Today’s Highlights:
Legally Blonde The Musical, directed by Maggie Burrows, featuring Kyla Stone (Elle Woods), Fergie L. Phillipe (Emmett Forest), Patti Murin (Paulette), Sean Allan Krill (Professor Callahan), Hayley Podschun (Brooke Wyndham), Kelsey Ann Brown (Margot), Gabi Campo (Serena), Kerry George (Enid), Khailah Johnson (Pilar), Dan Tracy (Warner Huntington III), and Olivia Kaufman (Vivienne Kensington (Mackenzie Bell), with Mackenzie Bell, Gregory Lee Rodriguez, Dave Schoonover, Andrés Acosta, Angela Birchett, Veronica Sofia Burt, Shea Coffman, Taylor Marie Daniel, Abigail Isom, Sydney Jones, Emily Madigan, UJ Mangune, Alora Tonielle Martinez, Adelina Mitchell, Natalia Nieves-Melchor, Ben Nordstrom, Liam Pearce, Gabriel Reyes, Matt Rivera, Cristina Sastre, Rochelle Scudder, Christopher De’Shawn Tipps, Julien Valme, Ricke (Bruiser), and Myrtle (Rufus), opens at the St. Louis Muny.
The Sound of Music in Concert, directed by Marc Bruni, featuring Christy Altomare (Maria), Brandon Victor Dixon (Captain von Trapp, Ashley Blanchet (Elsa), Ana Maria Martinez (Mother Abbess), Brad Oscar (Max), with Sydney Brochers, Megan Brilleslyper, Katherine Burns, Amelia Burshe, Eleanor Carroll, Valérie Filloux, Kayleigh Flynn, Chance Friedman, Claire Griffin, Peyton Herzog, Julia Holoman, Grace Lerew, Emma McAlister, Nina Mutalifu, James Nottingham, Sierra Quint, Jessica Reese, Anna Riley, Legan Saad, Nijel Smith, Harry Spitteler, and Gabrielle Turgeon, opens at the Aspen Music Festival.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Who’s You? by Jim Bernhard
Who is the “you” referred to in these songs from musicals?
1. “Before I Gaze at You Again” from Camelot…Guinevere…Arthur…Merlin…Lancelot
2. “Everyone Likes You” from Carnival…Paul Berthalet’s fellow performer Marco the Magnificent…Paul’s puppets…Lili…B. F. Schlegel, the ringmaster
3. “Could I Leave You?” from Follies…Sally Durant Plummer…Buddy Plummer…Benjamin Stone…Phyllis Rogers Stone
4. “Alas for You” from Godspell….Judas…Jesus…the Pharisees…Satan
5. “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof…Golde…the Fiddler…Yente…Tevye
6. “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?” from The King and I…Anna…The King…Tuptim…Lady Thiang
7. “You Are Sixteen” from The Sound of Music…Rolf…Liesl…Maria…Elsa
8. “I Don’t Need Anything But You” from Annie…Sandy…Grace Farrell…Daddy Warbucks…Annie
9. “If You Don’t Mind My Saying So” from The Music Man…Harold Hill…Marian Paroo…Winthrop Paroo… Mayor Shinn
10. “You Don’t Want to Play With Me Blues” from The Boy Friend…Polly Browne…Lord Brockhurst…Percival Browne…Madame Dubonnet
Scroll down for the answers…
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Westport Country Playhouse has announced its 2022 Gala, which will take place Sat. Sept. 17 at 8 PM ET, hosted by Robin de Jesús.
Renée Elise Goldsberry
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Sahemm Ali, Michael Thurber & Jocelyn Bioh’s Goddess, to run Aug. 13 – Sept. 25 (opening Aug. 24) at Berkeley Rep, directed by Ali, with choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, and music direction by Marco Paul.
Abena (Rashida), Melessie Clark (Mosi-Grio Trio), Rodrick Covington (Ahmed), Zachary Downer (Sameer), Amber Iman (Nadira), Grasan Kingsberry (Jaali), Kindsley Leggs (Hassan), Kecia Lewis (Siti), Isio-Maya Nuwere (Safiyah), Aaron Patterson (Yusef), Destinee Rea (Che Che), Phillip Johnson Richardson (Omari), Awa Sal Secka (Sawadi), Lawrence Stallings (Madongo), Teshomech (Tisa), Quiantae Thomas (Amina), Wade Watson (Musa), and Reggie D. White (Balozi).
A mysterious singer arrives at Moto Moto, a steamy Afro-Jazz club in Mombasa, Kenya. She casts an entrancing spell on everyone, including a young man who has returned home from studying in America. Will the big plans for his life – stepping into a political legacy and marrying his fiancée – be upended?
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MasterVoices, led by Ted Sperling, will present a concert staging of Bizet’s Carmen, with an English translation by Sheldon Harnick, on Oct. 24 at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, directed by Sammi Cannold, with choreography by Gustavo Zajac.
Ginger Costa-Jackson (Carmen), Mikaela Bennett (Micaëla), John Brancy (Escamillo), and more TBA.
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The world premiere of Jeremy Desmon & Jeff Thomson’s The Last Supper will run July 27 – Aug. 7 at NJ’s South Orange PAC, directed by Sheryl Kaller, with choreography Lorin Latarro.
Charlotte d’Amboise (Naomi Day), Mark Evans (Dinner Guests), Alex Newell (Jude), Pomme Koch (Mark), Megan Kane Paulie), Allan K. Washington (Luke), and Wes Zurick (Pete), with Josh Canfield, Jennifer Frankel, Cayla Christine Primous, and Alan Wiggins.
Five liberal grad students share a house in a conservative college town who, in their efforts to save the world, host a collection of their neighbors for a friendly evening of dinner and discourse. Things do not go well.
Video: Alex Newell and company perform “Raise a Glass.”
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Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company has revealed its upcoming 2022-23 season of world premieres.
I’m Revolting (Sept. 8 – Oct. 16), by Gracie Gardner, directed by Knud Adams. At a skin cancer clinic in NYC, patients wait to find out how much of themselves they’re about to lose.
The Chinese Lady (Nov. 17 – Jan. 1, 2023), by Lloyd Suh, directed by Eric Ting. The play follows a family’s journey from rural Taishan to California in the wake of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Cornelia Street (Jan. 14 – Feb. 19), by Simon Stephens & Mark Eitzel, directed by Neil Pepe. A man works to save his West Village restaurant, home to the odd hosts of the neighborhood.
Elyria (Feb. 9 – Mar. 26), by Deepa Purohit, directed by Awoye Timpo. Two mothers face their pasts and the uncertainty of the inextricably linked future after making the deal of a lifetime.
A Simulacrum (May 25 – June 25), by Lucas Hnath Steve Cuiffo, directed by Hnath. The meta work shows what happened when Hnath asked Cuiffo to show him some magic tricks.
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Eden Theater Company will present the world premiere of Diane Davis’ Complicity, to run Sept. 30 – Oct. 16 at the New Ohio Theatre, directed by Illana Stein.
Tonia E. Anderson, Katie Broad, Christian Prins Coen, Ben Faigus, Christian Paxton, Nadia Sepsenwol, Zach Wegner, Cassandra Paras, and Johnny Sacko.
The story about women holding women accountable amidst the pervasive sexual harassment and abuse in Hollywood.
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Complete casting has been announced for The Color Purple, to run Aug. 3-9 at the St. Louis Muny, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with choreography by Breon Arzell, and music direction by Jermaine Hill.
Tracee Beazer (Shug Avery), Nasia Thomas (Nettie), Evan Tyrone Martin (Mister), Gilbert Domally (Harpo), Nichole Michelle Haskins (Sofia), and Anastacia McCleskey (Celie), Jade Jones (Standby for Sofia), with Jos N. Banks, Shantel Cribbs, Erica Durham, Duane Martin Foster, Damon J. Gillespie, Kennedy Holmes, Omega Jones, Sage Lee, Alicia Revé Like, Melanie Loren, Danea Osseni, Grant James Reynolds, Paris Porché Richardson, Amber Alexandrea Rose, Alexis Roston, Owen Scales, Rodney Thompson, Sean Walton, and Muny youth ensemble.
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at Crazy Coqs:
To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim (Oct. 17-22)
Christine Petti: Uncaged at Crazy Coqs (Oct. 24-25)
Melissa Errico: Out of The Dark: The Film Noir Project (Nov. 1-3)
Donna McKechnie: Take Me to the World: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim (Nov. 14, 15, 18)
and many more…
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Jonathan Hogue’s Stranger Sings! the Parody Musical will return Sept. 12 – Jan. 1, 2023 (opening Sept. 22) at Playhouse 46 at St. Lukes, directed by Nick Flatto, with choreography by Ashley Marinelli, and music direction by Michael Kaish.
Casting and link TBA.
Take a trip back to Hawkins, Indiana, 1983: when times were simpler, hair was bigger, and unsupervised children were getting snatched by inter-dimensional creatures.
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Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre will present New Faces Sing Broadway 1971 on Mon. Aug. 1 at 7:30 PM CT at the Center on Halsted, directed by Frankie Leo Bennett, with music direction by Bryan McCaffrey, and hosted by Ed Kross.
Rachel Carreras, Maddison Denault, Kristin Doty, Josiah Haugen Moreland, Hanah Rose Nardone, Maxel Schingen, Quinn Simmons, Kelcy Taylor, and Evan Wilhelm,
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The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (link TBA) will present the return of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish Nov. 13 – Jan. 1, 2023 at New World Stages, directed by Joel Grey, with musical staging & new choreography by Staá Kmieć.
Steven Skybell (Tevye) and more TBA.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Who’s You?
1. “Before I Gaze at You Again” from Camelot – Lancelot (sung by Guinevere)
2. “Everyone Likes You” from Carnival – Paul’s puppets (sung by Paul)
3. “Could I Leave You?” from Follies – Benjamin Stone (sung by Phyllis)
4. “Alas for You” from Godspell – the Pharisees (sung by Jesus)
5. “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof – Golde (sung by Tevye)
6. “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?” from The King and I – The King (sung by Anna, in her mind)
7. “You Are Sixteen” from The Sound of Music – Liesl (sung by both Rolf and Maria)
8. “I Don’t Need Anything But You” – Annie (sung by Daddy Warbucks)
9. “If You Don’t Mind My Saying So” from The Music Man –Marian Paroo (sung by Mrs. Paroo)
10. “You Don’t Want to Play With Me Blues” from The Boy Friend –Percival Browne (sung by Madame Dubonnet)