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jgroffdaily · 7 months

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Merrily We Roll Along reviews Part 4

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

Broadway never saw a better triple-act than Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe, the triumphant triumvirate at the heart of the gorgeous new revival of “Merrily We Roll Along” directed by the famed British musical theater star Maria Friedman. What a delight they are to watch as life kicks their ever-hopeful characters in the teeth.

But I’ll wager most everyone does. As Sondheim says in one lyric, “Who’s like us, damn few!”

The late, great one could have been talking about these performances. Friedman unlocked many previously problematic aspects of this show, but one of the main keys was to understanding that Mary (Mendez), the sidekick to the aspiring writer-composer team of Franklin Shepard (Groff) and Charley Kringas (Radcliffe) is not the third wheel but the lead.

Mendez has every shade of Mary down cold: the charm, the drinking, the talent, the self-destructive tendencies. But the biggest achievement here is how this fine actress telegraphs how differently humans cope, or fail to cope, with disappointment. Some roll merrily along. Some, like Mary, fall off the carousel. Or jump. It’s a stunner of a performance.

But then Groff, whose singing and energy drive the show, is also superb: his character refuses to see plenty of stuff, but the denials clearly show on Groff’s face, and in his voice. Radcliffe is similarly complicated: his Charley is quiet, sweet, sad, modest of expectation, always fighting off cynicism, still trying to believe in the face of whatever evidence to the contrary life is delivering. This is the best thing I have ever seen this actor do.

But it’s the clearly warm relationship between the three stars that make this show, their palpable, present-tense enjoyment of each other when performing Tim Jackson’s very human choreography, a manifestation of fun and fear. Friedman’s direction and approach to the show seems to have freed these three stars to reveal more of themselves than before.

“Merrily” is even better than it was at the New York Theater Workshop. Its essential intimacy has been retained and it has deepened considerably, as shows that so depend on the relationship of the actors often do.

Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly

Merrily is undoubtedly a star vehicle for Groff, who is no stranger to having two pretty best friends after his Tony-nominated turn in Spring Awakening, and it's a challenge that he more than rises to in his stellar performance as Frank. His older version of the character spins through each scene like a mirrorball, sizing up each target and successfully winning them over with a perfectly tailored version of his personality under Amith Chandrashaker's spotlights. (It's that perfectionism that makes Frank's stone cold, unblinking fury during Charley's televised meltdown all that much more affecting.) As he wades toward his younger years, Groff allows Frank's true nature — or, perhaps, the one that his ambition has stolen away — to seep through, painting him as a starry-eyed composer who wholeheartedly loves music, his friends, and his first wife.

As time travels, Radcliffe's resentment slowly melts away into a promising partnership between Charley and Frank, one that sees both of them gleefully working in perfect tandem.

The trio's bond cannot be denied as they toe tap, sashay, and leap their way through sparkling performances like "Old Friends" and "Opening Doors," trade lighthearted back-and-forth barbs without hesitation, and often come together for three-way pinky links like true time-tested pals.

But, when a previously referenced plot point suddenly clicks into place amongst the audience, or when its knockout trio are firing on all cylinders at its forefront, Merrily is truly a sight to behold. What a time to be alive, indeed.

Adam Feldman, Time Out NY

That’s one reason Friedman’s version works so well: She has trained her eye on just the right stars. Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez are so appealing as performers that they moot the pinched negativity of their characters’ first appearances. All three deliver exceptional work.

As the story moves backward, Groff’s pallid Frank begins to glow with excitement and sincerity; he makes you feel how much Frank loves writing music, and what a self-betrayal his abandonment of it represents.

#jonathan groff #merrily we roll along #reviews #daniel radcliffe #lindsay mendez

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dorothydalmati1 · 7 months

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The Owl House Season 1 Episode 6: Hooty's Moving Hassle

Written by Jeff Trammell, Charley Feldman, John Bailey Owen, Rachel Vine & Dana Terrace

Storyboard by Bosook "Bo" Coburn, Madeleine Flores, Naomi Hicks, Ben Holm, Amelia Lorenz, Chris Pianka & Stephen Sandoval

Directed by Stephen Sandoval

Animated by Rough Draft Korea

#the owl house #howl’s moving castle

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retrogamingreplay · 1 month

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X-Men '97 premiered on Disney+ last night, and the first two episodes were amazing. The animation is beautiful, the story is engaging, and the characters are as lovable as ever. Having eagerly awaited its release, I settled in to watch the first two episodes, which are the only ones available at this time. Let me start by saying, the show was nothing short of astonishing—truly a 10 out of 10 experience that managed to reignite the spark of the beloved original '90s cartoon. [caption id="attachment_168616" align="aligncenter" width="1182"] friends of humanity[/caption] However, there is one troubling detail that I noticed in the first two episodes: the Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant group that the X-Men are dealing with, is an all-white group in the new cartoon. In the comics and the early 1990s cartoon, the Friends of Humanity were composed of non-mutants of all colors. This was an important detail, as it showed that anti-mutant sentiment was not limited to any one race or ethnicity. However, in the new Disney+ cartoon, the Friends of Humanity are primarily all white people. This change is troubling, as it suggests that the writers are projecting hate towards Caucasians. [caption id="attachment_168611" align="aligncenter" width="1570"] friends of humanity[/caption] What does this change signify? Are the writers unintentionally casting a shadow of bigotry on a single demographic? The lack of diversity within the Friends of Humanity in 'X-Men '97' seems to paint hate as a uniquely Caucasian issue, which is not only inaccurate but also potentially harmful. It's a disservice to the complex narrative of intolerance and fear that 'X-Men' has always sought to address—a narrative that acknowledges bigotry can take root in any community, regardless of color. Disney, a group that usually demands diversity, did a 180 here. Why? friends of humanityNow, we must ask ourselves: is this the result of a misguided consultation? Has the push for diversity and representation in media inadvertently swung the pendulum too far in one direction, fostering a new form of prejudice in the process? It's worth investigating who these consulting entities are and what their influence entails. We need to question whether this creative decision serves the story and message of 'X-Men,' or if it's a reflection of a broader issue within the industry, where the fear of misrepresentation leads to a different brand of stereotyping. As fans and consumers of media, we should encourage a dialogue about these portrayals. It's crucial that we maintain the integrity of the 'X-Men's' core themes—unity, acceptance, and the fight against hate in all its forms—without inadvertently demonizing any one group. 'X-Men '97' has the potential to be a beacon of inclusive storytelling, as long as it remembers the inclusive roots from which it sprung. [caption id="attachment_168614" align="aligncenter" width="1387"] friends of humanity[/caption] It is possible that the writers of X-Men '97 consulted with a company like Sweet Baby Inc. when making the decision to make the Friends of Humanity all white. Sweet Baby Inc. is a consulting company that specializes in diversity and inclusion. The company has a history of working with major corporations, including Disney. The following is a list of writers for X-Men '97: Beau DeMayo Charley Feldman Eric Lewald Julia Lewald Raven Metzner Steve Melching Steven Melching Ted Sullivan Will Upson I urge the writers of X-Men '97 to reconsider their decision to make the Friends of Humanity all white. This change is unnecessary and harmful, and it does not reflect the values of the X-Men. Retro-Replay has reached out to the show writers to ask for an apology, and is currently waiting a response. [gallery ids='168618,168610,168617,168616,168615,168614,168613,168612,168611' main_size='full' tile_size='full' style='mosaic']

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techitoolz · 1 year

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Today's Savannah Guthrie in utter shock over family news she shares with fans - HELLO!

Today's Savannah Guthrie in utter shock over family news she shares with fans – HELLO!

Savannah Guthrie adores being a mom but time is flying a little too fast for her liking. TRENDING NOW: Today Show reveals shake-up tp 3rd hour with Dylan Dreyer and Al Roker The Today show host shares her children, Vale and Charley, with her husband, Michael Feldman, and while they just had reason to celebrate, it’s also bittersweet, as Savannah took to Instagram to reveal their youngest was…

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jamesmarsdenfan · 1 year

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💖💖LOTS OF LOVE, WONDERFUL CHRISTINA APPLEGATE!🌹🌹🌹🌹

Dead to Me S3 Premiere. President, Netflix Comedy Original Series Tracey Pakosta, Jessica Elbaum, Marc Evan Jackson, Brandon Scott, Natalie Morales, Linda Cardellini, Liz Feldman, James Marsden, Sam McCarthy, Luke Roessler, Diana Maria Riva, Christie Smith, Brittney Segal, Head of UCAN Scripted Series Netflix Peter Friedlander, and Brooke Kessler attend the Dead To Me S3 Premiere at TUDUM Theater on November 15, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)

#christina applegate #linda cardellini #liz feldman #james marsden #dead to me #netflix #tudum #los angeles #California

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kadeofpeacemfa97fm · 2 years

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Watch "SPOILERS! Questions Answered about Truly Outrageous for Jem Fans!" on YouTube

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itsgeekgirlauthority · 6 years

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#truly outrageous #charley feldman #jem and the holograms #truly outrageous film

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demifiendrsa · 2 years

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X-Men '97, A revival series to the 1992 X-Men: The Animated Series, will stream on Disney+ in 2023.

Beau DeMayo (The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf) will serve as head writer and executive producer. Supervising director is Jake Castorena and supervising producer is Charley Feldman. Also consulting on the new series are X-Men: The Animated Series producers and showrunners Eric and Julia Lewald, plus original series director Larry Houston.

Several cast members from X-Men: The Animated Series will reprise their original roles. Returning cast members include: Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Adrian Hough, Christopher Britton, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alison Sealy-Smith, and Alyson Court.

X-Men '97 will also welcome a number of new voices to the cast, including Jennifer Hale, Anniwaa Buachie, Ray Chase, Matthew Waterson, JP Karliak, Holly Chou, Jeff Bennett, and AJ LoCascio.

“This is the first X-Men title produced by Marvel Studios,” emphasizes Winderbaum. “What an amazing first step to reintroduce audiences to the X-Men with a look at one of the most pinnacle eras of the X-Men comics, which was the ‘90s. That iconic style that has its roots in Chris Claremont, and is celebrated in Jim Lee, and then again in ‘The Animated Series.’”

“Over the years, as we’ve met with so many filmmakers who have come in to pitch on various projects, the touchstone that we hear over and over again is X-Men: The Animated Series,” says Winderbaum.

“As an animated show, the original X-Men was the forerunner to some amazing action series,” says Vasquez-Eberhardt. “Everyone that is making X-Men ’97, top-down, is a fan. On this project, instinctually, we knew exactly what this is. To bring this series forward and pick up that baton, and not just keep running at the same pace, but to really elevate. That’s the responsibility.”

#X Men #XMen #X-Men The Animated Series #X Men TAS #XMen TAS #X Men 97 #X-Men '97 #Marvel Studios #Marvel #Disney #Disney+#cartoon #television #animated series

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gunterfan1992 · 3 years

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Episode Review: ‘Wizard City’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 4)

Airdate: September 2, 2021

Story by: Adam Muto, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang, Hanna K. Nyström, & Charley Feldman

Storyboarded by: Maya Petersen, Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, & Aleks Sennwald, & Haewon Lee

Directed by: Miki Brewster & Jeff Liu (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

An episode focusing on Peppermint Butler’s dark side is something that the fandom has craved ever since the little guy demanded Finn and Jake’s flesh in season two’s “Death in Bloom.” While installments like season five’s “The Suitor” and season six’s “Nemesis” did much to scratch that itch, the story of the Dark One remained mostly unknown…

And after “Wizard City,” it still remains largely unknown. But that’s OK, because instead of focusing on the character’s history, this special focuses on Peps’ quest to relearn magic at a magic school. Put most simply, this special is largely a fun excuse for the show to riff on Harry Potter and The Owl House-style “magic school hijinks,” and it mostly all works.

The special follows Peps quest to go to WizArts (a definite play on CalArts, the school that Pen Ward and Adam Muto, among many others, went to) so that he can relearn magic and once again become one of the greatest dark wizards of his time. Initially, Peps tries to make friends with cool kid Spader and his posse, but once they learn that Peps is not as talented at magic as they had initially thought, they kick him to the curb. It is at this point that Cadebra, Abracadaniel’s adorkable niece who is fascinated with stage magic, enters the picture. Cadebra tries everything in her power to befriend Peps, but Peps pushes back, since she’s not “cool.” It does not matter, though, because both Peps and Cadebra are sorted into the same “house”—the “Skink House—and are forced to work together.

While Peps and his cohort begin learning more and more complex magic, a secret cult of school professors, led by the otherwise caring Dr. Caledonius, are scheming to resurrect Coconteppi, a powerful dark wizard whose putrid heart has been discovered underneath the school excreting a very powerful ichor. The school cult kidnaps Spader and gives him some of the ichor to drink; they hope that because of his talent, he will be able to house the spirit of Coconteppi. This does not go as planned, and Spader is graphically killed (albeit off screen). (In a more humorous moment, Bufo, the scam wizard from season one’s “Wizard,” also ingests some of the ichor, believing himself powerful enough to handle it, but it kills him.)

Eventually Peps and Cadebra learn what is going on. Dr. Caledonius welcomes Peps, believing that he is strong enough to handle the ichor. When Cadebra’s life is put in danger, Peps reluctantly gives the putrid fluid a swig, which infuses him with the power of Coconteppi. Coconteppi-Peps then kills all the cult members before Cadebra manages to remove the ichor from Peps body. For uncovering a heinous plot, Peps is promoted to the highest house, “Salamander,” but he decides to remain a Skink and learn magic “the hard way” with Cadebra as his friend.

As I mentioned near the start of this review, “Wizard City” spends most of its time riffing on the “magic boarding school” trope, with much of the episode feeling like a light-hearted parody of Harry Potter: The characters, after all, are “sorted” into “houses,” they learn various types of magic from skilled “professors,” and they bunk in different parts of a large castle-like campus. Of course, Harry Potter didn’t invent the idea of a boarding school, but when setting your story in a school for magic, it is very hard not to lean at least somewhat into the Hogwarts relation. And this really is a double-edged sword, for while Harry Potter references can be fun here and there, they can also make the overall story feel like a fanfic parody. This special does a good job focusing more so on the characters rather than the setting, but I won’t lie, at times it did feel as if they show was really trying to make you realize it was making a Harry Potter joke.

Of all the characters introduced in the special, the breakout star is easily Cadebra, voiced by Chloe Coleman. Radiating a sort of Mabel Pines energy, Cadebra is the beam of optimism who shines brightly in an otherwise macabre special. There is something about her plucky personality and sense of wacky individualism that charms the viewer. I appreciate how the show compared and contrasted her with her uncle, the one and only Abracadaniel: like her uncle, Cadebra is a good person who wants to help others, but unlike Abracadaniel, she has a sense of courage and fortitude that results in her taking on a Coconteppi-possessed Peps at the episode’s climax. (Say what you will, Abracadaniel stans, but our favorite custodian would never have done that!) Thanks to her bravery and dedication to Peps, Cadebra is easily the heart of the special.

The episode throws an interesting little curveball into the mix by having the ‘ghost’ of Past Peppermint Butler constantly haunt Peps in the here-and-now. Past Peppermint, it seems, was so determined to become a great wizard, he cursed himself, so that if anything were to go awry, his Past self could materialize and set him straight. It’s confusing, but I do think that mixing the “overbearing parent” trope with a curse is a clever idea; it gives the whole special some dramatic heft. The whole setup is made even funnier by the special’s conclusion: After Future Peppermint Butler is ‘defeated’ and the day is saved, Peps reveals to Cadebra that he still wants to be a great and powerful dark wizard… but he wants to earn that power through hard work and determination. (Peppermint Butler might commune with demons, but he would never sell his soul to one for power; Glob helps those who help themselves, ya know?)

One of the special’s strongest points is its background art. Adventure Time always had some beautiful set pieces, and this special goes above and beyond to give WizArts an ancient sense of grandeur and mystery. Ghostshrimp, a freelance artist who was the show’s lead background designer during seasons 1-4, return for this special as a “visual developer”—basically, he mocked up a bunch of rough designs for the locales, and then the episode’s background artists worked up the final pieces in his style. On his podcast, Ghostshrimp mentioned how hectic he found Adventure Time to be, because he was used to taking his time on pieces. As such, the decision to bring him on for just development was smart, as it allowed him to still come up with iconic background designs while also playing fast and loose with everything. Hopefully the show will continue this approach with the Fionna and Cake miniseries that is coming up. After all, Ghosthsrimp’s style is the look of Adventure Time.

Another strong point for the episode is its voice acting. For one thing, you have your regulars like Tom Kenny and Dana Snyder, and Duncan Trussell, who all give a solid performance. But to voice many of the special’s new characters, the show brought on a bevy of fun actors: Saturday Night Live’s Bill Hader, for instance, is now voicing Bufo, and he does a solid job hamming up his role as the old fogey. And then there’s Toks Olagundoye, whose British accent gives Dr. Caledonius a sense of knowledge and expertise. To my delight and surprise, SungWon Cho, an internet personality and voice actor perhaps better known as ProZD, was tapped to voice Brain Wizard, and he does an excellent job. And finally, Anthony Stewart Head, a very talented actor who I know best as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, voices Con Wizard, and is even given a fun little ditty to sing. I can safely say that the voice acting in this special is likely the best of the bunch, and it’s obvious that the actors were all having a great time playing their parts.

What drags the whole thing down, in my opinion is the excessive murder. (I joked on Twitter that during the climax of “Wizard City,” it felt like I was watching an Adventure Time-ified version of Invincible!) Infused with the power of Coconteppi, Peps goes on a brutal killing spree, boiling Potable Wizard into steam, zapping Dimension Wizard into another plane of existence, smashing Berdzerd, and—perhaps most graphically—excerebrates (had to look that word up!) Brain Wiz. On Twitter, @sometipsygnostalgic argued that while, yes, the scene is startling, it does wonders to transmute “a poor Summer Camp Island knockoff [into] Adventure Time chaos.” The more I think about it, the more I think that’s a fair point; after all, this is hardly the first dark thing that has happened in Adventure Time. But the part that I cannot really stomach is the fact that Spader was murdered for no real reason, and the special ends without anyone really expressing their horror at the situation. Sure, Spader was a schoolyard bully, but he was also a child. And killing a child—either for the drama or the lulz—feels decidedly out of place in an Adventure Time episode. It’s hard to express, but it just felt unnecessarily nihilistic and mean-spirited.

All things considered, I think this was a fun episode, but it was somewhat underwhelming for a ‘finale.’ Much of this is because it had to air after the perfection that was the back-to-back “Obsidian”/”Together Again” wombo combo. But I can’t help but feel like this special just felt a little... off. A little too meanspirited, and it leaned a bit too much on standard tropes. Still, it was a fun spin, and I know that I’ll rewatch it.

Mushroom War Evidence: As Peps rides the bus to school, he passes a bunch of abandoned houses, some of which are buried in the ground. There is an unexploded bomb above the fossilized elephant in the school. Cadebra has a dream that takes place in the ruins of a city.

Final Grade: B+

#adventure time #atimers #atdl #distant lands #adventure time distant lands #wizard city #peps #peppermint butler #abracadaniel #Cadebra #Ghostshrimp #Adam Muto #Hanna K #ProZD

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illyanarasputinfan · 1 month

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X-Men ‘97 (2024) Marvel Studios - Season 1 / Episode 3 “Fire Made Flesh”

Director: Emi Yonemura

Writers: Beau DeMayo / Charley Feldman

#X-Men ‘97 #X-Men #X-Men: The Animated Series #Marvel #Marvel Studios #Marvel Animation #Disney+#Magik #Illyana Rasputin #Darkchilde #Morph #Marvel Comics #Comics #Comic Books #Cartoons #Animation

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geekcavepodcast · 2 years

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‘90s “X-Men” Returns!

Marvel has announced the return of the ‘90s X-Men!

X-Men ‘97 will revisit era and cast of X-Men: The Animated Series with many cast members returning for the new animated series.

Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Alison Sealy-Smith, Chris Potter, Catherine Disher, Adrian Hough, and Christopher Britton, will reprise their roles from X-Men: The Animated Series. New voice cast members include Jennifer Hale, Anniwaa Buachie, Ray Chase, Matthew Waterson, JP Karliak, Holly Chou, Jeff Bennett, and AJ LoCascio. Beau DeMayo serves as head writer and executive producer. Jake Castorena serves as supervising director and Charley Feldman serves as supervising producer._ X-Men: The Animated Series_ producers and showrunner Eric and Julia Lewald and original series director Larry Houston are consulting on X-Men ‘97.

X-Men ‘97 will premiere on Disney+ in 2023.

(Image via Marvel Comics)

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walkingtilwefall · 2 years

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OK.

So this is a Newsies blog, and it will always be a Newsies blog. You may notice I've been posting a lot about Regina Comet, and that's because (other than the Falsettos revival, and Waitress whenever someone I know is in it), it's the show that brings me the closest amount of joy to that which I derived from seeing the Newsies tour a whole six and change years ago.

As it turns out, Regina Comet has a stronger connection to Newsies than meets the eye. Early on in the piece, Ben Fankhauser's character extols the accomplishments of Barry Manilow, a jingle writer who "made it out" and wrote bonafide hit songs, a goal for both Ben's and Alex Wyse's unnamed characters. His collaborators, on the ridiculously well-known song "Copacabana," were lyricists Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman. Yes, that Jack Feldman. The very Jack Feldman who is responsible for lines like "go and look it up, the poor guy's head is spinning!" Him.

It doesn't end there. The director of A Commercial Jingle For Regina Comet is a young man named Marshall Pailet. These days, directing is what he does, and in the recent past he has staged his own writing, but in college, he found himself on the stage. As a junior in college in the fall of 2007, he played the role of Charley in a production of "Merrily We Roll Along." While Marshall began to come into his own as a writer and director after the production, the Frank to his Charley continued as a performer.

Fast forward a few years. Marshall is out of college and doing...who knows what. Ben, now mere months out of college, has begun Newsies at Papermill, and the Frank to Marshall's Charley is in a little show at the Signature Center. Fast forward a few more years. Newsies has opened on Broadway and closed on Broadway. A tour is imminent. Whether it has to do with the injury he sustained during the show (forcing him out for a few months), wanting to try something new, or perhaps even auditioning and not being chosen, Ben does not join with the tour like a few members of the ensemble do. A new actor is chosen. It's the young man who played Franklin Shepard to Marshall's Charley Kringas in 2007. None other than the wildly talented Jacob Kemp.

The world...it is small.

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