Today’s Highlights:
The Entertainment Community Fund‘s 2024 Gala, honoring Sonia Friedman, Seth Macfarlane, and the Warner Bros. Television Group, Annette Bening, Maria Friedman, and Liz Gillies, at 6 PM at NYC’s Marriott Marquis.
Songs From Pippin: A Gala Concert, hosted by Danny Burstein, featuring J. Harrison Ghee, Judy Kaye, Zachary Noah Piser, Kate Baldwin, Christopher Sieber, Adrianna Hicks, and Sid Kamat, at 8 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Put Up Your Dukes by Jim Bernhard
Match the dukes with the plays or musicals in which they appear:
| 1. Duke of Burlingame | A. King Lear |
| 2. George, Duke of Clarence | B. The Petrified Forest |
| 3. The Duke de la Trémouille | C. Call Me Madam |
| 4. Duke Mahoney | D. Richard III |
| 5. Duke of Albany | E. The Unsinkable Molly Brown |
| 6. Duke of Arundel | F. Sally |
| 7. Duke of Czechogovinio | G. Nice Work If You Can Get It |
| 8. Grand Duke Otto | H. Becket |
| 9. Duke Mantee | I. The Gondoliers |
| 10. The Duke of Plaza-Toro | J. Saint Joan |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Jackie Sibblies Drury & Suffan Stevens’ dance musical, Illinoise, will preview & open on Apr. 24 and continue through Aug. 19 at the St. James theatre, directed & choreographed by Justin Peck.
Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova, Tasha Viets-VanLear, Yesenia Ayala, Kara Chan, Ben Cook, Gaby Diaz, Jeanette Delgado, Carlos Falu, Christine Flores, Jada German, Zachary Gonder, Rachel Lockhart, Brandt Martinez, Dario Natarelli, Tyrone Reese, Craig Salstein, Ahmad Simmons, Byron Tittle, Ricky Ubeda, and Alejandro Vargas.
An original coming-of-age tale that blends dance, theater, live music and storytelling into a breathtakingly emotional journey.
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Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, currently in previews, will open Apr. 12 and continue through Apr. 28 at Cleveland Playhouse, directed by Laura Gordon.
Josh Bates, Will Blum, Madeline Calais-King, Scott Campbell, Cate Castelli, Ellen Grace Diehl, Victoria Alev Duffy, Liz Huff, Dylan Ireland, Shunté Lofton, Steve Marvel, Gavin Michaels, Alfredo Ruiz, Jonathan Smoots, September Stanton, Owen Connor Stout, and Price Waldman.
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Boston’s Lyric Stage Company has announced its 2024-25 season:
Urinetown (Sept. 20 – Oct. 27)
Noises Off (Nov. 11 – Dec. 22)
Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Jan. 10 – Feb. 2, 2025), by Lynn Nottage. Two sisters and their recently widowed father struggle to find their place in the world while holding tight to the love they have for each other.
Art (Feb. 21 – Mar. 16)
The Great Reveal (Apr. 4-27), by David Valdes. A dramedy exploring the ways a diverse group of people who love each other navigate family dynamics and gender identity.
Hello Dolly! (May 16 – June 22)
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Readings of Drew Droege’s Messy White Guys continue through Tues. Apr. 9 at Off-Broadway’s Soho Playhouse. 
here.
Drew Droege (Karl), Eric Patrick Harper (Addison), Max Jenkins (Caden), Matthew Wilkas (Brecken), and Pete Zias (Thacker).
Set in Hell’s Kitchen, the new work centers on Brecken and Caden, who murder their throuple-mate just as friends are arriving for brunch.
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54 Sings Carpenters will take place Tues. May 21 at 9:30 PM at NYC’s 54 Below, hosted by Julia Marson.
Matt Baker, Mar’Shon Dalton, Natalie Douglas, Victoria Elena, Luke Hawkins, Hope Johanson, Gavin Kenny, Jacob Khalil, Julia Marson, and Jeffrey Sewell.
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The world premiere of Craig Lucas, Sean Haartley & Daniel Messé’s Prelude to a Kiss, will run Apr. 9 – May 4 (opening Apr. 12) at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Rep, directed by David Ivers.
Hannah Corneau (Rita), Jonathan Gillard Daly (Julius), Julie Garnyé (Leah), Jimmie “J.J.” Jeter (Taylor), James Moye (Rita’s Dad), Chris McCarrell (Peter), DeAnne Stewart (Angie), and Karen Ziemba (Rita’s Mom), with Bella Hicks, Robert Knight, Caroline Pernick, Tristan J. Shuler. Rachel Lykins and Robert Zelaya.
“For better or worse” takes on new meaning when a mysterious guest requests a kiss at Peter and Rita’s wedding—and their lives are forever changed.
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The previously announced cast album of Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are will be released May 17 on CD and for digital streaming …… and on Sept. 6 for the physical album. Click here for ordering options.
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Group Rep‘s Could I Have This Dance?, by Doug Haverty, directed by Kathleen R. Delaney, continues through Apr. 28 at North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre.
Sean Babcock (Errl Watkins), Anna Connelly (Monica Glendenning), Anica Petrovic (Amanda Glendenning), Lloyd Pedersen (Hank Glendenning), Clara Rodriquez (Jeanette Glendenning), and Andy Shephard (Coline McMan).
The play looks at modern love, complicated relationships, working-from-home and a family that is actually functional.
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Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ The Comeuppance, currently in previews, opens Apr. 12, and continues through May 18 at the Almeida Theatre, directed by Erin Ting.
Yolanda Kettle, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tamara Lawrance, Katie Leung, and Anthony Welsh.
A “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group” reconvenes for the first time in years to a pregame for their 20th high school reunion.
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Prospect Theater Company has announced complete casting for Peter Mills & Cara Reichel’s The Hello Girls, to take place May 7 at the Kennedy Center, and May 12 at Off-Broadway’s Symphony Space, directed by Reichel, with choreography by Christine O’Grady, and music direction by Ben Moss.
Ellie Fishman, Arlo Hill, Chanel Karimkhani, Andrew Mayer, Ben Moss, Lili Thomas, Ben Davis, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Savy Jackson, Asher Muldoon, Laura Jean Spineti, Matthew Weatherhead, and Kat Wolff.
The story of the first women soldiers in the U.S. Army, who served on the front lines during World War I.
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Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre has announced its 2024 Summer season:
The Subject was Roses (May 28 – June 16, opening June 1), directed by Scott Wittman, featuring John Slattery, Talia Balsam, and Harry Slattery.
Master Class (June 25 – July 20, opening June 29), directed by Lisa Peterson.
What I Know, Now (July 15-20), solo show written & performed by Julia Motyka.
Young Frankenstein (Aug. 1-25, opening Aug. 3), directed by Stuart Ross, with choreography by Gerry Mcintyre.
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San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon will present Forever Plaid Apr. 18 – May 5 at the Gateway Theatre, directed & music directed by Daniel Thomas, with choreography by Brittney Monroe.
Edu Gonzalez-Maldonado, Justin P. Lopez, Kevin Singer, and Matt Skinner.
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Josie de Guzman: Back Where I Started will return to NYC’s Green Room 42 on May 4 & 5, both at 7 PM, directed by Gerard Alessandrini, with music direction by Larry Yurman.
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Million Dollar Quartet will run Apr. 12 -28 (opening Apr. 13) at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West, directed by Tim Seib.
Will Riddle (Carl Perkins), David Lee Elkins (Johnny Cash), Garrett Forrestal (Jerry Lee Lewis), L J Benet (Elvis Presley), Summer Breer (Dyanne), Benny Lipson (Jay “Brother Jay” Perkins), Lonn Hayes (W.S. “Flude” Holland), and Adam Poole (Sam Phillips).
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Put Up Your Dukes
1-E. The Duke of Burlingame appears in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Richard Morris and Meredith Willson’s musical.
2-D. George, Duke of Clarence is the brother of the Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard) in Shakespeare’s Richard III.
3-J. The Duke de la Trémouille is in Shaw’s Saint Joan.
4-G. Duke Mahoney is one of the bootleggers in Nice Work of You Can Get It, a musical by Joe DiPietro with music by the Gershwins.
5-A. The Duke of Albany is the King’s son-in-law in King Lear.
6-H. The Duke of Arundel is in Jean Anouilh’s play Becket.
7-F. The Duke of Czechogovinio is in Sally, the musical by Guy Bolton, Jerome Kern, P. G. Wodehouse and Clifford Grey.
8-C. Grand Duke Otto is the ruler of Lichtenburg in Call Me Madam.
9-B. Duke Mantee is the fugitive criminal in Robert E. Sherwood’s play The Petrified Forest.
10-I. The Duke of Plaza-Toro is a Spanish grandee in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers.