Today’s Highlights:
Short New Play Festival 2021 Benefit: Restoration, offering eight world premiere plays in one night, written by Constance Congdon, Rosslyn Cornejo, CA Johnson, George LaVigne, David Lefkowitz, Abigail C. Onunali, Charlotte Rahn-Lee, and Jose Rivéra, directed by Margo Bordelon and Timothy Douglas, featuring Zach Appleman, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Sheria Irving, Marjorie Johnson, Sara Koviak, Anthony Michael Lopez, Junior Nyong’o, Abigail Onwunali, Luis Quintero, and Reggie D. White, begins FREE streaming 7:30 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater (then available on demand through July 16).
Jesus Christ Superstar in concert, directed by Mark Stuart, featuring Michael K. Lee (Jesus), Telly Leung (Peter), Ramin Karimloo (Judas), Celinde Schoenmaker (Mary Magdalene), Robert Marien (Pontius Pilate), Masaaki Fujioka (King Herod), Hironobu Miyahara (Caiaphas), and Hayato Kakizawa (Simon Zealotes), and Aaron Walpole (Annas), begins previews at the Tokyo Theatre Orb.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, directed by Laurence Connor, featuring Alexandra Burke (Narrator), Lindsay Hateley (Narrator at select performances as of July 17) Jason Donovan (Pharaoh), Jac Yarrow (Joseph), Steffan Lloyd Evans (Reuben), and Bobby Windebank (Simeon), with Singh, Femi Alkinfolarin, Jabari Braham, Gemma Buckingham, Thalia Burt, Jasmin Colangelo, Jonathan Cordin, Francessca Daniella-Baker, Alexander Day, Andre Fabien Francis, Llandyll Gove, Abigayle Honeywill, Blythe Jandoo, Danny Nattrass, Perry O’Dea, Georgina Parkinson, Emily-Ann Potter, Jon Reynolds, Rochelle Sherona, Katie Singh, and many, many young performers, begins previews at the London Palladium.
“Jamie deRoy & Friends,” featuring Tony Award winners Karen Ziemba, Adriane Lenox, Len Cariou, Daisy Eagan, Stephani J. Block, Chuck Cooper, and Lena Hall, broadcast at 8 PM ET on Spectrum HD Channel 1993, as well as FIOS Channel 37 and multiple times on East Hampton’s LTV.
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The Write Stuff, by Jim Bernhard
Match these characters–all of whom are writers–with the plays and musicals in which they appear.
| 1. Brian O’Bannion | A. Applause |
| 2. Boris Trigorin | B. Present Laughter |
| 3. Maggie Jones | C. Cabaret |
| 4. Peter Austin | D. Auntie Mame |
| 5. Buzz Richards | E. You Can’t Take It With You |
| 6. Clifford Bradshaw | F. Bells Are Ringing |
| 7. David Jordan | G. The Sea Gull |
| 8. Jeff Moss | H. It’s Only A Play |
| 9. Roland Maule | I. 42nd Street |
| 10. Penelope Sycamore | J. No Strings |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with guest host Christine Pedi, with the women of Forbidden Broadway – Donna English, Lori Hammel, Jenny Lee Stern, Karen Murphy, Susanne Blakeslee, Gina Kreizmar, and Dee Hoty. (1:15:14)
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Roundabout Theatre presents Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind, to run Oct. 29 – Jan. 9, 2022 ( opening Nov. 18) at the American Airlines Theatre, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright.
LaChanze
The play (which originally opened Off-Broadway in 1955) follows an experienced Black stage actress through rehearsals of a major Broadway production, and examines racism, identity, and ego in the world of New York theatre.
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Theatre World Awards (2020) winners: Due to the pandemic, the awards, which annually honor debut performances, instead celebrated Broadway’s best.
* John Willis Awards for Lifetime in the Theatre: Patti LuPone and Andre De Shields.
* Dorothy Loudon Special Award for Excellence in the Theatre: Audra mcDonald.
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Lee Hall’s Get Up, Stand Up! The bob Marley Musical will run Oct. 1 – Apr. 3, 2022 at the Lyric Theatre, directed by Clint Dyer.
Arinzé Kene (Bob Marley), Gabrielle Brooks (Rita Marley), Shanay Holmes (Cindy Breatspeare), Sophia Mackay (Judy Mowatt), Melissa Brown-Taylor (Marcia Griffiths), Jacade Simpson (Bunny Wailer), and Natey Jones (Peter Tosh), with Daniel Bailey, Craig Blake, Charles Blyth, Maxwell Cole Athena Collins, Michael Duke, Kimmy Edwards, Raphel Estavia, Henry Faber, Cannon Hay, Savanna Jeffrey, Rohan Pinnock-Hamilton, Cleopatra Rey, Julene Robinson, Nate Simpson, Archie Smith, Declan Spaine, Jaime Tait, and Teddy Wills.
An explosive new production celebrating the immense life and timely message of Jamaican soul rebel Bob Marley – from a life of poverty to visionary international superstar.
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New York Stage and Film will present Billy Porter & Kurt Carr’s musical, Sanctuary, July 29 – Aug. 2.
Deborah Cox, Bryan Terrell Clark, Ledisi, Virginia Woodruff, and the Broadway Inspirational Voices.
What is God? God is love! Plain and simple.
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The cast album of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella has been released and is available on most platforms, including iTunes.
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The Prince of Egypt has suspended performances through July 20 at the Dominion Theatre, after a member of the company tested positive for COVID-19.
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The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will stream its annual gala on Sat. Aug. 14 at 8 PM PT (and remain available online through Aug. 31), with a limited live audience at the Toluca Lake home of Greg Weaber & Haig Youredjian, hosted by Carson Kressley.
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The Marilu Henner Show will run July 29 – Aug. 15 at PA’s Buck’s County Playhouse.
An evening of song, dance, and stories.
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Listen to “Broadway Jukebox: The Greatest Musicals” audio series:
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Broadway Overtures
I Want Songs
Act 1 Finales
Act 2 Openers
11 O’Clock Numbers
Finales
Kick Off Spring Numbers
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Ian Shaw & Joseph Nixon’s The Shark is Broken will run Oct. 9 – Jan. 15, 2022 at the Ambassadors Theatre.
Casting TBA.
Cape Cod, 1974: shooting on “Jaws” has stalled. the film’s lead actors – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck on a boat, at the mercy of foul weather and faulty mechanical co-star. Awash with alcohol and ambition, three hammered sharks start to bare their teeth. This is the hilarious behind-the-scenes drama of one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
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Brian Stokes Mitchell will host a new streaming talk show, “Crossovers live,! which will premiere July 26 on Stellar, featuring Broadway stars who have made the jump from stage to film, television of music.
Initial schedule:
July 26: Vanessa Williams
Aug. 20: Marc Shaiman
Sept. 27: Bernadette Peters
Oct. 25: Kristin Chenoweth
Nov. 22: David Hyde Pierce
Dec. 20: Holiday Finale with guests TBA.
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Steven Knight’s “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart (Lady Diana) and Jack Farthing (Prince Charles), will premiere at the Venice Film Festival (Sept. 1-11), directed by Pablo Larrain.
The film centers on a weekend in the early 1990s when Diana decided to separate from Prince Charles amid rumors of affairs.
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Broadway Company Manager Steve Lukens has been appointed Senior Advisor for Arts and Entertainment Recovery by Governor Cuomo.
Lukens will act as a liaison between the state and not only the Broadway community, but with arts organizations state-wide as the industry rebuilds after the pandemic. Lukens is a member of the Association of Press Agents and Managers and Actors’ Equity Assoc. In addition to this theatrical management career, he has served as a foreign service officer in the U.S. State Department with posting in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
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NYC’s Park Avenue Armory has canceled all remaining performances of Robert Icke’s Enemy of the People, to enable performer Ann Dowd to “address a pressing family matter.”
The production was scheduled to continue through Aug. 8, and all tickets will be fully refunded.
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RIP: Wig designer Paul Huntley died July 9, having just turned 88, at an entertainment industry care home in London.
Huntley designed wigs and styled hair for more than 200 Broadway productions over the course of his career, beginning with Mike Nichols’ 1973 revival of Uncle Vanya, and ending with 2020’s Diana. He had announced his official retirement in Feb. 2021.
Huntley was also known to make wigs for people underdoing cancer treatments, often for free. One such person, as a thank-you for his services, dedicated a bench on 82nd Street & Riverside Drive in his honor.
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Ben Ashenden & Alex Owen’s The Comeback has returned to the Noël Coward Theatre, directed by Emily Burns.
Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen, with a surprise celebrity guest at each performance.
The story of two double acts fighting for control of the most chaotic, farcical, and high-stakes gig of their respective careers.
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Video: Jason Graae performs “Sybil, Why Did You Have to Split”
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DC’s Signature Theatre will stream Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit ’67 Aug. 3 – Sept. 16, directed by Candis C. Jones.
Stori Ayers, JaBen Early, Valeka Jessica, Emily Kester, and Greg Alverez Reid.
Motown has nit its groove and the Poindexter siblings, Chelle and Lank, make ends meet by hosting parties in their basement. However, Land and his friend Sly have dreams beyond the cellar shindigs, despite Chelle’s resistance. When Lank then brings home a mysterious white woman, the family’s simmering disagreements explode – as their street erupts in riots – and live becomes a lot more dangerous.
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Answers: The Write Stuff
1-D. Brian O’Bannion – Auntie Mame
2-G. Boris Trigorin – The Sea Gull
3-I. Maggie Jones – 42nd Street
4-H. Peter Austin – It’s Only A Play
5-A. Buzz Richards – Applause
6-C. Clifford Bradshaw – Cabaret
7-J. David Jordan – No Strings
8-F. Jeff Moss – Bells Are Ringing
9-B. Roland Maule – Present Laughter
10-E. Penelope Sycamore – You Can’t Take It With You