This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, October 7
Only Gold, by Kate Nash, Andy Blankenbuehler & Ted Malawer, directed by directed & choreographed by Blankenbuehler, featuring Terrance Man (King), Hannah Cruz (Camille), Gaby Diaz (Tooba), Kate Nash (Narrator), Karine Plantadit (Roksana), Ryan Steele (Jaques), Ryan Vandenboom (Henri), with Haley Fish, Jennifer Florentino, Jacob Guzman, Tyler Hanes, Thyne Jasperson, Reed Luplau, Morgan Marcell, Ximone Rose, Ida Saki, Ahmad Simmons, Deanne Stewart, Voltaire Wade-Greene, Katie Webber, Bradley Dean, Jacob Burns, Phil Colgan, Victoria Fiore, Samantha Poling, and Eleri Ward, opens at Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater.
Guys and Dolls, directed by Marc Bruni, featuring James Monroe Iglehart (Nathan Detroit), Jessie Mueller (Miss Adelaide), Steven Pasquale (Sky Masterson), Phillipa Soo (Sarah Brown), Kevin Chamberlin (Nicely-Nicely, Rachel Dratch (Big Jule), Jacqueline Antaramian (General Cartwright), Fred Applegate (Arvide), Eden Marryshow (Lt. Brannigan), Matthew Saldivar (Benny), Jimmy Smagula (Harry the Horse), Jacqueline Antaramian (General Cartwright), Fred Applegate (Arvide), Eden Marryshow (Lt. Branigan), Matthew Saldivar (Benny), Jimmy Smagula (Harry the Horse), Akron Watson (Rusty Charlie), Allison Blackwell (Agatha), Colin Cunliffe (Sorrowful Jones), Michael Fatica (Liverlips Louie/Calvin), Tommy Gedrich (The Greek), Julia Harnett (Allison), Nathan Lucrezio (Scranton Slim), Kristen Faith Oei (Mimi), Lizz Picini (Ferguson), Deon Ridley (Society Max), Anthony Wayne (Angie the Ox), Tanner Wilson (Brandy Bottle Bates), and Kristin Yancy (Martha/Vernon), opens at the Kennedy Center.
Sally & Tom, world premiere by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, featuring Kristen Ariza (Lucy/Sally), Amari Cheatom (Kwame/James), Sun Mee Chomet (Scout/Polly), Gillian Glasco (Maggie/Mary), Kadeem Ali Harris (Devon/Nathan), Kate Nowlin (Ginger/Patsy), Daniel Petzold (Geoff/Cooper/Cary/Tobias), and Luke Robertson (Mike/Tom), opens at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater.
Cindy & The Disco Ball: The Musical, by Joseph Leo Bwarie, Lori Marshall & Rachael Lawrence, directed by Bwarie & Christine Lakin, featuring Christopher Baker, Jasiana, Caraballo, Malynda Hale, Hayden Kharrazi, and Abigail Kate Thomas, opens at Burbank’s Garry Marshall Theatre.
The Prom, by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar, directed by Frank Portanova, featuring Janine LaManna (Dee Dee Allen), Felicia Finley (Angie), Keith Schneider (Barry), Nathan Cockroft (Trent), Emily Royer (Alyssa), and Megan Colton (Emma), with Alex Agard, Eriel Milan Brown, Tim Canali, Liz Davis, Timothy Matthew Flores, Travis Flynt, Collin Hancock, Jordana Kagan, Quincy Lawson, Paulette Oliva, Leah Platt, Taylor Joseph Rivera, Mark Saunders, Daniella Tamasi, and Jake Urban, opens at the White Plains Performing Arts Center.
WestFest 2022, offering presentation of new works, opens at LA’s Theatre West.
Holiday, by Philip Barry, directed by Anita Maynard-Losh, featuring John Austin, Rachel Felstein, Todd Scofield, Jamie Smithson, Regina Aquino, Claire Blackwelder, Peter Boyer, Baize Buzan, Bowen Fox, Olivier Hebert, Ahmad Kamal, Emily King Brown, Andrés F. Roa, and Sean Wiberg, begins previews at DC’s Arena Stage.
Swing State, world premiere by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Robert Falls, featuring Mary Beth Fisher (Peg), Kirsten Fitzgerald (Sheriff Kris), Anne E. Thompson (Dani), and Bubba Weiler (Ryan), with Jennifer Engstrom, Jessica Ervin, Laura T. Fisher, and Jack Lancaster, begins previews at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan, by Alexander Dinelaris, directed by directed & choreographed by Alex Sanchez, featuring Linedy Genao (Gloria), Brandon Espinoza (Emilio), Francisca Muñoz (Gloria Fajardo), Yajaira Paredes (Consuelo), Olivia Andrade-Marin & Natalia Artigas (sharing the role of Little Gloria), and Carlos Carreras (Nayib/Young Emilio/Jeremy), with Jonathan Arana, Mike Baerga, Brigitte Beach, Arthur Joseph Cuadros, Nicholas Cunha, Rubén Flores, Gabriela García, Diego Guevara, Rachel Josefina, Kyle Laing, Ángel Lozada, Risa Nicole, Vincent Ortega, Alexa Racioppi, Janina Rosa, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Vanessa Sierra, Luis Villabon, and Sarah Waite, begins previews at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse.
Saturday, October 8
Ensemble Theatre Company‘s Carmen Jones, by Oscar Hammerstein II & George Bizet, directed by Jonathan Fox, featuring Fredricka Meed (Carmen Jones), Chauncy Packer (Joe), Zelda Carmen (Cindy Lou), Troy Wallace (Husky), Nataley Carter (Myrt), Ashli Ferguson (Sally), Christopher James Hester (Rum), Michael Howard-dossett (Sergeant Brown/Higgins), Constance Jewell Lopez (Franky), and Desmond Newsom (Dink), opens at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
Rogue Machine Theatre‘s A Great Wilderness, by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Elina de Santos, featuring Jeffrey Delfin (Daniel), John Perrin Flyn (Walt), Tony Pasqualini (Tim), Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield (Eunice), Rachel Sorsa (Abby), and Tania Verafield (Janet), opens at LA’s Matrix Theatre.
Fun Home, directed by Rob Ruggiero, featuring Aaron Lazar (Bruce), Christianne Noll (Helen), Sarah Beth Pfeifer (Alison), Ali Louis Bourzgui (Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy), Sam Duncan (John-Jasper), Myles Low (Christian), Skylar Lynn Matthews (Small Alison), Julia Nightingale (Medium Alison), and Cameron Silliman (Joan), begins previews at TheaterWorks Hartford.
NY’s Hudson Valley Dance Festival, in support of Dancers Responding to AIDS, at 2 & 5 PM at Historic Catskill Point.
Rubicon Theatre‘s Starry Soiree benefit concert, starring Norm Lewis, at 6 PM at a private home in Venice, CA.
The Shakespeare Riots opera presentation, by Nigel Cliff, directed by JA Diaz, featuring Ron Menzel, Michael Nansel, Nicholas Simpson, and Ashley Galvani Bell, at 8 PM at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre.
Los Otros, by Ellen Fitzhugh & Michael John LaChiusa, directed by Noah Himmelstein, featuring Luba Mason and Caesar Samayoa, closes at Off-Broadway’s A.R.T./New York Theatres.
Speakeasy Stage‘s Heroes of the Fourth, by Will Arbery, directed by Marianna Bassham, featuring Karen MacDonald, Dayna Cousins, Jesse Hinson, Nathan Malin, and Elise Piliponis, closes at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion.
Sunday, October 9
Death of a Salesman, directed by Miranda Cromwell, featuring Wendell Pierce (Willy Loman), Sharon D Clarke (Linda Loman), Khris Davis (Biff), McKinley Belcher III (Happy), André De Shields (Ben), Blake DeLong (Howard/Stanley), Lynn Hawley (The Woman/Jenny), Grace Porter (Letta/Jazz Singer), Kevin Ramessar (Musician), Stephen Stocking (Bernard), Chelsea Lee Williams (Miss Forsythe), and Delaney Williams (Charlie), opens at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre.
On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan, by Alexander Dinelaris, directed by directed & choreographed by Alex Sanchez, featuring Linedy Genao (Gloria), Brandon Espinoza (Emilio), Francisca Muñoz (Gloria Fajardo), Yajaira Paredes (Consuelo), Olivia Andrade-Marin & Natalia Artigas (sharing the role of Little Gloria), and Carlos Carreras (Nayib/Young Emilio/Jeremy), with Jonathan Arana, Mike Baerga, Brigitte Beach, Arthur Joseph Cuadros, Nicholas Cunha, Rubén Flores, Gabriela García, Diego Guevara, Rachel Josefina, Kyle Laing, Ángel Lozada, Risa Nicole, Vincent Ortega, Alexa Racioppi, Janina Rosa, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Vanessa Sierra, Luis Villabon, and Sarah Waite, opens at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse.
Broadway for Reproductive Rights in Concert, a benefit in support of the New York Abortion Access Fund, directed by Samantha Joy Pearlman, featuring Taylor Iman Jones, Anthony Lee Medina, Sarah Haines, Tess Primack, Dawn L. Troupe, Imani Pearl Williams, Julia Bain, Noa Luz Barenblat, Denali Bennett, Kelsey Anne Brown, Kyra Kennedy, Maya Musia, Samantha Joy Pearlman, and Aveena Sawyer, at 9:30 PM at NYC’s Green Room 42.
The Color Purple, directed by Timothy Douglas, featuring Nova Y. Payton (Celie), Danielle J. Summons, Frenchie Davis (Sofia), Kaiyla Gross (Nettie), Stephawn P. Stephens (Ol’ Mister/Preacher), Soloman Parker III (Harpo), Temídayo Amay (Squeak), and Torrey Linder (Mister), with Ian Anthony Coleman, Jalisa Williams, Keenan McCarter, Nia Savoy-Dock, Raquel Jennings, Sean-Maurice Lynch, Tobias A. Young, Yewande Odetoyinbo, Catrina Brenae, Gabrielle Rice, and Jay Frisby, closes at DC’s Signature Theatre.
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, by James Ijames, directed by Whitney White, featuring Cindy gold (Martha Washington), Celeste M. Cooper (Doll), Sydney Charles (Priscilla), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Davy), Nikki Crawford (Ann Dandridge), Victor Musoni (William), Donovan Session (Sucky Boy), and Celeste M. Cooper (Doll), closes at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.
All of Me, world premiere by Laura Winters, directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe, featuring Madison Ferris (Lucy), Danny Gomez (Alfonso), Alexandra Seal (Jackie), Leah Hocking (Connie), Maggie Bofill (Elena), and Jack Fellows (Moose), closes at MA’s Barrington Stage Company.
Lend Me A Soprano, world premiere by Ken Ludwig, directed by Eleanor Holdridge, featuring Ellen Harvey (Mrs. Wylie), Mia Pinero (Jo), Alexandra Silber (Elena Firenzi), Orlando Arriaga (Pasquale), Steven Good (Le0), Brandon Hearnsberger (jerry), Susan Koozin (Julia), and Skyler Sinclair (Beverly), closes at Houston’s Alley Theatre.
Lucia di Lammermoor, conducted by Lina González-Granados, featuring Amanda Woodbury (Lucia, Sept. 17-24), Liv Redpath (Lucia, Sept. 18 – Oct. 9), Arturo Chacón-Cruz (Edgardo), Alexander Birch Elliott (Enrico), Eric Owens (Raimondo), and Anthony León (Normanno), closes at LA Opera.
Kim’s Convenience, by Ins Choi, directed by Lawrence Rivera, featuring Young Im (Appa), Gavin Lee (Jung), Susane Lee (Janet), Clinton Lowe (Alex), and Janet Song (Umma), with Joe Alanes, Peter Laboy, Pamela Lee Paek, and Chris Yim, closes at Laguna Playhouse.
Sanctuary City, by Martyna Majok, directed by Zi Alikhan, featuring Ana Nicolle Chavez (“G”) and Miles Fowler (“B”), closes at Pasadena Playhouse.
Huntington Theatre‘s Sing Street, by Enda Walsh & Gary Clark, directed by Rebecca Taichman, featuring Adam Bregman (Conor Lawlor), Courtnee Carter (Raphina), Billy Carter (Robert Lawlor), Jack DiFalco (Barry Bray), Dónal Finn (Brendan Lawlor), Anthony Genovesi (Declan), Michael Lepore (Gary), Diego Lucano (Darren Mulvey), Elijah Lyons (Larry), Alexa Xioufaridou Moster (Anne Lawlor), Anne L. Nathan (Sandra), Gian Perez (Kevin), Dee Roscioli (Penny Lawlor), Armand Schultz (Brother Baxter), and Ben Wang (Eamon), with Gable Kinsman, Ale Philippides, and Virginia Vogel, closes at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion.
Our Town, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, featuring Lance Coadie Williams (Stage Manager), Kimberly Dodson (Emily Webb), Avon Haughton (George Gibbs), KenYatta Rogers (Dr. Frank Gibbs), Susan Rome (Mrs. July Gibbs), Derek Garza (Editor Charles Webb), Rebecca L. Hargrove (Myrtle Webb), Kyle Hermary (Wally Webb), Chania Hudson (Rebecca Gibbs), Suzanna Fox (Mrs. Soames), O’Malley Steuerman (Howie Newsome), Nancy Linden (Professor Willard), Dagan Brown (Joe Crowell), Alexander Velasco Suro (Si Crowell), Frank Britton (Joe Stoddard), Jared Michael Swain (Sam Craig), Abigail Funk (Constable Warren), and Michael David Axtell (Simon Stimson), with Jared Alexander, Monique Barnes, Zipporah Brown, Dominic Gladden, Vicky Graham, and Isaac Loyal, closes at Baltimore Center Stage.
Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine, by Lynn Nottage, directed by directed by Dawn M. Simmons, featuring Lyndsay Allyn Cox Undine), Barlow Adamson (Accountant), Shani Farrell (Mother), Damon Singletary (Father), Jaime José Hernández (Hervé/Guy), Brittani Jenese McBride (Stephie), Dayenne CB Walters (Grandma), and Sharmarke Yusuf (Flow), closes at Boston’s Lyric Stage Company.
American Mariachi, by José Cruz González, directed by Henry Godinez, featuring Gloria Vivica Benavides, Gigi Cervantes, Lucy Godínez, Ricardo Gutierrez, Molly Hernández, Eréndira Izguerra, Amanda Raquel Martinez, Bobby Plasencia, Christopher Llewyn Ramirez, and Elizabeth Romero, closes at Cleveland Play House.
Young Frankenstein, newly revised London version, directed by directed by Jeff Whiting, featuring Sally Struthers (Frau Blücher), A. J. Homes (Frederick Frankenstein), Sarah Wolter (Elizabeth), Trent Mills (The Monster), Maggie Ek (Inga), Wesley Slade (Igor), and Joe Hart (Inspector Kemp and The Hermit), with Lexi Cross, Isabella DeSouza Moore, Carl Draper, Cheyenne Green, Colby Hamann, Grant Hodges, Missy Marion, Ryan Perry Marks, Ella May Patterson, Austin Schulte, and Rodrigo Varandas, closes at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
The Great Jheri Curl Debate, world premiere by Inda Craig-Galvan, directed by Scarlett Kim, featuring Julanne Chidi Hill (Veralynn Jackson), Ryun Yu (Mr. Kim), Ray Baker (Jheri Redding), Mildred Marie Langford (Lorraine), and Bruce A. Lemon Jr. (Marvin), closes at LA’s East West Players.
Afterglow, written & directed by S. Asher Gelman, featuring Noah Bridgestock (Josh), James Hayden Rodriguez (Alex), and Nathan Mohebbi (Darius), closes at Hollywood’s Hudson Theatre.
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Reviews for Roundabout’s 1776 at Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre:
New York Times (Jesse Green): …Roundabout Theater Company’s otherwise disappointing Broadway revival of 1776 Barely a line has been uttered or a note sung when the performers… hike up their black tights and white socks to simulate breeches, don buckle shoes in place of clunky boots, step into frock coats of various colonial cuts and become…our Founding Fathers. That includes Elizabeth A. Davis, who makes a very visibly pregnant Thomas Jefferson… … For me, that double vision is the best thing about the production… the current revival seems interested in the cast’s experience at the expense of the audience’s…
NY Daily News (Chris Jones): …Part of the issue here is that Lin-Manuel Miranda got there first with Hamilton… the show is still a muddle of styles: the score is said to feature updated arrangements, but they sometimes feel just louder than conceptually rethought. Some of the acting (and singing) feels intentionally of this moment; other performances have a period veneer. And, more problematic yet, it rarely feels like anything really is being lived or decided in real time… I think the show would have worked better with all actors of color, or all trans and non-binary actors, since the level of intentionality here is not clear…
Variety (Frank Rizzo): … this exuberant, thought-provoking and radical revival… Without changing the narrative, it adds layers of context that offer further shadings to the musical, even though at times the results are somewhat crude, clunky or overdone… Co-director Page also choreographs the movement and dance, making its tableaux very vivant… In this new tapestry, some contextual touches work better than others…. Other choices expand but not necessarily improve upon moments that were already theatrically stunning… the singing couldn’t be richer with these beautiful, wide-ranging harmonizing voices.
Time Out (Adam Feldman): …the Roundabout’s latest revival of the show doesn’t feel stiff: It infuses this august body of show with a rush of fresh blood…. Now more than ever, 1776 registers as a companion piece to Broadway’s other current Founding Fathers musical, its bastard child Hamilton. In their emphases, however, the two shows are very different… the production also benefits from a very fine ensemble cast… Appropriately hard at the edges, this 1776 is just a bit soft in the middle… 1776 succeeds where it counts: It sustains a sense of suspense about events whose outcome we know going in.
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Complete casting has been announced for Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’, which will begin previews Nov. 3 and open Dec. 1 at the Belasco Theatre, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb.
Jordan E. Cooper (Peaches), Fedna Jacquet (Passenger #1), Marchánt Davis (Passenger #2), Shannon Matesky (Passenger #3), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Passenger #4), and Crystal Lucas-Perry (Passenger #5), with Nik Alexander, Jasmin Johnson, Michael Rishwan, Kedren Spencer, Brennie Tellu, and Emma Van Lare.
The play dares to ask the incendiary question, “What if the U.S. government attempted to solve racism… by offering Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?” The answer comes in the form of an outrageous and high-octane comedy about being Black in today’s America.
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Video: Broadway’s Into the Woods performs the title song on “The Today Show”
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York Theatre Company will present Susan H. Schulman, Michael Lichtefeld, Lawrence Yurman & Hoagy Bix Carmichael’s Stardust Road, to run Nov. 22 – Dec. 31 (opening Dec. 1) at Theatre at St. Jeans, directed by Susan H. Schulman, with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld, and music supervision by Lawrence Yurman.
Marcus Blair, Sara Esty, Dion Simmons Grier, Danielle Herbert, Kayla Jenerson, Cory Linger, and Mike Schwitter, with Rachel Fairbanks and Drew Tanabe.
A new musical journey that tells the story of six friends and one man who brought them all together. The musical is told completely through the sophisticated music of Hoagy Carmichael. The seven friends weave a story of camaraderie and shifting relationships through four decades in America: the early years of ragtime, jazz and blues; the romance of New York in the 1930’s; the tumultuous and uncertain years of the World War II era; and the post-war Golden Age of Hollywood… all while walking down Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road.
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Kurt Peterson: Proud Ladies – Close encounters with and lessons learned from 23 of the talented women of the theatre will take place Mon. Oct. 10 at 7 PM ay NYC’s Merkin Concert Hall, directed by Lisa Asher.
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Rupert Holmes’ All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg will run Nov. 3-27 at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre, directed by Laley Lippard.
Michelle Azar, with Jean Kaufmann as the standby.
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David West Read & Max Martin’s & Juliet, directed by Luke Sheppard, will close Mar. 25, 2023 at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Sheppard will also direct the upcoming Broadway production.
Nicolas Colicos (Lance), Billy Nevers (Francois), Joe Foster (May), Miriam-Teak Lee (Juliet), Cassidy Janson (Anne Hathaway), Oliver Tompsett (William Shakespeare), Tom Francis (Romeo), and Malinda Parris (Angelique), with Ebony Clarke, Bessy Ewa, Collette Guitart, Cassandra Lee, Nathan Louis-Fernand, Zara MacIntosh, Carl Man, Christian Maynard, Rachel Moran, Owen Saward, Aaron Shales, Benjamin Terry and Suki Wong, who join Ivan De Freitas, Rhian Duncan, Alex Tranter, Sophie Usher, and Rhys Wilkinson.
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New York Rep will present a benefit reading of Winter Miller’s Spare Rib on Mon. Oct. 24 at 7:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages, directed by Mia Walker. A talkback will follow. Proceeds will benefit the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project.
Kathleen Chalfant, and more TBA.
The play follows two generations of abortion providers: Harriet, a member of the underground collective Jane in the early 1970’s, and Florynce, her daughter who is a contemporary abortion provider. The action rockets between three distinctive eras – the early 1970’s 30 years later and the present.
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Musical Theatre Guild will present a concert staging of Brigadoon on Mon. Nov. 14 at 7: 30 PM at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, directed by Kim Huber, with musical staging by Leslie Stevens.
Casting TBA.
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Red Bull Theater will present a benefit performance of Hal Hester, Danny Apolinar & Donald Driver’s Your Own Thing, which will take place Mon. Dec. 12 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Gabriel Barre, with music direction by Greg Pliska.
Santino Fontana, and more TBA.
In the late 1960s, a raging storm shipwrecks a young music duo, twins Viola and Sebastian. The pair end up in the land of Illyria, which looks very much like New York City, and the rest is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – well, kind of.
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The San Francisco’s Gay Men’s Chorus will present its Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 2-3 at the Sydney Goldstein Theatre.
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Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Will Speck & Josh Gordon are working on a musical film adaptation of the computer game “The Oregon Trail.”
A “darkly comedic” interpretation of the classic computer game, which positions the player as a wagon leader guiding a group of early America settlers west in the mid-19th century.