GRACE NOTES: Thursday, May 16, 2024

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Betty Buckley in concert opens at NYC’s Joe’s Pub.

  Breaking the Story, world premiere by Alexis Scheer, directed by Jo Bonney, featuring Maggie, Tala Ashe, Geneva Carr, Julie Halston, Louis Ozawa, Gabrielle Policano, and Matthaew Saldiva,  begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Second Stage Theatre.

  The Welkin, by Lucy Kirkwood, directed by Sarah Benson, featuring Tilly Botsford, Paige Gilbert, Ann Harada, Jenn Kidwell, Mary McCann, Emily Cass McDonnell, MacKenzie Bercer, Sandra Oh, Dale Soules, Danny Wolohan, Haley Wong, Hannah Cabell,GlennFitzgerald, Nadine Malouf, Susannah Perkins, and Simone Recasner, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company.

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  Marco Pennette, Julia Mattison & Noel Carey’s Death Becomes Her, currently running at Chicago’s Palace Theatre (opens May 19 for a limited engagement through June 2), will begin previews Oct. 23 and open Nov. 21 at Broadway’s Lunt Fontanne Theatre, directed & choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, with music direction by music direction by Ben Cohn.

  Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jenifer Simard (Helen Sharp), Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville), and Michelle Williams (Viola Van Horn), with more TBA.

  Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies… until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.

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  John Legend: A Night of Songs and Stories With the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will take place Sat. Sept. 7 at 8 PM at the St. Louis Muny.

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  David Cale & Matthew Dean Marsh’s Sandra will run May 30 – June 23 at CT’s Theaterworks Hartford, directed by Jared Mezzocchi.

  Felicia Curry.

  In this physiological thriller, Sandra’s closest friend has mysteriously disappeared on a trip to Mexico. On a desperate search to find him, Sandra is propelled into a psychologically thrilling adventure filled with mysterious strangers and a highly-charged love affair. In this new and boldly innovative production, Sandra’s search for answers ultimately leads her into increasingly dangerous territory and to places she could never have imagined.

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  The 2024 Theatre World Award ceremony, celebrating the 2023-24 season will take place Mon. June 10 at at 8:08 PM at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, hosted by Peter Filichia, with music direction by Michael Lavine.

  A.J. Shively (Philadelphia, Here I Come), Len Carious (John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement), and Peter Filichia (Special Award honoree) …. Ali Louis Gourzgui (The Who’s Tommy), Cole Escola (Oh, Mary, Oh, Mary), Brody Grant (The Outsiders), Michael Imperioli (An Enemy of the People), Phillip Johnson Richardson (The Wiz), Nicelle Lewos (The Wiz), Will Keen (Patriots), Rachel McAdams (Mary Jane),Maleah Joi Moon (Hell’s Kitchen), Tom Pecinka (Stereophonic), Sarah Pidgeon (Stereophonic), and Chris Stack (Stereophonic).

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  A staged reading of Antu Yacob’s Closet Writer will take place Mon. May 20 at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s Theater555, directed by Laiona Michelle.  555readingseries@gmail.com.

  Kianné Muschett and Chantal Jean-Pierre.

  A nod to the past, living in the present and awaiting the freedom tomorrow must bring. B. GEM is a black woman living in the United States of America. She is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and writer. In this two-woman play we meet the life moments she failed and those she overcame. We meet the interesting people that shaped her, for good and bad. Ultimately, we meet the her that forces her to see herself. Blessed, broken, messy, thriving and All.

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  Wonder of Wonders: Celebrating Sheldon Harnick, with Ted Sperling, will run June 1-3 (at various times) at NYC’s 92NY.

  Adam Heller, Adam Kantor, Anna Zavelson, Sam Gravitte, and Alysha Umphress.

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  The world premiere of Jordan E. Cooper’s Oh Happy Day willl run Sept. 19 – Oct. 13 (opening Sept. 27) at Baltimore Center Stage (link TBA), directed by Stevie Walker Webb.

Jordan E. Cooper

  A reimagining of the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark, reset to begin at a birthday barbecue in Laurel, Mississippi.

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  David West Read, Max Martin & Friends’ & Juliet will run Aug. 13 – Sept. 7, 2025 at the Ahmanson Theatre, directed by Luke Sheppard, with choreography by Jennifer Weber.

  TBA.

  This hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. “& Juliet” asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love — her way.

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A screening of Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue, directed by Sam Mendes, will take place Sat. May 25 at 3 PM at UCLA’s James Bridges Theatre.

Mark Gatiss (John Gielgud) and Johnny Flynn (Richard Burton)

  1964: Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new Broadway production of Hamlet under John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.

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  Broadway Podcast Network has just released a new miniseries, “Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway,” hosted by Michael Riedel.

  The miniseries dives deep behind-the-curtain into the legendary shows of the 90’s, offering never-before-heard, taped audio interviews with iconic artists from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Patti LuPone, and more.

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  Vassar College has announced its 38th annual Powerhouse Theater Season, which unites influential theatrical voices and the next generation of artists through their renowned Powerhouse Theater Training Program.


  Messy White Guys, by Drew Droege, directed by Mike Donahue.

  A Simple Herstory, by Created by Jocelyn Kuritsky, written by Jonathan A. Goldberg, & Jenny Turner Hall, directed by Meghan Finn.

  Absolute Zero, a Lesbian spy thriller by Dorie Clark & Marie Incontrera,  directed by Ellie Heyman.

  Shanghai Sonatas, by Sean Gao, Alan Goodson & Joyce Hill Stoner, a new musical based on the memoirs of Jewish refugee musicians who escaped Nazi Germany and found refuge in Shanghai in the 1930s and 40s, directed by Chongren Fan.

  Performing Art, by Liz Dahmen, presenting the 2nd installment of the piece.

  Free readings of new works written and directed by Gloria Majule and Shariffa Ali, Savon Bartley and Adam Coy, C.J Baer and Judson Jones, Max Reuben, and Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin.

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    The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will take place Thur. July 4 from  8 -11 PM ET at the Hatch Shell on Boston’s Charles River Esplanade, conducted by Keith Lockhart.  Click here for information on streaming.

  Kelli O’Hara, Darlene Love, The Mavericks, and the Singing Sergeants from the U.S. Air Force Band.

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  Evita will run May 31 – June 16 at NJ’s Axelrod Theatre, directed by José Zayas with choreography by Kelsey Burn.

  Gaby Albo (Evita), Samuel Druhora (Juan Peron), Jorge Echeverría (Augustin Magaldi), and Madison Figueroa (Peron’s mistress), with Gabriel Argate, Libby Blubaugh, Maggie Cantwell, Ricky Cardenas, Daniella Castoria, Jerrod Ganesh, Abby Harnum, Olivia Jones, Jadon Lopez, Olivia Miranda, Elle Ouimet, Max Sherman, Justin Sudderth, Ryan Torres, and Carly Garcia Walton.

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  & Juliet has announced its national tour. Click here for the tour schedule.

 Rachel Webb (Juliet) and more TBA.  (Webb is currently the standby for Juliet in the Broadway production)

 

 


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