This may be the busiest week we’ve seen in Hollywood since we started The Buzz last year, just in time for the start of the Holiday Season!
We learned this week that Steve Carell – Massachusetts native and star of The Office – will be making his Broadway debut next spring! He will be performing in the show Uncle Vanya alongside William Jackson, Jayne Houdyshell, Mia Katugbak, Alfred Molina, Alison Pill, Anika Noni Rose and more!
Tickets will go on sale early next month and will range from $39 – $179 with the show set to begin previews on April 2nd and open officially on April 24th, 2024.
News also came out this week that Olivia Valli – granddaughter of Frankie Valli – is playing Elphaba, the iconic green-skinned wicked witch of the west, in a Philadelphia production of Wicked. Check out this special article about Olivia – it details her process for becoming Elphaba for the stage, her relationship with her grandfather, and some of her previous acting gigs. I had no idea she’d had a role in a production of Jersey Boys where she played her late grandmother Mary Delgado!
This week in Boston, a permanent Central Perk coffee shop – yes, based off of the Central Perk in the beloved show Friends – opened on Newbury street. It is the first permanent coffee shop and restaurant serving light fare of its kind.
They opened their doors this past Tuesday, honoring Matthew Perry. Friends cast members also took to Instagram this week to pay tribute to Matthew Perry including Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and Courtney Cox.
Below is a screenshot of Aniston’s post, though all of the cast member’s posts are linked above if you click on each actor’s name.
If you’re needing a Friends fix now, check out the new coffee shop in Boston. This article from People does a fantastic job showing you all you can look forward to experiencing at the new coffee shop, and remember you can always stream Friends on Max.
As for new TV, CBS has announced its upcoming slate and premiere dates, starting the week of the Super Bowl in February. They also simultaneously announced that Young Sheldon, the hit spin off of Big Bang Theory, will share its last season with the premiere early next year. Check out the full list of premiere dates here.
We also got word this week that Anthony Anderson and his mom will be hosting the series We Are Family in place of Jamie Foxx.
As for award shows, the announcement was made that Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting the 2024 Oscars ceremony and nominations have been made for the upcoming Grammys, with Barbie scoring 11 nominations.
For music updates, a fantastic interview with Gene Simmons was conducted this week where he swore that Kiss will be done touring after this tour. Something that stuck with me though was his statement “And so I’ll say right here, right now, my hand on the Bible, it will be the final Kiss-in-makeup appearance.”
I don’t typically trust when artists announce their farewell tours (*cough cough* Elton John and Kiss*) and this statement struck me as particularly interesting. Does this mean they could perform without makeup? Only time will tell I suppose.
Check out the full interview here.
Moving on, the Philadelphia Eagles will be releasing another Christmas album this season – A Philly Special Christmas Special which will be available on December 1st. Jason Kelce also enlisted his brother Travis for a duet on the album.
Speaking of Travis Kelce, fans are organizing a Taylor Swift cruise planned for next fall. Fans have picked a cruise that departs from Miami following Swift’s tour dates in the city and are planning Taylor Swift activities on this cruise. Travel agents even have a special rate solidified and if you want to go and need a roommate, they have a system coordinated for that as well. Check out this article for more info.
For movies this week, the Madame Web trailer dropped starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney – check it out below.
We also learned that Pedro Pascal is a contender to play Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four reboot.
Additionally, a new Wonka teaser – the prequel to the beloved Willy Wonka films dropped this week starring Timothy Chalamet.
Lastly, if you’re looking for a little respite from the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving prep, there are tons of great movies coming out this weekend!
Highest on my list is the release of the prequel film to the Hunger Games called The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes, in theaters today! Other films you can look forward to are Trolls Band Together – the film that got us a long-awaited *NSYNC reunion this year and on the red carpet just this week – and Freevee’s EXmas starring Robbie Amell and Leighton Meester.
If you want a list of all of today’s releases, click here. You can also check out the trailer for EXmas below.
I hope all of you enjoy your Thanksgiving!