Today’s Highlights:
Selling Kabul, by Sylvia Khoury, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, featuring Dario Ladani Sanchez (Taroon), Francis Benhamou (Leyla), Mattico David (Jawid), and Marjan Neshat (Afiya), opens at Off-Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons.
MJ, by Lynn Nottage, directed & choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, featuring Miles Frost (Michael Jackson), Quentin Earl Darrington (Joseph Jackson/Rob), Whitney Bashor (Rachel), Gabriel Ruiz (Alejandro), Walter Russell III & Christian Wilson (alternating as Little Michael), Antoine L. Smith (Berry Gordy/Nick), Joe Sorge (Dave), Tavon Old-Sample (Michael), John Edwards (Jackie Jackson), Ayana George (Katherine Jackson), Appollo Levine (Quincy Jones), Lamont Walker II (Jermaine Jackson), Zelig Williams (Marlon Jackson), and Devin Trey Campbell (Little Marlon), withRaymond Baynard, Kali May Grinder, Oyoyo Joi, Carina-Kay Louchiey, Renni Anthony Magee, Aaron James McKenzie, Aramie Payton, Kamille Upshaw, Ryan VanDenBoom, and Darius Wright, begins previews at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre.
Jamie deRoy & friends benefit concert, in support of The Actors Fund, directed by Barry Kleinbort, featuring Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Christie Altomare, Jelani Alladin, Ali Ewoldt, Cassandra James, Mauricio Martinez, and Donna McKechnie, at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Birdland.
Welcome Home: A Holiday Gospel Concert, with the Broadway Inspirational Voices, at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Symphony Space.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: In Disguise by Jim Bernhard
1. In Charley’s Aunt, Lord Fancourt Babberley disguises himself as…Aunt Eller…Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez…Auntie Mame…the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
2. InTwelfth Night ,Viola disguises herself as…her twin brother Sebastian…Countess Olivia…Duke Orsino…a young man named Cesario.
3. In Kiss Me, Kate, the two gangsters disguise themselves as…police officers…chorus girls…Shakespearean characters…window-washers.
4. In The Drowsy Chaperone, two gangsters are disguised as….police officers…chorus girls…Shakespearean characters….pastry chefs.
5. In The Fantasticks, the Cockney Mortimer disguises himself as…El Gallo’s girlfriend…an American Indian…a gangster…a hot-air balloonist.
6. In Damn Yankees, Mr. Applegate magically disguises Washington Senators fan Joe Boyd as ace pitcher and hitter…Joe Hardy…Joe DiMaggio…Joe Garagiola…Shoeless Joe Jackson.
7. In King Lear, Gloucester’s son Edgar disguises himself as…his father…King Lear…a beggar named Poor Tom…the Archbishop of Canterbury.
8. In Mean Girls, Cady comes to a costume party disguised as…a skeleton…a witch…a ghost…a zombie.
9. In The Desert Song, Pierre Birabeau disguises himself as the leader of the Riffs known as…The Black Whip…The Red Shadow…The Green Hornet…The Purple People-Eater.
10. In A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pseudolus attempts to rid a house of a spirit by posing as…Julius Caesar…a pest control expert…a soothsayer…a musician.
Scroll down for the answers…
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Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre:
NY Times (Maya Phillips): …Mrs. Doubtfire simultaneously tries to replicate an outdated story and update it for the times. But the show only ends up cowering in the original film’s shadow… Rob McClure is…vivacious on the stage, and his impressions, including a hilarious tongue-wagging Gollum, are precious. But the director Jerry Zaks’s ambivalent production tries to have it both ways: The story of a playful man-child with whom we empathize but whose good intentions can’t excuse his machinations. McClure’s Daniel …is more irritating than entertaining, and his antics…are more creepy than kooky… The musical is stuffed with unnecessary additions, mostly in the form of several awkwardly incorporated or homiletic songs…
Broadway News (Charles Isherwood): …In the role made famous by the inimitable Robin Williams, McClure manages to evoke that actor’s comic genius while forging his own dizzying path into the role… But his herculean efforts to lift the show into the musical theater heavens, while always fun to watch, are ultimately unavailing. Mrs. Doubtfire, like virtually all stage adaptations of popular movies, still feels like an unnecessary and at times laboriously strained transcription of the original film… it’s often quite funny… The movie was chosen for adaptation because it was a hit, and superbly executed, which makes it virtually impossible to equal, let alone surpass on stage…
Variety (Naveen Kumar): …a polished and pandering new musical… the drawn-out and predictable comedy of disguise… But even in the belabored tradition of screen-to-stage musical adaptations, Mrs. Doubtfire is doggedly risk-averse, opting for handsomely outfitted, faithful simulacrum over reinvention or surprise. Hairspray it is not… mildly amusing bits of stagecraft… bring little ingenuity or panache to musicalizing familiar material… The Kirkpatricks’ score seems bent on making up for its lack of distinct point of view with at least some measure of variety… Rob McClure, who broke out on Broadway 15 years ago stepping into the shoes of another legendary comedian in Chaplin, delivers an undeniably charming and virtuosic performance…
Daily News (Chris Jones): A good time for all ages, despite our beloved, battered Broadway, is exactly what the audience-friendly, warm-centered, modestly scaled Mrs. Doubtfire delivers… the breadth of its target demographic stands out… This superbly cast musical has been given a whiz-bang farcical staging by the wily old maestro Jerry Zaks, who has installed more physical shtick, especially from the droll ensemble, in almost any show since The Producers… Add in some catchy contemporary tunes, a hilarious central performance from Rob McClure, cute Broadway-style kids and a big heart, and you’ve got a show that all kinds of folks will enjoy… McClure won’t win the Tony for best vocalist anytime soon, but his comedic work here is sans pareil on Broadway this fall.
Video: Highlights
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NY City Center has announced additional information for its 2022 Encores! Season:
The Tap Dance Kid (Feb. 2-6), adapted by Lydia Diamond, directed by Kenny Leon, with new tap sequences choreographed by Jared Grimes, and music direction by Joseph Joubert. 
Tracee Beazer (Carole), DeWitt Fleming (Daddy Bates), Joshua Henry (William), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Emma), Chance K. Smith (Winslow), Adrienne Walker (Ginnie), Alexander Bello (Willie), and Trevor Jackson (Uncle Dipsey) Note: Dulé Hill, who was previously announced in the role of Uncle Dipesy, has departed the production due to scheduling conflicts.
The Life (Feb. 2-6), by Cy Coleman, Ira Gasman & David Newman, adapted & directed by Billy Porter, with choreography by AC Ciulla, and music direction by James Sampliner. Mykal Kilgore (Young Jojo), Ledisi (Sonja), Ken Robinson (Fleetwood), Destan Owens Old Jojo), Alexandra Grey (Queen), Antwayn Hopper (Memphis), and Erika Olson (Mary).
Into the Woods (May 4-15), directed by Lear deBessonet, with choregraphy by Jamal Sims, and music direction by Rob Berman. Sara Bareilles (Baker’s Wife), Christian Borle (Baker), Heather Headley (Witch), Ashley Park (Cinderella).Jordan Donica (Rapunzel’s Prince), Shereen Pimentel (Rapunzel), Julia Lester (Little Red Riding Hood) and Cole Thompson (Jack).
Spring Gala (May 4, opening night of Into the Woods). Details TBA.
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The Owl and the Nightingale, newly translated by Simon Armitage, will take place Mon. Dec. 13 at 4 PM GMT at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by John Tiffany. Casting TBA.
The piece shines a light on another jewel of Middle English verse. The disputed issues with the play still resonate – concerning identity, cultural attitudes, class distinctions, and the right to be heard.
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RIP: Antony Sher, an actor known for his masterly interpretations of Shakespeare’s great characters and for his versatility, died of cancer on Dec. 1 at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was 72.
Sher had been closely associated for more than four decades. Gregory Doran, the company’s artistic director and Mr. Sher’s husband, had announced in September that he would take compassionate leave to care for Mr. Sher.
His breakthrough came in 1984, in the title role of Shakespeare’s Richard III. He performed on crutches, which he used as an extension of Richard’s contorted physique and psyche to evoke Shakespeare’s description of the character as “a bottled spider.”
In 1985 he won an Olivier Award both for his performance as Richard and for his subsequent role as a drag queen in Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy.” In his acceptance speech, he said he was happy “to be the first actor to win an award for playing both a king and a queen.”
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Video: “Easy Street,” from “Annie Live,” featuring Megan Hilty, Taraji P. Henson, and Titus Burgess.
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The world premiere of Jason Michael Webb & Lelund Durond Thompson’s Light It Up! continues through Dec. 22 at Cleveland Play House, directed & choreographed by Christopher Windom.
Florrie Bagel, Kristina Gabriela, Matt Gittins, Brennyn Lark, Terica Marie, Gustavo Márquez, Benjamin H. Moore, Christopher B. Portley, Helen Marla White, and Mariama White.
A new, holly-jolly musical event that features original pop, rock, gospel, and jazz holiday tunes and new arrangements of traditional Christmas carols.
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& 
A Christmas Rose, starring Amanda McBroom & Michele Brourman, will take place Sun. Dec. 19 at 8 PM PT at Studio City’s Vitello’s.
Click here for live tickets.
Click here for livestream tickets.
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Video: Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden celebrate the release of their new album, “Together At A Distance,” featuring classic and contemporary Broadway duets. 
here.
1. “Make Believe”
2. “All I Ask of You”
3. “Stranger in Paradise”
4. “Heather on the Hill”
5. “Too Many Mornings”
6. “Too Many Mornings”
7. “All The Wasted Time”
8. “Too Much in Love to Care”
9. “How Could I Ever Know”
10. “Til There Was You”
11. “I Have Dreamed”
12. “With One Look”
13. “The Were You”
14. “A Heart Full of Love”
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“Whitney Houston in Focus,” executive produced and narrated by Audra McDonald, and directed by Benjamin Alfonsi, in currently in production, with a release date expected in early 2022.
The film explores Houston’s life before she became an international star, and is based on an upcoming book by Bette Marshall, a photographer who met Houston when she was 18 and captured images of the younger singer throughout early auditions and recording sessions.
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PA’s Buck’s County Playhouse has announced its holiday concert series:
The Everly Brothers Experience Christmas Show (Dec. 10-12, featuring the Zmed Brothers, celebrating holiday standards from the ’50s and ’60s paired alongside the pivotal music and history of The Everly Brothers.
Welcome to Our Holiday Party: Swingin’ and Broadway Songs (Dec. 15), featuring Melissa Errico and Billy Stritch.
Holiday Specials (Dec. 16), presented by Downstage Center Dance Studio.
Christmas with the Coasters (Dec. 17-19).
Well-Strung (Dec. 31), which fuses pop and classical music from Madonna to Beethoven.
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Video: Extended interview with Stephen Sondheim on “Late Night with Stephen Colbert.”
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A staged reading of Paul Oakley Stovall’s Clear – A New Musical Experience, with musical contributions from Stew+, Bayard Rustin+ and Nikhal Saboo+ will take place Mon. Jan. 31 at 7 PM CT at Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre, directed by Kenny Ingram.
A spiritual quest in a decidedly computerized time fusing music, memory, and pure love to remind all how best to live life. It sings a tale of destiny, luck, and the commonality of the human experience. From the slave castles of Ghana to the winding streets of Istanbul, from the banks of the river Seine to a star-filled night sky over the suburban Midwest, these storytellers continue to discover that change is inevitable and clear.
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If you enjoy the GRACE NOTES weekly quizzes, created by Jim Bernhard, please check out his newest work, “Words Over Easy,” a lighthearted look at grammar, style, and language usage, with some side excursions into peculiar spellings, surprise etymologies, and intriguing name origins, all accompanied by playful drawings and whimsical verse. 
Order here.
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Ensemble Studio Theatre presents the world premiere of Sam Chanse’s what you are now, to run Feb. 16 – Mar. 13 (opening Feb. 24), directed by Steve Cosson.
Sonnie Brown, Curran Connor, Emma Kikue, Robert Lee Lend, and Pisay Pao.
Pia is a passionate young researcher investigating cutting-edge new ideas about how to heal the mind from traumatic memories. But her interest is also personal, deeply intertwined with he family’s history. When a figure from the past unexpectedly shows up, urging Pia’s mother to testify about her experiences during the violence of 1970s Cambodia, unresolved histories are brought to the surface. Pia must navigate through a latticework of interconnected memories: her relationship, her brother Darany, and centrally, her moth Chantrea – making discoveries that will radically alter everyone’s lives in the present.
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Brian Jordan’s “Georgia Sky,” directed by Rhaynn Drummer, will premiere Dec. 6 at 8 PM ET at Atlanta’s Foundry at Puritan Mills.
Brian Jordan, Brittany Inge, and Tina Fears.
Levi, Ryan, and Tamika, three childhood friends, reunite in their home town for one purpose. Or so they think. Soon they all realize that their true purpose is simply… home.
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South Pacific will transfer to London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre July 27 – Aug. 28, 2022, directed by Daniel Evana.
Julian Ovenden (Emile de Becque) and Gina Beck (Nellie Forbush), with more TBA.
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Video: Bradley Whitford and the company of A Christmas Carol give a tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the LA opening night curtain call.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: In Disguise
1. In Charley’s Aunt, Lord Fancourt Babberley disguises himself as Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez.
2. In Twelfth Night. Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario.
3. In Kiss Me, Kate, the two gangsters disguise themselves as Shakespearean characters.
4. In The Drowsy Chaperone, two gangsters are disguised as pastry chefs.
5. In The Fantasticks, the Cockney Mortimer disguises himself as an American Indian.
6. In Damn Yankees, Mr. Applegate magically disguises Washington Senators fan Joe Boyd as ace pitcher and hitter Joe Hardy.
7. In King Lear, Gloucester’s son Edgar disguises himself as a beggar named Poor Tom.
8. In Mean Girls, Cady comes to a costume party disguised as a zombie.
9. In The Desert Song, Pierre Birabeau disguises himself as the leader of the Riffs known as The Red Shadow.
10. In A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pseudolus attempts to rid a house of a spirit by posing as a soothsayer.