The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Netflix on the verge of hitting milestone
Video streaming service close to surpassing 100 million subscribers, if their projections are correct.
Stage version of ‘Frozen’ musical casts 2 Broadway vets
NEW YORK >> The upcoming stage adaptation of “Frozen” has found its sisters Anna and Elsa — they’ll be played by two Broadway veterans in Patti Murin and Cassie Levy.
Disney Theatrical Productions unveiled the pair Monday. Levy has starred on Broadway in “Ghost,” “Wicked” and the 2014 revival of “Les Miserables.” Murin starred on the Great White Way in “Lysistrata Jones” and “Xanadu.”
The duo will be joined by Jelani Alladin as Kristoff, Greg Hildreth as Olaf, John Riddle as Hans and Robert Creighton as the Duke of Weselton. Rob Ashford has also joined a choreographer, replacing Christopher Gattelli.
The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote music for the blockbuster 2013 film, is returning to work on the stage show, and Jennifer Lee, co-director and screenwriter of the film, is writing the story. Michael Grandage is directing.
The show will debut at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in August. It is expected to land on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in 2018 beside Disney hits “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.”
Netflix on the verge of hitting 100 million subscribers
SAN FRANCISCO >> Netflix is on the verge of surpassing 100 million subscribers, a testament to how much the video streaming service has changed the entertainment landscape since its debut a decade ago.
The milestone will be reached this weekend if Netflix’s projections are correct. Netflix made the prediction Monday with the release of its first-quarter earnings.
The video service added nearly 5 million subscribers during the first three months of the year to end March with 98.7 million customers in roughly 190 countries.
Netflix still has a ways to go to catch up with HBO, the popular payTV channel that has served as its role model. HBO has 134 million subscribers worldwide, including viewers who now get the channel on an internetonly service that was inspired by Netflix’s success.
Andy Karl will lead Broadway’s ‘Groundhog Day’ opening
NEW YORK >> Producers of the Broadway show “Groundhog Day” said the musical was set open Monday night with star Andy Karl once again leading the cast despite having to miss the previous show after tweaking his knee.
Karl hurt himself during a preview performance Friday, forcing the cancellation of Saturday’s matinee.
“Groundhog Day” is based on the much-loved 1993 movie about a jaded weatherman forced to live the same day over, with Karl starring in the Bill Murray role. of Phil Connors, a part Karl originated in London and won an Olivier Award as best actor in a musical