This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, January 23
Monsters, world premiere written & directed by Ngozi Anyanwu, featuring Aigner Mizzelle and Okieriete Onaodowan, opens at Off-Broadway’s Manhattan Theatre Club.
Lifeline, by Robert Alexrod, directed by Ken Sawyer, featuring JenBrittany Visser Jen),Tommy Dickie (Drew), Amy Tolsky (Patti), Clifton J. Adams (Kai), Naomi Rubin (Sarah Beth), and Xoe Savvle (Maya). Alternate cast: Destinee Stewart (Jen), Juan Pope (Drew), Ivy Khan (Pattie), Casey Daley (Kai), Gabie Faulkner (Sara Beth), and Rafi Perez (Maya), opens at North Hollywood’s Road Theatre.
The history of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 concert, with music direction by Jarrett Winters Morley, featuring Casey Martin Klein (Pierre), Julia Im Caldwell (Natasha), Ella Dolynchuk (sonya), Lindsa Zaroogian (Marya), Bex Odoriso (Helene), Collin Matthew Flanagan (Anatole), Shane Lonergan (Colokhov), Julia Gy Goldberg (Mary), and Vaheed Talebian (Andrey), with Annabelle Skala and Jarrett Morle, at 7 PM NYC’s 54 Below.
Saturday, January 24
More Miracles, offering original one-act plays, opens at LA’s Actors Gang.
Rogue Machine‘s My Son the Playwright, world premiere written & performed by Justin Tanner, directed by Lisa James, opens at LA’s Matrix Theatre.
Tartuffe, newly adapted by Lucas Hnath, directed by Raja Feather Kelly, featuring Matthew Broderick (Tartuffe), David Cross (Orgon), Emily Davis (Mariane), Bianca del Rio (Mme Pernelle), Amber Gray (Elmire), Ryan Haddad (Damis), Francis Jue (Cleante), Lisa Kron (Dorine, and Ike Ufomadu ( Valére), closes at Off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop.
Truman vs. Israel, by William Spatz, directed by Randy White, featuring Willy Falk (Truman) and Helen Laser (Bella Abzug), with Matt Caplan and Mark Lotito, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theater at St. Clements.
Sunday, January 25
Ulysses, by James Joyce, directed by Scott Shepherd & John Collins, featuring Dee Beasnael, Kate Benson, Maggie Hoffman, Vin Knight, Scott Shepherd, Christopher-Rashee Stevenson, and Stephanie Weeks, opens at Off-Broadway’s Public Theatre.
30 Minutes or Less Festival opens at LA’s Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre (5636 Melrose Ave.).
The Porch on Windy Hill, by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse & David M. Lutken, directed by directed by Sherry Stregack Lutken, featuring Tora Nogami Alexander, David M. Lutken, and Morgan Morse, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Urban Stages.
Marc Shaiman & Nathan Lane: Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner conversation, a look behind the curtain of life on Broadway, in Hollywood and on Television, with a conversation about Shaiman’s new memoir, “Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner,”, at 7 PM at NYC’s 92NY.
Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Joe Calarco, featuring Douglas Sills (tTevye), Amie Bermowitz (Golde), Christopher Bloch (Rabbi), Lily Burka (Hodel), Sarah Corey (Shaindel/Fruma-Sarah), Joseph Fierberg (Mordcha), Mia Goodman (Shprintze), Jake Loewenthal (Motel), Allison Mintz (Belke), Stephen Russell Murray (Mendel), Rosie Joe Neddy (Chava), Ariel Neydavoud (Perchik), Beatrice Owens (Tzeitel), reagan Pender (Av ram), Jeremy Radin (Lazar Wolf), Jeremy Radin (Lazar Wolf), Susan Rome (Tzeitel), Alex Stone ( Fyedka), Hank von Kolnitz (Sasha), and Davis Wood (Constable), with Audrey Baker, John Gurdían, Stephen C. Kallas) and Kayla Marks, closes at DC’s Signature Theatre.
All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented The Villain, by Patrick Page & Simon Godwin, directed by Godwin, starring Paige, closes at LA’s Broad Stage.
A sleighful of Songs concert, directed by Victoria Lavan, featuring Victoria Lavan, John A. Goux, Constance Mellors, Scottie Neville, Meg Ling, David Mingrino, Anibal Silveyra, Michael Van Cuzer, Cody Kelpolo, Auriana Chisholm, Vertreace Sanders, Preson Simon, Aaron Gillis, Michael Babiano, Jordan Elliot, and Lulu Francis, closes at LA’s Theatre West.
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Roundabout Theatre will present Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels Mar. 27 – June 27 (opening Apr. 19) at the Todd Haimes Theatre, directed by Scott Ellis.
Jane Banbury (Rose Byrne), Kelli O’Hara (Julia Sterroll), Tracee Chimo (Saunders), Mark Consuelos (Maurice Duclos), Christopher Fitzgerald (Willy Manbury), and Asif Mandvi (Fred Sterroll).
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Sweeney Todd will run Jan. 30 – Feb. 22 (opening Jan. 31) at CA’s La Mirada Theatre, directed by Jason Alexander.
Will Swenson (Sweeney Todd), Lesli Margherita (Mrs. Lovett), Chris Hunter (Anthony), Allison Sheppard (Johanna), Norman Large (Judge Turpin), Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper (Beadle Banford), Austyn Myers (Tobias), Andrew Polec (Pirelli), Meghan Andrews (The Beggar Woman), and Jeff Lowe (The Overseer), with Gabbie Adner, Anthony Cannarella, Ryan Dietz, Grant Hodges, Bets Malone, Drew Margolis, Michael McClure, Hassan Nazari-Robati, Lizzy Sheck, Riannay Vasquez, Toni Elizabeth White, Davide Costa, and Maddie Miller Lacambra,
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Matthew Gurren’s Ghost Light will run Feb. 3-7 at Tatro Latea at the Clemente (107 Suffolk St.), directed by Pamela Hunt.
Michael Kaczkowski, Cherrie McRae, Eric E. Oleson, Jackson Pavlik, James Schultz, and Arielle Zaytsev.
The play follows Claire Doyle, a successful but disillusioned TV and film star, who seeks a return to true acting by joining a Broadway revival of a long-forgotten play once headlined by the legendary Ethel Merman. But as opening night beckons, Claire faces mounting challenges from her inability to project to forgetting lines amidst a myriad of technical mishaps. Things take a bizarre turn when Merman’s ghost, who haunts the theater, is determined to sabotage Claire’s performance. With tensions rising and the show at risk, Claire must overcome her self-doubt and the spectral diva to prove she belongs on the Broadway stage in this hilarious, supernatural battle for the spotlight!
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The world premiere of Incitation to the Dance, written & directed by Michael Van Duzer, will run Feb. 13-15 at Theatre West.
Michael Gabiano (Malcolm), David Mingrino (Asher), Casey Alcoser (Finn).
Malcolm is a film professor teaching a class on Queer Coding in Film Noir. Asher is his husband, depressed as he faces a career crisis. Finn is a determined young man who upends their comfortable world with his provocative blend of sexuality and menace.
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Guy Bolton, Myles Connolly & Jean Holloway’s Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), directed by Richard Whorf, is now available to stream for free HERE.
Robert Walker, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, Van Johnson, Dorothy Patrick, June Allyson, Tony Martin, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra.
On opening night of his new Broadway musical, Show Boat, composer Jerome Kern (Robert Walker) reflects on his long career. With the help of his mentor, composer James Hessler (Van Heflin), a young Jerry travels to Europe and soon has one of his tunes placed in a successful production. Back home, Jerry’s unceasing efforts result in the production of his first show. Jerry’s career blossoms and he works with the best artists of the day while guiding James’ wayward but talented daughter, Sally.
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Michael Griffo’s Pen Pals has been extended through Feb. 1 at the DR2 Theatre, directed by SuzAnne Barabas.
Randy Graff and Beth Leavel.
The play follow the 50-year friendship of Bernie and Mags, who correspond from adolescence to the 60’s without meeting in person. The plot covers live milestones – marriage, divorce, careers, and sorrow.