I just couldn’t say farewell to Hispanic Heritage Month without giving props to a man whose name and impressive credits I’ve noted in so many Playbill Magazines: Mr. Michael Balderrama. 

Of Mexican heritage, Michael Balderrama is one of theater’s most prolific choreographers. An artist whose abundant talents can presently be seen in the mega-hit bio-musical, MJ – based on the life of the enigmatic “King of Pop”: Michael Jackson. And that’s not Balderrama’s only show-biz gig.  The busy actor/dancer also serves as the Global Choreographer for The Great White Way’s other mega-hit, Hamilton.  This assignement has him traveling the world, maintaining the high performance standards of the many companies that have kept the revolutionary Hamilton selling out in Chicago, London, Hamburg, Ireland and Australia.   

And as if working on MJ and Hamilton weren’t impressive enough, Balderrama has also performed and/or choreographed for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights (where he played the title role as Usnavi), Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s dance masterpiece, Movin’ Out, and was featured in three big budget film-to-stage musical adaptations: Ghost, Saturday Night Fever and Unban Cowboy.  Balderrama has a number of big shows under his belt – and rightfully so. 

Whether performing or choreographing, Balderrama is always a standout. He has received unanimous praise, including a the 2022 Drama Desk Award in Choreography, for MJ. And you don’t have to look too far to understand why Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Christopher Weeldon chose Balderrama as his assistant choreographer, to bring the long awaited MJ The Musical to the stage.  The reason: Balderrama is an inspired story teller when it comes to movement. And he’s filled Jackson’s life story with classic moves from the era along with an expanded dance vocabulary that helps the audience understand the artistically extraordinary journey “the gloved one”.

The musical’s book by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Lynn Nottage, is set in 1992 during rehearsals for Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour.  The plot skillfully navigates the public relations time-bomb that’s about to upend Jackson’s non-stop skyward trajectory. The two-act extravaganza incorporates Jackson’s signature moves along with Balderrama and Wheeldon’s new movement resulting in the one of the most thrilling dance shows ever presented on an American stage. I’ve seen MJ four times and always discover something new in the nuanced, explosive choreography. When it comes to MJ, I can’t stop, can’t get enough. 

It’s serendipitous that Balderrama should be part of MJ, because it was Michael Jackson himself who hired Balderrama for his first real dance job  in his extended song “Ghost“. Of working on MJ, Balderrama says the show, “… reminds us of not only the incredible talent and the incredible gift of music that he gave the world but (also) the world he had to navigate in order to make that happen. I think the show hits the mark where it celebrates his work and reminds us of the incredible talent, his incredible creativity, his uniqueness, while at the same time it’s not just a love letter. You know, we’re speaking about a human and an artist that struggled with difficulties.”

A dedicated artist to the core, Balderrama truly understands MJ’s perfectionism as Balderrama’s dances are perfectly shaped throughout the hit-packed evening featuring “Beat It,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Dancing Machine,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,’” “They Don’t Care About Us,” “Billie Jean,” “Can You Feel It,” “Human Nature,” “Bad,” “The Man in the Mirror” – and volumes more. But there are two standout numbers where Balderrama helped create a pair of peak choreographic moments: “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller.”  “Smooth Criminal” is set up by a short prologue where the character of Michael Jackson introduces us to the dancers who most influenced his style: the slick Bob Fosse, the elegant Fred Astaire and the dynamic Nicholas Brothers.  What starts out as a slow narrative explodes into the frenetic and mesmerizing “Smooth Criminal.”  That number alone is worth the price of admission.  Then, in “Thriller” (spoiler alert), plot and movement brilliantly intersect when MJ’s strict father, who both forged and terrorized the young Jackson, evolves into a literal monster haunting Michael’s memories.  This perfect melding of story into dance is the 11 o’clock number that takes us to the end of the show by allowing us to enter into Michael’s sometimes tortured, always creative soul.  “Thriller” leads us to understand both what might have driven MJ to superstardom and what may have stunted his emotional growth that led to the allegations that would haunt Jackson until his untimely demise. 

For the aforementioned and so many more reasons, I recommend MJ The Musical to the world!  You’ll hear some of the pop’s greatest tunes danced to Michael Balderrama’s glorious tribute to Michael Jackson’s immortal dance legacy. 

Check out tickets and more information: www.mjthemusical.com

The post Michael Balderrama Broadway’s King of Choreography first appeared on .

Hamilton actress and singer Ariana DeBose and Encanto singer Sebastián Yatra will appear on the ABC special The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration Nov. 28.

DeBose will join country singer and Rock of the Ages actress Julianne Hough in the rendition of “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and “Holiday” medley.

The Carolina-born DeBose debuted on the TV series So You Think You Can Dance in 2009, and has alternated acting between Hollywood and theater stages. Her credits include the vampire series True Blood, the drama series One Life to Live, the indie film Daphne and the musical plays Hairspray and Bring It On. The Afro-Latina actress has played the roles of famous singers in Broadway productions, like Mary Wilson in Motown and Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Her role in Hamilton in 2015 meant she was part of the musical’s original cast whose live performance was filmed for Disney+’s Hamilton. 

For his part, multiple Latin Grammy-nominated Yatra will sing “Dos Oruguitas,” track number six on the soundtrack for Disney’s animated film Encanto, which is set in a fantastical Colombia. The song was written and composed by Grammy Award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame. The song also was produced by Miranda along with Mike Elizondo. “Dos Oruguitas” is one of a few songs in Spanish among the movie soundtrack’s 45 tracks. The film’s album was released one week before the film’s premiere Nov. 24 in time for Thanksgiving weekend.

Yatra has received eight nominations for the Latin Grammy, the two most recent in 2020 for his collaboration with Colombian singer Juanes in the single “Bonita”–both as Song of the Year and Best Pop Son. 

The Medellin-born and Miami-raised Yatra will also perform a “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” medley in the yuletide TV special. 

In The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, DeBose and Yatra will join a lineup that includes artists like Julianne Hough, Jimmie Allen, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Brett Eldredge, Needtobreathe, Switchfoot, Norah Jones and Gwen Stefani.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” and “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” are executive produced by Sally Conner for Disney Parks, who brought on production company 45 Live and executive producer Michael Antinoro.

The Nov. 28 show will air from 7 to 9 p.m., Eastern Standard Time/Pacific Standard Time. 

Featured Photos: Ariana DeBose (Credit: Kat Hennessey/Courtesy of artist) / Sebastian Yatra (Credit: Courtesy, self)

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Hamilton and The Queen’s Gambit won two and one awards, respectively, at the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which recognizes achievements in television.

The Netflix dramatic series starring Anya Taylor-Joy won Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series. It competed in six categories, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Taylor-Joy. However, the Argentinian-American actress lost to Kate Winslet for her role as Mare Sheehan on HBO’s Mare of Easttown.

Disney+’s Hamilton, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, won for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). Miranda himself was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie but lost to Ewan McGregor, who played fashion designer Roy Halston on Netflix’s Halston. Disney+’s Hamilton is the live recording of the acclaimed Broadway musical of the same title about America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, captured live from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original theatre cast. Hamilton had a total of nine Emmy nominations.

One of the other few nominated Latinos actors was MJ Rodriguez, who vied for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Blanca Evangelista on FX’s Pose. She lost to Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix’s The Crown. Still, Rodriguez made history as the first-ever transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award in a major acting category.

The Mandalorian, a Disney+ sci-fi series starring Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal that is part of the Star Wars franchise, received five Emmy nominations but lost in all of them. 

Earlier in the month, another Latina won a different kind of Emmy, the Creative Arts Emmy, which honors technical and other achievements in television. Jessica Hernández won for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming for HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show. She shared the award with Daysha Broadway and Stephanie Filo.

(See complete list of Primetime Emmy winners below.)

Featured Photo: Hamilton (Credit: Disney+)

2021 Emmy Winners

Best Limited Series: The Queen’s Gambit

Best Drama: The Crown 

Best Comedy: Ted Lasso 

Outstanding Variety Special, Pre-Recorded: Hamilton

Outstanding Variety Special, Live: Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020

Best Actor, Drama: Josh O’Connor, The Crown

Best Actress, Drama: Olivia Colman, The Crown

Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie: Ewan McGregor, Halston

Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama Special: Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You

Directing for a Limited Series: Scott Frank, The Queen’s Gambit

Reality Competition Program: RuPaul’s Drag Race

Best Actor, Comedy: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Best Actress, Comedy: Jean Smart, Hacks

Directing for a Comedy Series: Lucia Aniello, Hacks 

Writing for a Comedy Series: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, Hacks

Variety Sketch Series: Saturday Night Live

Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Writing for a Variety Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Supporting Actor, Drama: Tobias Menzies, The Crown

Supporting Actress, Drama: Gillian Anderson, The Crown

Directing for a Drama Series: Jessica Hobbs, The Crown

Writing for a Drama Series: Peter Morgan, The Crown 

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie: Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or a Movie: Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown

Supporting Actor, Comedy: Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

Supporting Actress, Comedy: Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Directing for a Variety Special: Bo Burnham, Inside

Directing for a Variety Series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress, Comedy: Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actor, Comedy: Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress, Drama: Claire Foy, The Crown

Guest Actor, Drama: Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft CountryTelevision Movie: Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square

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Actors Anya Taylor-Joy, Colman Domingo, Hamilton, Jason Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Pedro Pascal and Rosie Perez stand out among the nominees for the inaugural Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards. Other notable candidates with Latino connections are the series Selena + Chef, Superstore and the film Hamilton. 

Founded in 2016, HCA’s mission is to “Bring together a passionate group of critics and journalists who represent the voices of a new era in Hollywood.” Formerly known as the Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society until 2019, the group has presented film awards since 2017. This is the first time it hands out television awards, which also include streaming platform categories.

Taylor-Joy is nominated for her role in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit in the category of Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Movie. Taylor-Joy’s orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon has earned her various accolades, including a SAG Award and a Golden Globe.

Domingo got a nod for his role in HBO’s Euphoria Two-Part Special for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Movie.

The film Hamilton competes for Best Streaming Limited Series, Anthology Series or Live-Action Television Movie. The Disney+ feature, starring and written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, captures the live performance on Broadway with the original cast of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton.

Two Latino actors from the FX’s Pose contend in two different categories. Jason Rodriguez and MJ Rodriguez vie for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama, respectively.

Pascal scores his fourth award nomination for his leading role in The Mandalorian. He is nominated for Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama category for his role in Disney+’s sci-fi series.

Academy Award-nominee Rosie Perez gets a nom for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy for her role in HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant.

Selena + Chef, the HBO Max that features singer/actress Selena Gomez, competes for Best Cable or Streaming Reality Series, Competition Series, or Game Show. 

And Superstore, the NBC comedy series starring and executive produced by America Ferrera, nabbed a total of three noms, including Best Broadcast Network Series, Comedy. 

NBC has a total of 29 nominations, the most out of all of the traditional broadcast networks with. Its popular series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Young Rock, Superstore, Mr. Mayor and This is Us all boast multiple noms.

HBO leads the Cable categories, also with a total of 29 nods. Mare of Easttown, I May Destroy You, the Euphoria Two-Part Special and The Undoing have multiple nods. The cable channel’s streaming counterpart HBO Max also received various noms with Hacks and The Flight Attendant gathering the most. 

As more and more networks have started to expand into streaming, Netflix continues to lead the way with a total of 28 nominations spread across multiple categories including Best Streaming Docuseries, Documentary Television Movie, or Non-Fiction Series. The Crown received the most nominations of all the Netflix submissions with a total of six nods, including Best Streaming Series, Drama. 

The HCA TV Awards ceremony will be held at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles Aug. 22.

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As Broadway and Hollywood made Lin-Manuel Miranda a household name, the Puerto Rican artist has used his fame and platform for public service. The Hamilton and In the Heights star’s advocacy for Latinos and the arts has now earned him recognition from the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation.

The Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated Miranda is set to receive the foundation’s 2021 Service to America Leadership Award next month. The honor recognizes “individuals and organizations responsible for improving the lives of others through extraordinary public service,” according to the organization. It is the Leadership Foundation’s highest individual honor.

“As the creative force behind some of the most successful stage and screen productions in recent memory, Lin-Manuel Miranda  has left an indelible mark on our culture,” says NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “He has matched his outstanding success with an outspoken advocacy for Puerto Rico and the arts, and a steadfast commitment to helping communities grow, learn and thrive.”

An actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, and playwright, Miranda is the creator and original star of Hamilton and In the Heights, two multiple Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals that have also been made into movies–the latter currently playing in theatres nationwide. His artistic work has also picked up a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, two Olivier Awards, and an Emmy Award, among others. 

The New Yorkis also the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award, the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors and the 2019 Portrait of a Nation Prize. Furthermore, he received nominations for an Oscar and for four Golden Globe awards for his work in films like Moana, Mary Poppins Returns and the television miniseries Fosse/Verdon. He has also been featured in the TV series His Dark Materials and Duck Tales and has written the New York bestsellers “Hamilton: The Revolution” and “Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You.”  

And now he’s adding director to his resume by helming the upcoming Netflix “Tick, Tick… Boom!” set for release later in 2021.

Arguably one of the busiest starts on the planet, he has also managed to remain involved in causes close to his heart.

He has been an active partner with the Hispanic Federation to help Puerto Rico’s relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria since 2017. He launched Raise Up, a digital fundraising campaign to support the Hispanic Federation Emergency Assistance Fund, which serves Latino communities throughout the nation. The fund has reportedly donated more than $14 million to 250 community-based organizations focusing on reaching the most impacted and vulnerable communities. It is said to be the most far-reaching Latino Covid-19 emergency relief effort in the country.

Miranda is also an advocate for the arts. He and the Flamboyan Foundation launched the Flamboyan Arts Fund in 2018, which has raised more than $15 million to support the arts and artisans in Puerto Rico. Last year the fund launched the Arts Innovation and Management Puerto Rico program to fund bilingual management training, business consulting, and natural disaster response resilience training for arts organizations.

Furthermore, Miranda partnered up with Jeffrey Seller and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History for the creation of the Hamilton Education Program five years ago to empower educators to integrate the arts and creativity in the study of the revolutionary and founding era. The program relies on original historic documents to inspire artistic pieces and has served about a quarter-million high school students. During the pandemic, it was expanded recently for use by middle school students as a free online program.

“We are delighted to commemorate (Miranda’s) storied accomplishments and dedication to public service with the Service to America Leadership Award,” says Smith, the NAB president.

Miranda will receive the award on July 10.

The post Lin-Manuel Miranda to Receive National Leadership Award first appeared on .

Miranda will appear on NBC’s Roll Up Your Sleeves, a special aimed at raising public awareness about immunization against the coronavirus and encouraging people to get the shots. The show is produced by ATTN:, Civic Nation and Deviants Media. It is executive produced by Jarrett Moreno, Tom Werner and Valerie Jarrett. The special will be presented by Walgreens, the nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain that is now offering COVID vaccines at stores in more than a dozen states.

The Mary Poppins Returns star will join former First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Anthony Fauci and actor Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) on the vaccination special that airs on April 18. They will “educate and empower audiences to make this important decision to help put the pandemic behind us,” says the TV network in a press statement.  

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, will be interviewed by McConaughey. Fauci will also separate facts from fiction about the vaccines and urge all Americans to do their part in getting the vaccine when eligible.

The program will include comedy acts, informative packages and real-life stories.

“We are honored to present an hour of television devoted to increasing vaccinations in America and help end a cataclysmic pandemic,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president of live events and specials. “The entertainment, comedic and music communities, along with First Lady Michelle Obama, have come together for the special, which will be inspirational, poignant and, at times, humorous. The overriding message: get vaccinated, end the pandemic and get your life and the life of the country back on track.”

A lot is riding on the vaccination efforts, according to other people involved in the special. “The ability to get people back to work and kids back in school, getting us reunited with family and friends and attending concerts, sporting events and many other activities we hold dear, is contingent upon people getting vaccinated,” said Matthew Segal, ATTN: co-founder. “At ATTN: we believe in the power of entertainment to inform audiences, and we’re thrilled to partner with NBC, Civic Nation, Walgreens and many great public figures and performers to get out this critical message.”

Miranda is an award-winning composer, lyricist and actor. He is best known as the creator and original star of the Broadway hit Hamilton. This play won 11 Tony Awards, including two for Miranda for book and score of a musical. Hamilton’s original cast recording won a Grammy for best musical theater album. His song “How Far I’ll Go” for the animated film Moana won him nominations for the Oscar and Golden Globe. He also scored two other Golden Globe nominations for his acting in Hamilton the movie and Mary Poppins Returns.

The Puerto Rican actor has used his platform to advocate for various social issues. He made a public service announcement for the Census 2020 along with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and helped raise funds for Puerto Rico relief efforts after Hurricane Maria. He has supported the Black Lives Matter movement, too.

Miranda’s work has also inspired grassroots action during the pandemic. Recently, a group of doctors from Northern California adapted a song from Miranda’s Broadway musical hit Hamilton to promote COVID vaccination. Vax’n 8 produced the video My Shot! to address the social, scientific and political issues around immunization.  

Featured Top Photo: Lin-Manuel Miranda in ‘Hamilton.’

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Taylor-Joy stands out as one of two actresses with double nominations of the prestigious Golden Globes this year.

The 24-year-old actress of Argentine descent competes in the best actress in a comedy feature category for her leading role in Emma, where she faces off against Oscar-nominated and past Golden Globe winners Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) and Kate Hudson (Music).

Taylor-Joy is also nominated for best actress for the limited television series The Queen’s Gambit, facing off against Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America) and Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), both multiple Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning stars.

Taylor-Joy is a first-time nominee for a Golden Globe.

However, the drama about an orphaned, chess prodigy is not the only Latino-led episodic competing this year for the coveted award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. 

Disney’s The Mandalorian, starring Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal, is also nominated for best television drama series. The sci-fi western episodic from the Star Wars universe competes against The Crown, Lovecraft Country, Ozark, and Ratched.

Hamilton, the film that captured the live performance of the acclaimed Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda featuring the original cast, also received two nominations, for best musical or comedy motion picture. The feature about America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton competes against Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Music, Palm Springs, and The Prom. Miranda, who stars in the film, is also a contender for best actor, along with Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), James Corden (The Prom), Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield), and Andy Samberg (Palm Springs).

This will be Miranda’s third Golden Globes nomination. His first two nominations were for best original song for the animated series Moana and later for his acting in Mary Poppins Returns.

In the foreign language film category, the Spanish-language horror flick La Llorona from Guatemala competes against Denmark’s Another Round, Italy’s The Life Ahead, France’s Two of Us, and U.S.A.’s Korean-language dramedy Minari.

La Llorona is a supernatural drama about an aging war criminal facing death and ghosts of his past. Directed by Jayro Bustamante (Temblores), the film is also Guatemala’s official entry for the Oscars this year.

The 78th edition of the Golden Globes will take place on Feb. 28 and air on NBC. Hosting the awards will be comedic actresses Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Inside Out) repeating that feat for the fourth time. Fey will be live from New York, and Poehler will be live from Beverly Hills. Nominees will join in live from various locations around the world.

Check out the complete list of Golden Globe nominees:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Father (Trademark Films; Sony Pictures Classics)
Mank (Netflix; Netflix)
Nomadland  (Highwayman / Hear/Say / Cor Cordium; Searchlight Pictures)
Promising Young Woman (Luckychap Entertainment / Filmnation Entertainment; Focus Features)
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Marc Platt Productions / Dreamworks Pictures; Netflix)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama
Viola Davis    Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day    The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby    Pieces Of A Woman
Frances Mcdormand    Nomadland
Carey Mulligan    Promising Young Woman

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama
Riz Ahmed    Sound Of Metal
Chadwick Boseman    Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins    The Father
Gary Oldman    Mank
Tahar Rahim    The Mauritanian

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Four By Two Films; Amazon Studios)
Hamilton (Walt Disney Pictures / Radicalmedia / 5000 Broadway Productions / Nevis Productions / Old 320 Sycamore Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Music (Pineapple Lasagne Productions / Landay Entertainment; Vertical Entertainment / Imax)
Palm Springs (Party Over Here / Limelight Productions; Neon / Hulu)
The Prom (Netflix / Dramatic Forces / Storykey Entertainment; Netflix)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Maria Bakalova    Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Kate Hudson    Music
Michelle Pfeiffer    French Exit
Rosamund Pike    I Care A Lot
Anya Taylor-joy    Emma.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen    Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
James Corden    The Prom
Lin-manuel Miranda    Hamilton
Dev Patel    The Personal History Of David Copperfield
Andy Samberg    Palm Springs

Best Motion Picture – Animated
The Croods: A New Age (Dreamworks Animation; Universal Pictures)
Onward (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Over The Moon (Netflix / Pearl Studio / Glen Keane Productions; Netflix)
Soul (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon / Melusine; Apple / Gkids)

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
Another Round (Denmark) (Zentropa Entertainments; Samuel Goldwyn Films)
La Llorona (Guatemala / France) (La Casa De Producción / Les Films Du Volcan; Shudder)
The Life Ahead (Italy) (Palomar; Netflix)
Minari (Usa) (Plan B; A24)
Two Of Us (France / Usa) (Paprika Films; Magnolia Pictures)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture
Glenn Close    Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman    The Father
Jodie Foster    The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried    Mank
Helena Zengel    News Of The World

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture
Sacha Baron Cohen    The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya    Judas And The Black Messiah
Jared Leto    The Little Things
Bill Murray    On The Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr.    One Night In Miami…

Best Director – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell    Promising Young Woman
David Fincher    Mank
Regina King    One Night In Miami…
Aaron Sorkin    The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao    Nomadland

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell    Promising Young Woman
Jack Fincher    Mank
Aaron Sorkin    The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton    The Father
Chloé Zhao    Nomadland

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat    The Midnight Sky
Ludwig Göransson    Tenet
James Newton Howard    News Of The World
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross    Mank
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste    Soul

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Fight For You” — Judas And The Black Messiah
Music By:    H.E.R., Dernst Emile Ii
Lyrics By:    H.E.R., Tiara Thomas
“Hear My Voice” — The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Music By:    Daniel Pemberton
Lyrics By:    Daniel Pemberton, Celeste Waite
“Io Sì (Seen)” — The Life Ahead
Music By:    Diane Warren
Lyrics By:    Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi
“Speak Now” — One Night In Miami…
Music By:    Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
Lyrics By:    Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
“Tigress & Tweed” — The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Music By:    Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq
Lyrics By:    Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq

Best Television Series – Drama
The Crown – Netflix (Left Bank Pictures / Sony Pictures Television)
Lovecraft Country – Hbo (Hbo / Afemme / Monkeypaw / Bad Robot / Warner Bros. Television)
The Mandalorian – Disney+ (Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Ozark – Netflix (Mrc Television)
Ratched – Netflix (Fox21 Television Studios)   

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Olivia Colman    The Crown
Jodie Comer    Killing Eve
Emma Corrin    The Crown
Laura Linney    Ozark
Sarah Paulson    Ratched

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Jason Bateman    Ozark
Josh O’connor    The Crown
Bob Odenkirk    Better Call Saul
Al Pacino    Hunters
Matthew Rhys    Perry Mason

Best Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Emily In Paris – Netflix (Darren Star Productions / Jax Media / Mtv Studios)
The Flight Attendant – Hbo Max (Hbo Max / Berlanti Productions / Yes, Norman Productions / Warner Bros. Television)
The Great – Hulu (Hulu / Civic Center Media / Mrc)
Schitt’s Creek – Pop Tv (Not A Real Company Productions / Canadian Broadcast Company / Pop Tv)
Ted Lasso – Apple Tv+ (Apple / Doozer Productions / Warner Bros. Television / Universal Television)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Lily Collins    Emily In Paris
Kaley Cuoco    The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning    The Great
Jane Levy    Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Catherine O’hara    Schitt’s Creek

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Don Cheadle    Black Monday
Nicholas Hoult    The Great
Eugene Levy    Schitt’s Creek
Jason Sudeikis    Ted Lasso
Ramy Youssef    Ramy

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Normal People – Hulu (Hulu / Bbc / Element Pictures)
The Queen’s Gambit – Netflix (Netflix)
Small Axe – Amazon Studios (Bbc Studios Americas, Inc / Amazon Studios)
The Undoing – Hbo (Hbo / Made Up Stories / Blossom Films/David E. Kelley Productions)
Unorthodox – Netflix (Studio Airlift / Realfilm)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Limited Series, Anthology Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television
Cate Blanchett    Mrs. America
Daisy Edgar-jones    Normal People
Shira Haas    Unorthodox
Nicole Kidman    The Undoing
Anya Taylor-joy    The Queen’s Gambit

Best Performance By An Actor In A Limited Series, Anthology Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television
Bryan Cranston    Your Honor
Jeff Daniels    The Comey Rule
Hugh Grant    The Undoing
Ethan Hawke    The Good Lord Bird
Mark Ruffalo    I Know This Much Is True

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Supporting Role
Gillian Anderson    The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter    The Crown
Julia Garner    Ozark
Annie Murphy    Schitt’s Creek
Cynthia Nixon    Ratched

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Supporting Role
John Boyega    Small Axe
Brendan Gleeson    The Comey Rule
Daniel Levy    Schitt’s Creek
Jim Parsons    Hollywood
Donald Sutherland    The Undoing

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While attending Wesleyan University Miranda wrote the draft of what would become his first hit Broadway musical, In The Heights. The play, about a Latino neighborhood in New York, premiered on Broadway in 2008 and was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning four: Best Musical and Best Original Score and a Best Actor Tony Award for Miranda, and a  Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

The world-renowned musical Hamilton about President Alexander Hamilton was Miranda’s next Broadway hit.  The idea for the play started with a rap about Hamilton which he wrote and performed for the White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word in 2009.  

On the first night of the Hamilton previews (prior to opening), over 700 people were lined up for tickets. The play opened on Broadway in 2015 to rave reviews and sold-out houses.

Hamilton won the Tony Award for Best Musical; Miranda won the Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical and received a nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Miranda won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical, and the Hamilton cast album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. 

While these two groundbreaking musicals launched his career, they do not uniquely define the artistic genius of Miranda.  He has had numerous musical collaborations, appeared in TV shows, and was in the film Mary Poppins Returns.  In 2021 Miranda makes his directorial debut with the musical drama film tick tock, BOOM based on a musical by Jonathan Larson. 

Featured Photo: Grammy Awards

— Latin Heat News Service

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Based on the autobiographical musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jonathan Larson (Rent), the drama tells the story of an aspiring New York composer having second thoughts about his career choice. The film is one of a slate of new projects Netflix has for this year.

Miranda will share producer credit with acclaimed Hollywood filmmakers Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard, who directed Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind. Also producing will be Julie Oh (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Hillbilly Elegy).

Tick, Tick…BOOM! takes place in the Big Apple of the 1990s where an aspiring theatre composer in his late 20s waits tables while writing what he hopes will be a successful American musical. Jon is about to turn 30 but his girlfriend is tired of supporting his dreams at the expense of her own. To make things worse, his roommate and best friend is leaving the creative world for a well-paid career in advertising.

Starring in the musical will be Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Love, Simon), Vanessa Hudgens (Beastly, Spring Breakers), and Robin de Jesus (Camp, The Boys in the Band).

This will be the second time Miranda works on Tick, Tick…Boom! He starred in the off-Broadway revival of the musical in 2014. One year later, Miranda would star in Hamilton, his acclaimed Broadway musical hit that incorporates rap music and garnered 16 Tony Award nominations, winning for Best Musical, Leading actor original score and book.  Also for writing the musical, Miranda won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The Hamilton cast album also won a Grammy.

After Hamilton’s success, Miranda has expanded his film and television credits and the film Mary Poppins Returns. He has also contributed to movie soundtracks; Star Wars: Episode VII and Moana, for which Miranda received an Oscar nomination for the theme song. Currently he stars in the HBO dramatic series His Dark Materials.

Featured Photo: Hamilton Production

— Cesar Arredondo

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Lana Parrilla, B.K. Cannon, Jordane Christie, Matthew Daddario and Veronica Falcón have joined the cast of CBS All Access’ dark comedy Why Women Kill created by Marc Cherry (Devious Maids, Desperate Housewives). Set in multiple time periods, the series depicts the events leading to a death that occurs after the respective husbands of three married women commit adultery.The new cast members will appear alongside Allison Tolman and Nick Frost in the sophomore installment of the dark comedy series.

As previously announced, Tolman and Frost will play Alma and Bertram, a seemingly ordinary couple with mundane ambitions whose marriage is threatened when Alma finds out Bertram has been keeping a secret hobby.

Parrilla (The Tax Collector, Once Upon A Time) will portray Rita, the sardonic wife to the wealthy and evil Carlo Castillo. Rita rules over the garden club that Alma desperately wants to join, and is engaged in an affair with a younger lover while she waits for her elderly husband to die.

Falcón (Perry Mason, Queen of the South) will portray Catherine, Carlo Castillo’s spinster daughter. Prim and proper, Catherine detests Rita, and returns to town after a mysterious accident, searching for a way to destroy her.

Cannon (Switched at Birth, Sin City Saints) will play Dee, Alma’s wry and brassy daughter who works as a waitress in a local diner. Though self-deprecating, Dee can be vulnerable under her emotional armor and is both excited and humiliated by her illicit affair with a secret lover.

Christie (The Haunting of Hill House, Atlanta) will appear as Vern, a tough and rugged private detective, who Rita hires to investigate Scooter when she begins to suspect he’s cheating on her.

The new season of Why Women Kill is set to release in 2021. For now, catch up on Season 1 of Why Women Kill on CBS All Access.

Camila Mendes is set to star in Netflix’s upcoming Strangers

Riverdale star Camila Mendes and Stranger Things actress Maya Hawke will together star in a dark comedy for Netflix called Strangers that resembles the Alfred Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train.

Strangers is directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great) based on a screenplay she wrote with Celeste Ballard, and the film’s premise follows two strangers plot to murder someone the other person wants gone. Strangers subverts that idea of Drew, the trendy It Girl and Eleanor, an alternative girl, who team up to go after each other’s bullies.

Robinson is producing the feature film with Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron for Likely Story under their overall deal with Netflix. Mendes can also be seen in Hulu’s Palm Springs and Netflix’s The Perfect Date.

Anthony Ramos Joins HBO’s In Treatment Cast

Anthony Ramos (Hamilton) has been cast in a recurring role in the upcoming fourth season of HBO’s Emmy-winning drama series In Treatment. opposite Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)

In Treatment, which ended a three-season run in 2010, is returning for a fourth season as a reimagined half-hour series. The series is in pre-production under COVID-19 guidelines, with a 2021 debut planned to air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.

The return of the series brings a diverse trio of patients in session with an observant, empathetic therapist, played by Aduba, who is wrestling with her own issues.

Ramos will play Eladio, a patient who works as a home health aide for a wealthy family’s adult son. Additional cast has yet to be announced.  

Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg, Hagai Levi, Jennifer Schuur, Joshua Allen and Melissa Bernstein will serve as exec producers of the new season, with Joanne Toll and Noa Tishby co-executive producers.

Ramos first made his mark in the Tony and Grammy award-winning Broadway smash Hamilton, which is now streaming on Disney+. He can currently be seen in the feature Honest Thief opposite Liam Neeson. He will also star in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s anticipated feature, In The Heights, directed by Jon M. Chu, set to premiere in summer 2021. Ramos is repped by CAA, Door 24, Modest! and Paul Hastings.

–ANA PEREZ

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