GRACE NOTES: Monday, February 2, 2026

Today’s Highlights:

Empower State of Mind benefit concert, directed by Rob Frost, featuring Kate Baldwin, Olivia Donalson, Kelsee Kimmel, Storm Lever, Daniel quadrino, Jacob Keith Watson, Jake Mckenna, Robert Frost, and Max Ash, at 7:30 PM at CityWinery NYC.

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Grace Notes Quiz, by Jim Bernhard: Open and Shut

Match each opening line with the closing line from the same play or musical:

1. Who’s there?	A. On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital importance of being earnest.
2. Why do you always wear mourning?	B. Empty. She is gone. The most wonderful thing of
3. Did you hear what I was playing, Lane?	C. Yes, let’s go.
4. Willy!…It’s all right, I came back.	D. We cannot call a mortal being happy before he’s passed beyond life free from pain.
5. Nothing to be done.	E. You must take Madame Arkadina away–what I want to say is that Constantine has shot himself.
6. One of those no-neck monsters hit me with a hot buttered biscuit so I havet’ change!	F. I fell in love with James Tyrone and was so happy for a time
7. My children, latest generation born from Cadmus, why are you sitting here with wreathed sticks in supplication to me, while the city fills with incense, chants, and cries of pain?	G.The oldest hath borne most; we that are young / Shall never see so much nor live so long.
8. I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall.	H. Go, bid the soldiers shoot.
9. Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it until this evening, when it is dressed.	I. What you need is someone to take hold of you–gently, with love, and hand your life back to you, like something gold you let go of–and I can! I’m determined to do it–and nothing’s more determined than a cat on a tin roof–is there? Is there, baby?
10. You’re a fine armful now, Mary, with those twenty pounds you’ve gained	J. We’re free and clear. We’re free…we’re free…we’re free.

Scroll down for the answers…

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Reviews for Elevator Repair Service’s Ulysses at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.

Click here for all the reviews.

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Reviews for Data at Off-Broadway’s Lucille Lortel Theatre.

Click here for all the reviews.

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CT’s Goodspeed Musicals announces a temporary pause this year in productions at The Terris Theatre.

While 2025 was a strong season with nearly sold-out performance runs at both The Goodspeed and The Terris, sharply rising production costs and shifting audience habits, expectations and preferences have made The Terris Theatre’s sole focus on the development of brand-new shows more challenging to accomplish.

According to Managing Director Vanessa Logan, “Taking this pause will allow our teams to thoughtfully reimagine how The Terris can best support the organization’s overall financial health. It will give us the time and flexibility to develop an expanded operating model for The Terris, which may include educational programs and programming for young audiences and families like SummerSong, the youth theatre program that we recently announced. Other options may include collaborations with other theatres and artists, community events, and additional initiatives alongside the productions of new musicals.

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Jack Holden & Ed Stambollouian’s Kenrex will run Apr. 15 – July 5 (opening Apr. 26) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, directed by Ed Stambollouian.

Jack Holden

Based on an astonishing true story, Holden plays 35 characters, depicting how a decade of terror—assault, theft, and intimidation—led a community to take the law into their own hands when authorities failed.

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Musical Theatre Guild‘s Applause concert presentation, will take place sun. Feb. 15 at 7 PM at Santa Monica’s Broad Stage, directed by Trance Thompson.

Barbara Carlton Heart (Margo), Ashley Moniz (Eve), Brian Kim McCormick (Bill), Taubert Nadalini (Duane), Joshua Finkel (Buzz), Leslie Stevens (Karen), Robert Yacko (Howard), and Melissa Lyons Caldretti (Bonnie), with Patrick Beller, Jennifer Bennett, Jasmine Ejan, Kevin Matsumoto, Benny Perez, George Xavier, and guest artists Roma Scarano and Chantal Tribble.

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Theatre Aspen will present its 7th annual Solo Flights festival, Sept. 8-13.

Submission guidelines:

Solo Flights is an annual weeklong developmental festival of one-person shows presented in the beginning stages of their making, offering:

A play, musical or dance show written for one actor (musicals can include an MD/Accompanist)

Ideally a one-act

The piece should be early in its development with the sole purpose of the festival to work on the script.

Thematically there are no restrictions!

Please include a PDF of your current script and any associated music files.

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The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival: The Strength We Carry will celebrate its 33rd anniversary with four days of virtuosa performances honoring distinguished women of achievement in theatre, at 6:30 PM at LA’s Barnsdall Art Park Gallery Theatre ( (4800 Hollywood Boulevard). Click here for more information.

The following 3 days of five other programs will take place North Hollywood’s Theatre 68 Arts Complex ( 5112 Lankershim Blvd.

TBA.

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Operation Mincemeat, originally scheduled to run for just 16 weeks on Broadway, has announced its run has been extended for a 7th time, adding 6 more weeks through Sept. 13 at the Golden Theatre.

David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Jak Malone, and Zoë Roberts.

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Athol Fugard’s Master Harold … and the Boys will run Apr. 8 – May 10 (opening Apr. 16) at the Geffen Playhouse, co-directed by Emily Mann & Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Ben Beatty (Hally), Nyasha Hatendi ( Willie), and and John Kani (Sam).

A 1950’s apartheid-era drama exploreing the fractured relationship between Hally, a white teenager, and Sam and Willie, two black waiters who serve as his surrogate fathers. When Hally learns his abusive, alcoholic father is returning home, his distress turns into racist rage, shattering their bond and forcing him into the harsh, segregated social structure.

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LA’s SkyPilot Theatre Company will present its 2026 One-Festival, Second Chances, to run Feb. 20-22 & Feb. 27 – Mar. 1 at Moving Arts Theatre.

Click the link above for more information.

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York Theatre will present Spring Benefit: Songs for a New World (by Jason Robert Brown)on Mon. Mar. 30 at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans, directed by Jessica McRoberts.

TBA

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Grace Notes Quiz Answers, by Jim Bernhard: Open and Shut

1-H. Who’s there? – Go, bid the soldiers shoot. (Hamlet).

2-E. Why do you always wear mourning? – You must take Madame Arkadina away—what I want to say is that Constantine has shot himself. (The Sea Gull).

3-A. Did you hear what I was playing, Lane? – On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital importance of being earnest. (The Importance of Being Earnest).

4-J. Willy!…It’s all right, I came back. – We’re free and clear. We’re free…we’re free…we’re free. (Death of a Salesman).

5-C Nothing to be done. – Yes, let’s go. (Waiting for Godot).

6-I. One of those no-neck monsters hit me with a hot buttered biscuit so I havet’ change! – What you need is someone to take hold of you–gently, with love, and hand your life back to you, like something gold you let go of–and I can! I’m determined to do it–and nothing’s more determined than a cat on a tin roof–is there? Is there, baby? (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof).

7-D. My children, latest generatiion born from Cadmus, why are you sitting here with wreathed sticks in supplication to me, while the city fills with incense, chants, and cries of pain? – We cannot call a mortal being happy before he’s passed beyond life free from pain. (Oedipus Rex).

8-G thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall. – The oldest hath borne most; we that are young / Shall never see so much nor live so long. (King Lear).

9-B. Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it until this evening, when it is dressed. – Empty. She is gone. The most wonderful thing of all. (A Doll’s House).

10-F. You’re a fine armful now, Mary, with those twenty pounds you’ve gained. – I fell in love with James Tyrone and was so happy for a time. (Long Day’s Journey Into Night).