GRACE NOTES: Thursday, August 22, 2024

 

Today’s Highlights:

  The Brothers Size, by Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Bijan Sheibani, featuring Alani iLongwe (Oshoosi Size), Malcolm Mays (Elegba), and Sheaun McKinney (Ogun Size), opens at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.

  Fraser Entertainment Group’s Lianne Marie Dobbs: The Windmills of My Mind… for Dusty Springfield concert, with Ron Abel, Grant Geissman, Randy Landas & Tom Walsh, at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.

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   The Avett Brothers’ Swept Away will begin previews Oct. 20 and open Nov. 19 at the Longacre Theatre, directed by Michael Mayer, with choreography by David Neumann, and music direction by Will Van Dyke.

 John Gallagher Jr., Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe, and Wayne Duvall, with  Hunter Brown, Matt DeAngelis, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Michael J. Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Tyrone L. Robinson, and John Sygar,  Hunter Brown,  Matt DeAngelis, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Michael J. Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Tyrone L. Robinson, John Sygar, Josh Breckenridge,  Rico LeBron, John Michael Finley, Chase Peacock, Robert Pendilla, and David Rowen.

  The musical follows four survivors of an 1888 shipwreck off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. As they struggle to stay alive, they must question whether or not they can live with the consequences of their actions, and discover how tragedy can lead to forgiveness.

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  Seán O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock will run Sept. 21 – Nov. 23 (opening Oct. 3) at the Gielgud Theatre, directed by Matthew Warchus.

 Mark Rylance (“Captain” Jack Boyle) and J. Smith-Cameron (Juno Boyle), Paul Hilton (“Joxer” Daly), Aisling Kearns (Mary Boyle), Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty (Johnny Boyle), Ingrid Craigie (Mrs. Tancred), Anna Healy (Mrs. Maisie Madigan), Chris Walley (Charles Bentham), Seán Duggan (“Needle” Nugent), and Leo Hanna (Jerry Devine), with Jessica Cervi, Caolan McCarthy, Bryan Moriarty, John Rice, and Jacinta Whyte.

  Set in 1922 Dublin as the Irish Civil War is tearing the nation apart, the play follows Juno Boyle—a beleaguered matriarch struggling to make ends meet and keep the family together—and her husband, “Captain” Jack Boyle, who fancies himself a ship’s commander but sails no further than the pub. When providence comes knocking with life-changing news, could the family’s troubles finally fade away?

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  Shirley Jones: a Gala Celebration of Her Life, Career, and Legacy will take place Sat. Sept. 21 at 4 PM at Pittsburgh CLO, directed by Patrick Cassidy, with music direction by Kimberly Grigsby, and hosted by Shaun, Patrick & Ryan Cassidy.

  Kelly O’Hara, Sierra Boggess, Jessie Mueller, and Norm Lewis.

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   Tadeusz Slobodzianek’s Our Class will transfer to the Classic Stage Company for a Sept. 12 – Nov. 3 run, directed by Igor Golak.

  Gus Birney (Dora), Andrey Burkovskiy (Menachem), José Espinosa (Rysiek), Tess Goldwyn (Zocha), Will Manning (Heniek), Stephen Ochsner (Jakub Katz), Alexandra Silber (Rachelka/Marianna), Richard Topol (Abram), Ilia Volok (Władek) and Elan Zafir (Zygmunt).

  The play follows 10 Polish classmates, five Jewish and five Catholic, growing up as playmates, friends, and neighbors, who then turn on one another with life and death consequences.

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  Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust will run Sept. 10 – Oct. 20 at VA’s Signature Theatre, directed by Taylor Reynolds.

  Julius Thomas III (Kenneth), Frank Britton (Bery), Yesenia Iglesias (Coriina), and Craig Wallace (Clay), with Ezinne Elele with and Jeremy Keith Hunter.

  Kenneth is a 36-year-old bookstore worker who is shaken from his habits and routines after a sudden layoff. As he works to reestablish a life that’s right for him, he lays bare deeper truths and a heartbreaking history.

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  VideoLaura Benanti resurrects Her Melania Trump for the Democratic National Convention.

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  Othello will begin performances in Spring 2025 (dates TBA) at a theater TBA, directed by Kenny Leon.  Click here for the production’s website.

  Denzel Washington (Othello), Jake Gyllenhaal (Iago), Molly Osborne (Desdemona), and more TBA.

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   The world premiere of Shem Bitterman’s The Civil Twilight will run Oct. 16 – Nov. 24 (opening Oct. 18) at Broadwater Studio Theatre, (1076 Lillian Way) directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky. Link not yet available.  :  818-761-8838

Taylor Gilbert (Ann Carlson) and Andrew Elvis Miller (John Pine).

  A dramatic thriller, the play takes place over a single night during a once-in-a-century storm when a popular radio personality winds up trapped in a motel room in the Midwest with his biggest fan and a deadly game of trust and recrimination is played.

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  Complete casting has been announced for Seán O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, to run Sept. 21 – Nov. 23 (opening Oct. 3) at the Gielgud Theatre, directed by Matthew Warchus.

  Mark Rylance (Captain), J. Smith-Cameron (Juno Boyl), Paul Hilton (“Joxer” Daly), Aisling Kearns (Mary Boyle), Eimhin Fitzgerald (Johnn Boyle), Ingrid Graig (Mrs. Gancred), Anna Healy (Mrs. Maisie Madigan), Chris Walley (Charles Bentham), Seán Duggan (Needle” Nugent), and Leo Hanna (Jerry Devine,), with Jessica Cervi, Caolan McCarthy, Bryan Moriarty, John Rice, and Jacinta Whyte.

  Set in 1922 Dublin as the Irish Civil War is tearing the nation apart, the play follows Juno Boyle—a beleaguered matriarch struggling to make ends meet and keep the family together—and her husband, “Captain” Jack Boyle, who fancies himself a ship’s commander but sails no further than the pub. When providence comes knocking with life-changing news, could the family’s troubles finally fade away?

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  Video: Highlights from Grease at Bucks County Playhouse.     

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   Lloyd Suh’s Frankinland will run Oct. 9 – Nov. 3 (opening Oct. 17) at Ensemble Studio Theatre, directed by Chika Ike.

  Noah Keyishian, Mason Reeves, and Thomas Jay Ryan.

The story of growing up as the only son of Benjamin Franklin: the greatest scientific mind in the world, inventor of the lightning rod and the urinary catheter and the glass harmonica and bifocal glasses and, oh yeah, in his spare time the United States of America.

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A new tarot deck, inspired by the art of Al Hirschfeld, created by author Emily McGill, will be available beginning Sept. 3 from Running Press Studio.

 McGill is a spiritual psychologist, tarot card reader, and former Broadway publicist. Offering a standard 78 card deck as well as an interpretive guidebook, the deck is officially licensed in collaboration with The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.

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  Othello will begin performances in Spring 2025 at a theater TBA, directed by Kenny Leon.

  Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Molly Osborne, and more TBA.

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  LA’s Theater West will present its annual West Fest Aug. 30 – Sept. 2.

Four weeks chock full of new theater works you won’t want to miss! Each week offers a different program.

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   A special presentation of  Common Ground 8: Stories of Transformation will take place Mon. Aug. 26 at 8 PM at North Hollywood’s Road on Magnolia.

  Brian Graves & Lizzy Kimball, Alan Wasserman, Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, Jolene Kay, and Rod Brownstein.

  Maurie Gonzalez, Jason Culp, Michelle Gillette, Rob Brownstein, Alan Wasserman, and Jolene Kay.

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  The new Forbidden Broadway is offering $30 tickets during its preview performances (through – Sept. 16) at Off-Broadway’s Theater 555.

 


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