• GRACE NOTES: Friday, May 8, 2026

     

    This Weekend’s Highlights:

     

    Friday, May 8

     

      Broadway Bound! A Love Letter to American Musical Theatre, by John A. Goux, directed by Victoria Lavan, featuring Constance Mellors, Caroline Quigley, Lily Cadot, Coko Kirton, Emily Fabretti, Scottie Nevil, Victoria Lavan, Anibal Silveyra, David Mingrino, Michael Gabiano, Michael Van Duzer, and Beto Ruiz, with special guest vocalists Zach Gordon, Toni Lorene, Jerrell Melton, Vertreace Sanders, Harleigh Ford, Alyssa Rupert, and DC Carver, opens at LA’s Theatre West.

     

     Suffs, the recording of the Broadway production, by Shaina Taub, featuring Shaina Taub (Alice Paul), Nikki M. James (Ida B Wells), Jenn Colella (Carrie Chapman Catt), Grace McLean (President Woodrow Wilson), Hannah Cruz (Inez Milholland), Kim Blanck (Ruza Wenclawska), Anastacia McCleskey (Church Terrell), Ally Bonino (Lucy Burns), Tsilala Brock (Dudley Malone), Nadia Dandashi (Doris Stevens), Emily Skinner (Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn), Jaygee Macapugay (Mollie Haay), and Laiala Drew (Phyllis Terrell/Robin), airs at 9 PM ET on PBS.

     

    Saturday, May 9

     

      Ascent, world premiere by Henry Ong, directed by Diana Wyen, featuring Trieu Tran, Iris Liu, Russell Edge, and Jorge-Luis Pallo, opens at LA Skylight Theatre.

     

      Santa Monica International Jazz Festival closes at the Santa Monica Broad Stage.

     

      Dancing with Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage, closes at LA’s Wallis Annenberg Center.

     

    Sunday, May 10

     

      Tru, by Jay Presson Allen, directed by rob Ashford, featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, closes at Off-Broadway’s House of the Redeemer.

     

       Falstaff, conducted by James Conlon, featuring Craig Colclough (Falstaff) and Nicole (Alice Ford), with Ernesto Petti (Ford), Deanna Breiwick (Nannetta), Anthony  León (Fenton), Hyona Kim (Mistress Quickly), Sarah Saturnino (Meg Page), Yuntong Han (Bardolph), Vinícius Costa (Pistol), and Nathan Bowles (Dr. Caius), closes at LA Opera.

     

      Master Harold … and the Boys, by Athol Fugard, directed by Emily Mann & Tarell Alvin McCraney, featuring Ben Beatty (Hally), Nyasha Hatendi ( Willie), and and John Kani (Sam), closes at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.

     

      Mrs. Christie, by Heidi Armbruster, directed by Joanie Schultz, featuring Matt Bowdren (Archie,) Blake Hamilton Currie  (William / Collins),  Amira Danan ( Nancy / Chloe), Zoë Sophia Garcia ( Lucy), Dale Hodges ( Jane,) Betsy Hogg ( Charlotte / Mary), Alex Keiper (Agatha) and William Sturdivant ( Monsieur), closes at Milwaukee Rep.

     

      Hershy Felder: The Piano & Me: A New musical Play (and 16 other characters) closes at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.

     

    Broadway Bound! A Love Letter to American Musical Theatre, by John A. Goux, directed by Victoria Lavan, featuring Constance Mellors, Caroline Quigley, Lily Cadot, Coko Kirton, Emily Fabretti, Scottie Nevil, Victoria Lavan, Anibal Silveyra, David Mingrino, Michael Gabiano, Michael Van Duzer, and Beto Ruiz, with special guest vocalists Zach Gordon, Toni Lorene, Jerrell Melton, Vertreace Sanders, Harleigh Ford, Alyssa Rupert, and DC Carver, closes at LA’s Theatre West.

     

       Theatre West‘s Southern Fried Funeral, by Dietz Osborne & Nate Eppler, directed by Kerr Lordygan, featuring Ted Burke, Angie Dunlap, Kevin DeLoughry, Michael Di Rosa,  Mark Hillard, Jane Ho,  Kate Landro, Laura Manasewich, Lori McKenna, Robert Polachek, and Andy Stetkevich, closes at Pasadena’s Ahiah Center (150 N. El Molino Ave).

     

      Hershy Felder: The Piano & Me: A New musical Play (and 16 other characters) closes at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.

     

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      DC’s Signature Theatre has announced its 2026-2-27 Season:

     

    Casting and additional information TBA.

     

      Merrily We Roll Along (Aug. 25 – Nov. 1), directed by Matthew Gardiner, featuring Jason Gotay (Franklin Shepard), Jake Loewenthal (Charley Krigngas), and Awa Sal Secka (Mary Flynn).

     

      The Secret Garden (Dec. 8 – Feb. 21, 2027),  directed by Ethan Heard.

     

      The Monsters (Feb. 2 – Mar. 21), by Ngozi Anyanwu, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene.  A poignant, funny, and tender story of sibling rivalry and devotion.

     

       A Mountain for Elodie (March 23 – April 25), by Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Séimí Campbell, featuring Millie Bobby Brown.    Elodie, a dutiful young woman,  agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to discover it is a trap.

     

      Latin History for Morons (Apr, 27 – June 13), by John Leguizamao. An hilarious in-your-face show about pride and heritage.

     

      Follies (May 18 – June 27), directed by Matthew Gardiner.

     

      Urinetown (June 1 – August 8)

     

      All the World’s a Stage (Oct. 20 – Dec. 20), world premiere by Adam Gwon, directed by Matthew Gardiner. A moving story about embracing who you are and the life-saving power of art by one of contemporary musical theater’s most exciting voices.

     

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      Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan Macmillan & Jonny Donahoe, will run June 3-21 (opening June 6) at Santa Barbara’s New Vic, directed by Jenny Sullivan.

       Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper

     

      What makes life worth living? A child starts a list of every brilliant thing in the world, hoping to help their mother through depression. As the list grows – ice cream, the color yellow, the sound of laughter – the audience is invited on a heartwarming, interactive journey through life’s highs and lows, discovering joy in the simplest things.

     

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      Boston’s Lyric Stage has announced its 2026-27 season:

     

    Creative teams and casting TBA.

     

       All My Sons (Sept. 18 – Oct. 18)

     

      Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Nov. 13 – Dec. 31)

     

       The Mirror Cracked (Feb. 5-28), by Agatha Christie.

      King James (Mar. 19 – Apr. 11)

     

       Musical TBA

     

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       Going Solo at Bay Street will run June 5 – Aug. 14 at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theater, offering Friday evening performances throughout the summer season:



       
    Mister Halston (June 5 & 12), 

     

       Cagney the Musical (July 10 & 17)

     

       Dear Evan Hansen  (Aug. 7 & 14)

     

      Cagney the Musical (July 10& 17)

     

      Dear Evan Hansen (Aug. 7 & 14)

     

      A new welcoming audience initiative has been designed for patrons attending performances on their own during Bay Street’s 35th Anniversary Summer Season.

     

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      The Santa Monica Jazz Festival  continues through May 9  at various LA locations.

     

    Click here for complete information.

     

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      Off-Broadway’s York Theatre has announced its 2026-27 season. Creative teams and casting TBA.

     

       Truly Howard Hughs (Sept. 9 – Oct. 4), by James Scully, Frank Evans & Frank Gorn.

     

      New 2NY Series (Mar. 6 – Apr. 11), Titles TBA.

     

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      A Life in the Theatre, starring Penny Fuller, will take place Sun. May 17, at 7 PM at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse, directed by Bruce Barnes.

     

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     The world premiere of Martyna Majok & Aimee Mann’s Girl Interrupted has been extended through June 28 at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater, directed by Jo Bonney.

     

      Leela Bassuk, Ta’Rea Campbell, Gabi Campo, Juliana Canfield, Eileen Doan, Mano Felciano, King Princess, Gunnar Manchester, Mia Pak, Katherine Reis, Anna Roman, Sally Shaw, Emily Skinner, Rachel Stern, and Lauren Jeanne Thomas.

     

      When Susanna admits herself to a psychiatric hospital, following a 15-minute session with a doctor she’d never met, she forms unexpected bonds with the young women inside as they search for connection and a way forward. Raw and unapologetic, this new play with music reveals that the people who witness our darkest moments are often those who truly see us.

     

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      LA’s Blank Theatre has announced the winners of its 24th Annual Young Playwrights Festival.

     

    Click here for the complete list.