Today’s Highlights:
Ask for the Moon, by Darko Tresnjak & Oran Eldor, directed by Tresnjak, featuring Jamison Stern (Schroeder/Persimmon?Misha/Grider), Luba Mason (Helene Huber), Ali Ewoldt (Clair), and Alex Dreschke (The Body Double), opens at CT’s Goodspeed.
Anything Goes, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, featuring Jeanna De Waal (Reno Sweeney), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Billy Crocker), Kevin Chamberlin (Moonface Martin), George Abud (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh), Kimeberly Immanuel (Hope Harcourt), Adrianna Hicks (Erma), Ann Harad (Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt), Lara Teeter (Elisha J. Whitney), Eric Jordan Young (Captain), Danny Gardner (Ahip’s Purser), Spencer Jones (Spit), and Joe Capstick (Dippy), with Colin Bradbury, Kristen Grace Brown, Lamont Brown, Alaman Diadhiou, C.K. Edwards, Marjorie Failoni, Kaitlyn Frank, Michael Harp, Candice Hatakeyama, Danielle Jackman, Madison Hilligoss, Ryan Lambert, Carina-Kay Louchiey, Nathaniel Mahone, John Manzari, Lauralyn McClelland, Alex Hayden Miller, Cole Newburg, and Bethany Ann Tesarck, opens at the St. Louis Muny.
Steve Ross: I Remember Him Well – The Songs of Alan J. Lerner concert, at 8 PM at NYC’s Birdland.
Emily Goglia’s Musical Musings concert, at 8 PM at Hollywood’s Moon Room on Melrose.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: The Royals, by Jim Bernhard
Fill in the correct royal title for these plays and musicals:
| 1. The ____ Jones, play by Eugene O’Neill | A. Empress |
| 2. ____ Ida, operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan | B. Duke |
| 3. The ____ of Malfi, play by John Webster | C. Queen |
| 4. ____ Hedley II, play by August Wilson | D. Count |
| 5. Elizabeth the ____, play by Maxwell Anderson | E. Emperor |
| 6. ____ Eugénie, dramatic sketches by Cornelia Otis Skinner | F. Prince |
| 7. The ____ of Luxembourg, operetta by Franz Lehar et al | G. King |
| 8. ____ Maritza, musical by Emmerich Kalman, Julius Brammer, et al | H. Princess |
| 9. The ____ of Duluth, musical by Max S. Witte and George Broadhurst | I. Duchess |
| 10. ____ of Broadway, musical by David Thompson, Jason Robert Brown, et al | J. Countess |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Manhattan Theatre Club will present Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends on dates TBA in the 2025 season at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, directed by Matthew Bourne, with choreography by Stephen Mear.
Bernadette Peters & Lea Salonga.
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Young Frankenstein has been extended through Sept. 29 at Pittsburgh CLO, directed by Joel Ferrel.
Dan Deluca (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Tim Hartman (Monster), Theo Allyn (Frau Blücher), Susana Cordón (Elizabeth Benning), Daniel Krell (Inspector Hans Kemp/Bertram Batram, The Hermit), and Alex Sheffield (Inga), with J. Alex Noble and Mandie Patsy.
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Video: Andrew Barth Feldman and Kevin Del Aguila Perform “Mushnik & Son” from Little Shop of Horrors
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Off-Broadway’s National Black Theatre has announced its 2024-25 season:
The Divining: Ceremonies in the name of the m/other tree (Sept. 13-15 & 21-22), written, directed, and choreographed by Ebony Noelle Golden. 
A three-part series of ritual performances, processions, and visual installations
KINGS…come home (Mar. 5-16, 2025,) by Smita James, Veronique Efomi, and Munganyende, directed by Ira Kip. The story of a family looking for a new home.
Bowl EP (Apr. 17 – May 25), world premiere written & directed by Nazareth Hassan. Kelly K Klarkson and Quentavius da Quitter are searching for a name for their rap group in between practicing skate tricks
Chiaroscuro (May 26 – June 22), by Aishah Rahman, directed by abigail jean-baptiste. The play explores the social implications of the contrast between dark and light as it relates to skin color, specifically within the Black community.
Sweetwater: The Gospel of Iman (June 26-29), by Nathan Yngerberg, directed by Zhailon Levingston. The play delves into the strength of a chosen family through the eyes of Umar, a young gay Black writer residing in New York City during the AIDS epidemic.
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Christopher Renshaw, Andrew Delaplaine, & Aurin Squire’s A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical will begin previews Oct. 16 and open Nov. 11 at Studio 54, directed by Renshaw.
James Monroe Iglehart (Louis Armstrong), James T. Lane (Louis Armstrong at certain performances), Darlesia Cearcy (Lucille Wilson), Dionne Figgins (Daisy Parker), Kim Exum (Alpha Smith), Jennie Harney-Fleming (Lil Hardin), Lucile Wilson (Daisy Parker), Kim Exum (Alpha Smith), and Jennie Harney-Fleming (Lil Hardin), Trista Dollison Jr. (Lincoln Perry), Jason Forbach (Crooner), Gavin Gregory (King Joe Oliver), and Jimmy Smagula (Joe Glaser), with DeWitt Fleming, Brandon L. Armstrong, Wesley Barnes, Willie Clyde Beaton II, Ronnie S. Bowman, Jr., Eean S. Cochran, Kate Louissaint, Matt Magnusson, Jodeci Milhouse, Alysha Morgan, Khadijah Rolle, Tally Sessions, Brett Sturgis, Renell Taylor, Meridien Terrell, and Dori Waymer.
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John Lloyd Young: Unchained Melodies, celebrating Roy Orbison, Little Anthony, The Platters, Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, and The Righteous Brothers, will take place Tue. Aug. 20 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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Romeo + Juliet will run Sept. 26, 2024 – Jan. 19, 2025 (opening Oct. 24) at Circle in the Square, directed by Sam Gold.
Kit Conner (Romeo), Rachel Zegler (Juliet), Gabby Beans (Mercutio/The Friar), Tommy Dorfman (The Nurse/Tybalt), Nihar Duvvuri (Balthazar), Sola Fadiran (Capulet/Lady Capulet), Daniel Bravo Hernández (Abraham, Taheen Modak (Benvolio, Jasai Chase Owens (Gregory), and Gían Pérez (Samson/Paris/Peter), with Missy Malek, Timothy Oh, Susannah Perkins, and Daniel Velez.
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Randy Newman’s FAUST: The Concert will run Sept. 28-29 at Northridge, CA’s The Soraya.
Javier Muñoz, Reeve Carney, Ryan Cartan, Veronica Swift, and Joanna Lynn-Jacobs.
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Theatre Aspen‘s Solo Flights festival of new works will run Sept. 5-11:
The Binding Lilly (Sept. 5 & 7), by Joseph Dougherty, directed by Emily Maltby, featuring Oona Laurence. Frankly, the world and the people in it have so far been a disappointment to young Lilly. Clever, observant, and trying not to be cynical, mid-westerner Lilly has tumbled into the job of nanny for the two “socially unstructured” children of an affluent Los Angeles couple. We join Lilly on her journey to make sense of her own complicated beginnings and the potentially dangerous indulgences she encounters in sunny California.
Long Drive Home (Sept. 5 & 7), by Stephen Kaplan, directed by Hannah Ryan. The compelling story of a devoted father whose perfect life is shattered by a single, fleeting error.
The Great Thirst (Sept. 6 & 9), written by & starring Justin Tranter, directed by Niegel Smith. A post-apocalyptic alt-pop musical. Golden Globe and Grammy nominated hitmaker Justin Tranter plays Queen Frank, the witty, vulgar, and flamboyant leader of a Southern California water mafia in the not-so-distant future. Through soaring pop songs and a drag queen’s sharp tongue, Queen Frank immerses you in the story of a family trying to do more than survive a very thirsty new world.
From Kabul with Love (Sept. 8 & 10), written by & starring Safi Rauf & Sammi Cannold, directed by Cannold. In December of 2021, Afghan-American humanitarian Safi Rauf was taken hostage by the Taliban and held captive in a high security prison in Kabul for 105 days. Stateside, his Jewish-American girlfriend Sammi and his devout Muslim family—who did not accept the relationship—had to find a way to work together to get Safi out. In this profound and gripping autobiographical journey across continents, love defies the boundaries of captivity, cultural differences, and political turmoil.
Sugarbelly and Other Tales My Father Told me (Sept. 8 & 10), written b7 & starring Guy Davis, directed by Dean Irby. Part tall tale, part medicine show, part mystery, Sugarbelly is drawn from the stories that the late Ossie Davis told his son, Guy Davis. Grammy-nominated Davis breathes life through song into a bygone way of life, which is resurrected by his field hollers and songs. Performed in Guy’s inimitable style, Sugarbelly promises to be a unique and deeply satisfying evening of theatre.
Touch (Sept. 9 & 11), by Kenny Finkle, directed by Jonathan Silverstein, starring Anthony Rapp. The solo play follows Sydney Blatter, a gay, middle aged, middle school theater teacher. When he encounters a former student after a panic attack on the subway, Sydney’s life takes an unexpected turn, forcing him to confront his ambitious past and his unfulfilled present.
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David Burnham Sings Bublé concert will take place Sat. Sept. 7 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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A restored edition of the “Funny Girl” film has been released on 4K here:
Special features:
A new audio interview with Streisand
An archival interview with Omar Sharif
A deleted scene featuring Streisand and Omar Sharif, and more
A conversation with director Will Wyler’s son and author Alicia Malone
A documentary on Wyler’s life and career
Featurettes from the original theatrical release
An essay by author & film critic Michael Koresky
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Video: Patti LuPone performs “I Dreamed a Dream”
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The cast album of Water for Elephants has been released on most platforms.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: The Royals
1-E. The Emperor Jones, play by Eugene O’Neill
2-H. Princess Ida, operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan
3-I. The Duchess of Malfi, play by John Webster
4-G. King Hedley II, play by August Wilson
5-C. Elizabeth the Queen, play by Maxwell Anderson
6-A. Empress Eugénie, dramatic sketches by Cornelia Otis Skinner
7-D. The Count of Luxembourg, operetta by Franz Lehar et al
8-J. Countess Maritza, musical by Emmerich Kalman, Julius Brammer, et al
9-B. The Duke of Duluth, musical by Max S. Witte and George Broadhurst
10-F. Prince of Broadway, musical by David Thompson, Jason Robert Brown, et al