Today’s Highlights:
Go Down, Moses, world premiere by Dana Leslie Gosldstein, directed by Brandon M. Weber, featuring Terence Archie and Philip Hoffman, with Shania Adams, Lucas Bernhauer, Kaa’lah Bynes, Maddy Mackarey, Yarin Neuhaus, Jeremiah Packer, Vanessa Pliskow Donovan Price, Patrick Saint Ange, Celina Mylene Santana, and Renee Shohe, begins opens at Off-Broadway’s A.R.T./New York Theatres.
Oedipus El Rey, by Luis Alfaro, directed by Loretta Greco, featuring Juan Arturo (Oedipus), Gabe Martinez (Laius), Melisa Soledad Pereyra (Jocasta), Jaime Jose Hernandez (Creon), Victor Almanzar (Tiresias), and Javier David (El Sobador), opens at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion.
Dancing with Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage opens at LA’s Wallis Annenberg Center.
The People Versus Lenny Bruce, world premiere by Susan Charlotte, directed by Antony Marsellis, featuring Johnny Anthony, Timothy Doyle, Dan Grimaldi, Ian Lithgow, Stephen Schnetzer, Jonathan Spivey, and Roberta Wallach, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
Eileen Barnet: It’s My Birthday and I’ll Sing If I Want To concert, at 8:30 PM at LA’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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Red Bull Theater‘s Cymbeline, Refinished, by Shakespeare & George Bernard, Shaw, will take place live on May 18 at 7 PM and Streaming on-demand May 19-24 at Off-Broadway’s Symphony Space, directed by Michael Sexton.
Ra’Mya Latiah Aikens, Amir Arison, Tina Benko, Carson Elrod, Michael Karadsheh, Alfredo Narciso, Geoffrey Owens, Tom Pecinka, Vaughn Pole, Jay O. Sanders, and more TBA.
One great playwright rewrites another, as George Bernard Shaw imagines a refreshingly feminist ending for Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. In the same vein as Shaw’s final work Shakes versus Shav—a 10-minute Punch and Judy show in which the two bards debate who’s the better writer—Shaw tries to improve upon “one of Shakespeare’s finest later works” that nonetheless “goes to pieces” in Act V. The reading will feature Shakespeare’s original play, with Shaw’s reimagined final act, giving us a seamless experience of the two singular geniuses.
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Nominations for the 70th annual Drama Desk Awards been announced here.
The ceremony will take place Sun. May 17 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Town Hall.
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Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater will present its annual Running of the Red Bulls benefit gala on Mon. June 1 at 6 PM at NYC’s Bowery Hotel, hosted by Santino Fontana.
John Lithgow and arts advocate Joanna Cole.
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A screening of “John Candy: I Like Me” will take place Tues. May 19 at 7 PM at the MPTF Louis B. Mayer Theater (23388 Mulholland Dr., Woodland Hills, CA 91364), followed by a conversation.
here.
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54 Sings Lerner & Lowe will take place Tues. May 19 at 7 PM at NYC’s 54 Below, hosted & music directed by Michael Portantiere.
Meg Bussert, Martin Vidnovic, Josie de Guzman, and Robert Cuccioli, Jay Aubrey Jones, Gerard Alessandrini , Ben Jones, Michael Padgett, and Megan Styrna.
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Celebrity Autobiography will run May 16 – Sept. 6 (opening May 18) at the Shubert Theatre, directed by Eugene Pack & Dayle Reyfel.
(opening night): Scott Adsit, Mario Cantone, Jeff Hiller, Jackie Hoffman, Christopher Jackson, Gayle King, Andrea Martin, Bobby Moynihan, Ben Mankiewicz, Lemam Thompson, Nia Vardalos, Rita Wilson, and more TBA.
(rotating): Brooke Adams, Pamela Adlon), Scott Adsit, Lewis Black, Christie Brinkley, Danny Burstein, Mario Cantone, Bob Costas), Tate Donovan, Chloe Fineman, Will Forte, Gina Gershon, Kathy Griffin, Jeff Hiller, Jackie Hoffman, Christopher Jackson, Ken Jeong, Gayle King, Stewart Lane, Susan Lucci, Ralph Macchio, Ben Mankiewicz, Andrea Martin, Donna McKechnie, Eric McCormack, Bobby Moynihan, Laraine Newman, Oscar Nunez, Cheri Oteri, Eugene Pack, Tiler Peck, Billy Porter, Dayle Reyfel, Phil Rosenthal, Tony Shalhoub, Sherri Shepherd, Molly Shannon, Jennifer Tilly, Kenan Thompson, Nia Vardalos, Bruce Vilanch, Rita Wilson, and .Alan Zweibel.
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The 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place May 17 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Town Hall.
here.
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Sweeney Todd will run June 5 – July 5 (opening June 6) at CT’s TheatreWorks Hartford, directed by Rob Ruggiero.
Matt Faucher (Sweeney Todd), Jackie Burns (Mrs. Lovett), Carey Brown (Beggar Woman), Willem Butler (Anthony Hope), Tristan David Caldwell (Adolfo Pirelli /Jonas Fogg), Lauren Maria Medina (Johanna), Brian Ray Norris (Beadle Bamford), Cole Thompson (Tobias Ragg), and Edward Watts (Judge Turpin).
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Evita will transfer to a Shubert Theater TBA in Spring 2027 (dates TBA).
Casting and additional information TBA.
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Video: Highlights from Jesus Christ Superstar at CT’s Goodspeed.
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CrazySexyCool – The TLC Musical will run June 12 – Aug, 9 at DC’s Arena Stage, written & directed by Kwame Kewi-Armah.
Holli’ Gabrielle Conway(Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins,) Jade Milan (Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes), Stoney B. Woods (Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas), Felicia Curry (Dr. Nzinga/Christina, and Kennedy Holmes, with Bryan Archibald, Trenton McKenzie Beavers, Aaron Bliden, Josh A. Dawson, Nichole Forde, Deon’te Goodman, Ciara Alyse Harris, Bethany Hemmans, Justin Raynard Hicks, Lindsey Jolyn Jackson, Malik Kitchen, Darius Jordan Lee, Madison McBrid, and Christopher Henry Young.
The (mostly true)) story of unshakable sisterhood to the stage, featuring a powerhouse cast, high-octane choreography, and multi-platinum Billboard hits like “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” “Unpretty,” and of course, “No Scrubs.” Go beyond the fiery scandals, explosive creative clashes, and harrowing tragedies to experience this remarkable tale of defiance, triumph, and love.
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Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright New Boise will run May 14 – 17 at the Hudson Theaters, directed by Jack Fleischer.
J.R. Russell , Lizzy McGroder, Jordan Oz, Christine Castanon, and Ryan Price.
A will, a disgraced evangelical, moves to Boise to reconnect with his adopted teenage son, Alex, while working at a Hobby Lobby. Set in a bleak breakroom, the play explores faith, grief, and connection as Will’s dark past threatens the lives of his coworkers.