GRACE NOTES: Friday, November 21, 2025

 

This Weekend’s Highlights:

 

Friday, November 21

 

   Elf: The Musical, by John Tartaglia, Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin, directed by  Tartaglia, featuring Chris Stevens (Buddy), Brian Ray Norris  (Santa), Juson Williams (Store Manager), John Bolton (Walter Hobbs), Ann Sanders (Emily Hobbs), Savy Jackson ( Jovie), Jenny Lee Stern (Deb) Charlemagne Fadner & Michael Hurst (sharing the role of Michael Hobbs), and William Ryall (Mr. Greenway), with Olivia Lacie Andrews, Mathew Blasio,, Jake Bryan,  Johnny Doty ), Sabrina Kalman (, Danielle Kelsey (, Ian Liberto,  Ellie Pearlman, Jillian Reef,  Manuel Santos, Nicolette Smith, and Jesse Swimm, opens at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.

 

  Fallen Angels, by Noel Coward, directed by Christopher Luscombe, featuring Janie Dee (Julia Steroll), Alexandra Gilbreath (Jane Banbury), Christopher Hollis (Bill Banbury),  Richard Teverson (Fred Steroll), Sarah Twomey (Saunders), and Graham Vick (Maurice Duclos), begins previews at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory.

 

Saturday, November 22

 

  La Bohème, conducted by Lina González-Granados, featuring Janai Brugger (Mimì), Oreste Cosimo (Rodolfo), Erica Petrocelli (Musetta), Gihoon Kim (Marcello), Emmett O’Hanlon (Scharnard), William Guanbo Su (Colline), Rod Gilfry (Benoit/Alcindoro), and Nathan Bowles (Parpignol), opens at LA’s Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.

 

  All Roads Theatre Company‘s Broadway Showstoppers Gala, in support of the theater, featuring Michael Feinstein, Joely Fisher, Dermot Mulroney, and John Stamos,, with Marsha Bagwell, Benai Boyd, Kay Cole, Misty Cotton, Carmen Cusack, Jason Graae, Tyler Hanes, Maddidon Claire Parks, Jenna Lea Rosen, James Snyder, Diane Vincent, and Lauren Worsham, at 8 PM at LA’s Saban Theatre.

 

  Love Letters presentation, featuring Barbara Eden and Hal Linden at 7 PM at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre.

 

  Clarkston, by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Jack Serio, featuring Joe Locke Ruaridh Mollica, and Sophie Melville, closes at London’s Trafalgar Theatre.

 

  Let’s Love, by Ethan Coen, directed by Neil Pepe, featuring Aubrey Plaza, Crhis Bauer, Dylan Gelula, Dion Graham, Mary McCann, Nellie McKay, Noah Robbins, CJ Eilson, and Mary Wiseman, closes at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre Company.

 

  Pygmalion, directed by David Staller, featuring Carson Elrod (Colonel Hugh Pickering), Mark Evans (Henry Higins), Synnove Karlesn (Eliza Doolittle), Teresa Avia Lim (Clara Eynsford-Hill), Lizan Mittchell (Mros. Higgin/Mrsl. Pearce), and Matt Wolpe (Freddy Eynsford Hill/Alfred Doolittle), closes at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.

 

Sunday, November 23

 

  Liz Callaway: Broadway and Beyond concert, at 7 PM at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.

 

   John Lloyd Young: Broadway’s Jersey Boy concert, at 3 PM at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre.

 

  Peter Pan Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, &  Henry Shield, directed by Eric Peterson, featuring Cathy Rigby (Francis/The Narrator/Cecco), Nick Apostolina (Max,), Michael Darling,( Mermaid/ The Crocodile),  Steven Booth (Jonathan/Peter Pan),  Reggie De Leon (Dennis/John Darling/A Mermaid/ Mr. Smee,), Regina Fernandez (Sandra/Wendy Darling), Josh Grisetti (Chris/Mr. Darling/ Captain Hook), Trent Mills (Robert, Nana the Dog/ Peter’s Shadow, and Starkey,) Jamie Morgan (Trevor), Louis Pardo (Gill/ A Paramedic), Nicole Parker Annie/ Mrs. Darling/“Lisa/“Tinker Bell/Curly), and Ixchel Valiente as (Lucy”/“Tootles.), with  Bella Hicks, Grant Matthew Hodges and Danny Montooth, closes at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.

 

  Doctor Glas, by Hjalmar Soderber, directed by & featuring Daniel Gerroll, closes at LA’s Pacific Resident Theatre.

 

  Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, by Richard Hellesen, directed by Peter Ellenstein, starring John Rubenstein, closes at CA’s North Coast Rep.

 

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  A staged reading of Susan Charlotte’s The People Versus Lenny Bruce will take place Mon. Dec. 15 at 7 PM at NYC’s New York Society for Ethical Culture (West 64th St. at Central Park West), directed by Antony Marsellis.  here.

 

 Stephen Dexter (Lenny Bruce) Timothy Doyle (Jules Feiffer), Michael Citriniti (Herbert Ruhe), Greg Mullavey (Richard H. Kuh), Roberta Wallach (Dorothy Kilgallen), and Jack Wetherall (Marty Garbus/Narrator).

 

The story of Lenny Bruce and his New York trial is more relevant now than ever. A heart-breaking and thought provoking story filled with humor, this theatrical adaptation is the story of comic Lenny Bruce and his lawyer Martin Garbus who tried to save his client from the system – and from himself. Both conservatives and liberals are featured in the play, including Jules Feiffer and Dorothy Kilgallen, described as “convent bred”, who approved of every obscene word that Lenny Bruce used!

 

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   The world premiere of Nico Juber’s Millennials Are Killing Musicals will run May 1- 17, 2026 at Burbank’s Colony Theatre (link TBA), directed by Kristin Hanggi, with music direction by Anthony Lucca.

 

  TBA.

 

  With a contemporary pop-rock score, this entirely original musical comedy offers a fierce, funny look at identity in the age of social media. Brenda, a single millennial mom, just wants to do better “adulting” (like the seemingly perfect Jake’s mom at her daughter’s school), when her younger #influencer sister Katrina shows up eight months pregnant and totally unprepared for motherhood. The three women work to shed the Greek Chorus of social media filters on their lives to achieve their dreams.

 

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   New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players will present H.M.S. Pinafore Jan. 10-18, 2026 at Off-Broadway’s Kaye Playhouse (at Hunter College), directed by James Mills.

 

  Michelle Siepel (Josephine), David Auxier (Captain Corcoran), Michelle Seipel ( Josephine), Angela Christine Smith L(Little Buttercup), Cameron Smith (Ralph Rackstraw), Victoria Devany (Sir Joseph’s sisters & his cousins & his Aunts), Matthew Wages (Seaman Dick Deadeye), David Wannen (Bill Bobstay), and Quinto Ott (Sship’s Carpenter), with Sam Balzac, Caitlin Borek, Louis Brogna, Michael J. Connolly, Hannah Eakin, Katie Hall, Sarah Hutchison, Alexandra Imbrosci-Viera, Sabrina Lopez, John Charles McLaughlin, Jack F. Murphy, Logan Pitts, Laura Sudduth, and Tyler Tejada.

 

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 All Roads Theatre Company will present Broadway Show Showstoppers on Sat. Nov. 22 at 8 PM at LA’s Saban Theatre, directed & choreographed by Scott Thomson.

 

  Jason Alexander, Michael Feinstein, Joely Fisher, Dermot Mulroney, and John Stamos, with Marsha Bagwell, Benai Boyd, Kay Cole, Misty Cotten, Carmen Cusack, Jason Graae, Tyler Hanes, Cleo Manzari, Kerry O’Malley, Madison Claire Parks, Jenna Lea Rosen, James Snyder, Diane Vincent, Lauren Worsham, Sabrina Harper, and April Nixon.

 

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  Michael Griffo’s Pen Pals has been extended through Mar. 15, 2026 at DR2, directed by SuzAnne Barabas.

 

  Sharon Lawrence and Maureen McCormick, Melora Hardin, Gina Torres Carmen Cusack, Jodi Benson, and Marcia Mitzman Gaven.

 

  A moving story of connection and resilience unfolds through five decades of letters between two women who never once meet in person.

 

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   Jessica Vosk: Sleigh will take place Sun. Dec. 22 at 2 PM at NYC’s 92Y, with music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

 

 

 

 


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