After a nationwide casting search, the actress who will play the title role in “Annie Live!” this holiday season has been chosen: Celina Smith. Joining TODAY live on the plaza, 12-year-old Celina describes how she got the news that she had landed the part. “It’s just so amazing,” she says.
Twelve-year-old Celina Smith, a cast member of Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan on Nickelodeon, has landed the title role of NBC’s Annie Live!, the upcoming holiday production of the classic Broadway musical.
Smith, who started her career as Young Nala in the national touring company of The Lion King, joins NBC production’s previously cast Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace and Tituss Burgess as Rooster.
Annie Live! airs Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m.
The six-time Emmy nominee joins a cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr. and Nicole Scherzinger.
Annie Live continues to come into focus for NBC.
The production, scheduled to air Dec. 2, has tapped Tituss Burgess to play the role of Rooster, the underhanded brother of the ruthless Miss Hannigan.
The six-time Emmy-nominated Kimmy Schmidt alum joins a cast that includes Empire alum Taraji P. Henson as Hannigan, Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks and Nicole Scherzinger as Grace. The role of Annie has yet to be announced.
Harry Connick Jr has been cast to play Daddy Warbucks in Annie Live!, NBC’s upcoming special inspired by the iconic Tony-winning Broadway musical. He joins as cast that already includes Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan.
A nationwide casting search is underway to play Annie, the orphan who opens the heart of billionaire Sir Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, played in past movie adaptations by Albert Finney and Jamie Foxx and by Reid Shelton in the original 1977 Broadway musical which won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.
EXCLUSIVE: And the dance card is full. Rhea Perlman (Matilda, Cheers), Josh Peck (Turner & Hooch, The Wackness) and Peter Hermann (Younger, Law & Order: SVU) have joined 13: The Musical, rounding out the cast of Netflix’s feature adaptation of the Broadway show.
It follows 12-year-old Evan Goldman (Eli Golden) as he moves from New York City to small-town Indiana and must grapple with his parents’ divorce, prepare for his pending Bar Mitzvah and navigate the complicated social circles of a new school.
Some women are dripping in diamonds, some women are dripping with pearls — and Taraji P. Henson will be dripping with little girls during NBC’s holiday production of “Annie Live!”
The Academy Award-nominated actress will play the orphanage’s cruel manager, Miss Hannigan, who hates all children but especially Annie. Henson will lead the musical opposite a soon-to-be-discovered star, as the network kicks off its nationwide casting search for the titular redheaded optimist.
EXCLUSIVE: We have learned that Will & Grace Emmy winning Best Actress Debra Messing is joining Netflix’s feature adaptation of Broadway’s 13: The Musical.
She joins the previously announced cast that we first told you about of Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, JD McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne in the Tamra Davis directed feature.
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.
EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has locked down the cast to its upcoming feature adaptation of Broadway’s 13: The Musical.
The musical, which ran from October 2008 to January 2009 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre follows Evan Goldman (12) who following a move from NYC to small-town Indiana, grapples with his parents’ divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school.
The arts education advocacy group also adds Sarah Jane Arnegger, Tim Kashani, and Craig Pospisil to their National Board of Trustees.
The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) has announced a set of new board members, led by producer Neil Meron and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, both joining the arts education advocacy organization’s Honorary Board.
Amber Ruffin has joined the Broadway-bound team of Some Like It Hot as a co-writer of the film-to-stage adaptation. The host of Peacock’s The Amber Ruffin Show will partner with Tony nominee Matthew López on the new musical’s book.
The announcement was made today by producers The Shubert Organization and Neil Meron. In a statement, producers Meron and Bob Wankel also said that Kenny Leon is joining the producing team.
Over the years, fans of singer and actor Brandy have learned to “never say never” or believe that something’s “impossible” — and their patience and perseverance has been rewarded. “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” the 1997 TV movie that stars Brandy and Whitney Houston, is officially coming to Disney Plus.
Disney announced Thursday that the beloved musical movie will launch on the streaming service “at the stroke of midnight” on Feb. 12.
By Marc Malkin // Variety
Tina Fey and Wayne Brady have joined the lineup for this year’s Educational Theatre Foundation Gala.
Theatre Alive!: A Celebration of School Theatre, to be held virtually on Jan. 28, will honor director-producer-actor Kenny Leon with the Craig Zadan Theatre for Life Award. The Shubert Organization will receive the standing ovation award.
By Nellie Andreeva // Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: NBC is developing Look At Me, a drama series inspired by the life of deaf model, actor and activist Nyle DiMarco. The America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars winner executive produces the project, which hails from Neil Meron and Zadan/Meron Productions as well as Universal Television where the company is based.
By Nellie Andreeva // Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Glee alumna Amber Riley is returning to series television as the star of another music-driven broadcast comedy series. Riley is set to headline and co-executive produce Dream, a single-camera comedy in development at NBC from writer-producer Lisa Muse Bryant (Black-ish), producer Neil Meron and Universal TV where Meron is based.
This marks a reunion for Riley and Meron. The actress and Grammy-nominated singer starred in The Wiz Live!, Meron and his late producing partner Craig Zadan’s highly-rated live musical on NBC.
‘Patsy & Loretta’ won 2 WIN Awards, including “Best Made for TV movie/Limited Series”, and “Best Actress” to Megan Hilty
‘Patsy & Loretta’ was nominated for 3 WIN Awards, including “Best Made for TV movie/Limited Series”, and “Best Actress” to both Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller.
Country music icons Loretta Lynn and the late Patsy Cline have both had separate big-screen features focusing on their lives, including Coal Miner’s Daughter which won Sissy Spacek a Best Actress Oscar as Lynn in 1981, and Sweet Dreams for which Jessica Lange was Oscar nominated for playing Cline.