This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, Jan. 30
Chez Joey, by Rogers & Hart’s and Richard LaGravenese, directed by Tony Goldwyn & Savion Glover, featuring Awa Sal Secka, Samantha Massell, Angela Hall, and Kevin Cahoon, opens at DC’s Arena Stage.
Ten Brave Seconds, by Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbott, directed by Ellie Heyman, featuring John Cariani, Will Blum, Luke Kolbe Mannikus, and Carson Stewart, opens at Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Theatre Company.
The Typist, world premiere by Shem Bitterman, directed by Jeremy Wechsler, featuring Noah James and Evangeline Edwards, opens at Hollywood’s Hudson Guild Theatre.
Hans Litten: The Jew Who Cross-examined Hitler, by Douglas Lackey, directed by Alexander Harrington, featuring Mark Vaughn, Hans Litten, Friedrich Litten, Irmagard Litten, Ludwig Barbacsh, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
Sweeney Todd, directed by Jason Alexander, featuring 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, previews at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
One Knight Only! Sir Ian McKellen Onstage with Gandalf, Shakespeare, and YOU benefit event, at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Saturday, Jan. 31
Sweeney Todd, directed by Jason Alexander, featuring 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, opens at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
What the Constituion Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck, directed by Christian Wolf, featuring Jessica Hayes, Brian Singer, and Brooklyn Reiss, opens at LA’s Theater West.
Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience, directed by Raymond O, featuring America Covarrubias, Naseem Etemad, Kita Grayson, Mackenzie Mondag, Savannah Schoenecker, and Janet Song, opens at LA’s Fountain Theatre.
The Unknown, by David Cales, directed by Leigh Silverman, starring Sean Hayes, begins previews at LA’s Studio Seaview.
“New York Stories” screening & conversation with Bradley Cooper, at 1 PM at NYC’s 92NY.
Eddie Izzard’s Shakespeare’s Hamlet solo show closes at LA’s Montalban Theatre.
Sunday, Feb. 1
The Street Car Project, directed by Nick Westrate, featuring Heather Lind, Brad Koed, James Russell, and Luci Owen, opens at San Francisco’s A.C.T.
Debbie Gravitte: Big Band Broadway Concert closes at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse.
Isenhower: this Piece of Ground, written & directed by Richard Hellesen, featuring John Rubinstein (Dwight D. Eisenhower), closes at CA’s Laguna Playhouse.
What the Constituion Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck, directed by Christian Wolf, featuring Jessica Hayes, Brian Singer, and Brooklyn Reiss, closes at LA’s Theatre West.
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T he 70th Drama Desk Awards will take place Sun. May 17 at NYC’s Town Hall.
The eligibility cut cutoff is Apr. 26, with the nominations announced on Apr. 29.
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A screening of the London production of Hamlet will take place Sat. Feb. 27 at 3 PM at UCLA’s James Bridges Theater, directed by Robert Hastie.
Hiran Abeysekera (Hamlet).
A fearless, contemporary take on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Trapped between duty and doubt, surrounded by power and privilege, young Prince Hamlet dares to ask the ultimate question – you know the one.
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Ensemble Theatre Company will present Ian Shaw & Joseph Nixon’s The Shark is Broken Feb. 4 – 22 (opening Feb. 7) at Santa Barbara’s New Vic, directed by Pesha Rudnick.
Will Block (Richard Dreyfuss), Gildart Jackson (Robert Shaw), and Adam Poole (Roy Scheider).
It’s 1974. The set of Jaws. The mechanical shark is malfunctioning, the schedule is in shambles, and three actors – Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider – are stuck on a boat, battling egos, alcohol, and artistic frustration. A razor-sharp, behind-the-scenes look at the making of one of the greatest films of all time.
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The New Dramatists Annual Spring Luncheon will take place Tue. May 26 at 11:15 AM at NYC’s Marriott Marquis’Ballroom. Click the link above for additional information.
Stephen Schwartz
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One Acts of Love will take place Tues. Feb. 10 at 7 PM at Beverly Hilll’s Theatre 40. 
This is non-ticketed event.
Playlets:
Loving Them by David Hunt Stafford.
Love by the Book by Jay Woelfel.
Mind-Field by John Strysik.
Connections by Steven Perros.
. Small Personal Items by David Datz.
Dracula, My Love – an excerpt from the full-length play by Syrie James.
Not reported.
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The New Dramatists Annual Spring Luncheon will take p lace Tues. May 26 at 11:15 AM at the New York Marriott Marquis in the Broadway Ballroom.
Link & dditional details TBA.
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Wait Until Dark, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, continues through Feb. 15 at Virginia Stage Company, directed by Mark Shanahan.
Meridith Parker (Susan), Steve Pacek (Mike), Seth Andrew Bridges (Roat), Triney Sanofal (Carlino), Mike Gerbi (Sam), and Wyllow Smith (Glroria).
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Video. Katrina Lenk sings “You’d Better Love Me” from High Spirits.
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The world premiere of David Henry Hwang’s updated Flower Drum Song will run Nay 28 – June 21 at East West Players, directed by Lily Tung Crystal.
Grace Yoio (Mei0Li), Emily Kuroda (Madame Lian), Marc Oka (Wang), Scott Kejji Takeda (Da), and Gedde Watanabe (Chin).
Themes of assimilation and tradition in 1960s San Francisco Chinatown take center stage in this long-beloved musical. The story follows Mei-li, a young Chinese opera artist fleeing communism, as she arrives in America and is swept up in the dazzling world of the Grant Avenue nightclubs. At a time when questions of identity, immigration, and cultural preservation feel especially urgent, David Henry Hwang’s reimagined of the bookgives Asian Americans a chance to reclaim this classic, offering new perspective and depth while honoring the community’s continuous evolution.
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5-Star Theatricals will present Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields’ The Play That Goes Wrong Mar.13 – 29 at Thousand Oak’s Scherr Forum Theatre, directed by Larry Raben.
Travis Joe Dixon a(Dennis), Mark Gagliardi (Robert), Adam Hagenbuch (Jonathan), Lyndsi Larose (Sandra), Gabi Manoukian (Annie), John Shartzer (Max), Justin Michael Wilcox (Chris), and Timothy Willard (Trevor), with Noah Kaplan, Samantha Lawrence-Mata and Calaway Swanson.
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Jack Holden, Ed Stambollouian & John Patrick Elliott’s Kenrex will begin previews Apr. 15 and open Apr. 26 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Jack Holden
The blistering true-crime thriller about the thin line between justice served and justice taken.