Today’s Highlights:
Brother, Brother virtual production, by Aleshea Harris, directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury, featuring André De Shields, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Amari Cheatom, and Owen Tabaka, begins streaming at NY Theatre Workshop.
The Cole Porter Years virtual concert, which includes songs from Anything Goes, The Gay Divorce, Paris, and Kiss Me Kate, featuring Alexander Gemignani, Lilli Cooper, Kenita Miller, Danny Gardner, Nicole Henry, and Emily Larger, begins streaming at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Town Hall (and available for 72 hours).
Paradise Lost reading, adapted & directed by Michael Barakiva, featuring Stephen Bel Davies, Sheldon Best, Gisela Chipe, Robert Cuccioli, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Carol Halstead, Jason Butler Harner, Gregory Linington, Daniel Jose Molina, Sam Morales, Howard Overshow, and Cherie Corinne Rice, livestreams Part 2 for FREE at 7 PM ET at Off Broadway’s Red Bull Theater.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Onstage with John Cullum, by Jim Bernhard
1. John Cullum was born and grew up in…Texas…Tennessee…Brooklyn…
2. Cullum got his first New York theatre role at the Phoenix Theatre as a spear-carrier in …Saint Joan…The Spear-Carrier…Hellzapoppin’…
3. Cullum played Sir Dinadan in the original production of Camelot and was later a replacement in the role of…Merlin…Sir Lancelot…Sir Galahad…Mordred
4. In Richard Burton’s Hamlet, Cullum was …Claudius…Polonius… Laertes… Rosencrantz
5. In On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Cullum was called during Boston tryouts to replace…Alfred Drake…Louis Jourdan…Rex Harrison…Jean-Pierre Aumont
6. Cullum’s two Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical were for Shenandoah and …On the Twentieth Century …On A Clear Day You Can See Forever …42nd Street …Man of La Mancha
7. Cullum became well-known to television audiences in the series…”Northern Exposure” …”ER” … “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” …all of them
8. Cullum appeared as Caldwell B. Cladwell in a musical with a title referring to a bodily fluid…The Snotty-Nosed Kid…Urinetown the Musical…The Sound of Mucus…Sweat!
9. At Lincoln Center Cullum portrayed Shakespeare’s British King…Lear…Henry V…Richard III…Cymbeline
10. At the age of 91, Cullum premiered his one-man show titled…A Reluctant Star…A Minor Star…An Accidental Star…John Cullum Tonight!
Scroll down for the answers…
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2021 Academy Award winners. Click here for the complete list.
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Video: Stars in the House, offering Game Night! Elphabas vs Annies!, with special guests Mandy Gonzales & Jessica Vosk vs Andrea McArdle & Allison Smith. (2:00:55)
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Boston’s Huntington Theatre has announced its series of short audio plays by local playwrights, entitled Dream Boston, are now available here and on all podcast platforms.
Best Day Ever (available now), by Jacqui Parker, directed by Summer L. Williams, featuring Lovely Hoffman, Becca A. Lewis, and Ramona Lisa Alexander. 
Sisters Kenya and Kadesia navigate the “Karens” of the world as they drive the Nantasket Beach to celebrate their shared birthday on July 8, 2024
Speaking Up (released Apr. 28), by Masha Obolensky, directed by Melia Bensussen, featuring Stacy Fischer, Adrianne Krstansky, and Arthus Gomez. While out for a walk on July 15, 2022, two white women sneak a peek at the construction site of their children’s new school.
3 Miles (released May 5), by Kadahj Bennett, directed by Tonasia Jones, featuring Jared Brown and Michael Underhill. A jogger bumps into a friend he hasn’t talked to in years in front of Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club on Mass Ave in 2024.
The Heights (released May 12), by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Rebecca Bradshaw, featuring Nancy E. Carroll and Michael Knowlton. A tough Southie grandmother and her adult grandson climb Dorchester Heights to take stock and admire the view in Spring 2023.
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Video: Tommy Tune performs “Fascinating Rhythm” from the 2015 City Center Encores! production of Lady, Be Good.
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Dorothy Lyman’s We Have to Hurry will livestream May 1 (at 8 PM ET) & May 2 (at 3 PM ET) on Broadway on Demand, directed by Patricia Vanstone.
Kathleen Chalfant, Elliot Gould, and Jeanne Lauren Smith.
A pair of mature people are forced to commune from a cross a balcony due to new isolation protocols. When Gil notices the secret love of his life, Margaret, growing increasingly frustrated with the situation, he takes action to make every moment left count.
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Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater will present RemarkaBULL Podversation: Exploring Cymbeline with Lily Rabe on Mon. May 3 at 7:30 PM ET. Questions will be taken through the LIVE chat feature.
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The West End production of Wicked will return Sept. 15 to the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Tickets will go on sale May 17.
Casting TBA.
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PA’s Bucks County Playhouse has announced its upcoming LIVE concert series:
Natalie Douglas: The First Time … The Music of Roberta Flack (May 15 at 8 PM ET & May 16 at 2 PM ET), with music directed by Mark Hartman.
Karen Mason: Vaccinatin’ Rhythm (May 20 at 7:30 PM ET & May 21 at 8 PM ET).
Constantine Maroulis: Don’t Stop Believing (May 22 at 8 PM ET & May 23 at 2 PM ET).
Sally Mayes (May 27 at 7:30 PM ET & May 28 at 8 PM ET).
Melissa Errico (June 3 at 7:30 PM ET & June 4 at 8 PM ET)
Christy Altomare (June 10 at 7:30 PM ET & June 11 at 8 PM ET)
Billy Stritch: Billy’s Place (June 12 at 8 PM ET & June 13 at 2 PM ET.
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Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre has announced its Summer 2021 season: Come Together, a showcase of live, indoor performances, outdoor musical concerts, and experiential art installations.
Becoming Dr. Ruth (June 4-27), by Mark St. Germain, starring Tovah Feldshuh.
Wonder/Wall (July 6-31), by Josh Wilder. A new immersive video performance series, conceived & curated by Josh Wilder, which brings the work of 4 unique, cutting edge video arts to Sag Habor. Each new work will have a one-week run, and each will include a live performance element, which will be performed withing the immersive video world surrounding the audience.
Camelot (Aug. 5-29) outdoor concert production. A new envisioning. Creative team and casting TBA.
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Video: First trailer for Stephen Spielberg’s “West Side Story” film.
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The 2020 celebration, An Evening with Sheldon Harnick & Friends, will stream Fri. Apr. 30 at 7 PM ET (an then on demand through May 14) at Off-Broadway’s York Theatre, with music direction by Jeffrey Saver.
Sheldon Harnick, with Liz Callaway, Rebecca Luker, Karen Ziemba, Margery Grey Harnick, and Jim Morgan.
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The I 
The 5th Gala will stream Fri. June 5 at 7 PM PT at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre,
Kataka “Kat” Corn, Cayman Ilika, Rheanna Atendido, Andi Alhadeff, Rico Lastrapes, Richardl Peacock, Taylor Niemeyer, and Richard Gray.
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Producer Scott Rudin will resign from the Broadway League.
Prior to the shutdown, Rudin had three productions running on Broadway: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Mormon, and West Side Story.
The Music Man is currently scheduled to open at the Winter Garden Theatre in Winter 2022, while other of Rudin’s shows in development included revivals of The Piano Lesson (starring Samuel L. Jackson), Our Town (starring Dustin Hoffman), and Death of a Salesman (starring Nathan Lane).
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Off-Broadway’s York Theatre will re-visit the theatre’s 2015 production of Rothchild & Sons, on Mon. May 3 at 7 PM. By Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick & Sherman Yellen, the musical was directed by Jeffery B. Moss, with choreography by Denis Jones, and music direction by Jeffrey Klitz.
James Morgan, Gerry McIntyre, Charles Wright, Arnold Mittleman, Sheldon Harnick, Sherman Yellen, Jeffrey B. Moss, Glory Crampton, and more.
The production 2015 featured Robert Cuccioli, Glory Crampton, Peter Cormican, Jonathan Hadley, David Bryant Johnson, Christine LaDuca, Jamie LaVerdiere, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Mark Pinter, Curtis Wiley, and Christopher M. Williams.
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Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd will stream Tues. Apr. 27 at 5 PM PT at LA Opera, directed by Francesca Zambello, and conducted by James Conlon.
Liam Gonner (Billy Budd), Richard Croft (Captain Edward Fairfax Vere), Greer Grimsley (John Claggart), Anthony Michaels-Moore (Mr. Redburn), Daniel Sumegi (Mr. Flint), Patrick Blackwell (Lieutenant Ratcliffe), Greg Fedderley (Red Whiskers), Museop Kim (Arthur Jones), Jonathan Michie (Donald), James Creswell (Dansiker), Keith Jameson (Novice), Paul LaRosa (First Mate), Daniel Armstrongs (Second Mate), Valentin Anikin (Novice’s Friend), Vladimir Dmitruk (Maintop), Matthew O’Neill (Squeak), Rory Hemmings (Cabin Boy), Steve Pence (Gunner’s Mate), Todd Strange (Hurt Sailor), and Gabriel Manro (Sailor with Earring), with Abdiel Gonzalez, Omar Crook, James Martin Schaefer, and Reid Bruton.
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“Halston,” a new limited series about the legendary designer Halston, will premiere May 15 on Netflix, directed by Ryan Murphy.
Ewan McGregor (Halston),Krysta Rodriguez (Liza Minelli), Rory Culkin (Joel Schumacher), Rebecca Dayan (Elsa Peretti), and Bill Pullman (David Mahoney), with Vera Farmiga, Gian Franco Rodriguez, David Pittu, Sullivan Jones, and Kelly Bishop.
The series follows the designer as he leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire that’s synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame, literally defining the era he lives in , 1970’s ’80’s New York – until a hostile takeover forces him to battle for control of his most precious asset… the name Halston itself.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Onstage with John Cullum
- John Cullum was born and grew up in Tennessee.
- Cullum’s first New York role was a spear-carrier in Saint Joan.
- In Camelot, Cullum succeeded Roddy McDowall as Mordred.
- Cullum was Laertes to Burton’s Hamlet.
- Cullum was called to replace Louis Jourdan in On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
- His two Tony Awards as Best Actor were for Shenandoah and On the Twentieth Century.
- He appeared regularly on all of those TV shows.
- Cullum was in Urinetown the Musical.
- At Lincoln Center Cullum portrayed the title role in Cymbeline.
- His one-man show is called An Accidental Star.