This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, December 9
Theatre for a New Audience‘s Des Moines, by Denis Johnson, directed by Arin Arbus, featuring Johanna Day, Michael Shannon, Heather Alicia Simms, and Arlis Howard, opens at Off-Broadway’s Polonsky Shakespeare Center.
A Christmas Story, The Musical, directed & choreographed by Karen Azenberg, featuring EJ Zimmerman (Miss Shields), Austen Flamm (Scut Farkus), Danny Bernardy (The Old Man), Stacie Bono (Mother), Don Noble (Jean Shepherd), and Paris Alexander Nesbitt (Santa Clause), Ethan Marchant (Schwartz), Asher Nehring (Randy), Daniel Sorokine (Flick), Kiyan R. Wyness (Grover Dill), and Mack Boyer & Soren Ray (alternating as Ralphie Parker), with Kyle Caress, Lenny Daniel, Andy Frank, Howard Kaye, Tito Livas, Stephanie Maloney, Kate Cassidy Ryan, Annie Mautz, Tyler Symone, Genevieve Fluckiger-Roberts, Langley Hayman, Tessa Jensen, Jessie Kranz, Ella Murphy, Elsa Parry, Tyson Russell, Jane Wilkins, opens at Utah’s Pioneer Theatre Company.
Troubadour Theater Company‘s Die Heart, world premiere adapted & directed & choreographed by Matt Walker, featuring Beth Kennedy, Rick Batalla, Mike Sulprizio, Cloie Wyatt Taylor, Chelle Denton, Luis Martinez, John Paul Batista, Bob Moran, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Heather Youmans, Philip McNiven, and Matt Walker, opens at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
Watch on the Rhine, by Lillian Hellman, directed by Ellen McDougall, featuring Kate Duchêne (Anise), Caitlin FitzGerald (Sara Muller), Patricia Hodge (Fanny Farrelly), John Light (Teck de Brancovis), Carlyss Peer (Marthe de Brancovis), Geoffrey Streatfield (David Farrelly), Mark Waschke (Kurt Muller), David Webber (Joseph), and Finley Glasgow (Joshua Muller), with Tamar Laniado & Chloe Raphael (sharing the role of Babette Muller), and Berti Caplan & Henry Hunt (sharing the role of Bodo Muller), begins previews at London’s Donmar Warehouse.
Great Expectations, adapted by Mark Izzard, directed by Selina Cadell, starring Eddie Izzard (playing 21 characters), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Greenwich House Theater.
Joy The Musical, world premiere by Ken Davenport & AnnMarie Milazzo, directed by directed by Casey Hushion, featuring Erika Henningsen (Joy), Vicki Lewis (Toots), Stephen De Rosa (Rudy), Trent Saunders (Tony), Sami Bray (Christie), Badia Farha (Ronnie), Pomme Koch (Dan), Hazel Anne Raymundo (Thelma), Oliva Jones (Young Joy), Hazel, and John Hickok (Cowboy Eddie), with Gaelen Gilliand, Ashleigh Marie Arnold, Brian Shepard, Dana Costello, Kristen Faith Oei, Alanna Saunders, Ryan Duncan, Anthony Wayne, Justin Gregory Lopez, Bronwyn Tarboton, and Michael Kolaczkowski, begins previews at NJ’s George Street Playhouse.
Saturday, December 10
Lyrics & Lyricists’ MISS: Broadway’s Women Songwriters concert, co-written & directed by Kate Baldwin & Georgia Stitt, with songs by Kay Swift, Mary Rodgers, Micki Grant, Lucy Simon, Elizabeth Swados, Jeanine Tesori, Lisa Kron, Sara Bareilles, Erin McKeown, and Quiara Alegria Hudes, performed by Kate Baldwin, Kennedy Kanagawa, Bryonha Marie Parham, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Emily Skeggs, opens at NYC’s 92Y.
Mint Theatre‘s The Rat Trap, by Noël Coward, directed by Alexander Lass, featuring James Evans, Elisabeth Gray, Ramzi Khalaf, Heloise Lowenthal, Cynthia Mace, Claire Saunders, and Sarin Monae, with Emily Bosco, Jason Eddy, and Kate Hampton, closes at Off-Broadway’s NYC Center, Stage 2.
A Very Darren Crissmas: Live at Café Carlyle concert closes. Click here for reservations.
Sunday, December 11
Some Like It Hot, by Matthew López, Amber Ruffin, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, featuring Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks, Kevin Del Aguila, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Adam Heller, and Mark Lotito, with Tia Altinay, TyNia René Brandon, Ian Campayno, DeMarius Copes, Casey Garvin, Devon Hadsell, Ashley Elizabeth Hale, Jenny Hill, K.J. Hippensteel, Abby Matsusaka, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Brian Thomas Martin, Amber Owens, Kayla Pecchioni, Richard Riaz Yoder, Angie Schworer, Charles South, Brendon Stimson, Raena White, and Julius Williams, opens at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre.
Bald Sisters, world premiere by Vichet Chum, directed by Jesca Prudencio, featuring Francesca Fernandez, McKenzie Coburn Goss, Wai Ching Ho, Jennifer Lim, and Nima Rakhshanifar, opens at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.
Chita: The Rhythm of My Life concert, with special guests George Dvorsky and Lisa Mordente, at 2 PM at Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Other Lives: The Story Songs of Michael Colby concert, directed by Sara Louise Lazarus, with music by Andrea Colby, Larry Hochman, Paul Katz, Peter Millrose, Gerald Jay Markoe, Alex Rybeck, Steven Silverstain, Joseph Thlaken, and Herman Yabaloff, featuring Janet Aldrich, Ari Axelrod, Bethe Austin, Klea Blackhurst, Steven Bogardus, Ladonna Burns, David Edwards, Sarah Rice, Luke Nephat, Jane Seaman, Jake David Smith, Megan Styrna, Marianne Tatum, Maureen Taylor, Deborah Jean Templin, Deborah Tranelli, Joshua Turchin, and Stuart Zagnit, with Lauren Baker, Talia Cutulle, and Heeya Kim, at 3 PM at Off-Broadway’s Urban Stages (also Dec.13).
KPOP, by Jason Kim & the Woodshed Collective, directed by Teddy Bergman, featuring Zachary Noah Piser, Eddy Lee, Julia Abueva, Major Curda, Jinwoo Jung, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, James Kho, Jully Lee, Timothy H. Lee, Abraham Lim, Kate Mina Lin, Augie Merrylees, Patrick Park, John Yi, Bo Hyung Kim, Min Young Lee, and Kevin Woo, with Marina Kondo, Joshua Lee, and Lina Rose Lee, closes at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre.
Roundabout Theatre Company‘s You Will Get Sick, world premiere by Noah Diaz, directed by Sam Pinkleton, featuring Marinda Anderson, Daniel K. Isaac, Linda Lavin, Nate Miller, and Dario Ladani Sanchez, closes at Off-Broadway’s Laura Pels Theatre.
The Nativity Variations, world premiere by Catherine Trieschmann, directed by Shelley Butler, featuring Ryan Alvardo (Mateo)/Father Juan), Ann Arvia (Peggy), Chiké Johnson (Karl), Adam LeFevre (Hank), Sami Ma (Jules), Eva Nimmer (Devon), and Sadieh Rifai (Vanessa), closes at Milwaukee Rep.
Porchlight Music Theatre‘s Rent, directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, featuring Lucy Godinez (Maureen Johnson), Teressa LaGamba (Joanne Jefferson), Eric Lewis (Tom Collins), David Moreland (Mark Cohen), Alix Rhode (Mimi Marquez), Abraham Shaw (Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III), Josh Pablo Szabo (Antel Dumott Schunard), and Shraga D. Wasserman (Roger Davis), with Bridget Adams-King, Anthony Clerg, Naphtali Curry, Leah Davis, Caitlin Dobbins, Nick Johnson, Chris Khoshaba, and Nik Kmiecik, closes at Chicago’s Ruth Page Center for the Arts.
According to the Chorus, world premiere by Arlene Hutton, directed by Emily Chase, featuring Samantha Tan (KJ), Avery Clyde (Audrey), Amy Tolsky (Brenda), Juan Pope (Peter), Meeghan Holloway (Mallory), Jacqueline Mesaye (Nicki), Julia Manis (Linda), Gloria Ines (Monica), Kristyn Evelyn (Jessica), Sorel Carradine (Joyce), Mara Klein (Stacie), Danny Lee Gomez (Van), and Fox (Olivia the Dog), closes at North Hollywood’s Road Theatre.
Winter Wishes: A Holiday Cabaret Theatre, directed by directed by Victoria Lavan, featuring Luis Anduaga, Amanda Boutaud, Harleigh Ford, Stella Grimaldi, Cody Kelepolo, Mimi Kmet, Robert W. Laur, Constance Mellors, Zoe Mibner, Scottie Nevil, Alyssa Rubert, and Michael Van Duzer, closes at LA’s Theatre West.
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical, written & directed by Valen Shore & Alison Zatta, featuring Riley rose Critchlow (Lance), Elizabeth Ho (Joey), Emily Lambert (Lou), Mia-Carina Mollicone (J.C.), Valen Shore (Chris), Nicole Wyland (Justin), and Alison Zatta (Marky Mark), closes at LA’s The Actors Company.
The Brothers Paranormal, by Prince Gomolvilas, directed by Jeff Liu, featuring David Huynh (Max), Roy Vongtama (Visarut), Tamika Simpkins (Delia), Jasper Louis (Felix), Emily Kuroda (Tasanee), and Pearrie Hammie (Jai), with Daniel Kim and Ratana, closes at LA’s East West Players.
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Reviews for Ohio State Murders at Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre:
NY Times (Jesse Green): …in Kenny Leon’s piercing production, starring Audra McDonald in another performance ripped from her gallery of harrowing women, it is painful both in the story it tells and in the immense effort expended to tell it properly… Ohio State Murders is rigorously unconventional… In neither role does McDonald have the support of ordinary dramaturgy. There is virtually no dialogue in Ohio State Murders, because what happened to Sue is less important than how Suzanne tries, as you feel she has tried for decades, to understand it…
New York Daily News (Chris Jones): Imagine you’re a celebrity writer invited to speak by your alma mater, where you had a mostly miserable experience, thanks to the racism of the time and the place. Imagine further that the person inviting you asks you to talk about why you have so much violent imagery in your creative work. So you decide to tell him why… McDonald’s performance is, to say the least, immersive as she probes what is, at its core, a memory monologue… Kenny Leon’s production focuses a bit too much on memory and not enough on the imagined present, to my mind… But McDonald, clearly laboring of love here, is just wonderful in this part…
New York Stage Review (Bob Verini): …A splendid piece of craftsmanship in its own right, the play is further served by a scintillating turn from another theatrical treasure, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald… Kennedy lays down no signposts as to what’s “true” and what’s not. It’s the cumulative effect that matters… we are invited to take the measure of the person speaking to us in whole, as a woman of color whose ill use is both a cautionary tale for her sisters, and an indictment of society at large… what McDonald pulls off is richer than any mere impersonation… What McDonald pulls off so magically is bringing up all this emotion in dribs and drabs, at first reluctantly, then more and more forthrightly as if wrenched out into the air beyond her control…
Theatermania (Zachary Stewart): …The 91-year-old author…has long been one of the most adventurous voices on the American stage… Director Kenny Leon’s darkly mesmerizing production shows exactly what you can do with a Kennedy script and a first-class budget… Suzanne’s memories emerge like ghosts from the shadows of Allen Lee Hughes’s gorgeous lighting, which turns the stage into a live noir film… McDonald plays both parts, seamlessly slipping between past and present. Leon’s staging is so surefooted that we never question this choice, nor could we possibly question the ability of McDonald to age up and down in a split second. She makes it all perfectly natural…
Video: Trailer
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Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt has been extended through July 2, 2023 at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre.
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North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre has announced its holiday schedule:
Space Oddity: The Ultimate David Bowie Experience (Dec. 17 at 8 PM), starring David Brighton. Click here for detatils.
Big Band Alumni’s Christmas Concert and Dance Party (Dec. 18 at 3 PM). Click here for details.
David Arkenstone and Friends: A Winter’s Eve Concert (Dec. 22 at 7:30 PM). Click here for details
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Sweeney Todd will return to Broadway, with previews beginning Feb. 26 and an opening set for Mar. 26 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Steven Hoggett, and music supervision by Alex Lacamoire.
Josh Groban (Sweeney Todd) and Annaleigh Ashford (Mrs. Lovett), with more TBA.
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Red Bull Theater‘s one-night-only presentation of Hal Lester & Danny Apolinar’s Your Own Thing will take place Mon. Dec. 12 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Gabriel Barre, with music direction by Greg Pliska.
Eddie Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Santino Fontana, Lesli Margherita, Simon Pearl, Michael Pilato, Jennifer Sánchez, and Vaden Thurgood …. with special appearances by Kate Burton, Michael Cerveris, Robert Cuccioli, Tovah Feldshuh, Richard Kind, Ken Page, Patrick Page, Laila Robins, Jay O. Sanders, Mary Testa, John Douglas Thompson, Michael Urie, and Bruce Vilanch.
A storm shipwrecks an up-and-coming music duo, twins Viola and Sebastian. The pair end up in the land of Illyria, which looks very much like New York City, circa 1968. And the rest is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – well, kind of.
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Hansol Jung’s Wolf Play will run Jan. 26 – Mar. 5 (opening Feb. 14) at MCC Theater, directed by Dustin Wills.
Christopher Bannow (Peter), Esco Jouléy (Ash), Brian Quijada (Ryan), Nicole Villamil (Robin), and Mitchell Winter (Wolf).
When an off-the-record adoption goes awry, Jeenu’s new parents learn just how far a wolf will go to defend its pack.
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The film adaptation of “Wicked,” directed by Jon M Chu, has announced a casting update. The film will be released Dec. 25, 2024.
Ariana Grande (Glinda), Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), and Ethan Slater (Boq). Jeff Goldblum is in talks to play the Wizard.
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Pictures From Home, adapted by Sharr White, will begin previews Jan. 10 and open Feb. 9 at Studio 54, directed by Bartlett Sher.
Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein and Zoe Wanamaker.
A comic and dramatic portrait of a mother, a father and the son who photographed their lives.
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Red Bull Theater‘s Your Own Thing benefit presentation, by Hal Lester & Danny Apolinar, will take place Mon. Dec. 12 at 7:3o PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Gabriel Barre, with music direction by Greg Pliska.
Eddie Cooper (Sebastian), Lilli Cooper (Viola), Kate Burton, Lesli Margherita, Simon Pearl, Michael Pilato, Jennifer Sánchez, Vaden Thurgood, Santino Fontana, Michael Cerveris, Robert Cucciolo, Tovah Feldshuh, Richard Kind, Ken Page, Patrick Page, Laila Robins, Estelle Parsons, Jay O. Sanders, Mary Testa, John Douglas Thompson, Michael Urie, and Bruce Vilanch.
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An industry reading of Joe DiPietro’s Obsessed, The Story of Diane Warren…so far will take place Tues. Dec. 13, directed by Kathleen Marshall, with music supervision by Lon Hoyt.
Shoshana Bean (Diane Warren), Elizabeth Teeter (Young Diane Warren), Laruen Cipoletti (Cher/Trisha Yearwood), Natalie Gold (Mom), David Pittu (Dad), Andrew Kober (Jerry Bruckheimer), Paul Alexander Nolan (guy), Jeb Brown (Clive Davis), Kayla Davion (Toni Braxton), and Matthew Hydzik (Stephen Tyler), with Ephie Aardema, Jakeim Hart, and Grace Yoo.
Obsessed seeks to answer the question, “How could the woman who wrote some of the world’s most famous love songs have never been in love?”
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Truth’s A Dog Must Be a Kennel, written & performed by Tim Crouch, will run Dec. 28 -30 at the SoHo Playhouse, directed by Karl Janes & Andy Smith.
King Lear meets stand-up meets the metaverse.