GRACE NOTES: Friday, July 7, 2023

This Weekend’s Highlights:

Friday, July 7

A Musical About Star Wars – of Why Star Wars is the Greatest Thing is the Galaxy, Much Much Better than Star Trek, by Tom Dangora, Taylor Crousore, Scott Foster & Billy Recce, directed by Tom & Michael D’Angora, featuring Taylor Crousore (Scott), Stone Mountain (Taylor), and Maggie McDowell (Emily), re-opens at Off-Broadway’s AMT Theatre.

Summer Stock, directed & choreographed by Donna Feore, featuring Stephen Lee Anderson (Lt. Henry (Pop) Falbury), Gilbert L. Bailey (Phil Filmore), Corbin Bleu (Joe Ross), Veanne Cox (Margaret Wingate), J. Anthony Crane (Montgomery Leach), Will Roland (Orville Wingate), Arianna Rosario (Gloria Falbury), and Danielle Wade (Jane Falbury), with Erika Amato, Hannah Balagot, DeShawn Bowens, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Emily Kelly, Francesca Mancuso, Tommy Martinez, Corinne Munsch, Gregory North, Kaylee Olsen, Jack Sippel, Cayel Tregeagle, Nicholas Cunha, and Kennedy Perez, opens at CT’s Goodspeed.

Clyde’s, by Lynn Nottage, directed by Mikael Burke, featuring Ayanna Bria Bakari, Michael Chenevert, Samuel María Gómez, David T. Patterson, and LaTonia Phipps, opens at Theaterworks Hartford.

Fela, by Fela Kuti, Bill T. Jones & Jim Lewis, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, featuring Duain Richmond (Fela), Nova Y. Payton (Funmilayo), and Shantel Cribbs (Sandra), with Bryan Archibald, Terrence J. Bennett, Simone Brown, Patrick Leonardo Casimir, Jyreika Guest, Bryan Jeffrey, Raquel Jennings, Emmanuel Kikoni, Raven Lorraine, Vaughn Ryan Midder, Ywande Odetoyinbo, Jantanies Thomas, Galen J. Williams, Jalisa Williams, Kanysha Williams, and Amadou Kouyate, opens at MD’s Olney Theatre.

Fascinating Rhythm, created & performed by Kirsten Salpini and Jared Troilo, opens at Boston’s Lyric Stage Company.

The Cottage, by Sandy Rustin, directed by Jason Alexander, featuring Eric McCormack (Beau), Laura Bell Bundy (Sylvia), Lilli Cooper (Marjorie), Nehal Joshi (Richard), Alex Moffat (Clarke), and Dana Steingold (Dierdre), with Michelle Federer, Matthew Floyd Miller, Tony Roach, and Jamie Ann Romero, begins previews at Broadway’s Haye’s Theatre.

The Wizard of Oz, directed by Paige Price, featuring Leianna Weaver (Dorothy Gale), Erik Scott Romney (Scarecrow), Michael James (Tinman), Dedrick Bonner (Cowardly Lion), Sarah Uriarte Berry (Glinda, the Good Witch), Erica Hanrahan (Wicked Witch of the West), Jason Graae (Wizard), and Dennis Holland (Uncle Henry), with Dekontee Tucrkile, Brianna Liddi, David Kirk Grant, TJ Punchard, Jacob Matthews, Taleen Shrikian, Eric Dubreuil, Julia Doty, Allen Lucky Weaver, DarRand Hall, Quintan Craig, Rachael Beard, James dela Cruz, Ameliac Fischer, Savannah Fischer, Faith Graham, Chloe Alyssa Hanser, Becca Last, Catherine Last, Elizabeth Last, Maisie Magdalen Oliveros, and Daniela Somers, previews at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West.

Saturday, July 8

Classical Theatre of Harlem’s FREE Malvolio, an irreverent comedy sequel inspired by Twelfth Night, directed by Ian Belknap & Ty Jones, featuring Allen Gilmore (Malvolio), John-Andrew Morrison (King Chadlio), Stephanie Berry (Olivia), Perry Gaffney (Viola), Paula Galloway (Maria), Mattthew J Harris (Fool), Marjorie Johnson (Nurse), Kineta Kunutu (Volina), Garbriel Lawrence (Orsino), Tony Macht (Valentin), Collin McConnell (Curious), JD Mollison (Prince Furtado), CB Murray (Rather Topas), Nathan M. Ramsey (Sebastian), and David Ryan Smith (Sir Toby Belch), with Déjà Anderson-Ross, Marcus Byers Jr., Taylor Collier, John DeFilippo, Brynlie Helmich, Valériane Louisy, Al-Nisa Petty, Duane Shabazz, Jonathan McClinton Smith, and Timothy Wilson, opens at Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. here.

BC/EFA‘s Broadway Barks FREE dog & cat adoption event, hosted by Bernadette Peters, with special guests Randy Rainbow and Josh Groban, from 3-6:30 PM at Broadway’s Shubert Alley.

Where Did We Go Right? gala, honoring Julie Andrews (via video), Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick, and Bay Street board member Carol Konner, directed by Will Pomerantz, featuring Derrick Davis, Isaac Mizrahi, James Bassi, Samantha Massell, Max Chlumecky, Lora Lee Gayer, and Matthew Scott, at 6:30 PM at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre.

Bryce Pinkham (Dr. Orin Scrivello D.D.S.) returns to Little Shop of Horrors at Off-Broadway’s Westside Theatre.

Liz Callaway: Screen Gems concert, livestreamed at 7 PM ET at NYC’s 54 Below.

Hope Has a Happy Meal, by Tom Fowler, directed by Lucy Morrison, featuring Laura Checkley, Mary Malone, Amaka Okafor, Felix Scott, and Nima Taleghani, closes at London’s Royal Court Theatre.

Cabaret, directed by Alan Paul, featuring Nik Alexander (Emcee), Krysta Rodriguez (Sally Bowles), Alysha Umphress (Fraulein Kost), Richard Kline (Herr Schultz), Dan Amboyer (Cliff Bradshaw), Candy Buckley (Fraulein Schneider), and Tom Story (Ernst Ludwig) with Max Antonio Gonzalez, Julia Harnett, Kim Hudman, Lina Lee, Charles Mayhew Miller, Ryland Marbutt, Fredric Odgaard, James Rose, and Tiffany Topol, closes at MA’s Barrington Stage Company.

Ragtime: The Symphonic Concert, directed by Jason Danieley, featuring Elizabeth Stanley (Mother), Nikki Renée Daniels (Sarah), A.J. Shively (Mother’s Younger Brother), David Harris (Father), and Klea Blackhurst (Emma Goldman). Alton Fitzgerald White (Coalhouse Walker Jr.), and more, closes at MA’s Tanglewood.

Sunday, July 9

2 Pianos 4 Hands, by Ted Dyskstra & Richard Greenblatt, directed by Tom Frey, featuring Jefferson McDonald (Ted) and Matthew McGloin (Richard), opens at Laguna Playhouse.

Theatre Aspen‘s Master Class, directed by Joanna Gleason, featuring Phylicia Rashad, Anna Thompson, Marissa Moultrie, and Joseph Tancredi, opens at the Wheeler Opera House.

An Evening with Jimmy Webb concert, at 7:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.

The Comeuppance, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Eric Ting, featuring Brittany Bradford (Ursula), Caleb Eberhardt (Emilio), Susannah Flood (Caitlin), Bobby Moreno (Francisco), and Shannon Tyo ( Maryana), closes at Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre.

Sweeny Todd, directed by Sarna Lapine, featuring Nathaniel Stampley (Sweeney Todd), Bryonha Marie (Mrs. Lovett), Rayanne Gonzales (Begger Woman), Ian McEuen (Adolpho Pirelli), Katie Mariko Murray (Johanna), Christopher Michael Richardson (Beedle Bamford), Paul Scanlan (Anthony), Harrison Smith (Tobias), and John Leslie Wolfe (Judge Turpin), with Benjamin Lurye, Jimmy Mavrikes, Bob McDonald, Adelina Mitchell, Crystal Mosser, Lawrence Redmond, Katherine Riddle, Sarah Anne Sillers, Chani Wereley, Julia Wheeler Lennon, Rebecca Madeira, Dylan Toms, and Hank Kolnitz, closes at DC’s Signature Theatre.

Soul Divas Reprise concert, featuring Awa Sal Secka and Shayla S. Simmons, closes at DC’s Signature Theatre.

Water for Elephants, world premiere by Rick Elice & PigPen Theatre Company, directed by Jessica Stone, featuring Stan Brown (Camel), Joe De Paul (Walter), Bryan Fenkart (August), Sara Gettelfinger (Barbara), Harry Groener (Mr. Jankowski), Isabelle McCalla (Marlena), Wade McCollum (Wade), and Ryan Vasquez (Jacob), with Brandon Block, Antoine Boissereau, Paul Castree, Taylor Colleton, Isabella Luisa Diaz, Gabrielle Elisabeth, Keaton Hentoff-Killian, Nicolas Jelmoni, Caroline Kane, Joel Malkoff, Michael Mendez, Jo’Nathan Michael, Gabriel Olivera De Paula Costa, Samuel Renaud, Marissa Rosen, Alexandra Gaelle Royer, Sean Stack, Matthew Varvar, and Michelle West, closes at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.

The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, directed by Patricia McGregor, featuring John Michael Hill (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and Amanda Warren (Camae), closes at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.

Accommodation, world premiere by Greg Burdick, directed by Brandon Baer & Garrett Baer, featuring Sandy Bainum (Celeste Dawkins), Jacob Cherry (Michael Newsome), Sol Crespo (Ruth Lopez), Laura Niemi (Anne Roteman), and Massi Pregoni (Michael Newsome), closes at LA’s Odyssey Theatre.

**********************

Complete casting has been announced for King Lear, to run Oct. 21 – Dec. 9 (opening Oct. 31) at Wyndham’s Theatre, directed by Kenneth Branagh. The production will then transfer to Off-Broadway’s The Shed (dates, casting, and additional information TBA).

Kenneth Branagh (King Lear), Mara Allen (Curan), Deborah Allij (Goneril), Raymond Anum (Burgundy), Melanie-Joyce Bermudez (Regan), Doug Colling (Edgar), Dyland Corbett-Bader (France), Eleanor de Rohan (Kent), Chloe Fenwick-Brown (Oswald), Joseph Kloska (Gloucester), Corey Mylchreest (Edmund), Hughie O’Donnell (Cornwall), Caleb Obediah (Cornwall), and Jessica Reyell (Cordelia/The Fool).

**********************

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced complete casting for Qui Nguyen’s Poor Yella Rednecks, to begin previews Oct. 10 and open Nov. 1 at New York City Center, directed by May Adrales.

Jon Hoche, Ben Levin, Samantha Quan, Jon Norman Schneider, Maureen Sebastian, and Paco Tolson.

A young Vietnamese family attempts to put down roots in Arkansas, a place as different from home as it gets. A mom and dad balance big hopes and low-wage jobs, as old flings threaten to pull them apart. It all makes for a bumpy road to the American dream. From the world of Nguyen’s Vietgone, with its comic book and action movie influences, comes a play that melds a deeply personal story with the playwright’s trademark, killer humor.

**********************

Video: Highlights from Chess at the Muny, starring Jessica Vosk, Jarrod Spector, John Riddle, Rodney Hicks, Tally Sessions, Phillip Johnson Richardson, and Taylor Louderman.

**********************

Boston’s Lyric Stage Company has announced its 2023-24 season:

Assassins (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15)

The Game’s Afoot: Holmes for the Holidays (Nov. 10 – Dec. 17), by Ken Ludwig

Trouble in Mind (Jan. 12 – Feb. 4, 2024), by Alice Childress. A Black actress makes her 1955 Broadway debut in a backstage story crackling wit and startling revelations.

Thirst (Feb. 23 – Mar. 17), by Ronán Noone. Two Irish immigrant women search for love, serenety, and a place to call “home.”

The Drowsy Chaperone (Apr. 5 – May 12),

Yellow Face (May 21 – June 23), by David Henry Hwang

**********************

Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, starring Linda Purl, will run Aug. 4-13 at Pinehurst, NC’s JTC 2023 Summer Theatre Festival.

**********************

Twenty limited-edition, signed Al Hirschfeld prints are now available for auction through July 20 (online) HERE, in support of BC/EFA and The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.

Available hand-signed collectible prints from the following celebrities include Alan Alda, Julie Andrews, Cher, Michael Crawford, Clive Davis, Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli, Judi Dench, Richard Gere, Mark Hamill, Billy Joel, John Malkovich, Steve Martin, Ian McKellen, Reba McEntire, Chita Rivera, Linda Ronstadt, Martin Short, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken and John Williams.

**********************

MA’s Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced is 2023 Reading Series:

Paris, ACTORS! (July 23), by Hamish Linklater, directed by Jack OBrien, featuring Gus Birney, Hamish Linklater, Jeremiah Maestas, Lily Rabe, Noah Robbins, Jordan Tyson, Jay O. Sanders, Michael Stuhlbarg. Occupied Paris. 1944. Real-life celebrity Nazi Werner Krauss is between projects. But the Party, desperate for a propaganda extravaganza in the City of Lights, has arranged a remount of his notorious Merchant of Venice produced by a French theater teeming with family secrets. Paris, ACTORS! is The Last Metro if Truffaut were unavailable to direct, but the Marx Brothers were.

Three Sisters (July 29 & 30), directed by Kristjan Thor, featuring Edmund Donovan, Grace Gummer, Henry Wolfe Gummer, Mamie Gummer, Louisa Jacobson, Robert Sean Leonard, John Rothman, Dario Ladani Sanchez, and more TBA.

The Pillowman (Aug. 5-6), by Martin McDonagh, directed by Lila Neugebauer, featuring Michael Chernus, Alison Pill, and more TBA. They say life imitates art – but what happens when that art is horror? In a totalitarian dictatorship, young author Katurian is interrogated by the authorities after a string of child murders bears a striking resemblance to his grisly short stories. When his brother admits to the murders and implicates Katurian and their troubled childhood, more complicated questions arise – is it really possible to separate art from artist?

**********************

Ted Swindley’s Honky Tonk Angels will run July 14 – Aug. 20 (opening July 18) at Albany’s Capital Rep, directed & choreographed by Gary John La Rosa.

Erin Edelle (Angela), Elizabeth Nestlerode (Darlene), and Kara-Tameika Watkins (Sue Ellen).

Three women drawn together by their love of country music and their desire to leave their current lives behind, decide to travel to Nashville to find themselves–and hopefully a successful singing group in the process!

**********************

Video: Highlights from Transport Group’s Nine in Concert, starring Santino Fontana.

**********************

James Lapine & William Finn’s A New Brain will run Aug. 16 – Sept. 10 (opening Aug. 20) at MA’s Barrington Stage Company, directed by by Joe Calarco.

Adam Chanler-Berat, Mayr Testa, Tally Sessions, Demond Green, Dorcas Leung, Salome Smith, and Justine Horihata Rappaport.

**********************

Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s Farewell Mister Haffman will run Aug. 24 – Sept. 23 (opening Aug. 31) at the Bath Theatre Royal, directed by Lindsay Posner.

Alexander Hanson, Lisa Dillon Ciarán Owens, Josefina Gabrielle, and Nigel Lindsay.

Set in 1942 Paris during the Nazi occupation, the play centers on a Jewish shop owner and his long standing employee as they change roles in an attempt to survive occupation with their personal and professional lives intact.

**********************

Video: Alan Menken‘s emotional rendition of “Sheridan Square” at a recent 54 Below tribute. Scroll down…

**********************

Audio: Gaten Matarazzo’s “Not While I’m Around” from the upcoming cast album of Broadway’s Sweeney Todd.

**********************

The Sound of Music will run July 11-16 at Pittsburgh CLO, directed & choreographed by Marc Robin.

Hanley Smith (Maria), Will Ray (Captain Von Trapp), Daniella Dalli (Mother Abbess), Maddie Dick (Liesl Von Trapp), Blake Hammond (Max Detweiler), Katie Sina (Elsa Schraeder), Susan Cella (Frau Schmidt), Sam Greene (Rolf) Erika Strasburg (Sister Mararetta), Anna Bakun (Sister Sophia), Rebecca Robins (Sister Berthe), J Alex Noble (Franz), Carlianna Connors (Brigitta), Emily Harajda (Louisa), Aubree Liscotti (Gretl), Sloan Masula (Marta), Max Peluso (Fredrick), Henry Thomas (Kurt), and many more.