This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, September 22
Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard, world premiere by Pearl Cleage, directed by Seema Sueko, featuring Billie Krishawn (Witness,) Kim Bey (Citizen 1), Doug Brown (Citizen 3), Derek Garza (Citizen 9), Shubhangi Kuchibhotla (Citizen 8), Alina Collins Maldonado (Citizen 7), Susan Rome (Citizen 5), Shaquille Stewart (Citizen 4), Tom Story (Citizen 6), and Constance Swain (Citizen 2), opens at DC’s Ford’s Theatre.
The Huntington‘s Fat Ham, by James Ijames, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, featuring James T. Alfred (Rev), Amar Atkins (Larry), Thomika Marie Bridwell (Rabby), Marshall W. Mabry IV (Juicy), Lau’rie Roach (Tio), and Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Tedra), with David J. Castillo, Vincent Ernest Siders, Kai Tshikosi, Shanelle Chloe Villegas, and Victoria Omoregie (Opal), opens at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion.
tick, tick… BOOM!, directed by Martha Banta, featuring Sarah Bishop (Susan), Brady Patsy (Michael), and Ethan Riordan (Jonathan), with Marissa Bucheit and Reel Allen Worth, opens at Pittsburgh CLO.
Murder on the Orient Express, adapted by Ken Ludwig, directed by Melissa Rain Anderson, featuring Bonnie Black (Princess Dragomiroff), Amy Bodnar (Greta Ohlsson), Andrea Morales (Mary Debenham), Robert Scott Smith (Colonel Arbuthnot / Samuel Ratchett), Anne Tolpegin (Helen Hubbard), Gisela Chípe (Countess Andrenyi), Edward Junier (Monsieur Bouc), Matthew McGloin (Hector MacQueen), Alec Ruiz (Michel the Conductor /Head Waiter), and John Tufts (Hercule Poirot), opens at Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Theatre.
Run Bambi Run, world premiere by Eric Simonson & Gordon Gano, directed by Mark Clements, featuring John Carlin (Joe/Lawyer), Matt Daniels (Breier), Sarah Gliko (Christine/Gale), Douglas Goodhart (ira/Eisenberg), Armando Gutierrez (Fred), Tommy Hahn (Kraemer/Tom), Jessica Kantorowitz (Judy), Ian Littleworth (Nick/Stu), Megan Loomis (Virginia/Sean), Ken Allen Neely (Peterson), Erika Olson (Laurie), and Lucas Papaelias (Horenberger), opens at Milwaukee Rep.
Interact Theatre Company‘s Life Sucks, by Aaron Posner, directed by Barry Heins, featuring John Ross Bowie (Vanya), Anne Gee Byrd (Babs), Steve Vinovich (The Professor), Olivia Castanho (Sonia), Erin Pineda (Ella), Lily Rains (Pickles), and Marc Valera (Dr. Aster), begins previews at LA’s Broadwater Main Stage (1076 Lillian Way).
Saturday, September 23
LA Opera‘s Don Giovanni, conducted by James Conlin, featuring Lucas Meachem (Don Giovanni) and Isabel Leonard (Donna Elvira), with Craig Colclough, Guanqun Yu and Isabel Leonard, opens at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
York Theatre Company‘s Golden Rainbow: The Musical, by Ernest Kinoy & Walter Marks, directed by Stuart Ross, featuring Felipe Barbosa Bombanato, Jonathan Brody, Nick Cearley, Robert Cuccioli, Mara Davi, Max von Essen, Danielle Lee Greaves, Jillian Louis, Gina Milo, Benjamin Pajak, Maria Wirres, and more, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans.
Sinatra The Musical, world premiere by Joe DiPietro, directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, featuring Matt Doyle (Frank Sinatra), Ana Villafañe (Ava Gardner), Pheobe Panaretos (Nancy Sinatra), Dawn Buckland (Dolly Sinatra), Vincent Riotta (Marty Sinatra), Carl Patrick (George Evans), Maddy Ambus (Marlene Dietrich), Tyler Orphé Baker (Nat King Cole), Gregory Bernstein (Gene Kelly), Helen Colby (Hedda Hopper), Frances Dee (Judy Garland), Alex Givson-Giorgio (Nelson Riddle), Ryesha Higgs (Billy Holliday), Stevie Hutchinson (Lee Mortimer), Lottie Power (Lana Turner), Spin (Sammy Davis, Jr.), John Stacey (Mitch Miller), and Amelia Connor, Effie Gell & Isla Granville (sharing the role of Little Nancy), with Samara Casteallo and Alastair Crosswell in the ensemble and swing Lindsay Atherton, opens at the UK’s Birmingham Rep.
The Latino Theater Company‘s The Travelers, by Luis Alfaro, directed by Sean San José, featuring Sean San José (Brother Santo), Daniel Duque-Estrada (Brother Daniel), Kinan Valdez (Brother Nancho), Guillermo Yiyo Ornelas (Brother Yiyo), Ogie Zulueta (Brother Ogie, and Juan Amador (Brother Juan), opens at the LA Theatre Center.
Road Theatre Company‘s Bisexual Sadness, world premiere by India Kotis, directed by Carlyle King, featuring (Cast 1) Tiffany Wolff (Faye), Alaska Jackson (Genevieve), Brian Graves (Alex),Karrie King (Miranda), Gloria Ines (Naomi), and Andrea Flowers (Lillian) and Cast 2 : Liz Fenning (Faye), Bex Taylor-Klaus (Genevieve), Philip Smithey (Alex), Amy Tolsky (Miranda), Naomi Rubin (Naomi), and Samira Beija (Lillian), begins previews at North Hollywood’s Road on Magnolia.
National Theatre Live’s Good screening, by CP Taylor, directed by Dominic Cooke, starring David Tennant, at 3 PM at UCLA’s James Bridges Theatre.
Farewell Mister Hoffmann, by Jean-Philippe Daguerre, directed by Lindsay Posner, featuring Alexander Hanson, Lisa Dillon Ciarán Owens, Josefina Gabrielle, and Nigel Lindsay, closes at London’s Theatre Royal Bath.
La Cage aux Folles, directed by Tim Sheader, featuring Carl Mullaney (Albin), Billy Carter (Georges), Ben Culleton (Jean-Michel), Julie Jupp (Marie Dindon), Shakeel Kimotho (Jacob), Debbie Kurup (Jaqueline), John Owen-Jones (Edward Dindon), Sophie Pourret (Anne),and Jak Allen-Anderson (Hanna), Daniele Coombe (Mme. Renaud), Jordan Lee Davies (Chantal), and Hemi Yeroham (Francis), with Craig Armstrong, Tom Bales, Taylor Bradshaw, Nicole Deon, Lewis Easter, Harvey Ebbage , Emma Johnson, George Lynham, JP McCue, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, and Alexandra Waite-Roberts, closes at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Relapse, by J. Giachetti & Louis Josephson, directed by Joey McKneely, featuring Ashley Alexandra (Margo), Randall Scott Carpenter (Bryan), Mia Cherise Hall (Melinda), Troy Valjean Rucker (Dr. Carlisle), Jacob Ryan Smith (Adam), and Becca Suskauer (Kendra), with Vinny Celerio, Audrey Hedequist, Nicole Lamb, Zummy Mohammed, Danny Rabinowitz, and Isabel Rodriguez, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
No Good Things Dwell in the Flesh, world premiere by Christina Masciotti, directed by Rory McGregor, featuring Kellie Overbey, Carmen Zilles, and T. Ryder Smith, with Jeffrey Brabant, Annie Fang, and Megan Lomax, closes at Off-Broadway’s A.R.T./New York Theatres.
Cheyenne Jackson in concert, with special guest Gavin Creel, closes at NYC’s 54 Below.
The Da Vinci Code, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel, directed by Leigh Toney, featuring Michael Urie (Professor Robert Langdon), Hannah Cruz (Sophie Neyeu), and Charles Shaughnessay (Sir Leigh Teabing), with Katya Collazo, Thursday Rarra, Howard Kaye, Tarik Lowe, Glenn Morizio, David Patterson, Marissa Parness, Jennifer Regan, and more, closes at ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse.
Sunday, September 24
The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash, directed by Andrew Branicle, featuring Richard Baird (Noah Curry), Andrew Barnicle (Sheriff Thomas), Andy Hoff ((File), Jeffrey Markle (H.C. Curry), James Taylor Odom (Bill Starbuck), Nick Tag (Jimmy Curry), and Lizzie Zerebko (Lizzie Curry), opens at Laguna Playhouse.
The Half-God of Rainfall, by Inua Ellams, directed by Taibi Magar, featuring Jason Bowen (Sàngó), Kelley Curan (Hera), Mister Fitzgerald (Demi), Patrice Johnson Chevannes (Osún), Russell G. Jones (Elegba), Michael Laurence (Zeus), and Jennifer Mogbock (Modúpé), closes at Cambridge’s A.R.T.
Celebration Theatre’s The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen, written & performed by Les Kurkendaal-Barrett, directed by Tom Trudgeon, closes at LA’s LGBT Center.
Cyrano de Bergerac, adapted by Martin Crimp, directed by Nelson T. Eusebio III, featuring James Chen (Cyrano de Bergerac), Ito Aghayere (Roxane), Christopher Rivas (Christian), Khalif J. Gillett (Lignière/Montfleury), Jimmy Kieffer (De Guiche), Eileen Rivera (Leila Ragjeneau), and Bradley J. Thomas a( Bret), with Dri Hernaez, Nico Holguin, Craig Marcus Lindsay, and Will Porter, closes at Kansas City Rep.
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Sandra Tsing Loh’s Madwomen of the West will run Nov. 11 – Dec. 31 (opening Dec. 11) at the Actors Temple Theater, directed by Thomas Caruso.
Caroline Aaron, Marilu Henner, Melanie Mayron, and JoBeth Williams.
Welcome to Jules’ stunning Brentwood mansion, where hangry (she’s sugar-cleansing) Marilyn is throwing a surprise birthday brunch for Claudia, who hates birthdays. Champagne corks pop — and tempers flare — when their long-estranged celebrity friend Zoey crashes the party, fresh from her TED Talks. Expect hilarity, outrageous opinions, and unexpected wisdom about what it means to be a woman (no matter what pronouns you use) in the 21st century.
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A conversation with Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells about their new show, Gutenberg! The Musical! will take place Mon. Oct. 29 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s 92NY, moderated by Josh Horrowitz.
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A concert presentation of Ryan Raftery’s Mother of the Year: The Kris Jenner Musical will run Oct. 19-20 at Hollywood’s Bourbon Room.
Ryan Raftery
Kris Jenner is desperate for more kids to shill, so she travels to Laos for an experimental fertility treatment. Something goes wrong and she’s afflicted with temporary amnesia and is forced to stay in Laos to be re-educated about the role she has played in creating “The Kardashians” as we know them. Then, she finds out that the experiment worked and she’s pregnant at 67, with a girl! However, now that she has new clarity on her parenting choices, she considers whether she wants to continue the pregnancy. But uh-oh! Roe v. Wade has been overturned during her stay abroad, which galvanizes the “New Kris” to use her family’s 1.2 billion followers to do something good for women everywhere and help get the law reinstated. And it’s a musical!
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Two industry readings of Bob Martin, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman’s Smash, based on the TV series, will take place today at NYC’s Open Jar Studios, directed by Susan Stroman, with choreography by Josh Bergasse. 
The musical is expected to open on Broadway during the 2024-25 season (no out-of-town tryout is currently planned).
Robyn Hurder (Ivy), Kerry Butler (Karen), Alex Brightman, Krysta Rodriguez, Vanessa Williams, Brooks Ashmanskas, Bonnie Milligan, Kristine Nielsen, and Justin Cooley
While the musical retains the series’ most recognizable elements, the adaptation of “Smash” departs in other ways with a storyline and cast of characters that are inspired by the series but not direct translations. “It’s definitely a new script,” said Stroman. “It has a dramatic twist at the end of it. But you will see familiar characters.”
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LA’s Actors Co-op has announced new dates for its world premiere production of Lewis & Tolkien, written & directed by Dean Batali. The piece will now run Oct. 27 – Dec. 3.
TBA.
Set in Oxford, England in the autumn of 1963 at the famous “Rabbit Room” of the Eagle and Child Pub, this play is something of a return to the familiar for C.S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R. Tolkien (who wrote The Lord of the Rings). Filled with humor, rousing debate, and reconciliation, the two men learn the true value of their friendship with a little help from a few pints of beer and the energetically curious barmaid, Veronica.
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RIP: Tony nominee Rose Gregorio passed away Aug. 17 in her longtime Greenwich Village home of natural causes at the age of 97.
Born Oct. 17, 1925 to Italian immigrants in Chicago, Mr. Gregorio attended Northwestern and Yale before making her Broadway debut in The Owl and the Pussycat as a standby alongside acclaimed director Robert Moore. Known for her gentle simplicity on the stage, she appeared on Broadway in The Investigation, Daphne in Cottage D, The Cuban Thing, and Jimmy Shine throughout the 1960s, all the while appearing on television and film in a variety of supporting parts.
In 1977, Rose came back to Broadway in The Shadow Box, where she starred opposite Geraldine Fitzgerald as the daughter of a declining old woman. The role netted Ms. Gregorio a Tony nomination, a Drama Desk nomination, and a Clarence Derwent prize.
Her later Broadway appearances, in the 1983 revival of A View from the Bridge and David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly, were few and far between compared to her screen work, where she found success on the medical drama “ER,” and in the films of her husband, esteemed director Ulu Grosbard.
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Gerard Alessandrini’s Forbidden Broadway will take place Thurs. Oct. 5 at 7:30 PM at Saratoga Springs’ Preservation Hall.
Immanuel Houston, Aline Mayagoitia, Chris Collins-Pisano, Jenny Lee Stern and Joshua Turchin, with Catherine Stornetta on piano.
Up to the minute spoofs include comic looks at Moulin Rouge, the all-Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof, Hadestown, the dark Oklahoma! revival, along with Dear Evan Hansen, Tootsie, Beetlejuice, Frozen, and a whole new generation of Broadway stars, plus exciting turns by Bette Midler, Andre de Shields, Bernadette Peters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, plus some classic laughs from The Lion King, Phantom, Les Miz and others.
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Complete casting has been announced for Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Manahatta, to run Nov. 16 – Dec. 17 (opening Dec. 5) at The Public Theater, directed by Laurie Woolery.
Rainbow Dickerson, Elizabeth Frances, David Kelly, Jeffrey King, Enrico Nassi, Jessica Ranville, Joe Tapper, Sheila Tousey, and Rex Young.
A gripping journey from the fur trade of the 1600s to the stock trade of today, the play tells the story of Jane Snake, a brilliant young Native American woman with a Stanford MBA. Jane reconnects with her ancestral Lenape homeland, known as Manahatta, when she moves from Oklahoma to New York for a banking job just before the 2008 financial meltdown. Jane’s struggle to reconcile her new life with the expectations and traditions of her family and Nation are powerfully interwoven with the heartbreaking history of the Delaware Nation’s expulsion from their land. Both old and new Manahatta converge in a lesson about the dangers of living in a society where there’s no such thing as enough.
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The Complete Unkowns, featuring the songs of Bob Dylan, will take place Fri. Oct. 20 at 8 PM at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theater.
Michael Weiskopf, Michael Weiskopf, Randolph A. Hudson III, Stuart Sherman, Taka Shimizu, Klyph Black, James Benard, Alex Sarkis, and Lauren Matzen.
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Musical Theatre West has announced complete casting for The Sound of Music, to run Oct. 20 – Nov. 5 (opening Oct. 21) at Long Beach’s Carpenter Performing Arts Center, directed by Wayne Bryan, with music direction by Dennis Castellano, and choreography by Christine Negherbon.
Juliana Sloan (Maria), Jonathan von-Mering (Captain von Trapp), Sarah Wolter (Mother Abbess), Cathy Newman (Frau Schmidt/Sister Berthe), Brandon Keith (Rolf), Erin Dubreuil (Liesl), Brian Kim McCormick (Max Detweiler), Meghan Andrews (Elsa Schraeder), Jaqueline Dennis (Sister Margaretta), Holly Santiago (Sister Sophia), Kevin Symons (Franz), Chuck Saculla (Admiral von Schreiber/Baron Elberfeld), and Damon Kirsche (Herr Zeller), with Christine Negherbon, Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt, Katie Brown, Natalie Gissel, Tucker Boggs, Adam Lendermon, and Danny Bernardo.
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Kansas City, Missouri’s Spinning Tree Theatre has announced its 2023-24 season. Additional information TBA.
Ride the Cyclone (Nov. 3-12), by Jacob Richmond & Brooke Maxwell.
Young Playwrights Live (Feb. 9-11, 2-24). Three world premiere short plays.
Rubik (Apr. 26 – May 5). world premiere by Vanessa Severo.
Working (June 21-23), by Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more.