GRACE NOTES: Thursday, June 15, 2023

 

Today’s Highlights:

  The Crucible, directed by Lyndsey Turner, featuring Milly Alcock (Abigail Proctor), Caitlin Fitzgerald (Elisabeth Proctor), Brian Gleeson (John Proctor), Ron Cook (Giles Corey), Risayo Akinade (Danforth), with  David Ahmad, Zoë Aldrich, Stephanie Beattie, Raphael Bushay, Henry Everett, Nick Fletcher, Colin Haigh, Nadine Higgin, Gracie McGonigal, Alastair Parker, Joy Tan, and Tilly Tremayne. Completing the cast will be Christopher Birch, Lucy Brindle, Grace Farrell, Chyna-Rose Frederick, Miya James, Ebony Jonelle, Tama Phethean, Amy Snudden, Nia Towle, and Samuel Townsend, opens at London’s Gielgud Theatre.

  The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, directed by Patricia McGregor, featuring Jon Michael Hill (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and Amanda Warren (Camae), opens at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.

  Now or Later, by Christopher Shinn, directed by Ann Bronston, featuring Cherish Monique Duke, Brendan Farrell, Suzanne Ford, Samuel Garnett, George Kappaz, and Jack McKeever, opens at LA’s Matrix Theatre.

  Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act, by David Stuart Davies, directed by Gareth Armstrong, featuring Nigel Miles-Thomas, opens at Hollywood’s Broadwater

  Memoryhouse, world premiere by Melissa Barak, featuring the LA Ballet, opens at LA’s Broad Stage.

  Spy For Spy, world premiere by Kieron Barry, directed by Jane Atkinson, featuring Olive Gray and Amy Lenox, begins previews at London’s Riverside Studios.

  Singin’ in the Rain, directed by Jayme McDaniel, featuring Max Clayton (Don Lockwood), Christian Probst (Cosmor Brown), Chiara Trentalange (Kathy Selden), Greg Jackson (Roscoe Dexter), Kate Loprest (Lina Lamont), and Lance Roberts (R.F. Simpson), with Katie Brunson, Calvin L’Mont Cooper, Nick Davis, Lianne Marie Dobbs, Alex Drost, Jaime Foord, Leeds Hill, Will Jewett, Dot Kelly, Joey Kummert, Maddy Miller, Jordon Taylor,  Jake Urban, Alex Temple Ward, Jillian Wessel, Elizabeth Yanick, Tyler Zydel, Gino Bloombeg and Taylor Kurtz, begins previews at ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse.

  Accommodation, world premiere by Greg Burdick, directed by Brandon Baer & Garrett Baer, featuring Sandy Bainum (Celeste Dawkins), Jacob Cherry (Michael Newsome), Sol Crespo (Ruth Lopez), Laura Niemi (Anne Roteman), and Massi Pregoni (Michael Newsome), begins previews at LA’s Odyssey Theatre.

  Patti LuPone: Don’t Monkey with Broadway concert, directed by Scott Wittman, at 8 PM at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse.

  Broadway Showstoppers: The Musicals of 1959 concert, with Glenn Rosenblum, and special guests Jackie Joseph and Alix Korey, at 7 PM at CA’s Coachella Valley Rep.

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  The first-ever Broadway revival of Ossie Davis’ Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch will begin previews Sept. 7 (opening date TBA) at the Music Box Theatre, directed by Kenny Leon.

  Leslie Odom Jr. (Purlie), 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 (Gussie Mae Jenkens).

  Travelling preacher, Purlie returns to his Georgia hometown to save the local church and the cotton pickers working on Ol’ Cap’n Cotchiepee’s plantation.

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  David Bryan & Joe DiPietro’s Diana: The Musical will take place Dec. 4 at 7:30 PM at the Eventim Apollo, directed by Owen Horsley.

  Kerry Ellis (Princess Diana), Maiya Quansah-Breed (Princess Diana), Denise Welch (The Queen), and more TBA.

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  Jordan Fisher (Anthony Hope) will depart Broadway’s Sweeney Todd on June 18 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre.

He will be replaced by Daniel Yearwood on June 21.

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 Prejudice & Pride, newly adapted by Sam Wright & Nicholas Collet, will run July 13 – Aug. 20 (opening July 18) at59E59 Theaters, directed by Nicholas Collet.

  Tim Ahlenius, Chris Arnone, Bridget Casad, PT Mahoney, Christian Thomas Owen, Margaret Shelby, Stefanie Stevens, Frani Talamantez-Witte, and Sam Wright.

  In this new musical version, the title isn’t the only thing that’s been switched around. Following the Longborn boys, who have to marry rich when they can’t find work to save their family farm in East Tennessee, their prospects look to be turning around when “a young single woman in possession of a good fortune” moves in next door. Tagging along is the absurdly rich songstress Darcy Fitzwilliams. But Bennett Longborn isn’t impressed and, no matter how desperate he is, can’t imagine ever wooing her.

  The album is available for streaming here on Spotify.

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  Gypsy continues through June 25 at CT’s Goodspeed, directed by Jenn Thompson.

Judy McLane (Rose), Talia Suskauer (Louise), Philip Hernandez (Herbie), Laura Sky Herman (Dainty June), Emily Jewel Hoder (Baby June), Cameron Blake Miller (Baby Louise), with Gabriel Amato, Romelda Teron Benjamin, Kelly Margaret Berman, Amahri Edwards-Jones, Carlos Velasquez Escammilla, Thomas Goldbach V, Sunny Lauren Hoder, Victoria Huston-Elem, Edward Juvier, Meadow Nguy, Bianca Belle Palana, Maddie Robert, Ben Sears, Michael Starr, Geoffrey Wade, David Cochise Williams, and Valerie Wright.

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  The world premiere of Sean Cecone & David Abbinanti’s Elvis: A Musical Revolution will run later this year (beginning in July, with all dates TBA) at Australia’s Sydney Stage Theatre, directed by Alister Smith, with choreography by Michael Ralph, and music direction by Daniel Puckey. The bio-musical is the first to be licensed by the Presley estate.

  Rob Mallett (Elvis Presley), David Cuny (alternate Elvis), Noni McCallum (Gladys Presley), Ian Stenlake (Colonel Tom Parker), Annie Chiswell (Priscilla Presley), Kirby Burgess (Ann-Margret), Matt Heyward (Vernon Presley), Sienna Embrey (Dixie Locke), Ben Hall (Sam Phillips), Aian O Cleirgh (Scotty Moore), Honlon Innocent (Bill Black), Connor Morel (DJ Fontana), Charly Williams (Reverend), Joti Gore (Roy Brown), Jo-Anne Jackson (Sister rosetta Tharpe), and Zuleika Khan (Betty), with Nic Collins, Lauren Jimmieson, James Mac Alpine, Callum Marhshall, Jarryd Byrne, William Motunuu, Moniquewa Williams, and Nicola Vella. Young Elvis will be played by Oliver Bosward, Rhys James Hankey, Finn Walsham, and Tommy Kent.

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  Alan Palmer & David Leggs’ Chanteuse will run July 11-30 (opening July 14) at HERE Arts Center, directed by Dorothy Danner.

  David Legg

  The story of a gay man’s struggle to avoid being sent to the concentration camps by taking on his late landlady’s identity, and becoming a chanteuse in the supper clubs of Berlin.

 

Hoepnotic & Michael Jost will take place Sun. June 25 at 7 PM at Venice’s  Pacific Resident Theatre.

  A one-woman band centered around accordion and the sultry vocals of Hope Cory. She draws upon her background in jazz and classical music and her time playing trombone in the circus band to create what’s been described as Cirque Noir Bohemian Folk Blues. Her performance stirs the human fascination with novelty by using toy piano, whistling, melodica, unique percussion and more.

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   The world premiere of David West Read’s In Dreams, featuring the songs of Roy Orbison, which will run run July 3 – Aug. 5 at the Leeds playhouse, directed by Luke Sheppard, with music direction by Patrick Hurley, and choreography by Fabian Aloise.

  Lena Hall (Kenna), Olivier Tompsett (Ramsey), Nöel Sullivan (Donovan), Leon Craig (Tom), Alma Cuervo (Ana Sofia), Gabriela García (Nicole), Manuel Pacific (Oscar), Sian Reese-Williams (Jane), and Richard Trinder (George), and Mark Peachey (Officer Lee), with Fabiola Ocasio, Hannah Ducharme as Bianca, and Pablo Gómez Jones.

  Set in New Mexico, the story focuses on the former lead singer of a country-rock band, who, at a critical moment in her life, invites her old bandmates to join her for “the party of a lifetime” while keeping her true motivations a secret. A joyous, uplifting, but also moving journey —a lyrical and comedic exploration of the universal longing for love and connection when facing challenging times.

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A new Off Broadway revival os Cats will June-July, 2024 (dates TBA) at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (formerly World Trade Center), directed by Zhailon Levingston & Bill Rauch, with choreography by Arturo Lyons & Omari Wiles.

Casting, link, and additional information TBA.

The new revival is set in the underground world of the 1980s Ballroom culture.

 


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