Today’s Highlights:
Nollywood Dreams, by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Saheem Ali, featuring Abena, Charlie Hudson III, Nana Mensah, Sandra Okuboyeio, Ade Otukoya, and Emana Rachelle, opens at Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater.
Medicine, written & directed by Enda Walsh, Domhnall Gleeson, Clare Barrett, Aoife Duffin, and percussionist Seán Carpio, opens at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse.
Beauty and the Beast, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, featuring Jade Jones (Belle), Evan Ruggiero (The Beast), Michael Burrell (Gaston), Bobby Smith (Lumiere), Dylan Arredondo (Cogsworth), John Sygar (Lefou), Iyona Blake (Mrs. Potts), Miranda Pepin (Chip), Jessica Lauren Ball (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Sasha Olinick (Maurice), and Hailey Ibberson (Babette), with Conor James Reilly, Rick Westerkamp, Ariel Messeca, Michael Wood, Selena Clyne-Galindo, Erica Hansen, Quynj-My Luu, Tyler White, Megan Tatum, Shiloh Orr, and Graciela Rey, opens at MD’s Olney Theatre.
Lincoln Center Theatre’s Flying Over Sunset, by James Lapine, Tom Kitt & Michael Korie, directed by Lapine, featuring Carmen Cusack (Claire Boothe Luce), Harry Hadden-Paton (Aldous Huxley), Tony Yazbeck (Cary Grant), Emily Pynenburg, Michele Ragusa, Robert Sella, Laura Shoop, and Atticus Ware, with Aria Braswell, Danny Gardner, Kate Marilley, Patrick Scott McDermott, Tony Roach, Kanisha Marie Feliciano, Nehal Joshi, and Michael Winther, begins previews at Broadway’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre.
Little Women, by Allan Knee, lMindi Dickstein & by Jason Howland, directed by Bronagh Lagan, featuring Lydia White (Jo), Hana Ichijo (Meg), Anastasia Martin (Beth), Mary Moore (Amy), Bernadine Pritchett (Aunt March), Sev Keoshgerian (Laurie), Ryan Bennett (Professor Bhaer), Brian Protheroe (Mr. Lawrence), Lejaun Sheppard (John Brooke), and Savannah Stevenson (Marmee), and Liv Andrusier, begins previews at London’s Park Theatre.
A Sherlock Carol, written & directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Drew McVety (Sherlock Holmes) and Thom Sesma (Ebenezer Scrooge), with Dan Domingues, Anissa Felix, Isabel Keating, and Mark Price, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages.
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Reviews for Trevor at Off-Broadway’s Stage 42:
NY Times (Jesse Green): … a bizarrely cheery and thus tonally incomprehensible show in which everything potentially painful is anesthetized by saccharine songs and middle school clichés… wondering, for most of the musical, whether something will ever happen worth singing about. There are only so many “I want” numbers and charm songs — two of the templates in the musical theater handbook — a show can support before a crisis had better step forward… What went so wrong? In the first place, turning this material into a musical may not have been wise.
Theatermania (Pete Hempstead): … the hilarious, moving, and timely new tuner Trevor, now making an impressive New York premiere… there’s a lot to like about this toe-tapping version of Trevor’s story: The young cast is extraordinary, the music is catchy, and the message is simple — love yourself, be yourself, and screw what other people think… a showstopping fantasy dance number choreographed by Josh Prince… concludes with an ending that seems a little too tidy and unrealistic…
Time Out New York (Adam Feldman): …a Valentine’s-candy heart of a message show about a “weird” boy in 1981 who loves Diana Ross but also loves—in a different way, as pubescence bangs at the door—a popular jock in his eight-grade class… Hagelberger, happily, is a plucky delight… The familiar Ross hits that punctuate the score, including “Endless Love” and the theme from Mahogany, have the unfortunate effect of upstaging the musical’s serviceable original songs, whose tunes are fine delivery systems for the lyrics but rarely catch strong melodic wind.
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Video: Stars in the House, with special guests Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater. (1:09:59)
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Mr. Saturday Night, a musical adaptation of the film, by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel & Jason Robert Brown ,will begin previews Mar. 1, 2022 and open Mar. 31 at the Nederlander Theatre, directed by John Rando, with choreography by Ellenore Scott.
Billy Crystal (Buddy Young, Jr.), David Paymer (Stan Yankelman), Randy Graff (Elaine Young), and Chasten Harmon (Annie Wells), with more TBA.
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Industry presentations of Kevin Ray Johnson’s Birdie and Tim will take place Mon. Dec. 5 at 7:30 PM ET and 9:15 PM ET in NYC, directed by Kevin Ray Johnson & Frank Ruiz.
Rebecca L. Hargrove (Birdie), Peterson Townsend (Tim), Evan Edwards (Tim’s Friend), Caleb Alexander (The Kid), and Grace Andrade Bowen (The Kid’s Mother), with Matt Welsh, John Stimac, and Jonah McKinley.
The one-act piece follows Birdie and Tim, who meet in New York City one night at a house party. During their short time together, they discover that love doesn’t stop the obstacles of life and responsibility that come your way.
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Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater has announced the Miscast22 will take place on Mon. Apr. 4, 2022.
Casting, creative team, venue, and additional information TBA.
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Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage Company has extended its production of Assassins, and will now continue through Jan. 29, 2022, directed by John Doyle.
Adam Chanler-Berat (John Hinckley, Jr.), Eddie Cooper (The Proprietor), Tavi Gevinson (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Andy Grotelueschen (Samuel Byck), Judy Kuhn (Sara Jane Moore), Steven Pasquale (John Wilkes Booth), Ethan Slater (Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer), Will Swenson (Charles Guiteau), Wesley Taylor (Giuseppe Zangara), and Brandon Uranowitz (Leon Czolgosz), with Brad Giovanine, Bianca Horn, Whit K. Lee, Rob Morrison, and Katrina Yaukey.
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Video: Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, with special guests Patrick Cassidy, Linda Purl, and more. (1:38:16)
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Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner’s Trading Places, inspired by the film, will run May 25 – June 26 at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, directed by Kenny Leon, with choreography by Fatima Robinson.
Casting TBA.
A contemporary reimagining of the prince and pauper fable, Bille Rae Valentine, a savvy hustler down on her luck, and Louis Winthorpe III, a minted commodities-trading firm director, have their lives deliberately switched by the devious Duke brothers to settle a bet in an outrageous debate of nature versus nurture.
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Video: First look at Rent at DC’s Signature Theatre.
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Hollywood’s Actors Co-op has announced its 2021-22 season:
The Gift of the Maji FREE staged reading (Dec. 9 at 7 PM PT), adapted by John Jory, directed by Linda Kerns. Casting TBA.
Marvin’s Room (Jan. 21 – Feb. 27, 2022), by Scott McPherson, directed by Thomas James O’Leary. Casting TBA.
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The Seth Concert Series Winter line-up has been announced (all at 8 PM ET) at NYC’s Town Hall.
Nov. 14: Kathryn Gallager
Nov. 21: Andréa Burns
Nov. 28: Leslie Kritzer
Dec. 5: Jose Llana
Dec. 12: Jessica Vosk
Dec. 19: Andrew Barth Feldman
Early bird discounted tickets for all of the above concerts are now on sale through Nov. 30 only. Tickets are just $20 plus service fees for all December shows through the end of the month. In addition, all early birdy customers will be invited to the exclusive pre-show soundcheck (scheduling subject to change and availability).
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Video: New trailer for Stephen Spielberg’s “West Side Story” film.
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The world premiere of Kris Lythgoe’s Robin Hood & Maid Marion: A Holiday Panto will run Dec. 3-29 (opening Dec. 5) at Laguna Playhouse, directed by Bonnie Lythgoe, with choreography by Mason Trueblood.
Michael James Ryan (Robin Hood), Sohm Kapila (Maid Marion), Andrew Lynford (Sheriff of Nottingham0, Jo Osmond (Sherwood Sprite), and Jared Machado (Will Scarlett).
Join our heroic outlaw defending the people as he robs from the rick and gives back to the poor. A show packed full of boogie, comedy, action, audience participation, and set to a soundtrack of Disco hits and dance anthems from the 70s.
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The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will present their annual holiday extravaganza, Holigays Are Here…Again Dec. 10-11.
Andrés Vera, Marcus J. Paige, and Enrique Carreon.
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Irving Berlin:
Video: In one of his rare few television appearances, Berlin explains the workings of his “special” piano to Dinah Shore and Tony Martin, and plays an early composition.
Video: “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning”
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The Comedy of Errors will run Nov. 16 – Dec. 31 at the Barbican Theatre, directed by Phillip Breen.
Toyin Aydeun-Alase, Jonathan Broadbent, Antony Bunsee, Alfred Clay, William Grint, Greg Haiste, Avita Jay, Zoe Lambert, Guy Lewis, Dyfrig Morris, Baker Mukasa, Patrick Osborne, Rowan Polonski, Nicholas Prasad, Riad Richie, Sarah Seggari, and Naomi Sheldon.
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& 
The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union have announced their annual Sing Out For Freedom benefit concert, to take place Mon. Nov. 22 at 7:30 PM ET at NYC’s Town Hall, directed by Jess McLeod, with music direction by Mona-Seyed-Bolorforosh, and hosted by Peppermint.
Laura Benanti, Aydole Casel, November Christine, Kayla Davion Somáh Haaland, Nikki M. James, Judy Kuhn, Arian Moayed, Lauren Molina, Alba Ponce de León, Nikhil Saboo, Arya Shahi, Liana Stampur, Shaina Taub, Alexandria Wailes, Kuhoo Verma, Princess Sasha Victomé, and Brandon Michael Nase.
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Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe’s Heathers the Musical will run Nov. 25 – Feb. 20, 2022 at The Other Palace, directed by Andy Fickman, with choreography by Gary Lloyd.
Ailsa Davidson (Veronica Sawyer), Freddie King (Jason “J.D.” Dean), Emma Kingston (Heather Chandler), Inez Budd (Heater Duke), Teleri Hughes (Heather McNamara), Vicki Lee Taylor (Ms. Fleming/Veronica’s Mom), Lizzie Bea (Martha Dunnstock), George Maddison (Kurt Kelly), Tom Scanlon (Ram Sweeney), and Kieran Brown (Ram’s Dad/Coach Ripper), with Jacob Fowler, Jordan Cunningham, Iván Fernández González, Eliza Waters, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Hannah Lowther, and Kayleigh McKnight.
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Kimberly Faye Greenberg’s Fabulous Fannie Brice will take place Thurs. Dec. 2 at 7 PM at NYC’s Green Room, directed by Brian Childers, with music direction by Jeff Biering, and choreography by Justin Boccitto.