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Before Dorothy’s mother passed away, she had a favorite saying, as Aunt Em reminds her grieving niece in the opening scene of The Wiz: “The hard stuff is there to let you know just how good you got it.” And while that’s a curious mantra to undergird a production of a Broadway musical, there’s something to it in the latest revival.

The first musical by a Black composer to win Tony Awards for best musical and best score, this well-loved show turns 50 next year. If Schele Williams’s simplistic and sometimes bewildering staging doesn’t itself demonstrate how the show has held up across those decades, she wisely steers all attention toward the main event: the stunning vocal performances from her cast. And since the show’s underwhelming visuals feel like less of a distraction than an afterthought, it’s easy enough to put the “hard...

This year’s Tonys will be held on June 16, so the American Theatre Wing will likely be announcing its Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in the near future. Who do you think should take home this prestigious trophy, which honors an individual’s body of work? It has gone to veteran stage performers, directors, choreographers, playwrights, songwriters, producers and designers. In some years we get multiple recipients.

Last year these honors went to actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander. The following living male Broadway vets have also received this award in the past and thus won’t be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Marshall W. Mason, Tommy Tune, James Earl Jones, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Harold Wheeler.

Here are 10 possibilities featured in our poll below, all accomplished men over the age of 65. Vote to let us know who you’d like to see honored. And take a...

With the 96th Academy Awards in the history books, it’s time to become obsessed over the 77th Tony Awards. Nominations are April 30th with the awards set to air on CBS on June 16 from Lincoln Center. Among the contenders for Tony nominations are many musicals based on movies including “Back to the Future,’ “The Notebook,” “Water for Elephants” and “The Outsiders”: high profile revivals such as Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” with Jeremy Strong; “Cabaret” with Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne and the Who’s “Tommy”; imports from London and transfers from off-Broadway.

Do you remember the Tony landscape 50 years ago? The 28th annual honors took place April 21, 1974, at the Shubert Theater and aired on ABC. And to say it was a star-studded affair is something of an understatement. Robert Preston, Peter Falk, Cicely Tyson, Florence Henderson hosted; presenters included Al Pacino –-let’s hope he had better...

This year’s Tonys will be held on June 11, so the American Theatre Wing will likely be announcing their lifetime achievement award recipient in the near future. Who do you think should be taking home this prestigious trophy? Scroll down to let us know in our poll which behind-the-scenes creative deserves the honor this year.

The Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre honors an individual’s body of work, and in some years we’ve gotten multiple recipients. Last year legendary five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury received this honor about four months before her death on October 11 at the age of 96. The following living creatives have already received this award so they’re not eligible to be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Jane Greenwood, Sheldon Harnick, Marshall W. Mason, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Wheeler, and Graciela Daniele.

Here are 10 possibilities, all of them creatives over the...

Network: ABC, Disney+

Episodes: Ongoing (one - two hours)

Seasons: Ongoing

TV show dates: June 1, 2005 -- present

Series status: Has not been cancelled

Performers include: Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, Tom Bergeron, Len Goodman, Samantha Harris, Cheryl Burke, Harold Wheeler, Driton Tony Dovolani, Edyta Sliwinska, Kym Johnson, Karina Smirnoff, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Julianne Hough, Alan Dedicoat, Derek Hough, and Louis Van Amstel

TV show description:      

A dancing competition show that pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers.

The teams perform a prepared routine and are then judged and scored by a panel of three or four experts. These results are combined with phone or online votes from viewers. One team with the fewest number of votes is typically eliminated each week. The winner of the competition is awarded a large and decidedly gaudy...

Timothy Graphenreed, a longtime musical and dance arranger who composed two numbers for the beloved Broadway musical The Wiz, died March 1 at New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital. He was 68.

Graphenreed’s death was first reported today by Broadway World. A cause of death was not announced.

Last year Graphenreed completed work on an upcoming album by Broadway star and singer Lillias White. The album, titled Get Happy!, features White’s interpretations of standards, Motown hits, jazz and rock songs, and is described by Vermont’s Old Mill Recording Studio label as the “culmination of a 30-year friendship and professional collaboration between Lillias White and her musical director/accompanist, Timothy Graphenreed.” The album is dedicated to his memory.

Graphenreed provided dance arrangements for Broadway’s Leader of the Pack (1985) and Comin’ Uptown (1979), the latter a short-lived retelling of A Christmas Carol with a Black cast headed by Gregory Hines as Scrooge.

Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown ruled the 73rd annual Tony Awards winning eight of the 14 awards they were nominated for including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. The Sam Mendes-directed The Ferryman also won big winning four awards including Best Play and Best Direction.

Other big winners of the evening included Ali Stroker for her groundbreaking role in Oklahoma!, which also won Best Revival of a Musical. To add to that, Boys in the Band took home the trophy for Best Revival of a Play.

Acting accolades went to Bryan Cranston for Best Leading Actor in a Play for Network while The Waverly Gallery’s Elaine May took home the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Play. On the musical side, Tootsie’s Santino Fontana won for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and The Cher Show’s Stephanie J. Block for the Best Leading Actress in a Musical.

It was showtime for Catherine O’Hara on the Tony Awards red carpet Sunday night.

The actress, 65, showed up at Radio City Musical Hall for Broadway’s biggest night wearing a black and white stripe gown reminiscent of one her character Delia Deetz wore in the 1988 comedy classic, Beetlejuice.

Of course, the choice was intentional, as O’Hara is at the Tony Awards to introduce a production number from the musical adaptation of Beetlejuice, which is up for eight trophies including Best Musical at Sunday’s show.

Tim Burton’s cult classic is reborn in the deliciously dark and hilarious new musical,...

Broadway's biggest night is just around the bend Before we officially celebrate the Tony Awards, the nominees gathered last night to salute the 2019 Tony Honorees, which this year includeLifetime Achievement in the Theatre Rosemary Harris, Terrence McNally, Harold Wheeler Special Tony Awards Marin Mazzie, Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company, Jason Michael Webb Regional Theatre Tony Award TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Palo Alto, CA Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award Judith Light Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre Broadway Inspirational Voices - Michael McElroy, Peter Entin, Fdny Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, Joseph Blakely Forbes.

The complete list of nominations for the 2019 Tony Awards has been released. This year, Hadestown leads all nominees with a total of 14 nominations including Best Musical. Other serious Tony contenders this year are Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations which is nominated for 12 awards and Tootsie which garnered 11 nominations.

In Plays, The Ferryman and To Kill a Mockingbird each received 9 nominations, tied for most in Plays and fourth overall. The Ferryman is up for Best Play, while Jeff Daniels is up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his role in To Kill a Mockingbird.

The nominees were announced live today from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center by two-time Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth and Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon. Neuwirth garnered the Tony Award in 1986 for Best Featured Actress in a...

Two-time Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth and two-time Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon are revealing the 2019 Tony Awards nominations this morning in a live event that begins at 8:30 Am Et/5:30 Am Pt from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

The Tonys, presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, honor the best on Broadway in 26 competitive categories for productions that opened during the 2018-2019 season (on or before the April 25 cut-off date).

Last year, the musicals Mean Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants led the field with 12 nominations apiece; another tuner, though, The Band’s Visit, eventually led all winners with 10 trophies including Best Musical. The American debut of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child paced new plays with 10 nominations, winning five. The revival of Angels in America had a strong showing with 11 nominations, the most in Tony history for a play.

This...

The late Marin Mazzie, who starred in Broadway’s Passion, Ragtime and the 2000 revival of Kiss Me, Kate, among many stage productions, will receive a Special Tony Award this year, the Tony administration committee announced today.

Mazzie, who died of ovarian cancer last September, was one of three Special Tony Award recipients announced today. The 2019 Tony Award nominations will be announced tomorrow morning.

Also set to receive the special honors are Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company, being recognized for their creation of the massive Kong puppet for Broadway’s King Kong; and Broadway musical director and arranger Jason Michael Webb (Choir Boy). The Special Tony Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the theater and theater community.

“We are honored to recognize these three Special Tony Awards this season,” said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing, and Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League. “These artists have demonstrated outstanding passion and dedication.

Actress Rosemary Harris, playwright Terrence McNally and composer Harold Wheeler – Tony Award winners all – each will received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Tony administration company announced today.

“We are thrilled to recognize Rosemary, Terrence and Harold with the Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre,” said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “They are pioneers in each of their crafts and their contributions to American Theatre and culture has been immeasurable.”

Harris, who won the Tony for Best Actress for The Lion in Winter (1965), is currently starring as Mrs. Higgins in Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of My Fair Lady. Her other 25 Broadway credits include Tony-nominated performances in The Royal Family (2009), Waiting in the Wings (1999), Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (1996), Hay Fever (1985), Pack of Lies (1984), Heartbreak House (1983) and Old Times...

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations will open at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre beginning with performances February 28, with opening night set for March 21. The news Tuesday comes as the musical wrapped a run Sunday at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre. It heads to Toronto for a final pre-Broadway engagement at the Princess of Wales Theatre from October 11-November 17.

The musical directed by Des McAnuff with a book by Dominique Morisseau centers on The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after amassing 42 Top 10 hits, with 14 reaching No. 1. The musical that follows the story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal is set to the beat of the group’s hits from “My Girl” and “Just My Imagination” to “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and more. Choreography is by Sergio Trujillo.

Producers Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce announced the Broadway dates today,...

A musical about the great Temptations is headed to Broadway. Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce, will begin performances at the Imperial Theatre in spring 2019.

The musical, which follows the classic Motown vocalists – and their signature dance moves – from “the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it became the highest grossing production in that theater’s nearly 50-year history. The musical later broke the single-week box office record at Washington D.C.’s Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to producers.

Producers describe the show as the “story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal,” all playing out against a backdrop of civil unrest and set to Temptations classics like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,...

Veteran musical director Adam Blackstone is no stranger to awards recognition. The 36-year-old Trenton, New Jersey, native has earned a number of Grammy nominations as a songwriter, musical director or arranger with Pharrell Williams (“Happy [Live]”), Musiq Soulchild (“Teachme”) and Al Green with the Roots (“Lay It Down” album), and was recently the Music Director and bassist for “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack album as well as the Oscar telecast performance of its Best Song nominee “This is Me.”

Blackstone recently earned his first-ever Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Direction of Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl Lii Halftime Show at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis last February for NBC, a dynamic performance that culminated in a duet accompanying a projected image of the late hometown hero Prince singing “I Will Die 4 U.” More than 110 million viewers watched, scoring a higher rating than the game itself. Adam goes up against fellow music...

This year’s Emmy race in the music categories takes on greater interest because a win in the song category could instantly give songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul an Egot, having already won Oscar, Tony and Grammy awards.

Pasek and Paul — whose “La La Land,” “Greatest Showman” and “Dear Evan Hansen” songs have catapulted them into the front ranks of American songwriters in the past two years — are nominated for their new song, “In the Market for a Miracle,” written for Fox’s “A Christmas Story Live,” an adaptation of their 2012 stage musical.

They are just two of 28 first-time nominees in the six music categories, announced Thursday morning by the Television Academy for 2017-18 programs. Nearly 60 percent of all the music nominees are newcomers to the Emmy race. Ironically, several musicians were nominated for non-music categories: Donald Glover (“Atlanta”), John Legend and Sara Bareilles all received acting nods — and...

Oscar producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd are surrounding themselves with many of the veterans that helped them make their first stint last year such a success, barring that last-minute snafu with the Best Picture envelope. On Friday they confirmed the top-notch production team for the upcoming 90th annual Academy Awards on March 4. As the producers noted, “This team brings more than 90 years of combined Oscars telecast experience. Collaborating with them as we celebrate the 90th year of the Oscars is both fitting and thrilling.”

Director: Glenn Weiss

The Emmy-winning helmer of the Tony Awards is returning to oversee the telecast for a third year running. He has won 13 Emmy Awards, including one for the 89th Oscars, for which he also won a DGA Award. Weiss has directed numerous televised events, including 17 Tony Awards shows. Other directing credits include multiple “Primetime Emmy Awards,“ “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “Billboard Music Awards,...

In a first listen below, Side Show's Erin Davie and Emily Padgett perform the production's beloved showstopper 'I Will Never Leave You.' The music from Side Show is written by Tony, Academy Award nominee and Grammy Award Winning composer Henry Krieger Dreamgirls and Tony Award nominated lyricist Bill Russell, with orchestrations by Tony Award winner Harold Wheeler, with musical direction by Sam Davis. Check it out...

The upcoming Broadway reimagining of Side Show, featuring leading ladies Erin Davie and Emily Padgett, opens on Broadway this fall, with a revised book and lyrics are by Bill Russell, with music by Henry Krieger, and additional book material by Bill Condon. Musical direction and arrangements are by Sam Davis Dreamgirls at the Apollo, orchestrations are by six time Tony Award nominee Harold Wheeler, Hairspray, Dreamgirls, The Wiz and choreography is by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Anthony Van Laast Mamma Mia. Since its inception, Jack Tantleff has serviced as Creative Supervisor.Below, check out photos of the marquee at the St. James Theatre...

Following Monday’s Season 18 finals, shirtless tuxedoed man James Maslow and his partner Peta Murgatroyd have been eliminated, despite earning near-perfect scores on their post-apocalyptic freestyle sponsored by Victoria’s Secret (the secret is she’s on acid) and a tango “tighter than a trumpeter’s cheeks” (you know head judge Len Goodman just misses Impeccably Manicured Trumpeter from the Harold Wheeler Band, as do we all). James' exit isn’t too shocking, as he never quite distinguished himself as a frontrunner. He kept up like a champ, but he was never going to win. I think the bigger surprise is that

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Oh, my! What is this strange planet we’re seeing on its heaving (and bosomy!) 18th giant breath? The Celebriquarium is Back! The judges are on the Left again. Our old pals Brooke Burke and the Harold Wheeler Band are…. Gone?!!!

Well, we can at least cheer for the Celebriquarium. The sparklebots belong higher than everyone else, as they are so on a higher level.

Discuss the season 18 premiere, Erin Andrews as cohost, and the new look, sound, and….feel?! of Dancing With the Stars below, ahead of my full recap later tonight. And if you missed it earlier today,...

Brooke Burke-Charvet remains a little confused about her sudden departure from Dancing With the Stars—but she's optimistically hoping for the best for everyone involved. "Well, I found out on a Friday, just like you guys found out on a Friday, and I think I don't quite understand it, like a lot of people," the season seven champ turned cohost for seven seasons said today during her sit-down on E! News. "I'm a little sad to see Harold Wheeler and the band go, that was the soul of the show. A lot of changes, but for me I think, in the bigger picture, it's a really good thing." Brooke exclusively confirmed to E! News on Feb. 21 (yes, a Friday) that she wouldn't be returning...

There’s some serious remodeling going on over at “Dancing With the Stars” these days, and the latest update is that Erin Andrews will replace Brooke Burke-Charvet as the show’s host/resident eye-candy.

Following the firing of band leader Harold Wheeler and his 28-member ensemble earlier this month, the DWTS honchos decided to give Brooke the old heave-ho and brought in the beautiful Fox Sports reporter instead.

Over the weekend, Burke-Charvet took to her Twitter account with a series of messages to her many fans. She began, "Weird day ... Shocking pre-season elimination #DWTS . . . Me. Tom Bergeron didn't even read my name. I won't be returning to the show this season,” followed by, "Thanks for all the love & support. I loved my time in the ballroom & I'll love my next chapter too. Change is positive. Love you guys!"

Later, Brooke noted, "So much chatter bout DWTS. I'm really cool, everyone.

There’s some serious remodeling going on over at “Dancing With the Stars” these days, and the latest update is that Erin Andrews will replace Brooke Burke-Charvet as the show’s host/resident eye-candy.

Following the firing of band leader Harold Wheeler and his 28-member ensemble earlier this month, the DWTS honchos decided to give Brooke the old heave-ho and brought in the beautiful Fox Sports reporter instead.

Over the weekend, Burke-Charvet took to her Twitter account with a series of messages to her many fans. She began, "Weird day ... Shocking pre-season elimination #DWTS . . . Me. Tom Bergeron didn't even read my name. I won't be returning to the show this season,” followed by, "Thanks for all the love & support. I loved my time in the ballroom & I'll love my next chapter too. Change is positive. Love you guys!"

Later, Brooke noted, "So much chatter bout DWTS. I'm really cool, everyone.

Brooke Burke-Charvet is leaving Dancing With the Stars with her humor intact. After E! News exclusively confirmed that the co-host will not return for Season 18 of the reality competition show, Burke-Charvet joked about her exit via Twitter. "Here's the skinny—The show found out Harold Wheeler, the band, Rob & me were putting together our own road show, so they fired us all!" she wrote. "Off to bed with my sense of humor. I was totally kidding Tweeties. Night nite! Sweet dreams." Erin Andrews, who finished in third place during Season 10, will replace Burke-Charvet. The Fox Sports personality will join longtime co-host Tom Bergeron when the series returns to ABC on March 17....

Update Monday 6:40 Am: ABC this morning made the official announcement of Erin Andrews joining Dancing With The Stars for the upcoming season, whose celebrity cast will be revealed tomorrow morning. She joins fellow new Dancing addition, musical director Ray Chew, who replaces longtime band leader Harold Wheeler. Previous Sunday 4:30 Pm: Fox Sports‘ Erin Andrews has been tapped as co-host of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, Deadline has confirmed. The news broke shortly after long-running co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet Tweeted her firing from the reality dancing competition, which returns for its 18th season on March 17. People broke the news first. Andrews, who competed on DWTS Season 10, is expected be officially announce as Charvet’s replacement as soon as tomorrow. Related: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Axes Brooke Burke-Charvet...

Brooke Burke-Charvet is getting the last laugh after Friday's "Dancing With the Stars" shakeup!Just two days after the 42-year-old co-host was fired from the hit ABC show, she took to Twitter to joke about her exit. "Here's the skinny - The show found out Harold Wheeler, the band, Rob & me were putting together our own road show, so they fired us all!" she tweeted.She later added, "Off to bed with my sense of humor. I was totally kidding Tweeties. Night nite! Sweet dreams."Burke-Charvet  reportedly had no idea her job was on the line, and that ABC informed her about the decision Friday afternoon.  "I have enjoyed seven seasons co-hosting 'DWTS' but understand the need for change considering the position of the show at this juncture,"  the mother-of-four said in a statement. "I've always been one to embrace change and looking forward to pursuing opportunities I previously wasn't...

It's time to welcome a new host to the ballroom.

Erin Andrews will replace Brooke Burke-Charvet as the host of Dancing with the Stars, a source confirms to People.

The Fox Sports reporter, 35, will take over as Tom Bergeron's co-host for season 18 of ABC's dancing competition. Andrews is no stranger to the series, having competed on season 10 of DWTS with pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Burke-Charvet, 42, hosted the show for seven seasons. On Friday, she released a statement to E! Online.

"I have enjoyed seven seasons co-hosting DWTS but understand the need for change considering the position of the show at this juncture,...

It's time to welcome a new host to the ballroom. Erin Andrews will replace Brooke Burke-Charvet as the host of Dancing with the Stars, a source confirms to People. The Fox Sports reporter, 35, will take over as Tom Bergeron's co-host for season 18 of ABC's dancing competition. Andrews is no stranger to the series, having competed on season 10 of DWTS with pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Burke-Charvet, 42, hosted the show for seven seasons. On Friday, she released a statement to E! Online. "I have enjoyed seven seasons co-hosting DWTS but understand the need for change considering the position of the show at this juncture,...

Brooke Burke-Charvet, a former winner and host of Dancing With the Stars, has left the ballroom. Late Friday night, Tom Bergeron’s co-host posted this lightly worded tweet: “weird day….Shocking pre-season elimination #DWTS…Me. @Tom_Bergeron didn’t even read my name. I won’t be returning to the show this season.”

“I’ve seen my fair share of shocking eliminations in the ballroom but this one takes the cake,” added Burke-Charvet, 42, in a statement to E! Online. “I’ve always been one to embrace change and looking forward to pursuing opportunities I previously wasn’t able to entertain...

Brooke Burke-Charvet is leaving Dancing with the Stars.

The news that she won't return to the show comes as a shock to the former contestant, who was by Tom Bergeron's side as co-host since season 10 of the ballroom dancing competition.

"Weird day ... Shocking pre-season elimination #DWTS …Me. Tom Bergeron didn't even read my name," Burke-Charvet, 42, Tweeted at midnight Saturday. "I won't be returning to the show this season."

ABC released a statement to People on Saturday: "We can confirm that Brooke Burke-Charvet will not be joining us next season. She's been a wonderful part of the Dancing with the Stars...

Brooke Burke-Charvet is leaving Dancing with the Stars. The news that she won't return to the show comes as a shock to the former contestant, who was by Tom Bergeron's side as co-host since season 10 of the ballroom dancing competition. "Weird day ... Shocking pre-season elimination #DWTS …Me. Tom Bergeron didn't even read my name," Burke-Charvet, 42, Tweeted at midnight Saturday. "I won't be returning to the show this season." Burke-Charvet wasn't the only one who was surprised by the news. "It was a shock they let Brooke go," a source tells People. "The cast and crew loved her. It's very sad.

News and notes from all over TV:

- FX is putting a few of its shows on a brief hiatus during the Winter Olympics. "Archer" and "Chozen" will be off for the next two weeks and return Monday, Feb. 24. "Justified" will air Tuesday (Feb. 11) as scheduled but will take the following week off, then return Feb. 25.

- "Fifty Shades of Grey" actress Eloise Mumford will star in ABC's drama pilot "Warriors." Inspired by cases at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center, the pilot follows a group of military doctors and nurses as they treat everything from critically wounded soldiers to Washington's elite. Mumford, who previously starred on ABC's "The River," will play Tony Sterling, a psychiatrist recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan and an expert on Ptsd -- and who suffers from a mild case herself. [THR]

- AMC ordered a 10-episode reality series about the inaugural season of the La Kiss,...

It's been a particularly trying week for People readers, with several sad stories leading the way in the news - in particular, of course, the tragic death of renowned actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Dylan Farrow's open letter alleging sexual abuse by Woody Allen also got a shocked reaction, and the firing of the musical director and band at Dancing with the Stars had readers seeing red. Thankfully, there were other stories that readers loved, or elicited a chuckle. Below are the five stories that got the strongest reactions from People.com readers this week, from happy, sad, laugh out loud,...

Six-time Tony Award-nominated bandleader and orchestrator Harold Wheeler will no longer appear on Dancing with the Stars – and neither will his 28-member band.

ABC and BBC Worldwide Productions announced the new season will premiere in March without Wheeler, 70, and his group of musicians and singers, USA Today reports.

"Our talented music director, Harold Wheeler, will not be joining us for season 18 of Dancing with the Stars," ABC said in a statement.

"Since season one, Harold and his band have performed brilliant music in our ballroom for our dancers and the American viewers at home. We are grateful to him and...

Six-time Tony Award-nominated bandleader and orchestrator Harold Wheeler will no longer appear on Dancing with the Stars - and neither will his 28-member band. ABC and BBC Worldwide Productions announced the new season will premiere in March without Wheeler, 70, and his group of musicians and singers, USA Today reports. "Our talented music director, Harold Wheeler, will not be joining us for season 18 of Dancing with the Stars," ABC said in a statement. "Since season one, Harold and his band have performed brilliant music in our ballroom for our dancers and the American viewers at home. We are grateful to him...

"Dancing with the Stars" will sound a little different in Season 18. The long-running dancing competition series has fired band leader Harold Wheeler and his musicians and plans to replace them with recordings and a smaller group of live performers.

BBC Worldwide (the show's producer) and ABC released the following statement on the decision:

"Our talented Music Director, Harold Wheeler, will not be joining us for season 18 of 'Dancing with the Stars.' Since season one, Harold and his band have performed brilliant music in our ballroom for our dancers and the American viewers at home. We are grateful to him and his band for their amazing work and years of collaboration. We wish him the best of luck."

The Harold Wheeler Orchestra and Singers consists of 28 members, with most participating in all previous 17 seasons of "Dancing with the Stars."

President of the American Federation of Musicians, Ray Hair, released a...

Dismantling the orchestra? After 17 seasons of live music on Dancing With the Stars, ABC's hit reality series has fired its longtime music director Harold Wheeler -- and the 28 members of his live backing band, the show confirmed Monday, Feb. 3. "Since season one, Harold and his band have performed brilliant music in our ballroom for our dancers and the American viewers at home," BBC Worldwide and ABC said in a joint statement. "We are grateful to him and his band for their amazing work and years [...]...

The music has stopped on Dancing with the Stars, at least temporarily. The reality show has parted ways with its longtime band leader Harold Wheeler, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Wheeler, who has been with the show since its inception, will take his 28-member group of musicians and singers with him. "Our talented Music Director, Harold Wheeler, will not be joining us for Season 18 of Dancing with the Stars. Since Season One, Harold and his band have performed brilliant music in our ballroom for...

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Dancing With the Stars has confirmed the departure of music director Harold Wheeler as the ballroom dancing series heads into its 18th season on ABC.

According to a statement on behalf of BBC Worldwide and ABC:

Our talented Music Director, Harold Wheeler, will not be joining us for season 18 of Dancing with the Stars. Since season one, Harold and his band have performed brilliant music in our ballroom for our dancers and the American viewers at home. We are grateful to him and his band for their amazing work and years of collaboration. We wish him the best of luck.

American Federation of Musicians president Ray Hair blasted ABC Monday for firing longtime band leader Harold Wheeler and replacing the live backing band on Dancing With the Stars with preexisting sound recordings and what he referred to as a "small electric band." "People who love Dancing With the Stars also love the superb performances of the orchestra because it is such an integral part of the show," said Hair. "The tight, elaborate musical productions that catapulted the show into the top 10 in 17 countries can’t be duplicated by recordings and a small combo. Viewers, whether they are

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And we’re liiiiiiiiive! The remaining sparklebots danced Monday night — once in pairs and then in something called the Switch Up Dance Challenge, in which two teams of four competed in two rounds…against each other? Maybe the music changed? Perhaps a giant iPod attempted to smother Harold Wheeler once and for all? Your guess is as good as mine.

Update: Full ‘DWTS’ recap is live!

Eight couples remain. Who! Will be eliminated tonight?

I’ll update this post with the results as soon as they happen. And the eliminated couple is….

….No One!

Host Tom Bergeron cited technical difficulties...

And we’re liiiiiiiiive! The remaining sparklebots danced Monday night — once in pairs and then in something called the Switch Up Dance Challenge, in which two teams of four competed in two rounds…against each other? Maybe the music changed? Perhaps a giant iPod attempted to smother Harold Wheeler once and for all? Your guess is as good as mine.

Update: Full ‘DWTS’ recap is live!

Eight couples remain. Who! Will be eliminated tonight?

I’ll update this post with the results as soon as they happen. And the eliminated couple is….

….No One!

Host Tom Bergeron cited technical difficulties...

It’s “The Best Year of My Life” week on Dancing With the Stars! Don’t be thrown by the positivity of those words — you will be sobbing at the intro packages for the 10 remaining contestants. Personal Stories Night always brings out the tears. #Sparklebarf

Discuss the show and nominate your hidden gems in the comments below, and stay tuned for my shine-infused recap later on.

Update: Here it is! Everybody’s crying!

(And in case you missed ‘em last week, here are EW.com’s Hidden Gems of Week 3 for your expert appraisal — with a special note to hidden...

Studies have shown that Hidden Gems of the Week, EW.com’s collection of reader-submitted ridiculata, is the best way to enjoy Dancing With the Stars without ever having to turn it on. It’s a visual feast of sparkles, fringe, and stunning awkwardness. Ready to go down the rabbit hole? Behold this bountiful smattering of Visible Gems!

Most Valuable Gem (Mvg) Of The Week:

“The longer I look at BBC’s dress, the more I start to see a face in the design…” –ktbanks, endorsed by gigi

“Is the face screaming, ‘How does that make you Feel?!?’” –SpeechTeacher89

“A...

Twenty-five years ago, in a galaxy far, far away, disco producer Meco gave the Star Wars soundtrack an astronomical twist. Feast your ears on the cosmic funk

Quelque chose d'un wee bit différent this Friday, but bear with me: nearly 25 years ago, something momentous in world culture happened, an event that would sear the imaginations of every creative artist who has gone since, and if it didn't, well, it should have done. I refer not to the premiere of George Lucas's Star Wars, on 25 May 1977, but to the work of musical genius that the film inspired. John Williams's score? Only partly. Much, much better, indeed galactically finer, astronomically more ambitious, and charting new realms of cosmic genre-bending was what disco producer Meco came up with that summer.

Meco made a 15 minute suite on the themes of the movie, after obsessively watching the film in the first few days and weeks of its release.

Update: Annie’s recap is liiiiiiiiiiiiive!

Spoiler Alert! Planet Mirrorballus has a new ruler. (For one night only; then power transfers back to Maks Tom Bergeron.) After tonight’s two-hour Dancing With the Stars season 13 finale, one of our three finalists – butt-monster Rob Kardashian (pictured, right), weight loss champion Ricki Lake, or Dancmstr J.R. Martinez — has finally won the Coveted Mirrorball Trophy.

Rob led in scoring after Monday’s finals, but earlier today EW.com readers overwhelmingly voted that J.R. should and would win.

Ready? The season 13 winner is….

J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff!

Runners-up: Rob Kardashian...

Studies have shown that Hidden Gems of the Week, EW.com’s collection of reader-submitted ridiculata, is the best way to enjoy Dancing With the Stars without ever having to turn it on. It’s a visual feast of sparkles, fringe, and stunning awkwardness. Ready to go down the rabbit hole? Behold this bountiful smattering of Visible Gems!

Most Valuable Gem (Mvg) Of The Week: We’Ve Got A Liiiiiiiiiiiiive One!

“When Harold Wheeler and the band was introduced, you could see Tom Bergeron doing a little jig in the background!” –kellen, endorsed by debbsjo, Anthony

“During the introduction lineup,...

Coming up on tonight’s Dancing With the Stars season 13 finale: One of our three finalists will win the Coveted Mirrorball Trophy, which recently journeyed from a ledge on Brookebot Mountain to the foot of the judges’ table. Will it be butt-monster Rob Kardashian (pictured, right) and his partner Cheryl Burke, weight loss champion Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough, or Dancmstr J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff Ice That Ankle?

Rob led in scoring after Monday’s finals, but Ricki and J.R. have topped the leaderboard all season. It’s anyone’s game tonight.

The one...