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Portrait of Michael Paulson

Michael Paulson

I write news and feature stories about theater as an art form and as an industry, on Broadway and beyond. I am not a critic — many people find this confusing, but The Times maintains separate groups of reporters and critics, and I’m a reporter, which means I cover news, trends and personalities in the theater world, but do not review shows. I may have the most convenient location of any beat reporter at The Times: I am based at the company’s headquarters in Times Square, so my desk is in the heart of the theater district. And yes, I see a lot of theater — every new production on Broadway, and a sampling of plays, musicals and other theatrical events Off Broadway and elsewhere, or a little over 100 shows a year.

I’m a lifelong theatergoer, and I’ve been writing for newspapers since high school, but it’s only in my current job that I’ve combined those interests. I grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in Pennsylvania, and worked at newspapers in Massachusetts, Texas and Washington State before heeding the siren call of New York. I’ve worked as a reporter and as an editor, covering politics and religion, and was part of the Boston Globe team whose coverage of clergy sexual abuse won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003.

All Times journalists are committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook.

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    Jay-Z’s Big Tonys Duet With Alicia Keys Was Pretaped

    The two stars brought down the house with “Empire State of Mind,” their 2009 love song to New York City, which they had recorded earlier on a grand marble staircase outside the auditorium.

    By Julia Jacobs and Michael Paulson

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    How to Watch the Tony Awards

    The main event will be broadcast on CBS and livestreamed for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers. A simulcast will also air at Damrosch Park in Manhattan.

    By Michael Paulson

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    43 Tony Nominees and the Shows That Shaped Them

    The Tony Awards are Sunday. Each year we photograph nominated performers and talk to them about their craft. This time, we asked about early theater memories.

    By Dana Scruggs, Michael Paulson, Julia Jacobs, Jolie Ruben and Amanda Webster

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    TimesVideo

    Our Reporter on Broadway’s Big Week

    Broadway is in the midst of a rolling celebration. In nine days, 12 shows opened. Michael Paulson, theater reporter for The New York Times, explains how and why all these shows are rolling out the red carpet.

    By Michael Paulson and Gabriel Blanco

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    TimesVideo

    10 Years of ‘Aladdin’ on Broadway

    The musical “Aladdin” has been running on Broadway for 10 years, a bright spot in an industry that hasn’t fully recovered from the pandemic. Michael Paulson, a theater reporter for The New York Times, attended the March 28 anniversary performance.

    By Michael Paulson and Claire Hogan

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