Today’s Highlights
* A Christmas Carol – The Musical Staged Concert, adapted by Alan Menken, Lynn Ahrens & Mike Ockrent, directed by Shaun Kerrison, featuring Brian Conley (Ebenezer Scrooge), Jacqueline Jossa (Emily/Ghost of Christmas Future), Matt Jay-Willis (Bob Cratchit), Lucie Jones (The Ghost of Christmas Past), Sandra Marvin (Mrs. Fezziwig), Martyn Ellis (Mr. Fezziwig), Cedric Neal (The Ghost of Christmas Present, Jeremy Secomb (Jacob Marley), Rebecca Lock (Mrs. Cratchit), and Sam Oladeinde (Fred Anderson/Young Scrooge), opens at London’s Dominion Theatre.
* Super Shaw: A Scintillating Shavian Scramble FREE benefit event, in support of The Actors Fund, directed & narrated by David Staller, featuring Brenda Braxton, Michael Cerveris, Joel Grey, Marsha Mason, Patrick Page, Tonya Pinkins, Renee Taylor, and Karen Ziemba, streams at 8 PM ET here.
* A King and No King FREE benefit reading, by Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher, directed by José Zayas, featuring Rajesh Bose, Robert Cuccioli, Edmund Donovan, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Topher Embrey, Chukwudi Iwuji, Teresa Avia Lim, Cara Ricketts, Socorro Santiago, Reagan Tankersly, Craig Wallace, and CJ Wilson, livestreams at 7:30 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater.
*“Rachel Brosnahan in Conversation with Judith Light” streams for FREE at 7:30 PM ET at NYC’s 92Y.
* “Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir,” featuring Kelli O’Hara and Richard Thomas, airs at 9 PM on PBS (check local listings).
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Triple Threats by Jim Bernhard
Match these musicals with their “triple-threat” creators who wrote book, music, and lyrics:
| 1. Sail Away | A. Michael John LaChiusa |
| 2. The Last Five Years | B. George M. Cohan |
| 3. Runaways | C. Jill Santoriello |
| 4. The Wild Party | D. Rupert Holmes |
| 5. Divorce Me, Darling | E. Noël Coward |
| 6. The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin | F. Kristen Childs |
| 7. Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway | G. Jason Robert Brown |
| 8. A Tale of Two Cities | H. Elizabeth Swados |
| 9. The Mystery of Edwin Drood | I. Anaïs Mitchell |
| 10. Hadestown | J. Sandy Wilson |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Video: “Stars in the House,” offering “Merry Murderesses,” with Broadway Inspirational voices — Michael McElroy, Caitlin Carter, Mamie Dunca-Gibbs, Denise Faye, Leigh Zimmerman, Mindy Cooper, Michelle M. Robinson, Bebe she/her, MaryAnn Lamb, and Denise Faye, and more. (1:17:15)
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Video: “Stars in the House” — “The Night Before Christmas,” with the Chelsea Symphony, featuring Aaron Dai, Emily Wong, Mark Ceto, BD Wong, and more. (1:15:22)
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Video: “Stars in the House” — a “Family Ties Cast Reunion,” with Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross, Michael J. Fox, Tina Yothers, Brian Bonsall, Marc Price, and Scott Valentine. (1:25:40)
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Come From Away: The Concert! will run Feb. 10-27 at the Phoenix Theatre, directed by Christopher Ashley, and will include the show’s complete UK cast and orchestra.
Rachel Tucker (Annette/Beverly Bass), David Thaxton (Garth/Kevin Tuerff), Clive Carter (Claude Elliot), Nathanael Campbell (Bob), Emma Salvo (Janice Mosher), Jonthan Andrew Hume (Ali/Kevin Jung), Mary Doherty (Bonnie Harris), Robert Hands (Doug/Nick Marson), Harry Morrison (Oz Fudge), Helen Hobson (Diane Gray), Cat Simmons (Hannah O’Routke), and Jenn Boyd (Beulah Davis).
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“The Lunch Room,” with special guest Norm Lewis, will take place Tues. Dec. 29 at Noon ET at Cambridge’s A.R.T.
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“Broadway Lullabies” is now available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and more.
Kelli O’Hara, Ashley Brown, Corey Cott, Patina Miller, Nikki Renee Daniels, Jeff Kready, Alexander Gemignani, Adam Jacobs, and Caissie Levy.
Your favorite Broadway show tunes turned into lullabies.
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Off-Broadway’s The New Group has announced a slate of new theatrical projects in a variety of media, which will begin filming in early 2021:
* Waiting for Godot, directed by Scott Elliott, starring Ethan Hawke (Vladimir), John Leguizamo (Estragon), Wallace Shawn (Lucky), Tariq Trotter (Pozzo), and Drake Bradshaw (Boy).
* The Dinner, by Warren Adams, Brandon Victor Dixon, Michael Olatuja, Ronye’ O’Daniel & Daniel J. Watts, directed by Adams, featuring Dixon and more TBA. Six college pledged to each other to come together around a table every June 19th to celebrate their bod. In 2019 they come together for their 19th dinner. A year later everything has changed.
* Lypsinka Must Be Destroyed…Again, written & performed by John Epperson, and directed by Chloë Sevigny. Lypsinka, Goddess of Showbiz, finds herself once again in a state of limbo. Will she be able to manage another crisis? On her hairdresser knows for sure.
* Singing Heads, by Richard Thomas, directed by Monet. A series of one-person micro-musicals based on real life, almost unbelievable events, blending stand-up with show tunes.
* I Need Space, by Donja R. Love. A new multi-episode web series about one man’s struggle with love and loneliness.
* Bernarda’s Daughters, an audio play by Diane Exavier, directed by Dominique Rider. It’s summer in Flatbush; streets are not with protest, and the Abellard sister are trapped in their mother’s house. An aural exploration of private and public grief.
* What I Did for Love, by Alexandra Shiva & Scott Elliott. A documentary that follows a group of actors, including Edie Falco, who gather to rehearse Thomas Bradshaw’s adaption of The Seagull.
* The Fever, by Wallace Shawn. A live onstage production.
* Black to More, by John Ridley & Tariq Trotter, featuring John Clay III, Jennifer Damiano, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tamika Lawrence, Tracy Shayne, Theo Stockman, Tariq Trotter, and Maimouna Youssef.
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Video: Audra McDonald performs “Climb Every Mountain”
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Elephant Room: Dust from the Stars will stream Dec. 16-20 at LA’s Center Theatre Group. These live, interactive sci-fi performances have a limited capacity and require reservations.
Magicians turned astro-nots Daryl Hannah, Dennis Diamon, and Louie Magic.
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Audio: Randy Rainbow lip-syncs a segment of Patti LuPone’s autobiography — Patti recalls the demise of The Baker’s Wife.
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“Fred & Ginger,” a biopic by Arash Amel, directed by Jonthan Entwistle, is currently in development. Timeline, additional casting and further information TBA.
Jamie Bell (Fred Astaire) and Margaret Qualley (Ginger Rogers).
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The Broadway Green Alliance presents You’re a Green One, Mr. Finch on Fri. Dec. 18 at 8 PM ET on Playbill.com. While free to watch, donations are encouraged to support the Broadway Green Alliance, which was not able to receive its annual funds this year due to the pandemic.
Idina Menzel, George Salazar, Michael James Scott, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Kay Trinidad, Elizabeth Stanley, Ben Cameron, Ann Harada, Lesli Margherita, Javier Muñoz, Susan Egan, Laura Osnes, and Courtney Ree.
Through holiday songs and festive cameos, Mr. Finch — who wants to make the Holiday Season all about him — learns what it really means to have a green sustainable holiday.
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John Caird & Paul Gordon’s Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist, continues streaming on demand through Jan. 3 at Beverly Hills’ The Wallis, with music supervision by Brad Haak, and choreography by Natalie Lomonte.
Betsy Wolfe (Estella), Clifton Duncan (Philip ‘Pip’ Nickleby), Lauren Patten (Dawkins), Patrick Page (Mr. Merdle), Carolee Carmello (Marla Havisham), DAnny Burstein (Ebenezer Scrooge), Megan McGinnis (Betty Cratchit), Adam Halpin (Bob Cratchit), Sarah Litzsinger (Sissy Jupe), Tom Melis (Dedlock), Em Grosland (Smike), Phoenix Best (Charity/Mercy), David Bryant (Mr. Podsnap), Gabrielle Reid (Mrs. Pumblechook), Samuel Lee Roberts (Mr. Flopson), Michael Francis McBride (Mr. Dombey), Michele Lee (Mrs. Noggs), Kristen FAith Oei (Ms. Skiffins), Meg Gibson (Molly), William Youmans (Magwitch/Bagstock), Kevyn Morrow (Jasper Jaggers), Joziyah Jean-Felix (Young Pip), Brooklyn Shuck (Young Essy), and Willow McCarthy (Tiny Tammy).
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Video: “Only You, Lonely You” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, performed by Ivano Turco.
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Theatre Aspen‘s Holiday Cabaret will stream Dec. 23 & 27 at 6 PM MT, directed by Lorin Latarro, with music direction by David Dabbon & Andy Einhorn.
Kate Baldwin, Beth Malone, Charity Angél Dawson, Aaron Kaburick, J. Harrison Ghee, and Emily Britt.
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“Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon” is now available to rent or buy here.
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Bucks County Playhouse (link TBA) presents its Virtual Variety Show, to stream Sun. Dec. 20 at 7 PM ET, hosted by Darius de Haas.
Darius de Haas, Zach, Cossman, Tina Stafford, Andy Patterson, and Tess Grady.
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Video: “Only You, Lonely You,” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, with Ivan Turco.
The new musical, due to the pandemic, has been rescheduled to open in London in Spring 2021 (exact dates TBA), directed by Laurence Connor.
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Cynthia Erivo in concert is available on demand through May 10, 2022 on PBS online.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Triple Threats
1-E. Sail Away – Noël Coward
2-G. The Last Five Years – Jason Robert Brown
3-H. Runaways – Elizabeth Swados
4-A. The Wild Party – Michael John LaChiusa
5-J. Divorce Me, Darling – Sandy Wilson
6-F. The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin – Kristen Childs
7-B. Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway – George M. Cohan
8-C. A Tale of Two Cities – Jill Santoriello
9-D. The Mystery of Edwin Drood – Rupert Holmes
10-I. Hadestown – Anaïs Mitchell