Today’s Highlights:
Between Riverside and Crazy, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Austin Pendleton, featuring Common (Junior), Stephen McKinley, Victor Almanzar, Elizabeth Canavan, Rosal Colón, and Michael Rispoli, opens at Broadway’s Second Stage Haye’s Theatre.
Sister’s Christmas Catechism, by Marypat Donovan, Marc Silvia and Jane Morris, opens at Laguna Playhouse.
Eleri Ward: Keep a Tender Distance concert, with special guests Laura Benanti, Bobby Conte, Julia Murney and Samantha Pauly, at 8 PM at NYC’s Sony Hall.
Cabaret on the Couch Live!: Home for the Holidays concert, hosted by Kristin “KP” Sgarro, featuring André Jordan, Kimberly Marable, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Devin Bowles, Emily Croft, Siobhan Jones, Elle Prado, and Kenzie Elizabeth, at 9:30 PM at NYC’s Green Room 42.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: You Can Count On It! by Jim Bernhard
Match these counts and countesses with the plays or musicals in which they appear:
| 1. Countess Aurelia | A. The Woman in White |
| 2. Countess of Rossillion | B. The Unsinkable Molly Brown |
| 3. Count Fosco | C. A Little Night Music |
| 4. Edmond Dantès | D. The Marriage of Figaro |
| 5. Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm | E. All’s Well That Ends Well |
| 6. Count Claudio | F. Anna Karenina |
| 7. Countess Ethanotous | G. The Madwoman of Chaillot |
| 8. Count Almaviva | H. The Count of Monte Cristo |
| 9. Count Ipolitov | I. Much Ado About Nothing |
| 10. Count Alexis Vronsky | J. Anastasia |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Roundabout Theatre has announced complete casting for Anna Ziegler’s The Wanderers, to run Jan. 26 – Mar. 26 (opening Feb. 16) at the Laura Pels Theatre, directed by Barry Edelstein.
Katie Holmes (Julia Cheever), Sarah Cooper (Sophie), Lucy Freyer (Esther), David Klasko (Schmuli), and Eddie Kaye Thomas (Abe).
Jews Esther and Schmuli are newly married. Secular Jew Abe is a famous novelist who believes he can write his own future until an unexpected email from a movie star, Julia Cheever, puts his marriage to the test.
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We Start in Manhattan, a concert version of a new queer musical by Arielle Serur & Say Souza, will take place Thurs. Feb. 2 at NYC’s 54 Below, directed by Ellie Heyman. Live tix here. Livestreamed tix here.
(all from the Broadway cast of 1776): Arielle Serur, Say Souza, Shelby Acosta, Mehry Eslaminia, Kristolyn Lloyd, Sara Porkalob, Sushma Saha, Brooke Simpson, and Imani Pearl Williams.
The story of a one-night stand turned month-long road trip, exploring the nuances and delights of intimacy with an expiration date.
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Audio: “Dylan Thomas, 1952: A Child’s Christmas in Wales, A Story,” with David Hertzberg. (54:23)
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Video: The cast of Broadway’s Some Like it Hot perform live in Times Square.
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Barry Wyner’s Calvin Berger will run Feb. 16 – Mar. 26 (opening Feb. 18) at Burbank’s Colony Theatre, directed by Richard Israel, with music direction by Anthony Lucca.
Corinne Miller, Jordan Quisno, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Jasmine Sharma.
Loosely based on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, the musical is the contemporary and hilarious story of unrequited feelings, love notes, and physical insecurity among high school seniors. Smitten with the beautiful Rosanna, Calvin is paralyzed by self-doubt due to the size of his nose. No words of encouragement coming from his quirky best girlfriend Bret seem to help. Rosanna finds her head turned by the good-looking new student, Matt, who is painfully shy and unable to voice his mutual attraction to her. Hoping to forge a closer relationship to his love, Calvin offers to pen Matt’s eloquent love notes to Rosanna. As deceptions unravel and truths are revealed, Calvin is about to learn that sometimes what you’re looking for is right under your nose.
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The world premiere of Simon Stephens & Mark Eitzel’s Cornelia Street will run Jan. 20 – Feb. 26 (opening Feb. 14) at Atlantic Theatre Company, directed by Neil Pepe, with choreography by Hope Boykin.
George Abud, Norbert Leo Butz, Esteban Andres Crus, Gizel Jiménez, Jordan Lage, Kevyn Morrow, Mary Beth Peil, Lena Pepe, and Ben Rosenfield.
In a back street in the West Village, Jacob Towney tries to save the restaurant that has been his home for longer than he can remember and release his daughter to the life he dreams she can have. His place is a home for the odd ghosts of the Village. It is out of place and out of time and running out of luck.
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Video: Promo for the national tour of A Soldier’s Play, starring Norm Lewis, directed by Kenny Leon.
Click here for the tour schedule and additional information.
Norm Lewis, Will Adams, Sheldon D. Brown, Malik Childs, William Connell, Alex Michael Givens, Matthew Goodrich, Chattan Mayes Johnson, Eugene Lee, Branden Davon Lindsay, Tarik Lowe, Howard Overshown, Brandon Alvión, Ja’Quan Cole, Charles Everett, and Al’Jaleel McGhee.
In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered and a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America.
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Call Me Elizabeth, written & performed by Kayla Boye, will run Feb. 10-19 at CA’s Sierra Madre Playhouse, directed by Erin Kraft.
The Elizabeth of the title Call Me Elizabeth is Elizabeth Taylor. Please, don’t call her Liz.
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Joe Landry’ “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” continues through Dec. 31 at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, directed by Kate Bergstrom.
William DeMeritt (Jake Laurents), Evan Andrew Horwitz (Harry Heywood), Jimm Kieffer (Freddie Filmore), Madeleine Lambert (Sally Applewhite), and Cassandra Lopez (Lana Sherwood).
This twist on a Christmas classic transports guests to the 1940s – not long after the movie takes place – where they’re immersed in a Rockefeller Center-inspired radio broadcast studio. There, the live studio audience will watch the transformative storytelling of five characters as they bring the story of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to fruition, complete with Foley sound effects, singing advertisements and flashing “applause” signs.
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RIP: Broadway’s Ronald “Ronnie” Dennis Watson died on Dec. 17 at the age of 78, after a prolonged illness.
Ron began his career in Hello Dolly, starring Pearl Bailey. Following that musical, he appeared as Richie in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line.
Additional Broadway and touring companies included Showboat, Don’t Bother me I Can’t Cope, My One and Only, La Cage Aux Folles, Pippin and Dancin., as well as his own one-man autobiographical show, Don’t Grab The Gown Til You See The Gurney.
After moving to Los Angeles, Ron appeared in many guest star roles on shows such as “Welcome Back Kotter,” “Chico and the Man,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and “Baretta.” He also appeared as himself in many documentaries including: “Broadway Beyond” the “Golden Age”.
Ron was a tireless advocate for AIDs related causes serving on the Broadway Cares Advisory Council
Plans for Celebrations of his life in Los Angeles and NYC will be announced in early 2023.
Video: Ron performs “Gimme The Ball” from A Chorus Line.
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A concert presentation of Annie Get Your Gun will take place Fri. Apr. 7 at the London Palladium. Creative team TBA.
Rachel Tucker (Annie Oakley) and Julian Ovenden (Frank Butler), with more TBA.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: You Can Count On It!
1-G. Countess Aurelia – The Madwoman of Chaillot
2-E. Countess of Rossillion – All’s Well That Ends Well
3-A. Count Fosco – The Woman in White
4-H. Edmond Dantès –The Count of Monte Cristo
5-C. Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm – A Little Night Music
6-I. Count Claudio – Much Ado About Nothing
7-B. Countess Ethanotous – The Unsinkable Molly Brown
9-J. Count Ipolitov – Anastasia
10-F. Count Alexis Vronsky – Anna Karenina