GRACE NOTES: Monday, February 9, 2026


Today’s Highlights
:

 

   Crooked Cross, by Sally Carson, directed by Jonathan Bank, featuring Samuel Adams, Liam Craig, Katie Firth, Jack Mastrianni, Gavin Michaels, Ben Millspaugh, Douglas Rees, Ella Stevens, and Jakob Winter, begins a free streaming option here.

 

   Sherlock and Watson industry reading reading, by Ed. Weinberger, directed by Christopher Scott, featuring Robert Stanton (Sherlock Holmes), Kevin Chamberlin (Dr. Watson), Arnie Burton (Archbishop of Canterbury), Geneva Carr (Mrs. Hudson), and more, at 4:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s Open Jar Studios (1601 Broadway, at 48th St.). : R.K. Greene at StoryLineProject@yahoo.com

 

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   Home Furnishings by Jim Bernhard

 

Fill in the blanks with the correct pieces of furniture.

 

   1. The ­­­­____, play by Eugene Ionesco   A. Bed
  2. Separate ­­­­____, play by Terence Rattigan   B. Cradle
  3. Chris and the Wonderful ____, musical by John Philip Sousa and Glen MacDonough   C. Wardrobe
  4. In ____ We Cry, play by Ilka Chase   D. Lamp
  5. The ____ Set, play by William Marchant   E. Piano
  6. Ring Round the ___, play by Jane Trahey   F. Chairs
  7. The ____ Lesson, play by August Wilson   G. Mirror
  8. The ____ Will Rock, musical by Marc   H. Desk
  9. The Dark ____, play by Irving Stone   I. Tables
  10. The Lion, the Witch, and the ____, play by Joseph Robinette   J. Bathtub

 

Scroll down for the answers…

 

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   Corneille’s The Illusion will take place in person & simulcast, on Mon. Feb. 16 at the Florence Gould Theater (55 E. 59th Street), directed by Mirabelle Ordinaire.  The event will also be available to stream on-demand Feb. 17-22.

 

  Keith Hamilton Cobb, Sharlene Cruz, Russell Daniels, Christian DeMarais, Allen Gilmore, Michael Rishawn, Jay O. Sanders, Nik Walker, and Mia Wurgaft.

 

  How can an illusion feel so real? An aging lawyer, longing for his estranged son, engages a wizard who conjures scenes of romance, adventure, and peril from the younger man’s life, in this meta-theatrical tale of love and regret.

 

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  The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow, will run Feb. 11 – Mar. 1 (opening Feb. 14) at CA’s Rubicon Theatre, directed by Jenny Sullivan.

 

  Joseph Fuqua (Richard Hannay), Larry Cedar (Clown #1), hristie Christie  (Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret), and Jack Herholdt (Clown #2).

 

  A missing spy. A mysterious woman. A man on the run. When an ordinary man stops to help a stranger, he’s catapulted into a high-speed chase across the Scottish countryside — with only his wits (and a trench coat) to survive. This fast-paced farce features over 150 characters played by just four actors in a whirlwind of costume changes, clever staging, and nonstop laughs. A comic thriller at its best, The 39 Steps is a wildly inventive tale of mistaken identity, espionage, and split-second decisions that change everything.

 

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  A Bronx Tale: One Man Show will take place Sat. Feb. 28 at 8 PM at Staten Island’s St. George Theatre.

 

 Chazz Palminteri

 

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  Wait Until Dark continues through Feb. 15 at Virginia Stage Company, directed by Mark Shanahan.

 

  Meredith Parker (Susan), Steve Pacek (Mike), Seth Andrew Bridges (Roat), Triney Sandoval (Carlino), Mike Gerbi (Sam), and Wyllow Smith (Gloria).

 

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  York Theatre will present the world premiere of Peter Kellogg & Stephen Weiner’s Monte Cristo, to run Mar. 12 – Apr. 5 at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans, directed by Peter Flynn.

   

  Sierra Boggess (Mercedes), Adam Jacobs (Edmund), Norm Lewis (Villefort), Karen Ziemba (Carconte/Lurezia Brogia), Danny Rutigliano (Caderrousse/Abbe), James Judy (Danglars), Stephanie Jae Park (Haydee), Eliseo Roman (Morrell), Daniel Yearwood (Fernand), Kate Fitzgerald (Eugénie), and Jadon Lopez (Albert), with Travis Keith Battle and Madison Claire Parks.

 

  The epic story of a man wrongfully imprisoned who returns richer, wiser, and bent on vengeance. But as his carefully orchestrated plan unfolds, he must face the ultimate question: is justice enough without love?

 

  Video:  In rehearsal with Norm Lewis.

 

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  (both live & simulcast):  Red Bull Theatre will present a reading of Corneille’s The Illusion on Mon. Feb. 16 at 7:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s Florence Gould Theater, directed by Mirabelle Ordinaire.  The streaming option will be available through Feb. 22.

 

Keith Hamilton Cobb, Sharlene Cruz, Russell Daniels, Christian DeMarais, Allen Gilmore, Michael Rishawn, Jay O. Sanders, Nik Walker, and Mia Wurgaft.

 

  How can an illusion feel so real? An aging lawyer, longing for his estranged son, engages a wizard who conjures scenes of romance, adventure, and peril from the younger man’s life, in this meta-theatrical tale of love and regret, passion and magic. Corneille’s original, entitled L’Illusion Comique and first performed at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1636, shows his literary mastery and innovative theatricality, blending comedy and tragedy, and exploring timeless themes of love, family, and the very nature of reality, in this wildly entertaining tale.

 

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The 92NY Lyrics & Lyricists’ Stardust: From Tin PanAlley to Broadway will run  Feb. 28, Mar. 1 & 2, directed by Kathleen Marshall.

 

  Krystal Joy Brown, T. Oliver Reid, Ana Villafañe, and more TBA.

 

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  Meghan Kennedy’s The Counter will run Feb. 12 –  Mar. 15 at TheatreWorks Hartford, directed by Rob Ruggiero.

 

  Justis Bolding (Katie), Tim DeKay (Paul), and Erika Rolfsrud (Peg).

 

  Every morning at a small upstate New York diner, a single cup of coffee becomes a ritual that connects a lonely waitress and her sleep-deprived regular. What begins as casual conversation slowly deepens into an unexpected friendship. When he asks her for a shocking favor, long-buried secrets come to the surface, changing them both in unexpected ways.

 

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  Video: Avi Avital performs Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

 

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   Kenny Finkle’s Touch will run Mar. 12-30 at the East Village Basement (321 E. 9th St.), directed by Jonathan Silverstein. Link TBA.

 Anthony Rapp.

 

  A middle-aged gay man, failed writer, and burned-out fifth-grade teacher whose carefully managed life is thrown into chaos when an unexpected encounter with a former student sends him spiraling into anxiety, regret, desire, and reckoning. At turns intense, sharply funny, and deeply moving, the play invites audiences into a raw examination of memory, responsibility, and the unintended  consequences of human connection.

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 Answers:   Home Furnishings by Jim Bernhard

 

1-F. The Chairs, play by Ionesco

 

2-I. Separate Tables, play by Terence Rattigan

 

3-D. Chris and the Wonderful Lamp, musical by John Philip Sousa and Glen MacDonough

 

4-A. In Bed We Cry, play by Ilka Chase

 

5-H. The Desk Set, play by William Marchant

 

6-J. Ring Round the Bathtub, play by Jane Trahey

 

7-E. The Piano Lesson, play by August Wilson

 

8-B. The Cradle Will Rock, musical by Marc Blitzstein

 

9-G. The Dark Mirror, play by Irving Stone

 

10-C. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, play by Joseph Robinette

 

 

 

 


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