Category: Films

For Neil Diamond fans, a film chock full of his hits is coming to the big screen on Christmas Day.

It’s entitled “Song Sung Blue,” but it’s not a bio pic nor is it the musical dubbed “A Beautiful Noise,” which previously played on Broadway and features a keg full of shimmering Diamond ditties.

“Song Sung Blue” is somewhat of a peculiarity; yet it could be highly popular, with Diamond’s cluster of hit music the attraction.

The premise of “Song Sung Blue” is that the principal characters are musicians in a tribute band named Lightning & Thunder, whose members include Mike and Claire Sardina, portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, respectively.

Yep, it’s an intriguing vehicle for Jackman, interpreting the Diamond jukebox of hits, as a group member mimicking the singer with songs like “America,” Sweet Caroline,” and “I Am…I Said.”  But early media data fail to offer a playlist.

“Song Sung Blue” was written and directed by Craig Brewer, based on a 2008 documentary by Greg Koha.  

Jackman can sell a song, sung blue or not, since he’s been a musical actor for decades. His first big stage musical was “Oklahoma,” in which he starred as Curly, and his last was “The Music Man,” in which he played Prof. Harold Hill who could toot “Seventy-Six Trombones” and conquer the tongue-twisting “Trouble.”

Of course, Jackson won a Tony for his enactment of Peter Allen in  “The Boy From Oz” on Broadway, and though his vocals were properly expressiveas Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables” on the big screen, the flick wasn’t the kind of musical powerhouse as his key film hit, “The Greatest Showman,” in which his P.T. Barnum enactment justly defined his performance in that blockbuster film.

If you wonder if Hudson can handle a tune, she’s proven she’s got chops by releasing her first album, “Glorious,” last year.

“A Beautiful Noise” still is on a national tour, and audiences are applauding and singing along. The book was written by Anthony McCarten and the show was produced by Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio.

Arena tour of ‘Les Mis’ due in New York

The world tour of the fabled “Les Misérables” international spectacle—dubbed “The Arena Concert Spectacular” – will land at Radio City Music Hall next summer.

The show, gathering key acting and singing leads over the decades, will be in Manhattan July 23 through Aug. 2, but already has been extended through Aug. 9. It will be the North America premiere, according to producer Cameron Mackintosh.

An American Express pre-sale for the extra week will launch sales Nov. 13, with sales to the general public starting Nov. 14 via Ticketmaster.com

Previously announced new engagements will be at the 3Arena in Dublin May 29 through June 6, 2026, the Utilita Arena in Birmingham June 11 through 14, 2026), and at London’s Royal Albert Hall June 18 through 21, 2026.

The tour opened with  a two-year run in Belfast beginning in September, 2024; the new dates will mark the end of the official 40th anniversary celebrations of “Les Miz”,The musical last played Broadway in 2016, and the London production has just entered its 41st year at the Sondheim Theatre

Full casting for the new tour dates will be announced at a later tim

“I am thrilled that we will be bringing home this iconic event to New York’s legendary Radio City Music Hall in July 2026,” said Mackintosh. “Les Misérables” has not been seen in New York for almost a decade”…

Broadway grosses, simple as 1, 2, 3

Not surprisingly, the ranking of the top shows, for the week ending Nov. 2, was a replay of 1-2-3 of recent weeks.

“Hamilton” topped the charts, again as the lone show grossing over $3.4 million. “Wicked” was No. 2, with $2.0 million, “The Lion King” was No. 3, with $1.7 million.

The Top 10:

1—”Hamilton,” $3.434 million

1—”Hamilton,” $3.434 million

2—”Wicked,” $2.001 million

3—”The Lion King,” $1.728 million

4—”Chess,” $1.715 million

5—”Waiting for Godot,” $1.581 million

6—”ART,” $1.421 million

7—”Mamma Mia!,” $1.403 million

8—”Just in Time,” $1.290 million

9—”Ragtime,” $1.265 million

10—”MJ the Musical,” $$1.179 million

The full countdown, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

Summertime is over for this year. For many, the temps were uncomfortably high and stormy waters created havoc in parts of the U.S., even taking lives.

For movie buffs, notably in Hawaii, the box office champ was  “Lilo & Stitch,” a charming Disney live-action film shot here and reintroduced the world to the concept of ‘ohana.

And beginning today (Sept. 3), “Lilo & Stitch” starts streaming on

Disney+, if you have signed on to this service. It surely will attract the stay-at-homers who bypass the theater experience to  discover belated joy via home viewing. Whether weather made an impact, keeping movie fans away from the cinema, is anyone’s guess.

But it’s time to reflect on this year’s summer films.

At last count,  “Lilo & Stitch,” grossed more than $3.53 billion world-wide,  short of the anticipated $4 billion mark, according to Comscore.

Surely, this was a rather lukewarm summer at the box office, compared to earlier seasons like 2023’s “Barbenheimer” match, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” dominated the grosses. “Lilo & Stitch” was a curiosity, but fans rallied … making it No. 1 in overall summertime grosses.

Here is a list of the top 10 summer movies in 2025, by domestic box office tallies: 

1—“Lilo & Stitch,” $423,318,538

2—“Superman,” $351,748,613

3—”Jurassic World: Rebirth,” $338,265, 613

4—“The Fantastic Four: First Step,” $265,826,18

5—“How to Train Your Dragon,” $262,774,245

6—“Mission: Impossible –The Final Reckoning,” $197,413,515

7—“Thunderbolts,” $190,274,328

8—“F1: The Movie,” $188,071,545

9—”Final Destinations: Bloodlines,” $138,130,814

10—“Weapons,” $134,602,687

Interestingly, the tale of a little Hawaiian girl, Lilo (played by Maia Kealoha) who befriends Experiment 626, aka Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) has warmed the hearts of viewers. The two have an unexpected relationship with highs and lows, laughter and heartache, and the journey provides shared mutual joy.

The film was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, from a screenplay written by local boy Christopher Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes.

Lilo and Stitch beat Superman, Tom Cruise, a flying dragon and seawater dinosaurs to steal the summer flick competition.

You can also watch the original animated feature, on the Disney channel,  and lest you forget, a live-action sequel is anticipated to be in the movie theaters in two years…

‘Hamilton’ retains No. 1 spot

As summer season ends, and vacationers exit Broadway, “Hamilton” remains atop the weekly gross list, for the week ending Aug. 31.

The Top 10:

1—“Hamilton,” $2.264 million

2—“Wicked,” $2.005 million

3—“The Lion King,” $1.875 million

4—“Mamma Mia,” $1.787 million

5—“Maybe Happy Ending,” $1.567 million

6—“Death Becomes Here,” $1.373 million

7—“MJ the Musical,” $1.333 million

8—“Oh, Mary!,” $1.234 million

9—“Just in Time,” $1,277 million

10—“The Outsiders,” “$1.198 million

FYI, the complete list of Broadway grosses, provided by the Broadway Guild, was not available at the time this column was filed…

And that’s Show Biz…