Today’s Highlights:
John Gabriel Borkman, by Henrick Ibsen, directed by Nicholas Hytner, featuring Sebastian DeZoua (Erhart Borkman), Simon Russell Beale (John Gabriel Borkman), Clare Higgins (Gunhild Borkman), Lia Williams (Ella Rentheim),Daisy Ou (Frida Foldal), Michael Simkins (Willhelm Foldal), and Ony Uhiara (Fanny Wilton), with Nick Barclay, Hilary Derrett, and Catharine Humphrys, opens at London’s Bridge Theatre.
american (tele)visions, world premiere by Victor I. Cazares, directed by Rubén Polendo, featuring Clew, Raúl Castille, Ryan J. Haddad, Elia Monte-Brown, and Bianca “b” Norwood, opens at Off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop.
Word-Play, by Rabiah Hussain, directed by Nimmo Ismail, featuring Kosar Ali, Mariam Haque, Maimuna Memon, Laurence Ubong Williams, and Ragevan Vasan, begins previews at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Birthday Brunch FREE reading, written & directed by Jen Olivares, featuring Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, Eric Stanton Betts, Brían Pagaq Wescot, Jehnean Washington, and Mikki Hernandez, at 7:30 PM at Hollywood’s LGBT Center. Reservations not needed.
Broadway’s MJ will air the opening number live at 8 PM ET on Tik Tock
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Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West has announced its 2023 season:
9 to 5 (Feb. 10-26)
An American in Paris (Apr. 14-30)
The Wizard of Oz (July 7-23)
The Sound of Music (Oct. 20 – Nov. 5)
Creative teams and casting TBA.
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The original Broadway cast recording of Anthony McCarten’s A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical, directed by Michael Mayer, will be released Nov. 2 on all major streaming platforms. 
the album here.
Will Swenson (Neil Diamond), Mark Jacoby (Neil Diamond – Now), Robyn Hurder (Marcia), and Linda Powell (Doctor), Jessie Fisher (Jaye Posner), Michael McCormick (Fred Colby/Tommy ORourke), Tom Alan Robbins (Bert Berns/Kieve Diamond), Bri Sudia (Ellie Greenwich/Rose Diamond), and Nick Fradiani (Neil Diamond on Wed. evenings), with Neal Benari, Ninako Donville, Kalonjee Gallimore, Samantha Gershamn, Alex Hairston, Makai Hernandez, Jess LeProtto, Tatiana Lofton, Aaron James McKenzie, Mary Page Nance, Robert Pendilla, Max Sangerman, and MiMi Scardulla.
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The world premiere of Frank J. Avella’s Vatican Falls will run Oct. 27 – Nov. 20 (opening Nov. 3) at the Tank Theatre, directed by Avella & Carlotta Brentan.
Ace Young, Carlotta Brentan, Tucker Aust, and Alice Barrett Mitchell, with James Gracia, Danny Hilt, Kenon Veno, Edward L. Simon, Ryan Wright, and Jacopo Constantini.
The play closely examines the Catholic sex abuse scandal while telling real survivor stories and exploring the fictional journey of one particular survivor.
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Steve Rosen & Gordon Greenberg’s Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors will run Sept. 30 – Oct. 23 (opening Oct. 4) at Albany’s Capital Rep, directed by Greenberg.
Kathy Fitzgerald (Dr. Westfeldt/Renfield), David T. Patterson (Dracula), Dan Rosales (Jonathan Harker), Cathryn Wake (Lucy/Kitty), Jeremy Webb (Mina/Jean Van Helsing) and Brenny Campbell (cover for all roles).
Meek English real estate agent Johnathan Harker is on his journey along the treacherous Borgo Pass in the mountains of Transylvania to meet his newest client, who happens to the infamous (and extraordinarily attractive) Count Dracula! Little does he know this chance encounter changes his entire life path. A cluster of comedic characters like Harker’s fiancée Lucy, his soon-to-be-sister-in-law Mina, and famed female vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing, chase Count Dracula from the English Countryside to Transylvania to “other frightening places.” It’s a story of love, Monty-Python-style comedy and tongue-in-cheek mayhem to fill a coup of giggles.
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Video: Lea Michele performs “The Music That Makes Me Dance”
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“To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim,” recorded live at Liz’s 54 Below concert last March, will be released Nov. 11 on all platforms.
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I Put a Spell on You, Jay Armstrong Johnson’s annual Halloween concert-meets-party, directed & choreographed by Ahmad Simmons, will take place Sun. Oct. 23 at 8 PM at NYC’s Sony Hall, in support of BC/EFA.
Major Attaway, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Gavin Creel, Robyn Hurder, Tamika Lawrence , Julia Madison, Tomás Matos, Krysta Rodriguez, Alanna Saunders, Claire Saunders, Heath Saunders, James Scully, Britton Smith, and Alysha Umphress.
Jay Armstrong Johnson (Winifred Sanderson), Allison Robinson (Sarah), and Amanda Williams (Mary), with Sydney Allie, Marie Baramo, Tanah Becker, Olivia Cece, Kia Danielle, Zachary Eisenberg, Tyler Eisenreich, Zachary Flores, Olivia Griffin, Natalie Hinds, Brittany Jenkins, Karma Jenkins, Darriel Johnakin, Erin Kei, Kolton Krouse, Markelle Leigh, Grace LeMieux, Hector Juan Maisonet, Maddox Martin, Nick Nazzaro, Natalia Nievesm, Kathryn Priest, Gabriel Andrew Reyes, Celeste Rose, Sydnie Roy, Jamal Shuriah, Michael Sylvester, Olivia Tarchick, Christopher Tipps, Jamaal Wade, Erin Weinberger, Robyn Williams and Zach Williams.
A spoof of and tribute to the beloved cult classic movie “Hocus Pocus.” In search of beauty, youth, and immortality, the bewitching Sanderson Sisters return from the dead and gather their most famous friends to help them lure the children of New York. Beginning at 8 PM, the concert will be followed by a dance party; costumes are encouraged, and a costume contest will be held.
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Video: First look at Nell Benjamin, Vishal Dadlani & Sheykhar’s Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical at San Diego’s Old Globe (through Oct. 23), directed by Aditya Chopra.
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Private industry readings of Cyndi Lauper, Theresa Rebeck & Christopher Ashley’s Working Girl were held in NYC last week.
No further information has been announced at this time about future productions of the musical.
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London’s Royal Shakespeare Company has announced its Winter and Spring 2023 season:
The Tempest (Jan. 26 – Mar. 4), directed by Elizabeth Freestone, featuring Alex Kingston (Prospero), Jessica Rhodes (Miranda), and more TBA.
Julius Caesar (Mar. 18 – Apr. 8), directed by Atri Banerjee.
Cymbeline (Apr. 22 – May 27), directed by Gregory Doran.
As You Like It (Summer, dates TBA), directed by Omar Elerian.
Macbeth (Summer, dates TBA), directed by Wil Wilson.
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Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo continues through Oct. 9 at DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and then runs Oct. 27 – Nov. 20 at Baltimore Center Stage, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.
Jon Hudson Odom (Peaches), Shannon Dorsey (Passenger 1), Breon Arzell (Passenger 2), Shannon Matesky (Passenger 3), Brandi Porter (Passenger 4), and LaNisa Frederick (Passenger 5).
What would happen if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa. Audiences take a trip on African-American Airlines flight 1619 with drag queen Peaches as the attendant for the bumpy ride.
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Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s has been extended through Oct. 16 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, directed by Kate Whorisky.
De’Adre Aziza (Clyde), Kevin Kenerly (Montrellous), Reza Salazar (Rafael), and Garrett Young (Jason), with Danielle Davis, Lewon Johns, Maya Vinice Prentiss, Arik Vega, and Gage Wallace.
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August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone will run Oct. 14 – Nov. 13 (with digital access to the filmed performance available through Nov. 27) at Boston’s Huntington Theatre, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.
Maurice Emmanuel Parent (Seth Holly), Shannon Lamb (Bertha Holly), Robert Cornelius (Bynum Walker), Lewis D. Wheeler (Rutherford Selig), Stewart Eavn Smtih (Jeremy Furlow), Robert Ricardo Milord (Herald Loomis), Gray Flaherty & Alana Ross (alternating as Zonia Loomis, al-nisa Petty (Mattie Campbell, Eli Lapaix & Joshua McKenna (alternating as Reuben Mercer), Dela Meskienyar (Molly Cunningham), and Patrese D. McClain (Martha Pentecost), with Kadahj, Kelsey Fonise, David Kelly, Melanie Loren, and Damon Singletary.
Set in a boarding house in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1911, where owners Seth and Bertha Holly play host to a makeshift community of African Americans, many who have left the farms of the South to come to the cities of the North. Newcomer Herald Loomis arrives with his daughter in tow, in search of his lost wife after having spent 7 years of forced labor working for Joe Turner – but first he must regain a sense of his own heritage and identity.
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LA Theater Works will release an audio theater recording of Josh Zaouz’s Once Upon A Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia on Oct. 22, directed by Anna Lyse Erikson.
Laila Ayad, Tara Lynne Barr, Patrick Heusinger, Daniel David Stewart, Simon Templeman and Pej Vahdat.
A terrifying, yet surprisingly funny dark comedy. Four months into the occupation of Tunisia, two couples – one Muslim and one Jewish – are trying to survive war and marriage, and save themselves from a Nazi named Grandma.
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Vanessa Williams will be the subject of an upcoming TV series, produced by Neil Meron. Williams is involved with the project, though her exact role is unclear.
The series will center on an early-career scandal for Williams that saw nude photographs of the then-reigning Miss America—the pageant’s first-ever Black winner—published in Penthouse Magazine without Williams’ consent. Williams was forced to resign the honor in the fallout. In the years since, the scandal and its media coverage have come under new and clearer-eyed scrutiny, with the pageant finally apologizing to Williams in 2015.
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Video: Cynthia Erivo & Kelly Clarkson perform “When You Wish Upon a Star” from the “Pinocchio” film.
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National Black Theatre will present a workshop production of TyLie Shider’s The Gospel Woman Nov. 9-13 at Off-Broadway’s Chelsea Factory, directed by Adrienne D. Williams, with music direction by Aaron Marcellus.
Kala Ross (Ruth), Carla R. Stewart (Orpah), Charles E. Wallace (Fowler), Ronald Emmile (Wino), and Wendell Jordan (Benjamin/Bidder).