Today’s Highlights:
The Manhattan Variations, by Chris Thile & Claire Coffee, featuring Tenzin Donsel, Julia Gu, Kewulay Kamara, Malcolm Opoku, Shubhra Prakash, Irwin Sánchez, and Dmitris Stefanidis, opens at NYC’s Little Island.
What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck, directed by Matt Hawkins, starring Stacy Stoltz, with Paul Fagen, opens at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
The Light and the Dark, world premiere by Kate Hamill, directed by Jade King Carroll, featuring Kate Hamill (Artemisia Gentileschi), with Joey Parsons, Wynn Harmon, Matthew Saldivar, Jason O’Connell, Carlo Albán, Kimberly Chatterjee, and Chris Thorn, opens at NY’s Chautauqua Theater Company.
Group Rep‘s Brent Beerman’s Mourning Song, world premiere by Brent Beerman, directed by Mareli Mitchel-Shields, featuring Brent Beerman, Kathi Chaplar, Amy Earhart, PaulAnthony Kelly, Lloyd Pedersen, Alex Scyocurka, and Bonnie Snyder, opens at North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre.
In the Heights, directed & choreographed by William Carlos Angulo, featuring Benji Santiago (Usnavi), Ariana Burks (Nina), Alex Joseph Grayson (Benny), Alysia Velez (Vanessa), Nancy Ticotin (Abuela Claudia), Miguel Gil (Sonny), Martín Solá (Kevin), Karmine Alers (Camila), Darilyn Castillo (Daniela) Marlene Fernandez (Carla), U.J. Mangune (Graffiti Pete) and Ángel Lozada (Standby for Usnavi), with Marissa Barragán, Angelica Maria Beliard, Ixchel Cuellar, Ralphie Rivera De Jesús, Adriel Flete, Reyna Guerra, Emily Madigan, Sebastian Martinez, Eddie Martin Morales, José J. Muñoz, Matthew Rivera, Kiana Coryn Rodriguez, Francisco Javier Thurston and Alora Tonielle, closes at the St. Louis Muny.
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Max Wolf Friedlich’s JOB has been extended through Oct. 27 at the Hayes Theatre, directed by Michael Herwitz.
Peter Friedman (Lloyd) and Sydney Lemmon (Jane).
After being placed on leave following a viral workplace incident, Jane would do anything to return to her Big Tech job. But as the therapist who needs to authorize it, Loyd suspects her work might be doing more harm than good.
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Urinetown will run Sept. 20 – Oct. 27 at Boston’s Lyric Stage Company, directed by Courtney O’Connor, with choreography by Christopher Shink, and music direction by Dan Rodriguez.
Remo Airaldi (Little Becky Two-Shoes), Anneke Angstadt (Caldwell B. Cladwell), Christopher Chew (Officer Barrel), Gabriel Gaetz (Hope Cladwell), Eliana Karris (Bobby Strong), Kenny Lee (Mr. McQueen), Todd McNeel, Jr. (Little Sally), Paige O’Connor (Soupy Sue), Katie O’Reilly (Hot Blades Harry), Darren Paul (Officer Lockstock), Anthony Pires, Jr. (Josephine “Ma” Strong), Kathy St. George (Doctor Billeaux/Tiny Tom), and James Turner (Penelope Pennywise), with Lisa Yuen and Brandon Lee.
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Lynn Riggs’ Sump’n Like Wings will run Sept. 21 – Nov. 2 at the Mint Theater, directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges.
Julia Brothers, Andrew Gombas, Carmeron Anika Hill, Traci Hovel, Lukey Klein, Richard Lear, Mariah Lee, Mike Masters, Buzz Roddy, Lindsey Steinert,and Joy Avigail Sudduth.
A resonant and compelling story about love, family and home, this is the story of Wille Baker, a 16-year-old girl too proud and too wild for the life she’s living. Her mother runs the dining room in the hotel her uncle owns. Willie is stuck helping her, squirming under her thumb while her uncle argues for tenderness and compassion. A story of the lessons learned by families about freedom and limits — about love, respect, and safety. It’s a story about home and about leaving home.
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“An evening iwth Kate McKinnon: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science” will take p lace Mon. Sept. 30 at 8 PM at NYC’s 92NY.
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Maggie, by Matt Murray & Bob Foster, will run Aug. 23 – Oct. 20 CT’s Goodspeed, directed by Mary Francis Moore.
Christine Dwyer (Maggie), Terra C. Macleod (Betty), Sophia Clarke (Sadie), Kenney Cuaghell (Jean), Wes Williams (Tommy), Jeffrey Kringer (Shug), Sam Primack (Wee Jimmy), Ryan Duncan (Uncle Charles) and Matt Faucher (Tam), with Jodi Bluestein, Anthony Festa, Lyda Jade Harlan, Brian Michael Hoffman, Joshua Kring, Emma McGlinchey, 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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Haley McGee’s Age is a Feeling will run Sept. 11 – Oct. 13 at the Vineyard Theatre, directed by Mitchell Cushman.
Haley McGee
Inspired by hospices, mystics and trips to the cemetery, Age is a Feeling wrestles with our endless chances to change course while we’re alive. A covert rallying cry against cynicism and regret. A call to seize our time. This never-the-same-twice show is a gripping story about how our relationship with mortality shapes the way we live. Charting the seminal moments, rites of passage and turning points in an adult life from the day of turning 25 through death, Age is a Feeling celebrates the glorious and melancholy unknowability of human life.
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An Evening with Kelly O’Hara will take place Thurs. Oct. 10 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s 92NY.
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Waitress will run Sept. 20 – Oct. 13 (opening Sept. 21) at CA’s La Mirada Theatre, directed by Abbey O’Brien, with choreography by Cost n’ Mayor, and music direction by jennifer Lin.
Desi Oakley (Jenna), Ben Jacoby (Dr. James Pomatter), Brian Krinsky (Earl), Cleavant Derricks (Joe), Dominique Kent (Becky), Brian Calì (Cal), Rianny Vasquez (Dawn), Jared Gertner (Ogie), Ashley Moniz (Jenna’s Mother) Ashley Támar Davis (Nurse Norma), and Johnisa Breault (Francine), with Annabelle Bergold, Rose Cowden, Ricky Bulda, Michael Bullard, Grant Hodges, Michael James, Tayler Mettra, Emma Nossal and Alec Talbott.
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Video: Patti LuPone shares shocking Stories About Master Class on Broadway and in London, on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” with Mia Farrow. (8:07)
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Distant Thunder, by Lynn Taylor Corbett, Shaun Taylor Corbett, Chris Wiseman, Robert Lindsey-Naffis, & Michael Moricz, will run Sept. 25 – Oct. 27 (opening Oct. 3) A.R.T/New York Theaters, directed & choreographed by Lynn Taylor Corbett,
Jeff Barehand, Spencer Battiest, Aubee Billie, Xander Chauncey, Bonale Fambrini, Brent Florend-Sitwallapum, Angela Gómez, Irma-Estelle Laguerre, Johnlee Lookingglass, Michelle Rios, Glenn Stanton, Sampwe Tarrant, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, and Chelsea Zeno.
A child taken from his Blackfeet tribe and returns as a young attorney with an opportunity that unwittingly sets off a firestorm. Pop-rock merges with Native drumming and dancing, fusing cultures in this ultimately ioyful new musical.
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Video: “The Road Don’t Make You Young,” from Broadway’s Water for Elephants.
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Off-Broadway’s Urban Stages has announced its 2024-2025 season:
People of the Book (Oct. 4-27) by Youssef El Guindi, by Yussef El Guindi, directed by John Langs. An author returns from war to literary glory, but his celebrity status is underscored by his marriage to an Iraqi woman he saved.
Winter Rhythms (Dec. 4-15), featuring 22 different shows and over 100 performers, with selections from the Great American Songbook, pop tunes, Broadway favorites, holiday classics, and more. All proceeds go to Urban Stages’ outreach programs.
New play from the winner of Urban Stages’ Dynamic Duo Festival 2023-24 festival contest (Mar. 2025).