Today’s Highlights:
Roundabout‘s The Wanderers, by Anna Ziegler, directed by Barry Edelstein, featuring Katie Holmes (Julia Cheever), Sarah Cooper (Sophie), Lucy Freyer (Esther), David Klasko (Schmuli), and Eddie Kaye Thomas (Abe), opens at Off-Broadway’s Laura Pels Theatre.
The National Black Theatre‘s Amani, world premiere by a.k. payne, directed by Josiah Davis, featuring Omari K. Chancellor (Robert Richards/Davion/Lamar Davis/A Series of Men), Kai Heath (Kofa), Denise Manning (Amani), Eden Marryshow (Smith), and Mars Rucker (Daisa), opens at Off-Broadway’s Rattlestick Theater.
Hercules, by Alan Menken, David Zippel & Robert Horn, directed by Ron Clements & John Musker, featuring Bradley Gibson (Hercules), Shuler Hensley (Hades), James Monroe Iglehart (Phil), Isabelle McCalla (Meg), Jeff Blumenkrantz (Panic), Reggie De Leon (Pain), Charity Angél Dawson (Clio), Tiffay Mann (Calliope), Anastacia McCleskey (Thalia), Destinee Rea (Terpsichore), Rashidra Scott (Melpomene), Kathryn Allison (Despina), Allyson Kaye Daniel (Aunt Tithesis/Lachesis), Lucia Giannetta (Atropos), Jesse Nager (Nessus), Kristen Faith Oei (Hera), Dennis Stowe (Zeus), and Anne Fraser Thomas (Clotho), with Joshua Buscher, Marcus Cobb, Zachary Downer, Ryan Fitzgerald, Kendall LeShanti, Chani Maisonet, Skye Mattox, Jason W. McCullum, Erin Moore, JJ Niemann, Gabrielle Reid, Adam Roberts, Ben Roseberry, Christine Shepard, Chiara Trentalange, and Lamont Walker II, Ben Roseberry, Christine Shepard, Chiara Trentalange, and Lamont Walker II, opens at NJ’s Papermill Playhouse.
The Coast Starlight, by Keith Bunin, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, featuring Mia Barron, Camila Canó-Flaviám Rhys Coiro, Jon Norman Schneider, Michelle Wilson, and Will Harrison, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Lincoln Center Theatre.
The Harder They Come, world premiere by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Tony Taccone & Sergio Trujillo, featuring Natey Jones Ivan), Jeanette Bayardelle (Daisy), Andrew Clarke (Lyle), Dominique Johnson (Jose), Dudney Joseph Jr (Ray), Meecah (Elsa), Jacob Ming-Trent (Pedro), and Ken Robinson (Hilton), with Shawn Bowers, Christopher Douglas, Jamal Christopher Douglas, Dana Marie Ingraham, Chelsea-Ann Jones, Dwight Xaveir Leslie, Morgan McGhee, Alysha Morgan, Housso Semon, Sir Brock Warren, Natey Jones, Tyla Collier, Tiffany Francès, Garfield Hammonds, Denver Andre Taylor, Sir Brock Warren), Carla Woods, and Christopher Henry Young, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.
Oklahoma, reimagined & directed by Daniel Fish, featuring Arthur Darvill (Curly), Anoushka Lucas (Laurey), Patrick Vaill (Jud Fry), Georgina Onuorah (Ado Annie), Liza Sadovy (Aunt Eller), James Patrick Davis (Will Parker), Phillip Olagoke (Cord Elam), Stavros Demetraki (Ali Hakim), Raphael Bushay (Mike), Greg Hicks (Andrew Carnes), Rebekah Hinds (Gertie Cummings), and Marie-Astrid Mence (Lead Dancer), begins previews at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre.
Calvin Berger, by Barry Wyner, directed by Richard Israel, featuring Corinne Miller, Jordan Quisno, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Jasmine Sharma, begins previews at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
Disruption FREE readings, by Andrew Stein, directed by Hersh Ellis, featuring Matt Rauch, Tina Benko, Victoire Charles, Erik Lochtefeld, Emma Kikue, Bobby Moreno, Barzin Akhavan, and Kea Trevett, at 12 & 3 PM & at NYC’s Open Jar Studios.
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s shadow/land, to run Apr. 20 – May 21 (opening May 4) at The Public Theater, directed by Candis C. Jones.
The first preview on Apr. 20 is FREE.
Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Lynnette R. Freeman, Perri Gaffney, Lizan Mitchell, Christine Shepherd, and Joy-Marie Thompson.
As Hurricane Katrina begins her ruin, tensions between duty and desire surface, a levee is brought to its knees, and Ruth must wrestle with all that she’s ready to let go.
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Joe DiPietro, Brendan Milburn, Val Vigoda & Ryan O’Connell’s Ernest Shackleton Loves Me will run May 6 – June 1 (opening May 11) at Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre, directed by Michael Unger, with music direction by Eric Svejcar.
Elisa Carlson (Kat) and Andrew Mueller (Ernest Shackleton), with Rae Robeson and Matt Miles.
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The Broadway Backwards annual benefit concert, in support of BC/EFA, will take place Mon. Mar. 13 at 8 PM at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre, directed by Robert Bartley, with music direction by Ted Arthur & Mary-Mitchell Campbell, and hosted by Jenn Colella.
George Abud, Philippe Arroyo, Corbin Bleu, Wayne Brady, Len Cariou, Lorna Courtney, Bradley Dean, Dormeshia, Adrianna Hicks, Robyn Hurder, Brittney Mack, Jeigh Madjus, Chris McCarrell, Samantha Pauly, Anthony Rapp, Turner Riley, Lea Salonga, Kyle Scatliffe, A.J. Shively, Ali Stroker, Paulo Szot, and Betsy Wolfe.
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Kiss of the Spider Woman (the play) will run Mar. 26 – Apr. 13 (opening Apr. 1) at Pasadena’s A Noise Within, directed by Michael Michetti.
Ed F. Martin (Molina) and Adrían González (Valentin).
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David Abbinanti & Sean Cercone’s Elvis: A Musical Revolution will premiere in July at the Sydney State Theatre, and in September in Melbourne (dates, theatre, and additional details TBA).
here.
David Venn (Elvis Presley), and more TBA.
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Manhattan Theatre Club has announced its next Ted Snowdon Reading Series, to run Mar. 6-27. While the readings are free, an RSVP is required on the link above. Casting TBA.
The Heart Sellers (Mar. 6 at 4 PM), by Lloyd Suh, directed by May Adrales
Two immigrants in the U.S., connected by chance, explore the Asian immigrant experience in the wake of the Hart-Celler Act, which aimed to remove anti-Asian discrimination from immigration policies.
As Above (Mar. 13 at 4 PM), by Christine Quintana.
Jo, a once-prominent botanical researcher eight years sober, begins to rebuild her life. An estranged daughter, a grieving mother, and a lonely brother seek to communicate with another through a noisy world. In the play, complicated human relationships mirror the relationships between trees and the mycelial networks that connect them. Only in the quiet of the forest can things become clear again.
An Oxford Man (Mar. 20 at 4 PM), by Else Went, directed by Emma Rosa Went.
A buoyant and raucous mythologization of the life and times of the first “modern” transgender man, Laurence Michal Dillon.
Watch Me (Mar. 27 at 4 PM), by Dave Harris.
How can I get over slavery if I can’t even get over my ex? A wild ass love story of a couple from their first date, to their first time, to a reckoning with sex, ancestry, desire, and Black Jesus.
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Complete casting has been announced for ROOM, written & adapted for the stage by Emma Donoghue, to run Apr. 3 – Sept. 18 (opening Apr. 17) at the James Earl Jones theatre, directed by Cora Bissett.
Adrienne Warren (Ma), Kate Burton (Grandma), Ephraim Sykes (SuperJack), Tina Benko (Interviewer/Police Officer), Michael Genet (Grandpa/Doctor), Triney Sandoval (Old Nick), and Aiden Mekhi Sierra & Christopher Woodley (alternating as Little Jack), with Alexis Gordon and Anthony Chatmon II.
Kidnapped as a teenage girl, Ma has been locked up for seven years inside a purpose-built room in her captor’s garden. Her five-year-old son, Jack, has no concept of the world outside and happily exists inside Room with the help of Ma’s games his vivid imagination where objects like Rug, Lamp and TV are his only friends. But for Ma the time has come to escape and face their biggest challenge to date: the world outside Room.
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Broadway the Calla Way, starring Liz & Ann Hampton Callaway, will run Mar. 30 – Apr. 1 at Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
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William Inge’s Picnic will run Mar. 22 – May 28 (opening Mar. 25) at the Odyssey Theatre, directed by John Farmanesh-Bocca.
Monti Washington (Hal Carter), Mattie Harris Lowe & Caitlin O’Grady (alternating as Madge Owens), Symphony Canady (Millie), Yolanda Snowball (Flo), Ahkei Togun (Alan Seymour), Sydney A. Mason (Rosemary Sydney), Ronin Lee & Derrick Parker (alternating as Howard Bevans), Rosemary Thomas (Helen Potts), and Erika L. Holmes (Irma Kronkite).
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Amas Musical Theatre, with Timeless Stage & Screen, will present two performance of Tegan Summer & Gregory Nabours’ Mozart: Her Story – The New Musical on Mar. 5 & 6 (both at 7:30 PM) at Carnegie Hall, directed by Stephanie Klemons, with choreography by Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson, and music direction by Nabours.
Kennedy Caughell (Nan) and Justin Matthew Sargent (Wolfgang), Robert Cuccioli, Kate Rockwell, Zachary Noah Piser, Etai Benson, Jonathan Mousset, Jenna Leigh Green, Gregory Treco, Greg Laucella, Jelani Remy, Sasha Hutchings, Asmeret Ghebremichael, and Morgan Marcell, with Jillian Davis, Tatian Melendez, Larissa Gerske, Joe González, Thomas Dilley, and Kelly Marsh.
The Woman in the musical is Wolfgang’s sister, Nan Mozart, who is a brilliant composer who struggles to be seen and heard in the male-dominated 18th century court. When the young virtuosa, who is arguably more talented that her brother, is silenced and banned from all artistic endeavors, she rebels. In this untold story, two estranged siblings embark on a journey of love, hate, tragedy and redemption.
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New York Stage and Film has announced its brief Winter Season, to run Feb. 27 – Mar. 5 at NY’s Vassar College.
“Directors in Progress” roundtable (Feb. 28), featuring Raja Feather Kelly and Nicole A. Watson.
The Birth of the Pill reading, by Jessica Huang, directed by Jaki Bradley.
Margaret Sanger and Katharine McCormick schemed for decades about a pill that women could swallow like and aspirin that would grant total autonomy over their fertility. To achieve this reat, they need to team up with maverick scientist Gregory Pincus and charismatic gynecologist John Rock – and find willing human test subjects from New Hampshire to Puerto Rico.
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Stages St. Louis has announced its 2023 season:
Creative teams and casting TBA.
Aida (June 22 – July 2)
Clue (July 21 – Aug. 20)
Million Dollar Quartet (Sept. 8 – Oct. 8)
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What’s Going On?: Songs of Change will run Mar. 25-27 at NYC’s 92Y, written, directed & choreographed by Warren Adams, with music direction by Michael O. Mitchell.
Charl Brown, Patrice Covington, Valisia LeKae, Naturi Naughton, Ryan Shaw, Eric B. Turner, and Daniel J. Watts.
The concerts will present music by Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and others whose songs of protest and cries for racial justice became anthem for generations.
