Today’s Highlights:
The Last of the Love Letters, by Ngozi Anyanwu, directed by Patricia McGregor, featuring Daniel J. Watts and Ngozi Anyanwu, opens at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater.
Freda Pyane: Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald concert opens at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.
New City Music Theatre’s Songs for a New World concert, by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Miles J. Sternfeld, featuring Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, Liz Callaway, Shereen Pimentel, Ciara Renée, Bonnie Milligan, Kyle Taylor Parker, Telly Leung, Michael James Scott, Nancy Opel, Bre Jackson, Marc G. Dalio, Heath Saunders, Darian Sanders, Grace Stockdale, Nya, Nick Drake, Yuka Notsuka, and Rick Edinger, plus dancers Yeman Brown, Jennifer Florentino, Zuri Noelle Ford, Yuka Notsuka, and Michael Anthony Sylvester, at 7:30 PM ET at Long Island’s Radial Park at Halletts Point.
The Devil is in the Details — A Tribute to Tony Walton celebration, with appearances by Alec Baldwin, Kate Burton, Stephen Schwartz, Jerry Zaks, and more, at 5 PM ET at Long Island’s Bay Street Theater.
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GRACE NOTES Quote of the Week: “A critic is a man who knows the way but can’t drive the car.” ~ Kenneth Tynan
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Video: Stars in the House, an evening with Tom Kitt & Friends, with special guests Pearl Sun and Heidi Blickenstaff. (1:15:16)
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Manhattan Theatre Club presents Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew, which begins previews Dec. 21 and opens Jan. 12, 2022 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.
Phylicia Rashad and more TBA.
In 2008 Detroit, a small automotive factory is on the brink of foreclosure, and a tight knit family of workers hangs in the balance. With uncertainty everywhere, the line between blue collar and white collar becomes blurred, and this working family must reckon with their personal loyalties, their instincts for survival, and their ultimate hopes for humanity.
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D.C.’s Ford’s Theatre Society has announced complete casting for its one-night-only 100-minute concert presentation of Come From Away, which will take place Fri. Sept. 10 at 6 PM ET at the DC’s Lincoln Memorial, conducted by Cam Moncur, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Josh Breckenridge (Bob and others), Kevin Carolan (Claude and others), Harter Clingman (Oz and others), Nick Duckart (Kevin J, Ali, and others), Christine Toy Johnson (Diane and others, Julia Knitel (Janice and others), Tony LePage (Kevin T, Garth, and others), Happy McPartlin (Beulah and others), Julie Reiber (Beverley, Annette and others, and Sharone Sayegh (Bonnie and others).
No tickets are required to attend. Lawn seating is first-come on either side of the reflecting pool.
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Christopher Wheeldon has added Rich + Tone Talauega to the creative team for Broadway’s upcoming production of MJ, which will begin previews Dec. 6 and open Feb. 1, 2022 at the Neil Simon Theatre. Rich + Tone have just joined the creative team, and will focus particularly on Michael Jackson movement.
Myles Frost (Michael Jackson), Quentin Earl Darrington (Joseph Jackson/Rob), Whitney Bashor (Rachel), Gabriel Ruiz (Alejandro), Antoine L. Smith (Berry Gordy/Nick), Joey Sorge (Dave), John Edwards (Jackie Jackson), Ayana George (Katherine Jackson), Apollo Levine (Quincy Jones/Tito Jackson), and Zelig Williams (Marlon Jackson), with Raymond Baynard, Kali May Grinder, Oyoyo Joi, Carina-Kay Louchiey, Renni Anthony Magee, Aaron James McKenzie, Aramie Payton, Kamille Upshaw, Ryan VanDenBoom, and Darius Wright.
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Write Out Loud: From Contest to Concert Volume 2, showcasing works from the 2020 songwriting concert for emerging musical theatre writers, will take place Mon. Sept. 13 at 9:45 PM ET at 54 Below, hosted by Taylor Louderman.
Major Attaway, Gerard Canonico, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Arielle Jacobs, Andrew Kober, Shereen Pimentel, Presley Ryan, Caesar Samayoa), Carrie St. Louis, and Dani Wade, along with Louderman & Hannah Kloepfer.
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Video: Joshua Henry talks being a dad, “TICK., TICK…BOOM” film and reminisces on Carousel.
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The world premiere of Robert Mark Kamen & Drew Gasparini’s The Karate Kid will run May 25 – June 26, 2022 at Stages St. Louis, directed by Amon Miyamoto, with choreography by Keone & Mari Madrid, and music direction by Andrew Resnick.
Casting and additional information TBA.
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Matt Werner & Gene Back’s “Burning Man the Musical” film will be released Aug. 27 on Broadway on Demand, directed by Tyler Milliron, with music supervision by Rodney Bush.
Morgan Siobhan Green, Tally Sessions, Max Crumm, Michelle Duffy, Troy Iwata, Allison Griffith, Ari Grooves, Mila Jam, Ysabel Jasa, and Michael F. McBride.
The film follows Molly, a promising young tech grad, as she returns to the playa of Black Rock City – this time employed by the very tech company that, unbeknownst to her, seeks to destroy it. After being given the task of acquiring drugs for her boss’ exclusive party, Molly finds herself on a journey inward – and through the community of Burning Man – finds her truest self.
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Emma Rice’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, to run Oct. 9 – Nov. 6 (opening Oct. 20) at the Bristol Old Vic, directed by Rice. Livestreamed performances will be available Nov. 3-6.
Lucy McCormick (Cathy) Sam Archer (Lockwood/Edgar Linton), Nandi Bhebhe (The Moor), TJ Holmes (Robert), Ash Hunter (Heathcliff), Craig Johnson (Mr. Earnshaw/Dr. Kenneth), Jordan Laviniere (John), Kandaka Moore (Zillah), Katy Owen (Isabella Linton/Linton Heathcliff), Tama Phethean (Hindley Earnshaw/Hareton Earnshaw), and Witney White (Frances Earnshaw/Young Cathy), with Mirabelle Gremaud.
A UK tour will follow.
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Stan Freeman’s The Pitch will runs Sept. 26 – Nov. 15 (opening Oct. 5) at the Jerry Orbach Theater, directed by Danny Eaton.
John Haag, Julian Findlay, and Jack Press.
A cynical, down-to-earth retired sportswriter reluctantly agrees to collaborate with an eager young sportswriter on a paperback biography of an obscure baseball pitcher – Vernon Peters, who went to high school with the older writer. Peters threw only one thrilling pitch in the major leagues for the New York Yankees in 1973 and then disappeared. Its soon becomes evident there’s a secret at the heart of Peter’s mysterious story – one the older writer fiercely intends to hide. A play about best friends and betrayal.
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Naked Boys Singing will begin performances Sept. 15 at Las Vegas’ The Jewel Box Theatre, directed by Tom & Michael D’Angora.
Marcus Terell, Louis D’Aprile, Matthew Ludwinski, and Jaden Lux.
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The world premiere of Rachel Parker’s The Wolfe & The Bird will run Sept. 18 – Oct. 10 at the Matrix Theatre, directed by Alina Phelan.
Rachel Parker, with the voices of James Heaney, Dagney Kerr, Ivory Tiffin, Madeleine Townsend, Phil Ward, and Silvie Zamora.
No time to sleep. No room for error. No pleasing mon. A young girl struggles to find herself against the backdrop of 1980s small town America.
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Jocelyn Bioh’s Nollywood Dreams will run Oct. 21 – Nov. 28 (opening Nov. 11) at MCC Theater, directed by Saheem Ali.
Abena (Adenikeh), Charlie Hudson III (Gbenga Ezie), Nana Mensah (Dede Okafor), and Sandra Okuboyejo (Ayamma Okafor).
It’s the 1990s and in Lagos, Nigeria, the Nollywood film industry is exploding and taking the world by storm. Ayamma dreams of stardom while working at the parents’ travel agency alongside her lovable and celebrity-obsessed sister Dede. When Ayamma land an audition for a new film by Gbenga Ezie, Nigeria’s hottest director, she comes head-to-head with Gbenga’s former leading lady, Fayloa. Tension flare just as sparks start flying between Ayamma, the aspiring ingénue, and Wale, Nollywood’s biggest hearthrob.
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NY’s Hudson Stage will present the world premiere of Joshua Allen’s The October Storm Oct. 8-23 at the Whippoorwill Theatre, directed by Cezar Williams.
Yvette Ganier, Patricia R. Floyd, Trevor Latez Hayes, Philipe D. Preston, and Courtney Thomas.
In 1060’s Southside Chicago, a troubled war veteran moves into an apartment building and the residents become caught in an emotional whirlwind that threatens to change their lives forever. In the center of the conflict are the building’s landlady, Mrs. Elkins, and her 16-year-old granddaughter, Gloria.
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Congratulations to Elizabeth Stanley & Charlie Murphy on the birth of their first child, daughter Solveig Emilia Stanley Murphy, on Aug. 19.
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“The Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert” will air Tues. Sept. 14 at 9 PM on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS video app, directed & choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, hosted by Audra McDonald, and conducted by JoAnn Falletta, Steven Reineke, and Thomas Wildkins. Click here for additional information.
Caroline Kennedy.
Kelli O’Hara, Renee Fleming, Tony Yazbeck, Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, the original cast of Soft Power, and more TBA.
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Lourds Lane’s SuperYou in concert will take place Mon. Aug. 30 at NYC’s Green Room 42.
Justin Sargent.
Kennedy Caughell, LaVon Fisher-Wilson, Brie Cassil, Katrina Rose Dideriksen, and Lourds Lane.
A woman-powered musical about a comic book artist who leans to love herself when her own superheroine creations come to life.