This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, October 22
The Phantom of the Opera, featuring Ben Crawford (The Phantom), Meghan Picerno (Christine Daaé), John Riddle (Raoul), Bradley Dean (Monsieur André), Craig Bennett (Monsieur Firmin), Raquel Suarez Groen (Carlotta Giudicelli), Maree Johnson (Madame Giry), Carlton Moe (Ubaldo Piangi), Emilie Kouatchou (Christine Daaé at certain performances), And Sara Esty (Meg Giry), with Giselle Alvarez, Polly Baird, Janinah Burnett, Xiaoxiao Cao, David Michael Garry, Chris Georgetti, Kelly Jeanne Grant, Katharine Heaton, Satomi Hofmann, Ted Keegan, Kfir, Kelly Loughran, Scott Mikita, Greg Mills, Justin Peck, Patricia Phillips, Richard Poole, Jessica Radetsky, Janet Saia, Paul A. Schaefer, Carly Blake Sebouhian, Jeremy Stolle, Carrington Vilmont, Jim Weitzer, Elizabeth Welch and Erica Wong, resumes performances at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre.
Mr. Saturday Night presentations, by Lowell Ganz, Bobaloo Mandell, Jason Robert Brown & Amanda Green, directed by John Rando, featuring Billy Crystal (Buddy Young Jr.), Randy Graff (Elaine Young), David Paymer (Stan Yankelman), and Chansten Harmon (Annie Wells), with Jordan Gelber, Brian Gonzales, and Mylinda Hull, opens at MA’s Barrington Stage Company.
Black Fest’s Hands Up: Seven Playwrights, Seven Testaments, by Nathan Yungerberg, Idris Goodwin, Eric Holmes, and more, directed by Isabel A. Curley-Clay and Moriah Curley-Clay, featuring Brandon Burditt, Marlon Andrew Burnley, London Carlisle, Sean M. Dale, Charence Higgins, Marcus Hopkins-Turner, Jessenia Ingram, Kala Ross, and Josh Turner, begins streaming at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.
International City Theatre‘s Blues in the Night, by Sheldon Epps, directed by Wren T. Brown, featuring Jenna Gillespie Byrd (The Girl with a Date), Karole Foreman (The Woman of the World), Vivian Reed (Lady from the Road), and Clinton Derricks-Carroll (The Man in the Saloon), opens at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.
Saturday, October 23
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, adapted by Joel Horwood, directed by Katy Rudd, featuring Ruby Ablett, James Banford, Emma Bown, Charlie Cameron, Jeff D’Sangalang, and Kieran Garland, opens at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre.
Mr. Saturday Night developmental presentations, by Lowell Ganz, Babloo Mandel, Jason Robert Brown & Amanda Green, directed by John Rando, featuring Billy Crystal (Buddy Young), Randy Graff (Elaine Young), David Paymer (Stan Yankelman), Alysha Umphress (Susan Young), and Chasten Harmon (Annie Wells), with Jordan Gelber, Brian Ganzales, and Mylinda Hull, begins its developmental workshops at Boston’s Barrington Stage.
Macbeth In Stride, world premiere by Whitney White, directed by Whitney White, Tyler Dobrowsky Taibi Magar & Steven Cuevas, featuring Whitney White (Woman), Charlie Thurston (Man), Phoenix Best (Witch), Kira Helper (Witch), and Reggie D. White (Witch), begins previews at Cambridge’s A.R.T.
A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt at The Soraya concert, featuring Aida Cuevas, La Marisoul, and Luciana Souza, at 8 PM PT at Northridge’s The Soraya.
Steve Ross: Back on the Town concert, at 8:30 PM ET at NYC’s Birdland.
Is God Is, by Aleshea Harris, directed by Ola Ince, featuring Vivienne Acheampong, Adelayo Adedayo, Ray Emmit Brown, Ernest Kingsley Jr, Tamara Lawrence, Rudlophe Mdlongwa, Mark Monero, and Cecilia Noble, closes at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Shining City, by Conor McPherson, directed by Nadia Fall, featuring Brendan Coyle, Curtis-Lee Ashqar, Michelle Fox, and Rory Keenan, closes at London’s Theatre Royal East.
Hudson Stage Company‘s October Storm, world premiere by Joshual Allen, directed by Cezar Williams, featuring Yvette Ganier, Patricia R. Floyd, Trevor Latez Hayes, Philipe D. Preston, and Courtney Thomas, closes at the Whippoorwill Theatre.
Soon, by Nick Blaemire, directed by Michael O’Brien, featuring Imani Moss (Charlie), Matt Donzella (Jonah), Carmen Castillo (Stevie), and Ebony Pullum (Adrienne), closes at Lancaster, PA’s Prima Theatre.
Sunday, October 24
The Foundation for New American Musicals Annual Benefit, honoring Marc Shaiman and Robert Klein, hosted by Steven Webber, featuring Megan Hilty, Matthew Morrison, Bruce Vilanch, Marsha Wallace, and Marissa Jaret Winokur, at 4 PM PT at a private home in the Pacific Palisades.
123 Manhunt, by Tony DiMurro, directed by William Roudebush, featuring Ilene Kristen, Anthony Barile, Chris Paul Morales, and Santo Fazio, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theater for the New City.
Letters of Suresh, by Rajiv Joseph, directed by May Adrales, featuring Ali Ahn, Ramiz Monsef, Kellie Overbey, and Thom Sesma, closes at Off-Broadway’s Tony Kiser Theatre.
1-2-3 Manhunt, by Tony DiMurro, directed by William Roudebush, featuring Ilene Kristen, Anthony Barile, Chris Paul Morales, and Santo Fazio, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theater for the New City.
The Fever, by Wallace Shawn, directed by Scott Elliott, starring Lili Taylor, closes at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theatre.
Cabaret, directed by Evan Pappas & Sara Brians, featuring Dana Costello (Sally Bowles), Jon Peterson (The Emcee), Andy Tighe (Cliff Bradshaw), Brian Owen (Ernst Ludwig), and Lilly Robin (Fräulein Kost/Fritzie), with Luke Bernier, Nikki Rinaudeo-Concessi, Nicole Forde, Zoe Gillis, LeVane Harrington, Kelley Anne McCormick, Carter Sabuda, Conor Stepnowski, and Alexis Semevolos Velazquez, closes at Babylon’s Argyle Theatre.
American Mariachi, by José Cruz González, directed by Henry Godinez, featuring Gloria Vivica Benavides (Soyla), Gigi Cervantes (Amalia), Lucy Godínez (Boli), Ricardo Gutiérrez (Federico), Molly Hernández (Isabel), Fréndira Izguerra (Tia Carmen), Amanda Raquel Martinez (Gabby), Bobby Plasencia (Mino), Christopher Llewyn Ramirez (Mateo), Tiffany Solano (Lucha), closes at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Dear Mr. Wilson, written by & starring Bryan Batt, directed by Michael Wilson, closes at New Orleans’ Le Petit Theatre.
Designing Women, by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, directed by Amy Herzberg & Harry Thomason, featuring Carmen Cusack (Julia Sugarbaker), Amy Pietz (Suzanne Sugarbaker), Sarah Colonna (Mary Jo Shively), Elaine Hendrix (Charlene Frazier), Carla Renata (Cleo Bouvier), Kim Matula (Haley McPhee), and Elizabeth Ofodile (Alfie), concludes in person & streaming at Arkansas’ Theater Fayetteville.
Carter Calvert: Walkin’ After concert closes at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.
Our Man in Santiago, world premiere by Mark Wilding, directed by Charlie Mount, featuring Steve Nevel (Richard Nixon) and Michael Van Duzer (Henry Kissinger), with Presciliana Esparolini, Nick McDow Musleh, and George Tovar, closes at LA’s Theatre West.
Ensemble Theatre Company‘s Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, by Janet Yates Vogt & Mark Friedman, directed by Jenny Sullivan, featuring Linda Purl and David Engel, closes at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
5-Star Theatricals‘ Mamma Mia!, directed by Richard Israel, featuring Kim Huber (Donna Sheridan), Eric Martsolf (Sam Carmichael), Nicolette Norgaard (Sophie Sheridan), Max Deloach (Sky), Brayden Hade (Harry Bright), Christopher Robert Smith (Bill Austin), Sandy Bainum (Tanya), Lisa Dyson (Rosie), Alexa Vennanoweth (Ali), Tyler Marie Watkins (Lisa), Christopher Jewell Valentin (Pepper), Anthony Broccoli (Eddie, and Julian Xavier (Father Alexandrios), with Parker Blakely, James Everts, Kristi Hawkesworth, Cassicy Love, Tyler Luff, Kaitlin Maxwell, Nathaniel Marks, AJ Morales, Taleen Shrikian, Stephanie Urko, and Racheal Yeomans, closes at CA’s Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.
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Video: Stars in the House, offering a “Fame” vs “Glee” game night, with special guests Loretta Chandler, Lee Curreri, Kevin McHale, Valerie Landsburg, Vanessa Lengies, Carol Mayo Jenkins and Jenna Ushkowitz. (1:59:39)
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Chicago’s Goodman Theatre has announced its 17th annual New Stages Festival, a celebration and discovery of new works by some of the country’s finest established and emerging playwrights, to run Dec. 1-19.
Hummingbird reading (Dec. 3-6), by Jo Cattell. 
A gutsy teen has to outsmart her mother’s narcissistic boss and survive dangerous new technology in Hummingbird, a live, immersive adventure that transforms theatrical storytelling utilizing cutting-edge, virtual reality technology. Tickets are extremely limited.
Nightwatch (Dec. 1-19), by Max Yu, directed by Chay Yew. When 20-year-old Leo drops out of college and returns home to San Francisco’s Chinatown, he discovers a secret that’s been kept from him: his father passed away weeks ago. To try to cope, he delves into his family’s untold past in the Chinese Communist Cultural Revolution, redefining everyone and everything he thought was in his bloodline.
Layalina (Dec. 5-19), by Martin Yoursif Zebari, directed by Sivan Battat. In 2003, newlywed Layal imagines a future with her family as they make plans to immigrate to the U.S. from Baghdad. 17 years later, just outside of Chicago, Layal’s life and responsibilities look unimaginably different from what she had envisioned two decades before.
Fires, Ohio reading (Dec. 18), by Beth Hyland, directed by Marti Lyons.
Your Names Means Dream reading (Dec. 18), by José Rivera, directed by Audrey Francis. Aislin is getting older and her body is breaking down. Her caregiver Stacy has a perfectly toned body that doesn’t age–because she’s a robot. While Aislin suffers the inevitable indignities of being human, Stacy wonders what she’s missing out on. Acclaimed playwright José Rivera examines how we live, die, and form our sense of self in a world that’s increasingly saturated with technology.
Watching the Watcher reading (Dec. 19),by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Neel Keller. What is it that we look for when we first see another person? In that moment, what do we know and what do we assume? And what happens when we realize they are seeing us for the first time as well?
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Video: “Reach for It,” from Whitney White & Susan Stroman’s world premiere of Macbeth in Stride, featuring Whitney White, Charlie Thurston, Phoenix Best, Reggie D. White, and Kira Sarai Helper.
Macbeth in Stride is a five-part series commissioned by Cambridge’s A.R.T., excavating the women from Shakespeare’s canon.
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Terrence McNally: Celebration of Life will take place Mon. Nov. 1 at 4:30 PM ET at Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre, and is free and open to the public.
The event will feature readings, performances and tributes from some of McNally’s closest friends and collaborators.
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Randy Rainbow‘s new album, “A Little Brains, A Little Talent,” will be released Nov. 12. 
the CD here. (pre-order on iTunes not yet available).
1. “A Little Brains, A Little Talent”
2. “It’s A Lovely Day Today”/”Good Morning”
3. “You Gotta Get a Gimmick”
4. “Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley”
5. “Second Hand Rose” Medley
6. “My Best Girl”/”It Only Takes a Moment”
7. “Pink Glasses”
8. “Lida Rose”/”Will I Ever Tell You?
9. “The Jitterbug”
10. “Bosom Buddies”
11. “Somewhere Only We Know”
12. “Ted ‘n’ Lindsey”
13. “Those Were the Good Old Days” (Randy’s Version)
14. “Randy Rainbow for President!”
Bonus Tracks Available on CD:
15. “If Donald Got Fired”
16. “Mr. Biden, Bring My Vaccine”
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Jessica Vosk: My Golden Age will take place Mon. Nov. 8 at 8 PM ET at Carnegie Hall.
Kristin Chenoweth and Scott Hoying.
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Additional casting for The New Group‘s production John Ridley & Tariq Trotter’s Black No More, which will run Jan. 11 – Feb. 27 (opening Feb. 28) at the Signature Center, directed by Scott Elliott, withchoreography by Bill T. Jones, and music direction by Zane Mark.
Jennifer Damiano, Brandon Victor Dixon, Lillias White, Tamika Lawrence, Theo Stockman, Tracy Shayne, and Walter Bobbie.
An adaptation of George S. Schuyler’s satirical Harlem Renaissance-era novel, Black No More is set in June 1928 and is the story of Max Disher, a man who plans to use a machine invited by Dr. Junius Crookman to “solve the American race problem” by turning Black people white.
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Casting has been announced for “Love and Death,” which will stream on HBO Max. The release date is TBA.
Elizabeth Olsen, Brian d’Arcy James, Jesse Plemons, Patrick Fugit, Lily Rabe, Keir Gilchrist, Elizabeth Marvel, Tom Pelphrey, Krysten Ritter, Olivia Applegate, Mackenzie Astin, Adam Cropper, and Bruce McGill.
The series tells the story of two church-going couples, enjoying small town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an axe.
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Shoshana Bean: Sing Your Hallelujah tour has been announced. 
here.
London — Dec. 4 at Cadogan Hall
NYC — Dec. 13 at the Appollo Theater
Los Angeles — Dec. 18 at Immanuel Presbyterian Cathedral
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“Kristin Chenoweth: Happiness is… Christmas” has been released.
Download here.
1. “Happiness (Is Christmas) / Christmas Time Is Here”
2. “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day?”
3. “Merry Christmas, Darling”
4. “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag / Jingle Bell Rock”
5. “The Stories That You Told”
6. “The Little Road To Bethlehem”
7. “Merry Christmas Baby”
8. “Christmas Lullaby”
9. “We Are Lights”
10. “Santa, I’ve Got A Bone To Pick With You!”
11. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
12. “My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)”
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NY Theatre Barn will present excerpts (both live & streamed) from two new musicals on Mon. Nov. 1 at 7 PM ET at The Cell.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franweiler, by Jessica Penzias, Adam Ben-David & Christyn Budzyna, directed by Sammi Cannold. 11-year-old Claudia Kincaid and her younger brother Jamie run away from home and hide out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
How to You: A Musical Guide to Black Boyhood, by Joriah Kwamé, featuring Elijah Caldwell, Brynn Williams, and Kwamé. The musical follows the unborn spirit of a Black man who appears in limbo to prepare to go to the world.
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The 33rd Annual NAMT New Musical Festival, offering eight brand-new musicals, streamed in 20-minute presentations, is now available to stream in two parts here (through Oct. 31).