Today’s Highlights:
American Prophet: Frederick Douglass in His Own Words world premiere, by Charles Randolph-Wright & Marcus Hummon, directed by Randolph-Wright, featuring Cornelius Smith Jr. (Frederick Douglas) and Kristolyn Lloyd (Anna Douglass), with Carolyn Agan, Kurt Boehm, Thomas Adrian Simpson, and Kanysha Williams, with Erica Aubrey, Zoë Bryant, Cicily Daniels, Christopher B. Portley, Christopher Michael Richardson, Chris Roberts, Brendon Schaefer, Corry West, and Curtis Wiley, opens at DC’s Arena Stage.
Amas Musical Theatre‘s The Gospel According to Heather developmental lab presentation, by Paul Gordon, directed & choreographed by Rachel Klein, featuring Travis Artz, Bradley Dean, Baria Farha, Gabrielle Green, Darron Hayes, Bryson Jacobi Jackson, Chloé McSwain, Nancy Opel, Marissa Rosen, Adi Roy, and Brittany Nicole Williams, at 2:30 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s Signature Center. (also tomorrow at 1 PM ET).
Jason Graae ~ Graae Matter concert, at 8 PM PT at CA’s Coachella Valley Rep.
The Gospel According to Heather workshop performance, by Paul Gordon, directed by Rachel Klein, featuring Nancy Opel, Marison Rosen, Travis Artz, Bradley Dean, Badia Farha, Darron Hayes, Bryson Jacobi Jackson, Chloe Gabriella McSwain, and Brittany Nicole Williams, at 2:30 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s Signature Center (also tomorrow at 1 PM ET).
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Waiting for Godot will run Aug. 19 – Sept. 4 at Pittsfield, MA’s Barrington Stage, directed by Joe Calarco.
Mark H. Dold (Vladimir), Kevin Isola (Estragon), Christopher Innvar (Pozzo), and Max Wolkowitz (Lucky).
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Carter Calvert: Viva La Diva will take place Sun. Aug. 14 at 7 PM ET at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.
Calvert floats effortlessly between Broadway, Pop, Jazz, and Country, with her hilarious yet heartfelt take on “making it in the biz” and the Divas that inspired her along the way.
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Little Shop of Horrors has announced cast changes at the Westside Theatre:
* Lena Hall (as Audrey, beginning Sept. 6)
* Rob McClure (recently began his run as Seymour)
* Andrew Call (as Orin Scrivello beginning Aug. 30)
The cast also includes Tammy Blanchard (Audrey, through Sept. 4) and Christian Borle (Orin Scrivello, through Aug. 28),
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“Ms. Guidance” Ep. 5, written by James Ryan Caldwell, directed by Van Hansis & Melodie Sisk, is now available to watch here.
Amber Gray, Van Hansis, Tyler Hanes, Ian Unterman, Calli Alden, Adriane Lenox, Mark Boyett, Sam Faulkner, Andrew Hollinger, Erin Kommor, Ginna Le Vine, Antonio Marziale, Ashley Austin Morris, Amy Russ, Nikki Snelson, Kit Williamson, Marco Zunio, Michael Urie, and Elliotte Crowell.
Jenny has turned over a new leaf, or at least that’s what she wants everyone to think. Pistol is conflicted by a nagging desire to cast Walker as the lead in The Seagull. Bethany uncovers a dirty secret and uses it to her advantage. And Porshe learns how to be good at being bad.
Catch up on Episodes 1-4 here.
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BD wong & Wayne Barker’s Mr. Holland’s Opus will run Aug. 13 – Sept. 10 at ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse, directed by BD Wong, with music direction by Kevin Stites and choreography by Darren Lee.
Akron Watson (Mr. Holland), Anastasia Barzee (Iris Holland), Joshua Castille (Cole Holland), Veanne Cox (Helen Chae-Jacobs), Chris Orbach (Bill Meister), Timothy Gulan (Eugene), J Kai An Chee (Rowena), Napoleon Douglas (Louis), Yannick-robin Eike (Bobby Toti), Mary Hould (Natalie), Abeba Isaac (Shondi), Louis Jannuzzi III (Stadler), Angel Lin (Gertrude), Matt Magnusson (Jim Stahlen), Maggie McNeil (Stadler’s Mom), Noax (Leonard), Timmy Ong (Lamont), Troy Valjean Rucker (Louis Rus Sr.), and Rodrigo Torrejón (Manny), with Stephanie Cha, Jenn Chandler, Francesca Dawis, Tyrone Kiaku, Cat Patterson, Natalie Powers, Garrett Hin, Nathan Wright, and Joey Antonio.
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Coeurage Ensemble (link TBA) will present Rent in Nov/Dec., directed by Reena Dutt, with music direction by Gregory Nabours, and choreography by Tasheena Medina.
Dates, link, casting, and additional information TBA.
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Jack Thorne’s The Motive & the Cue will run in Spring 2023 (dates TBA) at the National Theatre (link TBA), directed by Sam Mendes.
Casting TBA.
The play follows how Richard Burton and John Gielgud brought a production of Hamlet to Broadway in 1964, with help from Elizabeth Taylor.
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Into the Woods, originally scheduled to close Aug. 21, will now run through Oct. 16 at the St. James Theatre.
Casting updates if there are any) are TBA.
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A Chorus Line continues through July 31 at Pittsburgh CLO, directed & choreographed by Baayork Lee.
Billy Harrigan Tighe (Zach), Sarah Bowden (Cassie), Adriana Negron (Diana), Grace Arnold (Val), Tommy Bracco (Mike), Kahlil Cabble (Don), E. Clayton Cornelious (Richie), Just DeParis (Al), David Grindrod (Mark), Eddie Gutiérrez (Paul), Jolina Javier (Connie), Maya Kazzaz (Bebe), Zoe Killian (Maggie), Denis Lamberg (Greg), Ian Liberto (Bobby), Gia Mongell (Kristine), Tracy Sokat (Judy), Naomi C. Walley (Sheila), and David Wayne (Larry), with Matthew Boyd (Frank), Mathew Fedorek Isaiah Joshua Foster, Maggie McCown, Maile Oravitz, Jerreme Rodriguez, Austin Schulte, Susannah Upchurch, and Andrea Weinzierl.
Video: First look
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The first Off-Broadway revival of Adam Guettel & Tina Landau’s Floyd Collins will run Nov. 11 – Dec. 18 (opening Nov. 28) at Theatre 71 (link TBA), directed by Christina Sajous, with choreography by Billy Bustamante, and music direction by Adam Rothenberg.
Casting TBA.
Based on a real-life incident, this is the story of an early 20th century amateur cave explorer who finds himself stuck in a Kentucky cave and the resulting media frenzy surrounding the efforts to rescue him.
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Something Rotten! continues through July 31 at Sacramento Music Circus, directed by Linda Goodrich, with choreography by John MacInnis.
Jackie Burns, Ben Fankhauser, Josh Lamon, Matt Loehr, and more
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Urinetown will run Aug. 5-28 at Chicago’s Edge Theatre, directed by Billy Surges, with choreography by Tim Huggenberger, and music direction by Daven Taba.
Kyle Quinlivan (Officer Lockstock), Jimmy Hogan (Bobby Strong), Stephanie Boyd (Hope Cladwell), Tony Calkins (Caldwell B. Cladwell), Taylor Dalton (Penelope Pennywise), Korinne Yonan (Little Sally), Will Knox (Officer Barrel), Billy Surges (Senator Fipp), David Blakeman (McQueen), Alex Iacobucci (Hot Blades Harry), Amanda Donohoe (Little Becky Two Shoes), Madison Meeron (Soupy Sue), Cory McMenomy (Tiny Tom), Adnrew John Baker (Billy Boy Bill), Jennifer Lenius (Robby the Stockfish), Emily Lewis (Joseph Old Man Strong), Julie Good (Dr. Billeaux), Connor Crumley (Ms. Millenium), Annie Beaubien (Josephine Old Ma Strong), and Katherine Abel (Female Understudy).
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Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza, Sam Willmott & Deep Sing’s Bhangin’ It: A Bhangin’ New Musical has been delayed at Boston’s Huntington Theatre due to a manufacturing delay.
Previously scheduled to run Dec. 4 – Jan. 8, 2023, new dates will be announced soon. Safford Arima directs.
The musical focuses on college senior Mary Darshini Clarke who captains a novice Bhangra team ahead of the national intercollegiate competition.
Casting, creative team, and additional information TBA.
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Patrick Pacheco, Erik Forrest Jackson, Jason Howland & Amanda Yesnowitz’s Christmas in Connecticut, based on the film, will run Nov. 18 – Dec. 20 at Goodspeed Musicals, directed by Amy Corcoran, with music direction by Adam Souza.
Casting TBA.
Smart Housekeeping columnist Liz Lane, a famous expert on marriage, cooking and homemaking, is asked by her publisher to host a war hero for Christmas dinner at her renowned Connecticut farmhouse. The only problem? She can’t cook, she isn’t married, and she lives in a tiny New York apartment.
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The world premiere of Grant MacDermott’s Jasper will begin previews Sept. 8 and open Sept. 14 at the Signature Theatre, directed by Katie McHugh.
Dominic Fumusa, Abigail Hawl, and Jessica Pimentel, with Justin Adams and Jessica DiGiovanni.
A couple struggles to keep their ill child and their marriage alive. A chance encounter changes everything and forces them to re-evaluate their circumstances.
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The cast album for the current Broadway revival of The Music Man has just been recorded, with a release date TBA.
Hugh Jackman (Professor Harold Hill), Sutton Foster (Marian Paroo), Shuler Hensley (Marcellus Washburn), Jefferson Mays (Mayor Shinn), Jayne Houdeshell (Mrs. Shinn, Marie Mullen (Mrs. Paroo), Remy Auberjonois (Charlie Cowell, Gino Cosculluela (Tommy Djilas), Emma Crow (Zaneeta Shinn), Benjamin Pajak (Winthrop), Kayla Teruel (Amaryllis), Garret Lon (Ethel Toffelmier), Linda Mugleston (Alma Hix), Jessica Britt (Maud Dunlop), Rema Webb (Mrs. Squires), Phillip Boykin (Olin Britt), Eddie Korbich (Jacey Squires), Daniel Torres (Ewart Dunlop), Nicholas Ward (Oliver Hix), Lance Roberts (Constable Locke), and Max Clayton (Harol Hill standby), with Nick Alvino, Jordan Beall, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Maria Briggs, Audrey Cardwell, JT Church, Kammie Crum, Aydin Eyikan, Carlee flanagan, Ethen Green-Younger, Emily Jewel Hoder, Curtis Holland, Eloise Kropp, Ethan Lafazan, Kayla Lavine, Andrew Minard, Sean Montgomery, Tanner Quirk, Daniel Patrick Russell, Ann Sanders, Sherisse Springer, Mitchell Tobin, Kathy Voytko, Branch Woodman, and Ryan Worsing.
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The world premiere of Eric Roth’s stage adaptation of High Noon will premiere in 2023 at a theatre TBA, directed by Michael Arden.
Dates, casting, link, and additional information TBA.
The first Western play to premiere on Broadway in decades, the show will unfold in real time like the film, which follows a town marshal faced with confronting a group of killers on his own or leaving town with his new wife.
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Complete casting has been announced for the tour of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which will launch Sept. 11 at the Providence PAC. Click here for the complete touring schedule.
Naomi Rodgers & Zurin Villanueva (who will each perform the role of Tina Turner 4 times a week), Garrett Turner (Ike Turner), Roz White (Zelma Bullock), Ann Nesby (Gran Georgeanna), and Lael Van Keuren (Rhonda), with Daelyanna Kelly Benson, Antonio Beverly, Taylor A. Blackman, Aliyah Caldwell, Lillian Charles, Max Falls, Zachary Freier-Harrison, Reyna Guerra, Gordia Hayes, Andre Hinds, Takia Hopson, Ayvah Johnson, Geoffrey Kidwell, Parris Mone’t Lewis, Nia Nelson-Williams, Gracie Phillips, Nicole Powell, Terance Reddick, Shari Washington Rhone, Kris Roberts, Jacob Roberts-Miller, Aniya Simone, Chris Stevens, Jeff Sullivan, and Carlton Terrence Taylor.
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Amy Herzog’s 4000 Miles will run Aug. 23 – Sept. 4 at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse, directed by David Kennedy.
Mia Dillon (Vera Joseph), Clay Singer (Leo Joseph-Connell), Lea DiMarchi (Bec), and Phoebe Holden (Amanda).
When Leo Joseph-Connell suffers a major loss while was on a cross-country bike trip, he seeks solace from his feisty grandmother Vera Joseph in her West Village apartment.