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The trailer for “The Roshans,” a Netflix documentary series chronicling three generations of the Bollywood dynasty, has been released. The project, directed by Shashi Ranjan and produced with Rakesh Roshan, explores the family’s influence on Indian cinema since the 1950s.

The documentary traces the family’s journey from composer patriarch Roshan Lal Nagrath (known professionally as Roshan), through his sons, actor and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan (the “Krrish” franchise) and composer Rajesh Roshan (“Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai”), and grandson, Bollywood megastar Hrithik Roshan (“War”), examining their collective impact on Indian film through music, directing and acting.

Industry figures including director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and superstar Shah Rukh Khan provide commentary, with Khan discussing Rakesh Roshan inspiring him during the making of blockbuster “Karan Arjun.”

“The Roshans” also showcases Hrithik Roshan’s career arc from his debut in “Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai” through subsequent films including “Koi Mil Gaya,...

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has teamed with Tony and Olivier Award-winning directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones to create a contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet scored by Radiohead’s 2003 album Hail to the Thief.

Titled Hamlet Hail To The Thief, the project will run at Aviva Studios in Manchester from 27 April – 18 May 2025 before transferring to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, where it will run from June 4 – 28, 2025.

Described as a “fast-paced distillation” of the play, producers have said Shakespeare’s words and Radiohead’s album “illuminate one another” as Radiohead’s music becomes a central part of the play’s narrative. The play is said to have been “personally reworked by Yorke.” The music will be performed live onstage by a cast of 20 musicians and actors.

“This is an interesting and intimidating challenge,” Yorke said of the production. “Adapting the original music of Hail To The Thief for...

Tennis icon Andy Murray brought his career to a close on Thursday at the 2024 Paris Olympics, maintaining his characteristic wit even in the face of retirement.

The 37-year-old and teammate Daniel Evans lost to Team USA’s Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the men’s doubles quarter-finals, with a final score of 6-2, 6-4. Following the match, Murray took to social media platform X to quip, “Never even liked tennis anyway,” signaling the end of his professional journey.

The emotional farewell at Roland Garros saw both Murray and Evans, 34, shedding tears as spectators voiced their appreciation, chanting Murray’s name.

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In a post-match interview with the BBC, Murray reflected on the moment: “Obviously, it was emotional because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match. But I am genuinely happy just now.

We all agree that Michael Jackson is known for his enduring dance moves and infectious dance-pop songs, but one of his most poignant ballads, She’s Out of My Life, has a special place in his discography. This heartfelt song, produced by Quincy Jones, highlights Jackson’s emotional depth and vulnerability.

Written by veteran songwriter Tom Bahler, the song was released as the fourth single from Jackson’s 1979 album Off the Wall. Though the album gave the world, many upbeat songs, it also produced a breakup song (She’s Out of My Life) that made Jackson cry every time he tried to sing it.

Michael Jackson in a still from Smooth Criminal (Image via YouTube)

Jackson was moved by this real contemplation of lost love, and he gave the depressing lyrics his whole being. Now, we can all agree that a wide range of performers, including Patti Labelle, Josh Groban,...

Ian Gelder, the British actor who played Kevan Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones and the villain Zellin on Doctor Who, has died. He was 74.

“It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” the actor Ben Daniels announced on Instagram. Daniels revealed that Gelder had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer five months ago and that “neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.”

“He was my absolute rock and we’d been partners for more than 30 years. If we weren’t together we spoke to each other everyday,” Daniels wrote. “He was the kindest, most generous spirited and loving human being. He was a wonderful wonderful actor, and everyone who worked with him was touched by his heart and light.

New York, Sep 4 (Ians) World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz eased past Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to book his spot in the fourth round of the US Open.

Despite his loss, the Briton became the first player to take a set from Alcaraz in this year’s tournament, and Alcaraz described Evans as a tricky opponent, reports Xinhua.

“He always wants to go to the net. Great slices, good touch,” said Alcaraz. “I think this is my game as well, so we played a pretty good match. I think people loved that. We made great points, great shots, a lot of different situations probably than in other matches. I’m really happy to get through and play the fourth round again in the US Open.”

Elsewhere, Daniil Medvedev defeated Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (6), ending the Argentine’s 12-match winning streak and keeping the former No. 1’s hopes of chasing...

New York, Sep 3 (Ians) Daniil Medvedev took a sledgehammer to Sebastian Baez’s 12-match winning streak inside Arthur Ashe Stadium late Saturday night, defeating the Argentine 6-2, 6-1 7-6(6) to power into the fourth round of the US Open.

After a subdued opening two sets, Baez took the fight to Medvedev in the third, hitting bigger forehands and coming to net 17 times, nearing the 18 total net visits he made in the first two rounds.

Baez led 5-2 in the third set but his momentum was halted by a 10-minute delay for light rain. When play resumed Medvedev broke to get back on serve at 4-5, fended off one set point in the following game, and dug out of a 0/30 hole in his next service game.

Baez made a number of tired unforced errors at key moments, including at 6/6 serving in the tie-break.

In the Round of 16, the former world no.

New York, Sep 1 (Ians) Russian Daniil Medvedev secured his 250th hard-court victory late at night against Australian Christopher O’Connell on Day 4 in the US Open. In the third set tie-break, Medvedev outclassed the Australian with his depth of the court and ability of ground coverage.

With this win, he went straight into the third round clocking back at 2021 when he won the US Open final defeating Serbian Novak Djokovic straightaway in three sets.

Another Russian, Andrey Rublev, the eighth seed, also impressed, showcasing his resiliency and consistency in defeating Gael Monfils. Both players’ tenacity was on display during their protracted rallies, but Rublev’s higher level of consistency allowed him to move to the third round.

Alexander Zverev, who had previously reached the US Open final, also kept up his quest for a major championship. The German increased his prospects of making it to the Atp Finals after defeating countryman...

Alcaraz received a second-set retirement from Dominik Kopefer (ankle) in his opening match, but got the opportunity to stress test his game against the powerful 26-year-old Afrcian on Thursday night.

The youngest US Open top seed in tournament history, Alcaraz defended nine of 10 break points faced and recovered from being a break down midway through the third set.

The Spaniard, who is looking to become the first back-to-back champion at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer won five straight titles from 2004-2008, improved to 55-6 (18-3 on hard) on the season. He is chasing his seventh title of the season and third career major.

Harris, who frequently challenged Alcaraz with big second serves, was a US Open quarter-finalist in 2021 but missed the last six months of the 2022 season with a wrist injury.

Alcaraz will face a difficult test in the third round against gritty Brit and recent Washington champion Daniel Evans.

Paris, May 27 (Ians) French Open, starting here at Roland Garros on Sunday, will wear a unique look this year with Rafal Nadal, not in the draw for the first time since 2004.

The Spaniard has dominated the only clay court Grand Slam event like no one else, winning a record 14 men’s singles titles among a record 22 Grand Slam titles that he shares with Novak Djokovic. The 14 titles that the

Nadal’s withdrawal from the French Open due to an injury has created a sense of unpredictability in the men’s singles event, which has never been experienced in nearly two decades.

However, a host of top players are seeking to capitalise on this opportunity as they seek a fast start to their 2023 Roland Garros campaign Sunday as main draw play begins at the clay-court major.

Among those trying to make the most of Nadal’s absence will be World No.

Barcelona, April 23 (Ians) The top-seeded Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz eased past Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-2 to reach the final of Barcelona Open, where he is bidding to become the first repeat champion since Rafael Nadal lifted the trophy three years in a row from 2016-18.

Now 22-2 for the year, Alcaraz will take on Stefanos Tsitsipas as he chases his third tour-level title of 2023.

The Buenos Aires and Indian Wells champion enters that clash holding a 3-0 Atp Head to Head series lead against Tsitsipas, a tally that includes a three-set quarter-final win in Barcelona last year.

“I feel really comfortable playing here in Barcelona and [I am] playing well,” said Alcaraz, who will try to successfully defend a title for the first time in his career against Tsitsipas.

“Stefanos as well is playing great matches. Last year we had a spicy match, let’s say. I know he’s a really nice guy off the court,...

Barcelona, April 21 (Ians) World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz fought off a late charge from countryman Roberto Bautista Agut to notch his second straight-sets victory this week at the Barcelona Open Atp Tour event.

The 19-year-old Alcaraz continued his title defence with a 6-3, 7-5 win, looking at home on the Spanish clay in his first tournament since his hard-court run to the semifinals at Miami Open.

He was joined in the last-eight stage by 15th-seeded Argentine Francisco Cerundolo who stunned third-seed Casper Ruud of Norway in a pre-quarterfinal clash on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, two-time Barcelona Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas moved a step closer to capturing his first title at the Atp 500 event on Thursday when he overcame 14th-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-2.

The victory improved Alcaraz to 9-1 against fellow Spaniards, with his only loss coming to Rafael Nadal in last year’s Indian Wells semis. Playing on the Barcelona centre court named for Nadal,...

Exclusive: Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which won best musical at the Olivier Awards Sunday night, will transfer to the West End’s Gillian Lynne Theatre early in 2024, Deadline can reveal.

The show written by playwright Chris Bush, featuring rock songs from the catalog of Richard Hawley, moves into the Gillian Lynne from February for an initial six-month season.

It won two prizes at Sunday’s ceremony: the all-important best musical honor and original score or new orchestrations for Hawley’s music and lyrics and Tom Deering’s orchestrations.

The story is set in Park Hill, a brutalist apartment block built in the early 1960s, and follows three families who occupy one particular flat at different periods over six decades. Hawley describes it as a “love letter” to his hometown of Sheffield in South Yorkshire.

Standing at the Sky’s Edge played two seasons at the Crucible Theatre in...

Welcome back to another review of Aew Dark: Elevation, which features seven matches on the card once again. We’ve got regulars Paul Wight and Matt Menard on commentary as usual. So let’s get into the review!

Match #1: Emi Sakura def. Rachelle Riveter

My Thoughts: Nice to see Emi Sakura Open an episode of Elevation, though as usual she’s squashing her opponent. Well I say this is a squash, but this is the trademark-pending “Aew quasi-squash”, with Sakura giving Rachelle Riveter just enough space to get some offence in and not look totally weak. Which, if I’m honest, is always a trait of Sakura’s matches – she allows her opponent, no matter who it is, to show off their skills. Unlike some other people on the roster!

My Score: 1.5 out of 5 Match #2: The Kingdom (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) def. Ej Sparks and Aguila Aguirre...

Paris, Feb 4 (Ians) Alexandeor Zverev picked an opportune moment to record his second competitive win in eight months, defeating Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-1 to draw Germany level with Switzerland in their Davis Cup Qualifier in Trier, Germany.

In Bogota, it was all square for Great Britain and hosts Colombia after Colombia’s Nicolas Mejia earned his first Top 100 win with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 result against Daniel Evans, Cameron Norrie levelled the tie at 1-1 by beating Nicolas Barrientos 6-2, 7-5, according to information available on daviscup.com website.

The focus was on Zverev in the Switzerland v Germany tie.

Zverev, whose return to competitive action after ankle ligament surgery yielded three defeats from four matches in Australia at the turn of the month, looked much more like his old self in a commanding victory over the three-time Grand Slam champion.

The world No. 14 saw off Wawrinka in an hour...

Exclusive: Dyllón Burnside, star of Ryan Murphy shows Pose, American Horror Story and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, will make his London stage debut in Black Superhero, the debut play from British actor, activist and playwright Danny Lee Wynter.

Florida-born Burnside will play King, a Black, queer movie star “with the world at his feet,” Wynter told Deadline.

King is “an out, global film star,” Wynter added. “He’s open about his sexuality but he’s not open about his private life, about whom he dates,” Wynter explained.

Burnside character King plays a superhero called Craw in the show that will run at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs located in Chelsea’s Sloane Square from March 14 through April 29. Official opening night is March 21.

Wynter, who is also starring in Black Superhero, made his mark in TV drama Joe’s Palace with Michael Gambon and Kelly Reilly and Capturing Mary...

Adelaide, Jan 10 (Ians) One year after lifting his first Atp Tour trophy in Adelaide, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis made a winning start in another campaign at the Adelaide International 2 Atp Tour event here on Monday.

The Australian made more memories on his home court Monday evening when he battled past countryman Alexei Popyrin 6-0, 6-7(5), 7-5 in the first round after two hours and 45 minutes.

In other matches on the first day, Mackenzie McDonald of the United /states player as he got the better of Briton Daniel Evans; Fellow Briton, Jack Draper advanced to the next round by beating Lorenzo Sonego of Italy 6-4,6-2 while Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated Brendon Nakashima of the United States 6-3, 7-5.

After falling behind by a break in the third set, it seemed Kokkinakis was on the brink of defeat. But the 26-year-old rallied for an emotional victory to the delight of the fans.

Sydney, Jan 1 (Ians) Daniel Evans booked Team Britain’s spot in the City Final of the ongoing United Cup when he clawed past Team Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, here on Sunday.

Evans entered the match with his nation holding a 2-1 lead in the tie. With the pressure on, the 32-year-old delivered to secure Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead in the tie and top spot in Group D. It will play the winner of Group C in the City Final on Wednesday.

“It is great to qualify Britain for the City Final. It has been amazing to be part of the event up to this point. Watching so much great tennis. Watching the ladies compete so hard, they’ve done so well for our team and got us some big points. Badosa and Dart played an amazing match before me. It is one of the best matches I have watched Harriet play,...

Sydney, Dec 31 (Ians) A pair of lucky No.13s in the rankings, Paula Badosa meets Harriet Dart and Carreno Busta faces Daniel Evans, both of whom will try to get Spain back on track against Britain at Ken Rosewall Arena, here on Sunday.

With the unique, all-inclusive format of the United Cup, even a 22-time Grand Slam champion is no guarantee of success for Team Spain as Rafael Nadal fell on Saturday to Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 while compatriot Nuria Parrizas Diaz lost to Katie Swan as Britain took a daunting 2-0 lead.

However, things are not over as Badosa and Carreno Busta will carry the flag for Spain on Sunday.

Badosa has more motivation for her first United Cup match than most. Her opponent, Dart, upset her 3-6, 4-6 back in November at the Billie Jean King Cup in Glasgow.

“Yeah, I have another opportunity again to play...

Sydney, Dec 31 (Ians) Great Britain set themself up for their second win in Group D and a place in the next round at the United Cup by taking a 2-0 lead against the higher-seeded Spain here on Saturday.

Britain, who had started with a win against hosts Australia, set themselves up for the win, spurred on by comeback wins from Cameron Norrie and Katie Swan, 15th-seeded Great Britain took a stunning 2-0 lead over 4th-seeded Spain on Day 3 of the United Cup.

Thanks to Norrie upsetting Nadal, Team Gb is now a win away from taking control of Group D, having defeated Australia 3-2 in their first match.

Inspired by her compatriot’s efforts, No.145 Swan took to the court and tallied her first Top 100 win since defeating No.48 Sloane Stephens on the grass of Bad Homburg last summer. The 23-year-old rallied from a set down to defeat No.70 Nuria...

Paris, Nov 2 (Ians) Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur registered a dramatic 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 second-round upset win over World No 3 Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters, here on Wednesday.

Down an early break in the third set against Medvedev, De Minaur appeared to have let his early momentum slip but he hung tough to roar back and beat the 2020 champion and 2021 finalist Medvedev with a combination of relentless retrieving and nerveless serving at big moments, saving 12 of 15 break points he faced at the Atp Masters 1000 event.

“It’s a good one to get, for sure.It’s the end of the year, everyone’s a bit tired, but I’m very proud of my performance. I just played very smart,” said De Minaur.

“I knew it was going to be a chess match out there, both baiting each other to be aggressive, but you also didn’t want to be too aggressive at times.

Vienna (Austria), Oct 25 (Ians) Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov snapped a three-match losing streak on Tuesday when he cruised past Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the Vienna Open, here.

The Bulgarian arrived at the Atp 500 event off the back of disappointing opening-round exits on home soil in Sofia and in Stockholm. However, he produced a strong serving performance against Monteiro to earn his 22nd tour-level win of the season.

Dimitrov fired 10 aces, won 86 percent (30/35) of his first-serve points and did not face a break point to reach the second round after 75 minutes. The 31-year-old, who is making his fifth appearance in Vienna, will next play third seed Andrey Rublev.

In other action, Daniel Evans rallied from 2-5 in the second set to overcome German Oscar Otte 6-4, 7-6(3).

The Briton has fond memories in Vienna, having advanced to the semifinals on debut in 2020. The 32-year-old will next meet Karen Khachanov.

Washington, Oct 25 (Ians) NASA has kicked off a study to help scientists learn more about unidentified aerial phenomena (Uap) or UFOs (unidentified flying objects).

Over the course of nine months, the independent study team with 16 members will lay the groundwork for future study on the nature of UAPs for NASA and other organisations, the space agency said in a statement.

The team includes leading scientists, data and AI practitioners, aerospace safety experts, and other experts in their respective fields.

The study will focus solely on unclassified data. A full report containing the team’s findings will be released to the public in mid-2023.

“Exploring the unknown in space and the atmosphere is at the heart of who we are at NASA,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

“Understanding the data we have surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena is critical to helping...

Antwerp (Belgium), Oct 19 (Ians) British tennis player Daniel Evans advanced to the quarterfinals of the European Open after beating Frenchman Constant Lestienne 6-2, 6-1, here on Wednesday.

The fifth seed looked in control throughout the 75-minute match, winning 82 per cent (18/22) of his first-serve points and breaking five times to earn his 27th tour-level win of the season.

The Briton now leads Lestienne 2-0 in their Atp Head to Head series, after winning their previous meeting in San Diego in September.

Evans, who is currently No 24 in the Atp Live Rankings, will next face second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime or Frenchman Manuel Guinard. Guinard defeated countryman Geoffrey Blancaneaux 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

The 32-year-old is making his second appearance at the Atp 250 event, having reached the semi-finals in 2020. Earlier this season, Evans enjoyed runs to the last four in Sydney, San Diego and an Atp Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

–Ians

avn/inj...

Tokyo, Oct 7 (Ians) The fourth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe raced to the semifinals of Japan Open Tennis Championships with an impressive 6-0, 6-4 victory against Miomir Kecmanovic, here on Friday.

“I was really solid from the start. I was moving really well, I hit the ball well from the back of the court. I made it really tough for Miomir today. He played some great tennis. I was lucky enough to get it done in straight sets. Performances like this are big,” Tiafoe said in his post-match press conference.

In just more than 30 minutes, Tiafoe won the first eight games of the match to take command under the closed roof in the Ariake Colosseum. After getting on the board for 1-2 in the second set, Kecmanovic called for the physiotherapist and had his lower back worked on. He created a 15/40 opening with Tiafoe serving at 3-2, but could not convert as...

Tokyo, Oct 4 (Ians) Top seed Casper Ruud of Norway suffered a shock defeat to Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round of the Atp Japan Open here on Tuesday.

Ruud, ranked third in the world, lost to 58-ranked Munar 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes at the Ariake Colosseum.

The 23-year-old Norwegian, the beaten finalist at the French Open and US Open this year, also made an early exit in the South Korea Open last week, crashing out in the quarterfinals against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.

In other matches, South Korea’s Kwon Soon Woo produced another upset by eliminating sixth seed Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 6-2. reports Xinhua.

Fifth seed Nick Kyrgios of Australia breezed past Chun Hsin Tseng of Chinese Taipei, 6-3, 6-1.

Britain’s eighth seed Daniel Evans beat Moldova’s Radu Albot 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-4 and ninth seed Borna Coric of Croatia...

Seoul (South Korea), Oct 2 (Ians) Producing a stunning counter-attack display, Yoshihito Nishioka defeated Denis Shapovalov at the Korea Open Tennis Championships to claim his second Atp Tour title in style here on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Japanese downed the fourth seed 6-4, 7-6(5) with a performance full of blistering shotmaking from deep.

Despite Shapovalov finding improved rhythm behind his serve and powerful forehand as the match wore on, Nishioka’s movement and stoic defence proved key as he rallied from a 1-3 deficit in the second set before staying solid in the tie-break to secure a one-hour, 55-minute victory.

“This week was amazing for me. I played very well on the court, my mentality and attitude. I just focused on the play, which was very important I think. In a couple of matches, it was very close, but I played very well and tried to figure out how to beat the...

Seoul (South Korea), Sep 30 (Ians) Yoshihito Nishioka earned just the second Top-5 win of his career on Friday, when he upset World No. 2 Casper Ruud 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals at the Korea Open Tennis Championships, here.

The Japanese star looked in control throughout the one-hour, 57-minute clash as he out-maneuvered the Norwegian with his variety, striking 32 winners and committing just 14 unforced errors to earn the biggest win of his season.

The 27-year-old, who downed Daniel Evans and Taro Daniel in straight sets earlier this week, will next play Mackenzie McDonald or American lucky loser Aleksandar Kovacevic as he aims to advance to his second tour-level final of the season.

Nishioka enjoyed a run to the championship match in Washington, where he lost to Nick Kyrgios.

The top-seed Ruud defeated Nicolas Jarry in his opening match at the Atp 250 event, with his victory earning him qualification for the 2022 Atp Finals.

Montreal, Aug 15 (Ians) Casper Ruud’s standout 2022 continued with a semifinal run in Montreal that saw the Norwegian move into the top 5 in the Atp rankings, released on Monday.

It was Pablo Carreno Busta who lifted the trophy at the National Bank Open and the Spaniard’s maiden Atp Masters 1000 crown, powered him back into the top 20.

Ruud’s run to his first semifinal at the Canadian Masters 1000 event featured contrasting wins against Roberto Bautista Agut and Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Norwegian rallied for a hard-fought three-hour, 17-minute third-round triumph over Bautista Agut before dashing home hopes in style with a 6-1, 6-2 quarterfinal win against Auger-Aliassime. Hubert Hurkacz proved too strong in the semifinals, but Ruud rose two spots to No. 5 in the Atp Rankings.

A dream week for Carreno Busta saw the Spaniard reel off a series of high-quality wins to clinch his maiden Masters 1000 crown. Matteo Berrettini, Holger Rune,...

Montreal (Canada), Aug 14 (Ians) Pablo Carreno Busta reached his first Atp Masters 1000 and National Bank Open final after registering a 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-2 victory over Daniel Evans in the semifinal, here.

The 31-year-old had a match point in the second-set tie-break but saw his perfect set streak on the week snapped at nine before storming back in a dominant final set on Saturday night.

After so little separated the competitors for most of the two-hour, 58-minute marathon, Carreno Busta raced through the finish line by winning the final 12 points, including eight on return.

“It was fun for the crowd but for me it was tough. I had a match point in the second set but he served pretty good so I couldn’t do anything. When you have a match point and have to play another set, it’s always hard to do it,” said Carreno Busta about the gripping encounter.

Cameron Mackintosh, the London theatre owner and impresario, nixed the idea of having a host introduce artists performing at Tuesday’s one-night-only Old Friends tribute show honoring the legacy of musical theatre genius Stephen Sondheim, who died in November at age 91.

“All you need are Steve’s words and music, and our cast. They speak, or rather sing, for themselves,“ Mackintosh explained to Deadline before the star-studded event began at London’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

Worked like a treat. Thirty minutes saved, because Old Friends wasn’t lumbered with a host.

In any case, no one needed to introduce actress Julia McKenzie when she walked onto the stage, for it was she who, with Mackintosh producing, was part of an ensemble that super-spread Sondheim in the West End over four decades ago with a revue entitled Side By Side by Sondheim.

She’s one of the composer and lyricist’s foremost interpreters.

All eyes were on Judi Dench.

The legendary actress was seated stage right, performing one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest hits. The sound of her voice, accompanied by a 25-piece orchestra led by Alfonso Casado Trigo, held a hushed audience in awe.

There was spontaneous applause. The great dame was led off stage. She reappeared moments later to perform the number again.

“Goosebumps,” said Cameron Mackintosh, echoing the thoughts of those lucky enough to be gathered in the stalls of London’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre for several hours Monday, for a long day and night of technical technical rehearsal for Tuesday night’s celebration of Sondheim, a giant of theatre, who died last November at age 91.

Tuesday’s one-night-only show is called Old Friends, named after a number in the composer’s 1981 musical comedy Merrily We Roll Along. Mackintosh has been putting Old Friends together with Matthew Bourne and Maria Friedman staging,...

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, Rene Fleming will reprise her starring turn in The Light in the Piazza in the United States this fall. Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' six-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical will be directed by the UK's multiple Oliver Award-winning Daniel Evans. The production will play previously announced runs at the L.A. Opera October 12-20, 2019 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and at the Lyric Opera of Chicago December 14-29, 2019.

2005: Crazy days – well to Doctor Who fans anyway. Considering that in the past decade, we'd had one measly bonafide story, the prospect of a brand new series with excellent ratings and feedback was about as likely as Gordon Ramsay becoming a monk.

Nevertheless, the unthinkable happened, as 2005 not only boasted a swanky new set of episodes, but also Two brand new Doctors and also a Christmas special. Now that put the cat among the pigeons. Normally, the much vaunted BBC Christmas special centrepiece had been awarded to Only Fools And Horses. By 2005 though, the revival of Doctor Who had proved to be such a big success that the BBC bosses were using the good Doctor to bring in the numbers instead of Del and Rodney.

So what better way to launch the new Doctor than by plonking him in a prime time spot on Christmas Day? Actually, viewers had...