This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, December 8
A Christmas Story, by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul & Joseph Robinette, directed by Matt Lenz, featuring Chris Carsten (Jean Shepherd), Eric Petersen (Old Man), Sabrina Sloan (Mother), Shelley Regner (Miss Shields), Kai Edgar (Ralphie,) and Henry Witcher (Randy), with Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Gabbie Fried, Andrew Ge, Juliane Godfrey, Julia Harnett, Michael James, Trent Mills, Kyle Montgomery, Gabriel Navarro, and Jane Papageorge, with children Zeke Bernier, Addalie Burns, Jack Casey, Jordan Coates, Greta Rebecca Kleinman, Kayden Alexander Koshelev, Emilie Ong, Izzy Pike, Jacob Pham, and Charlie Stover, opens at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
The 13th Annual Joe Iconis Christmas Extravaganza, featuring Annie Golden, Sara Al-Bazali, Liz Lark Brown, Harrison Chad, Bill Coyne, Giovanny Diaz de Leon, Rick Edinger, John El-Jor, Vince Fazzolari, Andrew Barth Feldman, Nick Frenay, Omar Garibay, Danielle Gimbal, Morgan Siobhan Green, Ian Kagey, Lorinda Lisitza, Lauren Marcus, Kelly McIntyre, Kevin Michael Murphy, Josh Plotner, Will Roland, Mike Rosengarten, Jackie Sanders, MiMi Scardulla, Brooke Shapiro, Helen J Shen, A.J. Shively , Noah Silverman, Lena Skeele, Murphy Taylor Smith, Philip Jackson Smith, Brent Stranathan, Jax Terry, Vinnie Urdea, Tatiana Wechsler, Jared Weiss, and Jason SweetTooth Williams, and many more, opens at NYC’s 54 Below.
Hanyak, written & performed by Tanna Frederick, directed by Jenny Sullivan, opens at Studio City’s Two Roads Theatre.
Macbeth, directed by Max Webster, featuring David Tennant (Macbeth), Cush Jumbo (Lady Macbeth), Moyo Akandé (Ross), Annie Grace (Musician/Gentlewoman), Brian James O’Sullivan (Donalbain/Soldier/Murderer/ Musician), Casper Knopf (Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward), Cal MacAninch (Banquo), Kathleen MacInnes (The Singer_, Alasdair Macrae (Musician/ensemble), Rona Morison (Lady Macduff), Noof Ousellam (Macduff), Raffi Phillips (Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward), Jatinder Singh Randhawa (The Porter/Seytan), Ros Watt (Malcolm), and Benny Young (Duncan/Doctor), begins previews at London’s Donmar Warehouse.
The Troubadour Theater Company’s White (Album) Christmas, adapted & directed by Matt Walker, featuring Beth Kennedy, Rick Batalla, Mike Sulprizio, Cloie Taylor, Misty Cotton, John Paul Batista, Dallys Newton, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Philip McNiven, Suzanne Jolie Narbonne, and Matt Walker, previews at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
Saturday, December 9
The world Goes ‘Round, directed by Ren T. Brown, featuring Mary Ann Hermansen, Jeffrey Landman, April Nixon, and Andrew Samonsky, opens at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre.
The Troubadour Theater Company’s White (Album) Christmas, adapted & directed by Matt Walker, featuring Beth Kennedy, Rick Batalla, Mike Sulprizio, Cloie Taylor, Misty Cotton, John Paul Batista, Dallys Newton, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Philip McNiven, Suzanne Jolie Narbonne, and Matt Walker, opens at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
Judy Carmichael in concert, at 8 PM at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre.
King Lear, directed by directed by Kenneth Branagh, featuring Kenneth Branagh (King Lear), Mara Allen (Curan), Deborah Allij (Goneril), Raymond Anum (Burgundy), Melanie-Joyce Bermudez (Regan), Doug Colling (Edgar), Dyland Corbett-Bader (France), Eleanor de Rohan (Kent), Chloe Fenwick-Brown (Oswald), Joseph Kloska (Gloucester), Corey Mylchreest (Edmund), Hughie O’Donnell (Cornwall), Caleb Obediah (Cornwall), and Jessica Reyell (Cordelia/The Fool), closes at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre.
Sunday, December 10
Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Mark S. Hoebee, featuring Jordan Gelber (Tevye), Jill Abramovitz (Golde), Alexandra Socha (Tzeitel), Austen Danielle Bohmer (Hodel), Maya Jacobson (Chava), Etai Benson (Motel), David R. Gordon Perchik), Suzanne Grodner (Yente), Jeremy Radin (Lazar Wolf, and Andrew Alstat (Fyedka), with Paloma Maia Aisenberg, Sophie Aknin, Ari Axelrod, Ze’ev Barmor, Sabrina Brush, Michael Bullard, Mark Campbell, Will Stephan Connell, Nick Davis, Ira Denmark, Alex Dorf, Derek Ege, Carley Gilbert, Emerson Glick, Blair Goldberg, Susan J. Jacks, Michał Kołaczkowski, Kyra Leeds, Beatrice Owens, Nick Raynor, Anna Grace Rosenthal, and Price Waldman, opens at NJ’s Papermill Playhouse.
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins: An Unauthorized Parody Musical live & livestream presentation, by Sam Clark, Gus Mayopoulos, Dylan MarcAurele, featuring Olivia Miller, Zofia Weretka, Mayopoulos, and Sam Clark, at 5 PM at NYC’s Caveat.
Judy Garland: We Need a Little Christmas concert, starring Debbie Wileman, with special guests Chita Rivera, Barry Bostwick, and Margaret O’Brien, at 8 PM at Carnegie Hall.
The 13th Annual Joe Iconis Christmas Extravaganza, featuring Annie Golden, Sara Al-Bazali, Liz Lark Brown, Harrison Chad, Bill Coyne, Giovanny Diaz de Leon, Rick Edinger, John El-Jor, Vince Fazzolari, Andrew Barth Feldman, Nick Frenay, Omar Garibay, Danielle Gimbal, Morgan Siobhan Green, Ian Kagey, Lorinda Lisitza, Lauren Marcus, Kelly McIntyre, Kevin Michael Murphy, Josh Plotner, Will Roland, Mike Rosengarten, Jackie Sanders, MiMi Scardulla, Brooke Shapiro, Helen J Shen, A.J. Shively , Noah Silverman, Lena Skeele, Murphy Taylor Smith, Philip Jackson Smith, Brent Stranathan, Jax Terry, Vinnie Urdea, Tatiana Wechsler, Jared Weiss, and Jason SweetTooth Williams, and many more… closes at NYC’s 54 Below.
Amid Falling Walls, world premiere by Avram Mlotek, directed by Motl Didner, featuring Steven Skybell, Dani Apple, Jacob Ben0Shmuel, Yael Eden Chanukov, Abby Goldfarb, Eli Mayer, Daniella Rabbani, John Reed, MikhlYashinsky, and Rachel Zatcoff, closes at NYC’s Museum of Jewish Heritage.
New Stages Festival 2023 closes at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Babbitt, world premiere by Joe DiPietro, directed by Christopher Ashley, featuring Matthew Broderick (George Babbitt), Genevieve Angelson (Tanis Judique/Zilla Riesling/Eunice Littlefield/Storyteller 5), Anna Chlumsky (Seneca Doane/Tinka Babbitt/Lucille McKelvey/Storyteller 4), Julie Halston (Mrs. Frink/Mrs. Bumbleworth/Oopal Mudge/Miss McGoun/Storyteller 6), Ann Harada (Myra Babbitt/Storyteller 1), Francis Jue (Paul Reisling/Doc Littlefield/Storyteller 2), Matt McGrath (Charlies McKelvey/Storyteller 3), and Chris Myers (Ted Babbitt/Stanley Graf/Fabio/Storteller 7), with Jalen Davidson, Iris Feng, Victor Flores, Kya Lee, and Linda Libby, closes at La Jolla Playhouse.
So Many Stars cabaret, directed by Victoria Lavan, featuring Alyssa Rupert, Constance Mellors, Harleigh Ford, Michael Van Duzer, Paul Cady, Rick Simone-Friedland, Scottie Nevil, and Victoria Lavan, closes at LA’s Theatre West.
Actors Co-op Theatre‘s Lewis and Tolkien, world premiere written & directed by Dean Batali, featuring Phil Crowley (C.S Lewis), Michael Beattie (J.R.R. Tolkien) and Bianca Akbiyik (Veronica), closes at Hollywood’s Crossley Theatre.
The Talented Tenth, by Richard Wesley, directed by Ben Guillory, featuring Nic Few, Tiffany Coty, Jessica Obilom, Monte Scalante, Stirling Bradley, Julio Hanson, Rogelio Douglas III, and Ben Guillory, closes at the LA Theatre Center.
Love, Sex, and Misery, by Jeff Gould & Jake Gould, directed by Jeff Gould, Morris Schorr, Anthony Backman, Anita Tellez-Mansy and Sean Dube, featuring BriAna Wagner, Jason Pierce, Jean Fiumara, Ian Nemser, Anthony Backman, Jake Gould, Tim Trobec, Adam Fox, Tina Walsch, Piper Major, Kriss Dozal, Domenick DiDiane, Amye Partain, Olivia Spirz, Marco Parra, Auri Brown, Alexander Hall, Ashley Alva, Shelby Janes, Corbin Timbrook, Chuck Lacey, Ari Litman-Weinberg, and Karen Brundag, closes at LA’s 905 Cole Theatre.
Girl From the North Country, written & directed by Conor McPherson, featuring Alan Ariano (Dr. Walker), David Benoit (Mr. Burke), Ben Biggers (Gene Laine), Paul Jennifer Blood (Elizabeth Laine), Matt Manuel (Joe Scott), Sharaé Moultrie (Marianne Laine), Ali Regan (Swing), Jay Russell (Mr. Perry), John Schiappa (Nick Laine), Chiara Trentalange (Kate Draper), Jill Van Velzer (Mrs. Burke), Jeremy Webb (Reverend Marlowe), Aidan Wharton (Elias Burke), and Carla Woods (Mrs. Neilsen), with Ashley D. Brooks, Justin Michael Duval, Kelly McCormick, Rayla Garske, Paul Blankenship,Hosea Mundi, Warren Nolan Jr., and Danny Vaccaro, closes at Schenectady’s Proctors.
Hanyak, written & performed by Tanna Frederick, directed by Jenny Sullivan, closes at Studio City’s Two Roads Theatre.
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Alex Brightman & Drew Gasparini’s The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers will run Feb. 14 – June 2, 2024 (opening Feb. 22) at New World Stages, directed by Chad Rabinovitz.
Marc Summers
Part interactive game show, part memoir, the piece takes us on one man’s extraordinary journey, both on-screen and off. Marc Summers launched Nickelodeon as the host of the world’s most famous children’s game show, Double Dare. He went on to become a household name on the small screen, having a 20-year relationship with the Food Network as the host of Unwrapped and executive producer of Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible, all while facing immeasurable challenges behind the scenes.
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A UK tour of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers will launch Jan. 6 at the New Victoria Theatre, directed by Tim Churchill, with music direction by Matt Malone. Click here for the tour schedule and more information.
Niki Colwell Evans (Mrs. Johnstone), Sean Jones (Mickey Johnstone) Gemma Brodrick (Linda), Joe Sleight (Eddie), Timothy Lucas (Sammy), Josh Capper (Neighbour), Sarah Jane Buckley (Mrs Lyons), Tim Churchill (Mr Lyons), Jess Smith (Brenda), Graeme Kinniburgh (Postman/Bus Conductor), Chloe Pole (Donna Marie) and Alex Harland (Policeman/Teacher), with more TBA.
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Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theatres has announced its 2024 Winter Season:
The Chistine Jorgensen Show (Feb. 8 – Mar. 3), by Donald Steven Olson, directed by Michael Barakiva & Zoë Adams. Casting TBA.
The Complicated (Feb. 20 – Mar. 3) by Cusi Cram, directed by Dina Janis. Casting TBA.
LAB: Stripped (Feb. 20 – Mar. 24), offering two week runs of staged works in progress.
Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy (Mar. 2 – Apr. 14), written by & starring Charles Busch, directed by Carl Andress. Casting TBA.
The Slow Dance (Mar. 8-23), by Lisi DeHaHaas, directed by Lily Kanter Riopelle. Casting TBA.
lolita lolita (Mar. 12-24), by Elizabeth Narciso, directed by Alfredo Narciso. Casting TBA.
King (Mar. 26 – Apr. 14), written & peformed by Pat Kinevane, directed bJim Culleton.
Not Now (Apr. 3-21), by David Ireland, directed by Max Elton, featuring Matthew Blaney and Stephen Kennedy.
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Brandon Dixon: Here For The Holidays concert, hosted by Ethan Hawke, will take place Dec. 18 at 8 PM at Harlem’s Ginny’s Supper Club (Red Rooster)
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The Off Broadway League has announced its 2023 Toy Drive, which includes free tickets to those who donate. Click here for more information.
Donate a new unwrapped toy worth more than $10 and get a free ticket to an Off-Broadway show. Bring a toy to any participating theater or ship directly to the Theater Center via Amazon, Walmart, or any other online retailer and and get a free ticket voucher.
The toy drive will benefit children at Westhab-Hudson Family Residence (a family shelter in Times Square), and the Clinton Family Residence in Hell’s Kitchen.
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John Logan & The Avett Brothers’ Swept Away has been extended through Jan. 14, 2024 at DC’s Arena Stage, directed by Michael Mayer.
John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Wayne Duvall, Hunter Brown, Matt DeAngelis, Taurean Everett, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Michael Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Tyrone L. Robinson, John Sygar, and Jamari Johnson Williams.
When a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the coast of New Bedford, Mass., the four survivors face a reckoning: how far will they go to stay alive? And can they live with the consequences?
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Red Bull Theaer‘s The country Wife concert presentation, adapted by Maltby & Shire, will take place Mon. Dec. 11 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Maltby.
Nicholas Christopher, Carson Elrod, Angela Grovey, Eddie Korbich, Kristolyn Lloyd, Ellen Marie Marsh, Gabe Martinez, Jacob Ming-Trent, Brad Oscar, Julian Remulla, Jelani Remy, Christina Sajour, and Lauren Worsham.
Set in the vibrant diversity of 1840’s New Orleans, The Country Wife features a sizzling modern score and irreverently explores the question of who owns the stories we call classics.
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The Reading Room Festival will run Jan. 24-28, 2024 at DC’s Folger Theatre.
Austin Dean Ashford, Sarah B. Mantell, Jacob Ming-Trent, and Carmen Palaez.
The festival will showcase new works by playwrights inspired by, in response to or in conversation with the plays of Shakespeare. Readings of plays will be complemented by an array of activities that invite attendees to immerse themselves in the creation, evolution, and interpretation of new work. A press release is attached for you.
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Off-Broadway’s Public Theater (link not yet available) has announced its Devised Theater Working Group Studio Suite, a series of presentations from the Public’s 2023-24 Devised Theater Working Group (DTWG), which will run Jan. 12-21, 2024.
The 2023-24 DTWG members include Amara Janae Brady, Dahlak Brathwaite, Jaime Cepero, Clarissa Marie Ligon, Eli Nixon, and One Whale’s Tale (Camilo Quiroz-Vázquez and Ellpetha Tsivicos).
A series of presentations in which audiences will experience five of the artists’ devised works, providing an overview of the artists’ process over the past year.
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Ragtime continues through Jan. 7, 2024 at VA’s Signature Theatre, directed by Matthew Gardiner, with music direction by Jon Kalbfleisch, and choreography by Ashleigh King.
As of Dec. 9, Matthew Scott will begin his run as Father, replacing Bill English.
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Samuel D. Hunter’s A Permanent Image continues through Jan. 14, 2024 at Venice, CA’s Pacific Resident Theatre, directed by Andrew Weyman.
Phil Cass (Martin), Terry Davis (Carol), Scott Jackson (Bo), and Dalia Vosylius (Ally).
A tense exploration of the distance families put between themselves, and what it takes to bring them back together.