Today’s Highlights
Gingold Theatrical Group‘s The Importance of Being Ernest script-in-hand performance, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, featuring Reynaldo Piniella (John Worthing), Keshav Moodliar (Algernon Moncrieff), David Shih (Rev. Canon Chausible DD), Daniel Marcus (Merriman /Lane), Veanne Cox (Lady Gracknell), Adrianna Hicks (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax), Kimberly Immanuel (Cecily Cardew), and Dana Scurlock (Miss Prism), at 7 PM at NYC’s Players (16 Gramercy Park South).
Red Bull Theatre‘s 2025 Short New Play Festival 2025: DEFIANCE, by Michael Carozza, Isis Elizabeth, Dana Leslie Goldstein, August Guszkowski, Amy Jo Jackson, and AJ Layague, Directed by Zoë Adams & Evan Yionoulis, at 7:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s Symphony Space.
Pasek & Paul: Waving Through Westport fundraising concert, with special guests at Lindsay Mendez, Alex Newell, and Joy Woods, at 8 PM, at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz
Who Goes There? By Jim Bernhard
Fill in the missing names in these Shakespearean quotes:
| 1. “Lay on, _____.” | A. Ophelia |
| 2. “It is the east, and ____ is the sun.” | B. Jack |
| 3. “Soft you now, the fair ____.” | C. Kate |
| 4. “But ____ says he was ambitious…” | D. Harry |
| 5. “Come on and kiss me, ____.” | E. Cordelia |
| 6. “Cry, ‘God for ____, England, and Saint George.’” | F. Titania |
| 7. “Now she’s gone forever–____, ____, stay a little.” | G. Macduff |
| 8. “Banish plump ____ and banish all the world.” | H. Clarence |
| 9. “Ill met by moonlight, proud ____.” | I. Juliet |
| 10. “Simple, plain ____, I do love thee so.” | J. Brutus |
Scroll down for the answers...
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A Chorus Line Official 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place Sun, July 23 at 7:30 PM at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, directed & choreographed byBaayork Lee, and in support of the Entertainment Community Fund‘s dance programs.
Original 1975 Broadway cast members Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez and Donna McKechnie, with special performances by Charlotte d’Amboise, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Robyn Hurder, Francis Jue, Krysta Rodriguez, Jessica Vosk, Anthony Wayne, Tony Yazbeck, ) and Leigh Zimmerman, with more TBA.
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TheaterWorks Hartford has announced its 2025-26 seasaon:
Circus Fire (Apr. 16 – May 17, 2026), by Jacques Lamarre, Jared Mezzocchi & Rob Ruggiero, directed by Kared mezzocchi. Casting TBA. 
It’s July 1944. With th nation at war and a heat wave settling over the city, the residents of Hartfor, Connecticut are eagerly awaiting the arrival of “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Tjhe unthinkable occurs when a fire turns the big top into an inferno. In the minutes, hours, and days following the blaze, two communities – Hartford and the Circus – find themselves irretrievably intertwined by tragedy, blame, heroism, and healing. This multimedia, immersive World Premiere honors the power of community in our 40th Season.
Sweeney Todd (June 5 – July 5), directed by TBA.
The Cannibals of McGower County (July 30 – Aug. 30), by Drew Lairmore, directed by TBA, and casting TBA. McGower County is where we meet Lindalyn and Viola – two old friends and veteran salvagers – ransacking an abandoned barbecue restaurant in the heart of West Texas. Their routine is quickly interrupted by a fatal encounter when an estranged family member appears, and working-class rage, deeply-held secrets, and a deep reckoning of the past collide. TWH audiences will be the very first to experience this darkly funny story, the first in Larimore’s Southern Gothic trilogy.
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Loft Ensemble will present he world premiere of Emma J. Latimer’s Impact of Dildos on a Funeral July 11 – Aug. 3 at North Hollywood’s Sawer’s Playhouse, directed by Natasha Renae Potts & Madylin Sweeten Durrie.
Xanxan Beneche, Isabella Costa, Matt Lorenzo, Sean Alan Mazur, Ignacio Navarro, Mitch Rosander, Rosie Ryden, and Esteban Vasquez.
Close friends find themselves locked inside a funeral home with no cell signal after the staff goes missing. As they try to honor the deceased’s mostly humorous wishes, secrets surface, grudges are rehashed, and hard decisions must be made. This dark comedy of errors will challenge audiences to examine how we handle the past to create a better future.
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A Chorus Line 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place Sun. July 27 at 7:30 Pm at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, directed & choreographed by by Baayork Lee.
Kelly Bishop, Wayne Cilento, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez and Donna McKechnie, with Charlotte d’Amboise, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Robyn Hurder, Francis Jue, Krysta Rodriguez, Jessica Vosk, Anthony Wayne, Tony Yazbeck, Leigh Zimmerman, and more TBA.
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CT’s Westport Country Playhouse has announced its 2025-26 Theater Season. Casting and creative teams TBA.
The Importance of Being Earnest (Oct. 28 – Nov. 15).
Primary Trust (Apr. 14 – May 2, 2026), by Eboni Booth. Meet Kenneth, a creature of habit whose world is upended when his lifelong job ends – and he’s nudged into the unknown by his best friend Bert and a few unexpected encounters over mai tais at the local tiki bar. This luminous new American play depicts a deeply human journey, as Kenneth takes small steps into a bigger world – one where every connection holds the power to transform a life.
Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (July 14 – Aug. 1) adapted by Mark Shanahan), directed by A murder. A mansion. A mysterious cast of suspects. And only one man can uncover the truth: Hercule Poirot!
Tuesdays with Morrie (Dec. 4-6), by Jeffrey Hatcher & Mitch Albom, director TBA. Sixteen years after graduating college, journalist Mitch Albom reconnects with his former professor Morrie, now facing the final chapter of his life. What begins as a casual visit becomes a life-changing weekly ritual – a “last class” in the meaning of life, love, and legacy.
A Sherlock Carol (Dec 13-21), written & directed by Mark Shanahan. The piece is based on a Sherlock Holmes tale by Sir Arthur Conan and “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The two literary legends collide when a grown-up Tiny Tim calls on Sherlock Holmes to investigate the mysterious death of Ebenezer Scrooge. This wildly inventive holiday mashup of Dickens and Doyle blends mystery, heart, and humor in a witty and wondrous theatrical treat.
Big Band Broadway (Jan. 20 – Feb. 1, 2026), featuring Debbie Gravitte. Broadway’s greatest hits meet the bold brass and swinging rhythm of the Big Band era. From classic show tunes to modern favorites, “Big Band Broadway” is a dazzling revue of songs delivered with sassy style and powerhouse vocals.
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The Marriage Zone, written & directed by Jeff Gould, will run July 12 – Aug. 30 at the Sky Pilot Theatre.
Sean Babcock, Anthony Back man, Dylan Bowers, Kelly DeSarla, Jacee July, Cassidy LeClair, Ian Nemser, Turi Roche, Ben Scattone, Morry Shorr, Shelly Snellman, Corbin Timbrook, and Laura Walker.
What if you had a second chance? What if you were a struggling 40-something couple who got a glimpse into the future and could see how it all turned out? What if you had a chance to do it all differently to try to make it work? Beth and Cal get that chance one afternoon while selling their house — as their past, present, and future all collide. The results are both hysterical and poignant.
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Off-Broadway’s York Theatre will present Songs of Cope: We Gotta Keep Movin’ on Mon. June 30 at 6 PM at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts -Bruno Walter Auditorium, directed by TBA. 
Admission is free, but reservations are required here. The event will honor the trailblazing Micki Grant.
TBA.
Conceived in 1971 on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope confronted the pressing issues of its time through a powerful blend of song and dance. Today, as America continues to grapple with many of the same challenges, Micki Grant’s groundbreaking work resonates more deeply than ever.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz Answers Who Goes There?
1-G. “Lay on, Macduff.”
2-I. “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
3-A. “Soft you now, the fair Ophelia.”
4-J. “But Brutus says he was ambitious…”
5-C. “Come on and kiss me, Kate.”
6-D. “Cry, ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George.’”
7-E. “Now she’s gone forever–Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little.”
8-B. “Banish plump Jack and banish all the world.”
9-F. “Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.”
10-H. “Simple, plain Clarence, I do love thee so.”