Today’s Highlights:
Catch Me If You Can, directed by Molly Smith, featuring Christian Thompson (Frank Abagnale Jr.), Nehal Joshi (Carl Hanratty), Jeff McCarthy (Frank Sr.), Rhett Guter (Roger Strong), Hayley Podschun (Brenda Strong), Alexandra Frohlinger (Carol Strong), and Stephanie Pope (Paula), with Cara Rose DiPietro, Jermiah Ginn, Candice Hatakeyama, Ryan Lambert, Jody Reynard, Kyra Louise Smith, Kristin Yancy, Brianna Latrash, Bryan Charles Moore, and Brett-Marco Glauser, opens at DC’s Arena Stage.
The Revue, written & directed by Matt Walker, featuring Matt Walker, Rick Batalla, Katie DeShan, Tiffany Daniels, Isaac Robinson-Smith, and Travis Leland, opens at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.
The Human Voice, adapted & directed by Ivo van Hove, starring Ruth Wilson, begins previews at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre.
Celebration Theatre‘s Buyer & Cellar, by Jonathan Tolins, directed by Katie Lindsay, featuring Mike Millan, begins previews at Hollywood’s Broadwater Second Stage.
Gingold Theatrical Group‘s FREE open-mic livestream Irish Poetry Slam 2022, with special guests Reg Rogers, Laila Robins & Justin “Squigs” Robertson, Tyne Daly, Midori Francis, Julie Halston, Daniel Jenkins, Lauren Molina Kerry O’Malley, Christine Pedi, Thom Sesma, and more, at 6 PM ET.
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Reviews for Cock at London’s Ambassadors Theatre:
The Guardian (Arifa Akbar): … First performed in 2009, Mike Bartlett’s comedy might have seemed edgy then but today it echoes and affirms notions around the slipperiness of sexual labelling… Bartlett’s dialogue still zings in its best moments and richly explores passion, relationship choices, cowardice and commitment. But the central angst-ridden axis of the play – the question of whether sexual identity is fixed and genetic or on a sliding scale in which choice comes into play – seems less of a conundrum these days…
Evening Standard (Nick Curtis): Marianne Elliott’s meticulous, eloquently stylised revival features a cast whose star appeal is matched by their impressive stage credentials. Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey is John – indecisive, vain and, yes, a bit of a dick. Taron ‘Rocketman/Kingsman’ Egerton is his wounded boyfriend M. The great Jade Anouka is the woman, W. It’s an emotionally charged piece despite the lack of character names, the skimpy backstories, and a physical language that owes more to contemporary dance than naturalistic theatre…
London Theatre (Suzy Evans) … Marianne Elliott’s more modern take on Bartlett’s work about sexuality, gender expression, and identity… However, while Bartlett has updated bits of the play since its premiere and the topic is incredibly timely especially as the spectrum of sexuality and gender continues to gladly become more accepted, there is something about the play that depends on the labels it’s trying to oppose… Some of the dialogue relies on tired stereotypes around gay men and hackneyed ideas around heterosexual partnerships.
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LA’s Center Theatre Group has announced its Gala 2022: Stories Unite US, which will take place Sat. Apr. 23 at 6 PM PT at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Jennifer Holliday
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Theatre East has announced complete casting for the world premiere of Stephanie Fagan’s Edie Saves the Birds, to run Apr. 1-23 at the Astoria PAC, directed by Judson Jones.
Alyssa Emily Marvin (Edie), Dylan Martin Frankel (Kyle), Christa Kimlicko Jones (Diane), and Tom Green (Perry).
13-year-old Edie, daughter of a single mom and granddaughter of an ailing grandfather, wakes up each day singularly focused on saving the birds, until she meets the popular, baseball-playing Kyle.
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New Faces Sing Broadway 1947 will stream Apr. 8 – May 5 at Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre, directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, with music direction by Linda Madonia, and hosted by Robin DaSilva.
Samantha Behen, Anna Brockman, Jonah Cochin, Breanna Ghostone, Nathan Karnik, Austin Nelston Jr, Oliver Schilling, Destiny Strothers, Ciarra Stroud, and Austin Winter.
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Bob McSmith & Tobly McSmith’s Friends: the Musical Parody returns to the Jerry Orbach Theatre, with previews beginning Mar. 29 and an opening set for Apr. 5, directed by Ryan David Barto, with music direction by Rita Posillico.
Jerod Perez (Chandler), Zac Greenwell (Joey), Erin Baltsar (Monica), Casey Weems (Phoebe), Nicole Unger (Rachel), Luke Striffler (Ross), and Jackson Tobiska (Gunther), Jenna Bagatti, Ryan Flanigan, Noah Rivera, and Valerie Witherspoon.
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Manhattan Theatre Clubs’ world premiere of Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic continues through Mar. 27 at Off-Broadway’s NY City Center, directed by David Cromer.
Betsy Aidem, Yair Ben-Dor, Francis Benhamou, Ari Brand, Pierre Epstein, Peyton Lusk, Molly Ranson, Nancy Robinette, Jeff Seymour, Kenneth Tigar, and Richard Topol.
In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris desperately awaits news of their missing family. More that 70 years later, the couple’s great-grandchildren find themselves facing the same question as their ancestors: “Are we safe?” The play follows five generation of a French Jewish family, with a sweeping look at history, home, and the effects of ancient hatred.
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Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater is now accepting submissions for its 2022 Short New Play Festival: Alchemy, which will take place Mon. July 11. This year’s theme: Alchemy.
Winning submissions will be presented alongside new plays by Stephen Adly Guirgis and Larissa FastHorse.
Click here for submission guidelines. The deadline is Mon. Apr. 4 at 12 PM ET.
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Video: “The Aging Ingenue” Ep. 5, starring Sara Jean Ford.
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Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will continues through Mar. 27 at Boston’s Lyric Stage, directed by Courtney O’Connor.
Will McGarrahan, Shani Farrell, Sarah Newhouse, Scot Colford, Grace Experience, Lewis D. Wheeler, Hector Toledo Jr., and Fred Sullivan Jr.
Seven years after the death of Shakespeare, a small group of unexpected heroes with no money, resources, or experience come together to compile what would become Shakespeare’s First Folio. This rapid fire and buoyant play tells the story of those who knew Shakespeare best as they fight to collect 37 of his plays into one volume against all odds. Their translation of words from the stage to the page would forever change theater and literature.
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The world premiere of Samuel D. Hunter’s A Case for the Existence of God will run Apr. 12 – May 15 (opening May 2) at the Signature Center, directed by David Cromer.
Kyle Beltran and Will Brill.
The play explores alienation and companionship, taking place in a cubicle in Southern Idaho following two individuals as they unexpectedly choose to open up each of their worlds to the other.
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The Broadway-bound production of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ will run Apr. 19 – May 29 (opening Apr. 28) at San Diego’s Old Globe, with direction & musical staging by Wayne Cilento, and music direction by Darryl Archibald.
Iona Alfonso, Yeman Brown, Peter John Chursin, Dylis Croman, Tony d’Alelio, Jōvan Dansberry, Karli Dinardo, Jacob Guzman, Manuel Herrera, Kolton Krouse, Mattie Love, Yani Marin, Nando Morland, Khori Michelle Petinaud, Ida Saki, and Ron Todorowski, with Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, Gabriel Hyman, Krystal Mackie, and Michaeljon Slinger.
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Video: Highlights from Encore’s The Life at NY City Center.
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A presentation of Rachel Leighson’s Little Egg, Big World will take place Fri. June 24 at 8 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row (link TBA), directed by Courtney Seyl.
Casting TBA.
The story of a donor-conceived child (Little Egg) who grows up to become an egg donor (Grown Uterus). As Grown Uterus moves closer to her donor surgery date, she wrestles with her past experience as a donor child, and debates whether or not there will every be a way to ethically donate reproductive material.
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Initial casting has been announced for Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, directed by Lucy Moss, with choreography by Ellen Kane, and music direction by Katharine Wooley.
Courtney Bowman (Elle Woods), Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Emmett), Lauren Drew (Brooke), Vanessa Fisher (Vivienne), Isaac Hesketh (Margot), Nadine Higgin (Paulette), Alžbeta Matyšáková (Enid), Eugene McCoy (Callahan), Grace Mouat (Pilar), Alistair Toovey (Warner), and Hannah Yun Chamberlin (Serena), with more TBA.
Video: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ariana DeBose discuss the first time they met during Bring It On: The Musical, their recent projects including “West Side Story, “tick, tick…BOOM!” and “Encanto.” (9:04)
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The world premiere of Ian Eaton’s SuperHero will run Apr. 12 – May 1 (opening Apr. 14) at the Sheen Center, directed by Warren Adams.
SJ Hannah, Jeorge Bennett Watson, Bryce Michael Wood, and Yvette Ganier.
A boy fantasizes about having superpowers. This coming-of-age story is inspired by the playwrights’ experiences of navigating strict West Indian parents, girls, and Catholic school amidst the backdrop of 1980’s Manhattanville Projects in Harlem. After a tragic event, Ian’s fantasies of being a “super” man are shattered when a neighborhood bully forces him to confront the kind of man he wants to become.
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San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon‘s A Grand Night for Singing continues through Mar. 27 at the Gateway Theatre, directed & choreographed by Cindy Goldfield, with music direction by Lynden James.
Alison Ewing, Edu González, Jaqueline De Muro, Jasmine Cook, Joel Chapman, and Keith Pinto.
