Today’s Highlights:
Vámonos, by Julissa Contreras, directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo, featuring Cindy Peralta, Yohanna Florentino, Angela Reynoso, Kiara Lauren, Cesar J. Rosado, Denzel Rodriguez, and Ansi Rodriguez, opens at Off-Broadway’s Intar Theatre.
The Entertainment Community Fund‘s 2023 Gala, honoring Glorya Kaufman, Alana Mayo, Tom Kirdahy, and Tyler Perry, at 6 PM at NYC’s Marriott Marquis. Performers not announced.
New York TheatreWorkshop‘s 2023 Gala, honoring Doug Wright, directed by Kevin Cahoon, featuring Christine Ebersole, Brandon Victor Dixon, Sean Hayes, Rachel Dratch, Trey Anastasio, Lea DeLaria, Tamika Lawrence, Heidi Schreck, Scott Frankel, Sherz Aletaha, Corey Mach, Brian Sears, and Jeff Romley, at 6 PM at NYC’s Capitale.
This One’s for You: The Music of Barry Manilow concert, directed by Steven Reineke, hosted by Reineke & Michael Urie, featuring Jim Caruso, Megan Hilty, Michael Urie, Lillias White, Erich Bergen, Charo, Deborah Cox, Norm Lewis, Melissa Manchester, Billy Stritch, Max von Essen, and Dionne Warwick, as well as cast members from the Off-Broadway cast of Harmony, including Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman, and Steven Telsey, at 7 PM at Carnegie Hall.
54 Celebrates Rita Gardner concert, directed by Barry Kleinbort, and associate producer Claire-Frances Sullivan, featuring Laura Benanti, Liz Callaway, Lewis Cleale, Melissa Errico, Jeff Harner, Paula Dione Ingram, Heather MacRae, Amanda McBroom, Kurt Peterson, Lee Roy Reams, Sarah Rice, Haley Swindal, and Ann Talman, at 7 PM at NYC’s 54 Below.
John Forster in Concert: Too Clever by 20%, with special guest Julie Gold, closes at NYC’s Don’t Tell Mama.
The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett & Wendy Kesselman, directed by Stan Zimmerman, featuring Genesis Ochoa (Anne Frank), Emiliano Torres (Otto Frank), Aris Alvarado, Rebecca Asquino, Gladys Bautista, Mariangelica Cuervo, Charlie Farrell, David Gurrola, Danny Pardo, and Raquenel, closes at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Where on Earth? by Jim Bernhard
Match these characters with the places they came from, and then name the plays or musicals in which they appear.
| 1. Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez | A. Canada |
| 2. Sir Hugh Evans | B. Ireland |
| 3. Boris Kolenkhov | C. Burma |
| 4. Rose-Marie La Flamme | D. Russia |
| 5. Amir Arison | E. Poland |
| 6. Tuptim | F. Wales |
| 7. Madame Fleur | G. Brazil |
| 8. Juno Boyle | H. Afghanistan |
| 9. Lina Szczepanowska | I. Spain |
| 10. Alonso Quijana | J. Haiti |
Scroll down for the answers…
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The 2023 Drama League Award nominations have been announced here. Winners will be announced May 19.
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The 2023 Chita Rivera Awards will take place Mon. May 22 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s NYU Skirball Center, hosted by Jared Grimes.
John Kander (Lifetime Achievement Award), and BroadwayHD founders Bonnie Compley & Stewart F. Lane (Ambassadors For The Arts Award).
Performers and additional information TBA.
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Barry Manilow & Bruce Sussman’s Harmony: A New Musical will begin previews Oct. 18 and open Nov. 13 at the Barrymore Theatre, directed & choreographed by Warren Carlyle.
Casting TBA.
In the 1920s and 30s, The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records, made dozens of films, and sold out the biggest theaters around the world. Their heavenly harmonies and musical comedy antics catapulted these six talented young men from singing in the subway tunnels of Berlin to international superstardom.
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(read) The Tony Awards Admin Committee has announced its eligibility rules for New York, New York, Shucked, Camelot, Life of Pi, and more…
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Video: Caroline Innerbichler performs a snippet of “Maybe Love” from Broadway’s Shucked.
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Boston’s Lyric Stage Company has announced its 2023-24 season:
Assassins (Sept. 15 – Oct. 22)
The Game’s Afoot: Holmes for the Holiday (Nov. 10 – Dec. 17), by Ken Ludwig. A laugh-out-loud comedy mystery.
Trouble in Mind (Jan. 12 – Feb. 24, 2024), by Alice Childress. A black actress makes her 1955 Broadway debut in a backstage story crackling with wit and startling revelations.
Thirst (Feb. 23 – Mar. 17), by Ronán Noone. Two Irish immigrant women search for love, serenity, and a place to call “home.”
The Drowsy Chaperone (Apr. 5 – May 12):
Yellow Face (May 31 – June 23), by David Henry Hwang. An Asian-American playwright and activist gets tangles in a complicated and humorous web of lies as he struggles to win back his integrity.
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Off-Broadway’s Public Theater has announced its Gala on the Green, celebrating New York City, to take place Mon. June 12 at 6 PM at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, hosted by Luis A. Miranda, Jr., Meredith Stein & Reginal Van Lee.
Darren Walker (Ford Foundation) and Marlla Torres (Hunts Point Alliance for Children).
Christopher Jackson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Reginald Van Lee, and more TBA.
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NAATCO will present Hansel Jung’s modern verse translation of Romeo & Juliet May 9 – June 3 (opening May 14) at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater (136 East 13th Street), directed by Hansel Jung & Dustin Wills.
(all Asian American), Purva Bedi (Friar Laurence), Major Curda (Romeo), Jose Gamo (Mercutio), Brian Lee Huynh (Capulet), Zion Jang (Benvolio), Mia Katigbak (Nurse), Rob Kellogg (Paris/Tybalt), Dorcas Leung (Juliet), and Daniel Liu).
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Cambridge’s A.R.T. production of Evita will run May 17 – July 16 at Boston’s Loeb Drama Center, directed by Sammi Cannold, with choreography by Emily Maltby & Valeria Solomonoff.
Shereen Pimentel (Eva Perón), Gabriel Burrafato (Magaldi), Omar Lopez-Cepero (Che), Caesar Samayoa (Perón), and Naomi Serrano (Mistress), with Martin Almíron, Julian Alvarez, Adrienne Balducci, Leah Barsky, Bianca Bulgarelli, Camila Cardona, Melody Celatti, Estaban domenichini, Rebecca Eichenberger, Sean Ewing, Nicole Fernandez-Coffaro, David Michael Garry, Eddie Gutierrez, Eric Anthony Lopez, Jonatan Lujan, Caleb Marshall-villarreal, Ilda Mason, Jeremiah Valentino Porter, Leonay Shepherd, Maria Cristina Posada Slye, Sky Vaux Fuller, Marissa Barragán, Matthew Bautista, Isabella Lopez, and Miguel Angel Vasquez.
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The free streaming premiere of Deborah Henson-Conant’s The Golden Cage has been extended through today by clicking here. (1:19:30)
Christopher Isolano and Maddie Allen.
The story of Boris, half-bird, half-human, on a life-long quest to to find the legendary Golden Cage – the ultimate security-symbol. When he finally finds it, it’s everything the legends described, except for one thing: Alphea, a grumpy, reclusive Diva, lives inside it and says it’s a prison.
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Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater has announced its Running of the Red Bulls Annual Gala Benefit, in celebration of the its 20th anniversary season, to take place Mon. June 5 at 6 PM at NYC’s Bowery Hotel.
Julie Taymor
Performers and additional information TBA.
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King Lear will begin previews Oct. 21 and open Oct. 31 at the Wyndham’s Theatre, directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Kenneth Branagh (King Lear) and more TBA.
The production will transfer to Off-Broadway’s Griffin Theater for a Fall 2024 run (details TBA).
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& 
The National Women’s Theatre Festival‘s WTFringe 23 will run June 22 – July 1 at North Carolina’s State University, offering both in-person and streaming options.
Click the link above for additional information.
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Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will continues through June 11 at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre, directed by Victoria Pearlman.
Brad Greenquist (Vanya), Tania Getty (Sonia), Martha Hackett (Masha), Zach Kanner (Spike), Miranda Wynne (Nina), and Cyndy Fujikawa (Cassandra), with Taubert Nadalini (Spike alternate).
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Guadalís del Carmen’s Bees & Honey will run May 4 – June 11, (opening May 22) at MCC Theatre, directed by Melissa Crespo. 
All tickets are $35.
Maribel Martinez (Johaira) and Xavier Pacheco (Manuel)
Married couple Manuel and Johaira are entering new phases in their lives. But as the challenges of life and marriage mount, the young and ambitious couple must answer the age-old question: Is love enough?
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Initial casting has been announced for Sister Act, to run Aug. 14-20 at the St. Louis Muny, directed & choreographed by Denis Jones, with music direction by Sheilah V. Walker.
Bryonha Marie, (Deloris Van Cartier) Mamie Parris (Mother Superior), James T. Lane (Eddie Souther), Alan H. Green (Curtis Jackson), Thom Sesma (Monsignor O’Hara), Meredith Aleigha Wells (Sister Mary Robert), Madeleine Doherty (Sister Mary Lazarus), Katy Geraghty (Sister Mary Patrick), Brandon Espinoza (Pablo), F. Michael Haynie (Joey), Darron Hayes (TJ), and more TBA.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Where on Earth?
1-G. Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez – Brazil – Charley’s Aunt (or Where’s Charley?)
2-F. Sir Hugh Evans – Wales – The Merry Wives of Windsor
3-D. Boris Kolenkhov – Russia – You Can’t Take It With You
4-A. Rose-Marie La Flamme – Canada – Rose-Marie
5-H. Amir Arison – Afghanistan – The Kite Runner
6-C. Tuptim – Burma – The King and I
7-J. Madame Fleur – Haiti – House of Flowers
8-B. Juno Boyle – Ireland – Juno and the Paycock
9-E. Lina Szczepanowska – Poland – Misalliance
10-I. Alonso Quijana – Spain – Man of La Mancha