This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, June 18
Constellations, by Nick Payne, directed by Michael Longhurst, featuring 4 different casts — Sheil Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah (June 18 – Aug. 1)….. Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker (June 23 – July 24)….. Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey (July 30 – Sept. 11)….. and Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd Aug. – Sept. 12) opens at London’s Vaudeville Theatre.
The Play That Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields, directed by Mark Bell, featuring Blayer Benn (Trevor), Ross Green (Chris), Elan James (Jonathan), Michael Keane (Dennis), David Kirkbride (Robert), Jack Michael Stacey (Max), Ciara Morris (Annie), and Ellie Morris (Sandra), re-opens at London’s Duchess Theatre.
Spamalot, directed by BT McNicholl, featuring Charles Shaughnessy (King Arthur), Mariand Torres (Lady of the Lake), Marc Ginsburg (Sir Lancelot), Daniel A. Lopez (Sir Galahad), Josh Grisetti (Sir Robin), Dwelyan David (Sir Bedevere), Nic Rouleau (The Historian), and Jennifer Cody (Patsy), with Maya Kazzaz, Larkin Reilly, Jacob Robert-Miller, Michael Olaribigbe, Mackenzie Perpich, and Celina Nightengale, opens at ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse.
An Octoroon, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Judith Moreland, featuring Leea Ayers, Matthew Hancock, Mara Klein, Hazel Lozano, Rob Nagle, Kacie Rogers, Vanessa Claire Stewart, and Pam Trotter, opens at LA’s Fountain Theatre.
“Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It” documentary, directed by Mariem Perez Riéra, featuring George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estafan, Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria, Justin Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Karen Olive, opens in theaters.
Stars in the House, with a Hedwig and the Angry Inch reunion, with special guests Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall, streams for FREE at 8 PM ET here.
Volpone, or the Fox benefit reading, by Ben Jonson, directed by Jesse Berger, featuring ndré De Shields, Jordan Boatman, Sofia Cheyenne, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Clifton Duncan, Amy Jo Jackson, Peter Francis James, Hamish Linklater, Roberta Maxwell, Sam Morales, Kristine Nielsen, and Mary Testa, concludes FREE streaming at Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater.
Saturday, June 19
The Broadway League‘s Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth, celebrating Broadway, FREE live event at 12 PM ET in Times Square.
“Broadway Profiles with Tamsen Fadal,” with special guests Rita Moreno, Kuhoo Verma, Anaïs Reno, Cynthia Darlow, and Lawrence Keith Alexander, streams for FREE here (also June 20).
American Theatre Wing’s 2017 Centennial Concert and Gala, featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell, Heather Headley, Santino Fontana, Norm Lewis, Beth Malone, Rebecca Luker, Laura Osnes, and more, concludes FREE streaming on Broadway HD.
Marilyn Maye: Broadway, the Maye Way concert, concludes streaming at 54 Below.
Sunday, June 20
Broadway Bares: Twerk from Home benefit event, in support of BC/EFA, directed by Jerry Mithcell, Laya Barak & Nick Kenkel, with choreography by Barak Kenkel, John Alix, Al Blackstone, Frank Boccia, Karla Puno Barcia featuring Harvey Fierstein, J. Harrison Ghee, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Robyn Hurder, Peppermint, and Jelani Remy, Jonthan Lee, Ray Mercer, Dylan Pearce, Jenn Rose, Luis Salgado, Michael Lee Scott, Gabriella Sorrentino, Kellen Stancil, Rickey Tripp, and James Alonzo White… along with special guests: 170 of NYC’s hottest dancers, and offering 14 all-new concept videos, streams for FREE at 9 PM ET here.
Musical Theatre West‘s Broadway in the Park 2021 live benefit concert & silent auction, featuring David Burnham, Grasan Kingsberry, David Engel, Madison Claire Parks, Jason Graae, and more, at 5:30 PM PT at The Grand Long Beach.
Call Gloria at 562-856-1999 ext. 229.
“Broadway Profiles with Tamsen Fadal,” with special guests Rita Moreno, Kuhoo Verma, Anaïs Reno, Cynthia Darlow, and Lawrence Keith Alexander, streams for FREE here.
Black Beans Project, by Melinda Lopez & Joel Perez, directed by Jaime Castañeda, featuring Melinda Lopez & Joel Perez, concludes streaming at Boston’s Huntington Theatre.
Ohio State Murders filmed production, by Adrienne Kennedy, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, featuring Destina Huston (Iris Ann), Robert Hampshire (Shane Kenyon), Jacqueline William (Present Suzanne), Eunice Woods (Young Suzanne), Ernest Bentley (David/Val), and Dee Dee Battesast (Aunt Louise/Mrs. Tyler/Miss Dawson), concludes streaming at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Turn Back Time: Ben & Dee Rock the 70s, 80s, and Beyond outdoor concert, featuring Dee Roscioli & Ben Clark, closes at CT’s Goodspeed Musicals.
The Last Five Years, directed by Jamie Torcellini, featuring John Battagliese and Gabriela Carillo, concludes streaming at Long Beach’s International City Theatre.
We Are Out There virtual production, by Joe Kinosian, Kellen Blair & Daniel Schloss, featuring Cher Alvarez (Sunny), E. Faye Butler (Coral), Alex Goodrich (Matt), Christopher Kale Jones (John), Jaye Ladymore (Ellen), and Joe Kinosian (Others), concludes FREE streaming at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (use promo code ALIEN for FREE access).
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Off-Broadway’s LAByrinth Theatre has announced its #SAVETHELAB All-Star Fundraiser, to stream Tues. June 22 at 8 PM ET.
Joy Behar, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Chlumsky, Alan Cumming, Giancarlo Esposito, Luis Guzman, John Hamm, Juliana Margulies, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Sophie Turner, and more.
If you are unable to attend and would like to donate, click here.
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Mike Birbiglia’s new solo show, The Old Mand and the Pool, begins Jan. 4, 2022 (closing date TBA) at Berkeley Rep, directed by Seth Barrish.
A tale of life, death, and Birbiglia’s visits to a highly chlorinated YMCA pool, and is described as a “rumination on middle age that celebrates life while making detours into pizza math, pulmonary tests, and glass jars of peanut M&M’s.”
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In celebration of the July 15 – Aug. 8 “Broadway Live Cinema Festival,” a concert series — 54 Below at the AMC Rooftop — will take place at the AMC Empire (234 W. 42nd Street).
here.
JULY 15: The Barrio Sings Broadway, featuring Broadway & National Tour cast members of In The Heights, and friends.
JULY 15: The Skivvies: The Little Shop of Horrors Edition, with Lauren Molina & Nick Cearley, with special guest Taamika Lawrence, and more TBA.
JULY 16: Zack Zadek & Friends Celebrate In The Heights
JULY 16: Sing Happy…And All That Jazz – Queer & Trans Artists Celebrate Kander & Ebb, directed by Max Friedman.
JULY 17: Christine Pedi Celebrates Chicago.
JULY 17: Julie James shares behind0the-scenes stories about the Broadway titles featured in the film festival.
JULY 22: Robert Creighton: It’s Time to Dream.
JULY 22: Bianca Marroquin (Chicago)
JULY 23: Danny Jonokuchi and The Revisionists Celebrate West Side Story.
July 23: The Legacy of In the Heights: A Latinx Writers Concert featuring the work of Jaime Lozano and more.
JULY 24: Melissa Errico Wings the Yellow Brick Road, featuring the Matt Baker Quintet.
JULY 24: Destinee Rea in The Muse – An Evening Honoring Black Women.
JULY 29: Brenda Braxton: Act 2, Now What
JULY 29: The Yellow Brick Legacy, directed by Benjamin Rauhala, starring Caroline Bown, Austin Colby, Anastacia McCleskey, and Daniel Quadrino.
JULY 30: Julia Murney
AUG. 5: Rona Siddiqui & Friends
AUG 5: Joe Iconis and Family Salutes Ashman & Menken
AUG. 6: Amy Spanger Celebrates Chicago, with special guest Lana Gordon.
AUG 7: Jennifer Leigh Warren
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The Broadway return of David Byrne’s American Utopia will run Sept. 17 – Mar. 6, 2022 at the St. James Theatre, with choreography & musical staging by Annie-B Parson.
David Byrne, Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Christ Giarmo, tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan, and Bobby Wooten III.
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Video: “Down at the Diner,” the original opening number in the Dec. 2014 workshop of Waitress (and later replaced with “Opening Up”), featuring Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, and Barrett Wilbert Weed.
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Hairspray will run June 21 – Sept. 29 (opening June 21 at a limited capacity of 1,000 seats, then opening at full capacity on July 20) at the London Coliseum, directed by Jack O’Brien, with choreography by Jerry Mitchell, and music
Michael Ball (Edna Turnblad), Lizzie Bea (Tracy Turnblad), Les Dennis (Wilbur Turnblad), Jonny Amies (Link Larkin), Marisha Wallace (Motormouth Maybelle), Rita Simons (Velma Von Tussle), Georgia Anderson (Amber Von Tussle), Kimani Arthur (Inez), Dermot Canavan (Male Authority Figure), Lori Haley Fox (Female Authority Figure), with Mari McGinlay (Penny Pingleton) Ashley Samuels (Seaweed J Stubbs), Michael Vinsen (Corny Collings), Imogen Bailey (Shelly), and many more.
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Jack Thorne & Nico Muhly have been commissioned by Berkeley Rep to create a musical adaptation of Matt Ruff’s novel “Set This House in Order.” John Tiffay will direct, with choreography by Steven Hoggett.
Andy Gage was born in 1965 and murdered not long after by his stepfather… It was no ordinary murder. Though the torture and abuse that killed him were real, Andy Gage’s death wasn’t. Only his soul actually died, and when it died, it broke in pieces. Then the pieces became souls in their own right, coinheritors of Andy Gage’s life…
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Cynthia Erivo will produce and star in the remake of “The Rose.” Writer, director, shooting schedule, release date, casting, and additional information TBA.
The musical romantic drama follows a self-destructive female rock star who struggles to deal with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of thos who surround her. But while the new production will pay homage to the classic film, Erivo’s take on the story is a contemporary lens on the high price of fame.
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Principal casting has been announced for return of Jersey Boys, to run July 28 – Oct. 21 at the Trafalgar Theatre.
Ben Joyce (Frankie Valli), Benjamin Yates (Tommy DeVito), Karl James Wilson (Nick Massi), and Adam David Bailey (Bob Gaudio).
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Torrey Townsend’s Off Broadway will stream June 24-27 on Broadstream, directed by Robert O’Hara.
Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Jessica Frances Dukes, Jason Butler Harner, Hal Linden, Jillian Mercado, Richard Kind, and Kara Wang.
The year is 2020 and the American theatre is shut down… but it is not shut off. The play follows the staff of a non-profit theatre as they come together on Zoom and scramble to stave off extinction.
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Mamma Mia! will return Aug. 255 to the Novello Theatre.
Mazz Murray (Donna Sheridan), Emma Mullen (Sophie), Josie Benson (Tanya), Gemma Goggi (Rosie), Richard Trinder, Neil Moors, and Stephen Beckett, and more TBA..
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Patti LuPone and Carrie Fisher will be the 2022 inductees for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex is now available to stream for FREE through July 18 at LA Opera, conducted by James Conlon.
Russell Thomas (Oedipus) and J’Nai Bridges (Jocasta), and Stphen Fry Narrator).
This is a contemporary take on the ancient Greek tragedy, where Oedipus unknowingly kills his own father and marries his own mother.
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Zoom with a View, a program of original 15-minute plays, in support of The Actors Fund, will stream June 28 – July 4.
here.
* All My Pretty Chickens, written & directed by Joan Vail Thorne
* Shots That Pass in the Night, written & directed by Jon Marans
* Surprise, written by Deborah Sayadge, directed by Jason Guy
* Weight Loss for Women, written & directed by Holly Hepp-Calvan
* Zoom with a View, by Brian Hargrove, directed by Joan Vail Thorne.
Stephen Bradbury, Marylouse Burke, Veanne Cox, Amelia Fowler, Holly Hepp-Galvan, Jason Guy, Brian Hargrove, Alvin Ing, Melissa Hurst, Jon Krupp, Darrie Lawrence, April Matthis, Jed Peterson, Amanda Salazr, Deborah Savadge, Pearl Sun, and Laura Woyasz.
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Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical, written by Laiona Michelle & Devanand Janki, starring Laiona Michelle, will run Aug. 4-29 outdoors at CT’s Goodspeed Musicals.
860-873-8668 (tickets are not available online).
