Broadway star <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/wicked-broadway-star-reveals-how-close-she-came-to-being-murdered-at-girl-scout-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristin Chenoweth</a> (&#8220;Wicked&#8221;) claims her hair extensions saved her life when she was involved in a 2012 accident on the set of the CBS show &#8220;The Good Wife.&#8221;
Chenoweth, 54, <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/kristin-chenoweth-regrets-not-suing-cbs-the-good-wife-accident/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recalled the accident</a> — and her regret that she opted not to pursue legal action against the network — during a Monday appearance with host Andy Cohen on &#8220;Watch What Happens Live.&#8221;
&#8220;I heard, like, a flagpole sound. I literally heard, &#8216;We&#8217;re losing the light.&#8217; I heard, &#8216;Action.&#8217; And I woke up at Bellevue [Hospital]. It hit me in the face and it threw me into a curb. Seven-inch skull fracture, hairline [fracture], and teeth and ribs,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-kristin-chenoweth-backs-pro-life-message-of-new-movie-shares-personal-experience-told-from-my-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chenoweth</a> explained.
According to CBS at the time, the accident had been caused when &#8220;a gust of wind blew a lighting silk out of place.&#8221; The lighting fixture was what crashed into Chenoweth, causing her injuries. &#8220;All of us at the studio and the show are thinking about Kristin and wishing her a quick recovery,&#8221; the statement continued.
Chenoweth <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2023/01/kristin-chenoweth-the-good-wife-injury.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went on to add</a> that it was one of the doctors who said her hair extensions had saved her. &#8220;My hair extensions, you know, made the hairline fracture go together,&#8221; she said. &#8220;My doctor said, &#8216;What are these metal things?&#8217; And I said, &#8216;They&#8217;re hair extensions.&#8217; And he said, &#8216;They saved your life.&#8217; So, anyone who wants to get hair extensions should, for your health.&#8221;
The actress also told Cohen that her one regret was not suing CBS, noting that her injuries were still a factor in her life.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t do it out of fear and anxiety, so don&#8217;t ever let fear rule your life. I have long-standing injuries from that. I wish I had listened to my dad, who said, &#8216;You&#8217;re gonna wanna do this,'&#8221; she added, noting that her family wasn&#8217;t really litigious by nature, but exceptions should be made for situations that could potentially have been deadly.
Chenoweth has previously mentioned the accident in a 2022 essay for her collection — titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Moment-Women-Fighting-Themselves/dp/1982160926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My Moment: 106 Women on Fighting for Themselves</a>&#8221; — and she argued that CBS should have done more to &#8220;take responsibility&#8221; for the accident and her injuries.
&#8220;Unfortunately, the powers that be at CBS at the time did not take responsibility for what happened to me, but there&#8217;s a new regime at the network and they&#8217;re just lovely to work with. Leadership matters. Full stop,&#8221; she wrote.
Chenoweth ultimately left the show because of the injuries sustained in that accident.

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen – Season 20

‘Wicked’ Star Says Hair Extensions Saved Her Life After A Freak Accident On A CBS Show Set

'Wicked' Star Kristin Chenoweth Says Hair Extensions Saved Her Life After A Freak Accident On A CBS Show Set

Broadway

Celebrities

Television

U.S.

Producers of the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/broadway">Broadway</a> show “KPOP: The Musical” are demanding The New York Times apologize for a negative review from critic Jesse Green they described as &#8220;casual <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/racism">racism</a>.&#8221;
“We are the producers of the recently opened Broadway musical, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-korea">KPOP</a>, and we are writing to ask that you issue an apology to the cast and creators of our show for the insensitive and, frankly, offensive review written by Jesse Green,” a letter sent to NYT chairman and publisher A.G. Sulzberger and Theater Editor Nicole Herrington says, in part.
“To be clear, we respect Mr. Green’s right to be critical of the show. What we are asking you to address is the cultural insensitivity, underlying ignorance of and distaste for K-pop as a genre and what comes across as casual racism in his review,” it continues, per the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/kpop-musical-demands-apology-after-racist-new-york-times-review/">New York Post</a>. “That this would be the case in The New York Times is, frankly, astonishing.”
The letter, written by producers Tim Forbes and Joey Parnes, asks, “Is a Broadway show valid only if it is centered on and catering exclusively to a white, English-speaking audience?” 
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-10632">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA’S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US AND SAVE 30%.</a>
Several “KPOP” cast members also called out the review, with actor Andrew Lim taking issue with Green using the descriptor “squint-inducing.”
Lim said Green&#8217;s word choice was an act of &#8220;disrespect&#8221; and said Green should &#8220;find better words.&#8221; 
“If you are not an Asian American that has been made fun of for their squinty eyes or their slanty eyes, I’m sorry, I don’t want to hear from you right now. You can take a seat,” Lim <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Clh_iXMLpfw/">shared</a> on Instagram. 
Green’s review mostly focuses on how the show would only be entertaining for fans with some prior knowledge of the Korean pop music genre. His “squint-inducing” line references the lighting, not the actors. 
“By then, if you are not a fan, you may feel worn out by the aggressive mimicry of the K-pop performance style, not just in the mostly electronic arrangements but also in the minutely detailed choreography by Jennifer Weber, the squint-inducing lighting by Jiyoun Chang and the hundreds of can-you-top-this costumes by Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi,” Green <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/theater/kpop-review-broadway.html">writes</a>.
“ &#8230; Those who aren’t hard-core fans of the genre or don’t understand Korean — let alone those who saw the radically different and far superior Off Broadway version in 2017 — will have a harder time enjoying this one,” he says of the show. “For them, the musical is less an eye-opener than an ear-pounder, assiduously drowning out any ambitions it may once have had to be more.”
Other reviews of the show were mixed, but so far, producers have only singled out The New York Times and Green for &#8220;casual racism.&#8221;  
“KPOP: The Musical” is currently playing in New York’s Circle in the Square Theatre.

US-ENTERTAINMENT-BROADWAY-KPOP

KPOP Musical Producers Demand Apology From New York Times For ‘Casual Racism’ In Show Review

KPOP Musical Producers Demand Apology From New York Times For 'Casual Racism' In Show Review

Asian American

Entertainment

Media

New York Times

Racism

An interpreter for the Broadway show “The Lion King” is suing over his termination, claiming that he was fired because of his skin color.
The American Sign Language interpreter, Keith Wann, is a white man. He was asked to substitute for a “BIPOC” interpreter, but then got an email essentially telling him he could no longer do the job.
He claimed that he got an email from the Theatre Development Fund accessibility programs on April 2 saying that &#8220;it’s no longer appropriate to have White interpreters represent Black characters for ASL Broadway shows.&#8221;
Wann and his lawyer, Josh Pepper, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/broadways-lion-king-facing-lawsuit-allegedly-firing-sign-language-interpreter-white" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> to “Fox &amp; Friends” on Monday about the lawsuit.
Wann said he “just looked at it and said, ‘What they’re saying here — I think this is illegal,’” which is when he spoke to the attorney.
Pepper explained, “It’s pretty straightforward. They pretty much admit in their email that they are retracting the offer because he is white.”
He explained a “Reconstruction Era statute” which states “people have the right to contract regardless of their race.”
He said it &#8220;was intended to protect the former slaves — to protect black people from not being able to have their businesses.” In 1976, he noted, the Supreme Court decided that white people could also bring lawsuits under the statute in a decision that was penned by Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court Justice.
“We think it’s a strong case that they refused to give him this job because he is white,&#8221; Pepper said. &#8220;The statute says you can’t do that, and so we want to recover the money that he would’ve been paid.&#8221;
Last week, as the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/11/12/lion-king-sign-language-interpreter-keith-wann-says-he-was-fired-for-being-white/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Wann filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the Theatre Development Fund, as well as its director of accessibility programs, Lisa Carling.
Wann received an email from Carling requesting that he and another interpreter exit the show, noting “the current social climate.”
“With great embarrassment and apologies, I’m asking you both to please back out of interpreting the show for us on Sunday, April 24,” Carling wrote, according to the Post. “I don’t see any other way out of this. It seems like the best solution.”
Carling made the request because of the director of ASL for “The Lion King,” who told her to fire all interpreters who weren’t black, per an additional email obtained by the Post and discussed in the lawsuit.
“The majority of the characters in the Lion King are black actors and the content takes place in Africa,” Guy wrote to Carling on April 1. “Keith Wann, though an amazing ASL performer, is not a black person and therefore should not be representing Lion King.”
“Wrong is wrong. … The decision they said in the email was wrong,&#8221; Wann said on Fox. &#8220;If you insert a different color, if you insert a different race, it is wrong. You are not allowed to fire somebody because of that reason.”
He also said there is &#8220;some false narrative out there that I’m trying to push my way into this space that is not my space. There was already a team established. They were asking me to come in and help them out…”

B7BDEE4D-D7CC-4943-AB6D-8D76E785DE3B_1_201_a

Broadway Sign Language Interpreter Sues After He Was Allegedly Fired Because He Is White

Broadway Sign Language Interpreter Keith Wann Sues After He Was Allegedly Fired Because He Is White

Discrimination

General

New York City

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">Ticket sales</a> for “The Phantom of the Opera” soared just after the long-running <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/broadway">Broadway</a> show announced it would be closing forever.
“The tills are alive with the sound of the music of the night!&#8221; producer Cameron Mackintosh <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/18/phantom-of-the-opera-sales-explode-after-shock-closing-announcement/">told</a> The New York Post of the increased revenue as the show’s end looms. Apparently, it raked in $2 million in sales following the announcement. But this renewed popularity will not change the fact that “Phantom of the Opera” will close in February.
The award-winning show will be staging a huge party for its 35th anniversary, then shutting down for good shortly after. There have been 13,000 performances at the Majestic Theatre in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York City</a> since opening on January 26, 1988, making it the longest-running show on Broadway. The producer mentioned how “Chicago” is the second longest and costs less to run.
“Everyone thinks these shows can go on forever, but you can’t run a big show at these margins anymore,” the producer told The Post. 
He mentioned that while it used to take $800,000 to put on, now the post-pandemic cost has skyrocketed closer to $950,000. That number is not sustainable.
“The 35-year run is even more miraculous when you consider how huge it is,” Mackintosh continued. “There comes a tipping point in the life of any show. The number of losing weeks was rising even before COVID.”
“The encouraging thing is that there is still a terrific resilience and an insistence to come to shows,” the producer continued. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride, but people are turning up!”
Broadway shows, in general, have struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels, even after theaters dropped the vaccine mandate for guests. Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2022/05/04/broadway-attendance-plummets-as-market-teeters-theaters-drop-vaccine-mandate/?sh=4d5a70df177c">reported</a> in May that gross ticket sales fell 15%, and only three-quarters of all seats were occupied compared to the same week in 2019, with the same number of shows, when shows were 90% full.
Even popular shows like “Hamilton” failed to sell out as usual. Add that to the increased cost of running these shows, which leads to a conclusion where even mainstays like “The Phantom of the Opera” can be put on the chopping block.
Tourism in New York City is also down significantly as rising crime rates and high-profile attacks are making headlines. Broadway enthusiasts may be less likely to head into the city to see a show if they’re worried about safety.

“Phantom Of The Opera” Reopening Night

‘Phantom Of The Opera’ Ticket Sales Explode After Show Announces It’s Shutting Down

'Phantom Of The Opera' Ticket Sales Explode After Show Announces It's Shutting Down

Lea Michele has officially replaced Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/broadway">Broadway</a> revival of “Funny Girl,” and her former “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/entertainment">Glee</a>” co-star Samantha Ware has feelings about it.
Michele was rumored to be taking the spot, and as of this week, those rumors came true. Ware posted on Twitter about the situation, <a href="https://twitter.com/Sammie_Ware/status/1546561221716893696">saying</a>, “Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see y’all. Yes, I care. Yes, im affected. Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again.”
Her ire is likely related to accusations Ware made against Michele on Twitter two years ago, where she alleged that the 35-year-old actress made her life a “living hell” on the set of “Glee” and even threatened to defecate in Ware’s wig, per <a href="https://ew.com/theater/glee-samantha-ware-lea-michele-funny-girl-reaction/">Entertainment Weekly</a>.
&#8220;[Michele] said I don&#8217;t deserve to have that job,&#8221; Ware told Variety during an <a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/samantha-ware-glee-lea-michele-interview-black-actress-hollywood-1234631015/">interview</a> at the time. &#8220;She talked about how she has reign. And here&#8217;s the thing: I completely understood that, and I was ready to be like, &#8216;This is your show. I&#8217;m not here to be disrespectful.&#8217; But at that point, we were already past the respect and she was just abusing her power.&#8221;
&#8220;Am I calling Lea a racist? No,&#8221; the actress said. &#8220;Does Lea have racist tendencies? I think Lea suffers from a symptom of living in this world in an industry that is tailored to white people.&#8221;
Michele never said she behaved badly toward Ware, but she did issue a general apology to anyone she hurt. 
“While I don&#8217;t remember ever making this specific statement and I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that&#8217;s not really the point, what matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people,” the “Glee” alum said in a statement, per <a href="https://ew.com/tv/lea-michele-apology-glee-samantha-marie-ware/">EW</a>.  
“Whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times or whether it was just my immaturity and me just being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused,” she said. 
The publication noted that Michele won’t be eligible for a Tony Award for her new lead role in “Funny Girl.” 
A source told <a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/07/11/beanie-feldstein-basically-fired-before-quitting-funny-girl/">Page Six</a> that Feldstein was replaced due to declining ticket sales. While Michele won’t reunite with her other “Glee” co-star Jane Lynch, who was portraying the mother in the show, she is expected to draw bigger crowds than her predecessor.

Lea Michele Samantha Ware

‘Broadway Upholds Whiteness’: Lea Michele’s ‘Glee’ Co-Star Reacts After ‘Funny Girl’ Casting News

Lea Michele's 'Glee' Co-Star Reacts With Anger After 'Funny Girl' Casting News

Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth is revealing for the first time just how close she came to being just another victim in the brutal 1977 murder of three girls at an Oklahoma Girl Scout camp.
&#8220;This is a story I wish I never had to tell, but it needs to be told,&#8221; Chenoweth <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdqi2uCD2dt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=63ae2929-ae72-4082-8a80-0f90db06e313">posted</a> on Instagram, sharing the trailer of the upcoming four-part documentary &#8220;Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders.&#8221; The series was produced for ABC News Studios and will premiere on Hulu on May 24.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="‘Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders’ | Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XmP4-HKlWrk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;The four-part docuseries, which premieres May 24 on Hulu, explores the killings of <a href="https://people.com/crime/girl-scout-murder-mom-lori-farmer-speaks/">Lori Lee Farmer</a>, 8, Michele Heather Guse, 9, and Doris Denise Milner, 10, during a June 1977 Girl Scouts trip to Camp Scott,&#8221; People <a href="https://people.com/tv/kristin-chenoweth-reveals-personal-connection-1977-girl-scout-murders-abc-news-doc-trailer/">reported</a>.
The three girls were put in the same tent — the furthest one from the counselors – but <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-girl-scout-murders-1977-latest/39871676">several noises throughout the night</a> brought Counselor Carla Wilhite out of her own tent to investigate. Most of the disruptions were caused by giggling campers, up late because they were enjoying their first night away from home. However, one camper reported hearing a scream during the night — and another said that she had heard someone crying for her mother.
Wilhite said that she heard a low, &#8220;guttural&#8221; sound several times, but that it had stopped when she waved her flashlight toward the surrounding woods — and because she never saw anything moving, she said she had just assumed that it had been an animal.
But the next morning, all three girls were found dead in their sleeping bags, and the medical examiner said that they had been sexually molested but not raped. Camp Scott was closed that morning, and it never reopened.
&#8220;I remember I should have been on that trip, but I had gotten sick, and mom said, &#8216;You can&#8217;t go. It stuck with me my whole life. I could have been one of them,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-kristin-chenoweth-backs-pro-life-message-of-new-movie-shares-personal-experience-told-from-my-gut/">Chenoweth</a> said.
The &#8220;Wicked&#8221; star added, &#8220;When I think of those three girls, I wonder what&#8217;s the best way to honor them. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;d come back home, to find answers once and for all.&#8221;
The four-part docuseries follows investigators as they use new technology to investigate the case — technology that was not available at the time of the murders. It also includes new interviews with the families of the victims, a camp counselor, and the sheriff who reopened the case.
Mayes County Sheriff Mike Reed recently released DNA results linking escaped convict Gene Leroy Hart to the crime. Even though Hart was acquitted in 1979, Reed said that he believes he was connected in some way.
&#8220;Unless something new comes up, something brought to light we are not aware of, I am convinced where I&#8217;m sitting of Hart&#8217;s guilt and involvement in this case,&#8221; Reed said. Hart died in prison in 1979, serving time for unrelated charges.

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen – Season 17

‘Wicked’ Broadway Star Reveals How Close She Came To Being Murdered At Girl Scout Camp

Kristin Chenoweth Reveals How Close She Came To Being Murdered At Girl Scout Camp

Girl Scouts

Hulu

Movies

Murder

Music

Actor Neil Patrick Harris issued an apology nearly eleven years after the fact for serving a meat platter molded to look like the rotting corpse of singer Amy Winehouse at his 2011 Halloween party — just months after the 6-time Grammy winner died.
&#8220;Modeling food after a dead person is an objectively disgusting move, one made even more disgusting when you remember that this platter made its debut so shortly after Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at the mere age of 27,&#8221; Jezebel <a href="https://jezebel.com/neil-patrick-harris-finally-apologized-for-that-gross-a-1848936244?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">reported</a>.
A photo of the platter — which included &#8220;beef ribs, pulled pork, chicken sausage in a spicy BBQ sauce&#8221; — circulated on social media again recently, prompting the &#8220;How I Met Your Mother&#8221; star to address the issue more than a decade later.
WARNING: Graphic photo below: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Neil Patrick Harris apologizes for mocking Amy Winehouse’s death with corpse buffet platter three months after she died: 
&quot;It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I&#39;m sorry for any hurt this image caused.” <a href="https://t.co/pB9KRY1L4H">pic.twitter.com/pB9KRY1L4H</a>
&mdash; Pop Crave (@PopCrave) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1526394322098065408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/himtoo-neil-patrick-harris-recalls-proposition-hank-berrien/">Harris</a> told Entertainment Weekly in a <a href="https://ew.com/celebrity/exclusive-neil-patrick-harris-responds-resurfaced-amy-winehouse-joke/">statement</a>, which the outlet published Monday. &#8220;It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I&#8217;m sorry for any hurt this image caused.&#8221;
Winehouse was just 27 years old at the time of her death, which was the result of alcohol poisoning. She had a long history of both alcohol and drug abuse, and had reportedly been doing better before returning to drinking in the days before she died.
According to Dr. Christina Romete, who <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/amy-winehouses-chilling-confession-doctor-21619994">reportedly</a> paid Winehouse a house call the night before she passed away, the singer knew she was in trouble and reassured the doctor that she was not at risk of suicide.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to die,&#8221; Winehouse said, according to Romete, who also said that she had repeatedly refused to seek any mental health treatment because she feared it might interfere with her creative process.
&#8220;She was one of the most intelligent young women I’ve ever met,&#8221; Romete said during a hearing related to Winehouse&#8217;s death. &#8220;She was very determined to do everything her way, including her therapy. She had very strict views on that.&#8221;
She went on to say that Winehouse admitted that she had started drinking again around July 20th — just three days before she passed — and that the night before she died she had seemed &#8220;calm and somewhat guilty” and despite being obviously inebriated, she had been &#8220;able to hold a conversation.&#8221;
Winehouse&#8217;s death was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/08/amy-winehouse-alcohol-poisoning-inquest">officially recorded</a> as death by &#8220;misadventure,&#8221; as the St Pancras coroner, Dr Shirley Radcliffe, explained, &#8220;She voluntarily consumed alcohol, a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn in that it caused her death.&#8221;

Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One – Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray

Neil Patrick Harris Apologizes For Serving Party Platter Shaped Like Amy Winehouse’s Corpse

Neil Patrick Harris Apologizes For Party Platter Shaped Like Amy Winehouse's Corpse

Alcohol

Drugs

Hollywood

Two-time Tony winner Patti LuPone went on a NSFW rant at a maskless theatergoer at her Broadway show &#8220;Company&#8221; in an audio clip that has gone viral on social media.
The 73-year-old LuPone called out the person as she slammed them when their mask was apparently down past their nose, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/05/11/patti-lupone-goes-on-f-word-rant-with-maskless-theater-patron/">reported</a> the New York Post.
LuPone first tells the audience &#8220;please put your masks over your noses&#8221; and told the person, &#8220;your mask protects me so that I can perform.&#8221;
&#8220;Put your mask over your nose, that&#8217;s why you&#8217;re in the theater,&#8221; the &#8220;Life Goes On&#8221; star said before she started screaming at the person.
LISTEN:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
But why is no one mentioning she bent down to pick up her drink and white cheddar cheez its before storming out <a href="https://t.co/Oi6xSC6NX5">pic.twitter.com/Oi6xSC6NX5</a>
&mdash; Miles (he/him) (@MilesJosephson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MilesJosephson/status/1524259233025478658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;That is the rule,&#8221; she added. &#8220;If you don&#8217;t want to follow the rule, get the f*** out!&#8221;
Members of the audience can be heard cheering her comments in the background.
&#8220;Who do you think you are?&#8221; the actress asked. &#8220;That you do not respect the people that are sitting around you!&#8221;
The maskless person, who was a woman, can be heard telling LuPone, &#8220;I pay your salary!&#8221;
&#8220;Bulls***! Chris Harper pays my salary!&#8221; the Broadway star shouted, referencing the name of &#8220;Company&#8217;s&#8221; producer. &#8220;Just put your mask over your nose. Oh my f***ing God. This is bulls***.&#8221;
Someone on a microphone then thanks the star as the audience applauds.
LuPone battled COVID-19 back in February, the Post noted.
The Schubert Organization, which operates the theater where LuPone performed, <a href="https://shubert.nyc/about-us/covid-19/">posted</a> COVID-19 regulations on its website which state: &#8220;MASKS REQUIRED: Everyone in the theatre must wear acceptable face coverings at all times, including during the show, except while eating or drinking in designated locations. All face coverings must cover the nose and mouth and comply with the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html">CDC guidelines for acceptable face coverings</a>.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/broadway-actor-who-survived-covid-takes-flak-for-planning-to-respectfully-disobey-state-church-lockdowns">Broadway Actor Who Survived COVID Takes Flak For Planning To &#8216;Respectfully Disobey&#8217; State Church Lockdowns</a>

Patti LuPone-2

‘Get The F*** Out’: Two-Time Tony Winner Goes On NSFW Rant At Maskless Theatergoer

Two-Time Tony Winner Goes On NSFW Rant At Maskless Theatergoer

COVID

Mask Mandate

The woman accused of fatally shoving Broadway singing coach Barbara Gustern, 87, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of manslaughter and assault.
Lauren Pazienza, 26, shoved Gustern in an unprovoked attack that put the singing coach in the hospital, where she died five days later. Pazienza pleaded not guilty to the charges against her, arguing that she never intended to seriously hurt anyone.
Her attorney, Arthur Aidala, <a href="https://people.com/crime/no-bail-for-lauren-pazienza-in-deadly-manhattan-sidewalk-shove-of-barbara-gustern/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=news_tab">told</a> People that the evidence against his client was unclear and that &#8220;there clearly was no intent to do serious harm to anyone.&#8221;
Pazienza was celebrating her upcoming wedding with her fiancé on the night of the shoving incident, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/nyregion/lauren-pazienza-vocal-coach-barbara-gustern-bail.html?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=news_tab&amp;fb_news_token=8G7yz%2BfV57%2BnJNaN5LRjNg%3D%3D.qQtzsY8F5HBbc%2FHhr4Uz0kHCTyQromJypcsLqF%2BiyoDLxIkrsnV8uo4l9esh7RIyInnRgWyrVXbPv1iYMBZeAoRVvzDSapWzhx8wLXSgF8uMmj%2BsGnK75MOfbk%2ByzcSY1OZgno3LEsyBGgPpFjvWq2%2BHPCk9s3YqWNKW5zt%2BTEr8T9puzEwvUuHdo57ltQzkD30T1Eze66VlrZRbasKg9criO56%2BUVCc%2FXljtGM3KnJKO0v2EHqQz1W5gl%2FWzn8LyHVqwPwFVfyaDT3S8MCUxsKIbpcTN66Jl41H%2BTwdax2BQH3QVAyGv9X7hQLyV3yQ">reported</a>. Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in court that Pazienza had several glasses of wine with her fiancé before eventually purchasing food from a food cart and entering Chelsea Park.
A Parks Department employee reportedly told the couple that they had to leave the park since it was going to close soon. In response, Pazienza began screaming at the employee and then turned on her fiancé. She “threw her food on to her fiancé and stormed out of the park,” prosecutor Justin McNabney told the court, according to the Times.
Her fiancé told prosecutors that he started to head home, while Pazienza went a different direction, eventually seeing Gustern, crossing the street, and shoving her to the ground. Pazienza allegedly called Gustern a “b****” before the attack. Afterward, Pazienza called her fiancé to reunite, but when they did, she started to yell at him again. Before the two returned home, Pazienza <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-who-allegedly-shoved-broadway-singing-coach-before-her-death-watched-ambulance-and-hid-before-turning-herself-in-authorities-say">watched</a> the ambulance arrive at Gustern’s apartment building.
Prosecutors went on to say that Pazienza told her fiancé that night that she had pushed someone, telling him that the person she pushed “might have said something to her,” though she couldn’t be sure. Two days later, after seeing the case covered in the media, Pazienza allegedly grew nervous, her fiancé told the authorities. He said she showed him an article about the assault and that she eventually told a cousin what she had done.
That’s when Pazienza’s fiancé said she fled to her parents’ home on Long Island, deleted her social media accounts, and removed her wedding website. She also left her cellphone at her aunt’s home. She would later hide out at the aunt’s home.
After police went to Pazienza’s parents’ home and her father said she wasn’t there, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-turns-herself-in-for-allegedly-shoving-vocal-teacher-who-taught-blondies-debbie-harry-causing-her-death">turned herself in</a>.
“We now know from the substance of the defendant’s confession and the victim’s own description of the incident that this was an intentional act,” McNabney said in court, according to the Times. “There is no evidence whatsoever to support any inference that this was accidental or merely reckless.”
McNabney asked that Pazienza be held without bail, arguing that she was a flight risk, an assessment her attorneys John Esposito and John Leventhal disputed. The two attorneys said Pazienza had proved she wasn’t a flight risk in the month-and-a-half since she turned herself in by showing up in court, and noted that her friends and family had already paid a $500,000 bail set earlier.
Judge Felicia Mennin sided with the prosecution and ordered Pazienza to be held without bail.

SHOVE

Woman Accused Of Fatally Shoving Broadway Singing Coach Pleads Not Guilty, Is Denied Bail

Lauren Pazienza Pleads Not Guilty To Fatally Shoving Broadway Singing Coach Barbara Gustern

Crime

Death

A New York City theater has abruptly cancelled a play about an abortionist imprisoned for life for killing babies. Though the theater cited safety concerns and content inappropriate for children, the writer behind the controversial show claims they are afraid of the story he is trying to tell.
Playwright Phelim McAleer pointed out to The Daily Wire on Tuesday that Theatre Row has hosted a slew of other plays labeled inappropriate for children (including Hitler&#8217;s Tasters, My Mother&#8217;s Severed Head, and the production Satan and God) — and McAleer believes Theatre Row cancelled the show because it exposes the gruesome crimes of an abortionist.
&#8220;Theatre Row claims to support the arts and a diverse array of views, but it&#8217;s clear from their letter that they will not hesitate to silence artists who don&#8217;t fit their narrative,&#8221; McAleer told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Their letter is a complete fraud and they should be ashamed of themselves. This is so-called elites trying to cover up the truth. They are afraid of facts and real art. They are sham artists.&#8221;
&#8220;<a href="https://unreportedstorysociety.createsend1.com/t/t-i-qtydtz-l-j/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://unreportedstorysociety.createsend1.com/t/t-i-qtydtz-l-j/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1651084238299000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mpRldh0LqJF2MOIayLsld">Oh Gosnell: The Truth About Abortion</a>&#8221; is a production billed as &#8220;the most controversial Off Broadway play this year,&#8221; reportedly <a href="https://www.ohgosnell.com/">taken verbatim</a> from the trial transcript of Kermit Gosnell, who is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/justice/pennsylvania-abortion-doctor-pills/index.html">serving multiple life sentences</a> in Pennsylvania&#8217;s Huntington Correctional Institute.
Gosnell was convicted in 2013 on three counts of first-degree murder for killing babies by cutting their spinal cords with scissors at his Philadelphia abortion clinic.
McAleer and his wife, Anne McElhinney, who investigated Gosnell&#8217;s crimes for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gosnell-Untold-Americas-Prolific-Serial/dp/1621574555">their best-selling book</a>, have talked to Gosnell over the phone many times and even visited the convicted murderer in prison &#8220;where he veered from charming old uncle to really, really creepy,&#8221; McAleer told The Daily Wire.
The show is set to launch on the same night as J.J. Abrams&#8217; and Ilana Glazer’s supposed abortion comedy, “Oh God: A Show About Abortion.&#8221; It will now be performed at The Chain Theatre instead, McAleer said.
&#8220;They laugh about it &#8211; we tell the truth about it,&#8221; the Unreported Story Society&#8217;s website says. &#8220;Gosnell was a serial killer abortion doctor who was convicted of killing babies and women patients.&#8221;
Theatre Row, an &#8220;Off-Broadway multi-theater complex in the heart of the Theater District,&#8221; did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire. The complex is operated by Building for the Arts NY, Inc.
In an <a href="https://unreportedstorysociety.com/wp-content/uploads/LTR-Unreported.pdf">April 21 letter to the Unreported Story Society</a>, Building for the Arts NY, Inc.&#8217;s legal representation claimed that McAleer&#8217;s organization withheld &#8220;material information&#8221; from the theatre company in a manner &#8220;constituting fraud.&#8221;
&#8220;Our nonprofit mission is public record,&#8221; the letter said. &#8220;The Play’s content violates material terms of the executed agreement including, without limitation, the subject matter inappropriate for children and the resultant disrepute suffered by the Licensor.&#8221;
&#8220;The Theatre will not be able to exercise reason in granting many, if not all, of the approvals required,&#8221; the letter continued. &#8220;This should have been obvious to the Licensee. Upon information and belief, there are numerous deficiencies, breaches and violations regarding good standing, insurance, and attendant rules, but this letter is not meant to set forth a comprehensive list of reasons. We are concerned for the safety of our staff and our neighbors.&#8221;
The letter warns the Unreported Story Society that the theatre has &#8220;informed security and local law enforcement that there is no property left in the building and no reason for your return to the premises.&#8221;
&#8220;Kindly do not contact any individuals at Theatre Row as you have been made aware that they have engaged litigation counsel,&#8221; the letter said. &#8220;Direct all questions or other communications to this office. Your deposit is being returned today.&#8221;
McAleer told The Daily Wire that the theater company is &#8220;afraid&#8221; and that their claims have &#8220;no basis in reality,&#8221; calling the letter &#8220;the best piece of fiction they have ever produced.&#8221;
He also said he finds it ironic that the company would consider a play about abortion as &#8220;inappropriate for children” when &#8220;plays like the one produced by Hollywood Producer J.J. Abrams are deadly to children every day in America.&#8221;
&#8220;Our play uses fact, evidence, and testimony, and humanizes babies,&#8221; he added, noting that &#8220;J.J. Abrams, Ilana Glazer and their pro-abortion cronies like to joke about destroying babies.&#8221;
&#8220;These are two different views of the world,&#8221; he emphasized, asking, &#8220;shouldn’t the public hear both?&#8221;

Screen Shot 2022-04-26 at 3.51.16 PM

NYC Theater Abruptly Cancels Play About Convicted Baby-Killer Kermit Gosnell Citing Safety Concerns

Abortion

Gosnell

New York

Phelim McAleer

The new Broadway musical “MJ,” which depicts the days before Michael Jackson&#8217;s 1992 Dangerous tour, opened on Tuesday night and was slammed by critics for ignoring child sex abuse allegations that were made against Jackson.
<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/mj-review-flashy-michael-jackson-020054951.html">Variety reported</a>:
<blockquote>In answer to the question of whether it&#8217;s possible to separate the art from the artist, “MJ” performs a slick, crotch-grabbing sidestep. &#8230; Produced by special arrangement with the Michael Jackson estate, “MJ” narrows in on a troubled time for the artist, apparently for the sake of depicting him as a victim of the tabloid press and presenting an oblique denial of unspecified wrongdoing, referred to only briefly as “recent allegations.” &#8230; If there was darkness behind the angelic falsetto, a mix of light and shadow that made Michael Jackson a singular artist, “MJ” enacts a sleight of hand, insisting it didn’t belong to him. It’s a renouncement worthy enough of a smooth criminal.</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/mj-review-michael-jackson-musical-fails-portrait-star-entertainment/">Daily Telegraph</a>: “Following the broadcast of Leaving Neverland, a TV documentary in which two men accused Jackson of molesting them when they were boys, there were many who felt that a new stage show focusing on the singer was in terrible taste. And yet the box office has done brisk business, proving that Jackson is pretty much uncancellable.”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/theater/mj-musical-review.html">The New York Times’</a> Jesse Green:
<blockquote>As the joys of the early scenes begin to fade, “MJ” settles for baldly providing, in the relatively small space allotted to words, an avalanche of astonishing and sorrowful facts. Which is why the absence of the biggest one is so jarring. In agreeing to write what is essentially an authorized biography — the show has been produced “by special arrangement with the Michael Jackson estate” — Nottage apparently made a compromise: She would note his minor oddities while avoiding the most troubling accusations against him.</blockquote>
<a href="https://deadline.com/2022/02/mj-broadway-review-michael-jackson-musical-1234922944/">Deadline</a>: “To address the elephant man in the room: While MJ depicts Jackson’s drug problems, raises (if only to dismiss) charges of racial self-loathing, references the Bubbles-and-Joseph Merrick eccentricities, the third-rail allegations of child molestation go unstated if not entirely ignored.”
Deadline added, “The approach is, historically speaking, defendable: The events of MJ are set in 1992 as Jackson rehearses his upcoming Dangerous world tour. &#8230; Within the musical’s universe, the closest MJ comes to confronting the topic is a vague reference to a family being invited on tour with the singer, but even that comment is open to interpretation: Is the business associate raising the issue merely worried about the expense of additional people on tour, or is he fretting about putting a young boy in such close proximity to the star? Is the reference’s sense of foreboding rooted in concern for victims of child abuse, or for a victim of scheming blackmailers?”
At one point in the musical, Jackson’s manager asks, “Who the hell is this family he wants to bring on the tour?”
Deadline commented:
<blockquote>Within the musical&#8217;s universe, the closest MJ comes to confronting the topic is a vague reference to a family being invited on tour with the singer, but even that comment is open to interpretation: Is the business associate raising the issue merely worried about the expense of additional people on tour, or is he fretting about putting a young boy in such close proximity to the star? Is the reference&#8217;s sense of foreboding rooted in concern for victims of child abuse, or for a victim of scheming blackmailers?</blockquote>
Green noted, “There are pat explanations for every peccadillo, from the plastic surgeries &#8230; to the hyperbaric chamber &#8230; His father’s viciousness is likewise given a gloss coat of justification &#8230; In this, ‘MJ’ is trying to have it both ways. It wants to blame everything sad and weird about Jackson on others (especially the press, who are equated with the zombies in ‘Thriller’) but credit him alone for his every good deed and success.”

“MJ” The Michael Jackson Musical Opening Night

‘Slick, Crotch-Grabbing Sidestep’: Michael Jackson Musical Slammed For Ignoring Child Sex Abuse Allegations

Child Sex Abuse

Michael Jackson

Two of New York City theatre&#8217;s marquee productions have been canceled because of outbreaks of COVID-19 among cast members.
Newsweek reported Tuesday that <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/nutcracker-latest-victim-covid-surge-nyc-tries-navigate-end-year-events-1663831">The Nutcracker</a>, the world-famous ballet originally composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and brought to American audiences by choreographer George Balanchine, was canceled for the remainder of its season because of an increase in COVID-19 cases.
&#8220;While New York City Ballet had hoped to resume performances this evening, we have made the decision that continuing to perform at this time would not be in the best interest of the NYCB community, whose health and safety is our number one priority,&#8221; New York City Ballet Executive Director Kathy Brown and Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford said in a statement announcing the cancellations. &#8220;We are extraordinarily proud of everyone who safely came together to present 30 beautiful performances of George Balanchine&#8217;s The Nutcracker in recent weeks, and we are also very grateful to the thousands of people who attended.&#8221;
The ballet, which has been a staple of New York&#8217;s Christmas entertainment scene for almost 70 years, was also canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first year since 1954 that the ballet was not performed.
At the same time, the Broadway production of The Music Man was also canceled until the New Year because star actor Hugh Jackman was infected with COVID-19.
&#8220;Just wanted you to hear it from me, that I tested positive this morning for COVID,&#8221; Jackman said in a video posted to Twitter. &#8220;My symptoms are like a cold; I have a scratchy throat and a bit of a runny nose, but I&#8217;m fine. I&#8217;m just going to do everything I can to get better ASAP. And as soon as I&#8217;m cleared, I&#8217;ll be back on stage heading to River City,&#8221; he said, referring to the fictional town where the musical is set.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just wanted you to hear it from me. I tested positive for covid. Mild symptoms and as soon as I’m cleared … looking forward to getting back to The Winter Garden! <a href="https://twitter.com/MusicManBway?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MusicManBway</a> <a href="https://t.co/q1oEAzXX02">pic.twitter.com/q1oEAzXX02</a>
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealHughJackman/status/1475883673383845888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
Sutton Foster, Jackman&#8217;s co-star in the production, also tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/music-man-broadways-hottest-ticket-halted-hugh-jackman-positive-covid-1663799">quarantine</a>, Newsweek reported, but performances were scheduled to continue without her until Jackman was infected Tuesday.
The two shows are the latest in a slew of New York City productions that were forced to cancel shows because of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/broadway-show-canceled-over-covid-after-audience-already-seated-other-shows-canceled">outbreaks in the cast and crew</a>. The Daily Wire previously reported:
<blockquote>Wednesday’s performance of Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre was canceled suddenly after the audience was seated and waiting for the music to start, Deadline reported.
A spokesperson confirmed to the New York Post that the cancellation was due to “a late-in-the-day positive test result in the company.”
On Friday morning, producers also canceled the performance scheduled for that evening. Currently, the show is scheduled to take the stage again on Saturday, December 18, at 2 p.m.
A slew of other shows, Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Tina, Freestyle Love Supreme, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Ain’t Too Proud have all also canceled performances since December 13 over breakthrough coronavirus cases.
MJ the musical, which is about Michael Jackson, announced Friday that it is canceling all preview performances through Christmas.</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rockettes-cancel-christmas-spectacular-shows-over-covid-concerns">Radio City Rockettes</a> were also forced to cancel their &#8220;Christmas Spectacular&#8221; performances because of an outbreak amongst the cast.

Two More Hit Broadway Shows Canceled Over COVID Concerns

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