Broadway’s Rudin stepping aside
Scott Rudin, a powerful Broadway producer facing renewed accusations of bullying, apologized Saturday for “troubling interactions with colleagues” and said he would step aside from “active participation” in his current shows.
Rudin, who has won a raft of awards for prestige productions not only onstage but also in Hollywood, was facing renewed scrutiny over a long history of tyrannical behavior toward workers in his office following a recent article in The Hollywood Reporter. He made his apology in a written statement first given to The Washington Post.
“After a period of reflection, I’ve made the decision to step back from active participation on our Broadway productions, effective immediately,” he said in the statement. “My roles will be filled by others from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows.”
Rudin, a prolific producer of starry plays whose biggest Broadway success is the long-running musical “The Book of Mormon,” acknowledged the concerns about his behavior, without detail. Through a spokesperson, he declined a request for an interview.
“Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly,” he said in the statement. “I am now taking steps that I should have taken years ago to address this behavior.”
Rudin has been dogged for decades by reports that he threatened, verbally abused and threw objects at people who work in his office, but had continued to thrive in an entertainment industry with a long history of tolerating poor behavior by people who produce acclaimed art.
Over the last week, some performers had begun to publicly express concerns about his dominant role in the industry. When Karen Olivo, a Tony-nominated star of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” which was not produced by Rudin, announced a plan last week not to return to that show when performances resume, Olivo called on others to speak up, saying, “The silence about Scott Rudin: unacceptable.”
Wahlberg matriarch dies: Alma Wahlberg, the matriarch of the Wahlberg family who was prominently featured on the reality show “Wahlburgers,” has died. She was 78.
Various members of the Wahlberg family, including Mark and Donnie, made the announcement on Sunday morning via social media. “My angel. Rest in peace,” Mark wrote on Twitter, while Donnie said, “She was always an angel. Now she has her wings.”
Alma became a beloved feature of the family’s reality show “Wahlburgers,” which ran for 10 seasons from 2014 to 2019. According
to IMDb, Alma was featured in 27 episodes of the show, which followed the family’s burgeoning restaurant business. Alma worked as a greeter and hostess at her sons’ restaurants — including Paul’s Alma Nove, which was named after her.
A monster box office weekend: “Godzilla vs. Kong” remained atop the domestic box office in its third weekend of release. The Legendary and Warner Bros. movie added an additional $7.7 million from 3,001 theaters, boosting its North American tally to $80.5 million.
The film looks to be the first to cross $100 million in the U.S and Canada since the pandemic began.
At the international box office, the CGI spectacle of “Godzilla vs. Kong” has surpassed $300 million in ticket sales, bringing its global haul to a mighty $390 million.
April 19 birthdays: Actor Elinor Donahue is 84. Actor Tim Curry is 75. Actor Tony Plana is 69. Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight is 56. Actor Jennifer Esposito is 48. Actor Ali Wong is 39.