GRACE NOTES: Friday, February 9, 2024

 

This Weekend’s Highlights:

Friday, February 9

  Aaron Tveit (Sweeney Todd) and Sutton Foster (Mrs. Lovett) begin their runs in Sweeney Todd at Broadway’s Lunt Fontanne Theatre.

  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, opens at Off-Broadway’s Tent Theatre Company.

  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, Joh Paul Batista, Evan Martorana, Cole Sisser, Kurt Kemper, Marisa Moenho, Missy Marion, Helen Tait, Johnisa Breault, Ellie Cook, Grace Simmons, and Noelle Roth, previews at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West.

   Nick Cearly: I Didn’t Recognize You With Your Clothes On concert, with special guest Andy Mientus, at 7 PM at NYC’s 54 Below.

  Audra McDonald: Musings through Music with Andy Einhorn concert & conversation, concludes at NYC’s 92NY.

Saturday, February 10

  The Matchbox Magic Flute, adapted & directed by Mary Zimmerman, featuring Marlene Fernandez (Pamina), Keanon Kyles (Sarastro), Russell Mernagh (Monostatos), Lauren Molina (Papagena/Lady), Tina Muñoz Pandya (Lady), Reese Parish (The Spirit), Shawn Pfautsch (Papageno), Emily Rohm (Queen of the Night), Billy Rude (Tamino), and Monica West (Lady), opens at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

  A View from the Bridge, directed by James Dean Palmer, featuring Dominic Fumusa (Eddie Carbone), Annie Parisse (Beatrice), Paten Hughes (Catherine), Patricia Black (Alfieri), Antonio Magro (Marco), Mark Junek (Rudolpho), with Mike Boland  and Todd Ceveris, opens at New Haven’s Long Wharf Theatre.

  Lend Me A Soprano, by Ken Ludwig, directed by Eleanor Holdridge, featuring Carolann M. Sanita (Elena Firenzi), Tina Stafford (Lucille Wylie), Rachel Felstein (Jo), Maboud Ebrahimzadeh (Jerry), Tom Patterson (Leo), and Donna Migliaccio (Julia), with Graciela Rey and Benjamin Topa, opens at MD’s Olney 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, Joh Paul Batista, Evan Martorana, Cole Sisser, Kurt Kemper, Marisa Moenho, Missy Marion, Helen Tait, Johnisa Breault, Ellie Cook, Grace Simmons, and Noelle Roth, opens at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West.

  Sweeney Todd, directed by directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, featuring Geoff Elliott (Sweeney Todd), Cassandra Marie Murphy (Mrs. Lovett), Jeremy Rabb (Judge Turpin), Josey Montana McCoy (Tobias Ragg), Kasey Mahaffy (Adolfo Pirelli), Joanna A Jones (Johanna), James Everts (Anthony Hope), Harrison White (Beadle Bamford), Amber Liekhus (Beggar Woman), and Josey Montana McCoy (Tobias), with Grace Albano, Samantha Atilano, Ella Blain (Ethan Clayton),  Ariel Davis, Rachel K. Han, Sebastian Rodriguez, Sarah Randall Hunt, and Michael Solomon, opens at Pasadena’s A Noise Within.

  The Notebook, by Bekah Brunstetter & Ingrid Michaelson, directed by Michael Greif, featuring Jordan Tyson (Younger Allie), Joy Woods (Middle Allie), Maryann Plunkett (Older Allie), John Cardoza (Younger Noah), Ryan Vasquez (Middle Noah), and Dorian Harewood (Older Noah), begins previews at Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre.

  Michael Feinsten in Lovers and Strangers concert, with special guest Sheryl Lee Ralph, at 8 PM at LA’s Mark Taper Forum.

  Cowbois, by Charlie Josephine, directed by Josephine & Sean Holmes, featuring Bridgette Amofah (Mary), Lee Braithwaite (Lucy/Lou), Shaun Dingwall (Frank/Tommy), Michael Elcock (George), Colm Gormley (John), Vinnie Heaven (Jack),  Paul Hunter (Sheriff Roger Jones) Lucy McCormick (Jayne), Sophie Melville (Miss Lillian), Julian Moore-Cook (James), Emma Pallant (Sally-Ann) and LJ Parkinson (Charley Parkhurst), closes at London’s Royal Court 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), closes at London’s Donmar Warehouse.

  The Animal Kingdom, by Ruby Thomas, directed by Jack Serio, featuring David Cromer, Tasha Lawrence, Lily McInerny, Uly Schlesinger, and Calvin Leon Smith, closes at Off-Broadway’s Connelly Theater Upstairs.

  Cabaret, directed by Adam Karsten, featuring Kristen Howe (Emcee), Cecily Dowd (Sally Bowles), Marrick Smith (Cliff), Leslie Tinnaro (Fraulein Schneider), Fred Frabotta (Herr Schultz), Erin Stlddard (Fraulein Kost), Erin Stoddard (Fraulein Kost/Baden), and Ben Sears (Ernst Ludwig), with Amber Lux Archer, Alli Bossart, Charlie Bostick, Beverly Durand, Gabriellea Garcia, Rachel Kay, Erik Scott Rommney, Ali Simon, J Pablo Stewart, Erin Stoddard, and Emily Unnasch, closes at CA’s Coachella Valley Rep.

Sunday, February 11

  Hamlet, adapted by Mark Izzard, directed by Selena Cadel, starring Eddie Izzard, opens at Off-Broadway’s Greenwich House Theatre.

  Sweeney Todd, directed by directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, featuring Geoff Elliott (Sweeney Todd), Cassandra Marie Murphy (Mrs. Lovett), Jeremy Rabb (Judge Turpin), Josey Montana McCoy (Tobias Ragg), Kasey Mahaffy (Adolfo Pirelli), Joanna A Jones (Johanna), James Everts (Anthony Hope), Harrison White (Beadle Bamford), Amber Liekhus (Beggar Woman), and Josey Montana McCoy (Tobias), with Grace Albano, Samantha Atilano, Ella Blain (Ethan Clayton),  Ariel Davis, Rachel K. Han, Sebastian Rodriguez, Sarah Randall Hunt, and Michael Solomon, begins previews at Pasadena’s A Noise Within.

  How to Dance in Ohio, by Jacob Yandua & Rebekah Greer Melocik, directed by Sammi Cannold, featuring Desmond Edwards, Amelia Fei, Madison Kopec, Liam Pearce, Imani Russell, Conor Tague, and Ashley Wood, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Haven Burton, Darlesia Cearcy, Carlos L. Encinas, Nick Gaswirth, Melina Kalomas, Nick Gaswirth, Melina Kalomas, and Marina Pires, with Elana Babbitt, Corinne Ferrer, Zach Simpson, Imri Leshed, and Nicole Fazia, closes at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre, after after 27 previews and 72 regular performances.

  Masterworks Theater Company’s Swimming in Jerusalem FREE concert presentations, by Michael Robert, directed by directed by Hannah Ryan, featuring Rodd Cyrus, Kareem Elsamadicy), Maria Habeeb, David Hoffman, Maya Jacobson, and Neal Mayer, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theater 555.  here:  Boxoffice@Theater555.com

  Our Class, by Tadeusz Slobodzianek, directed by Igor Golyak, featuring Gus Birney (Dora), Andrey Burkovskiy  (Menachem), Jack DiFalco (Zygmunt), José Espinosa (Rysiek), Tess Goldwyn (Zocha,) Will Manning (Heniek), Stephen Ochsner (Jakub Katz), Alexandra Silber (Rachelka/Marianna), Richard Topol (Abram), and Ilia Volok (Władek), closes at Brooklyn’s BAM.

  Message in a Bottle dance show, directed & choreographed by Kate Prince. featuring Oliver Andrews, Lindon Barr, Deavion Brown, David Cottle, Harrison Dowzell, Nestor Garcia Gonzalez, Natasha Gooden, Lizzie Gough, Anna Holström, Megan Ingram, Ahani Johnson-Goff, Charlotte Lee Daniella, May Dylan Mayoral, Serena McCall, Lukas McFarlane, Robbie Ordona, Lara Renaud, Hannah Sandilands, Jessy Stol, Steven Thompson, Gavin Vincent, and Malachi Welch, closes at LA’s Pantages Theatre.

  Ain’t Misbehavin, directed by Yvette Freeman Hartley, featuring Dedrick Bonner (Ken), Summer Nicole Greer (Armelia), jenelle Lynn Randall (Nell), James Tolbert (Andre), Amber Diane Wright (Charlaine), with TJ Wilkins, Jodi, Marks, and Samantha M. Lawrence, closes at Laguna Playhouse.

  Kate, Kate Berlant’s Kate solo show closes at Pasadena Playhouse.

  Dial M for Murder, by Frederick Knott, directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Michelle Liu Coughlin (Margot Wendice), Joe Delafield (Max Halliday),  Daniel Domingues, Jr. (Tony Wendice), Steve Pacek (Captain Lesgate), and Jan Neuberger (Inspector Hubbard), closes at Virginia Stage Company.

  Mystic Pizza, by Amy Holden Jones & Sandy Rustin, directed by Casey Hushion, featuring Gianna Yanelli (Jojo Barboza), Kyra Kennedy (Katherine Kat Arujo), Krystina Alabado (Daisy Arujo), Rayanne Bonzales (Leona Silvia), Jordan Friend (Bill Montijo), Michael Thomas Grant (Charles GordonWindsor, Jr.), and Chris Cardozo (Tim Travers), with Domo D’dante, Michael James, April Josephine, Louis Pardo, Monika Peña,  Alyssa M. Simmons, Jeff Skowron, Jake Swain, Rachel Wirtz, Chachi Delgado, and Tayler Mettra, closes at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.

  A Permanent Image, by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Andrew Weyman, featuring Phil Cass (Martin),  Terry Davis (Carol), Scott Jackson (Bo), and Dalia Vosylius (Ally), closes at Venice, CA’s Pacific Resident Theatre.

  La Cocina, by Tony Menéses, directed by Adam Chambers, featuring Biniyam Abreha, Ben Anderson, Emilie Crotty, Paul L. Davis, Berenice Diaz, Emelie Felina, Carlos Gomez Jr., Leah Haile, Jay Hoshina, Kirsten Jones, Sean Alan Mazur, Alejandro Mungaray, Elena Nicholson, Sarah Nilsen, Bree Pavey, Max Reed III, Rose Scalish, Matthew Scheel, Chloe Scott, Nate Thurman, Dani True, Esteban Vasquez, and Paige Willis, closes at North Hollywood’s Loft Ensemble.

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   The Matchbox Magic Flute, adapted & directed by Mary Zimmerman, has been extended through Mar. 17 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

 Marlene Fernandez (Pamina), Keanon Kyles (Sarastro), Russell Mernagh (Monostatos), Lauren Molina (Papagena/Lady), Tina Muñoz Pandya (Lady), Reese Parish (The Spirit), Shawn Pfautsch (Papageno), Emily Rohm (Queen of the Night), Billy Rude (Tamino), and Monica West (Lady), with Dario Amador-Lage, Ann Delaney, Devin DeSantis, Holly Hinchliffe, Nathan Karnik, and Emilie Lynn.

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  Shimmy Braun, Moshiel Newman Daphna & Billy Recce’s FIVE: The Parody Musical will run Feb. 15 – Mar. 10 (opening Feb. 19) at Theater 555, directed & choreographed by Jen Wineman.

  Jasmine Rice LaBeija (Hillary Clinton),  Anyae Anasia (Ivana), Gabriella Joy Rodriguez (Marla), Jaime Lyn Beatty ((Melania), Gabi Garcia (Stormy), and Hannah Bonnett (Ivanka).

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  A re-boot of Julian Schlossberg’s “Movie Talk” is now avaiable on here.  New episodes will be released weekly, every Wednesday.

  The podcast a unique series featuring interviews with stars, writers, directors, and producers, offering insights into the world of entertainment. For the podcast reboot, listeners can look forward to Schlossberg’s signature, in-depth interviews with guests including Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham; President of Sony Classics Michael Barker; acclaimed actor and film director Richard Benjamin; award-winning actress Elizabeth Berkley; award-winning actress, comedian, dancer and singer Sandy Duncan; two-time Emmy Award winner Carol Kane; award winning actor and comedian Robert Klein; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet; TCM host Ben Mankiewicz; Tony Award-winning actor Robert Sean Leonard; award-winning actress and model Isabella Rossellini; Tony Award-winning director / choreographer Susan Stroman; four-time Emmy Award winner Marlo Thomas; legendary Casting Director Juliet Taylor, iconic model, actress, and singer Twiggy; and more TBA.

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  Alex Brightman & Drew Gasparini’s The Life & Slimes of Marc Summers  will run Feb. 14 – June 2 (opening June 22) at New World Stages, directed by Chad Rabinovitz.

  Marc Summers

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  Avaaz, written & performed by Michael Shayan, will run Mar. 6 – Apr. 6 (opening Mar. 9) at VA’s Olney Theatre, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel.

  An Iranian mother’s flight from Tehran to a new life as a single mom in “Tehran-geles,”

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   Abington Theatre will present a benefit performance of Max Mondi’s Maybe Tomorrow on Thurs. Feb. 29 at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s AMT Theatre, directed by Chad Austin.

  Just Bartha and Kelli Giddish

 Gail and Ben’s nearly 10 year relationship appears to be thriving: a new job, a new city, and a baby boy on the way. But as the challenges of reality come to light, they must navigate the complexities of a relationship tested by time. In desperate need of a break, Gail retreats to her pause room; the bathroom of their luxury mobile home. As the outside world slowly slips away from her, we are left to wonder: was it ever there to begin with?

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      Red Bull Theater will present a reading of Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid, adapted & directed by Jeffrey Hatcher, on Mon. Feb. 19 at NYC’s Florence Gould Hall.

Annaleigh Ashford and Mark Linn-Baker, with Jordan Boatman, Will Brill, Arnie Burton, Kelley Curran, and Lorenzo Pisoni.

  Argan is a notorious hypochondriac whose nonexistent illnesses blind him to the con men and women (his new wife) who prey on his fears to fatten their purses. His plan: marry his daughter to a doctor so he’ll have free round-the-clock on-site healthcare for the rest of his life.

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   Off-Broadway’s Mint Theater will offer a free streaming production of the world premiere of Betty Smith’s Becomes a Woman on Feb. 19 – Mar. 17, directed by Britt Berke.

  Duane Boutté, Christopher Reed Brown. Jeb Town, Gina Daniels, Antoinette LaVecchia, Jillian Louis, Jack Mastrianni, Jason O’Connell, Emma Pfitzer Price, Scott Redmond, Pearl Rhein, Madeline Seidman, Phillip Taratula, Peterson Townsend, and Tim Webb.

  A play about a 19-year-old girl living with her family in Brooklyn who learns the hardest lesson a girl can face on her way to becoming a woman.

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  Speak Easy Stage Company‘s Cost of Living, by Martyna Majok, will run Mar. 8-30 at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion, directed by Alex Lonati.

  Lewis D. Wheeler, Gina Fonseca, Stephanie Gould, and Sean Leviashvili.

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  Marcia Seligson’s “My Mother Would Hate This Book” is now available in in hardcover, paperback and eBook on Amazon …. Barnes & Noble … and IndieBound, as well as your local bookstore.

  Click here for Marcia’s website and blog for stories and more.

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  Daisy Prince, Jason Robert Brown & Jonathan Marc Sherman;s The Connector has been extended through Mar. 17 at Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater, directed by Prince.

Scott Bakula, Ben Levi Ross, and Hannah Cruz, with Joanna Carpenter, Max Crumm, George Dvorsky, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Danielle Lee Greaves, Mylinda Hull, Daniel Jenkins, Cedric Lamar, Jessica Molaskey, Fergie Philippe, Eliseo Román, Ann Sanders, Kyle Sherman, and Michael Winther

  A timely new musical about two talented young journalists on increasingly diverging paths. Set in the late 1990s amid a rapidly changing media landscape we meet a fast-rising journalist, Ethan Dobson, and an assistant copy editor, Robin Martinez, at the revered magazine The Connector. In a world that values the next big sensation, Ethan’s writing prowess and ambition force him to confront how far he’ll go for the ultimate scoop and Robin to consider how far she’ll go to stop him.

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  The world premiere of Jesús I. VAllew’s BATHHOUSE.PPTX will run Mar. 19 – Apr. 22 (opening Mar. 23) at The Flea, directed by Chay Yew.

  Claudia Acosta (Chela), Manuel C. Alcazar (Daniel),  Esteban Andres Cruz (Mx. Vazquez), Yonatan Gebeyehu (Shaun) and others, and Gilbert Diego Sanchez (Carlos).

  An epic new play that follows Presenter, a queer Latiné student, whose powerpoint presentation on the history of cleanliness and bathing quickly starts to burst at the seams with appearances from the ghosts of a bathhouse at the end of the world, A Conquistador! Wearing One of Those Hats!, A Very Real Twink, and even Laura Linney. Valles describes it as, “a group project for perverts. Somewhere between lecture, re-enactment, and cruising ground. A meditation on queer longing, queer grief, and all our queer worlds that will come to pass, that will come to be.”

 


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