Today’s Highlights
The Importance of Being Earnest: A Radio Play, directed by Michael Raver, featuring Lauren Molina, Nick Cearley, and Nathan Lee Graham, begins streaming at Laguna Playhouse.
“Studio Tenn Talks: Conversations with Patrick Cassidy” presents A 30-year reunion of Assassins FREE discussion, with special guests Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Weidman, Jerry Zaks, Paul Gemignani, and Michael Starobin, as well as original cast members Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber, Greg Germann, Annie Golden, Lyn Green, Jonathan Hadary, Eddie Korbich, Terrence Mann, Debra Monk, William Parry, and Lee Wilkof, streams at 7 PM CT here.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz – By Any Other Name, by Jim Bernhard
Match these actors with their real names.
| 1. Claudette Colbert | A. Leslie Hornby |
| 2. Rex Harrison | B. Alphonso D’Abruzzo |
| 3. Whoopi Goldberg | C. Shirley Schrift |
| 4. Kim Hunter | D. Caryn Johnson |
| 5. Hal Linden | E. Reginald Carey |
| 6. Ann Miller | F. Janet Cole |
| 7. Tony Randall | G. Harold Lipshitz |
| 8. Twiggy | H. Lucille Collier |
| 9. Shelley Winters | I. Lily Chauchoin |
| 10. Alan Alda | J. Leonard Rosenberg |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Critics Choice Awards 2021
Click here for the complete list of winners.
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Video: Stars in the House, offering Suddenly…SEYMOURS!, with special guests Alan Menken, Lee Wilkof, Hunter Foster, Gideon Glick, and Jeremy Jordan. (1:15:30)
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Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will return live May 20 with socially distanced performances May 20 – Aug. 20 at the Apollo Theatre.
Noah Thomas (Jamie New), Shane Richie (Hugo/Loco Chanelle — through July 18), Melissa Jacques (Margaret), Sejal Keshwala (Ray), Hiba Elchikhe (Pritti Pasha), and Gillian Ford (Miss Hedge).
Jamie New is 16 and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. He is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.
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In The Pipeline is York Theatre‘s newly-named series featuring writers and composers discussing their in-progress musicals, accompanied by selections from the shows, hosted by Gerry McIntyre & Seth Christenfeld. The next installment will stream Thurs. Mar. 11 at 8 PM ET.
This week’s featured musicals:
15 Minutes More, by Joe Langworth & Steve Marzullo. The musical explores the decades-long relationship of Frankie and Margaret – an unconventional friendship that evolves into an even more unconventional love story. Spanning over 30 years of love, laughter, and loss, the musical is about the decisions we make and how they can change our lives forever in an instant – or, at least, in fifteen minutes.
Mary Marie, by Chana Wise & Carl Johnson. It’s 1921, and despite the shocked whispers, 13-year-old Mary Marie is surprisingly philosophical about her parents’ divorce. In fact, she can’t wait to observe, first-hand, their inevitable new love stories. But after the months of being shuttled between them, she is not quite sure who she is anymore, both parents have become different, and the love story that that has developed is not all what she expected.
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Article: “Track-by-Track Breakdown: Sally Wilfert on Collaborating With Her Late Friend Rebecca Luker.”
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Lincoln Center presents “Looking Back at Contact“ (1999), to stream Thurs. Mar. 25 at 7 PM ET.
Susan Stroman, John Weidman, Tomé Cousin, Boyd Gaines, Seán Martin Hingston, Deborah Yates, and Karem Ziemba.
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Broadway Podcast Network has released all their theatrical content. BPN features 100+ podcasts, live events, audio dramas, cast reunions, and endless conversations.
Download the BPC app here, or listen to all broadcasts on YouTube.
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Brett Ryback & Eric Ulloa’s Passing Through (recorded live in 2019) will stream Mar. 15 – Apr. 4 at Goodspeed Musicals, directed by Igor Golden, with music direction by Matt Meckes, and choreography by Marcos Santana.
Max Chernin (Andrew), Garrett Long (Andrew’s Mom), Celeste Rose (Karie), and Jennifer Leigh Warren (Emma/Professor), with Joan Almedilla, Reed Armstrong, Ryan Duncan, Linedy Genao, Charles Gray, and Mary Jo Mecca.
Set amidst the rich sounds and diverse tapestry of the American landscape, the musical tells the incredible true story of a young man who journeys on foot from Pennsylvania to California, collecting stories as he goes. But when his trek brings to light an unresolved family crisis, he must use the lessons he’s gathered to finally confront his past.
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at Chicago Shakespeare Theater:
Love’s Labor’s Lost (Mar. 15-28), directed by Marti Maraden.
I, Banquo (Mar. 22 – Apr. 18), by Tim Crouch, directed by Marti Lyons.
I, Cinna (Apr. 5 – May 2), by Tim Crouch, directed by Tyrone Phillips.
Measure for Measure audio play (Apr. 19 – May 16), adapted & directed by Henry Godinez.
Twelfth Night audio play (Apr. 19 – May 16), adapted & directed by Barbara Gaines, with original music by Joriah Kwamé.
“We Are Out There” (May 24 – June 20), digital prologue to new musical It Came from Outer Space, by Joe Kinosian, Kellen Blair & Daniel Schloss.
As You Like It (Oct. 2021, dates TBA), adapted by Daryl Cloran.
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Video: David Friedman’s “Help Is On The Way,” with Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Butler, Norm Lewis, Hailey Kilgore, Anne Runolfsson, L. Steven Taylore, and Rachel York, with Jaime Babbitt, Emily Bindiger, Dana Calitri, Angela Cappelli, Barry Carl, Amy Englehardt, Annie Etkin, Diane Garisto, Carolee Goodgold, Kyle Gordon, Nikki Gregoroff, Kevin Hayes, Leah Horowitz, Doug Katsaros, Victoria Levy, Sherryl Marshall, Deborah Berg McCarthy, Elise Morris, Tucker Murray, Kevin Osborne, Marcia Pelletiere, Liz Queler, Paul Rolnick, Eugene Ruffolo, and Gavin Spencer.
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Kritzerland‘s encore presentation of Tonight’s The Night will stream Sat. Mar. 13 at 5 PM PT, written & directed by Bruce Kimmel, with music direction & orchestrations by Richard Allen.
Eric Peterson and Hartley Powers
What happens when two people – a former couple – haven’t seen each other in 20 years? He finds her on Facebook, contacts her, and suggested they meet up on Zoom. They do, and what follows is funny, touching, and tuneful, as they navigate their way through the thickets of their past relationship, which he remembers one way and she remembers quite differently.
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Article: “How would Frank Lloyd Wright help revitalize NYC today?” with Anthony Alofsin.
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Ashley Fox Linton, performer extraordinaire, has “opened” her online store, Vocal Vigor, with various merchandise featuring industry humor. Definitely worth checking out…
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L.A. Theatre Works has announced its 2020-21 season of audio plays:
The Thanksgiving Play, by Larissa FastHorse (available now), directed by Rosalind Ayres, featuring Ellis Greer, Liza Weil, Josh Stamberg, and Mark Jude Sullivan.
Life on Paper, by Kenneth Lin (available now), directed by Rosalind Ayres, featuring Kevin Daniels, Sarah Drew, Seamus Dever, Summer Spiro, and Mark Jude Sullivan.. How much is one life worth? When a billionaire dies in a plane crash, a forensic economist butts heads with a small town actuary over the exact value of one man’s life.
Extinction (available now), by Hannie Rayson, directed by Martin Jarvis, featuring Sarah Drew, Seamus Dever, Darren Richardson, and Joanne Whalley. A zoologist in Australia gets funding to save an endangered species from the very company that threatens its existence. Will this deal with the devil allow her to save the species, or will it destroy her entire life’s work?
Bump, by Chiara Atik (available through Mar. 10), directed by Rosalind Ayres, featuring Ana Ortiz, Herbert Sigüenza, Alma Martinez, Lucy DeVito, Anna Mathais, Anna Lyse Erikson, Moira Quirk, André Solgliuzzo, Devon Sorvari, and Inger Tudor. Based on the true story, this hilarious comedy spans time and space in an effort to grapple with the mystery and the miracle of maternity.
A Weekend with Pablo Picasso (available Apr. 26), directed by Rosalind Ayres, featuring Herbert Sigüenza. In this one-man tour-de-force based on Picasso’s writings, take a trip into Picasso’s private studio for an intimate and revealing weekend.
For Us All, by Jeanne Sakata (available May 5), directed by Anna Lyse Erikson, featuring Josh Stamberg, Andre Sogliuzzo, Jeanne Sakata, Mike McShane, Greg Watanabe, Derek Mio, Joy Osmanski, Paul Yn, Brook Ishibashi, Ed Asner, and Tess Lina. A team of lawyers advocate to overturn the conviction of Fred Korematsu, who fought against Japanese-American internment during WWII.
No-No Boy (available May 5), by Ken Narasaki, directed by Anna Lyse Erikson, featuring Sharon Omi, Greg Watanabe, Joy Osmanski Ken Naraski, Paul Yen, Emily Kuroda, and Kurt Kanazawa. A WWII draft resister returns home after his release from prison to find a different world that when he left.
A Good Day at Auschwitz (available June 2), by Stephen Tobolowsky, featuring Alan Mandell and Stephen Tobolowsky. The extraordinary true story of Abe, who not only survived three year at Auschwitz – certainly the worst place on earth – but fell in love there.
The Murder on the Links (available June 30), by Agatha Christie, adapted by Kate McAll, with a cast TBA. Hercule Poirot arrives in the south of France to find his client dead on a golf course… and a house full of suspects.
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Video: Eva Noblezada performs “I’d Rather Be Me” from Mean Girls.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: By Any Other Name
1-I. Claudette Colbert – Lily Chauchoin
2-E. Rex Harrison – Reginald Carey
3-D. Whoopi Goldberg – Caryn Johnson
4-F. Kim Hunter – Janet Cole
5-G. Hal Linden – Harold Lipshitz
6-H. Ann Miller – Lucille Collier
7-J. Tony Randall – Leonard Rosenberg
8-A. Twiggy – Leslie Hornby
9-C. Shelley Winters – Shirley Schrift
10-B. Alan Alda – Alphonso D’Abruzzo