On Friday (Oct. 1), a project dropped on Netflix that is unlike any other: Diana: The Musical. What sets it apart is not just that it tells the story of the late Princess of Wales’ life through song and dance, although that is certainly a unique approach. It’s also the way in which it is being released to the world.

“It’s the first time a play is opening on Netflix before opening on Broadway,” explained Frank Marshall, one of the producers of the show and the film, in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Friday while en route to the film’s premiere — complete with tea — at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York. “That’s never happened before.”

Diana: The Musical was one of the dozens of Broadway projects derailed when the pandemic shuttered the Great White Way on March 12, 2020. “We were in previews,” says Marshall. “We had done nine previews, and we were due to open in 10 days, but we shut down on the 12th. Of course, back then, we thought it was going to be for two weeks or something, not 18 months.”

Before long, Marshall and his collaborators got restless. He recalls, “It seemed to me, as a movie producer, we’ve got the sets, and we’ve got the cast ready to go — everything was kind of in place at the theater. And it had just been announced that Hamilton [the filmed version for Disney+] had been moved up a year. I thought, ‘Maybe we could try to do this ourselves.’ So Beth [Williams, one of Marshall’s Broadway partners] and I called [Come from Away Tony winner] Chris Ashley, our director, and he said, ‘I’m in.’ And then I called Netflix.”

The streamer signed on, and then it was up to Marshall and his team to carry out a safe shoot. As it turned out, his work as a producer of major motion pictures helped him to prepare. “At that same time,” he says, “we were trying to get Jurassic World: Dominion back up and running in London, so I was able to learn from that experience how to film in COVID times.”

The Diana shoot took place over four days in September 2020. Marshall emphasizes, “It really wasn’t what’s called ‘live capture,’ which Hamilton was, because we didn’t have an audience. We shot it much more like a film. We were able to put the camera in the right places and not have to shoot around the audience, and we didn’t have reaction shots, we didn’t have to wait for applause or anything, so Chris Ashley designed into the show cinematic transitions. It’s much more like a movie.”

Marshall says the experience of filming Diana has convinced him to pursue a similar course with future theatrical productions, even if or when COVID is no longer a consideration.

“This is a way to reach a broader audience with a Broadway show,” he argues. “I don’t think it competes at all with the stage version; I think they actually help each other. We saw that with Hamilton and even, looking back, Chicago. The movie Chicago didn’t impede the Broadway production at all. It actually helped. And they also saw ticket sales on Hamilton go up after the Disney+ release. So I just think of it as another way to see things. Now, millions of people around the world get to see our show.”

But will they check out another project about Princess Diana coming off of an Emmy-winning season of Netflix’s The Crown in which she figured prominently or with Pablo Larrain’s film Spencer, which centers on the late princess, currently rolling out on the film fest circuit? “Well, she was an amazing woman, and there’s a lot of ways to celebrate her life, and we’re one of them,” Marshall says. “She’s fascinating, and I think the public is really interested in seeing behind the curtain.”

Diana: The Musical is on Netflix now. Broadway previews will resume on Nov. 2 with opening night on Nov. 17.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

After Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany received backlash for posting photos of her kids wearing anti-President Biden T-shirts, the country star took to Instagram to defend his family and his beliefs.

“I will never apologize for my beliefs or my love for my family and country,” Aldean wrote Thursday alongside a photo of his silhouette in front of an American flag. “This is the greatest country in the world and I want to keep it that way. #unapologetic #phoenixwasfire”

The singer’s statement comes after Brittany Aldean posted a photo wearing a shirt that reads “Anti Biden Social Club,” while another picture showed the couple’s children, 4-year-old son Memphis and 2-year-old daughter Navy, wearing black shirts emblazoned with the message “Hidin’ From Biden.” Though Aldean himself was not pictured wearing anti-Biden clothing in the photos, he did comment on a photo of his son wearing one of the shirts, writing, “My boy!”

When one Instagram user accused Brittany of using the couple’s children as “political props,” Aldean also defended his family. According to The Washington Post, Aldean commented, saying, “Watch ur mouth lady! We will teach our kids what we think is right and what we think is best for their future. If you think what is happening right now is ‘great’ for the future of our kids and grandkids, u are delusional!” When a commenter stated, “If you thought Trump’s path for America was any better, you’re delusional!,” to which Aldean responded, “Definitely better than what we got now! Please tell me one thing that the current administration has done that is positive? Just 1!!!”

Previously, Aldean has kept his political beliefs close to the vest so as not to alienate a portion of his fanbase, like many other country artists. In 2016, Aldean told Rolling Stone he did not vote in the presidential election, as he had recently moved and was not registered to vote in the correct county. When asked if he would have voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, Aldean said, “I don’t know if I’m going to cross that road with you. That’s one subject I do stay away from. Politics is a no-win.”

However, in August, during his first weekend back on tour in 17 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aldean did tell a concert audience, “The coolest thing right now is I’m looking out seeing all you guys, and I don’t see one f—ing mask. I’ve had just about enough of that sh–.”

Brittany Aldean has been open about her political beliefs, saying in an Instagram Story video in August, “I personally don’t give a damn if people don’t agree with me. I think it’s important now more than ever to stand for what you believe, even if it goes against the grain. Do your research, and form your own opinion — speak out if you wish. But most importantly, don’t bully people who feel differently than you.”

Aldean’s current single, “If I Didn’t Love You,” a duet with Carrie Underwood, currently sits inside the top five on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Next year, he is set to release the 30-song double album Macon, Georgia.

This week, Martin Solveig reached the top of Dance/Electronic Songs with his Dragonettes collab “Hello.” Over in Amsterdam, ADE announced that all of the musical programming for the ADE Festival would shift to daylight hours to abide by recently instated Dutch protocols for nightclubs. Back in the States, LCD Soundsystem announced a whopping 20-show run starting in November at New York’s Brooklyn Steel.

Meanwhile techno legend Adam Beyer answered 20 questions about collaborating with Kevin Saunderson and loving Billie Eilish, UK-based ticketing and streaming platform Dice announced its acquisition of beloved livestream series Boiler Room, and Burning Man launched a a fundraising auction with Sotheby’s as it tries to recoup losses incurred during the pandemic.

Beyond all that, we’ve got the week’s best new dance music. Let’s dig in.

Maya Jane Coles, “True Loves to the Grave”

Maya Jane Coles and vocalist Claudia Kane demonstrate the thin line between love and hate in the video for Coles’ latest, “True Love to the Grave.” In the sort of Kill Bill meets Mortal Combat clip — a sequel to September’s equally noir-ish video for “Run to You” — Skin, lead vocalist of the legendary British rock band Skunk Anansie, barks orders over a cell phone before Kane, in striking black pleather, punches and stabs her way down a hallway to the beat of Coles’ sinewy, slightly sinister beats and then engages in a fight to the death with the masked producer. Who wins? Watch and see. — KATIE BAIN

Arca, “Incendio”

After remixing the Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande collaboration “Rain on Me” last month (for Gaga’s chart-topping Dawn of Chromatica remix album), Arca conjures hellish fire on her latest original, “Incendio.” The new single (co-produced by Omar) features Arca singing and rapping in Spanish at lightning speed; images of blood and ash-marked foreheads unfold over maximalist club production designed to throttle you to the core, from the engulfing bass and lethal synth stabs to the chaotic percussion that sticks to the ears like stubborn sweat. Arca’s vocals at times become distorted, multiplying and transforming into disembodied beings shrieking from the shadows. Mildly terrifying, but oh, so good. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Blastoyz, Dimibo, Jason Ross, Kill the Noise, Seven Lions, Trivecta & Wooli, “Pantheon”

This track is as wild as you’d expect from the (long) list of artists who contributed to it. A frenetic dash through hard-hitting styles including psytrance, riddim and melodic dubstep, “Pantheon” took a year to produce and is the 100th release from Seven Lions’ Ophelia Records. It features seven of the label’s biggest acts — Blastoyz, Dimibo, Jason Ross, Kill The Noise, Trivecta & Wooli and Seven Lions himself, along with a whopping six drops. The song also shares a name with the label’s first official tour, which launched Thursday in Michigan and extends across the United States through late November. — K.B.

Rush Davis & Kingdom, “Element”

Have you ever experienced a love so easy that being with the person felt as natural as breathing? It’s a sensation in which L.A. producers Rush Davis and Kingdom indulge on “Element,” the latest single from their forthcoming collaborative album Transmission. This bedroom electronic-R&B blend, according to a press release, pulls inspiration from Kenny Dope and Janet Jackson, delivering wall-vibrating bass and robust production glistening with a cherry flush. “A fish out of water, long nights without you,” Davis sings in a sugary falsetto. “Our love’s not a talker, you know what to do.”

Davis writes on Instagram: “This one is for love. This one is about soul ties. Bound together beyond the mind. The time we spent. The laughs. The tears. The f–ks. The makeups breakups & breakdowns that transform people into legacy.” Transmission is out on November 12 via Tokimonsta’s Young Art Records. — K.R.

Billie Eilish is bringing her love of cartoons to a live stage this Halloween. The “Happier Than Ever” singer is set to join producer and singer-songwriter Danny Elfman for Disney’s live-to-film concert experience of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas for two nights at LA’s Banc of California Stadium on Oct. 29 and Oct. 31.

Eilish will perform “Sally’s Song” at the event, which will contain a full orchestra led by acclaimed conductor John Mauceri to perform the film’s score and songs live. The singer will be accompanied by Elfman, who will be reprising his role of Jack Skellington, King of the Pumpkin Patch, for both nights of the concert. Other guests include “Weird Al” Yankovic  and Ken Page singing the roles of Lock and Oogie Boogie, respectively. “I’m absolutely thrilled to have Billie joining up with the nightmare crew!” Elfman said in a statement. “This will be a real treat (not a trick)!”

The 19-year-old has yet to comment on performing as Sally for the live show, but she is a longtime fan of Burton’s. The two posed together for a photo at the Universal Music Group’s Grammys afterparty in January 2020, and the director also appeared in Eilish’s video with Vogue in which famous fans asked her questions about her life or her music.

Tickets for the event are currently on sale via Ticketmaster and range from $39.50 to $179.50. Attendees are encouraged to dress up — and follow COVID-19 safety guidelines — as trick-o-treating and a fan-voted costume contest will take place at the venue.

See the official poster for the event below.