Today’s Highlights:
The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson, directed by Latanya Richardson Jackson, featuring Samuel L. Jackson (Doaker Charels), Danielle Brooks (Berniece), John David Washington (Boy Willie), Trai Byers (Avery), April Matthis (Grace), Ray Risher (Lymon), Michael Potts (Wining Boy), and Nadia Daniel & Jurnee Elizabeth Swan (alternating as Marthea), with Shirine Babb, Charles Browing, Peter Jay Fernandez, Sharina Martin, Warner Miller, Doron JePaul Mitchell, and Kim Sullivan, opens at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Melissa Etheridge: My Window – A Journey Though Life solo show, directed by Amy Tinkham, opens at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages.
Everything’s Fine, world premiere solo show, written by & starring Doug McGrath, directed by John Lithgow, opens at Off-Broadway’s DR2 Theatre.
The Choir of Man, by Nic Doodson & Andrew Kay, directed by Doodson, featuring Michael Baxter, Ben Norris, Jordan Oliver, Lemuel Knights, Matt Beveridge, Matt Nalton, Matt Thorpe, and Live Tyrell-Johnson, with Mark Irwin, Sam Ebenezer, Gavin Ryan, and Lucas Koch, opens at London’s Arts Theatre.
Holiday, by Philip Barry, directed by Anita Maynard-Losh, featuring John Austin, Rachel Felstein, Todd Scofield, Jamie Smithson, Regina Aquino, Claire Blackwelder, Peter Boyer, Baize Buzan, Bowen Fox, Olivier Hebert, Ahmad Kamal, Emily King Brown, Andrés F. Roa, and Sean Wiberg, opens at DC’s Arena Stage.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, directed by James Bundy, featuring René Augesen, Dan Donohue, Nate Janis, and Emma Pfitzer Price, opens at Yale Rep.
KPOP, by Jason Kim & the Woodshed Collective, directed by Teddy Bergman, featuring Zachary Noah Piser, Eddy Lee, Julia Abueva, Major Curda, Jinwoo Jung, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, James Kho, Jully Lee, Timothy H. Lee, Abraham Lim, Kate Mina Lin, Augie Merrylees, Patrick Park, John Yi, Bo Hyung Kim, Min Young Lee, and Kevin Woo, with Marina Kondo, Joshua Lee, and Lina Rose Lee, begins previews at Broadway’s Circle in the Square.
Tammy Faye, by James Graham, Elton John & Jake Shears, directed by Rupert Goold, featuring Katie Brayben, Andrew Rannells, Zubin Varla, Kelly Agbowu, Amy Booth-Steel, Ashley Campbell, Peter Caulfield, Danny Collins, Richard Dempsey, Fred Haig,Georgia Louise, Robyn Rose, Nicholas Rowe, Martin Sarreal, Steve John Shepherd, and Gemma Sutton, begins previews at London’s Almeida Theatre.
Farragut North, by Beau Willimon, directed by Peter Allas, featuring Chris Wong, Jack Esformes, Camryn Mann, Amy Motta, K.J. Powell, David Reyes, and Michael Rubenstone, begins previews at North Hollywood’s Theatre 68.
Eileen Barnett: You Must Believe in Spring (In October) concert, at 8 PM at Studio City’s Feinstein’s at Vitello’s.
**********************
Kansas City Starlight has announced its 2023 season:
Tootsie (May 19-21)
Jesus Christ Superstar (June 20-25)
TBA (July 7-13)
1776 (July 25-30)
Jagged Little Pill (Aug. 1-6)
Come From Away (Aug. 29 – Sept. 3)
**********************
Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men will run Oct. 28 – Nov. 20 (opening Oct. 29) at CA’s La Mirada Theatre, directed by Casey Stangl.
Doug Harris (Lt. j.g. Daniel A Kaffee), Andy Umberger (Col. Nathan Jessep), Leanne Antonio (Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway), Sara King (Lt. Jack Ross), Mathew Bohrer (Lt. j.g. Sam Weinberg), Patrick Stafford (Lt. Jonathan James Kendrick), Brandon Engman (Pfc. Louden Downey), Corey Jones (Lt. Col. Matthew A. Markinson), Karole Foreman (Capt. Julia Alexander Randolph), Aaron Pae Klein (Cpl. Jeffrey Owen Howard), Michael Ocampo (Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson), Gabriel Bonilla (Cpl. Hammaker/Orderly/MP/Sentry), Isaac J. Cruz (Cpl. Dunn/Lawyer/Sergeant-at-Arms), Kodi Jackman (Lawyer/MP/Sentry), James Ripple (Tom/MP/Sentry), Rodrigo Varanadas (Pfc. William T. Santiago/MP/Sentry), and Greg Watanabe (Cap. Isaac Whitaker & Cmdr. Walter Stone, with Noah Collins and Dylan Wittrock.
**********************
Video: Sneak peak of Jason Kim & the Woodshed Collective’s KPOP, currently in previews at Broadway‘s Circle in the Square (opens Nov. 20).
Zachary Noah Piser, Eddy Lee, Julia Abueva, Major Curda, Jinwoo Jung, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, James Kho, Jully Lee, Timothy H. Lee, Abraham Lim, Kate Mina Lin, Augie Merrylees, Patrick Park, John Yi, Bo Hyung Kim, Min Young Lee, and Kevin Woo, with Marina Kondo, Joshua Lee, and Lina Rose Lee.
**********************
a private industry reading of James Hindman’s Spinning the Bottle will take place Tues. Oct. 18 at 5 PM in NYC, directed by Alan Souza. Additional information and/or reservations: michael@cinetheatrix.com
Dana Brooke, biko Eisen-Martin, Darius Rose, and Robbie Simpston.
Secrets from long ago, best left buried, are revealed when Kyle’s childhood friend Tia, along with her suspicious new fiancé Stuart, rent an upstairs apartment in the house owned by Kyle and his husband James. The prospect of two couples sharing a home begins an avalanche of exposed lies and unexpected betrayals.
**********************
Santino Fontana in concert will run Nov. 14-20 at NYC’s 54 Below (all at 7 PM).
**********************
Open Fist Theatre Company (link TBA) will present Jim Leonard’s Anatomy of Gray Nov. 19 – Jan 21, 2023 at the Atwater Village Theatre, directed by Ben Martin.
Erica Mae McNeal & Rebekah Paugam (alternating as June), Martha Demson & Alina Phelan (alternating as Rebekah), Jeremy Guskin & David Shofner (alternating as Dr. Galen P. Gray), Beth Robbins & Debba Rofheart (alternating as Maggie), Alexander Wells (Pastor Phineas Wingfield), Lane Allison (Tiny), Rosie Byrne (Belva Collins), James Fowler (Crutch Collins ), and Alex Hogy (Homer).
The play is set at the end of the 19th century in the small town of Gray, Indiana. Following the death of her father, 15-year-old June prays for a “healer” so no one in town will ever have to suffer again. When a man literally blows into town in a. hot air balloon, she thinks her prayer has been answered. At first, the new doctor cures anything and everything. But soon his presence leads to a clash between faith and science.
**********************
Video: Darlesia Cearcy and Haven Burton perform “Grow Your Hair” from the new musical How to Dance in Ohio at Syracuse Stage.
**********************
Off-Broadway’s Urban Stages has announced its 2022-23 season:
Eleanor and Alice Conversations Between Two Remarkable Roosevelts (Nov. 13 – Dec. 4, opening Nov. 16), world premiere by Ellen Abrams, directed by Frances Hill, starring Trezana Beverley (Eleanor Roosevelt) and Mary Bacon (Alice Roosevelt). Two of the most influential women of the 20th century meet with friends, cousins, and rivals at eight crucial moments over the course of their lives.
Winter Rhythms (dates TBA), offering 20 shows which bring well-known and up-and-coming singers, musicians, lyricists, and composers to the attention of the New York Theater community.
People of the Book (dates TBA), by Yussef El Guindi. The dark comedy centers on a man’s return from war to literary glory after writing an international best-seller, but his celebrity is underscored by his marriage to an Iraqi woman he saves. When he reunites with old friends, questions emerge about the veracity of the book and its particular patriotic American gaze.
**********************
A Very Darren Crissmas: Live at Cafe Carlyle will run Nov. 29 – Dec. 10 at NYC’s Cafe Carlyle.
A wildly eclectic collection of songs from big band Christmas classics to novelty tunes to modern-day folk-pop ballads.
**********************
Into the Woods will run Nov. 8 – Jan. 29, 2023 at VA’s Signature Theatre, directed & choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, with music direction by Jon Kalbfleisch.
Christopher Bloch (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Kurt Boehm (Steward), Simone Brown (Rapunzel), Alex De Bard (Little Red Riding Hood), Sherri L. Edelen (Jack’s Mother), Crystal J. Freeman (Cinderella’s Mother/Granny), Vincent Kempski (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Jake Loewenthal (The Baker), David Merino (Jack), Adelina Mitchell (Florinda), Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella), Nova Y. Payton (The Witch), Lawrence Redmond (Cinderella’s Father), Maria Rizzo (Cinderella’s Stepmother), Paul Scanlan (Rapunzel’s Prince), Erin Weaver (The Baker’s Wife), and Chani Wereley (Lucinda), with Drake Leach, Julia Wheeler Lennon, Dylan Toms, and Cassandra Victoria.
**********************
The 2023 Olivier Awards will be presented Apr. 2 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
**********************
Barry Wyner’s Calvin Berger will begin previews Feb. 16 and open Feb. 18 at Burbank’s Colony Theatre (link TBA), directed by Richard Israel, with music direction by Anthony Lucca.
Casting TBA.
Loosely based on the story of Cryano de Bergerac, the new musical is the contemporary and hilarious story of unrequited feelings, loves notes, and physical insecurity among high school seniors.
**********************
& 
Red Bull Theatre will present an in-person & online reading of John Vanbrugh’s The Relapse on Mon. Oct. 24 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Marc Vietor. 
A video of the live performance will be available through Oct. 30.
Arnie Burton, Stephen DeRosa, Jesse Epstein, Irene Sofia Lucio, Ismenia Mendes, Jacob Ming-Trent, Amelia Pedlow, Reg Rogers, Chauncy Thomas, Michael Urie, Ayana Workman, and more TBA.
A riotous Restoration comedy subtitled Virtue in Danger. A rerformed rake succumbs to temptation with a new love affair while his wife is subjected to a determined seduction attempt. Meanwhile, the fabulous Lord Foppington flamboyantly flirts about town before leaving to marry a country wife – but his rakish brother is determined to get there first.
**********************
& 
MCC Theatre will screen the film “The Same Storm,” written & directed by Peter Hedges, on Tues. Oct. 18 at 7 PM at NYC’s Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street).
Danny Burstein, Mary Louse Parker, John Gallagher Jr., Raúl Castillo, Noma Dumezweni, Ato Blankson-Wood, Cory Michael Smith, and more.
In the spring and summer of 2020, twenty-four people navigate life, love and isolation during the early days of the pandemic.
**********************
Linda Purl In the Mood will take place Sun. Nov. 20 at 7:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club, with music direction by Tedd Firth.
**********************
A workshop production of Rachel Covey’s Noise will run Oct. 18-22 at Off-Broadway’s The Tank (312 W. 36th St.), directed by Jessica Slaght, with music direction by Jeremy Jacobs.
Mary VanArsdel, Rozie Baker, Stefan Schallack, and Bryan Freedman.
A new musical about the interconnectedness of our pasts and our futures, and the ways we can be blinded by our ghosts.
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for Prince Gomolvilas’ The Brothers Paranormal, to run Nov. 7 – Dec. 11 (opening Nov. 20) at East West Players, directed by Jeff Liu.
David Huynh (Max), Roy Vongtama (Visarut), Tamika Simpkins (Delia), Jasper Louis (Felix), Emily Kuroda (Tasanee), and Pearrie Hammie (Jai), with Daniel Kim and Ratana.
After a nationwide increase in sightings of “Asian-looking ghosts,” two Thai brothers struggle to launch a ghost-hunting business. The two brothers – one born in Thailand and the other in the American Midwest – are called to investigate the paranormal hauntings in this supernatural thriller.