This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, August 14
The Festival, featuring Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Alex Newell, Christopher Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Adrienne Warren, Amber Ardolino, Ben Levi Ross, Cara Rose DiPietro, Casey Likes, Denée Benton, Eva Noblezada, Gianmarco Soresi, JJ Niemann, Jason Robert Brown, Jenn Colella, Julie Benko, Lauren Patten, Mandy Gonzalez, Mitch Wood, Norbert Leo Butz, Reeve Carney, Seth Rudetsky, Talia Suskauer, Tommy Bracco, Tom Kitt, Tyler Joseph Ellis, Adam Pascal, Aiko Nakasone, Anthony Rapp, Byron Utley, Fredi Walker-Brown, Jesse L. Martin, Kristen Lee Kelly, Taye Diggs, Timothy Britten Parker, Rodney Hicks, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia Taye Diggs, Aiko Nakasone, Gianmarco Soresi, and Mitch Wood, opens at NYC’s Kingston’s historic Hutton Brickyards.
Paranormal Activity, by Levi Holloway, directed by Felix Barrett, featuring Cher Álvarez (Lou), Travis A. Knight (James), Shannon Cochran (Carolanne), and Andrea Syglowski (Etheline Cotgrave,) with Caron Buinis, Caroline Hendricks, and Michael Holding, begins previews at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre.
Saturday, August 15
The Festival, featuring Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Alex Newell, Christopher Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Adrienne Warren, Amber Ardolino, Ben Levi Ross, Cara Rose DiPietro, Casey Likes, Denée Benton, Eva Noblezada, Gianmarco Soresi, JJ Niemann, Jason Robert Brown, Jenn Colella, Julie Benko, Lauren Patten, Mandy Gonzalez, Mitch Wood, Norbert Leo Butz, Reeve Carney, Seth Rudetsky, Talia Suskauer, Tommy Bracco, Tom Kitt, Tyler Joseph Ellis, Adam Pascal, Aiko Nakasone, Anthony Rapp, Byron Utley, Fredi Walker-Brown, Jesse L. Martin, Kristen Lee Kelly, Taye Diggs, Timothy Britten Parker, Rodney Hicks, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia Taye Diggs, Aiko Nakasone, Gianmarco Soresi, and Mitch Wood, closes at NYC’s Kingston’ historic Hutton Brickyards.
Sunday, August 16
Ragtime, directed by Lear deBessonet, featuring Cassie Levy (Mother) Joshua Henry (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Brandon Uranowitz (Tateh), Colin Donnell (Father), Nichelle Lewis (Sarah), Ben Levi Ross (Mother’s Younger Brother), Shaina Taub (Emma Goldman), Anna Grace Barlow (Evelyn Nesbit), John Clay III (Booker T. Washington), Rodd Cyrus (Harry Houdini), and Nick Barrington (The Little Boy), with with Ellie May Sennett, and more, closes at Broadway’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.
The Festival, featuring Reeve Carney, Alex Newell, JJ Niemann, and five new members of the Rent original Broadway company including Rodney Hicks, Kristen Lee Kelly, Timothy Britten Parker, Byron Utley and Fredi Walker-Brown, with more TBA, closes at NYC’s Kingston’ historic Hutton Brickyards.
Iceboy! Or, The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write the Iceman Cometh, world premiere by Mark Hollman, Jay Reiss & Erin Quinn Purcell, directed by Marc Bruni, featuring Megan Mullally (Vera Vimm), Nick Offerman (Eugene O’Neill), Grey Hendon (Iceboy), Cedric Yarbrough (Floyd), Sarah Stiles (Lambert), and Alex Goodrich (Frankenstein), with Donterrio, Melanie Brezill , Will Koski, Linda Mugleston, Will Lidke, Leah Morrow, and Jeff Parker, closes at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Crazy for You, directed byMichael Fling, featuring Will Burton (Bobby Child), Brittany Zeinstra (Ppolly Baker), Edward Juvier (Bela Zangler), Hailey Thomas (Irene Roth), Jeremy Davis (Everett Baker), David Andrew Morton (Lank Hawkins), and Michele Ragusa IMother/Pariciam, with Claire Avakian, Willie Clyde Beaton II, Colin Bradbury, Courtney Brady, Kailee Regan Brandt, Katie Scarlett Brunson, Samuel Colina, Bradley Gibbins-Klein, Kelly Gleason, Taylor Lane, Brian Shimasaki Liebson, Griffin Wilkinsm Lexi Baldachino, and Brandon J. Morris, closes at CT’s Goodspeed Musicals.
How High the Moon, by Barbara Nell Beery, directed by Asaad Kelada, featuring Jeanine Anderson (Violet), Kathie Barnes (Millie), Lane Compton(Harrison), Matthew Gademske (Russell), John Plsey (Carl), Anya Profumo (Allison), Matthew Gademske (Fussell), Caroline Quitley (Amy), and David Nathan Schwartz (Walter), closes at LA’s Theatre West.
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Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon returns Sept. 9 – Nov. 29 (opening Sept. 16) to Off-Broadway The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, directed by David Zippel.
Hilary Kole, John and Pagano, Tay-Tynisa Wilson.
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The Music Man will run Oct. 27 – Nov. 8 at the Ahmanson Theatre, directed by Matt Lenz, with choreography by Joshua Bergasse.
Elliott Andrews (Professor Harold Hill), Elizabeth D’Aiuto (Marian Paroo), Paul Urriola *Marcellus Washburn), Savannah Stevenson (Mrs. Paroo), Patrick Blashill (Mayor Shinn), Emmanuelle Zeesman (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn), Dylan Patterson (Winthrop Paroo), Addie Jaymes (Amaryllis), Michael Santora (Charlie Cowell), Charles Antenen (Tommy Djilas), and more TBA.
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The Rocky Horror Show, directed by David Zippel, has been extended again, now through Feb. 28, 2027 at Studio 54.
(current) Luke Evans, Rachel Dratch, Andrew Durand, Stephanie Hsu, Amber Gray, Juliette Lewis, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Harvey Guillén, and Sherie Rene Scott.
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Purpose, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, will run Sept. 10 – Oct. 16 at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion, directed by Josiah Davis.
Ezra Knight (Solomon Jasper), Phyllis Yyvonne Stickney (Claudine Jasper), Omari K. Chancellor (Nazareth Jasper), Ugo Chukwu (Solomon “Junior” Jasper), MarHadoo Effeh (Morgan Jasper), and Kalyne Coleman (Aziza Houston), with Chris Everett, Kiera Prusmack, Omar Robinson, and Joshua Wolf Coleman.
Encircled by civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen for decades, the Jasper family is a foundational pillar of Black American society. That is, until their youngest son returns home with an unexpected dinner guest, and their carefully curated existence begins to fracture. Purpose is a searing and hilarious exploration of faith, class, ambition, and heritage that The Washington Post called “a feast of jaw-dropping tea and riveting food for thought.”
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Mint Theatre will present Cecily Hamilton’s PHYL Oct. 3 – Nov. 7 (opening Oct. 22) at Theatre Row, directed by Britt Berke.
Tessa Bilmes, Jennifer Blood, Curaon Dobell, Katie Firth Lily Ganser, Livvy Marcus, Anthony Michael Martinez, Zalia Sulla, and Charlotte Ledtje.
The play follows Phyllis Chester, a governess trapped in a solitary existence and walled off from the life she craves—until a moment of lost temper leads her to risk everything.