream at just 18 years old, but not the one she wanted. Related: For information or tickets to "Before This New Year," click here. The Staples High School graduate said she was a math and science kid growing up and never considered being a writer. It was…
New Englander Linda Lavin, 'Alice' Star Dies, 87 New Englander Linda Lavin, 'Alice' Star Dies, 87
New Englander Linda Lavin, 'Alice' Star Dies, 87 Linda Lavin, the two-time Golden Globe winner and Emmy-nominated actress whose career spanned six decades on stage and screen, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 29, at the age of 87, according to The New York Times. Born in Portland, Maine, Lavin studied acting at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she was deeply involved in the theater program. Her career took off with her iconic role as Alice Hyatt on the hit TV series "Alice," which earned her two Golden Globes and cemented her as a household name. A force on Broadway, Lavin captivated audiences with performances in multiple …
Idina Menzel Had One Stipulation Before Agreeing To Showstopping 'Wicked' Cameo Idina Menzel Had One Stipulation Before Agreeing To Showstopping 'Wicked' Cameo
Idina Menzel Had One Stipulation Before Agreeing To Showstopping 'Wicked' Cameo Thank goodness it all worked out. While it may be true that no one mourns the wicked, fans certainly would have mourned the absence of New York native Idina Menzel had she not made her scene-stealing cameo in the spellbinding new “Wicked” movie. The musical fantasy film – a two-part adaptation of the Broadway stage musical that was loosely based on the 1995 novel – tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Menzel, who grew on Long Island in Syosset, was the first actress to portray its protagonist, Elphaba, a role for which sh…