GRACE NOTES: Friday, May 6, 2022

This Weekend’s Highlights:

Friday, May 6

  Zoey’s Perfect Wedding, by Matthew Lopez, directed by Rob Ruggiero, featuring Esteban Carmona, Hallie Eliza Friedman, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Rachel B. Joyce, Blair Lewin, and Daniel José Molina, opens at Theaterworks Hartford.

  Title Wave: 2022 New Works Festival opens at Sag Harbors Bay Street Theatre.

  Chicago Cabaret Week opens at various Chicago venues.

  Broken Ground industry reading (in NYC, hosted by Washington’s Village Theatre), by Christine Toy Johnson & Jason Mar, directed by Alan Muraoka, featuring Ali Ewoldt, Diana Huey, Kennedy Kanagawa, Hazel Anne Raymundo, Delphi Borich, Kevin Schuering, Brian Kim McCormick, Cáitlín Burke, and Alan Ariano.

Saturday, May 7

  Andrea McArdle & Friends Celebrates its 45th Annieversary concert, with special guests Shelley Bruce, Donna Graham, and more, closes at NYC’s 54 Below.

  Hudson Stage Company‘s Off Peak, world premiere by Brenda Withers, directed by Jess Chayes, featuring Kurt Rhoads and Nance Williamson, closes at Armonk’s Whippoorwill Theatre.

Sunday, May 8

  Goldie, Max & Milk, by Karen Hartman, directed by Jackson Gay, featuring Blair Baker, Lauren Molina, Timiki Salinas, Shayna Nicole Small, and Beatrice Ethel Tulchin, with Victoria Huston-Elem, and Nick Piacente, opens at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters.

  Tambo & Bones, by Dave Harris, directed by Taylor Reynolds, featuring W. Tré Davis (Tambo), Tyler Fauntleroy (Bones), Tim Kopacz (X1), and Alexander Neher (X2), opens at LA’s Kirk Douglas Theatre.

  A Very Broadway Mother’s Day concert, featuring Scott Coulter, Jessica Hendy & Beckett Hendy, Mary Donnelly Haskell & Mary Lane Haskell, Jamie Karen & Kylie Deklin, Lyn Philistine & Dylan Christopher Sutton, Alison Posner & Walter Bolin, Kelli Rabke & Joseph Agresta, Ann Runolfson & Tess Adams, Tracy Sallows, Gay Willis & Chad Marge, and more, opens at NYC’s 54 Below.

  Metamorphoses, by Mary Zimmerman, directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, featuring Alan Blumenfeld, DeJuan Christopher, Geoff Elliott, Rafael Goldstein, Nicole Javier, Kasey Mahaffy, Sydney A. Mason, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, and Erika Soto, begins previews at Pasadena’s A Noise Within.

  Jeff Harner: Because of You: Fifties Gold concert, at 7 PM CT at Chicago’s Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret.

  The Little Prince, adapted by Chris Mouron & Terry Truck, directed by Anne Tournié & Chris Mouron, featuring Lionel Zalachas (Little Prince), Aurélien Bednarek (The Aviator), Chris Mouron (The Narrator), Laurisse Sulty (The Rose/The Snake alternate), Adrien Picaut (The Businessman/The Switchman), Antony Cesar (The Vain Man), Andre Kamienski (The Drunkard), Marcin Janiak (The Lamplighter), Srilata Ray (The Snake), and Dylan Barone (The Fox/The King), with  Marie Menuge, Joän Bertrand, George Sanders, William John Banks, Madison Ward, and Jayesh Palande, closes at Broadway’s Broadway Theatre.

  Natalie Mendoza (Satine), Aaron Tveit (Christian), Tam Mutu (Duke of Monroth), and Ricky Rojas (Santiago) conclude their runs in Moulin Rouge at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

  But I’m a Cheerleader, world premiere by Bill Augustin & Andrew Abrams, directed by Tania Azevedo, featuring Alice Croft (Megan Williams), Oliver Brooks (Dad/Larry), Edward Chitticks (Jared/Rock), Damon Gould (André), Tiffany Graves (Mary Brown), Jodie Jacobs (Mom/Lloyd), Lemuel Knights (Mike), Evie Rose Land (Graham), Harry Singh (Jalal), Jodie Steele (Kimberly/Hilary), Aaron Teoh (Dolph), and Kia-Paris Walcott (Sinead), closes at London’s Turbine Theatre.

  Blues for an Alabama Sky, by Pearl Cleage, directed by Phylicia Rashad, featuring Joe Holt, Nija Okoro, Dennis Pearson, Greg Alverez Reid, and Kim Steele, closes at LA’s Mark Taper Forum.

  The Huntington Theatre‘s Our Daughters, Like Pillars, world premiere by Kirsten Greenidge, directed by Kimberly Senior, featuring Lyndsay Allyn cox (Zelda), Lizan Mitchell (Yvonne), Julian Parker (Paul), Postell Pringle (Morris), Nikkole Salter (Lavinia), and Cheryl D. Singleton (Missy), closes at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion.

  I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, by Joe DiPietro & Jimmy Roberts, directed & choreographed by Paula Hammons, featuring John Adkison, Sophia Swannell, Danny Crowe, and Alison Nusbaum, closes at Laguna Playhouse.

  Relentless, by Tyla Abercumbie, directed by Ron OJ Parson, featuring Ayanna Bria Bakari (Anelle/Mother), Jaye Ladymore (Janet), Demetra Dee (Zhuukee, aka Annabelle Lee), Travis Delgado (Marcus), Rebecca Hurd (Mary Anna Elizabeth), and Exavier Edward King (Franklin), closes at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

  Title Wave: 2022 New Works Festival concludes at Sag Harbors Bay Street Theatre.

  Fun Home, directed by Tracy Ward, featuring Rinabeth Apostal (Alison), Jennifer Boesing (Med Alison), Teresa Attridge (Med Alison),  Jason Vesely (Bruce), McKenna (Small Alison), Keenan Moran (John), Royal Mickens (Christian), and Rudy Guerreo (Man), with Sophi Introna, closes at San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon.

  The Play That Goes Wrong, directed by Robert Hupp, featuring Seth Andrew Bridges (Jonathan/Charles), Rishan Dhamija (Robert/Thomas), Shabazz Green (Trevor), Kate Hammill (Annie), Angie Janas (Sandra/Florence), Jason O’Connell (Chris/Inspector), Blake Segal (Dennis/Perkins), and John Tufts (Max/Cecil/Gardner), with Stella Bunch, Jessica Cerreta, Jaemon Crosby, Shabazz Green, Taylor Hendricks, and Derek Powell, closes at Syracuse Stage.

  Classic Couples Counseling, by Lloyd J. Schwartz, directed by Nick McDow Musleh, featuring Rick Simone-Friedland, Deanna Gandy, Cecil Jennings, Amelia Vargas, Robert Christophe, Mary Elisabeth Somers, Joe Nassi, Barbara Mallory, Bill Sehres, Anne Leyden, Ashley Taylor, and Constance Mellors, closes at LA’s Theatre West.

  Rogue Machine Theatre‘s On The Other Hand, We’re Happy, by Daf James, directed by Cameron Watson, featuring Rori Flynn, Alexandra Hellquist, and Christian Telesmar, closes at LA’s Matrix Theatre.

  Impro Theatre‘s Jane Austen Unscripted, directed by Sara Mountjoy-Pepka and Paul Rogan, closes at Burbank’s Garry Marshall Theatre (in the outdoor garden).

  Sense and Sensibility, adapted by Kate Hamill, directed by Susanna Gellert, featuring Megan Anderson (Elinor Dashwood), Katie Kleiger (Marianne Dashwood), Deborah Hazlett (Mrs. Dashwood), Hannah Kelly (Margaret Dashwood), Tony Nam (Edward), Jefferson A. Russell (Colonel Brandon), Helen Hedman (Mrs. Jennings), Bruce Randolph Nelson (John Middleton), Tuyet Thi Pham (Fanny Dashwood), and Zack Powell (John Willoughby), closes at Baltimore’s Everyman Theatre.

  L.A. Now and Then, with all new songs written by LA-based composers and writers, directed by Bruce Kimmel, featuring Bita Arefnia, Lottle Arnold, Lisa Dyson, Harrison Fahn, Liz Grannis, Tim Hearl, Harun Kajino, Marcel Licera, Danika Masi, Hisato, Masuyama, Alariza, Nevarez, Alec Reusch, Jeffrey Rockwell, Margaret Staedler, and Tamir Yardenne, closes at North Hollywood’s Group Rep.

  Side Show, directed by Frank Portanova, featuring Rebecca Kuznick (Violet), Emily Kristen Morris (Daisy), Jack Brewer (Buddy), Andrew Foote (Boss), Bronson Norris Murphy (Terry), and Miguel Ángel Vásquez (Jake), with Matthew Blum, Bríanna Brice, Logan Graye, Matt Henningsen, Keith Mankowski, Jenna Leigh Miller, Taylor Okey, David Neil Ossman, Alexander Rothfield, Emily Royer, Rebecca Skowron, and Rosie Staudt, closes at White Plains PAC.

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2022 Off-Broadway Alliance Award nominationsClick here for the complete list.

The winners will be announced May 24.

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  Complete casting has been announced for James Ijames’ Fat Ham, to run May 12 – June 12 (opening May 26) at The Public Theater, directed by Saheem Ali.  The first preview performance on May 12 is FREE!

Nikki Crawford (Tedra), Chris Herbie Holland (Tio), Billy Eugene Jones (Rev/Pap), Adrianna Mitchell (Opal), Calvin Leon Smith (Larry), Marcel Spears (Juicy), and Benja Kay Thomas (Rabby), with RJ Foster, Tanesha Gary, Marquis D. Gibson, and Alexandria Brienne Lewis.

Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. It feels like a familiar story to Juicy, well-versed in Hamlet’s woes. What’s different is Juicy himself, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man trying to break the cycles of trauma and violence in service of his own liberation. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.

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  Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater will present its Revelry Gala Benefit on Mon. June 15 at 6 PM ET at NYC’s Bowery Hotel.

André De Shields

  Bill Camp, Michael Cerveris, Tovah Feldshuh, Chukwudi, Elizabeth Marvel, Jacob Min-Trent, Jennifer Sánchez, Stephen Spinella, Mary Testa, and Charlyne Woodard.

TBA

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  Video: Trailer for  LA’s Geffen Playhouse production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, featuring Zachary Quinto, Calista Flockhart, Graham Phillips and Aimee Carrero.

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  Boston’s Lyric Stage Company has announced its 2022-23 season:

 Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine (Sept. 16 – Oct. 9), by Lynn Nottage, directed by Dawn M. Simmons.

  The Play That Goes Wrong (Nov. 11 – Dec. 4), by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields, directed by Fred Sullivan Jr.

  Preludes (Jan. 6-29, 2023), by Dave Malloy, directed by Courtney O’Connor, with music direction by Dan Rodriguez.

  The Great Leap (Feb. 24 – Mar. 19), by Laurn Yee, directed by Michael Hisamoto.

  Sister Act (Apr. 7-30), directed by Leigh Barrett.

  Rooted (June 2-25), by Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Courtney O’Connor.

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  Irish Rep has announced 2 productions to run this summer (casting TBA).

 Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom (June 8 – July 17, opening June 15), adapted by Aedín Moloney, Colum McCann & Paddy Moloney, directed by John Keating, performed by Aedín Moloney. It is Ireland in the early hours of June 17, 1904. Molly Bloom’s husband – the philandering Leopold “Poldy” Bloom – has just come home and fallen asleep in their Dublin row house. Molly – a daughter, a mother, a love, and a long-suffering wife – patrols the pathways of her wild and leaping consciousness. She is lustful. Scared. Exuberant. Heartbreakingly lonely. Vivaciously reckless. And profoundly funny.

  The Butcher Boy (July 21 – Sept. 11, opening Aug. 1), world premiere by Asher Muldoon, directed by Ciarán O’Reilly, with choreography by Barry McNabb, and music direction by David Hancock Turner. Life is hard for the youthful Francie Brady, who struggles to navigate the narrow streets and narrow minds of an Irish village in the 1960s. But his eternal optimism and carefree spirit carry him above his dysfunctional family and gossipy town, where he lives in a comic book dreamland with his best friend Joe. When he taunts newcomer Philip Nugent, his uptight mother Mrs. Nugent call’s Francie’s family a bunch of pigs. This triggers a violent pig obsession, which grows as Francie’s life fall’s apart around him.

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Pasadena’s Boston Court has extended the world premiere of Carolyn Ratteray’s Both And (a play about laughing while black) through Sun. May 22.

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  Complete casting has been announced for Hamlet (June 1 – Aug. 13, opening June 26) and Oresteia (June 9 – Aug. 13, opening June 21) at the Park Avenue Armory, directed by Robert Icke.

: Alex Lawther (Hamlet), Lia Williams (Gertrude & Clytemnestra), Tia Bannon (Guildenstern/Electra), Luke Treadway (Laertes/Orestes), Angus Wright (Claudius/Agamemnon/Aegisthus), Michael Abuakar (Marcellus/Calchas), Joshua Higgott (Horatio/Talthybius), Peter Wright (Polonius/Menelaus), Dvid Rintoul (Player King/Ghost), Kirsty Ryder (Ophelia/Doctor), Callim Finlay (Rosencranz), Hara Yannas (Bernardo/Cassandra), Gilbert Kyem Jr. (Reynaldo), Ross Waiton (Francisco/Player 3/Gravedigger), and Marty Cruikshank (Player Queen/Cilissa).

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  Video:  Highlights from Encores’ Into The Woods.

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  Joe Iconis’ “Album” will be released June 17.  here.

  Audio: Heidi Blickenstaff performs “Ammonia”

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Camelot will run June 22-28 at the St. Louis Muny, directed by Matt Kunkel, with choreography by Beth Crandall, and music direction by Abdul Hamid Royal.

  Robert Petkoff (Arthur), Ta’Nika Gibson (Guenevere), Brandon Chu (Lancelot), and more TBA.

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  Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway, with special guest Vanessa Williams, will take place Mon. June 20 at 8 PM ET at NYC’s Town Hall.

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Penguin Rep will present Michael McKeever’s Mr. Parker June 1-25 (opening June 6) at Theatre Row, directed by Joe Brancato.

Mia Matthew, Davi Santos, and Derek Smith.

At 54 years old, Terry Parker finds himself at a crossroads in his life. After the loss of his partner of 30 years, he finds himself suddenly single again and unable to adjust to a world that has moved on without him.

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   For Good – A Celebration of Stephen Schwartz gala will take place Mon. May 9 at 7:30 PM ET at NYC’s Merkin Concert Hall.

  Christine Andreas, John Boswell, John Bucchino, Liz Callaway, Scott Coulter, Debbie Gravitte, Jessica Hendy, Rupert Holmes, Rachel Kaufman Sally Mayes, Kurt Peterson, Kelli Rabke, Teri Ralston, Michael Roberts, and Paul Schaffer.

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Initial casting has been announced for A Journey to the Past, a celebration of  the work of Ahrens & Flaherty, to take place Mon. June 6 at 7:30 PM GMT at the Lyric Theatre, directed by Maria Friedman, with music direction by Michael Bradley, and choreography by Nathan M Wright.

  Maria Friedman, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Rob Houchen, Cedric Neal, Lucy St. Louis, and Summer Strallen, with Georgia Anderson, Jordan Cunningham), Jemal Felix, Teddy Hinde, Claudia Kariuki, Nardia Ruth, Hana Stewart, and Rodney Vubya, with more TBA…

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 The London production of Anything Goes, starring Sutton Foster, will premiere Fri. May 13 at 9 PM on PBS (check local listings).

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  Video: Highlights from London’s Sondheim’s Old Friends gala concert, featuring Bernadette Peters, Michael Ball, Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Petula Clark, Rosalie Craig, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Daniel Evans, Maria Friedman, Haydn Gwynne, Bonnie Langford, Damien Lewis, Julia McKenzie, Julian Ovendon, Bernadette Peters, Sian Phillips, Jon Robyns, Clive Rowe, Jenna Russell, Imelda Staunton, Charlie Stemp, Gary Wilmot, and Michael D. Xavier.

 


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