Today’s Highlights:
Dear England, by James Grand, directed by Rupert Goold, featuring Gina McKee (Pippa Grange), Josh Barrow (Jordan Pickford), Gunnar Cauthery (Gary Lineker), Will Close (Harry Kane), Crystal Condie (Alex Scott), Will Fletcher (Jordan Henderson), Sean Gilder (Sam Allardyce), Darragh Hand (Marcus Rashford), John Hodgkinson (Greg Clarke), Adam Hugill (Harry Maguire), Albert Magashi (Jadon Sancho), Matsena (Raheem Sterling), Abdul Sessay (Bukayo Saka), Lweis Shepherd (Dele Alli), Paul Thornley (Mike Webster), Tony Turnder (Greg Dyke), and Ryan Whittle (Eric Dier), with Nick Barclay, Tashinga Bepete, Will Harrison-Wallace, and Miranda Heath, begins previews at London’s Prince Edward Theatre.
Here Lies Love Sings the Songs of J. Oconer Navarro concert, featuring Arielle Jacobs, Julia Abueva, Reanne Acasio, Aaron J. Albano, Renée Albulario, Aaron Alcaraz, Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Jasmine Forsberg, Sarah Kay, Jeigh Madjus, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne Hughes, Angelo Soriano, Danielle Troiano, and Moses Villarama, with a special appearance from Laura Dadap, at 7 PM at NYC’s 54 Below.
Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells in conversation about their new musical, Gutenberg! The Musical! at 7:30 PM at NYC’s 92NY.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Climb Every Mountain, by Jim Bernhard.
Match these plays and musicals to the mountains which are featured in them:
| 1. The Sound of Music | A. The Himalayas |
| 2. Rose-Marie | B. The Colorado Rockies |
| 3. The Royal Hunt of the Sun | C. Hushabye Mountain |
| 4. The Golden Apple | D. Baldpate |
| 5. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | E. The Canadian Rockies |
| 6. The Ascent of ____ (mountain name) | F. The Austrian-Swiss Alps |
| 7. Shangri-La | G. The Andes |
| 8. Li’l Abner | H. F-6 |
| 9. Seven Keys to ____ (mountain name) | I. Mount Olympus |
| 10. Little Mary Sunshine | J. The Appalachians |
Scroll down for the answers…
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The world premiere of Jason Robert Brown & Jonathan Marc Sherman’s The Connector will run Jan. 12 – Feb. 18, 2024 (opening Feb. 6) at MCC Theater, directed by Daisy Prince, with choreography by Karla Puno Garcia.
Scott Bakula, Joanna Carpenter, Max Crumm, Hannah Cruz, George Dvorsky, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Danielle Lee Greaves, Mylinda Hull, Daniel Jenkins, Cedric Lamar, Jessica Molaskey, Fergie Philippe, Eliseo Román, Ben Levi Ross, Ann Sanders, Kyle Sherman, and Michael Winther.
A timely new musical about two talented young journalists on increasingly diverging paths. Set in the late 1990s amid a rapidly changing media landscape, we meet a fast-rising journalist, Ethan Dobson, and an assistant copy editor, Robin Martinez, at the revered magazine The Connector. In a world that values the next big sensation, Ethan’s writing prowess and ambition force him to confront how far he’ll go for the ultimate scoop and Robin to consider how far she’ll go to stop him.
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A private industry reading of Keith Bunin’s The Thing About Jellyfish took place Fri. Oct. 6 in NYC, directed by Tyne Rafaeli.
Matilda Lawler (Suzy), Mia Williamson (Franny), Lexi Perkel (Aubrey), Antonio Watson (Justin), April Matthis (Adult 1), Mateo Castel (Dylan), Zak Orth (Dan), Stephanie Janssen (Meg), and Robert Stanton (Jamie Seymour).
Suzy Swanson’s world is shattered when she learns of her best friend’s drowning, just days befor starting the seventh grade. Convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting, she vows to solve the mystery of what really happened, no matter the costs. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she carefully crafts a plan to prove her theory – even if it means traveling the globe.
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Jeff Gould & Jake Gould’s Love, Sex, and Misery will run Oct. 21 – Dec. 10 at 905 Cole Theatre (905 Cole Ave.), directed by Jeff Gould, Morris Schorr, Anthony Backman, Anita Tellez-Mansy and Sean Dube.
BriAna Wagner, Jason Pierce, Jean Fiumara, Ian Nemser, Anthony Backman, Jake Gould, Tim Trobec, Adam Fox, Tina Walsch, Piper Major, Kriss Dozal, Domenick DiDiane, Amye Partain, Olivia Spirz, Marco Parra, Auri Brown, Alexander Hall, Ashley Alva, Shelby Janes, Corbin Timbrook, Chuck Lacey, Ari Litman-Weinberg, and Karen Brundag.
Love and sex sometimes result in misery. But, they can also bring happiness.
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The Foundation for New American Musicals‘ 2023 FNAM Benefit, will take place Sun. Oct. 15 at 2 PM at a private home in the Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. 
here.
Jason Robert Brown & Georgia Stitt, and Marcia Seligson
Billy Crystal
Anastasia Barzee, Wayne Brady, Therese Curatolo, Chris Mann, and Cheeyang NG.
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Pulse Theatre will present Michel Wallerstein’s Chasing Happy, to run Oct. 11 – Nov. 11 (opening Oct. 19) at Theatre Row, directed by Alexa Kelly.
Spencer Aste, Jenny Bennett, Schyler Conaway, Christopher James Murray, and Elizabeth Shepherd.
Nick is in love with another man’s boyfriend. (Oops.) Nick’s mother says George Clooney wants to date her. (Really?) Nick’s ex-wife says she has to have surgery.( Now?) …
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Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep will present its New Works Fall Festival, featuring readings of five new plays that spotlight female voices. Directors and casting TBA.
Helen and I (Nov. 2), by Meadhbh McHugh. Two sisters return to their childhood home in the aftermath of their father’s death.
A Thousand Splendid Suns (Nov. 7), by Ursula Rani Sarma. Exploring the lives of a moth and a daughter struggling to endure the escalating danger in Kabul, the power of a woman’s love and the generational impact of sacrifice come to the forfront, exploring how love is the key to the soul’s survival.
Her Hand on the Trellis (Nov. 9), by Kate Holly. A woman struggles to maintain childlike submission while caring for the ailing mother.
The Beacon (Nov. 14), by Nancy Harris. Set on an island off the coast of Cork, a celebrated artist has attempted to isolate herself from her past, to no avail.
Rathmines Road (Nov. 16), by Deirdre Kinahan. The play deals head on with the engrained cultural response to sexual assault, and the backlash faced by those that dare to reveal their trauma to the public.
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New York Rep will present the world premiere of Michelle Kholos Brooks’ War Words Nov. 10 – Dec. 17 (opening Nov. 14) at A.R.T./New York, directed by Sarah Norris.
David Alan Basche, Maggie Bofill, Donald Calliste, John Concado, Jennean Farmer, Bethany Geraghty, Brandon Jones Kevin Loreque, Matthew Nikitow, Haythem Noor, Alysia Reiner, John Siciliano, Jakob Von Eichel, and Stephen Tyrone Williams.
A docu-play in the words of the men and women who served in the U.S. Military during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Based on the playwright’s interviews with veterans of the 20-year Long War and their families, War Words is composed of heroic and heartbreaking stories of the veterans, families, and allies of people who served: those who came home, and those who were left behind. The playwright and NewYorkRep have felt that there was always a need for civilians to better understand the motivation and sacrifice one makes to serve.
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The Great War & The Great Gatsby, a theatrical experience created by historian John Monsky, will take place Wed. Nov. 8 at 8 PM at Carnegie Hall, directed by Peter Flynn.
Kristolyn Lloyd, Stephanie Jae Park, Kate Rockwell, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Daniel Yearwood.
The event will offer popular and profound music of the era, from Irving Berlin to James Reese Europe, as well as new arrangements of the works of Blind Willie Johnson and Stevie Wonder, among others. Featuring bold musical storytelling, performed with live music by the 58-piece Orchestra of St. Luke’s and conducted by Ian Weinberger. a generation that no longer has a voice will be properly remembered just days before we commemorate Veterans Day, established on Nov. 11, 1918, Armistice Day.
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York Theatre Company has announced complete casting for the world premiere of Laurence Holzman, Felicia Needleman & Kyle Rosen’s The Jerusalem Syndrome, to run Nov. 21 – Dec. 31 (opening Nov. 30) at Theatre at St. Jean’s, directed by Don Stephenson, with music direction by Miles Plant, and choreography by Alex Sanchez.
Farah Alvin, Dana Costello, Scott Cote, Andrea Fleming, James D. Gish, Alan H. Green, Danielle Lee James, John Jellison ), Josh Lamon, Garrett Long, Karen Murphy, Jeffrey Schecter, Jennifer Smith, Chandler Sinks, Pablo Torres, Curtis Wiley, Lenny Wolpe, and Laura Woyasz.
An original musical comedy that explores a real-life psychological malady that causes tourists in Israel—over 200 every year!—to suffer mental breakdowns and suddenly come to believe that they are characters from the Bible. Meet an inept tour guide who turns into Moses, a professor in a troubled marriage who thinks she’s Abraham’s wife Sarah, and a resort tycoon with daddy issues who might be Jesus…not to mention multiple Virgin Marys and the Lord Herself.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz Answers: Climb Every Mountain
1-F. The Sound of Music – The Austrian-Swiss Alps
2-E. Rose-Marie – The Canadian Rockies
3-G. The Royal Hunt of the Sun – The Andes
4-I. The Golden Apple – Mount Olympus
5-C. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Hushabye Mountain
6-H. The Ascent of F-6
7-A. Shangri-La – The Himalayas
8-J. Li’l Abner – The Appalachians
9-D. Seven Keys to Baldpate
10-B. Little Mary Sunshine – The Colorado Rockies