Universal Reveals a Trailer for Its Behind the Scenes Theme Park Docuseries

gizmodo.com: Disney gets all the press, and Six Flags has all the dancing commercials, but Universal has always had a strong position in the theme park world. Starting with a simple tour of the Universal lot in Hollywood, the film studio evolved that into several parks across the globe, all of which showcase the big, popular film and TV shows created by the studio. Then, last year, that culminated with Universal opening its most advanced park yet, Epic Universe in Orlando.

Off-Broadway's Heathers Will Tour the U.S.

Playbill: Off-Broadway's Heathers revival is packing up its Corn Nuts and taking them on the road! The Kevin Murphy-Laurence O'Keefe musical will embark on its first-ever U.S. tour beginning in spring 2027, with details and dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

For Maev Beaty and Irene Poole, Stratford’s Ransacking Troy offers a chance ‘to smash the Bechdel test all to pieces’

Intermission Magazine: Erin Shields’ new play Ransacking Troy refuses to travel the path of least resistance. Now playing at the Stratford Festival, this feminist reimagining of Homer’s epics, directed by Jackie Maxwell, casts a searing look at sacrifices made in the name of male glory. More daring still is the play’s confrontation with the question of how to create systemic change.

Lady Gaga's 'Wednesday' Costume Was a Ghostly Design for Rosaline Rotwood

variety.com: Last Halloween, Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood was accepting Variety’s creative impact award at SCAD Savannah Fest. Immediately after, she had to head to Los Angeles for a mysterious VIP fitting for “Wednesday.”

Sign of Inclusivity: 'Another Kind of Silence' at City

onstagepittsburgh.com: It was no exaggeration when City Theatre announced that Another Kind of Silence, the world-premiere play that leads off its 2025-2026 season, “is one of the most ambitious shows the company has taken on.” Bilingual and bicultural, the plot unfolds simultaneously in English and American Sign Language (ASL), along with some Greek Sign Language, as Evan and Chap, two already-partnered queer women, cross paths in modern-day Greece and find themselves falling in love.

Sphere’s ‘Wizard of Oz’: Hollywood’s Dazzling Future or Dark Warning?

theankler.com: Tonight, Dorothy Gale is getting a makeover. Not a reboot, not a sequel, not a Wicked-style spin-off — but a high-resolution, AI-assisted re-rendering of The Wizard of Oz inside the $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere, the world’s most extravagant immersive entertainment venue.

Fall 2025 New York Theater Preview: 10 Shows to See*

New York Theater: Keanu Reeves (his Broadway debut!) in a Waiting for Godot revival, Neil Patrick Harris, Bobby Cannavale, James Corden in an Art revival, Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit in a Chess revival, Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz in a revival of Ragtime: None of these are listed below.

In the Intimate ‘Arborlogues,’ You Perform for a Tree

The New York Times: This summer, fans of immersive theater have ventured onto a rooftop to welcome the Phantom of the Opera back to Midtown Manhattan and clambered through “Viola’s Room” while hearing Helena Bonham Carter whisper a gothic mystery into their headphones.

Hackers Threaten to Submit Artists' Data to AI Models If Art Site Doesn't Pay Up

www.404media.co: Artists&Clients is a website that connects independent artists with interested clients. Around August 30, a message appeared on Artists&Clients attributed to the ransomware group LunaLock. “We have breached the website Artists&Clients to steal and encrypt all its data,” the message on the site said, according to screenshots taken before the site went down on Tuesday.

What It's Like Being Backstage for the Madness of Oh, Mary!

Playbill: Last month we got to check in with the last remaining original stars of Cole Escola's unlikeliest of wacky smash-hits Oh, Mary!—but we couldn't leave the Lyceum without chatting with another fabulous band of hilarious misfits: the understudies of Oh, Mary!

Coiled Pins Prove More Reliable for Stage Event Truss Systems

www.entertainmentengineeringmagazine.com: Frames for truss systems designed to support stadium lighting, sound equipment, and even bleacher seating systems are often composed of extruded aluminum tubing and solid or tubular couplers. Considerable liability surrounds the use of these systems for public events, and the interface between these components becomes crucial to the integrity of the system.

Explore Elation’s latest advancements in professional lighting at PLASA 2025

LightSoundJournal.com: Elation invites lighting pros to the PLASA tradeshow at Olympia London (September 7–9) to experience the future of lighting at Stand C22 with our distributor Live Technology. Get hands-on with Elation’s latest advancements in professional lighting, including the multi-award-winning PARAGON series of profile moving heads.

Laura Moeller • Live Sound • Theatre • Education

SoundGirls.org: Laura Moeller is an Audio Educator and Partnership Coordinator at Tech 25, where she combines her passions for live sound, theatre, and teaching. With over a decade of experience in audio, Laura has built a career that bridges both technical expertise and community-driven education, working full-time while also taking on freelance projects.

The 9 Best Multitools of 2025 - Best Multitool Reviews

www.popularmechanics.com: For situations where you don’t have a tool kit by your side, jump into action like a real-life MacGyver using a multitool. These handy pocket-size companions have come a long way from the Swiss Army knives of yesteryear with improvements not just in overall design, but in the quality of tools, materials and the overall number of features offered.

Taylor Sheridan, Paramount establish massive production hub in Texas

Reel 360 News: Taylor Sheridan, the creative force behind Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and Landman, has teamed up with Paramount Television and real estate developer Hillwood to launch Texas’s largest-ever film and TV production campus in Fort Worth.

Leatherman Arc Review: The Premium Multitool Upgrade

www.popularmechanics.com: When it comes to multitools, Leatherman is one of the best-known names. The brand’s tools are reliable, well-made, and backed by an excellent warranty. Recently, it released a multitool that employs new premium materials along with innovations that Leatherman fans know and love.

DramaWatch: Let the season begin! Fall shows are lighting up theaters

Oregon ArtsWatch: This weekend, Bag&Baggage’s reimagined "The Glass Menagerie" and Speculative Drama’s immersive "Pericles" are opening. Plus other new and continuing shows and theater news.

Mission Critical for Arts Criticism

www.broadwayworld.com: In the job posting heard ‘round the theatre world a few weeks ago, the powers that be at The New York Times declared that their new theatre critic will be “eager to embrace new story forms with strong visual, audio and video components,” someone who will be “ready to employ different platform,” and “routinely use alternate story formats and multimedia.” Don’t worry, the posting does also seek someone who can write, describing a “dynamic, digital first writer.”

Burning Man Brought to Life in Audiovisual Short by BonaMaze

mymodernmet.com: Over the past 35 years, Burning Man has brought a mystical energy to the Black Rock Desert. Every year, shortly before Labor Day, tens of thousands flock to northwestern Nevada for a week of art, music, and community. As anyone who is a dedicated “Burner” will tell you, it’s difficult to describe the exact magical feeling that takes over the event. But thanks to an audiovisual short from BonaMaze, it just got a little easier to enter the world of Burning Man.

Atlanta creatives bask in shared glow of 2025 Suzi Bass Award nominations

ARTS ATL: Nominations for Atlanta’s 2025 Suzi Bass Awards — recognizing the best in professional theater throughout the metro area — were announced last week. Theatrical Outfit received the most nominations this season, gaining 27 nods for shows such as Young John Lewis, The Lehman Trilogy and A Raisin in the Sun, co-produced with Dominion Entertainment. Lawrenceville’s Aurora Theatre was the second-most nominated house, receiving 26 nods for productions such as Waitress, The Color Purple and King of Pangea.

Kobalt 183-Piece Household Tool Set: Here's Everything That's Included

www.slashgear.com: Among Lowe's many beloved Lowe's brands, Kobalt is a great option for budget-conscious tool owners looking to make their lives easier. And if there's one need that almost everyone has that Kobalt fills in quite nicely, it's household tool sets. With multiple offers up for grabs, the brand has sets of all sizes and a mix of tools, such as the Kobalt 183-Piece Blue Household Tool Set.

THE LION KING's Longest-Running Rafiki, Tshidi Manye, to Depart the Show

www.broadwayworld.com: Manye first performed with the show's Toronto company in 2000, and most of her 9,000 performances have been with the Broadway company. Among the 30 productions mounted in The Lion King's 28 years, Manye is the longest-running Rafiki. Manye's last performance will take place on August 31.

Opinion | I Banned Phones in My College Classroom. Students Loved It.

The New York Times: I’ve taught the same course to a class of undergraduate, M.B.A., medical and nursing students every year for over a decade. While I didn’t change my lectures or teaching style, somehow the students’ evaluations of last year’s class were better than ever before: “This course taught me more than any course I’ve ever learned at Penn. …” “The best course I have ever taken.” “Amazing class!!”

Solid State Logic unveils SSL Live V6.1 and MPL 16-8 Stagebox to its live sound platform

LightSoundJournal.com: Solid State Logic announces SSL Live V6.1, the latest update to its industry-leading live sound platform. The new version introduces the new MPL 16-8 mic/line stagebox, while delivering powerful enhancements designed to expand immersive mixing workflows and enable even greater flexibility, control, and performance for live sound professionals.

Climbing the Ladder: Theater Women on Learning and Leading by Sonya Hayden

WIT journal: In an industry built on relationships and where the steps to building a career can feel murky, mentorship is essential. This is particularly true for women, who remain underrepresented in many fields across the theater industry, as documented by various organizations including RISE Theatre’s network partners and The Lillys. Sometimes all we need is someone to open a door, show us that a door exists, answer a question, or encourage us to send that cold email.

PARAGON Ultra Dimming firmware sets new standard for dimming accuracy

LightSoundJournal.com: Elation continues to innovate and optimize its award-winning PARAGON line with the release of Ultra Dimming firmware and other new features that further refine these advanced, high-performance LED profile luminaires.

How George Krissa became a leading man at Mirvish

www.thestar.com: George Krissa is used to flexing his theatrical muscles. Seven years ago, in the Stratford Festival’s blockbuster production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” he received gasps of delight playing the titular body builder in nothing but a pair of gold lamé shorts.

"Tired" Of Consuming Postdramatic Theatre (Contemporary Theatre Often Lacks Strong Dialogue)

The Theatre Times: Ana Ristoska Trpenoska (1984, Skopje) studied Dramaturgy at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje and Theatre, Film and Media at the University of Vienna. She is the author of over ten plays, among which: Tag der Bären; Am Kanal; #TheBorder; Me, Somewhere Else; Couples; Let’s go, Señor!; 5:17; Great Expectations… She was selected by the Theatre Biennale in Wiesbaden for the Playwrights’ Forum with Mark Ravenhill, won the competition for contemporary drama organized by the Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) and was twice awarded by EURODRAM, the European network for drama and translation.

What’s On Stage Pittsburgh for the week of September 1st to the end of October, 2025

onstagepittsburgh.com: Here is onStage Pittsburgh’s list of performing arts events this week in Pittsburgh through the end of September.

Storytelling Alchemy with Sona Tatoyan

HowlRound Theatre Commons: I founded the organization. And then I got obsessed about these puppets. And I found my way to Aleppo in 2019, still very much at war, in the Syrian War. And I discovered this trunk in the attic of our home in Aleppo filled with 180 shadow puppets, a whole cosmos of puppets. Animals, homes, people. Then I fell down the stairs a week later. In the building there was no electricity—it was an active war zone. And I broke my foot.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Get TV Academy Governors Award

variety.com: As it prepares to shut down after nearly 60 years of service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be honored with one of the Television Academy‘s top prizes, the 2025 Governors Award. The news is bittersweet, as it comes following President Trump’s move kill federal funding for public media.

Austria’s Hills Are Still Alive, 60 Years Later

The New York Times: The little girl peered out the train window at the green, rolling hills of Austria, the country she had visited in her mind every day for months. “Dad,” she said, “Maria was on one of those mountains!” Her eyes lit up. The Austrians around us did not stir.

In 'JUJU's Castle,' Jean Jullien Reinvents His Childhood Escapes

Colossal: As a child, Jean Jullien (previously) preferred to spend his time immersed in the pixelated worlds of video games, embarking on adventures with action figures, and reinventing himself in RPGs. Imagining a universe parallel to his own offered a joyful refuge when he needed it most.

How Lin-Manuel Miranda Weathered the Storm

The New York Times: On the morning of May 12, 2020, Lin-Manuel woke up with a jolt. His wife Vanessa noticed his energy (“More than usual,” she commented.) He couldn’t sit still until he’d tweeted the news: “Our Hamilton film. THIS July 3rd. On Disney+.” Stuck at home during the pandemic, he felt giddy at the prospect of watching the show at the same time as his millions of Twitter followers.

glass drape facade by HENN revives historic augsburg theater in germany

www.designboom.com: The Staatstheater Augsburg, originally built in the 19th century, is undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment and expansion led by HENN. Located in the historic center of Augsburg, Germany, the project is set to restore and update the Grosses Haus (Large House) while introducing two new structures, the Kleines Haus (Small House) and a service building, scheduled for completion by 2030.

THE WIZARD OF OZ AT SPHERE Opens in Las Vegas

www.broadwayworld.com: The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is now officially open, and with it, new photos and video footage are available of the immersive experience. Presented in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, Google, and Magnopus, The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is now playing as part of The Sphere Experience in Las Vegas.

If You’re Waiting for the Next Hamilton, You’ll Miss It

Ken Davenport: I was chatting with a potential Broadway investor recently. After some back and forth, they ultimately decided against investing. Totally fine . . . this happens all the time. (Raising money for Broadway shows is like auditioning is for Actors – you get a lot of nos . . . but you keep asking because you believe in what you’re doing . . . and eventually you’ll get a yes.)

Art detectives and aspiring curators: Summer interns bring skill, spark to the YCBA

Yale News: Each year the YCBA, the Yale University Art Gallery, and Yale Peabody Museum provide paid internships to young people from the greater New Haven area and Yale College students to introduce them to the many complementary facets of the museum profession.

The Lexington Theatre Company gets ‘show-stopping’ $2 million donation

www.wkyt.com: The Lexington Theatre Company is receiving a show-stopping $2 million gift from the James A. and Martha R. Brown Charitable Foundation. The gift allowed The Lex to purchase their currently leased-to-own property at 2323 Alexandria Drive 14 years ahead of schedule and will help complete Phase four of six planned phases of related property renovations.

How to Choose and Change the Belt on Your Belt Sander

www.popularmechanics.com: Your woodworking endeavors have gotten serious. You finally purchased your first belt sander, along with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE)—safety glasses, ear protection, and an N95 mask—and a nice assortment of belts with varying degrees of grit. You’re all set to dive into your project.

Custom Aerial Rigging for Stage and Theatre

www.entertainmentengineeringmagazine.com: Aero Motion Australia designs and produces custom rigging systems for aerial performance across stage, theatre, circus, and screen. With deep roots in aviation and an unrelenting pursuit of visual wonder and technical mastery, the company continues to redefine what’s possible in the air—creating elegant, mechanical solutions for complex motion.

Lookingglass' GglassFest Shows How New Theatrical Works Are Made

www.newcitystage.com: Don’t ask how the sausage is made. One of the great aphorisms from the nineteenth century and a handy heuristic. If you learn a magician’s tricks you spoil the magic. The more we learn about the lawmaking process the less it inspires confidence. And sausages… Well, you know.

What Every Stage Crew Member Should Carry With Them At All Times

OnStage Blog: So, you’ve got your script and think you're completely ready for the show to start backstage. Well, let me save you a lot of trial and error and set you up for success on the things you absolutely 100% need if you’re working backstage.

Rigging Edge Protection

www.cmco.com: In the construction and lifting industry, the smallest mistake can cause costly damage. One often-overlooked detail is using edge protection for slings when lifting a load. Edge protection may seem minor, but it plays a critical role in preventing sling failure, protecting loads, and keeping crews safe.

Analysis Tool Targets Hidden Sources of Carbon in Mass Timber Projects

Engineering News-Record: Mass timber buildings are popular for their claimed carbon neutrality and sustainability compared to conventional concrete and steel structures. But is that common assumption true across the board? That is the question two architects at design firm Corgan have studied since a 2023 World Resources Institute report outlined sources of carbon emissions in the timber supply chain that were not being well documented.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:

How Can Theatre Fandoms Be Less Toxic

OnStage Blog: Let’s get real. Theatre fandoms are some of the most passionate groups you’ll find anywhere. We obsess over every note, every costume detail, every twist and turn in the story. That kind of passion is awesome. But sometimes it goes sideways and turns into straight-up toxicity. When that happens, what should be fun ends up full of drama.

Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art

NPR: The official White House newsletter has posted an article titled "President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian." It calls out some of the institution's artwork, exhibitions, programs and online articles that focus on race, slavery, immigration and sexuality. That includes works at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, The National Portrait Gallery, and The National Museum of the American Latino.

How to Train Your Dragon and Trolls Musicals Are in the Works

Playbill: DreamWorks Theatricals and Music Theatre International's Emerging Writers Program are developing musical versions of DreamWorks animated films How to Train Your Dragon and Trolls. Both titles will come to MTI's Broadway Junior collection, which are all tailored to be performed by actors 18 or younger.

Disney can't get 'Hercules' right — musical doesn't go distance in London

nypost.com: Disney has been hammering away at “Hercules” for eons. And more often than not, the show has toppled over like the Colossus of Rhodes. The Public put on a nice enough production of the 1997 Alan Menken and David Zippel cartoon musical back in 2019 in Central Park, but it was a one-off amusement that included hundreds of members of local community groups. Still, I saw promise in it.

Are Broadway Tickets Too Expensive? Gen Z and Millennials Don’t Think So

Ken Davenport: Last week, I wrote an article on my website: Are Broadway Tickets More Expensive Now? And sure enough, the universe answered with a brand-new study from my friends at No Guarantees Productions, a terrific producing organization that wanted to dig into exactly that.