This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, October 24
Once upon a One More Time, by Jon Hartmere, directed by Colin Tracy, featuring Jill Marie Burke (Stepmother), Michelle Hakala Wolf (O.F.G), Jeremy Lucas (Clumsy), & Brian Whisenant (Narrator), opens at LA’s Jaxx Theatre.
Reunions, by Jeffrey Scharf’ & Jimmy Calire, directed & choregraphed by Gabriel Barre, featuring Bryan Fenkart (Sir Harry), Joanna Glushak (Dona Laura), Chilina Kennedy (Kate, Courtney Reed (Lady Sims), Daniel Torres (Edward/Juanito), and Chip Zien (Don Gonzalo) with Janet Aldrich, Keith Lee Grant, and Pearl Rhein, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s NY City Center.
Saturday, October 25
Danny Boy, written & directed by Michael J. Harney, with Kevin Kelly, Marie Broderick, Lisa Richards, Robert Kerbeck , Ralph Guzzo, Craig Barnett, Carla Barnett, Oscar Best, and Daniel V. Graulau, closes at LA’s The Actors Company.
Sunday, October 26
Marilyn Maye in concert opens at NYC’s 54 Below.
The Chirstine Jorgensen Show, by Donald Steven Olson’s & Mark Nadler, directed by Michael Barakiva, featuring Augustine Lorrie (Christine) and Scott Ahearn (Myles Bell, begins previews at Cleveland Playhouse.
The 4th annual Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, featuring Samora La Perdida and Taylor Iman Jones, Chasity Moore, Dane Figueroa Edidi, Grant Evan, Jayae Riley Jr., Leo Sheng), Sis thee Doll, TL Thompson, Arturo Luíz Soria, Bekah Zornosa, Janice Amaya, Nicola Gorham, Vico Ortiz; Ashil Lee, Ashton Muñiz, Che Kabia, Daphne Always, Sagan Chen, Smith Alfieri, and Vann Dukes, closes at Off-Broadway’s Open Jar Studios.
The Great Emu Wars, by Cal Silberstein and Paul Hodge, directed &choreographed by Amy Anders Corcoran, featuring LaRaisha DiEvelyn Dionne, Claire Saunders Ethan Peterson, Taylor Matthew (Meredith), Jeremy Davis (Enoch), Morgan Cowling (McMurray), closes at CT’s Goodspeed.
Julius: Re-envisioning of the Tragedy of Julius Caeser, by William Shakespeare, by Nicole Brewer, directed by Nicole Brewer, featuring Brandon (Carter Juliux X), Del Palmer (Marc Anthony), Jay Frisby (Cassius), Lilli Hokamer (Addara), Greg Alverez Reid (Brutus), Nikkole Calpurnia), Gaelyn D. Smith (Cine/Black Soothsayer), Shawn Sebatian Naar (Octavius/Marullua), Dwayne Alistair Thomas Casca/Flavius), and Renee Elisabeth Wilson (Portia), closes at DC’s Folger Theatre.
Ensemble Theatre Company‘s War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast, by Joe landry, directed by Jamie Torcellini, featuring Richard Baird (Freddy Filmore/Orson Welles), Matthew Floyd Miller (Harry Haywood), Ashley Margaret Morton (Lana Sherwood), and Bryan Daniel Porter (Jake Laurents), closes at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
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Irish Rep will present It’s A Wonderful Life Dec. 3 -31 (opening Dec. 7), directed by Charlotte Moore, with music direction by David Hancock Theatre.
TBA.
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NY’s Hudson Valley Theatre has announced its 2026 season at Garrison NY’s Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center:
As You Like It (June 10 – Sept. 18), directed by Miriam Laube.
King Lear (June 12 – Sept. 18), directed by Davis McCallum (featuring Kurt Rhoads as King Lear.
Les Misérables (Aug. 12 – Sept. 27), directed by Jenn Thompson.
Casting for the season and additional information TBA.
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Paul Slade Smith’s Beside Myself will run Oct. 29 – Nov. 16 at CA’s Laguna Playhouse, directed by David Ellenstein.
Tom Daugherty (Colin), Erin Noel Grennan (Gemma), Matthew Henerson ((Karl) , Jacquelyn Ritz (Dr. Alanna ). J. Smith (Sylvie,) et al, and Christopher M. Williams (Jerry).
Step into the brilliantly inventive world premiere Beside Myself, where modern anxiety meets magical possibility, as a revolutionary medical procedure creates an unexpected double dose of identity crisis. This witty, surreal comedy sparkles as two versions of one woman wrestles for control with hilarious and profound results.
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The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (link TBA) will honor Bartlett Sher with the 2026 SDC foundation’s “Mr. Abbott” Award” for Outstanding Contributions to Broadway, on Mar. 23, 2026 at NYC’s Gotham Hall.
Additional details TBA.
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A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland will run Oct. 30 – Nov. 13 at the Sheen Center, directed & choreographed by Brent Pace.
Gavin Shevlin, Julia O’Rourke, Alliyah O’Hare, Megan McGinley and Patrick O’Keeffe Youngh Cian Walsh, Liam Fitzgerald, Isaac Loxley, Michael Roberson, Dillon D’Amore, Enda Keane, Brittany Pymm, Ella Giammichele, Jessica Miller, Fiona Shanley andNatalie Wagner.
The vibrant, live music stage production that celebrates Irish music, dance, storytelling, and wit, today announced that it will kick off the holiday season in New York City, with A Celtic Christmas a joy-filled celebration of Irish culture and Christmas cheer. Featuring an all-star lineup of World Champion dancers from Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, this global sensation immerses audiences in a traditional Celtic landscape, where the magic of an Irish Christmas transports them to a world of wonder and where vibrant music and dance embody the heartbeat of the festive season.**********************
Connecticut’s Goodspeed Theatre has announced its 2026 season:
Jesus Christ Superstar (Apr. 17 – June 7), directed by Tatiana Pandiani, with music direction by Adamn Souza.
Crazy For You (June 19 – August 9), directed by Michael Fling, with choreography by Kellie Barclay, and music direction by Adam Souza.
The Snow Goose (Aug. 28 – Oct. 18) world premiere by Scott Gilmour & Claire McKenzie, directed by Marshall Pailet., with choreography by Misha Shields, and music direction by Adam Souza. On the windswept coast of England an unlikely bond forms between Philip, a reclusive artist shunned by society, and Frith, a resilient orphan girl, when they rescue a wounded snow goose. With World War II looming, their friendship allows her to imagine a life beyond her village and him to confront his own humanity as he sets sail on a daring journey to save soldiers trapped at Dunkirk.
Annie (Oct. 30 – Dec. 27), 50th anniversary production, directed by Jenn Thompson, with music direction by Adam Souza, and choreography by Patti Wilcox.
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A limited ticket pay-what-you-can option is available for Julia Masli’s ha ha ha ha ha ha ha through Nov. 9 at Pasadena Playhouse, directed by Kim Noble.
Julia Masli
All Julia Masli wants to do is solve people’s problems and win the Nobel Peace Prize, but this plan keeps going wrong as she continually wins prizes for comedy. In her wildly unpredictable solo show ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, the award-winning performer turns the audience’s problems into surreal, side-splitting theater. No script, no safety net, just one woman on a mission to help. After sensational runs in Edinburgh, Melbourne, New York, and D.C., Julia is on her way to Pasadena to solve all our problems.
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York Theatre will present the world premiere of Nikki Feirt Atkins’ Gotta Dance Nov. 25 – Dec. 28 (opening Dec. 3) at Theatre at St. Jean’s, directed by Nikki Feirt Atkins & Randy Skinner.
Jessica Lee Goldyn, Brandon Burks, Anthony Cannarella, Barton Cowperthwaite, Deanna Doyle, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Afra Hines, Jess LeProtto, Kendall Leshanti, Drew Minard, Georgina Pazcoguin, Samantha Siegel, Taylor Stanley, and Blake Zelesnikar.
The musical honors the timeless art of musical theatre dance on stage and film. Featuring inspired reconstructions from musicals such as West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Pippin, Singin’ in the Rain, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and more, this joyous celebration brings to life the work of choreographers like Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gene Kelly, Michael Bennett, Susan Stroman, Billy Wilson, and others. Experience the steps and spirit that have defined generations of Broadway dance.