This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, February 23
Thirst, by Ronán Noone, directed by Courtney O’Connor, featuring Aimee Doherty (Bridget Conroy), Kate Fizgerald (Cathleen Mullin), and Michael Kaye (Jack Smythe), opens at Boston’s Lyric Stage.
Bonnie & Clyde, directed & choreographed by Gerry McIntyre, featuring Alana Saunders (Bonnie Parker), Michael William Nigro (Clyde Barrow), Mary Fanning Driggs (Cumie Barrow), Gina Milo (Annie)Mary Fanning Driggs (Cumie Barrow; Daniel Simons (Henry Barrow/Frank Hamer), April Armstrong (Emma Parker), Christian Brailsford (Sheriff/Preacher) Dan DeLuca (Buck Barrow), and Ben Jacoby (Ted Hinton), with Alexander Ríos, and Summerisa Stevens, opens at Utah’s Pioneer Playhouse.
Existentialism, world premiere created & directed by Anne Bogart, featuring Ellen Maddow and Paul Zimet, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s La MaMa.
Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Sitzprobe Experience, offering a FREE open rehearsal from 1-5 PM (ET) at Lincoln Center‘s Bruno Walter Auditorium (seating is on a first come, first-served basis), featuring Sharon Catherine Brown, Ta’Nika Renée Gibson, Brenda Braxton, Richard E. Waits, Jr. Bobby Daye, Dennis Stowe and J. Harrison Ghee. 
The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube.
Reeve Carney: A Night at the Opera concert, a tribute to the rock group Queen, at 7 PM at NYC’s Chelsea Table + Stage.
Broadway’s Leading Men: A Musical Celebration! concert, featuring Christian Borle, Jacob Gutierrez, Christopher Jackson, Telly Leung, Norm Lewis, Alexis Michelle, Matthew Morrison, Nic Rouleau, André De Shields, and Paulo Szot, with the American Pops Orchestra, at 7:30 PM at DC’s Howard University.
Saturday, February 24
Water for Elephants, by Rick Elice & the Pigpen Theatre Company, directed by Jessica Stone, featuring Grant Gustin (Jacob Jankowski), Isabelle McCalla (Marlena), Gregg Edelman (Mar. Jankowski), Paul Alexancer Nolan (August), Stan Brown (Camel), Joe De Paul (Walter), Sara Gettelfinger (Barbara), and Wade McCollum (Wade), with Brandon Block, Antoine Boissereau, Rachael Boyd, Paul Castree, Ken Wulf Clark, Taylor Colleton, Gabriel Olivera de Paula Costa, Isabella Luisa Diaz, Samantha Gershman, Keaton Hentoff-Killian, Nicolas Jelmoni, Caroline Kane, Harley Ross Beckwith McLeish, Michael Mendez, Samuel Renaud, Marissa Rosen, Alexandra Gaelle Royer, Asa Somers, Charles South, Sean Stack, Matthew Varvar, and Michelle West, begins previews at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre.
The Assassination of Julius Caesar As Told By William Shakespeare And George Bernard Shaw, written & directed by Eric Tucker, featuring Rajesh Bose, Jonathan Judge-Russo, Mike Labbadia, Mackenzie Moyer, Andrew Rothenberg, Stephen Michael Spencer, Deychen Volino-Gyetsa, and Shayvawn Webster, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s West End Theatre.
Pacific Overtures, directed by Matthew White, featuring Jon Chew (Reciter), Kanako Nakano (Tamate), Saori Oda (Shogun/Madam), Takuro Ohno (Kayama), and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Manjiro), with Luoran Ding, Masashi Fujimoto, Rachel Hayne Picar, Eu Jin Hwang, Abel Law, Ethan Le Phong, JoJo Meredith, Patrick Munday, Sario Solomon, Joy Tan, Lee V G, and Iverson Yabu, closes at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory.
Vineyard Theatre‘s Annual Gala, directed by Rachel Chavkin, featuring Sara Bareilles, Chelsea Clinton, Lea DeLaria, Crystal Dickenson, Brandon J. Dirden, Michael R. Jackson, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Tony Kushner, Luke Macfarlane, Deidre O’Connell, Zachary Quinto, Rolanda Watts, Rosie’s Theatre Kids, and more, at 6 PM at NYC’s Edison Ballroom.
Between Two Knees, by The 1491s, directed by Eric Ting, featuring Rachel Crowl, Derek Garza, Justin Gauthier, Shyla Lefner, Wotko Long, James Ryen, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, and Sheila Tousey with Irma-Estel Laguerre, Jessica Ranville, John Scott-Richardson, Kholan Studi, Ryan Anthony Williams, closes at Off-Broadway’s Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright solo show, written, directed by, & starring by Lauren Burns, closes at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse.
Tony Danza: Standards & Stories concert closes at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
POSTPONED: Nick Cearley: I didn’t Recognize You With Your Clothes On concert, with special guest Jenny Lee Stern, at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse. New dates TBA.
Sunday, February 25
Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy, by Sarah Gancher, directed by Darko Tresnjak, featuring Christine Lahti (Ljuba), Renata Friedman (Masha), Haskell King (Egor), John Lavelle (Steve), and Hadi Tabbal (Nikolai), opens at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre.
Deadly Stages, by Marc Castle & Mark Finley, directed by Finley, featuring Marc Castle, Tom Galantich, David Leeper, Dani Marcus, and Ellen Reilly, with Jonas Cohen, and Sarah Ellis, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
The New Group‘s The Seven Year Disappear, by Jordan Seavey, directed by Scott Elliott, featuring Cynthia Nixon and Taylor Trensch, opens at Off-Broadway’s Signature Center.
Father Land, world premiere written & directed by Stephen Sachs, featuring Ron Bottitta, Patrick Keleher, Anna Khaja, and Larry Poindexter, opens at LA’s Fountain Theatre.
Ann Talman: Elizabeth Taylor and The Shadow of Her Smile concert, at 2 PM at Off-Broadway’s Laurie Beechman Theatre.
The Night of the Iguana, by Tennessee Williams, directed by Emily Mann, featuring Tim Daly (Rev. Shannon), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Maxine Faulk), Lea DeLaria (Judith Fellowes), Austin Pendleton (Nonno), and Jean Lichty (Hannah Jelkes), Carmen Berkeley (Charlotte), Eliud Kauffman (Hank), Keith Randolph Smith (Jake), Bradley James Tejeda (Pedro), and Dan Teixeira (Pancho), closes at Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre.
Make Me Gorgeous! The True Story of Kenneth “Mr. Madam” Marlowe, written & directed by Donnie, starring Wade McCollum, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Lukes.
Munich Medea: Happy Family, world premiere by Corinne Jaber, directed by Lee Sunday Evans, featuring Crystal Finn (Caroline), Heather Raffo (Alice), and Kurt Rhoads (Father), closes at Off-Broadway’s WP Theater.
Where Women Go, Tina Howe’s final work, directed by Aimée Hayes, featuring Almeria Campbell, Brenda Currin, Jessica DiGiovanni, Peter Ganim, Breezy Leigh, Matthew Maguire, Tirol Palmer, Yessenia Rivas, and Yeena Sung, closes at Off-Broadway’s Tent Theatre Company.
Romeo and Juliet, directed & choreographed by Matthew Bourne, featuring Tanisha Addicott, Matthew Amos, Tasha Chu, Adam Davies, Anya Ferdinand, Jackson Fisch, Paris Fitzpatrick, Cameron Flynn, Adam Galbraith, Euan Garrett, Louis Harris, Monique Jonas, Dylan Jones, Kurmi Kamayachi, Daily May Kemp, Hannah Kremer, Kate Lyons, Rory Macleod, Blue Makwana, Leonardo Mccorkindale, Eleanor Megrath, Eve Nbbokota, Harry Ondrak-Wright, Byony Penninton, Alan Vincent, and Lyra Treglown, closes at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
The Garbologists, by Lindsay Joelle, directed by Rob Ruggiero, featuring Jeff Brooks (Danny) and Bebe Nicole Simpson (Marlowe), closes at TheatreWorks Hartford.
Black Rock Theater’s Cinderella, directed by Connor Dean, featuring Cady Huffman (Marie), Kaitlyn Davidson (Cinderella), Tate McElhaney (Jean-Michel), William Ryall (Sebastian), Antonio Cipriano (Prince Topher), and Ta’Rea Campbell (Madame), closes at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse.
POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, by Selena Fillinger, directed by Jennifer Chambers, featuring Ito Aghayere (Chris), Maria Bello (Bernadette) Alexandra Billings (Margaret), Lauren Blumenfeld (Stephanie), Shannon Cochran (Harriet), Celeste Den (Jean), Jane Levy (Dusty) and Deirdre Lovejoy (Bernadette), closes at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.
The Scarlet Letter, world premiere by Kate Hamill, directed by Shelley Butler, featuring Mary Bacon (Goody Hibbins), Nikki Calonge (Pearl), Kevin Isola (Chillingworth), Keshay Moodliar (Dimmesdale), Amelia Pedlow (Hester Prynne), and Triney Sanoval (Governor Hibbins), closes at NJ’s Two River Theatre.
42nd Street, directed by Cynthia Ferrer, featuring Emma Nossal (Peggy Sawyer), Robert Mamana (Julian Marsh), April Nixon (Dorothy Brock), Jane Papageorge (Annie Reilly), Quintan Craig (Billy Lawlor), Phillip Attmore (Andy Lee), Jamie Torcellini (Bert Barry), Bree Murphy (Maggie Jones), Kevin Carolan (Abner Dillon), Stephen Bishop (Pat Denning), Ricky Bulda (Mac/Doc/Thug), Maggie Ek (Phyllis), and April Lovejoy (Lorriane), with Ryan Cody, Erin Dubreuil, Jonathan Blake Flemmings, John Paul Batista, Evan Martorana, Cole Sisser, Kurt Kemper, Marisa Moenho, Missy Marion, Helen Tait, Johnisa Breault, Ellie Cook, Grace Simmons, and Noelle Roth, closes at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West.
Nick Cearley: I didn’t Recognize You With Your Clothes On concert, with special guest Jenny Lee Stern, closes at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.
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Broadway in Hollywood has announced its 2024-25 season at the Pantages Theatre:
KimberlyAkimbo (Oct. 15 – Nov. 3)
Back to the Future, The Musical (Nov. 5 – Dec. 1)
Wicked (Dec. 4 – Feb. 2, 2025)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Feb. 13 – June 22)
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (July 8-27)
Some Like it Hot (July 29 – Aug. 17)
Shucked (Aug. 19 – Sept. 7)
Hamilton (Sept. 4 – Oct. 13)
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New Faces of 1952 filmed performance, featuring the work of Mel Brooks, Eartha Kit, and more… will stream on Sat. Feb. 24 at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT here.
A filmed performance (in CinemaScope) of the highly popular Broadway hit that was basically a collection of skits, sketches, songs and dances built around a flimsy plot to meld them all together which, for the most part, worked. The plot involves a performer/producer (Ronny Graham)who finds himself in financial difficulties on the eve of opening night because a big check is needed before the curtain can go up. But a wealthy Texan says he will put up the money, if his daughter is in the show and he can see it first. End of plot, but the beginning of the careers of some young and talented people who have had careers across many decades. Ertha Kitt sings four songs, including “C’est Si Bon” and “Santa Baby” in and around some funny skits; “Trip of the Month”, “Snake Charmer”, “Crazy Man” and “Oedipus Goes South.” Graham and Mel Brooks (in his Melvin Brooks days)are credited with most of the sketch material and just the title of the “Oedipus” bit suggests Brooks. There is a burlesque of “Death of a Salesman”, which was probably the easiest to write of all. It also appears that when Brooks later did “The Producers”, he hadn’t forgotten everything about “New Faces.” Written by Les Adams.
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The Perfect Mate, world premiere by David Rossmer & Dan Lipton, continues through Mar. 17 at Pittsburgh CLO, directed by Carolyn Cantor.
Jimmy Nicholas, Autumn Hurlbert, Josey Miller, Marissa Buchheit, Ryan Cavanaugh, Laura Frey, and Connor Bahr.
What if when you’re ready for true love, you could design your perfect mate?
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Alan Cumming has added a second performance of his solo show, Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age, which will now take place Mar. 11 & 25, both at 7:30 PM, at Broadway’s’ Studio 54.
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The 31st Annual Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival has announced it s 2024 honorees:
Infinity Award: Shirley Jo Finney, memorializing her exceptional achievements of a theatre artist.
Eternity Award winners: caryn desai and Maria G. Martinez , for lifetime achievements bestowed with the Eternity Award, presented to an artist or individual whose lifetime achievements have made a lasting contribution to the world of theatre.
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Industry readings of Kailey Marshall’s Songs for Slutty Girls will take place Mon. Feb. 26 at NYC’s Haswell Greens, directed & choreographed by Jen Wineman, with music direction by Lena Gabrielle.
Leana Rae Concepcion, Sydney Kane, Tatiana Lofton, and Ryann Redmond
The piece examines a year in the life of one woman, represented by four aspects of her personality: Head, Heart, Gut, and Hip. At the start of a new year, she is hoping to make some big changes.
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A Beautiful Noise will close Sun, June 30 at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre, after 35 previews and 657 regular performances, directed byMichael Mayer.
Nick Fradiani (Neil Diamond – Then), Mark Jacoby (Neil Diamond – Now), Amber Ardolino (Marcia Murphey), Shirine Babb (Doctor), Becky Gulsvig (Jaye Posner), Michael McCormick (Fred Weintraub/Tommy O’Rourke), Tom Alan Robbins (Ber Berns/Kieve Diamond), and Bri Sudia (Ellie Greenwich/Rose Diamond), and Neal Benari (Standby for Neil Diamond – Now), with Dianna Marie Barger, Mateus Leite Cardoso), Gabrielle Djenné), Dianna Marie Barger, Mateus Leite Cardoso, Gabreille Djenné, Jordan Dobson, Ninako Donville, Paige Faure, Kalonjee Gallimore, Anthony J. Garcia, Jess LeProtto, Taniana Lofton, Alec Michael Ryan, Aveena Sawyer, Deandre Sevon, Vanessa Sierra, Annie Wallace, and Sean Watkinson.
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The world premiere of Rob Ulin’s Judgement Day will run Apr. 23 – May 26 (opening May 1) at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel.
Jason Alexander (Sammy Campo), Daniel Breaker (Father Michael) and Candy Buckley (Angel), with Maggie Bofill (Tracy), Olivia Denise Dawson (Della), Joe Dempsey (Jackson), Michael Kostroff (Monsignor), Ellis Myers (Sammy/Casper), and Meg Thalken (Edna).
The story of Sammy Campo, a staggeringly corrupt, morally bankrupt lawyer who’s threatened with eternal damnation by a terrifying angel after a near-death experience. In a desperate attempt to redeem himself, Sammy forms an unlikely bond with a Catholic priest who is having his own crisis of faith. Filled with razor-sharp wit, this deliciously devious comedy rollicks through the timeless questions of Western philosophy—“morality,” “faith,” and “Are people any damn good?”
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. Footloose, adapted by Dean Pitchford & Walter Bobbie, will preview Mar. 1 and run Mar. 2-17 at Burbank’s Colony Theatre, directed by Barry Pearl, with choreography by Michelle Elkin, and music direction by Ton Barnett. 
Use code CUTLOOSE for discounts.
Larry Cedar, Robin DeLano, Brady Fritz, Kelsey Lee Smith, Casey Anne Apregan, James Beardsley, Whitney Kathleen Vigil, Sammy Linkowski, Camie Del Rosario, Lauren Lorati, Michael Wells, Christopher Robert Smith, Karen Macarah, Lisa Dyson, Cindy Pearl and Ceron Jones, with Mary Kate Chapman, Madison Miyuki Sprague, Michael Riskin, Melvin Biteng, Christopher Ho, Noah Heie, Coby Rogers, Laura Aronoff, Veronica Carolina Leite, Callula Sawyer, Lauren Barette, Arielle Dettmer, Almand Martin Jr., and Mathew San Jose.
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Joey Merlo’s On Set with Theda Bara has been extended through Mar. 16 at Brooklyn’s The Brick.
David Greenspan.
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MA’s Barrington Stage Company has announced its 30th anniversary season:
La Cage aux Folles (June 11 – July 6), directed by Mike Donahue
A Tender Thing (June 25 – July 20), by Ben Power, directed by Alan Paul.
Boeing-Boing (July 17 – Aug. 3), by Marc Camoletti. A bachelor simultaneously dating three flight attendants with conflicting schedules. Everything goes swimmingly—until weather and a new, faster plane design suddenly leave him juggling all three at once.
Next to Normal (Aug. 13 – Sept. 8), directed by Alan Paul.