This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, May 16
Hello Dolly, directed by Maurice Ilyse Robbins, featuring Amy Barker (Dotty Otley), Brook Ashton (Grace Experience), Dan Garcia (Tim Allgood), Eliza Fichter (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Michael Jennings Mahoney (Frederick Fellows), Joseph Marrella (Garry Lejeune), Chip Philliops (Selsdon Mowbray), Samantha Richert (Belinda Blair), and Lewis D. Wheeler (Lloyd Dallas), opens at Boston’s Lyric Stage.
Senior Class, world premiere by Melfin Tunstall III, Greg Dean Brorowsky & Kevin Duda, directed by Amy Anders Corcoran, featuring Jeffrey Cornelius (G.B.), Bradley Adam Stein (Colin), andLauryn Adams (Alizé), with Quadry Brown, Wynter Nicole Cook, Mia Goodman, Ciara Hargrove, Angelo Harrington II, Santina Maiolatesi, Nico Nazal, Ashley D. Nguyen, Jacob Pelzman-Kern, Connor James Reilly, Russell Rinker, Alanna Sibrián, David Singleton, Taryn Smithson, Jordyn Taylor, Taylor J. Washington, and Gwynne Wood, with Ariel Kraje, Nat Mitchell, Haley Nachlas, and Bryan Stopak, begins previews at MD’s Olney Theatre.
Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City concert, at 8 PM at NYC’s Sony Hall.
Saturday, May 17
Vanessa Williams in Concert, at 8 PM at NY’s St. George Theatre (in Staten Island).
We Do the Same Thing Every Week, by Robert Leverett, directed by Liza Causer, featuirng Tora Alexander, Kate Budney, Justin Choi, Robert Leverett, Jessica Nesi, and Casey Worthington, closes at Off-Broadway’s A.R.T. (502 W. 53rd St.)
Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members, by Mara Véles Meléndez, directed by Javier Antonio González, featuring Christine Carmela Lolita) and Samora la Perdida (Receptionist), closes at Yale Rep.
Josh Groban in concert closes at Las Vegas’ Ceasars Palace.
The Wizard and I: Liz Callaway Sings Stephen Schwartz concert closes at NYC’s 54 Below.
Sunday, May 18
A Dolls House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath, directed by Jennifer Chang, featuring Elizabeth Reaser(Nora), Jason Butler Harner (Torvald), Kimberly Scott (Anne Marie), Kahyun Kim (Emmy), and Adam J. Smith (Torvald understudy), opens at CA’s Pasadena Playhouse.
Hamlet, directed by Robert O’Hara, featuring Patrick Ball (Hamlet), Coral Pena (Ophelia), Gina Torres (Gertrude), James T. Alfred (Head Attendant), Joe Chrest (Detective Fortinbras), Fidel Bomez (Gravedigger), Ty Molbak (Laertes/Rosencrantz), Ramiz Monsef (Polonius), Aruek Sgafur (Claudius), Jaime Lincoln Smith (First Player/Attendant) and Daniel Zuhike (Guildenstern, begins previews at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
Just in Time, conversation about the upcoming Broadway show, with Alex Timbers, Andrew Resnick, choreographer Shannon Lewis, Ted Chapin, and Jonathan Groff, at 7 PM (both in person & online) at 7 PM at NYC’s 92NY.
My First Exhusband, by Joy Behar, directed by Randal Myler, featuring Veanne Cox, Jackie Hoffman, Carolyn McCormick, and Andrea Navedo ,,,,,, with Marilu Henner, Marshan Mason, Julia Sweeney and Benja K. Thomas, closes at Off-Broadway’s MMAC Theater (248 West 60th St.).
New York Theatre Workshop‘s Becoming Eve, by Emil Weinstein, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, featuring Tommy Dorfman, Judy Kuhn, Tedra Millan, Rad Pereira (Chesky), Justin Perkins (Puppeteerm Richard Schiff (tati) Brandon Uranowitz (Jonah), and Emma Wiseman (Purreteer), closes at Off Broadway’s Abrons Art Center.
Those Who Remained, world premiere written & performed by Sophia Gutchinov, directed by Rani O’Brien, closes at Off-Broadway’s La MaMa.
Fences, by August Wilson, directed by Yvette Freeman-Hartle, featuring Tamara Graham (Rose Maxson), Boise Holmes (Jim Bono), Corey Jones (Troy Maxson), Amari McCoy (Raynell Maxson), Matt Orduna (Gabriel), K.J. Powell (Cory Maxson), and Sean Samuels Lyons Maxson, closes at Laguna Playhouse.
Furlough’s Paradise, by a.k payne, directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, featuring Kacie Rogers( Mina) and DeWanda Wise (Sade), closes at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.
Bonnie & Clyde, directed by J. Scott Lapp. featuring Ellie Smith (Bonnie), Russell Muzycka (Clyde), Brayden Handwerter Bolivar (Ted/Banker), Leland Burnett (Buck), Chance Cnallen (Young Clyde0, Amanda Dayhoff (Blanch), Joseph Fuqua (Sheriff/Charlie/Joe), Harper Ham (Young Bonnie), Kate Ponzio (Govener Ferguson), Chirstanna Rowader (Cumie/Trish), and Sarah Wolter (Emma Parker/Stella), closes at CA’s Rubicon Theatre.
Legally Blonde, directed by Cynthia Ferrer, featuring Kathryn Brunner (Elle Woods), Michael Thhomas Grant (Emmett Forrest), Nicholas James McDonough (Warner Hunington III), anna Mintzer (Vivienne Kensington), Anthea Neri Best (Pauline), Ed Staudenmayer (Professor Callahan), Jane Papageorge (Brooke Wyndham), Ed Staudenmayer (Professor Callahan), Jane Papageorge (Brooke Wyndham), Dahlya Glick Enid), Grace Simmons (Margot), Bella Hicks (Serena), and Aurelia Michael (Pilar), with Cristyn Dang, Grant Hodges, Nathan Madden, Donovan Mendelovitz, Bailey Renee Miller, Taylor Mettra, Davon Rashawn, Anthony Sanchez, Callula Sawyer, Rochelle Scudder (“Bruiser” Handler), Jabari, Krystle Rose Simmons, Rodrigo Varandas, Rianny Vasquez, Emmy J. Lane and Ben Raanan, closes at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
Gaslight, by Patrick Hamilton, directed by Michael Rothhaar, featuring Tania Getty, Jaxon Duff Gwillim, Stewart W. Howard, Rita Obermeyer, Jude Elizabeth Mayer, and Rachael Frost, closes at LA’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
The Secret Comedy of Women, witten & performed by Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein, closes at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel, by Tennessee Williams, directed by Jack Heller, featuring Paul Coates, Remington Hoffman, Susan Priver, and Rene Rivera, closes at Hollywood’s Hudson Backstage Theatre.
Write of Spring (2025), world premiere a presentation of new one-act plays, concludes at LA’s Write Act Rep.
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RIP: Charles Strouse died May 15 at the age of 96. The sad news was confirmed by his children via a press representative.
Mr. Strouse, a born and bred New Yorker, struck gold with his first full Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie, in 1960. The comic tale, set in the anytown of Sweet Apple, Ohio, fictionalized the then-well-known story of Elvis Presley answering the draft. Rock star Conrad Birdie is due to enter the Army, but not before he participates in a highly orchestrated publicity stunt in which a member of his Sweet Apple fan club is selected to receive “One Last Kiss.” The event turns the small town on its head. The show, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion, boasted a soon-to-be famous dream cast including Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Paul Lynde. The script and score’s mix of light cynicism about the American media machine and sincere sentimentality regarding the tenacity of sweet, small-town values struck a chord with Eisenhower-era audiences.
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Manhattan Theatre Club will present the world premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire’s The Balusters, which will begin previews and open in Spring 2026 on dates TBA, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, directed by Kenny Leon.
TBA.
The Vernon Point Neighborhood Association is a passionate bunch, whether squabbling over historically inaccurate porch railings or debating trash can protocol. Still, no one is prepared for the neighbor-versus-neighbor battle royale that ensues when a newcomer to the board suggests the unthinkable: installing a stop sign on the corner of the enclave’s prettiest block. A raucous, wild ride through a small community with big feelings.
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Group Rep (10900 Burbank in North Hollywood), will present Lee Hall’s Network May 23 – June 29, directed by Tom Lazarus.
Linda Alznauer, Patrick Anthony, Fox Carney, Ken Dixon Jr., Bert Emmett, Matthew Harper-Johnston, Idielís Hernández, Belinda Howell, Mimi Kmet, Angie Lin, Hudson Long, Melissa Lugo, Bob McCollum, Michelle McGregor, Kevin Michael Moran, Sherrick O’Quinn, Danny Salay, Tack Sappington, Amy Shaughnessy, Larry Toffler, Cathy Diane Tomlin and
Sylvie Wiley.
Adapted from the 1976 film which had an Academy Award–winning screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky. “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Howard Beale, beloved and trustworthy news anchorman, isn’t pulling in the viewers anymore. In his final broadcast he unravels live on screen. But when the ratings soar, the network pounce on their newfound populist prophet, and Howard becomes the biggest thing on TV. The audience becomes part of the play both as diners and a studio audience. The distance between fact and fiction is reduced, mimicking the blurring of truth and fiction in contemporary news media.
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A reunion concert of Marc Sherman, Jason Robert Brown & Daisy Prince’s The Connector will take place Mon. June 16 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Webster Hall, conducted by Brown. The concert will support The Committee to Protect Journalists.
(original cast): Scott Bakula, Joanna Carpenter, Max Crumm, Hannah Cruz, George Dvorsky, Mulinda Hull, Daniel Jenkins, Marissa Medina, and Michael Winther.
Set in the late 1990s amid a rapidly changing media landscape, The Connector follows a fast-rising journalist, Ethan Dobson, and an assistant copy editor, Robin Martinez, at the revered magazine The Connector. In a world that values the next big sensation, Ethan’s writing prowess and ambition force him to confront how far he’ll go for the ultimate scoop and Robin to consider how far she’ll go to stop him.
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Manhattan Theatre Club will present Martyna Majok’s Queens this Fall (dates TBA) at New York City Center, directed by Trip Cullman.
TBA.
An epic drama about hunting for the American Dream, finding family, and facing the ghosts you left behind. In an illegal basement apartment in Queens, multiple generations of immigrant women fight to launch a new life. But when a young Ukrainian woman comes searching for the mother who abandoned her years ago, she forces a reckoning with the impossible choices the women made to survive. The play chronicles the strivers who sacrificed whole worlds for the chance at something remarkable.
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James Graham’s Punch will open Fall 2025 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (link TBA), directed by Adam Penford.
TBA
As Jacob tears through Nottingham in a whirlwind of drugs, girls, and bar fights, he makes a fatal mistake that lands him in prison. But as he struggles to accept the consequences of his actions and build a new life, he finds an unusual source of salvation: the parents of the boy he killed.