This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, February 18
Marvin’s Room, by Scott McPherson, directed by James O’Leary, featuring Tara Battani, Justin Bowles, Francesa Casale, Kane Filbeck, Brian Habicht, Crystal Jackson, Marek Meyers, and Kimi Walker, opens at Hollywood’s Actors Co-op.
But I’m a Cheerleader, world premiere by Bill Augustin & Andrew Abrams, directed by Tania Azevedo, featuring Alice Croft (Megan Williams), Oliver Brooks (Dad/Larry), Edward Chitticks (Jared/Rock), Damon Gould (André), Tiffany Graves (Mary Brown), Jodie Jacobs (Mom/Lloyd), Lemuel Knights (Mike), Evie Rose Land (Graham), Harry Singh (Jalal), Jodie Steele (Kimberly/Hilary), Aaron Teoh (Dolph), and Kia-Paris Walcott (Sinead), begins previews at London’s Turbine Theatre.
Broadway Sings for Black History Month concert, featuring Alysha Deslorieux, Sidney Morton, Christiani Pitts, Laurissa Romain, Jelani Remy, and Aisha Jackson, at 7 PM ET at Central Park’s Wollman Skating Rink. 
here.
Saturday, February 19
The Merchant of Venice, directed by Abigail Graham, featuring Raymond Anum (Gratiano), Daniel Bowerbank (Lorenzo/Morocco), Ben Caplan (Arragon/Duke/Solania), Michael Gould (Antonio), Michael Marcus (Bassanio), Sophie Melville (Portia), Adrian Schiller (Shylock), Tripti Tripuraneni (Nerissa), Aaron Vodovoz (Launcelot Gobbo), and Eleanor Wyld (Jessica), opens at London’s Shakespeare’s Globe.
Amber Gray concludes her run as Persephone in Hadestown at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre.
Today is My Birthday, by Susan Soon He Stanton, directed by Mina Morita, featuring Atra Sdou, Gabriel Brown, Francis Jue, Emily Kuroda, Chivas Michael, and Jeena Yi, closes at Yale Rep.
Sunday, February 20
Heathers the Musical, by Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe, directed by Andy Fickman, featuring Ailsa Davidson (Veronica Sawyer), Freddie King (Jason “J.D.” Dean), Emma Kingston (Heather Chandler), Inez Budd (Heater Duke), Teleri Hughes (Heather McNamara), Vicki Lee Taylor (Ms. Fleming / Veronica’s Mom), Lizzie Bea (Martha Dunnstock), George Maddison (Kurt Kelly), Tom Scanlon (Ram Sweeney), and Kieran Brown (Ram’s Dad/Coach Ripper), with Jacob Fowler, Jordan Cunningham, Iván Fernández González, Eliza Waters, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Hannah Lowther, and Kayleigh McKnight, opens at London’s The Other Palace.
Assassins, directed by Snehal Desai, featuring Gedde Watanabe (Charles Guiteau), Joan Almedilla (Sara Jane Moore), Adam Kaokept (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald), Trance Thompson (John Wilkes Booth), Max Torrez (The Proprietor), Christopher Chen (Samuel Byck), George Xavier (Leon Czolgosz), Astoncia Bhagat (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Arvin Lee (John Hinckley, Jr.), Aric Martin (Giuseppe Zangara), and Kym Miller (Emma Goldman), with Andrea Somera, Jalen Lum, Michael Cavinder, and Maya Nahree McGowan, opens at LA’s East West Players.
Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Skeleton Crew, by Dominique Morisseau, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, featuring Chanté Adams, Brandon J. Dirden, Adesola Osakalumi, Phylicia Rashad, and Joshua Boon, closes at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Shhhh world premiere, written & directed by Clare Barron, featuring Janice Amaya, Anny Fang, Nina Grollman, Greg Keller, Clare Barron, and Constance Shulman, closes at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre.
J2 Spotlight‘s A Class Act, by Linda Kline, Lonny Price & Edward Kleban, directed by Robert W. Schneider, featuring Andy Tighe (Ed), Alaina Mills (Sophie), Andrew Leggieri (Charley), Jesse Manocheran (Bobby), Eric Michael Gillett (Lehman), Amandina Altomare (Mona), Leeanna Rubin (Felicia), and Christina Carlucci (Lucy), with Christina Jackson and Timmy Lewis, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theater Row.
Long Day’s Journey into Night, directed by directed by Robert O’Hara, featuring Bill Camp (James Tyrone), Elizabeth Marvel (Mary Tyrone), Ato Blanson-Wood (Edmund Tyrone), and Jason Bowen (Jamie Tyrone), closes at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theater.
Clue, by Sandy Rustin, Hunter Foster, Eric Price & Michael Holland, directed by Casey Hushion, featuring John Treacy Egan (Colonel Mustard), Donna English (Mrs. White), Kathy Fitzgerald (Mrs. Peacock), Sarah Hollis (Miss Scarlet), Kolby Kindle (Cop & Others), Michael Kostroff (Professor Plum), Alex Mandell (Mr. Green), Isabelle McCalla (Yvette), Mark Price (Wadsworth), Hazel Anne Raymundo (Cook & Others), and Graham Stevens (Mr. Boddy & Others), with Pamela Bob, Jamie LaVerdiere, Alanna Saunders, and Jeff Skowron, closes at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, by Dan Gillespie & Tom MacRae, directed by Jonthan Butterell, featuring Layton Williams (Jamie), Roy Haylock (Hugo/Loco Chanelle), Melissa Jaques (Margaret), Shobna Gulati (Ray), Gillian Ford (Miss Hedge), David O’Reilly (Laika Virgin), Leon Craig (Sandra Bollock), Richard Appaih-Sarpong (Cy), Zion Battles (Levi), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Jodie Knight (Fatimah), Harriet Payne (Bex), Adam Taylor (Sayid), George Sampson (Dean), Kazmin Borrer (Vicki), and Talia (Palamathanan (Becca), with Simeon Beckett, Rachel Seirian, and Emma Robotham-Hunt, closes at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
Jersey Boys national tour, directed by Des Mcanuff, featuring Eric Chambliss (Bob Gaudio), Matt Faucher (Nick Massi), Devon Goffman (Tommy DeVito), and Jon Hacker (Frankie Vallie), with Justin Albinder, Amy Coelho, Kenneth Quinney Francoeur, Samantha Marisol Gershman, Katie Goffman, Antonio King, Connor Lyon, Kevin Patrick Martin, Sean McGee, Hamilton Moore, Alec Michael Ryan and Bruno Vida, closes at Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Theatre.
This Bitter Earth, by Harrison David Rivers, directed by David Mendizábal, featuring Tom Holcomb and Damian Jermaine Thompson, closes at Theaterworks Hartford.
South Pacific, directed by Taibi Magar, featuring Natalie Ballenger (Nellie Forbush), James D. Sasser (Emile De Becque) Melody Butiu (Bloody Mary), Rei Akazawa-Smith (Liat), Trey Harrington (Luther Billis), Nigel Huckle (Lt. Joseph Cable), Paul Hope (Capt. George Brackett), Philip Kershaw (Commander William Harrison), Logan Keslar (Stewpot), Christopher Tipps (Professor), Jesse Yip (Jerome), and Kelsey Yip (Ngana), with Michael Alonzo, Mateus Barbosa Da Silva, Courtney Chilton, Sophia Clarke, Jeremy Gee, Miles Marmolejo, Riley McShanog, Joline Mujica, Sarah Sachi, Christopher Scurlock, Yasmyn Sumiyoshi, Holland Vavra, Geoffrey Hahn, and Steven Bogard, closes at Houston’s TUTS.
This Bitter Earth, by Harrison David Rivers’, directed by Gregg T. Daniel, featuring Matthew Hancock (Jesse) and Chase Cargill (Neil), concludes streaming at North Hollywood’s Road Theatre Company.
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The Kleban Foundation will stream the 32nd Annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre on Mon. Feb. 21 at 7 PM ET here. This event is FREE to all, and available on demand through Mar. 1.
César Alvarez (Most Promising Musical Theatre Lyricist) and Isabella Dawis (Most Promising Musical Theatre Librettist).
Bernadette Peters, Richard Maltby Jr., and Maury Yeston.
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Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, or the vibrator play will run Mar. 12 – Apr. 23 (opening Mar. 18) at the Atwater Village Theatre, directed by Lane Allison.
Spence Cantrell (Dr. Givings), Dionna Veremis (Mrs. Givings), Stephanie Crothers (Mrs. Daldry), Alex Wells (Mrs. Daldry), Monazia Smith (Elizabeth), Bryan Robert Bertone (Leo Irving), and Jennifer Zorbalas (Annie).
Set in the 1880s at the dawn of the age of electricity, and based on the little-known historical fact that doctors used vibrators to treat “hysterical” women (and some men), the play centers on a doctor and his wife and how this new therapy affects their household. Dr. Givings is obsessed with the marvels of technology and what they can do for this patients. His wife, Catherine, is only a bystander in her husband’s world, listening at the door from the next room as he treats his female patients. Dr. Givings is not sure exactly how the vibrator helps the women he treats — but they do keep coming back.
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Musical Theatre Guild will present Live, Laugh, Love: A Sondheim Birthday Celebration, with a book by Duane Poole, on Tues. Mar. 22 at 7:30 PM PT at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre, hosted by Jason Graae.
Teri Ralston
TBA.
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MCC Theater has announced that Miscast22 will take place Mon. Apr. 4 at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom, with music direction by Will Van Dyke.
Christine Baranski, MCC Board Chair Susan Raanan, and MCC Youth Company Alum Alexander Lambie.
Uzo Aduba, Raúl Esparza, Joshua Henry, Aniki Noni Rose, Jennifer Simard, Skye Dakota Turner, and Aaron Tveit, with more TBA.
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The world premiere of Dael Orlandersmith’s New Age will run Mar. 22 – May 1 at Milwaukee Rep, directed by Jade King Carroll.
Blair Medina Baldwin (Liberty), Lisa Harrow (Cass), Courtney Rackley (Candy), and Delissa Reynolds (Lisette).
The play follows four women at different junctures in life as they contend with their sexuality, insecurities, and legacies.
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Video: Melissa Errico performs “Angel Eyes” from her new album, “Out of the Dark: The Film Noir Project.“
Click here to purchase the album.
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Michael Barnard, Jonathan Rosenberg, Fernanda Santos & Carrie Rodriguez’s iAmericano! will run Mar. 31 – June 19 (opening Apr. 21) at New World Stages, directed by Barnard.
Casting TBA.
The true story about the life, the challenges, and the trials, of Tony Valdovinos, a Dreamer brought to America by his parents when he was two years old. Inspired by 9/11, on his 18th birthday Tony walked into a Marine Corps recruitment office to enlist, only to discover his parents hadn’t told him he was an undocumented immigrant. But Tony did not give up his dream to serve the only country he had every knows. Instead, he discovered alternatively powerful ways to serve and inspire by combating voter suppression and galvanizing a community to fight for representation in government.
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NY City Opera presents Gordon Getty’s new opera film, “Goodby, Mr. Chips,” which will premiere Mar. 2 at 7 PM ET at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, directed by Brian Staufenbiel and conducted by Nicole Paiement.
Nathan Granner (Mr. Chips), Marnie Breckenridge (Kathie/Lindofrd), Lester Lynch (Merrivale), and Kevin Short (Ralston/Rivers).
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The League of Professional Theatre Women will offer a free discussion with Emily Mann and Alexis Green on Thurs. Feb. 24 at 6 PM ET at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium. 
here.
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Principal casting has been announced for Aaron Jackson & Josh Sharp’s musical film, “F**king Identical Twins,” directed by Larry Charles.
Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yank, and Megan Thee Stallion, with more TBA.
The story of two businessmen who realize they’re identical brothers and decide to switch places to bring their family back together.
Complete casting, release date, and additional information TBA.
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The world premiere of Charlie Evon Simpson’s sandblasted has been extended through Mar. 13 at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre, directed by Summer L. Williams. Currently in previews, the show officially opens on Feb. 27.
Brittany Bellizeare (Angela), Marinda Anderson (Odessa), Rolanda Watts (Adah), and Andy Lucien (Jamal).
The story of two characters, Angela and Odessa, as they embark on a “sandy search for something that might not be real.” Along their journey, they run into a wellness guru, Adah, and decide to follow her.
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BC/EFA has provided a record-breaking $2,532, 500 in grants last week to 127 food service and meal delivery programs nationwide, surpassing the amount donated in 2021 and the pre-pandemic 2020 food grants.