Stephen Sondheim celebrated by Dench, Peters at London gala
Dozens of stars of musical theater gathered Tuesday night for a celebration titled "Old Friends" to raise money for the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, which will benefit young composers. “He always considered London his second home,” producer Cameron Mackintosh, who organized the event, told the sellout crowd of about 1,100 at a theater renamed the Sondheim from the Queen’s in 2019. There was a minimal set and some cast members were costumed during a flowing program that showcased Sondheim's Tony, Olivier and Pulitzer Prize-winning work. As young singers joined the full company for the concluding “Our Time,” Peters crossed the stage exchanging hugs as confetti fell and Dench appeared to be holding back tears. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comNew this week: 'Power of the Dog,' 'Annie' live and Kenny G
This week’s new entertainment releases include a new album from saxophone legend Kenny G, a documentary about the 12 young soccer players and their coach trapped in a flooded Thailand cave, and Jane Campion makes a triumphant return to filmmaking in “The Power of the Dog.”.
Philip J. Smith, who led Shubert Organization, dies at 89
Smith, who rose from box office treasurer at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway to chairman and co-CEO of the theatrical giant Shubert Organization, has died from complications from COVID-19, according to his daughters. (Jeremy Daniel via AP)NEW YORK – Philip J. Smith, who rose from box office treasurer at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway to chairman and co-CEO of the theatrical giant Shubert Organization, has died from complications from COVID-19, according to his daughters. In a career that spanned 63 years, Smith worked in every department of the Shubert Organization and was named general manager of all Shubert Theatres in 1964. The Shubert Organization owns and operates 17 Broadway theatres and six off-Broadway venues. Smith retired in June 2020 and also stepped down as chairman of The Shubert Foundation, the company’s nonprofit arm.
Tony-nominated Broadway star Rebecca Luker dies at 59
FILE - Rebecca Luker, left, and her husband Danny Burstein arrive at the 73rd annual Tony Awards in New York on June 9, 2019. Luker, 59, a three-time Tony nominated actor who starred in some of the biggest Broadway hits of the past three decades, died Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, said Sarah Fargo, her agent. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES – Soprano Rebecca Luker, a three-time Tony nominated actor who starred in some of the biggest Broadway hits of the past three decades, died Wednesday. She was 59Her death was announced by her husband, veteran Broadway actor Danny Burstein, who said in a statement “our family is devastated. Luker made her Broadway debut in 1988 in “The Phantom of the Opera” first as an understudy to Sarah Brightman and then playing Christine opposite the legendary Michael Crawford.