This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, June 16
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, opens at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.
Celebration Theatre‘s Tales of the Transcestors, by Jude Batterman, directed by Shaan Dasani, featuring Amir Levi (Claude Cahun), Nicole Delsack (Marcel Moor), B Alexander (Pauli Murray), Mallery Jenna Robinson (Mary Jones), Felix Garcia (Jose Manuel Pachini), and Alexia Jasmene (Dawn Langley Simmons), opens at LA’s Greenway Court Theatre.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, directed by Victoria Pearlman, featuring Brad Greenquist (Vanya), Tania Getty (Sonia), Martha Hackett (Masha), Zach Kanner (Spike), Miranda Wynne (Nina), and Cyndy Fujikawa (Cassandra), previews at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
Saturday, June 17
Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, by Jane Chamber, directed by Hannah Wolf., featuring Sarah Scott Davis, Allison Husko, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Lindsay LaVanchy, Noelle Messier, Stephanie Pardi, Anne Sonneville, Sasha Surdyke, and Ellen D. Williams, opens at LA’s Fountain Theatre.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, directed by Victoria Pearlman, featuring Brad Greenquist (Vanya), Tania Getty (Sonia), Martha Hackett (Masha), Zach Kanner (Spike), Miranda Wynne (Nina), and Cyndy Fujikawa (Cassandra), opens at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
Celebration Theatre‘s Tales of the Transcestors, by Jude Batterman, directed by Shaan Dasani, featuring Amir Levi (Claude Cahun), Nicole Delsack (Marcel Moor), B Alexander (Pauli Murray), Mallery Jenna Robinson (Mary Jones), Felix Garcia (Jose Manuel Pachini), and Alexia Jasmene (Dawn Langley Simmons), opens at LA’s Greenway Court Theatre.
Here Lies Love, by David Byrne & Fatboy Slim, directed by Alex Timbers, featuring Arielle Jacobs (Imelda Marcos), Lea Salonga, Conrad Ricomora, Jose Llana, Melody Butiu, Jaygee Macapuagay, Julia Abueva, Aaron Alcaraz, Kristina Doucette, Jeigh Madjus, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne, Angelo Soriano, Moses villarama, Jasmine Forsberg, Reanne Acasio, Renée Albulario, Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay, and Aaron “AJ” Mercado, begins previews at Broadway’s Broadway Theatre.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, directed by Georgie Rankcom, with gender-swapped leads, Gabrielle Friedman (J. Pierrpont Finch), Tracie Bennett (J.B. Biggley), Annie Aitken (Hedy LaRue), Taylor Bradshaw (Mr. Bert Bratt), Allie Daniel (Rosemary Pilkington), Elliot Gooch (Bud Frump), Grace Kanyamibwa (Miss Jones), Danny Lane (Mr. Twimble/Mr. Wally Womper) Milo McCarthy (Mr. Milton Gatch), and Verity Power (Smitty), with Michelle Visage (Narrator), closes at London’s Southwark Playhouse.
All of It, by Alistair McDowall, directed by Vicky Featherstone & Sam Pritchard, starring Kate O’Flynn, closes at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Tommy and Me, by Ray Didinger, directed by Nick Corley, featuring Gordon Clapp, William Bednar, Jacob Beser, and Matthew Lamb, with Bruce Sabath and John Brodsky, closes at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.
The Darkness: Goddess Revealed, written by & starring Nick Gillie, directed by Dwain Perry, closes at LA’s Actors Actor’s Gang.
Antaeus Theatre Company‘s The Tempest, directed by Nike Doukas, featuring Peter Van Norden (Prospero), Anja Racié (Miranda), Peter Mendoza (Ferdinand), Elinor Gunn (Ariel), Leo Marks (Caliban), Bernard K. Addison (Antonio), John Allee (Sebastian), Adrian LaTourelle (Alonso/Stephano), Saundra McClain (Gonzala), and Erin Pineda (Trincula), closes at Glendale’s Kiki & David Gindler Performing Art Center
Memoryhouse, world premiere by Melissa Barak, closes at LA’s Broad Stage.
Sunday, June 18
The Caretaker, by Harold Pinter, directed by Elina Santos, featuring Richard Fancy, Scott Sheldon, and Spike Pulice, opens at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
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), opens at LA’s Odyssey Theatre.
Fetch Clay, Make Man, by Will Power, directed by Debbie Allen, featuring Ray Fisher (Muhammad Ali), Edwin Lee Gibson (Stepin Fetchit), Wilkie Gerguson II (Borther Rashid), Alexis Floyd (Sonji Clay), and Bruce Nozick (William Fox), begins previews at LA’s Kirk Douglas Theatre.
Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park benefit, in support of BC/EFA, featuring nearly 200 of Broadway’s most delectable dancers, including Jonathan Burke, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Mykal Kilgore, Marty Thomas, Jessica Vosk, J. Harrison Ghee, Alex Newell, Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, Nick Adams, Kyle Brown, Stephen DeRosa, Taurean Everett, Justin Prescott, Constantine Rousouli, and Aléna Watters, at 9:30 PM & Midnight at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
Jordan Fisher (Anthony Hope) concludes his run in Sweeney Todd at Broadway’s Lunt Fontanne Theatre.
Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Summer, 1976, by David Auburn, directed by Daniel Sullivan, featuring Jessica Hecht and Laura Linney, closes at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Rose, by Martin Sherman, directed by Scott LeCrass, starring Maureen Lipman, closes at London’s Ambassadors Theatre.
Passing Strange, by Stew & Heidi Rodewald, directed by Raymond O. Caldwell, featuring Isaac “Deacon Izzy” Bell (Narrator), Imani Branch (sherry/Renata/Desi), Deimoni Brewington (Youth), Alex De Bard (Edwina/Marianna/Sudabey), Michael J. Mainwaring (Hugo/Christopher/Terry), Kara-Tameika Watkins (Mother), and Tobias A. Young (Mrs. Franklin/Joop/Mr. Venus), with Jordan Essex, Kalen Robinson and Tyrell Stanley, closes at DC’s Signature Theatre.
Murder on the Links, world premiere written & directed by Steven Dietz, featuring Kim Morgan Dean (Captain Hastings), Jennifer Erdmann (Woman One), Brian Mackey (Man Two), Jessica Mosher (Woman Two), Omri Schein (Hercule Poirot), and Matthew Salazar-Thompson (Man One), closes at Laguna Playhouse.
Anything Goes, directed by directed by Ameenah Kaplan, featuring Rashidra Scott (Reno Sweeney), A.J. Shively (Billy Crocker), Liz Leclerc (Hope Harcourt), Jeff Howell (Moonface Martin), Goeff Packard (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh), Andrea Weinzierl (Erma), Theo Allyn (Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt), Ryan Cavanaugh (Purser), Joseph Domenic (Captain), Ted Guzman (John), Jerreme Rodruguez (Luke), and Allan Snyder (Elisha Whitney), with Ashely Agrusa, Sean Bell, Kristen Grace Brown, Bobby M. Davis, Zachary Doran, Kylie Edwards*, Brady Miller, Marjorie Failoni*, Mathew Fedorek*, Nathan Fister, Jordan Giles, Laura Guley, Michael Pesko, Madysen Piper, Myah Segura, and Renell Taylor, closes at Pittsburgh CLO.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, featuring Sara Sheperd (Carole King), Jarrod Spector (Barry Man), Jackie Burns (Cynthia Weil), Steven Good (Gerry Goffin), Noah Weisbert (Don Kirshner), and Sharon Hunter (Genie Klein), with Corey Barrow, John Battagliese, Jett Blackorby, Kelly Liz Bolic, Shawn Bowers, Tavis Kordell Cunningham, Anna Gassett, Talya Groves, Alia Hodge, Kennedy Holmes, Sage Lee, Sandie Lee, Spencer Davis Milford, Tavia Riveé, Mike Schwitter, and Byron S. Cyr, closes at the St. Louis Muny.
The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow, directed by directed by Meredith McDonough, featuring Henry Walter Greenbert (Clown), Nate Miller (Clown), Marco Alberto Robinson (Richard Hannay), and Amelia Pedlow (Annabella/Pamela/Margaret), with Annie Barbour and Seth Dhonau, closes at the Denver Center CPA.
Double Helix, world premiere by Madeline Myers, directed by Scott Schwartz, featuring Samantha Massell (Rosalind Franklin), Anthony Chatmon II (Maurice Wilkins), Matthew Christian (Jacques Mering), Max Chlumecky (James Watson), Anthony Joseph Costello (Raymond Gosling), Amy Justman (Adrienne Weill), Austin Ku (Francis Crick), Thom Sesma (John Randal), and Tuck Sweeney (William Bates), with Kate Fitzgerald and Ethan Yaheen-Moy Chan, closes at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre.
Now or Later, by Christopher Shinn, directed by Ann Bronston, featuring Cherish Monique Duke, Brendan Farrell, Suzanne Ford, Samuel Garnett, George Kappaz, and Jack McKeever, closes at LA’s Matrix Theatre.
**********************
Signature Theatre has announced 3 productions set to debut in Winter and Spring 2024.
Sunset Baby (Jan. 30 – Mar. 10), by Dominique Morisseau, directed by by Steve H. Broadnax. 
A story about the tense reunion between a Black revolutionary and former political prisoner and his estranged daughter.
Orlando (Apr. 2 – May 12), by Sarah Ruhl, adapted from Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same name. Written by Woolf for her lover, Vita Sacville-West, Orlando’s adventures begin as a young man, when he serves as courtier to Queen Elizabeth. Through many centuries of living, he becomes a 20th-century woman, trying to sort out her existence. Taylor Mac will take on the title role, with direction by Will Davis.
Three Houses (Apr. 30 – June 9), world premiere by Dave Malloy, directed by Annie Tippe. The story brings three strangers together for a post-pandemic open mic night parable about magic, madness, and the end of the world.
**********************
Annette Bening will succeed Brian Stokes Mitchel as the new chair of the Entertainment Community Fund board.
Brian will continue to serve the Fund as a Trustee and Chair of the newly-formed Leadership Council, a group of performing arts and entertainment community leaders comprised of former Trustees.
**********************
Broadway in your Backyard will run June 27 – Aug. 8 at Chicago’s Porchlight Theatre, directed by Frankie Leo Bennett & Michael Weber, with music direction by Linda Madonia.
(rotating): Adrian Aguilar, Bryce Ancil, Lydia Burke, Desiree Gonzalez, Lorenzo Rush Jr and Ciarra Stroud.
**********************
RIP: Glenda Jackson, Tony, Oscar, Emmy, and BAFTA winner, passed away June 15 at the age of 87, following a brief illness.
Born to a poor family in Cheshire, England in 1936, Ms. Jackson’s parents had higher aspirations for her from the start, naming her after the Hollywood film star Glenda Farrell. After beginning to perform in YMCA productions following World War II, Ms. Jackson received a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts, which brought Ms. Jackson to London and a series of fallow years before she found professional acting work.
After a series of unsuccessful auditions, Ms. Jackson became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, joining as a part of the late director Peter Brook’s Theatre of Cruelty Season. As a company member, she originated the role of Charlotte Corday in Marat/Sade, which she continued to star in for Broadway and Paris engagements, as well as the 1967 film.
In 1969, she won her first Academy Award for her performance D. H. Lawrence’s “Women in Love,” which was soon followed by her receiving an Emmy award for her work on the BBC serial “Elizabeth R,” in which she portrayed Queen Elizabeth I. She again played Elizabeth in the film “Mary, Queen of Scots” opposite Vanessa Redgrave, netting an additional Academy Award nomination in 1971, alongside her 1971 BAFTA win for the film Sunday Bloody Sunday.
In 1990, Ms. Jackson retired from performance to reorient herself toward politics. As a Member of Parliament, Ms. Jackson was a particularly fierce opponent to Prime Minister Tony Blair, particularly surrounding financial barriers he attempted to place on high education, and his handling of the Iraq War. In 2013, following the death of Margaret Thatcher, Ms. Jackson presented a scathing eulogy on the house floor that soon went viral.
In 2015, Ms. Jackson stepped down as a Member of Parliament ahead of her 80th birthday, completing a 23-year career in politics. Never one to fully retire, she instead returned to the stage, playing the title role of King Lear in Shakespeare’s epic both in London and on Broadway. In 2018, Ms. Jackson won a Tony for her work on the Broadway revival of Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women.
**********************
Sierra Boggess will reprise her role as Mary in Barry Manilow & Bruce Sussman’s Harmony, to begin previews Oct. 8 and open Nov. 13 at the Barrymore Theatre.
Chip Zien, Julie Benko, and the six Comedian Harmonists – Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey, along with more TBA.
**********************
Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land will run July 13 – Aug. 20 (opening July 23) at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, directed by Les Waters.
Austin Pendleton, Jeff Perry, John Hudson Odom, and Samuel Roukin.
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for the national tour of MJ, which will launch Aug. 1.
Click here for the tour schedule.
Roman Banks (MJ), Jamaal Fields-Green (MJ Alternate), Brandon Lee Harris (Michael), Joseah Benson (Little Michael), Ethan Joseph (Little Michael), Devin Bowles (Joseph Jackston/Rob), Mary Kate Moore (Rachel), J. Daughtry (Berry Gody/Nick), Josh A. Dawson (Tito Jackson/Quincy Jones), Jaylen Lyndon Hunter (Little Marlon), Matt Loehr (Dave), Da’Von Moodey (Alejandro), and Anastasia Talley (Katherine Jackson /Kate), with JoJo Carmichael, Croix DiIenno, Kellie Drobnick, Kyle Dupree, Zuri Noelle Ford, Jahir L. Hipps, Bryson Jacobi Jackson, Rajané Katurah, Jordan Markus, Matteo Marretta, Janayé McAlpine, Jay McKenzie, Kendrick Mitchell, Chelsea Mitchell-Bonsu, Zion Pradier, Ayla Stackhouse, Brion Watson, Charles P. Way, and Malcolm Miles Young.
**********************
Gingold Theatre Group will present a script-in-hand performance of Shaw’s Man and Superman on Mon. June 19 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by David Staller.
Dakin Matthews (Roebuck Ramsden (& The Statue), Carman Lacavita (Octcavius Robinson), Max Gordon Moore (John Tanner & Don Juan), Kate Hamill (Ann Whitefield (& Dona Ana), Christine Toy Johnson (Mrs. Whitefield), Olivia Kinter (Violet Robinson), Shawn Kuman Jain (Hector Malone), Nick Wyman (Mr. Malone), and John-Andrew Morrison (Mendoza, The Devil).
**********************
Center Theatre Group (CTG) — along with arts organizations across the country— continues to feel the aftereffects of the pandemic and has been struggling to balance ever-increasing production costs with significantly reduced ticket revenue and donations that remain behind 2019 levels. We are still facing a crisis unlike any other in our fifty-six-year history. It is in this environment that we have to take the extraordinary step of pausing a significant portion of CTG programming beginning this summer and continuing through the 2023/24 Season, as well as taking significant restructuring measures to build a vibrant and sustainable organization that can navigate this new paradigm.
CTG will be announcing a 2023/24 Season in the Ahmanson Theatre and select programming at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. CTG will pause season programming at the Taper beginning this July. This pause will include the postponement of the world premiere of Fake It Until You Make It by Larissa FastHorse and directed by Michael John Garcés, which we plan to feature in a future season. Regrettably, we also need to cancel the previously announced tour of Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee and directed by Chay Yew. Taper subscribers and ticket holders will be contacted directly with further details.