Jamie Lloyd’s Much Ado About Nothing begins rehearsals in London before its hotly anticipated New York engagement at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Gerald Kyd, Jamie Lloyd Photo by Justine Matthew

Broadway is about to get a delicious dose of Shakespearean sparring, and the combatants are rather irresistible.

Tom Hiddleston photo by Justine Matthew

Tom Hiddleston

Hayley Atwell Photo by Justine Matthew

and Hayley Atwell are preparing to go head-to-head in Much Ado About Nothing, bringing two formidable British talents, considerable star power and what promises to be some spectacular verbal warfare to the Winter Garden Theatre.

Cast and crew photo by Justine Matthew

Under the direction of the ever-provocative Jamie Lloyd, rehearsals are officially underway in London for the strictly limited Broadway engagement, which begins previews October 31, opens November 19 and runs through January 10, 2027.

Tom Hiddleston, Mason Alexander Park photo by Justine Matthew

Frankly, who better to play Shakespeare’s most gloriously argumentative couple?

Hiddleston, whose effortless sophistication and mischievous charm have made him equally compelling on stage and screen, takes on Benedick, the confirmed bachelor who considers himself far too clever to fall in love. Audiences know him as Marvel’s deliciously unpredictable Loki, but theatre devotees know that beneath the cinematic charisma is a classically trained actor with serious Shakespearean credentials. An Olivier Award winner, Tony nominee and Golden Globe winner, Hiddleston has the intelligence, precision and impeccable comic instincts to make Benedick’s verbal gymnastics particularly entertaining.

Hayley Atwell photo by Justine Matthew

Opposite him is Hayley Atwell, making her Broadway debut as Beatrice, one of Shakespeare’s most brilliantly outspoken women. Best known internationally for her portrayal of Peggy Carter in the Marvel universe, Atwell is also a three-time Olivier Award nominee whose theatrical career has demonstrated a remarkable combination of emotional depth, razor-sharp wit and commanding presence. Beatrice requires an actress who can turn a cutting remark into an art form while revealing the vulnerability beneath the bravado. Atwell seems particularly well suited to the challenge.

Then there is the irresistible prospect of seeing these two Marvel veterans trading Shakespearean insults instead of saving the universe. One suspects their weapons of choice will be considerably more entertaining than anything found in an Avengers arsenal.

For the uninitiated, Much Ado About Nothing revolves around Benedick and Beatrice, two fiercely independent personalities who insist they have absolutely no interest in romance, particularly with each other. Naturally, everyone around them knows better. Their friends conspire to bring them together, setting off a cascade of misunderstandings, romantic intrigue, wounded pride and some of the most dazzling dialogue Shakespeare ever wrote.

Beneath the comedy lies a surprisingly modern examination of reputation, public humiliation, deception and the dangerous ease with which appearances can be mistaken for truth. In an age of social media, instant judgment and reputations destroyed at breathtaking speed, Shakespeare’s observations about human behavior feel remarkably contemporary.

That tension between sparkling comedy and darker emotional undercurrents should prove fertile territory for Jamie Lloyd, whose theatrical imagination has made him one of the most talked-about directors working today. A Tony Award winner and multiple Olivier Award recipient, Lloyd is known for stripping familiar classics down to their emotional essentials, creating productions that challenge expectations while placing extraordinary demands on their performers.

His approach to Much Ado About Nothing is likely to make this far more than a conventional evening of Elizabethan romance. With Lloyd at the helm, the question is not simply whether Benedick and Beatrice will fall in love, but how their pride, defenses and carefully constructed identities will survive the experience.

Mara Huf photo by Justine Matthew

Joining Hiddleston and Atwell is an accomplished ensemble featuring Mara Huf as Hero

James Phoon photo by Justine Matthew

James Phoon as Claudio, Gerald Kyd as Don Pedro, Forbes Masson as Leonato, Tim Steed as Don John, Mika Onyx Johnson as Borachio,

Mason Alexander Park, Hayley Atwell photo by Justine Matthew

Mason Alexander Park as Margaret

Phillip Olagoke photo by Justine Matthew

and Phillip Olagoke as Friar Francis. Newly announced understudies include

Franklin Bongjio photo by Justine Matthew

Franklin Bongjio

Michael Iván Carrier photo by Justine Matthew

Michael Iván Carrier

Beth Elliott photo by Justine Matthew

Beth Elliott, Marlon Alexander Vargas

Ed White photo by Justine Matthew

and Ed White.

The first rehearsal photographs, captured in London by Justine Matthew, offer an early glimpse of the company coming together ahead of what is certain to be one of Broadway’s most closely watched fall openings.

There is something especially appealing about a production that reunites Hiddleston and Atwell within Shakespeare’s universe of wit, romance and emotional warfare. Both possess the kind of intelligence and theatrical confidence that can make a familiar text feel spontaneous, and Much Ado About Nothing depends upon precisely that quality. Benedick and Beatrice must appear capable of outthinking everyone in the room, even as they remain spectacularly incapable of understanding their own hearts.

Broadway has no shortage of love stories, but few offer the delicious pleasure of watching two people argue themselves into romance.

With Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell leading the charge, this particular battle of the sexes may be worth every insult.

Much Ado About Nothing begins previews October 31 at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway, officially opens November 19 and continues through January 10, 2027, only.

G.H. Harding

VICE 2028 — When Michael Mann tried to reboot his series Miami Vice in 2006, it was a commercial and critical disappointment. Miami Vice 85, the latest reboot, is well underway with a most impressive cast, including Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan as the series lead characters Crockett and Tubbs.

Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan

When Vice first hit TV screens in September of 1984, audiences had rarely seen anything as ambitious or creative. Mann -and Anthony (Buffalo Club) Yerkovich- hit on something new for the small screen. NBC’s head-honcho at the time Brandon Tartikoff, called them “MTV cops.”

Anthony Yerkovich

MTV was approaching its peak (27 million households) and this TV-show captured not only that, but both the angst and joy of the go-go 80s.

It propelled Don Johnson to mega-stardom, as well as Philip Michael Thomas. The two even recorded albums, which were not bad, but never fully realized.

One major key to the show’s success was the endless streaming of hit music -from Phil Collins; Dire Straits; Steve Jones; to INXS on down. This was before music supervisors came into play and it was often the label’s PR-people that propelled songs and artists to major success. The show also employed various music stars (like Collins and Franz Zappa) as guests stars and often, they were great. Zappa, as a cool-drug merchant on a yacht was great.

PR-man David Salidor was handling PR for The Funhouse, one of the key-clubs of the time, and remembers bringing producer Michael Attanasio down to the club. “They wanted something authentic and since they were going to be shooting in NY for the second season, the club was a perfect fit.”

I was a fan and remain a fan, and even when I watched the episodes now, they’re a bit dated, buy the symbiosis of what’s on the screen and the music remain pretty outstanding.

I honesty doubt whether Mann can do it again, but interest remains high … very high. See you in 2028 Miami Vice!

Read more here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/miami-vice-85-austin-butler-michael-b-jordan-1236727734/

And here’s a great take from Yerkovich on the creation: https://intelligentcollector.com/miami-vice-creator-anthony-yerkovich-on-the-style-packed-pilot-that-changed-tv-forever/

SHORT TAKES — I watched the 1998 movie Deep Impact over the weekend and the basic plot was an asteroid was about the hit the Earth and one of the plans President Morgan Freeman came up with was to build immense silos in the mountains. Sounds a tad like the TV-showParadise, right? Amazing …

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow says she’s losing major money on her new album. Interetsing article from Female First. Take a read: https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/musicnews/sheryl-crow-says-losing-ton-money-latest-album-reflects-fame-cancer-ageing-radio-1451871.html … Great interview on Rory Kennedy’s The Trial of Alec Baldwin. Check it out: https://deadline.com/2026/10/the-trial-of-alec-baldwin-director-rory-kennedy-interview-1237154646/ … Happy Bday Daryl Hall.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Bill Maher; Chuck LaBella; David Bowie; Steve Walter; Frank Ucciardo; Thomas Jay; Mark Biggs; Tugg Putt; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Race Taylor; Chuck Nolan; Bill Evans; Dan Zelinski; David Foster; Michael Hutchinson; Walter Egan; Bill McCuddy; Eppy; Joe Lynch; Linda Wnek; and ZIGGY!

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G.H. Harding

THE TRIAL OF ALEC BALDWIN — The wattage on Alec Baldwin has definitely simmered down. I saw him a few weeks back in the Hamptons, but other than that, he’s been under the radar. The film Rust, which interrupted everything is out; was minimally shown in May in about 115 theaters and was released on various on-demands. But the powers that be have kept it basically under wraps. Ironically, the few reviews I read noted how good it looked, rather than dwell on the tragic incidents that occurred.

Now, from documentarian-Rory Kennedy comes the film The Trial of Alec Baldwin. Both stories which I’ve posted below say the very first thing you see is a statement saying that Baldwin had no input into the making of the film. I haven’t seen it, but I think everything I need to know has always been disclosed.

Baldwin made himself a target and whatever did really happen; he was in the bulls-eye for certain. I’m sure I’ve relayed this story before, but I had an unfortunate incident with him, but several months later had a conversation with him, at his El Dorado Films, and he couldn’t have been more receptive. Acting? Who knows, but I was suitably charmed.

Don’t forgot, Baldwin is one hell of an actor. Check out his astonishing scene in Glengarry GlenRoss:

What happened was awful, but awful things happen every day, and the truth remains perhaps we’ll never know the truth.

ttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-trial-of-alec-baldwin-review-rory-kennedy-documentary-1236723653/

TCM LIVES — Turns out that so far there’s one golden-nugget from the Skydance takeover and that’s is the fact that the TCM channel will remain. Spielberg and Scorsese jumped onboard the channel a few years back and they’ll stay very much involved along with Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t watch everything on TCM, but more often than not they’ll have a gem on.

Clearly Ellison didn’t want tor rattle-the-cages too soon. I’m sure that will come, but just not now. Take a read from Deadline on the story: https://deadline.com/2026/10/turner-classic-movies-skydance-film-group-1237150281/

actor Michael Douglas promo image from his Netflix show The Komisky Method

SHORT TAKES — The Michael Douglas book PR-engine moves ever forward. I just checked Facebook and there were 3 postings from Douglas and his pub-company Grand Central Publishing. As I said last column, I think you can save $46.00 buying the book and just read and listen to everything that’s out. He did Diane Sawyer for ABC; The View; Morning Joe; Jimmy Kimmel; the 92 Street Y; CBS Sunday Morning; LA Times; andDeadline (where ghost-writer Mike Fleming, Jr. in an editor) … what else is left? Actually, as I was leaving my apartment I turned on the Today Show to see Catherine Zeta-Jones plugging her latest TV-movie (Killing Jackie)and she plainly said, she had no plans to read the book. Smart gal …

David Zaslav

David Zaslav, aka Zaz The Butcher, will receives about $600 million, for the Warner Bros sale.

Mandy Patinkin

Amazing …  (Via Deadline) Mandy Patinkin really digs Digger. In an effusive video message, posted soon after watching Digger in a theater, the Homeland star implored his followers to ignore the haters and watch Tom Cruise’s ecological disaster movie. Patinkin described Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed Digger as an “instant classic” and said it was “one of the greatest pieces of film I have ever seen in my entire life.” “This is an incredible piece of work. It puts the heart and soul back into the cinema. Everything we all love about cinema, this is it. Please, please, please, run! Don’t walk, run, and see this film,” he continued. You just know, the tide will turn .. Just in: Pershing Square bar at Grand Central in NYC will close after 3 decades in business. Sad as it was a great spot to wait for Metro North! … Who hasn’t spent time in a good, old-fashioned diner? 200 have closed in the metropolitan area so far. Check out this article on them from the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2026/10/08/lifestyle/nycs-evolving-love-affair-with-diners-enters-a-new-era/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost_trending&fbclid=IwY2xjawU15FlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMURwUUx2UHRmME9oT05xeTBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeDhyVr1Rp_BbBfebFdI2ovl87xm3BGk7uwgnerZv-kSYKIYz3gK6c5kDqN90_aem_az9ap3hQOvpiIueQ9aC-Vg

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Shane Salerno; Andrew Sandoval; Piper Smite; Tony King; John Hughes; Tony Seidel; Bruce Haring; Jane Blunkell; George Harrison; Mal Evans; Dan Zelinski; Steve Walter; Eppy; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Peter Bart; Judd Bernard; Lush Ice; Chuck Taylor; Elizabeth Neff; and BELLA!

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