Today’s Highlights:
Here You Come Again, by Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre & Tricia Paoluccio, directed by Barre, featuring Tricia Paoluccio and Jamison Stern, opens at Pittsburgh CLO.
The Appointment, by Alice Yorke, Eva Steinmetz, Scott R. Sheppard & Alex Bechtel, directed by Steinmetz, featuring Katie Gould, Jamie Maseda, Lee Minora, Brett Ashley Robinson, Scott R. Sheppard, Danny Wilfred, and Alice Yorke, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s WP Theatre.
**********************
2023 SAG Award nominations. Click here for the complete list.
**********************
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love will run begin previews June 17 and open July 20 at the Broadway Theatre, directed by Alex Timbers, with choreography by Annie-B Parson.
Casting TBA.
The musical focuses on the life of former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, along with the woman who raised her – Estrella Cumpas – and follows Marcos until she her family were forced to leave the Philippines.
**********************
(read): Mandy Patinkin on his Being Alive concert tour, and more…
**********************
The Public Theater’s Summer 2022 production of Richard III will debut Fri. May 19 at 9 PM on PBS, directed by Robert O’Hara.
Dania Gurira (Richard III), Wyatt Cirbus (Prince of Wales), Sanjit De Silva (Buckingham), Sam Duncan (Duke of York), Monique Holt (Duchess of York), Gregg Mozgala (King Edward IV/ Richmond), Paul Niebanck (George), Michael Potts (Lord Stanley), Ariel Shafir (Lord Hastings), Heather Alicia Simms (Queen Elizabeth), Ali Stroker (Anne), Sharon Washington (Queen Margaret), and Daniel J. Watts (Catesby Ratcliffe), with Maleni Chaitoo, Thaddeus Fitzpatrick, Skyler Gallun, Sarah Nina Hayon, Matthew Jeffers, Matt Monaco, Xavier Pacheco, Marcus Raye Pérez, Grace Porter, N’yomi Stewart, and Joe Mucciolo plus understudy Thomas DellaMonica.
**********************
The world premiere of Mint Theater Company‘s Becomes a Woman, by Betty Smith, will run Feb. 7 – Mar. 18 (opening Feb. 27) at NYC Center Stage II, directed by Britt Berke.
Duane Boutté, Christopher Reed Brown, Jeb Brown, Gina Daniels, Antoinette Lavecchia, Jack Mastrianni, Jason O’Connell, Emma Pfitzer Price, Scott Redmond, Pearl Rhein, Madeline Seidman, Phillip Taratula, Peterson Townsend, and Tim Webb.
The story of Francie, a 19-year-old living with her family in Brooklyn and working at a five and dime store as a singer at the sheet music Counter. Her co-workers describe her as “afraid of her family, afraid of the boss, afraid to make a date.” But as Francie becomes a woman, she discovers a hidden reserve of courage that surprises everyone, even herself.
**********************
The world premiere of Kareem Fahmy’s A Distinct Society will run Jan. 27 – Feb. 11 at Utah’s Pioneer Theatre Company, directed by Giovanna Sardelli.
Vaneh Assadourian (Shirin), Corey Jones (Bruce), Abdullah Khalil (Peyman), Carrie Paff (Manon), and Emmet Smith (Delcan).
A sleepy library that strategically straddles the U.S. and Canadian borders becomes and unlikely meeting play for separated families. This is the story of five people from different countries and cultures choosing between breaking the law or saving themselves, while trying desperately to understand one another. Alliances are built and broken, borders are straddled, but love and human connection prevail.
**********************
Mint Theater Company has announced the world premiere of Betty Smith’s unpublished and unproduced 1930 play, Becomes a Woman, will run Feb. 7 – Mar. 18 (opening Feb. 27) at NY City Center, directed by Britt Berke.
Duane Boutté, Jeb Brown, Gina Daniels, Antoinette Lavecchia, Jack Mastrianni, Pearl Rhein, Phillip Taratula, Jason O’Connell, Peterson Townsend, Scott Redmond, Tim Webb, Christopher Reed Brown, Emma Pfitzer Price, and Madeline Seidman.
Francie is a 19-year-old woman living with her family in Brooklyn. She works at a five and dime store as a singer at the sheet music counter with co-workers who only see a shy woman afraid of the world. So when Francie discovers her courage, she surprises everyone, but most of all herself.
**********************
J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company has announced the first 3 short productions for its 3rd season, to run Apr. 13 – May 21 at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row. Creative teams and casting TBA.
Woman pf the Year (Apr. 13-23). directed by Robert W. Schneider, with music direction by Miles Plant, and choreography by Deidre Goodwin.
Sugar (Apr. 27 – May 7), directed by Robert W. Schneider, with music direction by Miles Plant, and choreography by Caitlin Belcik.
The Goodby Girl (May 11-21), directed by David Zippel, with music direction by Miles Plant, and choreography by TBA.
**********************
The world premiere of Lloyd Suh’s The Heart Sellers will run Feb. 7 – Mar. 19 (opening Feb. 10) at Milwaukee Rep, directed by Jennifer Chang.
Narea Kang (Jane) and Nicole Javier (Luna).
The play gives voice to the Asian immigrant experience in the 1970s when the landmark Har-Celler Act granted thousands of professional workers a new path to citizenship. But for new Americans Jane and Luna, life in the USA with their workaholic husbands has left them feeling isolated and invisible. One Thanksgiving – over sips of wine and a questionable frozen turkey – they reminisce and dream of spreading their wings together in the land of opportunity: disco dancing, learning to drive and even a visit to Disneyland. With grace and dignity, this powerful play asks: “Would you give up your heart to make a new home?”
**********************
RIP: Carole Cook, a veteran actress beloved for her work on stage and screen, died peacefully from heart failure at the age of 98.
One of four children, Mildred Frances Cook was born in Abilene, Texas, on Jan. 14, 1924.
In addition to an illustrious career onstage, where she originated the role of Maggie Jones in the 1980 Broadway musical 42nd Street, Cook enjoyed over 60 screen credits.
The fun-loving Texan came to Hollywood at Ball’s behest and appeared on a 1959 episode of the comedienne’s “Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse.” Ball convinced her to change her first name from Mildred to Carole in honor of the actress she most admired, Carole Lombard.
Cook also portrayed the wife of Don Knotts’ character in “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” (1964) and was Molly Ringwald’s touchy-feely Grandma Helen in John Hughes’ “Sixteen Candles” (1984). In 1965, she followed the legendary Carol Channing as the second actress to portray Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! — this was for a lengthy gig in Australia — and then appeared in the original Broadway productions of Romantic Comedy and 42nd Street, which bowed in 1979 and ’80, respectively.
On television, Cook showed up as the ex-wife of Walter Findlay (Bill Macy) on “Maude,” as the bar owner of the cop hangout Stella’s on “Kojak,” as madam Cora Van Husen on “Dynasty” and as Donna La Mar, the girlfriend of Charlie Cagney (Dick O’Neill), on “Cagney & Lacey.” Cook’s résumé also included episodes of “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” “That Girl,” “McMillan & Wife,” “Chico and the Man,” “Magnum, P.I.”, “Dynasty,” “Hart to Hart” and “Grey’s Anatomy” — where she sang “Stormy Weather,” in addition to such films as “The Gauntlet” (1977), “American Gigolo” (1980), “Summer Lovers (1982)” and “Home on the Range” (2004).
Cook was also an active advocate for HIV/AIDS charities. The Broadway star spent over 30 years working with S.T.A.G.E. LA, a musical theater benefit for HIV/AIDS, and performed annually at San Francisco’s Help Is On The Way benefit, an organization honoring the founders’ sons, who died of the virus.
**********************
The world premiere of Ryan J. Haddad’s Dark Disabled Stories will run Feb. 18 – Mar. 26 (opening Mar. 9) at The Public Theater, directed by Jordan Fein.
Ryan J. Haddad, Dickie Hearts, and Alejandra Ospina.
The play offers a series of vignettes about the strangers Haddad encounters while navigating a city (and a world) not built for his walker and cerebral palsy.
**********************
After 48 years, Manhattan Theatre Club Executive Producer Barry Grove has announced his departure from the company on June 30.
His final productions included Broadway’s The Collaboration and Summer, 1976, as well as Off-Broadway’s The Best We Could and King James.
**********************
Alice Scovell’s The Rewards of Being Frank, a sequel to The Importance of Being Earnest, will run Mar. 3-26 (opening Mar. 5) at ART/New York Theatres, directed by Stephen Burdman.
Christine Pedi (Lady Bracknell), Moboluwaji Ademide Akintilo (Frank), James Evans (Algernon), Kelly Mengelkoch (Gwendolyn), Tora Nogami Alexander (Cecily), and Jeremy Dubin (Ernest).
The play is set seven years after Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest.
**********************
The world premiere of Randy Rogel’s Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today will run Mar. 16 – Apr. 2 (opening Mar. 18) at CA’s La Mirada Theatre, directed by BT McNicholl, with choreography by Connor Gallagher, and music direction by Andrew Orbison.
Casting TBA.
When a struggling beatnik sculptor in San Francisco stumbles upon a new style of art that thrusts him into fame, fortune, and perhaps some big trouble, well – you’ll just have to see what Walter Paisley did today.