This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, September 20
A Face in the Crowd, by Elvis Costello & Sarah Ruhl, directed byKwame Kwei-Armah, featuring Ramin Karimloo, Anoushka Lucas, Jasmin Colangelo, Andrew Coshan, Stavros Demetraki, Olly Dobson, Emily Florence, Howard Gossington, Chris Jenkins, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Durone Stokes, Vicki Lee Taylor, Annie Wensak, and Bobby Windebank, opens at London’s Young Vic.
The Big Gay Jamboree, world premiere by Marla Mindelle, directed & choreographed by Connor Gallagher, featuring Marla Mindelle, Alex Moffat, Paris Nix, Constantine Rousouli, and Natalie Walker, with Jaden Dominique, Brad Greer, Jeremiah Ginn, Amanda Lee, Jillian Mueller, Olivia Puckett, Melvin Tunstall, Clyde Voce, Cortney Wolfson, and John Yi, opens at Off-Broadway’s Orpheum Theatre.
Urinetown, directed by Courtney O’Connor, featuring Remo Airaldi (Senator Fipp/Joeseph “Ol Man Strong ), Anneke Angstadt (Little Beck Two-Shoes), Christopher Chew (Caldwell B. Cladwell). Gabriel Graetz (Officer Barrel), Elliana Karris (Hope Cladwell), Kenny Lee (Bobby Strong), Tod McNeel, Jr. (Mr. McQueen), Paige O’Connor (Little Sally), Katie O’Reilly (Soupy Sue), Darren Paul (Hot Blades Harry), Anthony Pires, Jr. (Officer Lockstock), Kathy St. George (Josephine “Ma” Strong), James Turner (Dr. Billeaux/Tiny Tom), Lisa Yuen (Penelope Pennywise), and Brandon Lee Mr. (McQeen Cover 10/19 matinee), opens at Boston’s Lyric Stage Company.
Ragtime, directed by Deidre Goodwin, featuring Tamar Greene (Coalhouse Walker), Shereen Pimentel (Sarah), Marissa McGowan (Mother), Elora Von Rosch (Emma Goldman), Brian Golub (Tateh), Dan Fenaughty (Father), Vera Brown (Sarah’s Friend), Jonathan Cobrda (Harry Houdini), Matthew Cox (Youner Brother), Carline Lynch Desmarais (Kathleen), John Flack (J. P. Morgan), Sarah Ellis (Evelyn Nesbit), Kyle Holmes (Little Boy), Steve Isom (Henry), Omega Jone (Booker T. Washington), Zoe Klevorn (Little Girl), Scott Moreau (Willie), Whit Reichert (Grandfather), with Jasmine Alexis Goburne, Skylar Hagerty, Elinor Harrison, Sophia HIllman, Brandon Hudson, Keith Johnson, Matthew Marvin, Danny McHugh, Joel Oliver, PJ Palmer, Lindsay Roberts Greene, TJ Staten, Caitlin Stebelman, and Kieran Thompson., opens at Stages St. Louis.
Jane Austen in 89 Minutes, world premiere written & directed by Syrie James, featuring Katyana Rocker-Cook, Holly Sidell, Michael Mullen, Shayna Gabrielle, Steven G. Frankenfield, Alison Blanchard, and Todd Andrew Ball, with Megan Deford, opens at Beverly Hills Theatre 40.
In The Unlikely Event of an Actual Emergency, world premiere by John Mullican, directed by Rickie Peete, featuring Dolores Aguanno, Stacy Aung, Jason Leon-Baptista, John Mullican, Katheryn Peña, Glenn Ratcliffe, and Amoni Wes, opens at Hollywood’s Hudson Guild Theatre.
The Counter, by Meghan Kennedy, directed by David Cromer, featuring Anthony Edwards (Paul), Amy Warren (Peg), and Susannah Flood (Katie), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Laura Pels Theatre.
Giant, world premier by Mark Rosenblatt, directed by Nicholas Hytner, featuring John Lithgow (Roal Dahl), Rachael Stirling Felicity Crosland), Romola Garai (Jesse Stone), Tessa Bonham Jones (Hallie), Richard Hope (Wally Saunders), Elliot Levey (Tom Maschler), with Tessa Bonham Jones, and Romola Garai Hope, begins previews at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Sugar Daddy, written & performed by Sam Morrison, begins previews at Beverly Hills’ Wallis Annenberg Center.
Waitress, directed by Abbey O’Brien, featuring Desi Oakley (Jenna), Ben Jacoby (Dr. James Pomatter), Brian Krinsky (Earl), Cleavant Derricks (Joe), Dominique Kent (Becky), Brian Calì (Cal), Rianny Vasquez (Dawn), Jared Gertner (Ogie), Ashley Moniz (Jenna’s Mother) Ashley Támar Davis (Nurse Norma), and Johnisa Breault (Francine), with Annabelle Bergold, Rose Cowden, Ricky Bulda, Michael Bullard, Grant Hodges, Michael James, Tayler Mettra, Emma Nossal and Alec Talbott, previews at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
Saturday, September 21
Mint Theatre‘s Sump’n Like Wings, by Lynn Riggs, directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges, featuring Julia Brothers, Andre Gombas, Traci Hovel, Lukey Klein, Richard Lear, Mariah Lee, Mike Masters, Leon Pintel, Buzz Roddy, Lindsey Steinert, and Joy Avigail Sudduth, opens at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theatre.
The Witness Room, by Pedro Anontio Garcia, directed by Will Blum, featuring Dave Baez, Moe Irvin, JD Mollison, Tricia Small, and Jason SweetTooth Williams, opens at Off-Broadway’s AMT Theatre.
Dirty Laundry, world premiere by Mathilde Dratwa, directed by Rebecca Martinez, featuring Sasha Diamond (Red), Yvette Ganier (Blue,) Amy Jo Jackson (Green), Lakisha May (Me), Richard Masur (My Dad), and Constance Shulman (Another Woman), opens at Off-Broadway’s WP Theater.
LA Opera‘s Madame Butterfly, conducted by James Conlon, featuring Karah Son (Cio-Cio-San), Jonathan Tetelman (B.F. Pinkerton), Hyona Kim (Suzuki), and Michael Summel (Sharpless), Michael Sumuel (Sharpless), Hyona Kim (Suzuki), Rodell Aure Rosel (Goro), and Hyungiin Son (Prince Yamadori), Wei Wu (Bonze), and Vinícius Costa (Imperial Commissioner), opens at LA’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Waitress, directed by Abbey O’Brien, featuring Desi Oakley (Jenna), Ben Jacoby (Dr. James Pomatter), Brian Krinsky (Earl), Cleavant Derricks (Joe), Dominique Kent (Becky), Brian Calì (Cal), Rianny Vasquez (Dawn), Jared Gertner (Ogie), Ashley Moniz (Jenna’s Mother) Ashley Támar Davis (Nurse Norma), and Johnisa Breault (Francine), with Annabelle Bergold, Rose Cowden, Ricky Bulda, Michael Bullard, Grant Hodges, Michael James, Tayler Mettra, Emma Nossal and Alec Talbott, opens at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
Standing By, by Norman Barasch, directed by Wolfgang Bodison, featuring Erin Hadfield (Ellen) and Abraham Arias (Jeffery), opens at North Hollywood’s Playhouse West – Magnolia Studio.
Juno and the Paycock, by Seán O’Casey, directed by Matthew Warchus, featuring Mark Rylance (“Captain” Jack Boyle) and J. Smith-Cameron (Juno Boyle), Paul Hilton (“Joxer” Daly), Aisling Kearns (Mary Boyle), Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty (Johnny Boyle), Ingrid Craigie (Mrs. Tancred), Anna Healy (Mrs. Maisie Madigan), Chris Walley (Charles Bentham), Seán Duggan (“Needle” Nugent), and Leo Hanna (Jerry Devine), with Jessica Cervi, Caolan McCarthy, Bryan Moriarty, John Rice, and Jacinta Whyte, begins previews at London’s Gielgud Theatre.
York Theatre Company‘s Monte Cristo, by Peter Kellogg & Stephen Weiner, directed by Peter Flynn, featuring Alex Humphreys), Philip Hernandez, Anne L. Nathan , James Judy, Eliseo Roman, Grace Marie Rusnica, Danny Rutigliano, Trent Saunders, Pablo Torre, Lauren Worsham, and Daniel Yearwood, previews at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans.
Shirley Jones: A Gala Celebration of Her Life, Career and Legacy concert, hosted by Shaun Cassidy, Patrick Cassidy, and Ryan Cassidy, featuring Sierra Boggess, Norm Lewis, Jessie Mueller, Kelli O’Hara, and Adam Pascal, with Pittsburgh CLO Academy students, at 4 PM at Pittsburgh CLO.
Garrett Clayton: From Here to Villain concert, at 7 PM at Palm Springs Oscars.
“No No Nanette” film streams for Free at 2 PM ET on YouTube.
Slave Play, by Jeremy O. Harris, directed by Robert O’Hara, featuring Kit Harington, Olivia Washington, James Cusati-Moyer, Chalia La Tour, Annie McNamara, Irene Sofia Lucio, McNamra, La Tour, Fisayo Akinade and Aaron Heffernan, closes at London’ Noël Coward Theater.
Sunday, September 22
Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction benefit event, in support of BCEFA, from 10 AM – 7 PM at West 44th & West 45th Streets in Shubert Alley & Times Square.
Age is a Feeling, written & performed by Haley McGee, directed by Mitchell Cushman, opens at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre.
The Beacon, by Nancy Harris, directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull, featuring Kate Mulgrew (Beiv), Zach Appelman Colm), Sean Bell (Donal), David Mattar Merten (Ray), and Ayana Workman (Bonnie), opens at Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep.
York Theatre Company‘s Monte Cristo, by Peter Kellogg & Stephen Weiner, directed by Peter Flynn, featuring Alex Humphreys), Philip Hernandez, Anne L. Nathan , James Judy, Eliseo Roman, Grace Marie Rusnica, Danny Rutigliano, Trent Saunders, Pablo Torre, Lauren Worsham, and Daniel Yearwood, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans.
Empire: The Musical, by Caroline Sherman & Robert Hull, directed by Cady Huffman, featuring Danny Iktomi Bevins, Monique Candelaria, Devin Cortez, Morgan Cowling, Kaitlyn Davidson, Joel Douglas, Joseph Fierberg, Alexandra Frohlinger, Matt Gibson, Albert Guerzon, Julia Louise Hosack, Kiana Kabeary, Howard Kaye, TJ Newton, April Ortiz, Kennedy Perez, Paul Salvatoriello, J Savage, Robbie Serrano, and Ethan Saviet, closes at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages.
The Marriage of Figaro, a 90 minute remix, directed by Dustin Wills, featuring Anthony Roth Costanzo, Avery Bayani, Kai Gelber-Higgins, Xavier Griffin, Noic Nguyen, Dean Riley-Driver, Nicholas Tanner, and Oliver Tanner, with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, closes at NYC’s Little Island.
Duel Reality, an acrobatic, dynamic tour-de-force, closes at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
Don’t Dress for Dinner, adapted by Robin Hawdon, directed by Christopher M. Williams, featuring Brian Robert Burns (Bernard), Kim Morgan Dean (Jacqueline), Veronica Dunne (Suzette), Brandon J. Pierce (Robert), Katy Tang (as “Suzanne), and Jared Van Heel (George), closes at Laguna Playhouse.
The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, featuring Rob Demery (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr). and Jade Paylton (Camae), closes at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.
Arsenic and Old Lace, directed by Nicolas Minas, featuring Victoria Alev (Elaine Harper), Alvan Bolling II (Officer Brophy), John Cauthen (Rve. Dr. Harper), Dan Cimo (Officer Klein), Ryan Clemens (Teddy Brewster), Arthur Lazalde (Jonathan Brewster), Steven Minow (Dr. Einstein), Darius Nelson (Officer O’Hara), Ron Newman (Mr. Gibbs), Tom O’Reilly (Mr. Witherspoon), Michael Raver (Mortimer Brewster), Scott Rollins (Lieutenant Rooney), Linda Slade (Abby Brewster), and Kathryn Strouse (Martha Brewster), closes at Virginia Stage Company.
Peter Pan, directed byLonnie Price, featuring Nolan Almeida (Peter Pan), Cody Garcia (Captain Hook), Hawa Kamara (Wendy), Raye Zaragoza (Tiger Lily), Shefali Deshpande (Mrs. Darling), Kurt Perry (Smee), William Foon & Micah Turner Lee (alternate as John), Reed Epley & Jayden Guarneri (alternate as Michael), and more (unlisted), closes at Kansas City Starlight.
Theatre Raleigh‘s Bull Durham, A New Musical, by Ron Shelton (writer and director of the “Bull Durham,” film) & Susan Werner, directed by Marc Bruni, featuring Carmen Cusack (Annie Savoy), Nik Walker (Crash Davis), John Behlmann (Ebby Calvin “Nuke” Laloosh), and Ira David Wood III (Uncle Roy Tuck), closes at Duke University.
West Fest, offering new theater works, concludes at LA’s Theatre West.
The Civility of Albert Cashier, by Jay Paul Deratany, Coyote Joe Stevens & Keaton Wooden, directed by Richard Israel, featuring Josh Adamson, Cameron J. Armstrong, Tanner Berry, Evan Borboa, John Bucy, Cid Bullens, Brett Calo, Gabrielle Dahlen, Andrea Daveline, Lisa Dyson, Fatima El-Bashir, Michael Guarasci, Blake Jenner, Phillip J. Lewis, Jonah Robinson, and Dani Shay, closes at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
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Gingold Theatrical Group‘s The Devil’s Disciples, adapted & directed by David Staller, is now offering a $37 discount (using code DD24Early) at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
Nadia Brown, Susan Cella, Tina Chilip, Teresa Avia Lim, and Folami Williams, with Fiona Maguire, and Lauren Zbylski.
This highly-charged adaptation will be entertaining our community just in time for our Presidential elections. The play reminds us of the epic need for us all to embrace our responsibility to keep Democracy alive and well. Although Shaw wrote the play as a thinly veiled call for a Free Ireland, which accounts for it being banned in Britain for years, it features a colourful group of characters doing everything they can to stand up for what they truly believe. Also, as with all of Shaw’s plays, it offers us a reminder of how important it is to challenge everything, to live the person you want to be as fully as you can, and to always be an active and engaged contributive member of our community.
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York Theatre Company will present Alice Scovell & Christine Lavin’s InunDATEd Oct. 4-13 (opening Oct. 6) at Theatre at St. Jean’s, directed by Christine Pedi, with music direction by Beth Falcone.
Kate Rockwell and Taylor Crousore.
They say, “it only takes one,” but it’s tough to find him in New York City, even in the age of dating apps. Just ask Lucy, a singer-songwriter whose self-imposed mission is to meet every guy with a shred of potential. It seems she’ll have to slog through 999,999 guys to get to her one-in-a-million. At least she has material for her songs.
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Simply Barbara: The Book Tour concert, starring Steven Brinberg, will take place Wed. Oct. 16 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
The concert will pay tribute to the 40th Anniversary of “Yentl” ….. the 50th Anniversary of “The Way We Were” ….. and the 60th Anniversary of Funny Girl on Broadway.
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A private industry reading of Téa Wolk’s Insurance will take place Thurs. Sept. 26 in NYC.
Ella Beatty, Jessica Rush, and Michael Zegen.
The 90-minute comedy, set in pandemic-era Brooklyn, follows a high-powered insurance executive, her well-meaning husband, and their perceptive babysitter, who become entangled in a web of personal crises and are compelled to dismantle the illusion of their flawless lives.
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The Hollywood Reporter’s conversation on NBC’s “Brilliant Minds” is now available to watch here.
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The Brat of Stratford, written & directed by Mark Saltzman, will present industry readings Sept. 25 (7:30 PM) and Sept. 26 (4:30 PM) at Off-Broadway’s Theater 555.
required: moorpark.Mark@gmailor EKTMINC@aol.com
Robert Cuccioli
A daring, provocative play with songs that delves into the scandalous, perilous and traumatic events of Shakespeare’s life. More than a playwright, this is Will as songwriter, financially stressed theater producer and actor, resentful at being relegated to minor roles, like the Ghost in Hamlet. He re-lives here his formative childhood trauma, his adolescent sexual awakening with an older woman, his theatrical triumphs and disasters, including near execution following a raid of a particularly shocking production.
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Laura Benanti and her mother, Linda Benanti, will bring their show Mothers Know Best back to f54 Below Mar. 6-8, 2025, at 7 PM, with music direction by Billy Stritch.
The pair’s concert will explore mother-daughter relationships.
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Inherit the Wind continues through Oct. 13 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, directed by Henry Godinez.
Harry Lennix (Attorney Henry Drummond), Alexander Gemignani (Matthew Harrison Brady), Charín Álvarez (Mrs. Brady), Terry Bell (Sillers), Hamid Dehghani (Storekeeper), William Dick (Mayor), Meighan Gerachis (Elijah), Lawrence Grimm (Dunlap), Kevin Gudahl (Judge), Presley Rose Jones (Melinda), Christopher Kale Jones (Tom Davenport), Mi Kang (E.K. Hornbeck), Ryan Kitley (Reverend Jeremiah Brown), Tyler Meredith (Rachel Brown), Thomas Murphy Molony (Howard), Christopher Llewyn Ramirez (Bertram Cates), Robert Schleifer (Meeker), Eric Slater (Mr. Bannister), and Penelope Walker (Mrs. Krebs), with Chase Clevenger, Theo Gyra, Hannah Kato, John Lister, Michael Milligan, Kailey Danielle Morand, Aila Peck, Alex Benito Rodriguez, Eric Slater, and Cedric Young.
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(click here): All the A-Listers starring On and Off-Broadway this Season.
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Irish Rep will present an immersive adaptation of James Joyce’s The Dead, 1904, to run Nov. 20 – Jan. 5, 2025 (opening Nov. 26) at The American Irish Historical Society (991 Fifth Ave.), directed by Ciarán O’Reilly.
Estelle Parsons Kate), Mary Beth Piel (Julia), and more TBA.
The play follows a holiday gathering on January 6, 1904, the Feast of the Epiphany, in the Dublin home of two elderly sisters, Kate and Julia Morkan, and their niece, Mary Jane. At the party are students, friends, a celebrated tenor, a lost alcoholic, and the couple, Gabriel and Gretta Conroy. Over the course of an evening, there are conversations, music, dancing, dining, speeches, and disagreements.
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A workshop of Jay Martel’s Parents in Chains will take place Sept. 30 & Oct. 1 (both at 8 PM) at LA’s Whitley Theater (6555 Hollywood Blvd), directed by Andy Fickman. 
here ($35). Show website here.
Jason Alexander, Yvette Nicole Brown, Tom Everett, Jackie Tohn, and Gary Anthony Williams.
Six L.A. parents exchange texts as their 17-year-old daughters drive home from a weekend in San Francisco during the approach of a hurricane. The trip and the inclement weather bring out both the best and the worst in the parents as they confront, as a group, as couples, and as individuals, what it means to let go of their kids. By turns viciously comic and poignant, PARENTS IN CHAINS is a valentine to the most difficult, most failure-prone job in the world…parenting.
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The national tour of Parade will launch Jan. 21, 2025 at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre. 
here.
Max Chernin (Leo Frank), Talia Suskauer (Lucille Frank), and more TBA.