Today’s Highlights:
The Slave Play, by Jeremy O. Harris, directed by Robert O’Hara, featuring Ato Blankson-Wood (Gary), Chalia La Tour (Tea), Irene Sofia Lucio (Patricia), Annie McNamara (Alana), Paul Alexander Nolan (Jim), Antoinette Crowe-Legacy (Kaneisha), Devin Kawaoka (Dustin), and Jonathan Chad Higginbotham (Philip), with Eboni Flowers, Blake Russell, Luigi Sottile, Elizabeth, Stahlmann, and Galen J. Williams, opens at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre.
York Theatre Company‘s Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood, world premiere by Randy Skinner & Barry Kleinbort, directed & choreographed by Skinner, featuring Phillip Attmore, Jeremy Benton, Victoria Byrd, Kaitlyn Davison, Joseph Medeiros, and Melanie Moore, opens at NYC’s Theatre at St. Jean’s (150 East 76th Street).
Christmas on the Rocks, with short plays by John Cariani, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jenn Harris & Matthew Wilkas, Jacques Lamarre, Theresa Rebeck, and Edwin Sanchez, directed by Rob Ruggiero, featuring Jen Cody (The Woman), Ted Lange (The Bartender) and Randy Harrison (The Man), opens at Theater Works Hartford.
Trouble in Mind, by Alice Childress, directed by Nancy Medina, featuring Daniel Adeosun, Naana Agyei-Ampadu, Joe Bannister, Emma Canning, John Hollingworth, Rory Keenan, Gary Lilburn, Tanya Moodie, and Cyril Nri, begins previews at London’s National Theatre.
Ensemble Theatre Company‘s The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon, directed by Michael Butler, featuring Will Block (Brian), Nike Doukas (Mrs. Reynolds), Kyle T. Hester (Wickham), Kodi Jackman (Cassie), Chelsea Kurtz (Lydia), Rebecca Mozo (Lizzie), and Adam Poss (Mr. Darcy), begins previews at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
Zephyr reading, by Jeffrey LaHoste, directed by Timothy Koch, featuring Kate Arrington, Shamika Cotton, Marchánt Davis, Cole Doman, Michael F. Mastro, Heather Alicia Simms, and Andrea Syglowski, at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Gibney Company Community Center (280 Broadway, Studio H). 
here.
Fabulous Fannie: The Songs and Stories of Fannie Brice concert, created and performed by Kimberly Faye Greenberg, directed by Brian Childers, at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Green Room.
“Annie Live,” directed by Lear deBessonet & Alex Rudzinski, featuring Celina Smith (Annie), Harry Connick Jr. (Daddy Warbucks), Taraji P. Henson (Miss Hannigan), Nicole Scherzinger (Grace Farrell), Titus Burgess (Rooster Hannigan), Megan Hilty (Lily St. Regis), Andrea McArdle (Eleanor Roosevelt), Alan Toy (President Roosevelt), Felice Kakaletris (Molly), Cate Elefante (Kate), Sophie Knapp (July), Tessa Frascogna (Tessie), Arwen Monzon-Sanders (Duffy), and Audrey Cymone (Pepper), with Wendi Bergamini, Jadaya Bivins, Brittany Conigatti, Ben Davis, Zachary Downer, Karla Garcia, Kayla Goins, Luke Hawkins, Christopher Hernandez, Afra Hines, Trinity Inay, Jeff Kready, McKenzie Kurtz, Jenny Laroche, Brandt Martinez, Morgan Marcell, Liz McCartney, Anastasia McCleskey, Giana Rice, Eliseo Roman, Lily Tamburo, Sherrod Tate, Kennedy Thompson, Tanairi Vazquez, Jacob Keith Watson, Alex Wong, and Corde Young, airs at 8 PM on NBC.
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In an unprecedented collaboration, Baltimore Center Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis have joined forces to hire a group of freelance artists to participate in a joint year-long Artistic Caucus as key parts of the artistic development teams withing each theater.
The Artistic Caucus is made of theater artists (intentionally not limited to traditional literary managers and dramaturgs, based all around the country, who will actively engage in reading new plays and proposals, scouting projects, and facilitating relationships with artists on behalf of all four theaters. In establishing this Caucus, the 4 theaters are actively opening up the frequently competitive and opaque artistic development process of our industry by engaging artists to help identify projects, paying them for their expertise, and positioning the different artistic priorities for each organization as a place of strength and cooperation.
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The Nutcracker continues through Jan. 2 at NYC Opera, choreographed by George Balanchine.
Principal Dancers Maria Kowroski (Sugarplum Fairy), Tyler Angle (Her Cavalier), Megan Fairchild (Dewdrop), and more than 50 New York City Ballet dancers.
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The Gift of the Magi, by Jon Gory, adapted & directed by Linda Kerns, will take place Thurs. Dec. 9 at 8 PM PT at Hollywood’s Actors Co-op.
Casting TBA.
A group of Christmas carolers narrates the story of Della and Jim, who are desperately in love with each other, but also very poor. In their attempts to buy each other proper Christmas gifts, a strange twist of fate leads the couple to find the perfect gifts for one another — but at an unexpected cost. Though they may not have the perfect Christmas, Della and Jim learn about the importance of the gift of love.
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Major Attaway: The Genie’s Jukebox will take place Mon. Jan. 31 at 9:45 PM ET at NYC’s 54 Below.
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Josefina López’s 2002 film, “Real Women Have Curves,” is being adapted into a musical, with a book by Lisa Loomer, and directed by Sergio Trujillo. Timeline, casting, and additional details TBA.
The project started out as a play, with a premiere in San Francisco before being adapted into a film in 2022, starring America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, and George Lopez. López updated her original play at Pasadena Playhouse in honor of the play’s 25th anniversary.
A reflection on the plight of garment workers in Los Angeles, and López’s experience becoming a legal U.S. resident.
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Kiki and Herb: Sleigh, created & performed by Justin Vivian Bond & Kenny Mellman, continues through Dec. 4 at BAM.
A match made in — depending on who you ask — a 1934 Western Pennsylvania children’s asylum, the 90s San Francisco club circuit, or the dawn of time, this relentlessly fabulous duo offers a brand-new holiday spectacular.
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Encore presentations of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine conversation from Aug. 2021, moderated by Christine Baranski, will be available to stream for FREE Dec. 2-31 on The Town Hall website.
Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.
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Video: Kristin Chenoweth performs “Everybody’s Waiting for the Man with the Bag.”
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A Broadway Christmas will take place Sun. Dec. 19 at 7:30 PM PT at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club, hosted by Eden Espinosa & David Burnham, with music direction by Gerald Sternbach.
Will Collyer, Matthew Patrick Davis, Julie Garnne, Dillon Klena, Valerie Perri, Joan Ryan, Natalie Wachen, and more TBA.
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“Disclaimer” is currently in development, and will begin streaming (date TBA) on Apple, written & directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline.
Catherine Ravenscroft is a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by widower appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in the story that she had hoped was long buried in the past.
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The Theatre World Awards will take place Mon. June 6, 2022 at 7 PM at a location TBA, hosted by Peter Filichia, and directed by Tom D’Angora & Michael D’Angora.
Additional details TBA.
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“Whitney Houston in Focus,” new documentary focusing on the early life of Houston, is currently in development, directed by Benjaim Alfonsi, and executive produced & narrated by Audra McDonald. The film is expected to be released in early 2022.
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Scott McPherson’s Marvin’s Room will run Jan. 21 – Feb. 27 at Hollywood’s Actors Coop, directed by Thomas James O’Leary.
Tara Battani, Justin Bowles, Francesca Casale, Kane Filbeck, Brian Habicht, Crystal Jackson, Marek Meyers, and Kimi Walker.
Lee and Bessie could not be more different and, though sisters, have not each other for almost two decades. During that time, Lee has been raising two challenging boys on her own. Bessie has been caring for their father, along with his soap opera-obsessed sister. Now that two are thrown together as Bessie has just been diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant.
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The Dec. 1 performance of David Byrne’s American Utopia was canceled due to a non-COVID-related illness in the company at the St. James Theatre.
Performances are set to resume tonight.
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Video: New “Annie Live” trailer
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“Reopening Night,” a new documentary covering The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Jocelyn Bioh’s Merry Wives, directed by Rudy Valdez, will begin streaming Dec. 10 at 10 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.
Playwright Jocelyn Bioh, director Saheem Ali, Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, set designer Beowulf Borrit, assistant director Abigail Jean-Baptiste, musician Farai Malianga, and cast members.
The film chronicles the 12-week journey to opening night in Summer 2021, examining challenges to mount an outdoor production with new health and safety guidelines in addition to exploring the Black experience in theatre.