GRACE NOTES: Monday, March 3, 2025

 

Today’s Highlights

  2025 Building the Change Gala, honoring Phylicia Rashad, Luis A. Miranda, Jr. John Gore Organization, and Girl Be Heard, directed by Oliver Reid, featuring Anika Noni Rose, and the original Broadway cast from Motown the Musical (Valisia LeKae, Charl Brown, Bryan Terrell Clark, Ryan Shaw, and Morgan James), at 6 PM at NYC’s Rainbow Room.

  Jamie deRoy & Friends’ The Kleinbort Collection: The Songs of Barry Kleinbort concert, featuring Loni Ackerman, Lewis Cleale, Lorna Dallas, Gregg Edelman, Penny Fuller, Eric Michael Gillett, Judy Kaye, Nicolas King, Karen Mason, Gretchen Reinhagen, Caroline Roelands, and Haley Swinda, at 8 PM at NYC’s Birdland. https://www.birdlandjazz.com/tm-event/the-kleinbort-collection-the-songs-of-barry-kleinbort/

  Louder Than Words: The Songs and Legacy of Jonathan Larson concert, featuring Olivia AbiAssi, Adam Kantor, L Morgan Lee, DeMone Seraphin, and Keaton Whittaker, closes at NYC’s 92Y.

  Still, by Lia Romeo , directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, featuring Melissa Gilbert and Mark Moses, closes at Off-Broadway’s Sheen Center.

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  Grace Notes Quiz:  Who’s Juliet? by Jim Bernhard

Match these notable Romeos with their Juliets:

1. Orlando Bloom (2013) A. Eva Le Gallienne
2. John Neville (1956) B. Norma Shearer
3. Douglas Watson (1951) C. Peggy Ashcroft
4. Laurence Olivier (1940) D. Katharine Cornell
5. Maurice Evans (1935) E. Vivien Leigh
6. Basil Rathbone (1934) F. Claire Bloom
7. John Gielgud (1935) G. Conodola Rashad
8. Leonardo Di Caprio (1996 film) H. Olivia de Havilland
9. Leslie Howard (1936 film) I. Katharine Cornell
10. Donald Cameron (1930) J. Clare Danes

Scroll down for the answers…

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  Oscar Winners 2025Click here for the complete list.

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  The world premiere of Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, will run May 21 – June 29 (opening June 2) at New World Stages, directed by Jesse Berger.

  Mark Linn-Baker, Sarah Stiles, Arnie Burton, Russell Daniels, Manoel Felciano, Emilie Kouatchou, Emily Swallow, and John Yi.

  Monsieur Argan is a notorious hypochondriac whose nonexistent illnesses blind him to the con men and women (his new wife) who prey on his fears to fatten their purses. His plan: marry his daughter to a doctor so he’ll have free round-the-clock on-site healthcare for the rest of his life.

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  Bob Martin & Adam Guettel’s millions will run May 19 – June 15 at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher.

 Steven Pasquale (Ron), Ruthie Ann Miles, Shuler Hensley (The Thief), Keenan Barrett (Damian), Yair Keydar, (Anthony), Leigh Ellen Jones (Maureen), Ruthie Ann Miles (Dorothy), Jackson Arthur (Andrew), Johan Harmon (Mr. Roth), Cameraon McCrae (Philip), Adrienne Ocfemia (Madison), Brad Raymond (St. Peter), Robert Stanton (Mr. Miller/S.t Francis), Carla R. Stewart (St. Clare/Guidance  couselor), and Billy Harrigan (earl), with Morgan Crumbly; Claire Davy; Kate Fahrner; Ann Sanders; Wyatt Wilkerson; and Gabriel Zenone.  Production Swings include Hunter Brown and Noelle McIntyre.

  At its heart, the play is about possibility—what we do with the unexpected, how can we choose generosity over greed, and how love finds us when we least expect it,” said Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director. Millions a story about faith—not just in the divine, but in each other, in the unknown, in the belief that when the world shifts beneath us, we can still find solid ground. 

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  Mel Brooks, Joe Darion & George Kleinsinger’s The Secret World of Archy and Mehitabel will run Mar. 7-9 & 14-16 at Hollywood’s Broadwater Black Box, directed by Moosie Drier.

  Dan Gilvezan (Archy), Caroline Hennesy (Mehitabel), Kelly Stables (Mayfly), Richard Horvitz and (Aging Cat), and Dan West (playing the orginal ragtime score).

  In a deserted office, a cockroach dives headfirst onto the keys of a typewriter, pouring out the ruminations of his soul. It’s archy (he’s too small to hold down the shift key), poet, philosopher, moralist and futile worshipper of “mehitabel,” the alley cat. This bizarre, highly original musical takes us into the streets of the big city as archy tries hopelessly to bring the “toujours gai” mehitabel off the back fence and into a respectable home as a housecat.

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  NYC’s Gay Men’s Chorus will present its  Harmony: Silver Anniversary Gala, on Mon. Mar. 31 at 6:30 PM at NYC’s Edison Ballroom, hosted by Julie Halston.

  George Takei, Kelsey Louie,  and Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson.

  Aaron J. Albano, Claybourne Elder, and Daniel Reichard

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  The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival‘s 32nd Anniversary Champagne Gala: A Toast To will take place  Thurs. Mar. 27  at 6 PM at Hollywood’s Barnsdall Gallery Theatre (4800 Hollywood Bvd.), hosted by Ted Lange  & Margaret Avery.  Click here for more information.

  Mitzi Gaynor, Nancy Cheryll Davis Bellamy, Dawn Didawick, Juanita Jennings, Elisa Bocanegra, and Juli Kim.

  Vannia Barguen, Karen A. Clark, and Ashley Gayle.

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  Off-Broadway’s York Theatre will present its Spring Gala on Mon. Mar. 24 at 7:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans, directed by Mark Waldrop, with music direction by Eugene Gwozdz.

   Tom & Michael D’Angora.

   Ben Vereen, Christine Pedi, Tony Yazbeck, and American Dance Machine for the 21st Century.

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  Upcoming events this Spring at the York Theatre Company (at Theatre at St. Jeans), all staged in the Musicals in Mufti style. Casting TBA.

  Platinum Dreams (Mar. 8 – 16), by Stevie Holland, Gary William Friedman & Will Holt, directed by Joseph Hayward, with music direction by Dave Klodowski, and choreography by Kody Jauron.  The story of Lila Halliday, a musical movie star of the 1940’s hoping to make a comeback by recording her first-ever solo album, Dan Hardin, a hot rock ‘n’ roll star looking to keep his relevance on the charts, and Jamie Stiles, a record producer/studio owner who is Dan’s former writing partner and former lover. The story is about how destiny brings together three disparate, talented people with their own agendas, and how they ultimately grow to accept each other and go on with their lives and fulfill their dreams.

  Who Is Jimmy Pants? (Mar. 22-30), by Joseph Church & Jeff Bienstock, directed by Stephen Nachamie.  A zany, loving satire of bio-jukebox musicals, the piece is both a comical nod to the current epidemic of jukebox shows and an homage to the entertainment value and joy that they bring to audiences. Clever choreography and lively original songs spanning the 60s to the 2000s add to the hilarity. It’s Spinal Tap meets The Drowsy Chaperone, with a rocking musical score!

 According to Howard (Apr. 5-13), by Jim Scully, Fran Evans, Jennifer Paulson-Lee & Chad Gordon, directed by Jennifer Paulson-Lee  The piece is both a comical nod to the current epidemic of jukebox shows and an homage to the entertainment value and joy that they bring to audiences.

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  Grace Notes Quiz answers:  Who’s Juliet? by Jim Bernhard

1-G. Orlando Bloom (2013) – Condola Rashad

2-F. John Neville (1956) – Claire Bloom

3-H. Douglas Watson (1951)  – Olivia de Havilland

4-E. Laurence Olivier (1940) – Vivien Leigh

5-D or I. Maurice Evans (1935) – Katharine Cornell

6-I or D. Basil Rathbone (1934) – Katharine Cornell

7-C. John Gielgud (1935) – Peggy Ashcroft

8-J. Leonardo Di Caprio (1996 film) – Clare Danes

9-B. Leslie Howard (1936 film) – Norma Shearer

10-A. Donald Cameron (1930) – Eva Le Gallienne

 


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