This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, March 3
Cowboy Bob, world premiere by Molly Beach Murphy, Jeanna Phillips, Annie Tippe & Alex Thrailkill, directed & choreographed by Annie Tippe, featuring Jackie Burns (Peggy Jo Tallas), Ashley Pérez Flanagan (Rena), Adam Gibbs (Cop Hank), Brandon Hearnsberger (Manager Bill), Susan Koozin (Jerry “Ma” Tallas), Julia Krohn (Kathy), Camryn Nunley (Cop Roy), Jamila Sabares-Klemm (Tanya), and Nathaniel Tenenbaum (Stan), opens at Houston’s Alley Theatre.
Putting It Together, directed & choreographed by Gerry McIntyre, featuring Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Judy McLane, Cayleigh Capaldi, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Brent Thiessen, opens at Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Playhouse.
Guys & Dolls, directed by Nicholas Hytner, featuring Daniel Mays (Nathan Detroit), Andrew Richardson (Sky Masterson), Celinde Schoenmaker (Sarah Brown), Marisha Wallace (Miss Adelaide), Cedric Neal (Nicely-Nicely Johnson), Cornelius Clarke (Lieutenant Brannigan), Cameron Johnson (Big Jule), Anthony O’donnell (Arvide Abernathy), Mark Oxtoby (Benny Southstreet), Adam Pearce (Harry the Horse), Ryan Pidgen (Rusty Charlie), and Katy Secombe (General Cartwright), with Simon Anthony, Lydia Bannister, Kathryn Barnes, Callum Bell, Cindy Belliot, Petrelle Dias, Ike Fallon, Leslie Garcia Bowman, George Ioannides, Robbie McMillan, Perry O’Dea, Charlotte Scott, Tinovimbanashe Sibanda, Isabel Snaas, Sasha Wareham, and Dale White, begins previews at London’s Bridge Theatre.
The Rewards of Being Frank, a sequel to The Importance of Being Earnest, by Alice Scovell, directed by Stephen Burdman, featuring Christine Pedi (Lady Bracknell), Moboluwaji Ademide Akintilo (Frank), James Evans (Algernon), Kelly Mengelkoch (Gwendolyn), Tora Nogami Alexander (Cecily), and Jeremy Dubin (Ernest), begins previews at Off Broadway’s A.R.T. / New York Theatres.
Layalina, world premiere by Yousif Zebari, directed by Sivan Battat, featuring Atra Asdou (Karima/Layal), Waseem Alzer (Sahir/Amin), Ali Louis Bourzgui (Young Mazain/Yousif), Mattico David (Yasir/Mazin), and Becca Khalil (Young Layal/Marwa), begins previews at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Saturday, March 4
The Outsiders, world premiere by Adam Rapp, Jamestown Revival & Justin Levine, directed by Danya Taymor, featuring Brody Grant (Ponyboy), Sky Lakota-Lynch (Johnny), Daniel Marconi (Randy), Kevin William Paul (Bob), Brent Comer (Paul), Ryan Vasquez (Darrel), Da’Von T. Moody (Dallas), Jason Schmidt Sodapop), Trevor McGhie (Two-Bit), Piper Patterson (Cherry), and Kiki Lemieux (Marcia), with Annelise Baker, Jordan Chin, Milena Comeau, Barton Cowperthwaite, Tilly Evans-Krueger, Spencer McCabe Hunsicker, Sean H. Jones, L’ogan J’ones, Renni Magee, Tristan McIntyre, Junior Nyong’o, Melody Rose, and Daryl Tofa, opens at La Jolla Playhouse.
TheaterWorks USA’s Dog Man: The Musical, by Devin Del Aguila & Brad Alexander, directed by directed & choreographed by Jen Wineman, featuring DeShawn Bowens, L.R. Davidson, Martin Landry, Jamie LaVerdier, Marcus Montgomery, Brian Owen, Dan Rosales, Crystal Sha’nae, and Markia Nicole Smith, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages.
The Woman in Black, by Stephen Mallatratt, directed by Robin Herford, featuring Julian Forsyth (Arthur Kipps) and Matthew Spencer (The Actor), closes after 13,000+ performances at London’s Fortune Theatre.
Jerry Seinfeld new comedy show closes at NYC’s Beacon Theatre.
Cock, by Mike Bartlett, directed by Taubert Nadalini, featuring Annika Chavez, Dennis Delsing, Sean Hemeon, and Marly Phillips, closes at Hollywood’s LGBT Center.
Sunday, March 5
The Trees, world premiere by Agnes Borinsky’, directed by Tina Satter, featuring Jess Barbagallo (David), Marcia DeBonis (Sheryl), Crystal Dickinson (Sheila), Sean Donovan (Jared), Xander Fenyes (Ezra), Nile Harris (Julian), Max Gordon Moore (Saul), Pauli Pontrelli (Tavish), Ray Anthony Thomas (Norman), Danusia Trevino (Grandmother), Sam Breslin Wright (Terry/Vendor), and Becky Yamamoto (Charlotte), opens at Off-Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons.
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Joe Rosario, featuring Alison Fraser (Big Mama), Matt DeRogatis (Brick), Courtney Henggeler (Maggie), Frederick Weller (Big Daddy), Christine Copley (Mae), Adam Dodway (Gooper), Milton Elliott (Rev. Tooker), and Jim Kempner (Doc Baugh), opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Clements.
The Rewards of Being Frank, a sequel to The Importance of Being Earnest, by Alice Scovell, directed by Stephen Burdman, featuring Christine Pedi (Lady Bracknell), Moboluwaji Ademide Akintilo (Frank), James Evans (Algernon), Kelly Mengelkoch (Gwendolyn), Tora Nogami Alexander (Cecily), and Jeremy Dubin (Ernest), opens at Off Broadway’s A.R.T. / New York Theatres.
Mandy Gonzalez & Javier Muñoz: Hitting New Heights concert, at 2 PM at Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center.
Mozart: Her Story – The New Musical presentation, by Tegan Summer & Gregory Nabours, directed by directed by Stephanie Klemons, featuring Kennedy Caughell (Nan) and Justin Matthew Sargent (Wolfgang), Robert Cuccioli, Kate Rockwell, Zachary Noah Piser, Etai Benson, Jonathan Mousset, Jenna Leigh Green, Gregory Treco, Greg Laucella, Jelani Remy, Sasha Hutchings, Asmeret Ghebremichael, and Morgan Marcell, with Jillian Davis, Tatian Melendez, Larissa Gerske, Joe González, Thomas Dilley, and Kelly Marsh, at 7:30 PM at Carnegie Hall (also Mar. 6).
Cornelia Street, world premiere by Simon Stephens & Mark Eitzel, directed by Neil Pepe, featuring George Abud, Norbert Leo Butz, Esteban Andres Crus, Gizel Jiménez, Jordan Lage, Kevyn Morrow, Mary Beth Peil, Lena Pepe, and Ben Rosenfield, closes at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre.
The First Deep Breath, by Lee Edward Colston II, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, featuring Opa Adeyemo (AJ), Lee Edward Colston II (Abdul-Malik), Brandon Mendez Homes (Leslie Carter), Ella Joyce (Ruth Jones), Deanna Reed-Foster (Pearl Thomas), Candace Thomas (Dee-Dee), Tony Todd (Paster Albert Melvin Jones III), and Keith A. Wallace (Tyree Fisher), closes at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.
tick, tick… BOOM!, directed by Kari Hayter, featuring Ernesto Figueroa, Phillip J. Lewis, and Samantha M. Lawrence, closes at Long Beach’s International City Theatre.
Under Construction – New Play Slam Fest concludes at North Hollywood’s Road on Magnolia.
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A Little Night Music will run Apr. 25 – May 21 (opening Apr. 20) at Pasadena Playhouse, directed by David Lee.
Merle Dandridge (Desiree Armfeldt), Michael Hayden (Frederik Egerman), Jodi Long (Madame Armfeldt), Sarah Uriarte Berry (Countess Charlotte Malcolm), Chase Del Rey (Henrik Egerman), Adam James King (Frid), Ruby Lewis (Petra), Ryan Silverman (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm), Kaley Ann Voorhees (Anne Egerman), Georgia Belmont (Mrs. Nordstrom), Jared Bybee (Mr. Lindquist), Kim Dawson (Mrs. Segstrom), Orianna Falla (Mrs. Anderssen), and Arnold Geis (Mr. Erlanson), with Christanna Rowader (Standby for Desiree Armfeldt), and more TBA.
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Ellen Abrams’ Eleanor and Alice will return to Urban Stages Apr. 5-30 (opening Apr. 10), directed by Francis Hill.
Mary Bacon (Alice Roosevelt Longworth) and Trezana Beverley (Eleanor Roosevelt).
Sitting on opposite sides of the political aisle, we witness the amazingly complex yet ultimately endearing relationship between Eleanor and her feisty first cousin Alice.
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Rent: In Concert will run Mar. 18-19 at LA’s Coeurage Ensemble, directed by Amanda McRaven, with music direction by Rebecca Grau.
Ricky Abilez, Ray Auxias, Ellie Aviles, Sofia Bragar, Sean Cruz, Shanelle Darlene, Mitchell Johnson, Graham Kurtz, Nicole Ledoux, Carrie Madsen, Nicole Monet, Carlos Padilla Jr., John “Rusty” Proctor, and Eddie Vona.
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The original jukebox musical parody We Ain’t Ever gonna Break Up: the Hymon and Parfunkel Story, by Gregg Hammer & Louis Pardo, will have presentations on Mar. 21 at 1 PM & 5 PM in NYC, directed by Scott Weinstein. Contact: EverGonnaBreakUpStory@gmail.com
Casting TBA.
Featuring the music and story of a band that’s never existed, the musical parodies the tropes of jukebox musicals and bio-musicals. Follow Saul Hyman and Bart Parfunkel as they play themselves (and their own instruments), along with a host of other characters that play a role in their journey to stardom.
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Video: Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond on why now is “the moment” for Parade. Scroll down…
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The Cherry Orchard will run Apr. 1-30 (opening Apr. 10) at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, adapted & directed by Robert Falls.
Kate Fry (Lubov Ranyevskaya), Will Allen (Semyon Yepikhodov), Kareem Bandealy (Lopakhin), Janet Ulrich Brooks (Carlotta), Felipe Carrasco (Yasha), Stephen Cefalu (Petya Trofimov), Matt DeCaro (Boris Semyonoy-Pishchik), Christopher Donahue (Leonid Gayev), Amanda Drinkall (Dunyasha), Alejandra Escalante (Varya), Francis Guinan (Firs), Sam Hubbard (Stationmaster), John Lister (Postmaster), Bill Mcgough, Tyler Meredith, Flavia Pallozi, Tiffany Scott, Eric Slater, and Raven Whitley.
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Maestrea Music (a not-for-profit organization founded by Georgia Stitt and supporting the women and nonbinary musicians in the musical theater industry) has announced its Amplify 2023 concert, to take place Mon. Mar. 27 at 8 PM, both live & livestreamed at NYC’s Chelsea Music Hall, written, directed & hosted by Kate Baldwin, with music direction by Julianne B. Merrill.
Kate Baldwin, Ellie Biron, Emily Borromeo, Kennedy Caughell, Tyler Hardwick, Bre Jackson, Gizel Jimeniz, Andy Kelso, Claire Kwon, Abby Mueller, Bryonha Marie Parham, Nicholas Rodriguez, Zoe Sarnak, Blake Stadnik, Katie Thompson, and Alysha Umphress.
The evening will feature stories, conversations, and musical performances.
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A reading of Michael Van Duzer’s The extraordinary tale of the illustrious Mr. Kristoff’s last and most eccentric production featuring the William Desmond Taylor Players, a hostage audience, and his singular interpretation of theatrical history replete with digressions both ribald and remarkable will take place Tues. Mar. 7 at 7:30 at LA’s Theatre West. Reservations are not required.
Paul Cady, Live Denevi, Cecil Jennings, Christopher Landis, Anne Leyden, Bill Sehres, Amelia Vargas, Ari Wojciech, and Michael Van Duzer.
A theatre is about to be torn down and Mr. Kristoff is determined to produce his very personal hommage to the plays and players who shaped his life, all for a single clandestine performance. Mr. Kristoff’s unabashedly gay lens starts with the Greeks and blows open every theatrical closet door, poking affectionate fun at Shakespeare, Sheridan, Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams, Mart Crowley, Terrance MacNally, among others.
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Simply Barbra: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Yentl, starring Steven Brinberg, has announced upcoming performances in the UK:
Crazy Coqs (Apr. 12, 20 & 21)
Electric Theatre Guilford (Apr. 22)
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Video: Sneak peek of “Dancin’ Man” from the first preview of Broadway’s Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
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The Jesse Walker Show comes to Broadway will take place Mon. May 22 at 8 PM at Off-Broadway’s Theatre 555.
The event will be in honor of Rebecca Luker, and all proceeds will benefit Project ALS. 
: Email TJWSTickets@gmail.com.
Caroline Rhea, James Monroe Iglehart, and surprise celebrity guests.
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Provost Entertainment & Independent Artist Entertainment have acquired the film rights to Calvin Berger (which continues onstage through Mar. 26 at Burbank’s Colony Theatre). Stay tuned…
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Wonderful Town 70th Anniversary All-star Concert! will take place Wed. June 21 at 9:30 PM at NYC’s 54 Below, directed by Robert W. Schneider.
Raymond Jarmillo McLeod (Wreck), Lauren Molina (Eileen 1), and more TBA.