This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, September 10
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, begins previews at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Broadway’s Come From Away Broadway production streams on Apple TV+
“What Would Petula Do?,” Maxine Linehan’s new tribute album to Petula Clark, recorded live in Paris, released here.
Saturday, September 11
The Guys, by Ann Nelson, an exclusive panel presentation to honor first responders everywhere and the heroes of Sept. 11th, bringing together artists from around the world to discuss the play, with host Ruthie Fierberg and author Anne Nelson, along with first responders who have appeared in productions of the play, begins FREE streaming at 7 PM ET here. (donations suggested). 
See article at the bottom of this newsletter for additional information.
Bedlam‘s Persuasion, adapted by Sarah Rose Kearns, directed by Eric Tucker, featuring Sarah Rose Kearns, Rajesh Bose, Caroline Grogan, Nandita Shenoy, Jamie Smithson, Randolph Curtis Rand, Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, Claire Hsu, Annabel Capper, and Yonatan Gebeyehu, opens at Off-Broadway’s Connelly Theatre.
The Gardens of Anuncia, by Michael John LaChiusa, directed & choreographed by Graciela Daniele, featuring Carmen Roman (Older Anuncia), Kalyn West (Younger Anuncia) Enrique Acevedo (That Man), Andréa Burns (Tia Lucia), Eden Espinosa (Mamí), John Herrera (Grandfather), Tally Sessions (The Deer), and Mary Testa (Granmama Magdalena), opens at San Diego’s Old Globe.
Maestro Michael Feinstein and the Pasadena Pops: of Broadway concert, with special guests Liz Callaway and Jordan Danica, at 7:30 PM PT at the LA Arboretum.
Bach & Sons, world premiere by Nina Raine, directed by Nicholas Hytner, featuring Simon Russell Beale (J.S. Bach), Samuel Blenkin (Carl), Pandora Colin (Maria Barbara), Ruth Lass (Katharina), Douggie McMeekin (Wilhelm), Racheal Ofori (Anna Magealena), and Pravessh Rana (Frederick the Great), closes at London’s Bridge Theatre.
Sierra Boggess in concert closes at 54 Below.
Sunday, September 12
“Dear Evan Hansen” advance screening & conversation with Ben Platt, Amandla Stenberg & Stephen Chbosky, at 5:30 PMET at NYC’s 92Y.
LA’s Center Theatre Group‘s “Sunday at the Getty with James: The Making of Sunday in the Park with George” FREE livestream discussion, moderated by Richard Rand, with special guest Stephen Sondheim, at 1 PM PT on Zoom.
Kritzerland’s 11th Anniversary Show concert, directed by Bruce Kimmel, featuring Daniel Thomas Bellusci, Peyton Kirkner, Kerry O’Malley, Adrienne Stiefel, and Robert Yacko, at 7 PM PT at Studio City’s Feinstein’s at Vitello’s.
Constellations, by Nick Payne, directed by Michael Longhurst, featuring 4 different casts — Sheil Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah (June 18 – Aug. 1)….. Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker (June 23 – July 24)….. Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey (July 30 – Sept. 11)….. and Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd Aug. – Sept. 12) closes at London’s Vaudeville Theatre.
Heathers, by Laurence O’Keefe & Kevin Murphy, directed by Andy Fickman, with choreography by Gary Lloyd, featuring Joe Steele (Heather Chandler), Bobbie Little (Heather Duke), Frances Mayli McCann (Heather McNamara), closes at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.
International City Theatre‘s Closely Related Keys, by Wendy Graf, directed by Saundra McClain, featuring Oscar Best, Sydney A. Mason, Mehrnaz Mohammadi, Nick Molari, and Adrian Mohamed Tafesh, closes at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.
Steve Tyrell in concert closes at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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Video: Stars in the House, offering a Merrily We Roll Along Reunion, with special guests Jim Walton, Lonny Price, Ann Morrisson and Jason Alexander. (1:33:40)
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Musical Theatre West‘s New Works New Voices Festival will present readings of 3 new musicals:
Casting for all readings TBA.
Angels of the Southern Accents (Sat. Sept. 18 at 2 PM PT), by Russ McCoy. 
Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone With The Wind” had a secret held for over 40 years after her death. She was married to two men, Red Upshaw and John Marsh, who were best friends in college and had a secret of their own. Her closest confidant was her maid, Bessie Jordan, who challenged her White privilege. Finally, there was Benjamin Mays, President of the prestigious Black university, Morehouse College that led Mitchell down a controversial path that could ruin her reputation.
The Importance of Being Earnest – A Wilde New Musical (Sat. Sept. 18 at 7 PM PT), by Bret Simmons & David Howard.
On This Side of the World (Sun. Sept. 19 at 2 PM PT), by Paulo K Tiró. The musical gives voice to Filipino immigrants navigating old lives and new beginnings, as a one-way ticket sends them on a journey 8,000 miles from home. A love letter to the Filipino-American dream.
New Works Mixer (Sun. Sept. 19 at 4:30 PM PT).
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RIP: Elizabeth Ireland McCann, the iconoclastic Broadway producer who won nine Tony Awards during a 60-year career in theater, died yesterday after a bout with cancer, at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, according to her longtime associate and friend, Kristen Luciani. She was 90 years old.
One of the first women to command a place at the table populated largely by male producers, Ms. McCann – known up and down Broadway as simply, “Liz” – began her career in theater as a production assistant and manager with Proscenium Productions at the Cherry Lane Theatre in the 1950’s. Proscenium was, in fact, the first theater off the Broadway circuit to win a Special Tony Award (1955) for its groundbreaking productions of The Way of the World and Thieves’ Carnival.
After a string of short-term gigs in theater, Liz eventually completed a law degree at Fordham University, having previously graduated from Manhattanville College, where she acted in plays (Jo in Little Women), and she discovered the actor Yul Brynner’s name was on a label sewn into a rental costume she wore for one school production. She later earned a Masters in English Literature at Columbia, intending to become a drama teacher. While pursuing English throughout her education, Liz allowed that she always “troubled in theater.”
In 1967, Broadway came calling when Liz was hired as Managing Director by the influential theater owner James Nederlander (Jimmy Sr.). Eventually, she and Nelle Nugent created the formidable general management and production company, McCann & Nugent.
Her multitude of Tony-winning Broadway productions include Dracula (1979), The Elephant Man (1979), Morning’s at Seven (1980), Amadeus (1980), and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1981).
McCann & Nugent’s other Broadway productions include Night and Day, Piaf, Rose, Leader of the Pack, The Dresser, Mass Appeal, Good, The Glass Menagerie, and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s All’s Well That Ends Well, along with Much Ado About Nothing and Cyrano De Bergerac.
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“Stage/Screen Shorts Film Festival” continues through Sept. 13 on Broadway On Demand.
The festival is a celebration of the innovative ways it has given space to theatre in a socially distant world. Creators who have built short films with streaming in mind have submitted their work to the Festival.
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Read reviews for the “Dear Evan Hansen” film here.
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Alex Wyse & Ben Fankhauser’s A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet will run Sept. 17 – Nov. 14 (opening Sept. 27) at the Daryll Roth Theatre, directed by Marshall Pailet, with music direction by Alex Goldie Golden, and choreography by Stephanie Klemons.
Bryonha Marie Parham (Regina Comet), Alex Wyse, and Ben Franhauser.
Two nobodies dream of writing one hit song for everybody, but their day job composing their jingles for commercials isn’t the big break they hoped. That is, until they’re plucked from obscurity by a world-famous pop star named Regina Comet (if destiny had a child, it would be her) and she wants them to create an anthem for her supernova pipes… and her new perfume. They’re so close to the big-time they can smell it, but following your passion doesn’t always lead where you expect. Making a hit song can be a shit-show.
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Video: Trailer for Diana: The Musical on Netflix.
The musical, by Joe DiPietro & David Bryan, directed by Christopher Ashley, will premiere Oct. 1 on Netflix, and will resume previews Nov. 2 (opening Nov. 17) at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre.
Jeanna de Waal (Diana), Roe Hartrampf (Prince Charles), Erin Davie (Camilla Parker Bowles), and Judy Kaye (Queen Elizabeth), with Zach Adkins, Tessa Alves, Ashley Andrews, Austen Danielle Bohmer, Holly Ann Butler, Stephen Carrasco, Richard Gatta, Lauren E.J. Hamilton, Emma Hearn, Shaye B. Hopkins, André Jordan, Gareth Keegan, Nathan Lucrezio, Tomás Matos, Chris Medlin, Laura Stracko, and Bethany Ann Tesarck,
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Isobel McArthur’s Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort Of) will begin previews Oct. 15 and open Nov. 2 at the Criterion Theatre, directed by McArthur & Simon Harvey, with music supervision by Michael John McCarthy & Emily-Jane Boyle. The musical includes pop favorites.
Isobel McArthur (Darcy/Mrs. Bennet), Tori Burgess (Mr. Collins), Christina Gordon (Lady Catherine de Bourgh/Jane), Hannah Jarrett-Scott (Charlotte./Charles Bingley), and Meghan Tyler (Lizzie Bennet).
A unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money, and microphones will be fought over in the irreverent but affectionate all-female adaptation, where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance. It’s the 1800s. It’s party time. Let the ruthless matchmaking begin.
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The Broadway Podcast Network has re-released the remastered audio musical of David Zellnik & Eric Svejcar’s Loveville High: A Prom in Nine Musical Podcasts, plus songs from the podcast, available on all streaming platforms.
Kathryn Allison, Harrison Chad, Troy Iwata, Gizel Jiménez, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Hailey Kilgore, Mason Alexander Park, Isaac Powell, Ryann Redmond, Conor Ryan, and Ali Stroker.
The musical takes place on prom night in the fictional town of Loveville, Ohio. Each ten-minute episode tells a love story — new love, old love, romantic love, friend love, gay and straight, cis and genderqueer; each is a self-contained musical while also connecting with the other episodes to form a glimpse into the biggest night in the lives of one high school class.
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Assassins will resume performances Nov. 2 – Jan. 8, 2022 (opening Nov. 14) at Classic Stage Company, directed by John Doyle, with music supervision by Greg Jarrett.
Adam Chanler-Berat (John Hinckley, Jr.), Eddie Cooper (The Proprietor), Tavi Gevinson (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Andy Grotelueschen (Samuel Byck), Judy Kuhn (Sara Jane Moore), Steven Pasquale (John Wilkes Booth), Ethan Slater (Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer), Will Swenson (Charles Guiteau), Wesley Taylor (Giuseppe Zangara), and Brandon Uranowitz (Leon Czolgosz), with Brad Giovanine, Bianca Horn, Whit K. Lee, Rob Morrison, and Katrina Yaukey.
On Tues., Sept. 14, current ticket holders from before the pandemic halted the production (two weeks into rehearsal, in March 2020) can rebook their seats. Remaining tickets will go on sale to the public on Oct. 5.
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The Dramatists Guild Foundation has announced the recipients of its annual awards:
* Brittany K. Allen — George Engle Comedy Playwriting Prize (for a female-identifying playwright honoring that artist’s work in comedy).
* Avi Amon — Thom Thomas Award (for a former DGF Fellow and commemorates playwright Thomas’ passion for nurturing the next generation of dramatists and his appreciation of DGF’s support of writers.)
* Emily Gardner — Stephen Schwartz Award (for a musical theatre writer whose voice is seen as critical to the continued success of the craft).
* Paulo K Tiról — Benjamin Indick Award (for a mid-career lyricist, librettist, or book writer for the musical theater).
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Nick Blaemire’s Soon will run Oct. 1-23 at Lancaster, PA’s Prima Theatre, directed by Michael O’Brien.
Imani Moss (Charlie), Matt Donzella (Jonah), Carmen Castillo (Stevie), and Ebony Pullum (Adrienne).
Charlie awaits the apocalypse on her couch. Peanut butter. Wolf Blitzer. Herschel, the Jewish fish.
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BC/EFA‘s Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction will take place Sun. Oct. 3 at 10 AM – 6 PM ET.
Additional details TBA.
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“Broadway Rising,” a new documentary from director Amy Rice and producers Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita, will follow celebrities and theatre workers as they try to restart the industry following the COVID-19 shutdown.
The film is currently in production, with a timeline, participating talent, and more TBA.
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Wallace Shawn’s The Fever will run Oct. 8-24 at the Minetta Lane Theatre, directed by Scott Elliott.
Lili Taylor.
The play follows a privileged American traveler visiting a war-torn country. She recognizes the disparity between her privileged life and that of others, and she wonders whether she’s part of the problem.
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Mamma Mia! The Party, the immersive theatrical and dining experience, will return Oct. 2 to The O2, directed & choreographed by Stacey Haynes and Söderlundh.
Fed Zanni (Nikos). Steph Parry (Kate), Linda John Pierre (Debbie), AJ Bentley (Adam), Julia Imbach (Kostantina), Allie Ho Chee (Bella), Kimberly Powell (Nina), Dawn Spence (Grandma), and Gregor Stewart (Fernanado), with Oscar Balmaseda, Jonathon Bentley, Molly Cleere, and Jessica Spalis.
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RIP: Andy Propst, theater critic, biographer, and web pioneer, died on Sept. 6 at the age of 56.
Propst is best known as the founder of AmericanTheaterWeb.com (created in 1998), an early online home for America’s not-for-profit theaters, and the first serious attempt to provide a comprehensive listing of theaters and theatrical events on the Internet.
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Anne Nelson’s The Guys will stream Sept. 11-25 on Broadway OnDemand.
Based on a true story, the piece chronicles the relationship between Joan, an editor, and Nick, a Fire Chief in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks as they recall on the fallen responders and craft their virtues and foibles in a memorialization of words. The play takes place less than two weeks after the September 11th attacks and New Yorkers are still in shock. One of them, an editor named Joan, receives an unexpected phone call on behalf of Nick, a fire captain who has lost most of his men in the attack. He’s looking for a writer to help him with the eulogies he must present at their memorial services. Nick and Joan spend a long afternoon together, recalling the fallen men through recounting their virtues and their foibles, and fashioning the stories into memorials of words. In the process, Nick and Joan discover the possibilities of friendship in each other and their shared love for the unconquerable spirit of the city. As they make their way through the emotional landscape of grief, they draw on humor, tango, the appreciation of craft in all its forms—and the enduring bonds of common humanity.
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The world premiere of Charlayne Woodard’s The Garden will run Sept. 21 – Oct. 17 (opening Sept. 26) at La Jolla Playhouse, directed by Patricia McGregor & Delicia Sonnenberg.
Charlayne Woodard (Cassandra) and Stephanie Berry (Rose).
The play explores the complex relationship between two women: the elderly Claire Rose and her middle-aged daughter, Cassandra. After not speaking to each other for the past three years, Cassandra shows up unexpectedly at her mother’s garden gate, attempting to reconcile old wounds. Berry plays Claire Rose, and Woodard plays Cassandra.