GRACE NOTES: Thursday, October 5, 2023

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Noises Off, directed by directed by Lindsay Posner, featuring Felicity Kendal (Dotty Otley), Jonathan coy (Frederick Fellows), Alexander Hanson (Lloyd Dallas), Matthew Horne (Garry Lejeune), Tamzin Outhwaite (Belinda Blair), Oscar Ratterham (Tim), Sasha Frost (Brooke Ashton),  Pepter Lunkuse (Poppy Norton-Taylor), opens at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.

  Roundabout Theatre‘s Covenant, by York Walker, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, featuring Crystal Dickinson (Mama), Chaundre Hall-Broomfield (Johnny ‘Honeycomb), James, Ashley Hildreth (Violet), Jade Payton (Avery), and Lark White (Ruthie), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Steinberg Center.

  Blue Mist, by Mohamed-Zain Dada, directed by Milli Bhatia, featuring Salman Akhtar, Omar Bynon, and Arian Nik, begins previews at London’s Royal Court Theatre.

  Wish You Were Here, by Sanaz Toossi, directed by Sivan Battat, featuring Anita Abdinezhad, Vaneh Assadourian, Bahar Beihaghi, Sahar Bibiyan, Ava Lalezarzadeh, and Shadee Vossoughi, begins previews at Yale Rep.

  Ensemble Theatre Company‘s The Thanksgiving Play, by Larissa FastHorse, directed by Brian McDonald, featuring Meghan Andrews (Logan),  Adam Hagenbuch (Jaxton), Ashley Platz (Alicia), and Will Block (Caden), begins previews at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.

  Cindy & The Disco Ball: The Musical, by Joseph Leo Bwarie & Lori Marshall, directed by Joseph Leo Bwarie & Christine Lakin, featuring Karis Brizendine, Audrey Lyn Crabaño, Saylor Bell Curda. Bobby Hogan, Jorchual Gregory Vargas, Thomas Whitcomb, and Cloie Wyatt Taylor, begins previews at Burbank’s Colony Theatre.

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  Broadway’s 2024 Tony Awards has announced an update:

The ceremony will take place Sunday June 16, 2024. For the first time in Tony Awards history, Lincoln Center will host the awards at the David H. Koch Theater.

The awards will also stream on-demand on Paramount+, hosted by Ariana DeBose.

Nominations will be announced Apr. 30.

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  Off-Broadway’s Labyrinth Theatre has announced its 2023-24 season (at 59E59 Theaters):

  LAB: Stripped, offering 2-week runs of staged works in process, which includes The Complicated (by Cusi Cram — a dark comedy about an eccentric, cultural- melting-pot of a family struggling to survive New York in the 1980’s), and lolita lolita (by Elizabeth Narciso — a dark comedy about an eccentric, cultural- melting-pot of a family struggling to survive New York in the 1980’s).

  The Oyssey of Hope (Oct. 9, at 7 PM) at 154, (formerly known as the New Ohio Theatre), by Kristina Poe, directed by Salvatore Inzerillo, featuring Alba Albanese, David Anzuelo, Scout Cook, Biko Eisen-Martin, Angelina Fiordellisi, Sean Fletcher Griffin, Jacqueline Guillen, Jamie Klassel, Paul Martinez, Javier Molina, Neil Tyrone Pritchard, Kelley Rae O’Donnell, Wilemina Olivia-Garcia, Flower Estefana Rios, Marshall Sharer, Roberta Wallach, and David Zayas Jr. a joyous, music-filled homecoming back to each other… and to ourselves.

  Barn Series (FREE readings), runs Feb. 6-11, 2024), showcasing new works from LAB members Madeline Barr, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Brett C. Leonard, Mel Nieves, Joey Palestina, Lidia Ramirez, and Shawn Randall.

…and much more TBA…

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  Benj Pasek, Justin Paul & Joseph Robinette’s A Christmas Story will run Dec. 5-31 (opening Dec. 8) at the Ahmanson Theatre, directed by Matt Lenz, with choreography by Warren Carlyle, and music direction by Andrew Smithson.

 Chris Carsten (Jean Shepherd), Eric Petersen (Old Man), Sabrina Sloan (Mother), Shelley Regner (Miss Shields), Kai Edgar (Ralphie,) and Henry Witcher (Randy), with Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Gabbie Fried, Andrew Ge, Juliane Godfrey, Julia Harnett, Michael James, Trent Mills, Kyle Montgomery, Gabriel Navarro, and Jane Papageorge, with children Zeke Bernier, Addalie Burns, Jack Casey, Jordan Coates, Greta Rebecca Kleinman, Kayden Alexander Koshelev, Emilie Ong, Izzy Pike, Jacob Pham, and Charlie Stover.

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  Amdrew Keenan-Bolger’s “Dracula: The Podcast” has launched today here and on all podcast platforms.

A first of its kind for theater, this companion podcast allows fans to uncover behind-the-scenes content about the creation of a Broadway show, and the ever-changing life on stage in New York. Episodes will cover topics including navigating the 8 show-a-week grind, the actors maintaining their humor, keeping the show fresh, on and off stage mishaps, questions from fans, and more.

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 NYC’s Rehearsal Club (the legendary rooming house for aspiring actresses) will celebrate is 110th birthday on Fri. Oct. 20 at 6:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s The Players (16 Gramercy Park South), hosted by Blythe Danner.

Cynthia Darlow, Andrea Frierson, and Debbie Andrews — alongside a new generation of Rehearsal Club Residents.

  The event includes a silent auction of celebrity donated clothing, a preview of The Rehearsal Club’s revival of its traditional Wardrobe Sale which will take place for the first time in 44 years on October 21.  An After-Glow Birthday Salute, hosted by celebrated comic Nicky Sunshine, follows with special guests.

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  The 55th anniversary  Chicago Equity Jeff Awards winners have been announced.   Click here (and scroll down) for the complete list.

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  Dreamgirls will run Nov. 10 – Dec. 30 (opening Nov. 29) at CT’s Goodspeed, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with choreography by Breon Arzell , and music direction by Christie Chiles Twillie.

  Ta-Tynisa Wilson (Deena), Keirsten Hodgens (Lorrell), Trejah Bostic (Effie), Evan Tyrone Martin (Curtis), Jos N. Banks (CC), Mykal Kilgore (Jimmy), and Robert Cornelius (Marty), with Chuckie Benson, Shantel Cribbs, Arnold Harper II, Alia Hodge, Alfred E. Jackson, Diva LaMarr, Melanie Loren, Kwame M. Remy, Aalon Smith, Montria Walker, Jalisa Williams, Joel Oliver and Sierra Wilson.

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  The Human Comedy, written & directed by Thom Babbes, continues through Nov. 5 at Hollywood’s Actors Co-op.

  Laura Esterman, Lee Guthrie, Mark Rosenthal and Jane MacIver.

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  One Night with Anthony Rapp will take place Mon. Oct. 23 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club, and Tues. Oct. 24 at 7 PM at Oscar’s Palm Springs, with music direction by Daniel A. Weiss.

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  Gutenberg! The Musical!: Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells in Conversation will take place Mon. Oct. 9 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s 92NY.

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    North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre will present Autumn Harmony 3 shows/1 Weekend/75 Songs, to take place at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theater.

 Deja Vu,  A tribute concert to the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Nov. 17 at 8 PM).  here.

   Rock, Rhythm and Doo Wop!: MUSIC OF THE COASTERS, THE DRIFTERS & THE PLATTERS  (Nov. 18 at 3 & 7:30 PM).  here.

   The Graduates: The Music of Simon & Garfunkel (Nov. 19 at 7 PM). here.

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   LA Opera will screen its past production of The Bride of Frankenstein, with Franz Waxman’s eerie score, Oct. 27 & 28 at LA’s Theatre at Ace Hotel.

  TBA

  Frankenstein’s monster (Boris Karloff) is on the run, and it’s a matter of time until he’s face to face with his creator once more. Meanwhile, Dr. Frankenstein is trying to escape his grim past, until a former mentor tempts him with a new challenge: constructing a bride for the monster.  Travel back in time to the Golden Age of Hollywood at the gorgeously gothic Theatre at Ace Hotel and spend your Halloween in spook-tacular style with LA Opera. Get great seats from $39 when you click below to join us for one of LA’s most iconic nights out.

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  John Phillip: Oceans of Love and Life will run Nov. 7, 8, & 15 (all at 7 PM) at NYC’s Don’t Tell Mama, created & directed by Marilyn Maye, with music direction by David Pearl.

  “In a restless world like this is – you have to ‘accentuate the positive’ , ‘elim – I – nate’ the negative. And we won’t mess with Mr. In – Between!” With that thought, John Philip – lawyer, actor – lover of the Great American Songbook – and pirate??

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  The world premiere of Slow Thunder, written & directed by Suse Sternkopf, will run Oct. 19 – Nov. 12 at North Hollywood’s Theatre 68 Arts Complex.

Rob Nagle, Ann Noble, and Robert Yacko

  On a soft autumn evening, time pauses as everything that’s ever risen — or fallen — converges when Peter Norman arrives unexpectedly in Vieux Carre and Jewel is not pleased to see him. When her friend Rob Scanlon arrives from work, it’s to Peter’s very unhappy surprise and Jewel’s relief. Later, when Rob returns with dinner, he has Jewel’s best friend, Roberta “Bird” Tanzen in tow. The quartet’s chemistry—a volatile cocktail of loss and longing, vulnerability and desire—jars the precarious balances and counter-balances of love and friendship.

 


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