Today’s Highlights:
Miss Saigon, directed by Robert Hastie, featuring Joanna Ampil (The Engineer), Desmonda Cathabel (Mimi), Aynrand Ferrer (Gigi), Shanay Holmes (Ellen), Jessica Lee (Kim), Ethan Le Phong (Thuy), Christian Maynard (Chris), Emily Ooi (Yvonne), Shane O’Riordan (John), and Ericka Posadas (Fifi ), with Adam Colbeck-Dunn, Andrew Davison, Oscar Kong, Abel Law, Lavinia Mai, Patrick Munday, Rachel Jayne Picar, Aharon Rayner, Ernest Stroud, Rumi Sutton, Callum Tempest, Danny Whelan, Riley Woodford, and Iverson Yabut, opens at London’s Gielgud Theatre.
Disruption, world premiere by Andrew Stein, directed by Hersh Ellis, featuring Nathaniel Curtis (Ben), Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Nick), Sasha Desouza-Willock (Raven), Rosanna Hyland (Mia), Debbie Korley (Suzie), Nick Read (Paul), Kevin Shen (Barry), and Mika Simmons (Jill), opens at London’s Park Theatre.
The Saviour, world premiere by Deirdre Kinahan, directed by Louise Lowe, featuring Marie Mullen and Jamie O’Neill, opens at Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep.
The Half-God of Rainfall, by Inua Ellams, directed by Taibi Magar, featuring Jason Bowen (Sàngó), Mister Fitgerald (Demi), Patrice Johnson Cheyannes (Osún), Michael Laurence (Zeus), Lizan Mitchell (Elegba), Jennifer Mogbock (Modúpé), and Alexandra Silber (Hera), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop.
Prejudice & Pride, newly adapted by Sam Wright & Nicholas Collet, directed by directed by Nicholas Collet, featuring Tim Ahlenius, Chris Arnone, Bridget Casad, PT Mahoney, Christian Thomas Owen, Margaret Shelby, Stefanie Stevens, Frani Talamantez-Witte, and Sam Wright, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters.
No Man’s Land, by Harold Pinter, directed by Les Waters, featuring Austin Pendleton, Jeff Perry, John Hudson Odom, and Samuel Roukin, begins previews at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.
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2023 Emmy Award nominations. Click here for the complete list.
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Steve Guttenberg’s Tales From The Guttenberg Bible will run Aug. 1-20 at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theater, directed by David Saint.
Steve Guttenberg.
This hilarious journey from the Guttenberg’s family home on Long Island to the glamour of Hollywood as told by Guttenberg himself and 3 other actors—recounts how he broke onto the Paramount Lot and set up an office, to his run-ins with everyone from Paul Reiser to Tom Selleck, Brian Dennehy to Merv Griffin. It would be an unbelievable tale… if it wasn’t true (mostly).
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere pre-Broadway run of Christopher Renshaw & Andrew Delaplaine’s A Wonderful World, to run Oct. 1-8 at New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre, followed by a run Oct. 11-19 at Chicago’s Palace Theatre, directed by Christopher Renshaw.
James Monroe Iglehart (Louis Armstrong), Ta’Rea Campbell (Lucille Wilson), Jennie Harney-Fleming (Lil Hardin), Brennyn Lark (Alpha Smith) Khalifa White (Daisy Parker), DeWitt Fleming, Jr. (Lincoln Perry), Gavin Gregory (King Joe Oliver), Matthew Greenwood (Johnny Collins), Lindsey Corey (Rachel the Reporter), and Matt Wolpe (Joe Glaser), with Ronnie Bowman, Eean Cochran, Jamal Christopher Douglas, Alexandra Frohlinger, Afra Hines, Alan Kelly, Ashley McManus ), Aurelia Michael, Alysha Morgan, Jarran Muse, Aaron Michael Ray, Khadijah Rolle, Dave Schoonover, Brett Sturgis, Renell Taylor, and Dori Waymer.
The story of Louis Armstrong’s rise to stardom and blazing musical career from the perspective of his four wives, who each had a unique impact on his life.
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Rent in Concert will run July 26-28 at the Kennedy Center, directed by Sammi Cannold, and conducted by Steven Reineke.
Ali Stroker (Maureen), Myles Frost (Benny), Jordan Donica (Collins), Awa Sal Secka (Joanne), Jimmie Herrod (Angel), Lorna Courtney (Mimi Márquez), Andrew Barth Feldman (Mark Cohen), Alex Boniello (Roger Davis), Ali Stroker (Maureen Johnson), Myles Frost (Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III), and Jimmie Herrod (Angel Dumott Schunard).
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San Francisco’s A.C.T. will present the world premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical, to run Aug. 25 – Oct. 1 (opening Sept. 6), directed by Kamilah Forbes, with choreography by Camille A. Brown.
Angela Birchett (Delores), Quentin Earl Darrington (Don Cornelius), Kayla Davion (Jody Watley), Sidney DuPont (Tony Cornelius), Cameron Hah (Cheryl Song), Amber Iman (Pam Brown), Richard James (Tyrone Proctor), Jaquez (Jeffrey Daniel), Alain “Hurrikane” Lauture (Don Campbellock), Mayte Natalio (Rosie Perez), and Charlene “Chi-Chi” Smith (Damita Jo), with Terence Archie, Jennifer Marie Frazier, McKenzie Frye, Justin Jorrell, Jahi Kearse, Alora Tonielle Martinez, Miki Michelle, Aché Richardson, Roukijah Rooks, SeQuoiia, Maleek Washington, Unissa Cruse, Amanda Le Nguyen, and Aya Travick-Best.
The musical is based on the iconic TV show that brought Black music, dance, and style into every living room in America. Journey back to 1971’s Chicago, when Black entrepreneur and radio DJ Don Cornelius transformed the pop culture landscape by recognizing the lack of Black musical artists on television. Within a year, his local dance show went national and became one of the longest-running shows in television history. Elegant, determined, and complicated, Cornelius set trends for nearly 40 years by giving a stage—and a camera—to the artists who created the soundtrack of multiple generations, and to the dancers, including Rosie Perez and Jody Watley, who became superstars.
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The Blank Theatre‘s Young Playwrights Festival has announced Week 3, which will run July 20-23 at LA’s Skylight Theatre:
The Groundwater, by Dylan Malloy, directed by Laura Stribling, featuring David Bloom, Madison McLaughlin, and Jorge-Luis Pallo. Three strangers find themselves in a cabin together, trying to survive in a world without water. As they remember what they’ve lost, they also discover new things to love, and the reasons they each must keep going.
Good, by Brian Guan, directed by June Carryl, featuring Eileen Fogarty and Toks Olagundoye. Two sons. One funeral. Two mothers mourn the loss of who they thought their children were and try to find understanding and forgiveness for each other … and themselves.
Jonas Versus the Fairyarchy, by Catherine Day, directed by Kila Kitu, featuring Melissa Carvajal, Quincy Cho, Tiana Louise Cohen, Ella James, and Matthew Scott Montgomery. What would you be if gender barriers and stereotypes didn’t exist? Jonas knows what HE would do, and nothing is going to tell him he can’t.
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Video: Take a tour inside Stephen Sondheim’s $7 million Manhattan townhouse.
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Ossie Davis’ Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch will begin previews Sept. 7 and open Sept. 27 at the Music Box Theatre, directed by Kenny Leon.
Leslie Odom Jr. (Purlie Victorious Judson), Vanessa Bell Calloway (Idella Landy), Billy Eugene Jones (Gitlow Judson), Noah Pyzik (Deputy), Noah robbins (Charlie Cotchipee), Jay O. Sanders (Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee), Heather Alicia Simms (Missy Judson), Bill Timoney (Sheriff), and Kara Young (Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins).
The story of a Black preacher’s machinations to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church.
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All Roads Theatre Company (a new AEA theatre) will offer fully staged & choreographed concert presentations of Mack & Mabel Feb. 16-18, 2024 at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre.
Casting and creative team TBA.
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The Summer Playwrights Festival continues through July 16 at North Hollywood’s Road on Magnolia, offering readings of 25 new plays.
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Video: Taylor Louderman performs “Someone Else’s Story” at the Muny.
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NYC’s National Park Service Federal Hall‘s The Democracy Project continues through July 22, offering presentations of new works.
Lisa D’Amour, Bruce Norris, Larissa FastHorse, Michael R. Jackson, Tanya Barfield, and Melissa James Gibson.
The project tells the story of Federal Hall, and its place in America for over 200 years, and explores the conversations of American politics that have continued to affect people for over 200 years since George Washington’s inauguration at Federal Hall. “The story of Federal Hall, where there were these historic moments that did seed a democracy that works in many ways, is important. But at the same time, it left people out and harmed certain people. That is a contradiction that is really hard to live with,” says contributing playwright Lisa D’Amour. She continues, “Living in this country and grappling with The Constitution is not an easy process. That was an engine to what we were doing, acknowledging that that has to be reflected in the show.”