Today’s Highlights:
* The 2020 Tony Award nominations announced at 12 PM ET on YouTube.
* “The West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote” benefit reading of “The West Wing” Season 3’s “Hartsfield’s Landing” episode, featuring Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Bradley Whitford, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney and Anna Deavere Smith, and Sterling K. Brown, streams on HBO Max.
* Karen Mason: Mason at Mama’s in March (2015) concert, directed by Barry Kleinbort, streams at 8 PM ET here (also Oct. 17 & 18)
* “Ayad Akhtar: Homeland Elegies” — a conversation with Oskar Eustis, streams at 7 PM ET here.
* Joe Iconis & George Salazar: Two Player Game streamed concert presentation, by Joe Iconis & George Salazar, concludes at 6:30 PM ET at 54 Below.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with host Sierra Boggess, and special guests Tiler Peck, Chloè Arnold, and Lil Buck. (1:07:55)
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Bucks County Playhouse – At Home 2020: A Gala Celebration will take place Sat. Oct. 24 at 7 PM ET here.
Meredith Baxter, Didi Conn, Santino Fontana, Michael Bross, Justin Guarini, Randy Harrison, Marilu Henner, Cheyenne Jackson, Linda Lavin, Marsha Mason, Laura Osnes, Sarah Paulson, Susan Sullivan, and Holland Taylor.
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Broadway’s Best Plays has announced its Fall 2020 “Spotlight on Plays” series, with tickets available on TodayTix:
* This is Our Youth (Oct. 20, by Kenneth Lonergan, featuring
* Race (Oct. 29), by David Mamet
* The Best Man (Nov. 5), by Gore Vidal, featuring Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Zachary Quinto, Vanessa Williams, Stacy Keach, and Phylicia Rashad.
* Boston Marriage (Nov. 12), by David Mamet,
* Uncle Vanya (Nov. 19), adapted by Neil LaBute,
* Time Stands Still (Dec. 3)
* Barbecue (Dec. 10), by Donald Magulies.
Spring 2020:
* The Ohio State Murders, by Adrienne Kennedy (dates TBA)
* The Thanksgiving Play, by Larissa FastHorse (dates TBA)
* Dear Elizabeth, by Sarah Ruhl (dates TBA)
* Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous, by Pearl Cleage (dates TBA)
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NYC’s 92Y has announced its Fall 2020 Lyrics & Lyricists season, in support of The Actors Fund.
* George Gershwin: Bidin’ My Time (Oct. 26 at 7 PM ET), featuring Allison Blackwell, James T. Lane, Kara Lindsay, and Zachary Prince.
* Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt: Simple Little Things (Nov. 9 at 7 PM ET). Performers TBA.
* Rodgers, Rodgers, and Guettel: Statues and Stories (Nov. 23 at 7 PM ET). Performers TBA.
* Jule Styne and His Many Lyricists: Distant Melody (Dec. 7 at 7 PM ET). Performers TBA.
* The Theme From…: Songs Written for Film (Dec. 14 at 7 PM ET). Performers TBA
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Lincoln Center Theater has announced two rescheduled productions:
* Flying Over Sunset (previews Mar. 12, opens Apr. 16, 2021), by James Lapine, Tom Kitt & Michael Korie, directed by Lapine, with choreography by Michelle Dorrance, stars Carmen Cusack (Clare Booth Luce), Harry Hadden-Paton (Aldous Huxley), and Tony Yazbeck (Cary Grant).
here.
* Intimate Apparel (moved to Fall 2121, dates TBA), by Lynn Nottage & Ricky Ian Gordon, directed by Bartlett Sher, and stars Kearstin Pipe Brown (Esther).
here.
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Kate Rockwell’s Wine Tasting 101 will take place Sat. Oct. 17 at 7 PM ET here.
here.
Ashley Park.
Rockwell is turning her personal spotlight onto her second love… wine. She is certified with several years experience in the NYC wine industry, and is using her time now to help spread her love of all things vino. Sing along to Broadway tunes, chat in real time, and explore her wine selection.
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Off-Broadway’s Abingdon Theatre Company has announced the finalists in its Virtual Fall Festival of Short Plays!, to stream Oct. 10-30.
* Atacama (Oct. 19 at 7 PM ET), by Augusto Federico Amador, directed by Sara Guerrero, and featuring Denisse Blasor and Joe Febus.
* Empress Mei Li Lotus Blosson (Oct. 21 at 7 PM ET), written & directed by Christine Toy Jonshon, featuring Rin Allen, Deborah Lew, and Rebecca Hirota.
* The Invitation (Oct. 23 at 7 PM ET), by Alberto Bonilla, directed by Adran Alea, featuring Danny Bolero, Esau Mora, and Andrew Allen.
* Sundown Town (Oct. 26 at 7 PM ET, by Marcus Scott, directed by Rebecca Clark, featuring Reynaldo Pinella and Brandon Gill.
* Coin Toss (Oct. 28 at 7 PM ET), by Alexis Sims, directed by Chari Arepacochaga, featuring Jacob Dickey and Kezia Bernard-Nau
* A Picture of Two Boys, by Nick Malakhow, directed by Justin Lucero, featuring David Castillo and Jeff Gorti.
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Audio: Nick Cordero‘s pals Meg Toohey and Sara Bareilles have recorded the new song “Lucky Streak” in honor of the late actor.
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The limited engagement of Les Misérables — The Staged Concert has been extended through Jan. 31, 2021. Performances begin Dec. 5 at London’s Sondheim Theatre, with social distancing and public safety measures implemented throughout the entire building, including a reduced capacity of 750.
Michael Ball (Javert), Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Fantine), and Matt Lucas (Thénardier), John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean at certain performances). and more TBA.
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Shakin’ the Blues Away: A Virtual Gala Concert for Goodspeed will stream Thurs. Oct. 29 at 7:30 PM ET, with music direction by Adam Souza.
The concert will also available for one week online.
James Snyder, Troy Anthony, Klea Blackhurst, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Gizel Jimenez, Rashidra Scott, Kelly Sheehan, Alysha Umphress, and Nicholas Ward.
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Dancing for Democracy has announced a Dance Competition, in support of Flip the Senate, to take place Mon. Oct. 19 at 8 PM ET here. ($10 entry fee). Kathleen Marshall will be the Celebrity Judge.
Contestants can tune in to learn and review the choreography for the Biden Victory Dance. Deadline for contestants to submit their Victory Dance videos is Oct. 31. Kathleen Marshall will judge on creativity and uniqueness and will reveal the winner on Nov. 3 on the Dancing For Democracy Instagram.
Send your submission to dancingfordemocracy@gmail.com.
Donate here to Flip The Senate.
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The Annual Mabel Mercer Foundation presents The 1st Virtual Cabaret Convention, which will stream for 4 nights — Oct. 19-22 (all at 7 PM ET). The event was filmed at NYC’s Birdland.
Oct. 19: New York Cabaret: Yesterday and Today, with Karen Akers, Klea Blackhurst, Stephanie Blythe, Ann Hampton Callaway, Aisha de Haas, Natalie Douglas, Shana Farr, Eric Yves Garcia, Jeff Harnar, David LaMarr, Andrea Marcovicci, Karen Mason, Marissa Mulder, Sidney Myer, Mark Nadler, Karen Oberlin, Steve Ross, Daryl Sherman, Larry Woodard, and Amra-Faye WRight.
Oct. 20: The American Songbook High School Competition, with Savannah Lee Henry, Thomas Hogan, Hannah Jane, Christina Jimenez, Kylie McNeill, Julia Parasram, Jennifer Poroye, Anais Reno, and Leonay Sheperd.
Oct. 21: A World of Cabaret, with Joie Bianco, Leanne Borghesi, Carole J. Bufford, Tim Draxl, Josie Foster, Jaedyn Hanna, Hans Pieter Herman, Christian Holder, Nicolas King, Marilyn Maye, Amanda McBroom, Tammy McCann, Colindra-Rodericka McGarvey-Sterling, Maureen McGovern, Beckie Menzie, Tom Michael, Jennifer Sheehan, Deborah Silver, Avery Sommers, and Iris Williams.
Oct. 22: Cabaret Classic: Performing from Birdland, with Karen Akers, Christine Andreas, Eric Comstock, Natalie Douglas, Barbara Fasano, Jeff Harnar, Karen Mason, Steve Ross, Billy Stritch, and KT Sullivan.
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RIP: Herbert Kretzmer, the Les Misérables lyricist who crafted the words to some of modern musical theatre’s most quoted songs, died Oct. 14 at the age of 95.
The musician served in the theatre industry for most of his career, writing lyrics to two other musicals and working as a theatre critic in London for over a decade.
The musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel came to Mr. Kretzmer’s attention in 1980 when producer Cameron Mackintosh asked him to adapt the original French version of the show for English-speaking audiences. Rather than literally translate the libretto by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, Mr. Kretzmer added nearly an hour of material, building on the fight for freedom themes that often rouse British and American theatregoers.
Mr. Kretzmer was born in Kroonstad, South Africa, on October 5, 1925. Throughout his education, he wrote the lyrics to school musicals while studying at Kroonstad High School and Rhodes University.
In addition to Les Miz, Mr. Kretzmer adapted and wrote the lyrics to an adaptation of The Admirable Crichton by J.M Barrie. In 1964, Our Man Crichton opened in London and ran for eight months. A later collaboration with French singer Charles Aznavour resulted in the 1974 musical She, named for one of Mr. Aznavour’s most popular songs.
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Off-Broadway’s Keen Company presents “Keen After Hours,” connecting audiences with luminaries, every Monday at 6:30 PM ET.
Oct. 19: Marsha Mason
Oct. 26: John-Andrew Morrison and Jasminn Johnson
Nov. 2: Lilli Cooper
Nov. 9: Adam Gwon
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Long Beach’s International City Theatre will stream a presentation of Sean Devine’s Daisy on Sat. Oct. 24 at 7 PM PT, directed by caryn desai [sic].
Ed F. Martin (Bill Bernbach), Alex Dabestani (Sid Myers), Erin Anne Williams (Louise Brown), Matthew Floyd Miller (Aaron Erlich), Phillip Lewis (Clifford Lewis), and David Nevell (Tony Schwartz).
A fascinating look at the creation of and psychology behind TV’s first political attack ad. Set during the 1964 presidential campaign that pitted Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson against Republican Barry Goldwater, the drama takes us behind the scenes to advertising firm Doyle Dane Bernbach.
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The Actors Fund will present Halloween is NOT Cancelled on Wed. Oct. 28 at 8 PM ET here, hosted by Anthony Veneziale. with a special appearance by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Linda Cho and Eddi Duyos.
The event will celebrate all the things you love about Halloween: costumes, makeup, and spooky treats, as well as tricks, treats, and surprise guests.
