GRACE NOTES: Thursday, September 8, 2022

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Strings Attached, by Carole Buggé, directed by Alexa Kelly, featuring Robyne Parrish, Brian Richardson, Paul Schoeffler, Bonnie Black, Jonathan Hadley, and Russell Saylor, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.

  In the Works~In the Woods festival opens at NY’s Forestburgh Playhouse.

  Women in Jeopardy, written & directed by written & directed by Wendy MacLeod, featuring Marlene Galen, Dalia Vosy Lius, Tania Getty, Neil McGowan, Jesse Guthrie, and Parker Huseby, opens at Venice, CA’s Pacific Resident Theatre.

  Jasper, world premiere by Grant MacDermott, directed by Katie McHugh, featuring Dominic Fumusa, Abigail Hawk, and Jessica Pimentel, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Signature Center.

   I’m Revolting, world premiere by Gracie Gardner, directed by Knud Adams, featuring Gabby Beans (Anna), Bartley Booz (Jonathan), Laura Esterman (Paula), Glen Fitzgerald (Jordan), Peter Gerety (Clyde), Emily Cass McDonall (Liane), Alicia Pilgrim (Reggie), Portia (Denise), and Patrick Vaill (Toby), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre Company.

  Sesame Street the Musical, by Jonathan Rockefeller, Tom Kitt, Helen Park & Nate Edmondson, directed by Rockefeller, featuring all your favorite Sesame Street characters, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.

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  Jefferson Mays‘ virtuoso, solo, tour-de-force performance in Charles Dickens; A Christmas Carol, adapted by Mays, Susan Lyons & Michael Arden, will run Nov. 8 – Jan. 1, 2023 (opening Nov. 21) at the Nederlander Theatre, directed by Arden.

  Mays plays more than 50 roles, including a potato, in a virtuosic, master class of a performance that must be seen to be believed.

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  Video: Funny Girl opening night bows for Lea Michele and Tovah Feldshuh.

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  Clint Dyer & Teddy Abrams’ Ali is currently in development, with a timeline and additional details TBA.

The new musical will celebrate the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali.

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  L.A. Theatre Works‘ audio recording of Twelfth Night, directed by Martin Jarvis, will be available for digital download on Sept. 15 (pre-orders available now).

  Martin Marvis (Toby Belch), Stacy Keach (Feste), Sarah Drew (Viola), Adhir Kalyan (Sir Andrew Augecheek), Chris Butler (Orsino), Tara Lynne Barr (Olivia), Josh Stamberg (Malvolio), Mark Jude Sullivan (Sebastian), Rosalind Ayres (Maria), and Andre Sogliuzzo (multiple smaller roles).

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  Kate Nash, Andy Blankenbuehler & Ted Malawer’s Only Gold will run Oct. 5 – Nov. 27 at MCC Theater, directed & choreographed by  Blankenbuehler.

  Terrance Man (King), Hannah Cruz (Camille), Gaby Diaz (Tooba), Kate Nash (Narrator), Karine Plantadit (Roksana), Ryan Steele (Jaques), Ryan Vandenboom (Henri), with Haley Fish, Jennifer Florentino, Jacob Guzman, Tyler Hanes, Thyne Jasperson, Reed Luplau, Morgan Marcell, Ximone Rose, Ida Saki, Ahmad Simmons, Deanne Stewart, Voltaire Wade-Greene, Katie Webber, Bradley Dean, Jacob Burns, Phil Colgan, Victoria Fiore, Samantha Poling, and Eleri Ward.

  Stirred by the seductive air of Paris, a princess, a queen, and a clockmaker’s wife rebel against tradition as the men in their lives chase dreams they abandoned in their youth. Is it possible to truly follow your heart? And what must you sacrifice along the way?

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Nigel Cliff’s The Shakespeare Riots will take place Sat. Oct. 8 at 8 PM ET at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theater, directed by J.A. Diaz.

  Ron Menzel, Michael Nansel, Nicholas Simpson, and Ashley Galvani Bell.

  This historical show brings to life to one of the bloodiest incidents in New York history, the infamous 1849 Astor Place Riot, when a riot breaks out over a British actor playing Macbeth instead of a favorite local American actor.

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  The Light In The Piazza in concert will take place Sun. Nov. 27 at 8 PM GMTat London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre, directed by Charlotte Conquest, and conducted by Alex Parker.

  Elena Shadow (Margaret Johnson), and more TBA.

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  Audio: “My Baby Just Cares for Me” from Christine Ebersole‘s new album, “After the Ball.”

Pre-order the album here (released for streaming on Sept. 9 from Club44 Records)

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  The world premiere of Saheem Ali, Michael Thurber & Jocelyn Bioh’s GODDESS has been extended through Oct. 1 at CA’s Berkeley Rep, directed by Ali.

 Abena (Rashida), Melessie Clark (Mosi-Grio Trio), Rodrick Covington (Ahmed), Zachary Downer (Sameer), Amber Iman (Nadira), Grasan Kingsberry (Jaali), Kindsley Leggs (Hassan), Kecia Lewis (Siti), Isio-Maya Nuwere (Safiyah), Aaron Patterson (Yusef), Destinee Rea (Che Che), Phillip Johnson Richardson (Omari), Awa Sal Secka (Sawadi), Lawrence Stallings (Madongo), Teshomech  (Tisa), Quiantae Thomas (Amina), Wade Watson (Musa), and Reggie D. White (Balozi).

A mysterious singer arrives at Moto Moto, a steamy Afro-jazz club in Mombasa, Kenya. She casts an entrancing spell on everyone, including a young man who has returned home from studying in America. Will the big plans for his life – stepping into a political legacy and marrying his fiancé ? A mysterious singer arrives at Moto Moto, a steamy Afro-jazz club in Mombasa, Kenya. She casts an entrancing spell on everyone, including a young man who has returned home from studying in America. Will the big plans for his life — stepping into a political legacy and marrying his fiancée — be upended?

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  The Wiz will run Nov. 19 – Dec. 23 at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, directed & choreographed by Kelli Foster Warder, with music direction by Sandra Renee Clark.

  Kataka Corn (Dorothy), Nehemiah Hooks (Scarecrow), Phillip Attmore (Tin Man), Nathaniel Tenenbaum (Lion), Be Russell (The Wiz), Shaunyce Omar (Evillene), Trina Mills (Glinda), Sarah Russell (Addaperle), Marlette Buchanan (Aunt Em), and Brace Evans (Uncle Henry), with Time Brickey, Jimmy Shields, Gabrielle Dominique, Shelby Willis, Madison Willis, Alexandria J. Henderson, Alfie Parker Jr., Alex Crozier, Charles Simmons, Jade Solomon Curtis, Jelani Kee, Bethanie Willis, Porscha Shaw, Nicholas Japaul Bernard, Antonio Mitchell, Curtis Bannister, Sapphire Goetz, and Simon Alene.

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  Last week, The Book of Mormon‘s 4,093rd performance surpassed the run of Miss Saigon, and the musical became the 13th longest running show on Broadway.

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  Audio: “Roar,” from the Broadway cast recording of & Juliet.

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  The Kyiv City Ballet  has announced its U.S. tour, which will run Sept. 15 – Oct. 26, and marks the ballet company’s first U.S. performances ever.

The U.S. tour will include a full-length Swan Lake (with choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov & Ivan Kozlov), and a second mixed repertory program of three ballet: Thoughts (with choreography by Vladyslav Dobshynskyi)….. Tribute to Peace (with choreography by Ekaterina & Ivan Kozlov), a neo-classical work….. Men of Kyiv (with choreography by Paavlo Virsky)….. and a Ukranian folk dance.

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  Jamie deRoy & Friends: Broadway at Birdland will take place Mon. Oct. 3 at 7 PM ET at Birdland Jazz Club, in support of the Entertainment Community Fund, directed by Barry Kleinbort, with music direction by Ron Abel.  here.

Santino Fontana, Clint Holmes, Jason Kravits, Karen Mason, and Luba Mason.

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. Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater presents a reading of Lope De Vega’s The Capulets and the Montagues, in a new rhyming verse translation by Dakin Matthews, on Mon. Sept. 12 at 7:30 PM ET, directed by Melia Bensussen.  The reading will be recorded and available through Sun. Sept. 18.

Junior Nyong’o (Romeo), Cara Ricketts (Juliette), with Anita Castillo-Halvorssen, Christian DeMarais, Carson Elrod, Topher Embrey, Alejandra Escalante, Jake Hart, Paco Lozano, Dakin Matthews, Maria-Christina Oliveras, and Timothy D. Stickney.

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  Patti LuPone: Songs From a Hat has extended its concert run at NYC’s 54 Below, and has added new dates from Jan. 2-8.

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  Nic Doodson & Andrew Kay’s The Choir of Man will begin previews Oct. 1 and open Oct. 13 at the Arts Theatre, directed by Doodson.

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.

  Set in a pub, the show explores male relationships and questions modern masculinity, and features hit songs by Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns & Roses, Avicii, and Katy Perry.

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  Black Theatre United‘s inaugural gala, A Night to Remember, will take place Mon. Oct. 3 at 5:30 PM ET at NYC’s The Rooftop at Pier 17, directed by Jerry Dixon, with music direction by Michael Mitchell, and hosted by James Monroe Iglehart.

Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, LaChanze, Capathia Jenkins, Brian Stoke Mitchell, Darius de Haas, Natasha Yvette Williams, Lillias White, Josh Groban, Joaquina Kalukango, Chuck Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Eddie Cooper, Sara Bareilles, and Gavin Creel.

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  Everything’s Fine, written & performed by Douglas McGrath, will run Sept. 28 – Jan. 22, 2023 (opening Oct. 13) at the DR2 Theatre, directed by John Lithgow.

The play recounts McGrath’s life as a 14-year-old in Midland, Texas – the town most famous for the disappearance below ground, and the recovery above ground, of “Baby Jessica.” McGrath shares remembrances of the courtship of his one-eyed father and his mother, who worked at Harper’s Bazaar for Diana Vreeland, and became pals with Andy Warhol, and most intriguingly, an eighth-grade teacher who would change his life in the most unexpected way.

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  Rachel Bay Jones with Randy Redd and the (Ir)Regulars will take place Sun. Sept. 11 at 9:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.

Jennifer Laura Thompson, Ben Levi Ross, Martha Graham Cracker, and Fra Fee.

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  P.J. Hogan, Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall’s Muriel’s Wedding The Musical will have an invitation-only NYC lab Sept. 15-16, directed by Simon Phillips.

  Daniel Stewart Sherman, David Michael Garry, Elli McLemore, Jake Swain, Kathy Deitch, Mary Claire King, Michael Barra, Natalie Charle Ellis, Pascal Pastrana, Sam Gravitte, and Scarlett Walker, with Leanne Antonio, Samuel Cadieux, Hilary Cole, Emma Degerstedt, Tyler Joseph Ellis, Mary Claire King, Maggie McKenna, Dariana Mullen, Claire Neumann, Steve Raymond, Khamary Rose, Kiaya Niccolle Scott, and Aaron Tsindos.

The musical follows Muriel, a socially awkward woman who heads to Sydney in pursuit of the wedding – and the dress – she’s always dreamed of.

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  Off-Broadway’s Abingdon Theatre Company will present its 30th Anniversary Gala on Mon. Oct. 24 at 6 PM ET at NYC’s Edison Ballroom, directed by Chad Austin, with choreography by Deidre Goodwin, and music direction by Nick Wilders.

Kate Baldwin, Jeannette Bayardelle, Carolee Carmello, Bryce Pinkham, Tony Yazbeck, Santino Fontana, Ruthie Henshall, Lesli Margheritz, Nick Adams, Sierra Boggess, Claybourne Elder, Eden Espinosa, Hunter Ryan, Blaine Krauss, Pierre Marais, Shereen Pimentel, and Teal Wicks.

 


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