GRACE NOTES: Tuesday, March 29, 2022

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Keala Settle begins her run as Nurse in & Juliet at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre.

  The Little Prince, adapted by Chris Mouron & Terry Truck, directed by Anne Tournié & Chris Mouron, featuring Lionel Zalachas (Little Prince), Aurélien Bednarek (The Aviator), Chris Mouron (The Narrator), Laurisse Sulty (The Rose/The Snake alternate), Adrien Picaut (The Businessman/The Switchman), Antony Cesar (The Vain Man), Andre Kamienski (The Drunkard), Marcin Janiak (The Lamplighter), Srilata Ray (The Snake), and Dylan Barone (The Fox/The King), with  Marie Menuge, Joän Bertrand, George Sanders, William John Banks, Madison Ward, and Jayesh Palande, begins previews at Broadway’s Broadway Theatre.

 Macbeth, directed by Sam Gold, featuring Daniel Craig (Macbeth), Ruth Negga (Lady Macbeth), Phillip James Brannon (Ross), Grantham Coleman (MacDuff), Asia Kate Dillon (Malcolm), Maria Dizzia (Lady Macduff), Amber Gray (Banquo), Emeka Guindo (Fleance), Paul Lazar (Duncan), Bobbi MacKenzie (Macduff’s Child), Michael Patrick Thornton (Lennox), Danny Wolohan (Seyton), and Stevie Ray Dallimore (standby for Macbeth), with Che Ayende, Eboni Flowers, and Peter Smith, begins previews at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre.

  Manhattan Theatre Club‘s How I Learned to Drive, by Paula Vogel, directed by Mark Brokaw, featuring Mary-Louise Parker, David Morse, Johanna Day, Alyssa May Gold, and Chris Myers, begins previews at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

  Mr. Saturday Night, by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, Jason Robert Brown & Amanda Green, directed by John Rando, featuring Shoshana Bean (Susan Young), Randy Graff (Elaine Young), David Paymer (Stan Yankelman), and Chasten Harmon (Annie Wells), with Jordan Gelber, Brian Gonzales, and Mylinda Hull, begins previews at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre.

  Newsies: 10th Anniversary Celebration benefit concert, in support of Covenant House, with music direction by Steven Malone, featuring Aaron Albano, Mark Aldrich, Joe Barreiro, Giuseppe Bausilio, Turner Birthisel, John E. Brady, Joshua Burrage, Kevin Carolan, Caitlyn Caughell, Corey Cott, Ben Fankhauser, Jonathan Fenton, Kaitlyn Frank, Damon J. Gillespie, Liana Hunt, Thayne Jasperson, Molly Jove, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Beth Stafford Laird, Jess LeProtto, Kara Lindsay, Stuart Marland, Tommy Martinez, John Michael Pitera, Daniel Quadrino, Andy Richardson, Anthony Rosenthal, Jordan Samuels, Jack Sippel, Ethan Steiner, Stephanie Styles, Nick Sullivan, Daniel Switzer, Madeline Trumble, Laurie Veldheer, Andrew Wilson, Lavon Fisher Wilson, Alex Wong, Ian Young, and Stuart Zagnit, at 7 & at 9:45 PM ET at NYC’s 54 Below.

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  Reviews for Plaza Suite at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre:

NY Times (Jesse Green): Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker star in a Neil Simon comedy that no longer feels very funny… Despite the wearying efforts of a likable cast headed by Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, the passage of 54 years is more than enough to reveal the triptych of one-act plays as uninhabitable in 2022… it would need something more like a cordon sanitaire to protect the audience from the trickle of smarm that leaks from the play. Structurally it barely stands… if you were looking for a theme, you would have to conclude that Simon, still early in his record-breaking career, was mostly interested in demonstrating that men may bluster, but women — whether wives, mothers or sirens — are dopes…

Variety (Daniel D’Addario): …thank goodness for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick — the two contemporary stars perhaps most apt for an exercise in squareness… But the real-life married couple bring a serious commitment to the spirit of the work… As directed by John Benjamin Hickey, Parker and Broderick provoke, alienate and woo one another, and provide a strong argument for a playwright whose work seems next-to-impossible to subvert… The show itself is somewhat lost in time. But Parker and Broderick’s chemistry, expertly honed, makes it feel timeless.

Daily News (Chris Jones): … Remarkably, the show is playing pretty much the same soothing role on today’s post-crisis Broadway. It’s an island of comedic calm in a world of hot takes, put downs and bitter Oscar slaps… Sure, it’s dated. But not fatally so… Simon was enough of a humanist that the stories still feel poignant… he’s [Broderick] consistently interesting to watch, not least because some of his acting choices are so completely and utterly bizarre and this is, after all, farce… John Benjamin Hickey’s production…never gets in the stars’ way. Sometimes, to a fault.

Broadway News (Naveen Kumar): …while no one checks into the Plaza Hotel expecting ingenuity or surprise, the production now playing the Hudson Theatre feels remarkably removed from the moment… Retro gender politics, a cumbersome three-act structure and dusty humor? You’ll find all of that and more on the room service menu… Directed by John Benjamin Hickey, the production is sturdy and handsomely appointed, but lacks the erratic friction that might propel its comedy on a more rollicking course… But despite their offstage connection and individual talents, their performances here are out of step.

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&   Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater‘s Miscast 22 will be available in person and streaming (see below for options). The creative team and additional information is TBA.

  Christine Baranski, Susan Raanan, and Alexander Lambie.

Uzo Aduba, Shoshana Bean, Raúl Esparza, Myles Frost, J. Harrison Ghee, Joshua Henry, Andrea Martin, Audra McDonald, Lea Michele, Kelli O’Hara, Jennifer Simard, and Aaron Tveit.

 Mon. Apr. 4 at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom. here.

 Sun. May 22 at 7 PM ET.  here.

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 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf will run Apr. 19 – May 22 (opening Apr. 28) at the Geffen Playhouse, directed by Gordon Greenberg.

 Zachary Quinto (George), Calista Flockhart (Martha), Graham Phillips (Nick), and Aimee Carrero (Honey).

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Matthew Spangler’s adaptation of  The Kite Runner will run July 6 – Oct. 30 (opening July 21) at the Hayes Theater, directed by Giles Croft.

Amir Arison (Amir), Faran Tahir (Baba), Danish Farooqui (Wali/Doctor), Azita Ghanizada (Soraya), Joe Joseph, (Russian Soldier), Dariush Kashani (Rahim Kahan), Beejan Land (Kamal/Zaman), Amir Malaklou (Assef), Eric Sirakian (Hassan/Sohrab), Houshang Touzie (General Taheri), and Evan Zes (sli/Farid), with Demosthenes Chrysan, Joe Joseph, Dea Julien, Christine Mirzayan, Haris Pervaiz, and Alex Purcell.

A haunting tale of friendship spanning cultures and continents, that follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither of the boys can foresee the terrible incident which will shatter their lives forever.

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Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater presents its annual Running of the Red Bulls Revelry 0n Mon. June 13 at 6 PM ET at NYC’s Bowery Hotel.

Special guests, creative team, and additional information TBA.

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  Joe DiPietro & Jimmy Roberts’ I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! will run Apr. 20 – May 8 (opening Apr. 24) at Laguna Playhouse, directed & choreographed by Paula Hammons, with music direction by Ricky Pope.

John Adkison, Sophia Swannell, Danny Crowe, and Alison Nusbaum.

A musical comedy about everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.

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  Lincoln Center Theatre will present Aaron Sorkin’s new adaptation of Camelot, to begin previews Nov. 3 and open Dec. 8 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, directed by Bartlett Sher.

Casting, creative team, and additional information TBA.

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  The world premiere of Shaina Taub’s Suffs has been extended through May 15 at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater, directed by Leigh Silverman.

  Shaina Taub (Alice Paul), Nikki M. James, Phillipa Soo, and Jenn Colella, with Jenna Bainbridge, Ally Bonino, Tsilala Brock, Hannah Cruz, Nadia Dandashi, Aisha de Haas, Stephanie Everett, Amina Raye, Holly Goould, Cassondra James, Jaygee Macapugay, Grace McLean, Susan Oliveras, Mia Pak, Liz Pearce, Monica Tulia Ramirez, J. Riley Jr., Angela Travino, Ada Westfall, and Aurelia Williams.

The new musical brings to life a complicated chapter in the ongoing battle for the right to vote: the American women’s suffrage movement. An unflinching look at these young trailblazers.

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 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has announced updated casting at the Lyric Theatre:

* Steve Haggard is now playing the role of Harry Potter.
* Angela Reed will re-join the company as Ginny Potter on May 3

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& Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater has announced additional performers for its Miscast22 Gala, which will take place Mon. Apr. 4 at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom, with music direction by Will Van Dyke.

 Christine Baranski, Susan Raanan, and Alexander Lambie.

Shoshana Bean, Myles Frost, J. Harrison Ghee, Andrea Martin, Audra McDonald, Lea Michele, Kelli O’Hara, Steven Pasquale, Uzo Aduba, Raúl Esparza, Joshua Henry, Jennifer Simard, and Aaron Tveit.

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  Cleveland Play House has announced its 2022-23 season:

  American Mariachi (Sept. 17 – Oct. 9), by José Cruz González.

 The Great Leap (Oct. 29 – Nov. 20), by Lauren Yee.

  I’m Back Now (Feb. 4-26, 2023), world premiere by Charly Evon Simpson. A poignant family drama that transcends time and space. At 19, Sara travels to Cleveland to meet her birth mother, Elle. As she strives to reconcile the legacy she thought she knew with her actual origins, Sara discovers that she is a descendant of the last woman ever prosecuted under the Fugitive Slave Act. Traveling through time from the 1860s to today, the play weaves together three generations of one Black family.

  Becoming Dr. Ruth (Apr. 1-23), by Mark St. Germain.

  Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Apr. 29 – May 21), world premiere by Ken Ludwig. An investigation into the Bohemian king’s stolen letters cascades into an international mystery filled with spies, blackmail, and intrigue. With world peace at stake, Holmes and Watson join forces with American actress Irene Adler to take down cunning criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty and his network of devious henchmen. Five actors play over 40 roles in this brand new adventure that has danger – and laughter! – around every corner.

  Light It Up! (Dec. 3-22), by Jason Michal Webb & Lelund Durond Thompson. Welcome to Tinselville, USA!

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  Commonwealth Shakespeare Company presents a staged reading of Measure for Measure on Thurs. Apr. 14 at 7:30 PM at BCA’s Dean Hall, directed by Steven Maler.

Christian Coulson (Angelo), Maurice Emmanuel Parent (Duke of Vienna), Nora Eschenheimer (Isabella), and more TBA.

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RIP: Yuriko Kikuchi, dancer, passed away March 8 at the age of 102. She was one of the premiere dancers in mid-century Manhattan. The daughter of Japanese immigrants, Ms. Kikuchi was known professionally by her mononym, Yuriko, due to her frustration with consistent misspelling of her last name.

Following the end of World War II, Yuriko moved to New York City to pursue a career as a dancer. Yuriko was heavily associated with the choreographer Martha Graham, with whom she worked for more than 50 years. Yuriko was the first non-white dancer to join the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1944, where she danced the premiere of the one-act ballet Appalachian Spring, with choreography by Graham and a score by Aaron Copeland.

In 1951, Yuriko was cast as in the original Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, portraying Eliza in the “Small House of Uncle Thomas” ballet and reprising her role in the 1956 film.

In 1977, she directed the entirety of a revival starring Yul Brynner and Constance Towers; her daughter, Susan Kikuchi, danced the role of Eliza.

Yuriko also danced in the original Broadway productions of Flower Drum Song and Sandhog, before transitioning to working as a choreographer in 1967.

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Complete casting has been announced for Jaki McCarrick’s Belfast Girls, to run May 11 – June 26 (opening May 19) at Irish Rep, directed by Nicola Murphy.

Labhaoise Magee (Ellen Clarke), Aida Leventaki (Molly Durcan), Mary Mallen (Hannah Gibney), Caroline Strange (Judith Noone), and Sarah Street (Sarah Jane Wylie).

The play follows five young women setting out on their own as they sail from Belfast to Sydney, Australia in 1850, seeking new lives while realizing they cannot escape the lives they want to leave behind. The work imagines the lives of women who participated in the British empire’s real-life program called the Female Orphan Emigration Scheme, which sent “morally pure” girls to Australia to address the crisis of young women left destitute by the Great Famine in Ireland and the shortage of women and labor in Australia.

 


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