A man accused of murder is now the subject of a musical and the crowds can’t wait.
“Luigi: The Musical,” will debut in New York City this June, just blocks from the scene of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder. The show, first staged in San Francisco, transforms suspected assassin Luigi Mangione into a comic antihero. The New York premiere has sold out. Late-night audiences have cheered at the mention of his name.
Not long ago, political violence — even fictionalized — sparked bipartisan outrage. Today, it sells tickets. And the speed of that shift says more about us than it does about one off-Broadway production.
<div id="attachment_1055155" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055155" class="size-large wp-image-1055155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-461x576.jpg" alt="Source: thegreenroom42/Instagram" width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-NYC.jpg 1080w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" />Source: thegreenroom42/Instagram</div>
Pop culture has a way of giving us an eerie snapshot into America’s moral decline.
We could point to Bad Bunny’s over-sexualized Super Bowl halftime show, new media attempts to trans the kids, or Brittany’s new DUI. But also consider the outrage over the 2006 film “Death of a President,” the faux documentary featuring President George W. Bush’s assassination. The film released just as far-Left protesters labeled the president “Hitler” over his War on Terror tactics. The project even drew bipartisan fury from former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who dubbed the film “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061023003633/http:/www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060916%2FUPDATE%2F609160394">despicable</a>.”
More than a decade later, the culture recoiled over an image of comedian Kathy Griffin holding the bloody head of President Donald Trump. Griffin’s comedy career collapsed overnight, and only in recent years has she returned to the quasi-mainstream. Griffin apologized, but quickly reversed course. Today, no such apology would be required.
Those moments, however, seem almost quaint compared to “Luigi: The Musical.”
The comedy enjoyed brisk sales during its short San Francisco debut last year. The show features Mangione sharing a jail cell with Sean “Diddy” Combs and crypto crook Sam Bankman-Fried.
<div id="attachment_1055173" style="width: 816px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055173" class="size-large wp-image-1055173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-806x576.jpg" alt="Source: Playbillhttps://playbill.com/article/luigi-mangioni-musical-to-get-nyc-reading" width="806" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-806x576.jpg 806w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage-768x549.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Luigi-stage.jpg 970w" sizes=" (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" />Source: Playbill</div>
The production will hit New York City’s Green Room 42 on June 15, 2026. That’s a short subway ride from the scene of Thompson’s cold-blooded murder.
Media reports have depicted “Luigi” in conflicting fashion. Some suggest the show doesn’t glamorize the alleged murderer. Others hint at the opposite, while crowds have been cheering his presence at various shows, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/luigi-mangione-musical-set-to-premiere-on-nyc-stage/">according to The New York Post.</a>
Is it merely dark humor rushing to the surface? Or something more sinister squeezing into our conversations?
The minds behind the musical insist <a href="https://playbill.com/article/luigi-mangioni-musical-to-get-nyc-reading">they’re not advocating violence</a>.
&#8220;Luigi: the Musical uses comedy to bring deeper questions to the surface. Why did this case garner the reaction that it did? And what happens when people stop trusting their institutions?&#8221; Luigi director Nova Bradford said in a statement.
Yet even this kind of cringe theater shouldn’t come as a shock. Nor should the fact that the show <a href="https://www.nysun.com/article/luigi-mangione-musical-sells-out-its-new-york-performance-and-adds-extra-dates">swiftly sold out</a> and added additional dates for its Big Apple debut.
Shortly after the murder, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” shared how some of his young female staffers had developed a crush on the alleged murderer and his washboard abs. Kimmel flashed screenshots of his <a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/1166115/jimmy-kimmel-luigi-mangione-hot-kiiller-monologue-video/">employees fan-girling over the suspect,</a> 
<blockquote>“People are saying a NY jury has the power to find him innocent, bc we all love him,”
“I’m not mad at him.”</blockquote>
Kimmel and the audience chortled over the revelations, although the host wisely blocked the names of the staffers in question. It still speaks volumes about the show and its fan base.
<div id="attachment_978781" style="width: 858px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978781" class="size-large wp-image-978781" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-848x576.jpg" alt="Jimmy Kimmel" width="848" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-848x576.jpg 848w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4-768x522.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Jimmy-Kimmel-4.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" />Randy Holmes via Getty Images</div>
This wasn’t a “Gutfeld!” audience.
And it wasn’t the only comedy showcase lining up on Mangione’s side. “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart informed his far-Left audience that the alleged killer had been collared by the cops.
The response? The “boos” <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/the-daily-show-unitedhealthcare-shooter-boos-jon-stewart/">rained down</a> on a clearly baffled Stewart. “Look, I’m sorry, guys,” Stewart stammered.
A similarly strange moment came courtesy of “Saturday Night Live.” The NBC show’s ‘Weekend Update’ segment found co-faux anchor Colin Jost dropping Mangione’s name. The comic had to pause the bit to be heard. His audience began clapping and shouting with excitement.
Jost, as stunned as Stewart, blurted out, “Yeah, definitely ‘woo … You’re ‘wooing’ for justice, right?&#8221;
Not even close. And it’s not an accident, either.
<div id="attachment_1055183" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055183" class="size-large wp-image-1055183" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Jon Stewart attends Comedy Central's &quot;The Daily Show&quot; FYC Event at Linwood Dunn Theater on June 07, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2219109716.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Comedy Central</div>
Late-night comedians have leaned into anger and violence for some time now, fueling our culture’s decay. Hosts like Seth Meyers and John Oliver <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/john-oliver-media-portland-violence/">downplayed</a> the violence raging in Portland, Oregon, during the George Floyd riots of 2020. Stephen Colbert uttered a sexually coarse <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaHwlSTqA7s">gag aimed</a> at President Donald Trump during the Russian collusion hoax, but he never suffered for the outburst.
More recently, late-night comics chuckled over progressive activists attacking Tesla dealerships to protest owner Elon Musk’s White House maneuvers vis-à-vis DOGE.
Kimmel sarcastically told his crowd to stop the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/19/opinion/democrats-silence-is-damning-as-leftist-violence-explodes/">Tesla-based</a> attacks.
<div id="attachment_1055185" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1055185" class="size-large wp-image-1055185" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-384x576.jpg" alt="Source: https://luigithemusical.info" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/The-Luigi-actor.jpg 1280w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Source: https://luigithemusical.info</div>
Comedy remains subjective. Even the darkest subjects can make us howl or defang hate or bigotry. Just ask Mel “Springtime for Hitler” Brooks.
Consider “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7eoZt-bUSI&amp;t=152s">Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11</a>,” a sobering documentary about stand-ups who told jokes tied to the terrorist attack mere days after it happened. Comedy can help us process pain and adjust to startling new realities, or it can showcase just how far we’ve fallen as a society.
Context is everything. And it helps to remember an old saw: “Comedy is tragedy plus time.”
Mangione has yet to face a jury of his peers.
Watching patrons gleefully cheer on an alleged murderer is something radically different and frightening. The New York City debut of “Luigi: The Musical” will <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/luigi-mangione-musical-new-york-city-summer/">capture the zeitgeist, no doubt</a>.
Mangione’s real-life New York state trial is slated to begin on June 8, 2026, while his federal trial will have to wait until September.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Luigi II

Brace Yourselves: ‘Luigi: The Musical’

Brace Yourselves: 'Luigi: The Musical'

Broadway

Entertainment

Hollywood

Luigi Mangione

Murder

New York City

San Francisco

Theater

UnitedHealthcare

Hollywood warned us.
If Americans choose Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris it’ll be the end of democracy.
Never mind that Trump previously served as president and the nation didn’t collapse under his “dictatorial” regime. Nor that Harris’s ascension came without a single primary vote.
Now, the stars are cosplaying their worst nightmares since reality refuses to cooperate.
George Clooney joined this ignominious group while promoting “Good Night, and Good Luck,” the Broadway adaptation of his 2005 film. First, he guided Broadway superstar Patti LuPone away from the ledge during <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1624911021494095">their Variety conversation</a>.
<blockquote>George Clooney: &#8220;We&#8217;re going to get through [the Trump era].&#8221; 
Patti LuPone: &#8220;Do you think so?&#8221; 
Clooney: &#8220;I&#8217;m an optimist.&#8221; 
LuPone: &#8220;See, I&#8217;m a glass half empty girl.&#8221;</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_937321" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-937321" class="size-large wp-image-937321" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2208397530-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: George Clooney attends &quot;Good Night, And Good Luck&quot; Broadway Opening Night at Winter Garden Theatre on April 03, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2208397530-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2208397530-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2208397530-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2208397530.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images</div>
The “ER” alum still fears that <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/george-clooney-claims-its-frightening-time-news-business-because-trump">President Trump might target him</a> for saying such things, but he refuses to stand down.
&#8220;Sure. Everybody worries about it … But, you know, if you spend your life worrying about things, then you won&#8217;t do things. You know, we have, like everybody, a family, and we have a life, and we try to, you know, live and do things as the best example for our kids. And I want to be able to look at my kids in the eye and say where we stood and what we did at certain times in history. And I have no problem with that.&#8221;
Just like Clooney did when he saw a cognitively diminished President Joe Biden last June and waited weeks to share the news (after the leader’s poll numbers drooped).
Film and Broadway star Nathan Lane ginned up controversy for his new Hulu series “Mid-Century Modern” by claiming it could be canceled by the president at a moment’s notice. The sitcom follows three older gay men living their best lives.
<div id="attachment_937323" style="width: 804px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-937323" class="size-large wp-image-937323" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206933073-794x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: (L-R) Nathan Lee Graham, Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer attend the Los Angeles premiere of Hulu's new series &quot;Mid-Century Modern&quot; at DGA Theater Complex on March 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)" width="794" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206933073-794x576.jpg 794w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206933073-300x218.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206933073-768x557.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206933073.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px" />Amy Sussman/Getty Images</div>
The show has garnered modestly positive reviews but little cultural attention. Lane accidentally acknowledged that by suggesting the series <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/nathan-lane-says-trump-would-take-mid-century-modern-offair-1235132646/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwQ0xDSwK6kBFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqpTbg5C9jhC3XYyoZzwCup6rcsOuRclrkX9hbgqiBn3trrSCVlw5dweIpZ8_aem_Uo-DMaYAu5p9Ai286gjhTA">could end tomorrow</a> if a certain Hitler 2.0 learns about it.
“Is it going to change any minds? I don’t know about that. Trump, if he knew we were on the air, would probably try to shut it down, come after Hulu. But, I think it’s a great thing to have right now, in the midst of books being banned and, ‘Don’t say this and don’t say gay and don’t do that.’ I think it’s a perfect time for a show like this.”
Lane expertly wove Fear Mongering 101 with Fake News in that short paragraph. Impressive. Can someone tell him that Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, is a gay man? So is longtime Trump ally Richard Grenell, now tasked with leading The Kennedy Center.
Rising comic star Nikki Glaser also weighed in with her own version of Orange Man Bad. The stand-up fears that her anti-Trump comments could cost her a return trip to the U.S. She recently performed in Canada and tweaked her apolitical routine to include Trump barbs. That left her shaken, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/24/entertainment/nikki-glaser-worried-that-she-could-not-be-let-back-into-the-country-for-trump-jokes/">she told Time Magazine.</a>
“Oh my God. What if what I said gets recorded and sent out? Maybe I could not be let back into the country.”
As the first comic to ever poke fun at Trump, those fears are very justified.
<div id="attachment_937325" style="width: 854px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-937325" class="size-large wp-image-937325" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2211645119-844x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Nikki Glaser speaks onstage during the 2025 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 23, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)" width="844" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2211645119-844x576.jpg 844w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2211645119-300x205.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2211645119-768x524.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2211645119.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" />Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME</div>
Musicians are weighing in with similar fears. Take hypocritical rocker Neil Young. He shared a similar worry about his international touring schedule. The ‘60s legend warned that he might not be allowed back in the U.S. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/02/neil-young-fears-us-ban-donald-trump-criticism">for attacking Trump</a>.
“When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” Young wrote. “That is happening all the time now. Countries have new advice for those returning to America.”
The irony of him worried about free speech after trying to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/just-in-spotify-to-pull-neil-young-music-after-ultimatum-letter-demanding-rogan-be-removed">silence Spotify superstar Joe Rogan</a> for his pandemic views remains lost on him.
One singer had a microscopic point about <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/11159066/canadian-musicians-touring-usa-donald-trump/">re-entering the U.S</a>.
Canadian country singer Robert Adam claims to be non-binary and scrapped plans to tour America due to Trump’s passport decree. Transgender people must declare their biological sex in the documents, something Adam refused to do.
Actor Billy Porter played the Hitler Card in a new interview tied to Trump. Porter described his current project, the 2015 play “This Bitter Earth” as both an extension of the classic show “Cabaret” and a response to Nazi Germany.
Sadly, he said we&#8217;re living in <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/06/18/the-hunger-games-star-billy-porter-america-is-nazi-germany-right-now-and-the-jews-are-black-people/">America’s version of the Third Reich</a> under Trump.
“[Cabaret] was written as a response to Nazi Germany, and it lived in that space for 60 years as a history piece, looking back on something that we have had moved through … and now we’re doing it and America is Nazi Germany. It’s not going to be Nazi Germany. It’s not becoming Nazi Germany. It’s not in fear of becoming [Nazi Germany]. It is Nazi Germany right now, and the Jews are Black people.”
We know that all of the above is a toxic stew of virtue signaling and fear mongering. President Trump’s critics are legion, especially within the Hollywood ranks. Stephen Colbert alone has spent nearly a decade savaging him in his “Late Show” monologues, much of it with Fake News gags tied to the Russian collusion hoax.
There’s no ICE-style army waiting outside his New York theater waiting to bring him in. The same holds true across the pop culture landscape.
Sure, Trump might send out a scorching Truth Social post mocking Kimmel, Colbert or even “Saturday Night Live.” It’s beneath the dignity of his office, but it always ends there.
Always.
The aforementioned stars didn’t say a peep about the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zuckerberg-biden-harris-repeatedly-pressured-us-to-censor-free-speech">silencing dissent</a> on pandemic restrictions, the <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/fbi-spent-a-year-preparing-platforms-to-censor-biden-story-withheld-info-on-laptops-authenticity/">Deep State suppressing Hunter Biden laptop saga</a> or other First Amendment concerns. They didn’t decry “sensitivity readers” <a href="https://reason.com/2023/03/27/agatha-christie-woke-books-roald-dahl-ian-fleming/">erasing words</a> from books by Ian Fleming, Agatha Christie or Roald Dahl.
It’s why their fears of Dictator Trump should be treated with the same reverence as a made-for-streaming movie that the platform drops with zero fanfare.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-EDUCATION

Dictator On Demand: How Hollywood Keeps Streaming The Trump Panic

actors

Celebrities

Donald Trump

George Clooney

Leftists

Movies

Nathan Lane

Neil Young

President Trump

Help us, George Clooney … you’re our only hope!”
No one actually shared that plea with the Oscar-winner, but he’s been assuming someone did for a while. Over the course of four decades, the 63-year-old went from the mulleted handyman on “The Facts of Life” to an award-winning actor, director and film producer.
Clooney has every right and intention of using his celebrity gravitas. That’s despite the 2024 election proving voters no longer hold stars in high regard. At least at the ballot box.
Plenty of people listened to Clooney last summer, a time when his unofficial Save America tour kicked off. He took to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the pages</a> of The New York Times to call for President Joe Biden to end his rematch against President Donald Trump.
Clooney’s Op/Ed, and his choice of platform, rocked the Democratic establishment. Clooney shared how the Biden he once knew was no more, and that it was time for a younger Democrat to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/george-clooney-joins-chorus-of-stars-telling-biden-its-time-to-drop-out-of-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take the fight to Trump</a>.
<blockquote>It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal‘ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.</blockquote>
Breaking News from 2021, right? Except it came on the heels of Biden’s disastrous June 27 presidential debate and endless videos revealing the leader’s rickety health.
When Biden eventually stepped aside ( maybe pushed?), Clooney looked like a Democratic soothsayer.
As a result, the star’s ego grew three sizes. and we’re now getting a good dose of it  during Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” press tour.
<div id="attachment_912251" style="width: 933px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912251" class="size-large wp-image-912251" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2198172314-923x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 6: Signage during a press event announcing the cast of the play based on the 2005 film &quot;Good Night, And Good Luck&quot; on Broadway at The Wintergarden Theatre on February 6, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/WireImage)" width="923" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2198172314-923x576.jpg 923w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2198172314-300x187.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2198172314-768x479.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2198172314.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px" />Bruce Glikas/WireImage</div>
The actor <a href="https://playbill.com/production/good-night-and-good-luck-broadway-winter-garden-theatre-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought</a> his 2005 film of the same name to the Great White Way earlier this month. His never-ending publicity for the show, along with the production itself, has given Clooney even more opportunities to lecture reg’lar Americans on The Way Things Ought to Be.
Let’s start with the show, a love letter to journalist Edward R. Murrow during his ‘50s-era battles with Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Their clashes mattered then, and now, and the play (and film) justly honor that.
Except Clooney backloads the production with a clip brigade that touches on everything from the silly to the surreal. It’s meant to remind us why the Fourth Estate matters, even though the clips include video of Elon Musk raising his arm in a manner that some of the far-Left dubbed Nazi-adjacent.
A real journalist wouldn’t suggest the billionaire’s awkward gesture was anything but an awkward hand gesture. Nor would he use that clip as an example of something noteworthy in modern times.
A better example? A shot of a burning Tesla?
<div id="attachment_912255" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912255" class="size-large wp-image-912255" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2208439058-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: George Clooney celebrates on stage with cast during curtain call for &quot;Good Night, And Good Luck&quot; Broadway Opening Night at Winter Garden Theatre on April 03, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Valerie Terranova/WireImage)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2208439058-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2208439058-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2208439058-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2208439058.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Valerie Terranova/WireImage</div>
Clooney has used every media interview to remind us why journalism matters now – more than ever – in the era of Trump.
Here he is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQOvlx8g7fo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">genuflecting</a> to the Fourth Estate:
<blockquote>It’s a subject matter that is very close to our hearts, which is what [the press] does. Telling the truth and holding truth to power. It’s a play we’re very excited to do.</blockquote>
He wagged his perfectly manicured finger at us anew during a chat with CBS about the Broadway show. Once again, he <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-clooney-broadway-journalism-60-minutes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended modern journalists:</a>
<blockquote>Governments don&#8217;t like the freedom of the press. They never have,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you&#8217;re on. They don&#8217;t like the press.</blockquote>
<a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/alex-christy/2025/02/19/clooney-colbert-urge-journalists-stand-right-side-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He played the same note</a> during a chat with the far-Left “Late Show” on CBS:
<blockquote>We have had this issue where power, kind of, hates the fourth estate. They hate journalism and my father’s an anchorman and news man and we’ve always believed in the idea of when the other three estates: the judiciary branch and the executive branch, when they all fail you, you need that fourth estate, right.</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_912281" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912281" class="size-large wp-image-912281" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-11-21-AM-3980-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube/The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. George Clooney." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-11-21-AM-3980-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-11-21-AM-3980-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-11-21-AM-3980-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-11-21-AM-3980-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-11-21-AM-3980-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube/The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. George Clooney.</div>
He’s right. So where was it during the last four years? Not only did brave, truth-telling journalists ignore President Biden’s mental decline, some actively covered it up. Remember the brief “cheap fakes” era of media damage control?
Biden’s mental decline was like his son’s missing laptop. Nothing to see here. Move along.
That’s journalism at its worst, and Clooney was part of that cover-up. Clooney palled around with President Biden during a June 2024 fundraiser, something he alluded to in that New York Times open letter. He saw Biden’s sorry state and said nothing for weeks until Biden’s poll numbers sank too low to ignore.
Is that what the son of a truth-telling journalist would do? Of course not.
Yet here he was thumping his chest about his play, the state of modern journalism, and his role in boosting both as if he had done nothing wrong.
It took a member of the “new media” to set Clooney straight about his cover-up.
“That’s not journalism, George. That’s cowardice, followed by naked partisanship,” said Megyn Kelly on her self-titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eD8glSeIKs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a> about his actions.
Clooney remains both handsome and charismatic, and he effortlessly embraced his first major role on Broadway. That’s not easy. He might try putting his partisan blinders on the shelf the next time he waxes philosophical on journalism.
We’ve seen the very worst of it over the past decade, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is just theater.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

George Clooney Announces The Complete Broadway Cast Of “Good Night, And Good Luck”

Exit Stage Left: The Ego And Amnesia Of George Clooney

Democrats

Legacy Media

Media Bias

Meghan Markle is getting dragged for her over-the-top arrival to a Broadway show, with critics calling her four-car motorcade through Manhattan “ridiculous.”
The Duchess of Sussex attended a showing of the revival of “Gypsy” last week escorted by three other vehicles, both to hold her security personnel and to serve as decoys. Page Six <a href="https://pagesix.com/2025/04/11/royal-family/meghan-markle-hires-over-the-top-motorcade-for-broadway-night/">reported</a> that Markle hired former Secret Service agents as part of her private security detail and that the unmarked vehicle, which belonged to the New York Police Department, carried two intel detectives.
One paparazzi photographer described Markle’s measures as total overkill. The unnamed source said her motorcade stunt was “absolutely abnormal.”
“Taylor [Swift] usually has two cars — her car that she’s in and a security car with her team,” the source added. “And if she’s going somewhere, she has a separate car on-site with her team already there, but they don’t travel together.”
The paparazzo mentioned other A-list celebrities and noted that “no one gets police escorts.”
“Meghan is out of control and over-the-top, and it’s ridiculous if the city is paying for this,” the source told the outlet. “And if NYPD was not on duty, then they shouldn’t be allowed to run lights. Somebody’s got to be paying for it.”
The outlet also noted that Prince Harry was not in attendance at the event.
Social media users also shared their reactions to the motorcade. “She’s completely ridiculous. The future Queen goes shopping in London and drives herself with no fuss. They really are a narcissistic pair of attention seekers!” one person <a href="https://x.com/according2_taz/status/1910752558819213488?s=43&amp;t=BDz6oekueqrSVJ50bM62xw">wrote</a>. 
“Of course she did — when your ego won’t fit in one car, a four-car motorcade is absolutely essential for a night at the theater!” another <a href="https://x.com/CandidCoverage/status/1911052666010304755">agreed</a>.
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Markle later posted about the show, sharing photos of herself backstage meeting the cast. “If you get a chance to see @gypsybway, you absolutely must. Congratulations to the tremendously talented cast and crew for creating magic on that stage,” the Duchess of Sussex wrote in the caption. 
&#8216;[Audra McDonald’s] performance will leave you absolutely speechless. Full body chills. I don&#8217;t think there was a dry eye in the house, and if the theater didn&#8217;t have to close for the night, the standing ovation would still be happening,” she continued.

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle Mocked For Taking 4-Car Motorcade To Broadway Show: ‘Absolutely Abnormal’

Meghan Markle Mocked For Taking 4-Car Motorcade To Broadway Show: 'Absolutely Abnormal'

New York

Royal Family

U.S.

A musical about late-country legend Loretta Lynn’s life is currently in the works with Tony-Award winner Sutton Foster picked to take on the lead role.
The show, currently titled &#8220;Coal Miner’s Daughter,&#8221; will be the stage adaptation inspired by the hit 1980 movie and her autobiography, by the same name, which deal with the late star’s rise from her humble roots in rural Kentucky to becoming a country music superstar, according to The <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/loretta-lynn-musical-sutton-foster-1236140255/">Hollywood Reporter</a>.
It will include songs from Loretta’s career like “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,&#8221; and “share stories from Loretta’s life beyond the film’s ending,” per a release about the project.
Lynn’s family shared their excitement on <a href="https://x.com/LorettaLynn/status/1892256197778055390">X</a> about the musical and wrote, “We are over the moon about this broadway show portraying mom’s life. Mom was so excited about this project and Sutton playing her on stage. Sharing mom’s story and music in this special way is so very exciting. We can’t wait!”
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We are over the moon about this broadway show portraying mom’s life. Mom was so excited about this project and Sutton playing her on stage. Sharing mom’s story and music in this special way is so very exciting. We can’t wait! <a href="https://t.co/4p6p5Gvvxl">https://t.co/4p6p5Gvvxl</a>?
— Loretta Lynn (@LorettaLynn) <a href="https://twitter.com/LorettaLynn/status/1892256197778055390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
A statement from Loretta’s family to the outlet also read, “We are so grateful to see that our mother’s life story and music will continue to touch the hearts of audiences and remain an important statement of the American dream.”
“As one of the last creative projects our mom was so passionate about, we are thankful that she had the opportunity to experience the initial stages of Sutton’s sincere portrayal of Loretta,” it added. “Mom absolutely fell in love with her and thought she was just the right person to play her onstage. The family is moved by this incredible team’s commitment to her legacy.”
The stage show will have even more Broadway power than just Foster with Tony-Award winner Sam Gold picked to direct and Tony-Award winner Jeanine Tesori for feature music production, the outlet noted.
Lynn passed away peacefully in her sleep in October 2022, as previously reported. She was 90 years old.
The family later released a statement about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/country-music-legend-loretta-lynn-has-died">late-singer’s death</a> that read, “Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills.”
Lynn was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988 after becoming a breakout star in the country music industry. She’s probably best known for her 1970 hit inspired by her Kentucky roots, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/loretta-lynns-daughters-speak-out-for-first-time-since-legends-death-share-details-about-singers-final-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loretta Lynn’s Daughters Speak Out For First Time Since Legend’s Death, Share Details About Singer’s Final Project</a>

Loretta Lynn 10-25-2

Musical About Late Country Legend Loretta Lynn’s Life In The Works

Country Music

Country singer

Loretta Lynn

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dolly-parton">Dolly Parton</a> musical is coming to Broadway with the legendary country star announcing an internet casting call to find the right singers for the upcoming show to possibly play the part of Dolly.
“Whether you’re chasing your dreams from a small town or you’ve spent years performing on stages across the country, I want to give you the chance to help me bring my story to Broadway — and maybe even play me,” the 78-year-old singer shared in a video posted on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TCNbfXv-mI">YouTube</a> about “Dolly: An Original Musical.”
“This show is a celebration of my music, my life and all the amazing people who’ve been with me along the way,” she added. “Now we’re looking for talented performers who can capture the spirit of my journey.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="I’m happy to announce the #SearchForDolly 🦋" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9TCNbfXv-mI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Whether you’re an experienced theater professional or an undiscovered gem with that little special something,” Parton continued, noting that those selected will get the chance to audition in person.
The “Jolene” hitmaker said the musical will center around her life story with a mix of songs that made her famous to original ones she’s written just for the musical.
Earlier this year, the “9 to 5” star finally revealed plans for a musical about her life, then-titled “Hello, I&#8217;m Dolly,” following years of teasing details about it, The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/dolly-parton-musical-2026-broadway-1235916369/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
“Hello, I’m Dolly, and I lived my whole life to see this show on stage,” Parton said in a press release. “I’ve written many original songs for the show and included all your favorites in it as well.”
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“You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp, it truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera,” she added. “Pun and fun intended. Don’t miss it!”
The country legend previously worked on Broadway when she wrote the Tony-nominated score to the musical adaptation of her hit 1980 movie “9 to 5” for “9 to 5: The Musical.” It opened on Broadway in April 2009 and ran until it closed in September that year.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dolly-parton">Parton</a> made headlines in October when she announced a massive donation to help the victims of Hurricane Helene following the devastation to the southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas.
Speaking at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CLV6GETecI&amp;t=1153s">press conference</a> held at a Walmart in Newport, Tennessee, Parton said just as during the 2016 wildfires when she and others stepped up — this is another time to do the same.
“Today, I wanted to announce that from myself personally, just from my own bank account, I’m donating $1 million dollars today. But also with my Dollywood companies and all the people I’m involved with … [Dollywood Foundation, etc] and we’ve added another $1 million to that,” the country singer said, adding it’s going to take a lot of money and a long time.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dolly-parton-floats-reboot-of-iconic-90s-tv-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dolly Parton Floats Reboot Of Iconic 90s TV Show</a>

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton Musical Is Coming To Broadway With Internet Casting Call Announcement

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ariana-grande">Ariana Grande</a> says her character in “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Wicked</a>,” Glinda, might be secretly gay. 
She’s not the only one pointing out gay undertones and overtones in the highly anticipated film adaptation of the long-running <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/broadway">Broadway</a> musical. The story is based on Gregory Maguire&#8217;s 1995 book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which provides a backstory for the central villain in The Wizard of Oz.
Especially since the new Universal Pictures release, which was directed by Jon M. Chu (“In the Heights”), there’s been a lot of conversation about whether Glinda and The Wicked Witch (Elphaba) are more than friends.
Grande shared her thoughts during a <a href="https://www.gaytimes.com/films/wicked-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-on-gelphie-elphaba-glinda-romance/">conversation</a> with Gay Times while the interviewer was discussing “queer allegories” in “Wicked.”
“Everyone is just so beautifully queer,” Grande says of the people of Oz, mentioning how L. Frank Baum used the word “queer” frequently in his books about the mythical land when he penned them at the turn of the century. 
“Every day in the Emerald City is a pride parade,” Grande added.
Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, agreed. 
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“I think Elphie is… She goes wherever the wind goes. I think she loves Glinda, I think she loves love. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection the both of them have,” the actress said.
“They do have a real relationship. It is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it. What they build with each other is an unbreakable bond and love.”
Grande added, “And trust and truth and such a safe space for one another, which is what all relationships should be, whether it’s romantic or platonic.”
As for the relationship between the two female leads, the actress said, “Whether it’s romantic or platonic, or you know … maybe Glinda might be a little in the closet. But if there were a time? Y’know, you never know! Give it a little more time! I mean, it is just a true love. And I think that transcends sexuality, it’s just kind of a deep safety within each other. And that’s why they probably ship it.”
During the same interview, the pair mentioned plenty of other gay themes in the film, including some of the animal characters. “Dr. Dilly, with his tea and his cardigan, I’m just throwing it out there,” Grande said of the goat professor Dr. Dillamond, voiced by actor Peter Dinklage. “Gay icon, Dr. Dil.”

Grande and Erivo

Ariana Grande Says Glinda From ‘Wicked’ ‘Might Be A Little In The Closet’

Ariana Grande

LGBTQ

Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Cynthia Erivo</a> is not happy that fans decided to alter and circulate a movie poster for her upcoming film, “Wicked.”
The highly anticipated adaptation of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/broadway">Broadway</a> musical features a very similar looking poster to the original, which depicts Glinda (Ariana Grande) whispering into the ear of Elphaba (Erivo). The Broadway version shows Elphaba’s witch hat tipped down and hiding her eyes while the movie version gives a clear image of the star’s whole face.
“Wicked” fans headed to social media to circulate an updated version of the movie poster that more closely resembles the Broadway version. That meant Erivo’s eyes were hidden and she was sporting red lipstick. The actress hit back on Instagram, saying the changes were “offensive” to her as a human being.
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Cynthia Erivo has reacted to viral edits of the ‘WICKED’ poster:
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful AI of us fighting… Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face &amp; hide my eyes is to erase me. That is just deeply hurtful” <a href="https://t.co/y3P1Qh379S">pic.twitter.com/y3P1Qh379S</a>
&mdash; DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1846547879533384142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posing the the question ‘is your ***** green?” Erivo shared to her Instagram stories alongside an image of the offending Photoshopped poster, per <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/cynthia-erivo-slams-wicked-poster-changes-offensive-1236179838/">Variety</a>. “None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
“The original poster is an Illustration,” she continued. “I am a real life human being, who chose to to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer …because, without words we communicate with our eyes. Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
Erivo referenced her disgust over an AI-generated video of the two main characters getting into a fight. She also mentioned the “is your p**** green” memes that have been going around since the film was announced, the outlet noted.
“Wicked” is being released in two parts, with the first installment hitting theaters on November 22. The Broadway musical is based on the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which was inspired by L. Frank Baum’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” 
The musical “Wicked” is told from the perspective of the two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, before and after Dorothy&#8217;s arrival in Oz. The Broadway show has won numerous awards and broken records, plus raked in more than $1 billion in total revenue over its more than two-decades-long run.

Cynthia Erivo

‘Wicked’ Actress Flips Over Movie Poster Edited By Fans, Calls It ‘Most Offensive Thing’

'Wicked' Actress Flips Over Movie Poster Edited By Fans, Calls It 'Most Offensive Thing'

Tony Awards ratings have dropped for a second year in a row after the 2024 award show on Sunday night averaged just 3.5 million viewers.
According to Nielsen’s same-day ratings, the CBS telecast was the least watched awards show so far this year and suffered a drop of 14.6% in viewership over last year’s show — which honors performances on and off Broadway, <a href="http://playbill.com">Playbill.com</a> reported.
To put the 3.5 million viewership into context, the 2023 Tony Awards delivered an average audience of 4.12 million viewers, making this year a second year the honors have seen a drop in the audience, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tony-awards-2024-tv-ratings-1235924956/">Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.
The awards show also saw a drop in the coveted age demographic of 18-49, earning a 0.41 rating (equivalent to about 540,000 people) vs. 0.46 for the telecast last year.
While the night might have been disappointing, Sunday night’s telecast is not the lowest audience the Tony Awards have ever had. During the pandemic in 2021, Broadway’s big night failed to reach even 3 million viewers, Playbill noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tony Awards Ratings Drop 15% from Last Year After Miserable Opening Turns Off Viewers <a href="https://t.co/rqqrhHyoOK">https://t.co/rqqrhHyoOK</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/showbiz411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Showbiz411</a>
— Showbiz 411 (@showbiz411) <a href="https://twitter.com/showbiz411/status/1802842746585280760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
In 2016, the annual awards show experienced its best night ever — the year “Hamilton” took home almost every honor. That year, more than 8 million people watched as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s creation delivered almost a clean sweep, the outlet noted.
The awards show was shown not only on CBS but also streamed on Paramount+. However, that “platform isn’t part of Nielsen’s on-air ratings,” THR noted.
It also is worth noting that this year’s show was on Father’s Day — and overall television viewing also went down, making it the least watched TV on a Sunday night since 1987, Playbill noted.
The “Tony” ratings drop stands alone this year after other major awards shows like the Golden Globes, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oscars">Oscars</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/grammy-awards-see-huge-bump-in-viewership-for-first-time-since-pandemic">Grammy’s</a> all experienced a bump in their viewership over the 2023 numbers, THR noted.
The 2024 Grammy Awards experienced an increase in viewership for the first time since the COVID pandemic struck four years earlier, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/grammy-awards-see-huge-bump-in-viewership-for-first-time-since-pandemic">reported</a>.
CBS scored 17 million viewers in final same-day ratings for the February broadcast of the 66th annual awards show, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/grammys-tv-ratings-sunday-feb-4-2024-1235816395/">according</a> to THR. It was an increase of 36% over the number of viewers who tuned in to watch the biggest night in music in 2023 when the show attracted 12.55 million viewers.
The 96th <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oscars">Academy Awards</a> also improved after it attracted 19.5 million viewers in March, the largest audience since pre-pandemic highs in 2020, according to <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/2024-oscar-ratings-academy-awards-1235933476/">Variety</a>.
The jump in Oscars and Grammy Awards viewership followed that of the 2024 Golden Globes, which experienced its first spike in the ratings game since 2020, with a 50% increase over last year.

Tony Awards-2

Tony Awards Ratings Drop For A Second Year In A Row

Ratings

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hillary-clinton-trashed-for-making-barbie-oscars-snubs-about-herself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hillary Clinton</a>-produced Broadway musical &#8220;Suffs,&#8221; about the suffragette movement of the 1900s, is turning out to be a bust as the show has failed to sell out seats.
The stage play — co-produced by Clinton and Malala Yousafzai — <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/12/us-news/hillary-clinton-produced-play-suffs-failing-to-pack-seats-during-peak-broadway-season/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">finished</a> in the bottom 23% of all 35 shows on Broadway in terms of filling the theater for the week ending May 5, according to <a href="https://www.broadwayleague.com/research/grosses-broadway-nyc/">Broadway League.com</a>.
According to the Broadway Theatre’s Industry official site, &#8220;Suffs&#8221; only managed to reach an 81% capacity across eight performances that week.  The play did even worse the following week ending May 12, with the musical only filling 78% of its 7,784 seats across all performances, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/12/us-news/hillary-clinton-produced-play-suffs-failing-to-pack-seats-during-peak-broadway-season/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">New York Post</a> noted.
The musical — directed by Leigh Silverman — was written by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub. It is produced by Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman, along with co-producers Clinton and Yousafzai. It is one of the newer shows on Broadway after it officially opened last month. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hillary Clinton-produced play ‘Suffs’ failing to pack seats during peak Broadway season <a href="https://t.co/mz7xz6NmmT">https://t.co/mz7xz6NmmT</a> <a href="https://t.co/36yhLRaK3u">pic.twitter.com/36yhLRaK3u</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1789512144892923989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
The play is nearly 3 hours long and takes place in 1913 when the “women’s movement is heating up in America, anchored by the suffragists — “Suffs,” as they call themselves — and their relentless pursuit of the right to vote,” a description on the show’s <a href="https://suffsmusical.com/">website</a> read.
“Reaching across and against generational, racial, and class divides, these brilliant, flawed women entertain and inspire us with the story of their hard-won victory in an ongoing fight,” it added. “So much has changed since the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment over a century ago, and yet we’re reminded sometimes we need to look back, in order to march fearlessly into the future.”
Speaking to the <a href="https://twitter.com/1nthknow/status/1788583185393049758/video/1">Associated Press</a> about the play, Clinton said she felt she could relate to ​​“all of” the characters.
“I know how important it is to have relationships with the people you’re working for, as you’re taking risks and you’re doing things that have never been done, whether it’s running for president in my case or having a march on Washington in 1913 to try to convince the president and the Congress to adopt the amendment to let women vote,” Clinton told the AP, referencing when she ran for president in 2016 and lost to former President Donald Trump.
She also talked about the 2024 election and said she sees this play as “relevant to today. We have a lot of challenges in our country … I think having a play about voting in the election year could not be better timed.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1486-watch-hillary-clinton-s-musical-is-worse-than-you-think1">Daily Wire host Michael Knowles</a> recently discussed on his podcast that “despite a concerted promotional effort by the establishment media” and a cast made up entirely of “females or gender non-binary cast,” the musical is failing.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton-Produced Broadway Musical A Bust

Politics

&#8220;Notebook&#8221; actor John Cardoza told followers that he was robbed at gunpoint in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> on Sunday at a local Dunkin&#8217; Donuts shop.
The 30-year-old Broadway star was eating at the Harlem shop around 2 p.m. when he said a &#8220;middle-aged Black man&#8221; approached him asking for a dollar, police and sources told the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/04/01/notebook-actor-john-cardoza-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-harlem-dunkin-donuts/">New York Daily News</a>.
Cardoza, who plays younger Noah in the play, wrote on Instagram that he &#8220;offered to buy him lunch because I didn&#8217;t have cash on me, and it escalated from there pretty quickly.&#8221;
Police said the man, who had his hand in his pocket, told the actor, &#8220;I have a gun.&#8221;
Cardoza wrote on social media that, &#8220;Ultimately, he didn&#8217;t make off with anything irreplaceable. It makes me sad to think people are as desperate as this – and it makes me sad to feel a need to alert anyone to this kind of activity.&#8221;
Police told the outlet that the man ended up taking off with the Broadway actor&#8217;s wallet containing personal items and $9 in cash. At the time of this publication, no arrest has been made.
Cardoza later sent a message to followers on Instagram that this is the &#8220;world we&#8217;re living in.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Actor John Cardoza robbed by panhandler in NYC shop, second Broadway star to become crime victim in a day <a href="https://t.co/UvThqzS4aF">https://t.co/UvThqzS4aF</a> <a href="https://t.co/5ntdX9KGqN">pic.twitter.com/5ntdX9KGqN</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1774911013135040697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;And if you’re like me, you already are careful and don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s going to happen to you until it&#8217;s staring you in the face,&#8221; Cardoza explained. &#8220;So please be vigilant as the weather warms up and more people are out and about.&#8221;
The robbery happened on the same day &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boardwalk-empire-actor-attacked-hit-with-a-rock-in-central-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boardwalk Empire&#8221;</a> actor Michael Stuhlberg was attacked by a man with a rock while in Central Park, per the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York City</a> Police Department.
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Police responded around 7:45 p.m. ET Sunday to a &#8220;call of an assault in progress in the vicinity of 90th Street and East Drive&#8221; near the reservoir in Central Park, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/01/entertainment/michael-stuhlbarg-hit-rock-central-park/index.html">CNN</a>. That&#8217;s where they found the 55-year-old celeb who was &#8220;struck in the head by an unknown object.&#8221;
&#8220;A preliminary investigation determined that a 27-year-old male threw a rock, striking the victim in the back of the neck, causing an abrasion,&#8221; an NYPD spokesperson said in an email statement to the outlet on Monday.
&#8220;The victim chased the 27-year-old male to the front of 9 East 91st Street where uniformed officers took the 27-year-old male into custody without further incident. The victim refused medical attention at the scene,&#8221; the statement continued.
Suspected perpetrator Xavier Israel was arraigned on Monday on assault charges and released on bail. He has a court appearance scheduled for April 5.
Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.

Notebook Star

‘Notebook’ Actor Robbed At Gunpoint In NY

Assault

Crime

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/broadway">Broadway</a> shows saw a 17% decrease in attendance for the 2022-23 season compared to 2018-19, the last full season before the COVID pandemic. A new survey found that a significant reason for this dip is “safety <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/crime">concerns</a>” from suburban residents who would otherwise travel to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">Manhattan</a> for a show. 
Broadway League reported last month that 12.3 million tickets were sold last season, much fewer than the previous non-pandemic year. New Yorkers make up 35% of show attendees, with city residents accounting for 22%. Visitors from other areas of the country make up 47.5% of the audience, per the report.
The Broadway League declined to comment on the numbers, as The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/03/business/nyc-suburbanites-shun-broadway-over-safety-concerns-survey/">reported</a>. “We do not speculate generally about the numbers,” company spokesperson Scalla Jakso responded to the request.
The Situation Group conducted a survey of 1,700 Broadway ticket buyers nationwide, the outlet noted, and found that 50% of suburbanites haven’t returned to Broadway due to “concerns about safety.” Also, 41% of suburb dwellers said, “I travel to Manhattan for pleasure less often than I did in 2019.”
Half of the respondents noted that they weren’t attending because there were fewer Broadway shows they wanted to see.
Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris spoke with The Post about the trend, insisting that travelers shouldn’t worry about crime in the area.
“As witnessed by millions worldwide and the hundreds of thousands of revelers who enjoyed a safe and joyous New Year’s Eve this week, Times Square is one of the safest neighborhoods in all of NYC thanks to the hardworking men and women of the NYPD,” Harris told the outlet.
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Robberies, assaults, burglaries, and grand larceny are all up double-digit percentages from two years ago in New York City, although they are down from last year per NYPD data, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hundreds-of-nyc-bodega-workers-applying-for-gun-permits-amid-violent-thefts">reported</a>. Retail theft has increased dramatically, with shoplifting reports jumping 44% from 2021 to 2022.
The <a href="https://abc7ny.com/nypd-crime-shootings-murders/14259597/">latest report</a> from the NYPD found that murders and shootings were down by double-digit percentages in 2023 compared to the previous year. Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri said the NYPD is working hard to change perceptions of Manhattan as a high crime area.

Broadway Show Attendance Declines, Suburbanites Cite ‘Safety Concerns’ As Top Reason Why

Broadway Show Attendance Declines, Suburbanites Cite 'Safety Concerns' As Top Reason Why 

Manhattan

Safety

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