Today’s Highlights:
Adam Lambert (Emcee) and Auli’i Cravalho (Sally) begin their runs in Cabaret at the Kit Cat Club at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre.
The Witness Room, by Pedro Anontio Garcia, directed by Will Blum, featuring Dave Baez, Moe Irvin, JD Mollison, Tricia Small, and Jason SweetTooth Williams, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s AMT Theatre.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Alphabet Soup by Jim Bernhard
Match these initials of theatrical unions and professional associations with the theatre workers whom they represent—and for bragging rights provide the organization’s full name.
| 1. AEA | A. Press agents and theatre managers |
| 2. SDC | B. Wardrobe workers and dressers |
| 3. AFM | C. Theatre maintenance workers |
| 4. IATSE | D. Playwrights, composers, librettists, and lyricists |
| 5. USA | E. Actors and stage managers |
| 6. DGA | F. Designers |
| 7. ATPAM | G. Make-up artists and hair stylists |
| 8. TWU | H. Directors and choreographers |
| 9. MUAHS | I. Stagehands (and other theatre workers) |
| 10. SEIU | J. Musicians |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Dick Scanlan & Malcom Gets’ Cockeyed Optimist: Where Hammerstein Found His Hope will run Oct. 26-29 at NYC’s 92NY, directed by Scanlan.
Kerstin Anderson, Mikaela Bennett, Patrick Breen, Eddie Cooper, Omar Lopez-Cepero, and Katie Mariko Murray.
A deep dive into the plays, novels, and films that inspired Oscar Hammerstein – resulting in such masterworks as Oklahoma!, The King and I, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Show Boat and more.
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Pittsburgh CLO has announced its 2025 Summer season:
Creative teams and casting TBA.
Camelot (June 17-22)
Back to the Future (July 1-6)
Frozen (July 18-27)
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Once, directed by Michael Michetti, continues through Oct. 6 at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre.
Shawn W. Smith (Guy), Maddie Eaton (Girl), Linda Bard (Emcee), Max Bartos (Svec), Linda Bard (Emcee), Max Bartos (Svec), Matt Foyer (Da), Julia Hoffman (Réza), Brian Maillard (Bank Manager), Cynthia Marty (Baruška), Leota Rhodes (Ex-Girlfriend), Sam Saint Ours (Eamon), andAdam Huell Potter (Billy), with Will Huse.
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Fiddler on the Roof will run Nov. 8 – Dec. 1 (opening Nov. 9) at CA’s La Mirada Theatre, directed by Lonny Price, with choreography by Lee Martino.
Jason Alexander (Tevye), Valerie Perri (Golde),Rachel Ravel (Tzeitel),Alanna J. Smith (Hodel), Emerson Glick (Chava), Cameron Mabie (Motel),Remy Laifer (Perchi), Sawyer Patterson (Fyedka), Eileen T’Kaye (Yente), nRon Orbach (Lazar Wolf,) Gregory North (Constable), Catherine Last (Shprintze), Ava Giselle Field (Bielke),David Prottas The Fiddler/Yussel), Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper (Mordcha),Hayden Kharrazi (Mendel), Ryan Dietz (Avram), Marc Moritz (Rabbi), Daniel Stromfeld (Nachum), Jean Kauffman (Grandma Tzeitel). Gwen Hollander (Fruma-Sarah), Dana Weisman (Shaindel) and Hannah Nicole Sedlacek (Fredel),with Anthony Cannarella, Michael James, Bruno Koskoff, Gavin Leahy, Mark C. Reis, Michalis Schinas, Chad A. Vaught, and Michael Wells, and swings are Bailey Herskowitz, Charley Rowan McCain, and Donovan Mendelovitz.
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Off-Broadway’s Public Theatre will host the “27th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival” on Sept. 27 & 28, both at 7 PM.
What makes the Manhattan Short Film Festival so special is the diversity of the films from around the world, and the fact that the audience determines the winners. Every person watching this global film festival will get a ballot to determine the Best Film and Best Actor awards, so this is your chance to play “film critic!”
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Marla Mindelle, Jonathan Parks-Ramage & Philip Drennen’s The Big Gay Jamboree, currently in previews, will open Oct. 1 at the Orpheum Theatre, directed & choreographed by Conor Gallagher.
Marla Mindelle (Stacey),Paris Nix (Clarence), Constantine Rousouli (Bert), and Natalie Walker (Flora), with Brad Greer, Amanda Lee, Jillian Mueller, Olivia Puckett, Melvin Tunstall, and John Yi, with swings Jaden Dominique, Jeremiah Ginn, Clyde Voce, and Cortney Wolfson.
A woman wakes up after a night of heavy drinking and finds herself trapped in an Off-Broadway Golden Age musical. Forced to put her musical theatre degree in action, Stacey has to figure out how to escape this singing and dancing prison in front of a live audience.
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“The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day,” performed by the Boston Pops, conducted by Keith Lockhart, will begin airing Fri. Nov. 1 on PBS stations and the PBS app.
Shereen Ahmed, Kate Rockwell, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Daniel Yearwood.
This symphonic and visual journey, capturing the dramatic final months of World War II in Europe, commemorates Veterans Day and the 80th Anniversary of D-Day this year.
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Marsha Mason, stepped into the role of “Sharon” opposite Patti LuPone in Jen Silverman’s The Roommate at yesterday’s performance at Broadway’s Booth Theatre, standing in for Mia Farrow, who has tested positive positive for Covid.
Farrow’s understudy, Carol Halstead, will continue until Farrow returns (date TBA).
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NYC’s Public Theater has announced its 27th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival, to run Sept. 27 & 28, both at 7 PM.
This year’s films hail from ten countries with films from Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ukraine and USA.
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Matt Murray, Johnny Reid & Rob Foster’s Maggie continues through Oct. 20 at CT’s Goodspeed, directed by Mary Francis Moore.
Christine Dwyer (Maggie), Terra C. MacLeod (Betty), Sophia Clarke (Sadie), Kennedy Cuaghell (Jean), Wes Williams (Tommy), Jeffrey Kringer (Shug), Sam Primack (Wee Jimmy), Ryan Duncan (Sam Primack), and Matt Faucher (Tam), with Jodi Bluestein, Anthony Festa, Lyda Jade Harlan, Brian Michael Hoffman, Joshua Kring, Emma McGlinchy, Paul Scanlan, Sonya Venugopal, Nick Ziobro, Jenna Bienvenue, and Nathan Quay Thomas.
A Scottish mother’s unbreakable love for her three sons is tested in an inspirational new musical about family bonds and changing times. After suffering the unthinkable loss of her husband, Maggie must rely on her strength, sense of humor and fiercely loyal friends to protect her family from a harsh world. Spanning over 20 years, a hardscrabble working class life blossoms with a soul-stirring pop-folk score.
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Puccini’s Tosca will return to NYC’s Metropolitan Opera from Sept 25 – Jan. 3, 2025, conducted by Maestro Xian Zhang.
Aleksandra Kurzak (Tosca – Sept.-Oct), SeokJong Baek (Cavaradossi), and George Gagnidze (Scarpia).
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The world premiere of Simon Rich’s All In: Comedy About Love will open Dec. 11 at the Hudson Theatre, directed by Alex Timbers.
(rotating): For the first 5 weeks, John Mulaney will lead the cast and be joined by Fred Armisen, Renée Elise Goldsberry (12/11 – 12/30), Chloe Fineman (1/2 – 1/12), Richard Kind, and more TBA.
A series of hilarious stories about dating, heartbreak, marriage, and that sort of thing.
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Kritzerland’s 14th Anniversary Concert will take place Wed. Sept.18 at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club, directed by Bruce Kimmel, with music direction by Gerald Sternbach.
Anastasia Barzee, Jason Graae, Ava Madison Gray, Kerry O’Malley, Adrienne Stiefel, Bruce Vilanch and Robert Yacko.
This is the 129th unique cabaret concert featuring well-known and little-known songs from the Broadway Stage and Silver Screen. Informative and humorous commentary is inserted between numbers. A night to celebrate some of Kritzerland’s Greatest Hits – a compendium of some of Kritzerland’s most popular songs from the past 128 shows.
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Urinetown will run Sept. 20 – Oct. 20 at Boston’s Lyric Stage Company, directed by Courtney O’Connor,
Remo Airaldi (Senator Fipp/Joeseph “Ol Man Strong ), Anneke Angstadt (Little Beck Two-Shoes), Christopher Chew (Caldwell B. Cladwell). Gabriel Graetz (Officer Barrel), Elliana Karris (Hope Cladwell), Kenny Lee (Bobby Strong), Tod McNeel, Jr. (Mr. McQueen), Paige O’Connor (Little Sally), Katie O’Reilly (Soupy Sue), Darren Paul (Hot Blades Harry), Anthony Pires, Jr. (Officer Lockstock), Kathy St. George (Josephine “Ma” Strong), James Turner (Dr. Billeaux/Tiny Tom), Lisa Yuen (Penelope Pennywise), and Brandon Lee.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Alphabet Soup
1-E. AEA (Actors’ Equity Association) – Actors and stage managers
2-H. SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society) – Directors and choreographers
3-J. AFM (American Federation of Musicans) – Musicians
4-I. IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada) – Stagehands (and other theatre workers). Note: Several other theatrical workers’ unions—such as ATPAM, MUAHS, TWU, and USA—maintain an affiliation with IATSE.
5-F. USA (United Scenic Artists of America) – Designers (Set designers, lighting designers, costume designers, sound designers, projection designers, and scenic artists) Note: Sound designers may also be members of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association.
6-D. DGA (Dramatists Guild of America) – Playwrights, composers, librettists, and lyricists
7-A. ATPAM (Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers) – Press agents and theatre managers
8-B. TWU (Theatrical Wardrobe Union, an IATSE local) – Wardrobe workers and dressers
9-G. MUAHS (Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild, an IATSE local) – Make-up artists and hair stylists
10-C. SEIU (Service Employees International Union) – theatre maintenance workers