The Further
‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ Prequel Play Extends Broadway Run
With the final season of “Stranger Things” generating increased interest in “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” the Broadway production has extended its run through September 6.
Based on an original story by “Stranger Things” creators the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Kate Trefry (“Stranger Things”), the prequel play tells Vecna’s origin story and features younger versions of several of the series’ characters.
In 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, the Creel family seeks a fresh start, especially their teenage son Henry, who is eager to escape his troubled past. Initially, things go well — he finds friendship and joins the school play.
But when a wave of shocking crimes strikes the town, Henry is forced to confront a terrifying truth: is there something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him?
As this thrilling mystery races forward, shadows of the past are unleashed, relationships are tested, and the town of Hawkins faces the ultimate question: can the power of friendship outshine the darkness within?
“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is directed by Stephen Daldry, co-directed by Justin Martin, and written by Trefry.
Louis McCartney stars as Henry Creel alongside Rosie Benton, Alex Breaux, Andrew Hovelson, Alison Jaye, T.R. Knight, Gabrielle Nevaeh, Burke Swanson, Juan Carlos, Ayana Cymone, Dora Dolphin, Ted Koch, and Eric Wiegand.
The show opened on London’s West End in 2023 before beginning its Broadway run in April of last year. It went on to win four Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, and a special award for the Illusions & Technical Effects.
Tickets for “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” are on sale now.
https://twitter.com/STonBroadway/status/2009626300550455596
“My name is John Carpenter. I direct horror movies.” One year after receiving his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, John Carpenter was on hand at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for actor Keith David yesterday, who of course worked with Carpenter on the legendary 1980s horror movies The Thing and They Live.
Keith David was honored with the 2,847th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 4 at 11:30 am PT. David received his star in the category of Motion Pictures. Joining emcee Ryan Bathe were Mayor Karen Bass, Lynn Whitfield, John Carpenter and John C. McGinley.
John Carpenter raved that Keith David is “an astonishing actor,” and both Carpenter’s speech and Keith David’s speech have made their way onto YouTube thanks to MaximoTV.
“I am trying to come up with a way to sum up Keith,” Carpenter told the crowd. “And I would say grace. That sums up the character of Keith David. My friend, I love you very much.”
“You deserve this,” Carpenter ended his quick speech.
“This for me has been an incredible year,” Keith David said during his own speech. “Today I turn 7-0. All my life I wanted to be an actor. I had a dream. And I got to pursue that dream. What you’re bearing witness to today is a man living his dream. Today is a great day. Filled with gratitude and blessings overflowing. But even on my not-so-great days, I’m still living my dream.”
You can watch the speeches from John Carpenter and Keith David below, along with the full live-streamed presentation of the ceremony honoring David with his Walk of Fame star.
From the official Hollywood Walk of Fame blog…
Keith David, born and raised in New York City, is a classically trained graduate of New York’s High School of Performing Arts and the Juilliard School. His work has earned him Screen Actors Guild and Tony Award nominations, as well as an NAACP Image Award and three Emmy Awards.
A frequent collaborator with documentarian Ken Burns, David has won three Emmys for his voiceover performances in Jackie Robinson, The War, and Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. Keith also lent his narrational expertise to the documentaries Muhammad Ali and Leonardo da Vinci by Ken Burns, as well as the forthcoming Crime & Punishment in America.
Keith has enthralled viewers with his vocal talents in animated works such as The Princess and the Frog, Gargoyles, Hazbin Hotel, Rick and Morty, and the highly anticipated spinoff President Curtis. Keith appeared in the Oscar-winning film American Fiction, Nope, and classics such as Platoon, They Live, and The Thing. He is also known for his prolific work in films such as There’s Something About Mary, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, and the upcoming My New Friend Jim.
On the small screen, Keith co-stars in the FX series The Lowdown with Ethan Hawke, and completed five seasons starring as Bishop James Greenleaf in Greenleaf. He has also been featured in series such as Abbott Elementary and Community.
True to his reputation as an icon of stage and screen, Keith starred as Floyd Barton in Seven Guitars, was nominated for a Tony for his role as Chimney Man in Jelly’s Last Jam, and has toured with Too Marvelous for Words, playing the legendary Nat King Cole. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Keith released a jazz album in February of 2026.
Keith’s philanthropic work includes supporting such charities as Inner City Youth Orchestra of L.A.. the Black Theatre Network, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Harvest Home L.A. and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).
“Keith David has brought unforgettable characters to life throughout his extraordinary career, and it feels especially fitting that his Hollywood Walk of Fame star sits beside Nat King Cole’s — an artist he once portrayed with such grace and reverence. It’s a beautiful full-circle moment honoring two legendary talents,” said Ana Martinez, Producer, Hollywood Walk of Fame.