Today’s Highlights:
Mates in Chelsea, by Rory Mullarkey, directed by Sam Pritchard, featuring Amy Booth-Steel, Natalie Dew, Karina Fernandez, George Fouracres, Laurie Kynaston, Philipp Mogilnitskiy and Fenella Woolgar, opens at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Flawless, by Robin Goldfin, directed by Ed Chemaly, featuring David Carson, Page Clements, Hannah Dillenbeck, Ricardo Gomez, Deanna Henson, John Lampe, and Hana Lauer, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theater for the New City.
Ode to the Wasp Woman, written & directed by Rider McDowell, featuring Sean Young, Douglas Everett Davis, Payton Georgiana, Jonathan Hartman, Josh Alscher, Anna Telfer, David Wenzel, and Rita Rehn, opens at Off-Broadway’s The Actors Temple Theatre.
The Crucible, directed by Will Pomerantz, featuring Allen O’Reilly (Reverend Samuel Parris), Kate Fitzgerald (Abigail Williams), Teresa DeBerry (Mrs. Ann Putnam / Rebecca Nurse), Gabriel Portuondo (Thomas Putnam / The Bailiff), Sonnie Betts (Mercy Lewis), Anna Francesca Schiavoni (Mary Warren), Joe Pallister (John Proctor), Meg Gibson (Elizabeth Proctor), and Keith Reddin (Reverend John Hale), and Matthew Conlon (Deputy-Governor Danforth), opens at Long Island’s Bay Street Theatre.
A Permanent Image, by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Andrew Weyman, featuring Phil Cass (Martin), Terry Davis (Carol), Scott Jackson (Bo), and Dalia Vosylius (Ally), opens at Venice, CA’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
The Talented Tenth, by Richard Wesley, directed by Ben Guillory, featuring Nic Few, Tiffany Coty, Jessica Obilom, Monte Scalante, Stirling Bradley, Julio Hanson, Rogelio Douglas III, and Ben Guillory, previews at the LA Theatre Center.
A Tribute to Sheldon Harnick event, with special guests Danny Burstein, Robert Cuccioli, Jason Danieley, Harvey Fierstein, Rob Fisher, Jessica Hecht, Judy Kuhn, Nancy Opel, David Rockwell, Alan Schmuckler, Elena Shaddow, Alexandra Silber, Emily Skinner, Deborah Grace Winer, Sherman Yellen, and Karen Ziemba, open to the public on a first come/first served basis, at Broadway’s Music Box Theater.
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Shrek: The Musical will run Dec. 21-31 (opening Dec. 23) at Skokie’s Music Theater Works, directed by Johanna McKenzie Miller, with choreography by Laura Savage, and music direction by Linda Madonia.
Jordan DeBose (Shrek), Eustace J. Williams (Donkey), Dani Pike (Fiona), Michael Metcalf (Lord Farquaad), Maddison Denault (Dragon/Mad Hatter/Duloc), Crystal Claros (Gingy/Sugar Plum Fairy/Duloc), Michaela Shapiro (Pinocchio/Magic Mirror/Duloc), Shaya Harris (Teen Fiona), Omi Lichtenstein(she/her, Young Finona/Baby Bear); Brian Acker (he/him, ensemble/King Harold/Captain of Guard/Bishop/Grumpy), Joel Arreola (Duloc/Guard), Andrew John Baker (Piggie/Duloc/Rat/King cover), Kristin Brintnall (Mama Ogre/Duloc/Fiona U/S), Christin Boulette (Queen Lillian/Wicked Witch,others), Alexander Christie (Piggie/Duloc/Guard/
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The national tour of Mamma Mia! will run Nov. 14 – Dec. 3 at the Pantages Theatre, directed by Phyllida Lloyd.
Christine Sherrill (Donna), Alisa Melendez (Sophie Sheridan), Carly Sakolove (Rosie), Victor Wallace (Sam Carmichael), Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Rob Marnell (Harry Bright), Jim Newman (Bill Austin), and Grace Reynolds (Sky), with Louis Griffin, Patrick Park, L’Oréal Roaché, Haley Wright, Gabe Amato, Adia Olanethia Bell, Emily Croft, Madison Deadman, Jordan De Leon, Nico DiPrimio, Patrick Dunn, Stephanie Genito, Tassy Kirbas, Danny Lopez-Alicea, Makoa, Faith Northcutt, Jasmine Overbaugh, Gray Phillips, Blake Price, Dorian Quinn, Xavi Soto Burgos, and Amy Weaver.
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Ogunquit Playhouse will present an invitation only NYC reading of Kris Lythgoe John Farrar & Kara Dioguardi’s stage adaptation of To Sir With Love on Mon. Nov. 13, directed by Sheldon Epps, with music direction by Kanny Seymour.
Courtney Balan, Griffin Binnicker, Jeffrey Cornelius, J. Anthony Crane, Samatha Gorjanc, Jim Hogan, Liz Pearce, Kenneth Robinson, Kate Rockwell, Matt Stocke, Elliott Styles, Elizabeth Teeter, Rixey Terry, Eden Witvoet, and Riley Thad Young.
Braithwaite—a teacher, Cambridge-educated engineer, and former RAF fighter pilot—explores through his autobiographical work the ways he battled social prejudices throughout his life. The novel also addresses how he engaged his students, not as troublesome youths but as emerging adults who must soon navigate a world where they’ll stand or fall on their own merits.
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Shoshana Bean & Friends will take place Mon. Dec. 4 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Apollo Theater, with music direction by David Cook.
Kristin Chenoweth
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Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club will begin previews Apr. 1, 2024 and open Apr. 20 at the August Wilson Theatre (link TBA), directed by rebecca Frecknall.
Eddie Redmayne (Emcee), Gayle Rankin (Sally Bowles), Bebe Neuwirth (Fraulein Schneider), Steven Skybell (Herr Schultz), Ato Blankson (Cliff), and more TBA.
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Steve Yockey’s Mercury will run Jan. 9 – Mar. 2, 2024 at North Hollywood’s Road on Magnolia, directed by Ann Hearn Tobolosky.
Casting TBA.
Three stories cross outside of Portland, OR in a pitch black comedy with an illicit affair, a couple hanging on by a thread, bears at the window, the worst curiosity shop on the west coast, and an adorable missing dog named Mr Bundles. No one’s happy, people stop being nice, and blood spills. This mash up of myth, missing empathy, and “good neighbors” explores what happens when the mercury rises.
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A free staged reading of Randy Lubas’ Love in the Valley…Not Over the Hill will take place Tues. Nov. 21 at 7 PM at LA’s Theatre 40, directed by the playwright.
Diana Angelina, Harry Herman, Kristin Towers-Rowles, Matt Landig, Larry Eisenberg, Anibal Silveyra, Milda Dacys, Meghan Lloyd, and Gail Johnston.
When Willy and Catherine rediscover love after each of them have lost their spouses, it sets off a chain reaction of hilarious events which shows us that love can prevail later in life amongst brothers and the other characters in this play.
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Fifty Key Stage Musicals Concert! Part 5, both live & livestreamed, will take place Mon. Nov. 20 at 7 PM at NYC’s 54 Below, with music direction by Michael Lavine.
Carole Demás, Willy Falk, Sandy Faison, Jenn Gambatese, Eric Michael Gillett, Mark Jacoby, Jayson Kerr, Christiane Noll, Lee roy Reams, Elena Shaddow, Jane Summerhays, and F. Antonio Urrutia III.
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Audra McDonald in Concert will take place Sat. Dec. 2 at 7:30 PM at LA’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with music direction by Andy Einhorn.
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East West Players has extended its run of Spring Awakening through Dec. 3 at LA’s David Henry Hwang Theater, directed by Tim Dang.
Jaylen Baham (Moritz Stiefel – Nov. 20 – Dec. 3), Marcus Phillips (Moriz Stiefel), CJ Cruz (Georg Zirschnitz as of Nov. 20), Mia Sempertegui (Wendla Bergmann), Thomas Winter (Melchior Gabor), Marcus Phillips (Moritz Stiefel), Madison Grepo (Ilse Neumann), Tamlyn tomita (Adult Women), Daniel Blinkoff (Adult Men), Jaylen Bahan (Georg Zirschnitz), James Everts (Otto Lämmermeier), Genki Hall (Ernst Röbel), Sarah Marie Hernandiz (Martha Bessell), Justine Rafael (Thea), Eric Renna (Hänschen Rilow), and Leianna Weaver (Anna).
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Coeurage Theatre will present he world premiere of Fly Jamerson’s Frozen Fluid, to run Nov. 10 – Dec. 17 (opening Nov. 18) at Hollywood’s LGBT Center, directed by Amanda McRaven.
Michael Budd, Yvonne Cone, and Nicole Delsack, with alternates Steph Lehane, Jalana Phillips, and J. Valerione.
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Patti LuPone in Concert will take place Sat. Apr. 20 at 7:30 PM at LA’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.