Today’s Highlights:
A Doll’s House, adapted by Amy Herzog, directed by Jamie Lloyd, featuring Jessica Chastain (Nora Helmer), Arian Moayed (Torvald Helmer), Jesmille Darbourze (Kristine Linde), Tasha Lawrence (Anne-Marie), Michael Patrick Thornton (Dr. Rank), Okieriete Onaodowan (Nils Krogstad), with Franklin Bongjio, Carey Rebecca Brown, Melisa Soledad Pereyra, and Jose Joaquin Perez, begins previews at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre.
Vineyard Theatre‘s 40th Anniversary Gala, directed by Leigh Silverman, hosted by Bill Irwin, featuring Veanne Cox, Emily Skinner, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Brandon Victor Dixon, Coleman Domingo, Victor Garber, An Harada, David Harbour, Holly Hunter, Michael R. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, Paula Vogel, and Tina Satter, at 6 PM at the theater.
Steve Ross: Falling in Love…Again! concert, with special guest KT Sullivan, at 7 PM at NYC’s Birdland.
*********************
GRACE NOTES Quiz: The Man Who, by Jim Bernhard
Fill in the blanks…
| 1. The Man Who Came to ____, play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman | A. Castle |
| 2. The Man Who Changed His ____, play by Edgar Wallace | B. Dared |
| 3. The Man Who Had All the ____, play by Arthur Miller | C. Broadway |
| 4. The Man Who Had Three ____s, play by Edward Albee | D. Name |
| 5. The Man Who ____, play by Howard Hall | E. Dinner |
| 6. The Man Who Never____, play by Charles Webster | F. Head |
| 7. The Man Who Owns ____, musical by George M. Cohan | G. Was |
| 8. The Man Who ____, play Rudyard Kipling | H. Arm |
| 9. The Man Who Stole the ____, play by Tom Gallon and Leon Lion | I. Luck |
| 10. The Man Who Reclaimed His ____, play by Jean Bart | J. Died |
Scroll down for the answers…
**********************
Life of Pi, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti, will begin previews Mar. 9 and open Mar. 30 at the Schoenfeld Theatre, directed by Max Webster.
Hiran Abeysekera (Pi), Brian Thomas Abraham (Cook/Voice of Richard Parker), Rajesh Rose (Father), Avery Glymph (Father Martin/Russian Sailor/Rear Admiral Jackson), Mahira Kakkar (Nurse/Amma/Orange Juice), Kirstin Louie (Lulu Chen), Salma Qarnain (Mrs. Biolog Kumar/Zaida Kahn), Sathya Sridharan (Mamajii/Pandit-Ji), Daisuke Tsuji (Mr. Okamoto/Captain), Sonya Venugopal (Rani), Fred Davis (Puppeteer), Andrew Wilson (Royal Bengal Tiger Richard Parker), and Scarlet Wilderink (Puppeteer), with Nikki Calonge, Fred Davis, Rowan Ian Seamus Magee, Jonathan David Martin, Betsy Rosen, Celia Mei Rubin, Scarlet Wildering, Mahnaz Damania, Jon Hoche, Usman Ali Mughal, Uma Paranipe, David Shih, and Adi Dixit.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with 4 other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive?
**********************
Video: The cast of Kimberly Akimbo records the show’s Act 1 finale, “This Time”
**********************
Lauren Gunderson, Joss Stone, David Stewart, Nick Finlow & Kait Kerrigan’s The Time Traveler’s Wife will begin its run in October (dates TBA) at the Apollo Theatre, directed by Bill Buckhurst.
Casting TBA.
A joyous, uplifting celebration of the strange wonder of love, whoever and whenever you are. Their relationship is like no other. And yet, it’s like all the others. Clare is a talented sculptor and Henry is – well – a time traveller. They meet, fall in love, and marry – but not in that order. Flund apart by time but united by love, Henry is always trying to get back to Clare. Their journey is one of resilience, impossibilities, and trying to hold on to each other when everything is pulling you apart.
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for Hang Time, written & directed by Zora Howard, to run Mar. 15 – Apr. 3 at The Flea.
Akron Watson (Slim), Cecil Blutcher (Blood), and Dion Graham (Bird), with Aaron Morton.
Three men chew the fat under an old, wide tree. We peek into the interiority – the great loves and bitter blues – of Black men in America. Setting the romantic and the macabre in sharp relief, the play invites the viewer to envisage the living Black body triumphant over the legacy of violence that it holds.
**********************
Video: Do you know the answer to this final “Jeopardy” answer on Theater History?
**********************
Cabaret has been extended through Mar. 19 at Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre, directed by Michael Weber.
Josh Walker (The Emcee), Erica Stephan (Sally Bowles), Samuel B. Jackson (Clifford Bradshaw), Mary Robin Roth (Fraulein Schneider), Josiah Haugen (Ernst Ludwig), Mark David Kaplan (Herr Schultz), Neala Barron (Fraulein “Fritzie” Kost), Tim Foszcz (Herman), Frankie Leo Bennett (Emcee and Max standby), Morgan DiFonzo (Texas), Julia Fleckenstein (Helga), Haley Gustafson (Frenchie), Natalie Henry (Rosie), Shane Roberie (Max), Lance Spencer (Victor), TJ Tapp (Lulu), Shaun White (Bobby), and Evan Wilhelm (Hans), with Cam Turner and Jordan Beyeler.
**********************
Celebration Theatre celebrates Del Shores on Sat. Mar. 11 at 2 PM at LA’s LGBT Center.
**********************
Lulu Raczka’s Women, Beware the Devil, currently in previews, will open Feb. 22 and continue through Mar. 25 at the Almeida Theatre, directed by Rupert Goold.
Leo Bill, Carly-Sophia Davies, Aurora Dawson-Hunte, Ionna Kimbook, Nathan Laryea, Lydia Leonard, Alison Oliver, and Lola Shalam.
The play follows Lady Elizabeth, whose first priority is protecting her family’s legacy and their ancestral home. When that comes under threat, she elicits the help of Agnes, a young servant suspected of witchcraft.
**********************
American Ballet Theatre’s Like Water for Chocolate, choreographed by Chistopher Wheeldon, will run Mar. 29 – Apr. 2 at Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Hall, with music performed life by the Pacific Symphony.
**********************
Christin Eve Cato’s Sancocho will run Mar. 11 – Apr. 9 (opening Mar. 23) at the WP Theater, directed by Rebecca Martínez.
Zuleyma Guevara (Renata) and Shirley Rumierk (Caridad).
Tensions flare when two Puerto Rican sisters are forced to face their father’s declining health, and the things that divided them: cultural clashes, old wounds, and long a long-kept secret.
**********************
PA’s Bucks County Playhouse has announced its upcoming concert series:
Great Gall of Fire: A Jerry Lee Lewis Tribute, with Jason Cohen
Rockabilly Rumble (Mar. 11)
Elizabeth Ward Land: Still Within the Sound of My Voice: The Songs of Linda Ronstadt (Mar. 18)
New Hope Celebrates Pride Pageant 2023 (Mar. 25)
Carter Calvert – Natural Woman: A Carole King Celebration (Apr. 1)
Sweet Baby James – The #1 James Taylor Tribute (Apr. 8)
A Day in the Life: A Beatles Experience (Apr. 14-15)
**********************
Video: Amy Spanger opens up about the magic of Sondheim (scroll down)
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for Ain’t Too Proud, which will run Mar. 31 – Oct. 31 at the Prince Edward Theatre, directed by Des McAnuff.
Cameron Bernard Jones (Melvin Franklin), Kyle Cox (Paul Williams), Sifiso Mazibuko (Otis Williams), Tosh Wanogho-Maud (David Ruffin), and Mitchell Zhangazha (Eddie Kendricks), with Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Natalia Brown, Ryan Carter, Hannah Fairclough, Christopher Gopaul, Daniel Haswell, Naomi Katiyo, Akmed Junior, Khemalai, Holly Liburd, Darnell Mathew-James, Simeon Montague, Posi Morakinyo, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Michael James Stewart, Toyan Thomas-Browne, Dylan Turner, and Kevin Yates.
**********************
An Evening with Ada Vox will take place Thurs. Feb. 23 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
**********************
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends will run Sept. 16 for 16 weeks at the Gielgud Theatre, with music direction by Stephen Booker. for 16 weeks…
Bernadette Peters, Christine Allado, Janie Dee, Bonnie Langford, Jeremy Secomb, Lea Salonga, Beatrice Penny-Touré, Joanna Riding, Jac Yarrow, and more TBA.
**********************
The Group Rep‘s Harold and Maude continues through Mar. 19 at North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre, directed by Larry Eisenberg.
(on various dates) Landon Beatty, Clara Rodriguez, John Ledley, Janet Wood, Fox Carney, Lareen Faye, JC Gafford, Kat Kemmet, Jessica Kent, John Ledley, Lloyd Pederson, Susan Priver, Steve Shaw, Janet Wood, Gina Yates, and Douglas Gabrielle
**********************
A free staged reading o Lyle Kessler’s If You Love Me will take take place Feb. 17 & 18 (both at 9:30 PM) at Off-Broadway’s Actors Studio, directed by Bobby Moresco.
required here.
Chazz Palminteri, Gabe Furman, Kathleen Simmonds, and Connor Chase Stewart.
A dark comedy that pushes the boundaries of human behavior. Passion, violence and love in the wild dark roller coaster of emotions.
**********************
New York Theatre Ballet will present Sleeping Beauty for 6 performances Mar. 11-12 at NYC’s Florence Gould Hall, choreographed by Justin Peck.
**********************
GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: The Man Who
- The Man Who Came to Dinner, play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman
- The Man Who Changed His Name, play by Edgar Wallace
- The Man Who Had All the Luck, play by Arthur Miller
- The Man Who Had Three Arms, play by Edward Albee
- The Man Who Dared, play by Howard Hall
- The Man Who Never Died, play by Charles Webster
- The Man Who Owns Broadway, musical by George M. Cohan
- The Man Who Was, play Rudyard Kipling
- The Man Who Stole the Castle, play by Tom Gallon and Leon Lion
- The Man Who Reclaimed His Head, play by Jean Bart
