Apple Reveals "Central Park," A New Animated Musical Comedy from Emmy Award Winner Loren Bouchard, to Debut in Early Summer 2020

Apple Reveals "Central Park," A New Animated Musical Comedy from Emmy Award Winner Loren Bouchard, to Debut in Early Summer 2020 The series voice cast includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci.

[via press release from Apple]

Apple reveals "Central Park," a new animated musical comedy from Emmy Award winner Loren Bouchard, to debut in early summer 2020 Apple today announced that "Central Park," an animated musical comedy from Emmy Award winner Loren Bouchard ("Bob's Burgers"), executive producer Josh Gad ("Frozen") and executive producer Nora Smith ("Bob's Burgers"), will premiere exclusively on Apple TV+ this summer. "Central Park" is an animated musical comedy about the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world's most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos. The series voice cast includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci. "Central Park" is written and executive produced by Loren Bouchard, alongside Josh Gad and Nora Smith. The series hails from 20th Century Fox Television. The new series will premiere globally on Apple TV+, a new home for the world's most creative storytellers. Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.1 1 One subscription per Family Sharing group. Plan automatically renews until cancelled. Restrictions and other terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.

ABC JOINS FORCES WITH CELEBRATED EGOT WINNER MEL BROOKS FOR LATEST LIVE MUSICAL EVENT, ‘YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN LIVE!’

ABC JOINS FORCES WITH CELEBRATED EGOT WINNER MEL BROOKS
FOR LATEST LIVE MUSICAL EVENT, ‘YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN LIVE!’

ABC today announced that the network will debut its latest live musical event this fall with “Young Frankenstein Live!” (working title), produced by the legendary director, writer, actor, comedian, producer and composer, Mel Brooks. The announcement comes on the heels of the network’s most recent hit musical spectacular, “The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!,” which marked the most-watched made-for-TV musical on any network in nearly four years and ranked as the week’s No. 1 entertainment show.

Based on the Broadway stage version of “Young Frankenstein,” “Young Frankenstein Live!” will follow Mel Brooks’ and Gene Wilder’s comedic reimagining of the Mary Shelley classic novel. The live production will feature music from the stage adaptation, originally composed by Brooks. An airdate and cast announcement will be made at a later date.

The Sound of Music 12/15 on ABC

The Sound of Music (12/15) (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/29/02)

Nov. 25, 2019

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ AIRS SUNDAY, DEC. 15, ON ABC

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s cinematic treasure “The Sound of Music” airs SUNDAY, DEC. 15 (7:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (TV-PG) Celebrate the Oscar^®-winning classic with popular favorites “Edelweiss,” ”My Favorite Things,” “Climb Every Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” “The Lonely Goatherd” and “The Sound of Music.” (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/29/02)

Based on the real-life von Trapp family, who fled their home to escape the Nazis in 1938, Maria is a young woman who has left the Austrian convent to work for Navy captain Georg Von Trapp. As governess to his seven unruly children, Maria soon finds herself falling for their father.    

“The Sound of Music” stars Julie Andrews as Maria von Trapp, Christopher Plummer as Captain George von Trapp, Eleanor Parker as Baroness Elsa Schraeder, Richard Haydn as Max Detweiler, Charmian Carr as Liesl von Trapp, Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp, Heather Menzies as Louisa von Trapp, Duane Chase as Kurt von Trapp, Angela Cartwright as Brigitta von Trapp, Debbie Turner as Marta von Trapp, Kym Karath as Gretl von Trapp, Peggy Wood as Mother Abbess, Anna Lee as Sister Margaretta, Portia Nelson as Sister Berthe, Marni Nixon as Sister Sophia, Daniel Truhitte as Rolfe and Ben Wright as Herr Zeller.

“The Sound of Music” was directed and produced by Robert Wise, with screenplay by Ernest Lehman, from the stage musical with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

 

Facebook: @TheSoundOfMusic and @RodgersandHammerstein

Twitter: @SoundofMusic and @RnH_Org

ABC to Rebroadcast the Spectacular Live Performance of ‘The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!,’ Saturday, Dec. 14

ABC to Rebroadcast the Spectacular Live Performance of ‘The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!,’ Saturday, Dec. 14

ABC TO REBROADCAST THE SPECTACULAR LIVE PERFORMANCE OF
‘THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY PRESENTS THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!,’
SATURDAY, DEC. 14

“The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!” honors the 30th anniversary of the beloved animated classic through a never-before-seen hybrid format that takes viewers on a magical adventure under the sea with live musical performances interwoven into the broadcast of the original feature film. The live musical event features beautifully intricate sets and costumes by three-time Emmy® Award-winning designer, Zaldy, with music from the original animated film and the Tony Award®-nominated Broadway stage version, originally composed by eight-time Oscar®-winning composer, Alan Menken. Howard Ashman’s iconic film lyrics are also showcased, while lyricist for the Broadway adaptation, Glenn Slater, contributes to the star-studded spectacular as well. Joining this all-star creative team are choreographers Nick Florez and RJ Durrell, who recently completed work on P!nk’s The Beautiful Trauma World Tour. “The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!” airs SATURDAY, DEC. 14 (8:00–10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (Rebroadcast. OAD: 11/5/19)

The star-studded cast features Auli’i Cravalho, following her breakout role as the voice of Moana in the Walt Disney Pictures film “Moana,” as Ariel; Oscar-nominated, and GRAMMY®, Golden Globe® and Emmy Award-winning R&B artist, actor and producer Queen Latifah as Ursula; renowned reggae musician, singer, DJ, actor and GRAMMY-winning artist Shaggy as the beloved crustacean, Sebastian; two-time Emmy Award-nominated actor and producer John Stamos reprises his role as the eccentric French cook, Chef Louis, from the Hollywood Bowl production of “The Little Mermaid”; Graham Phillips (“The Good Wife”) returns to his live theater roots in the role of Prince Eric; and Amber Riley (“Glee”) as The Emcee, presenting the Daughters of Triton with a special performance for King Triton and his subjects.

ABC’s “The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!” live broadcast soared to 11.72 million Total Viewers and a 3.4/16 in Adults 18-49 after seven days of TV playback. “The Little Mermaid Live!” outperformed the last seven TV musicals in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 to stand as the most-watched made-for-TV musical on any network in nearly 4 years and highest-rated in as many years – since January 2016.
 
“The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!” is produced by Done+Dusted. Executive producers include Done+Dusted’s Hamish Hamilton, who will also direct, Katy Mullan, David Jammy, Raj Kapoor and Ian Stewart. Also executive producing is Richard Kraft, producer and director of the acclaimed Hollywood Bowl productions of “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

About ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment airs compelling programming across all day parts, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” the longest-running medical drama in prime-time television; riveting dramas “The Good Doctor,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “A Million Little Things” and “Station 19”; the Emmy® Award-winning “Modern Family” and trailblazing comedy favorites “American Housewife,” “black-ish,” “Bless This Mess,” “The Conners,” “The Goldbergs,” and “Schooled”; the popular “Summer Fun & Games” programming block, including “Card Sharks,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Holey Moley” and “Press Your Luck”; star-making sensation “American Idol”; reality phenomenon “Shark Tank”; “The Bachelor” franchise; long-running hits “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos”; “General Hospital,” which has aired for more than 55 years on the network; and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”; as well as the critically acclaimed hit special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.’” The network also boasts some of television’s most prestigious awards shows, including “The Oscars®,” “The CMA Awards” and the “American Music Awards.”

ABC programming can also be viewed on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu.

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Award-Winning "The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!" to Debut on Nickelodeon December 2019

Award-Winning "The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!" to Debut on Nickelodeon December 2019
The live television production will capture all-new depths of theatrical innovation where the power of optimism really can save the world.

---

[via press release from Nickelodeon] Award-Winning "THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: LIVE ON STAGE!" to Debut on Nickelodeon December 2019

with Ethan Slater Danny Skinner, Brian Ray Norris, Wesley Taylor, Christina Sajous, and Gavin Lee
Based on the series, SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg
Book by Kyle Jarrow
Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements by Tom Kitt
Choreography by Christopher Gattelli
Television Direction by Glenn Weiss

Musical Production Conceived and Directed by Tina Landau
NEW YORK - Oct. 17, 2019--Following a critically lauded run on Broadway, members of the original award-winning Broadway company of The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! will reunite to film the show for television in front of a live theater audience. The live television production will capture all-new depths of theatrical innovation where the power of optimism really can save the world. The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! will air on Nickelodeon this December.
Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President of Nickelodeon Live Action Unscripted and Live Events, said: "What better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants than to bring this wildly imaginative Broadway musical to Nickelodeon for a wider audience. We could not be more excited that fans and families of all ages will now have the opportunity to experience live actors portraying these beloved characters in a whole new way with The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!"

Tina Landau said: "I'm so thrilled to be able to revisit the show in a new light and with our original cast members. The whole creative and I are excited to go back into the world of Bikini Bottom and discover its new life in TV broadcast form. But above all, I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to share the joy and spirit of our show with a wider audience. That's what matters most to me - the joy."
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! cast will include Ethan Slater as SpongeBob SquarePants, Gavin Lee as Squidward Q. Tentacles, Danny Skinner as Patrick Star, Brian Ray Norris as Eugene Krabs, Wesley Taylor as Sheldon Plankton, and Christina Sajous as Sandy Cheeks. The ensemble will include Kyle Matthew Hamilton, Katie Lee Hill, Curtis Holbrook, L'ogan J'ones, Jai'len Josey, Kelvin Moon Loh, Lauralyn McClelland, Vasthy Mompoint, Bryonha Parham, Oneika Phillips, Jon Rua, JC Schuster, Abby C. Smith, Robert Taylor Jr., Allan Washington.

Adapted from the beloved Nickelodeon series, the Broadway musical was hailed by The New York Times as "brilliant" and "effervescent candy-for-the-spirit" by New York Magazine. This new musical earned its place on 2017's "Best of Broadway" lists including Broadway.com, BuzzFeed, Chicago Tribune, The Daily Beast, Deadline, ET Online, Forbes, Time Out New York and Variety.

Named Best Musical by the Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle and earned 12 Tony Award nominations - the most nominated musical of the 2017-2018 theatre season - winning for Best Scenic Design of a Musical (David Zinn).

Acclaimed Steppenwolf director Tina Landau and the groundbreaking designers behind Fun Home, Hedwig, and Spring Awakening have brilliantly reimagined Bikini Bottom for the Broadway stage, on tour and now for television, bringing the spirit of SpongeBob to life with humanity, heart, and pure theatricality. With an original score from some of the biggest names in pop and rock, The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! explodes with energy.

Stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage.

The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! is a musical production conceived and directed for the stage by Tina Landau, book by Kyle Jarrow, orchestrations, arrangements & music supervision by Tom Kitt, with choreography by Christopher Gattelli, produced for television by Austin Shaw with television direction by Glenn Weiss. Nickelodeon's Vice Presidents Paul J Medford and Susan Vargo serve as Executive Producers, alongside Senior Vice President of Music & Talent Doug Cohn and is executive produced and overseen by Executive Vice President of Unscripted and Live Events Rob Bagshaw.

This one-of-a-kind television musical event features original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At The Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants and T.I. (Clifford Harris, Jr.) Domani Harris and Darwin Quinn and a song by David Bowie and by Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music by Tom Kitt.

The design team includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini, sound design by Walter Trarbach, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe and casting by Telsey + Company/Patrick Goodwin, CSA.

The Original Cast Recording is available now from Masterworks Broadway wherever music is sold and streamed.

The SpongeBob Musical is now on tour across North America.
Airdate, additional programming plus further casting will be announced at a later date.
Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the number-one kids' animated series on TV for the last 17 years, while generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. SpongeBob SquarePants is the most widely distributed property in Viacom International Media Networks history, seen in more than 208 countries and territories, translated in 55+ languages, and averaging more than 100 million total viewers every quarter. SpongeBob SquarePants is created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank, Calif. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurably optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends. 

HBO Max Orders "Grease: Rydell High" Musical Spin-Off Series

The Pink Ladies and T-Birds Still Rule the School HBO Max Orders Grease: Rydell High Musical Spin-Off Series

LOS ANGELES – October 15, 2019 – HBO Max has ordered Grease: Rydell High, a musical series inspired by the 1978 Golden Globe® nominated film Grease. A joyous musical series set in and around the world of Rydell High, the show reimagines the global smash hit movie with some characters you already know, and a whole lot more you will soon meet.  It’s still the 1950s, a world that rocks with big musical numbers from the period combined with new original songs as well. It’s the peer pressures of high school, the horrors of puberty, and the rollercoaster of life in middle America with a modern sensibility that will bring it to life for today’s musical lovers. “Grease is an iconic pop-culture phenomenon that works for every generation, and I’m thrilled that our friends at Paramount were excited about the idea of opening up the show and putting it on a larger canvas for a weekly series,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max. “This is high school and life in small-town USA told on the scale of a big rock’n’roll musical. It’s Grease 2.0 but with the same spirit, energy, and excitement you immediately think of when you hear any of these iconic songs. You’re the One That I Want!” Said Nicole Clemens, President of Paramount Television, “Grease is one of the most beloved Paramount titles and it’s a thrill to be re-imagining it for today’s audience with our good friends at Temple Hill and Picturestart. When Bob Greenblatt called about bringing it to television, we knew we would be in the perfect hands because of our great working relationship with HBO Max and Bob’s genuine passion for musicals and Grease in particular.” Picturestart and Temple Hill will serve as executive producers and Paramount Television and Picturestart will produce the series. Additionally, Temple Hill, Picturestart and Paramount Pictures are in development on a feature film prequel to Grease, entitled Summer Lovin’.  About HBO Max  HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed  programs and movies, and fan favorites from Warner Media’s rich library including  Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com. About WarnerMedia WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. Warner Media is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). About Paramount Television Paramount Television is a leading studio, developing and financing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television content across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. The studio’s robust slate includes Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” (Amazon), “13 Reasons Why” (Netflix), “Maniac” (Netflix), “Made for Love” (HBO Max), “The Alienist” (TNT), “The Angel of Darkness” (TNT), “The Haunting of Hill House” (Netflix), “Catch-22” (Hulu), “First Wives Club” (BET+), “Looking for Alaska” (Hulu), “Defending Jacob” (Apple), “Boomerang” (BET), “When the Street Lights Go On” (Quibi), “Sexy Beast” (Paramount Network), “Shantaram” (Apple), “Dream Team” (BET), “Briarpatch” (USA), “Home Before Dark” (Apple), and “Berlin Station” (EPIX), among others. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.