This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, February 24
Picasso at the Lapin Agile, by Steve Martin, directed by Amelia Mulkey, featuring Isaac J. Cruz (Pablo Picasso), Fred Deni (Gaston), Teddy Garces (Freddy), Jackson Glenn (Visitor), Hudson Long Charles (Dabernow Schmendiman), Jack Merrill (Sagot), Amy Motta (Germaine), Ryan Stiffelman (Albert Einstein), and Ashley Barrett (Suzanne/The Countess/A Female Admirer), opens at Santa Monica’s Ruskin Theatre.
Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen opens at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Joe Rosario, featuring Alison Fraser (Big Mama), Matt deRogatis (Brick), Courney Henggeler (Maggie), Frederick Weller (Big Daddy), Christine Copley (Mae), Adam Dodway (Gooper), Milton Elliott (Rev. Tooker), and Jim Kempner (Doc Baugh), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Clements.
The Great Leap, by Lauren Yee, directed by Michael Hisamoto, featuring Barlow Adamson, Jihan Haddad, Gary Thomas Ng, and Tyler Simahk, begins previews at Boston’s Lyric Stage.
Raisin, musical adaptation by Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg, Judd Woldin & Robert Brittan, directed by Evelyn Collins, featuring Fredi Walker-Browne (Lena Younger), Ethan Joseph (Travis Younger), Roderick Lawrence (Walter Lee Younger), Gia Ware (Ruth Younger), Alexandria Reese (Beneatha Younger), Moziah (Joseph Asagai), and Burt Conrad (Karl Lindner), previews at NJ’s Axelrod Theatre.
Saturday, February 25
Raisin, musical adaptation by Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg, Judd Woldin & Robert Brittan, directed by Evelyn Collins, featuring Fredi Walker-Browne (Lena Younger), Ethan Joseph (Travis Younger), Roderick Lawrence (Walter Lee Younger), Gia Ware (Ruth Younger), Alexandria Reese (Beneatha Younger), Moziah (Joseph Asagai), and Burt Conrad (Karl Lindner), opens at NJ’s Axelrod Theatre.
The Wife of Willesden, adapted by Zadie Smith, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, featuring Clare Perkins (Alvita), Marcus Adolphy (Winston/Mandela/Black Jesus), George Eggay (Pastor/Eldridge), Andrew Frame (Ian/Socrates/Bartosz), Troy Glasgow (Darren/Young Maroon), Claudia Grant (Polly/Sophie), Nikita Johal (Asma/Kelly), Scott Miller (Ryan/Colin), Jessica Murrain (Author/Zaire/Queen Nanny), and Ellen Thomas (Aunty P/Old Wife), with Sophie Cartman, begins previews at Cambridge’s A.R.T.
Cambodian Rock Band, by Lauren Yee, directed by Chay Yew, featuring Francis Jue (Duch, Abraham Kim (Rom/Journalist), Jane Lui (Pou/S21 Guard), Joe Ngo (Chum), Geena Quintos (Neary/Sothea), and Moses Villarama (Ted/Cadre/Leng), with Kelsey Angel Baehrens, Alex Lydon, and Vi Tran, begins previews at CA’s Berkely Rep.
The Actors Studio FREE “Short Film Festival” screenings at 3 & 7 PM. 
required here for the 3 PM screenings …. and here for the 7 PM screenings.
Orlando, by Neil Bartlett, directed by Michael Grandage, featuring Emma Corrin (Orlando), Deborah Findlay (Mrs. Grimsditch), Jessica Alade (Virginia/Drunken Tory), Debra Baker (Virginia/Favilla/The Captain), Akuc Bol (Virginia/Euphrosyne/Prue), Lucy Briers (Virginia/Queen Elizabeth/Officer), Richard Cant (Virginia/Harriet/Kitty), Melissa Lowe (Virginia/Drunken Tory), Jodie McNee (Virginia/Marmaduke), Oliver Wickham (Virginia/Clorinda), and Millicent Wong (Virginia/Sasha/Nell), closes at London’s Garrick Theatre.
Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen closes at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
Sunday, February 26
The Secret Garden, directed & choreographed by Warren Carlyle, featuring Sierra Boggess (Lily Craven), Terron Brooks (Major Shelley), Mark Capri (Ben Weatherstaff), Peyton Crim (Major Holmes), Derrick Davis (Archibald Craven), Susan Denaker (Mrs. Medlock), Kelley Dorney (Mrs. Winthrop/Cholera), Ali Ewoldt (Rose Lennox), William Foon(Colin Craven alternate), Ava Madison Gray (Mary Lennox alternate), John Krause (Captain Albert Lennox), Aaron Lazar (Dr. Neville Craven), Julia Lester (Martha), Reese Levine (colin Craven), John-Michael Lyles (Yamuna Meleth (Ayah), Cassandra Marie Murphy (Mrs. Shelley), James Olivas (Lieutenant Wright), Sadie Brickman Reynolds (Mary Lennox), Kyla Jordan Stone (Alice), and Vishal Vaidya (Fakir), with Randi De Marco, Sam Linkowski, and Ariel Neydavoud, opens at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
Black Odyssey, by Marcus Gardley, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, featuring James T. Alfred (Deus), Tẹmídayọ Amay (Benevolence), Harriett D. Goy (Aunt Tee), Marcus Gladney Jr. (Malachai Lincoln), Sean Boyce Johnson (Ulysses Lincoln), Adrienne C. Moore (Alsendra Sabine), Keith Randolph Smith (Paw Sidin), Lance Coadie Williams (Artez Sabine), and D. Woods (Nella P. Lincoln), opens at Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage.
Bedlam Theater‘s Fall River Fishing, by Zuzanna Szadkowski, directed by Eric Tucker, featuring Zuzanna Szadlkowski, Susannah Millonzi, Tony Torn, and Jamie Smithson, opens at Off-Broadway’s Connelly Theater.
NAATCO’s Public Obscenities, written & directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury, featuring Tashnuva Anan (Shou), Debashis Roy Chowdhury (Pishe), Abrar Haque (Choton), Golam Sarwar Harun (Jitesh), Gargi Mukherjee (Pishimoni), NaFis (Sebanti), and Jakeem Dante Powell (Raheem), opens at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Rep.
The Great Leap, by Lauren Yee, directed by Michael Hisamoto, featuring Barlow Adamson, Jihan Haddad, Gary Thomas Ng, and Tyler Simahk, opens at Boston’s Lyric Stage.
Sweeney Todd, directed by Thomas Kail, featuring Josh Groban (Sweeney Todd), Annaleigh Ashford (Mrs. Lovett), Jordan Fisher (Anthony), Gaten Matarazzo (Tobias), Ruthie Ann Miles (Beggar Woman), Maria Bilbao (Johanna), Jamie Jackson (Judge Turpin), John Rapson (Beadle Bamford), Nicholas Christopher (Pirelli/Sweeney Todd Standby), and Jeanna de Waal (Standby for Mrs. Lovett and Beggar Woman), with Galyana Castillo, Jonathan Christopher, Dwayne Cooper, Kyrie Courter, Taeler Cyrus, Timothy Hughes, Paul-Jordan Jansen, Alicia Kaori, Michael Kuhn, Raymond J. Lee, Patricia Phillips, Mia Pinero, Samantha Pollino, Lexi Rabadi, Nathan Salstone, Kristie Dale Sanders, Stephen Tewksbury, Daniel Torres, Felix Torrez-Ponce, DeLaney Westfall, and Hennessy Winkler, begins previews at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Ann Talman: Elizabeth Taylor and The Shadow of Her Smile concert, directed Lina Koutrakos, at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s Laurie Beecham Theatre.
National Theatre Live’s Straight Line Crazy screening, by David Hare, directed by Nicholas Hytner, featuring Ralph Fiennes (Robert Moses), Alisha Bailey (Mariah Heller), Samuel Barnett (Ariel Porter), David Bromley (Stamford Fergus), Al Coppola (Walter McQuade), Siobhán Cullen (Finnuala Connell), Ian Kirkby (Lewis Mumford), Alana Maria (Shirley Hayes), Dani Moseley (Carol Ames), Guy Paul (Henry Vanderbilt), Helen Schlesinger (Jane Jacobs), Mary Stillwaggon Stewart (Nicole Sawyer), and Danny Webb (Governor Al Smith), at 3 PM at UCLA’s James Bridges Theatre.
The Smuggler, by Ronán Noone, directed by Conor Bagley, featuring Michael Mellamphy, closes at Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep.
Jennifer Holliday in concert closes at NYC’s 54 Below.
Toni Stone, by Lydia R. Diamond, directed by Ron OJ Parson, featuring Tracey Bonner (Toni Stone), Kai Ealy (King Tut), Joseph Aaron Johnson (Elzie), Chiké Johnson (Alberga), Travis Knight (Stretch), Victor Musoni (Jimmy), Jon Hudson Odom (Millie), Edgar Miguel Sanchez (Spec), and Terence Sims (Woody), with Jabari Khaliq, Krystel McNeil, and Matty Robinson, closes at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Queen of Basel, by Hilary Bettis, directed by Cristina Angeles, featuring Silvia Dionicio (Christine), Kelvin Grullon (John), and Christine Spang (Julie), closes at CT’s TheaterWorks Hartford.
9 to 5, directed by Cynthia Ferrer, featuring Ashley Moniz (Judy Bernley), Madison Claire Parks (Doralee Rhodes), Daebreon Poiema (Violet Newstead), Ed Staudenmayer (Franklin Hart), and Chelle Denton (Roz Keith), with Josh Alvarez, Leonel Ayala, Keith Bearden, Michael Bullard, Michael Cavinder, Brandon Dubuisson, Erin Dubreuil, Kurt Kemper, Edgar Lopez, Missy Marion, Marissa Ruth Mayer, Isabella De Souza Moore, Amelia Prochaska, Alyssa Simmons, Nikki Elena Spies, and Chris Tuck, closes at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West.
Albee/Pinter, directed by Marilyn Fox, featuring Jason Downs, Brad Greenquist, Anthony Foux, and Jennifer Knox, closes at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
Home Front, by Warren Leight, directed by Maria Bogetti, featuring Jonathan Slavin, Austin Highsmith Garces, and C.J. Lindsey, closes at Burbanks’ Victory Theatre Center.
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James Ijames’ Fat Ham will run Mar. 21 – Aug. 6 (opening Apr. 12) at the American Airlines Theatre, directed by Saheem Ali.
Nikki Crawford (Tedra), Chris Herbie Holland (Tio), Billy Eugene Jones (Rev/Pap), Adrianna Mitchell (Opal), Calvin Leon Smith (Larry), Marcel Spears (Juicy), and Benja Kay Thomas (Rabby).
Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. But here’s the rub! Revenge doesn’t come easy to Juicy, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man in search of his own happiness and liberation. From an uproarious family cookout emerges a compelling examination of live and loss, pain and joy.
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A UK tour of Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter, adapted by Emma Rice, will launch Mar. 31 – Apr. 22 (opening Apr. 4) at the Salisbury Playhouse, directed by Douglas Rintoul.
Nicola Bryan (Myrtle Bagot, Hanora Kamen (Laura Jesson), Jammy Kasongo (Dr. Alec Harvey), Samuel Morgan-Grhame (Albert Godby), Tom Self (Fred Jasson/Stephen Lynn), Lucy Elizabeth Thorburn (Beryl), Luke Thornton (Stanley), and Choima Uma (Dolly Messiter).**********************
New York City Center Encores will present Oliver May 3-14, directed by Lear deBessonet, with choreography by Lorin Latarro.
Lilli Cooper (Nancy), Raúl Esparza (Fagin), Tam Mutu (Bill Sikes), Brad Oscar (Mr. Bumble), Benjamin. Pajak (Oliver Twist), and Mary Testa (Widow Corney), with William Thhomas Colin, Charity Angel Dawson, Julian Marcus DeGuzman), Zachary Downer, Sam Duncan, William Foon, Ethen Green-Younger, Jeff Kready, Jenny Laroche, Devin Miles Lugo, Morgan Marcell, Lindsay Roberts, Eliseo Roman, Michael Cash Savio, Jacob Keith Watson, and more TBA.
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The 37th Annual MAC Awards will be presented on Tues. Apr. 4 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space.
Ken Page and Ricky Ritzel
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RIP: Graeme Malcolm, a actor and prolific audiobook narrater, who appeared in many Broadway productions, passed away on Jan. 10 at the age of 71.
Born in Scotland, Mr. Malcolm moved to New York City in his late twenties and soon established himself on the Broadway stage, appearing in Sherlock’s Last Case, Aida, Equus, Death and the King’s Horseman, The King and I (1996 revival), The Real Thing and Translations, as well as the national tour of M. Butterfly.
Mr. Malcolm also narrated 167 audiobooks over the course of his career. His final five audiobooks have been released posthumously, including two volumes of “Katrine Engberg’s Korner & Werner Series.”
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Video: Brandy Clark and Shane McNally perform “Maybe Love” from Broadway’s Shucked.
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Martin Sherman’s Rose will run May 23 – June 18 at the Ambassadors Theatre, directed by Scott LeCrass.
Maureen Lipman (Rose).
Rose is a woman who takes a turbulent journey from Nazi-occupied Europe to America. She tells “the story of a century where everything changed except the violence of the strong against the weak.”
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Jason Robert Brown has shared his thoughts on the far-right Neo-Nazi protest that took place on Feb. 21 outside Broadway’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where Parade is performing. Members of The National Socialist Movement carrie signs covered in hateful rhectoric, and harassed theatregoers outside the theatre as they arrive for the show’s first preview.
Sharing his thoughts in a post on his website, Brown points to some famous examples of antisemitism and his own disbelief when he was younger, that anyone believed the outlandish and prejudged claims. Brown briefly summarized the show’s history as a target for anisemitic groups’ hate since it first first opened at Lincoln Center in 1998. “Before we opened at City Center last Fall, our producer Jenny Gerstein called me to ask whether there had been a history of threats against the show. I didn’t need to ask why she was calling. I took a deep breath. Ah, I thought. “That’s were we are now.” I feel terrible that audience members who are waiting in line to see our show on Broadway may be accosted by Neo-Nazis. (I can’t believe I’m writing that sentence). But I’ll tell you the truth: I’m glad the assholes showed up. I’m glad they feel threatened enough to emerge into the light and show their faces.”
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Video: Promo for Broadway’s Sweeney Todd, with Josh Groban & Annaleigh Ashford
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Dylan Mulvaney will celebrate her 356th day of girlhood on Mon. Mar. 13 at 8 PM with her show, Dylan Mulvaney’s Day 365 Live! at NYC’s Rainbow Room, directed by Katie Spelman. The concert is in support of The Trevor Project. Livestream tickets ($5) here.
Reneé Rapp, L. Morgan Lee, Jonathan Van Ness, and Sis, with more TBA.
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A new production of The Wizard of Oz will run June 23 – Sept. 3 (opening July 6) at the London Palladium, directed by Nikolai Foster, with choreography by Shay Barclay.
Ashley Banjo (The Tin Man), Jason Manford (The Cowardly Lion), and more TBA.