Today’s Highlights:
Sally & Tom, by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, featuring Sheria Irving (Luce/Sally), Gabriel Ebert (Mike/Tom), Sun Mee Chomet (Scout/Polly), Leland Fowler (Devon/Nathan), Kristolyn Lloyd (Maggie/Mary), Alano Miller (Kwame/James), Kate Nowlin (Ginger/Patsy), and David Petzold (Geoff/Cooper/Colonel Carey/Mr. Tobias), opens at Off-Broadway’s Public Theatre.
Hair, directed by Matthew Gardiner, featuring Jordon Dobson (Claude), Olivia Puckett (Sheila), and Mason Reeves (Berger), Susannah Blackwell (Lorrie), Patrick Leonardo Casimir (Walter), AlexDe Bard (Emmaaretta), Jamie Goodson (Suzannah/Mother), Caroline Graham (Crissy), Noah Israel (Woof), Amanda Lee (Dionne), Keenan McCarter (Steve/Father), Nolan Montgomery (Jonathan/Margaret Mead), Nora Palka (Jeanie), and Solomon Parker III (Hud), Gregeroy Twomey (Paul/Hubert), with Garvey X. Dobbins, Lily Gilan James, Nia Alyana Meeks, and Ethan Turbyfill, opens at DC’s Signature Theatre.
Nina Simone: Four Women, by Christina Hamm, directed by Malkia Stampley, featuring Alexis J Roston (Nina Simone), Matthew Harris (Sam), Gabrielle Lott-Rogers (Sarah), Brittney Mack (Sweet Thing), and Toni Martin (Sephronia), opens at Milwaukee Rep.
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Off-Broadway’s LAByrinth Theatre will present Celebrity Charades on Mon. May 20 at 6:30 PM at NYC’s Cutting Room.
Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Bobby Cannavale, John Ortiz, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Daphne Rubin-Vega, David Zayas, and more TBA.
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The world premiere of Topsy Turvy (A Musical Greek Vaudeville), written & directed by Tim Robbins, will run May 9 – June 8 (opening May 18) at Culver City’s The Actors’ Gang Theatre.
TBA.
Set in a hybrid world of classical Greek theater and a raucous vaudeville show, in Topsy Turvy the unity of a Greek Chorus of mortals is shattered by a mysterious illness. The Chorus desperately invoke the Gods, seeking divine intervention to help mend their divisiveness and restore their ability to sing together.
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Varla Jean Merman: Stand But Your Drag will take place Tues. Apr. 23 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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Project Shaw‘s script-in-hand performance of Shaw’s I’ll Leave It to You will take place Mon. Apr. 29 at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by David Staller.
Veanne Cox (Mrs. Anne Dermott) Dan Doningues (Olive Dermott), Evie Shuckman (Evangeline Dermott), Susannah Perkins (Sylvia Dermott), Vishaal Reddy (Bobbie Dermott), Thomas Jay Ryan (Daniel Davis), Susan Cella (Mrs. Crombie), Devin Kessler (Faith Crombie (Devin Kessler), and Aaron Lee Battle (Grigs).
Left a widow with four grown-up children, Mrs. Dermot turns to her mysterious brother Dan for help. Uncle Dan arrives to find an idle family ready to live on his money. He announces that he is doomed to die in three years and that he will leave his money to the member of the family who has made good by then. Each sets to with such determination that Oliver becomes a successful inventor, Evangeline a novelist, Bobbie a composer and Sylvia a film star; even Joyce, finishing her school career, distinguishes herself. Now he tells the family his riches are a myth and his previous announcement was only a means to raise the family from lethargy. Sylvia alone sees Uncle Dan’s wisdom and berates the others for their narrow-minded attitude. At heart, they are all genuinely attached to the wily uncle.
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Dan Lauria’s Just Another Day will run May 3 – June 30 (opening May 12) at Theatre 555, directed by Eric Krebs.
Dan Lauria and Patty McCormack.
A comedy writer and a sophisticated poet in their seventies meet daily on a park bench to exchange wits and barbs, and wax nostalgic about old movies, all the while trying to figure out how they know – and love – each other. At least for that day.
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J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company will present Make Someone Happy: The Songs of Comden, Green, and Styne on Tues. Apr. 23 at 7:30 PM at Off-Broadway’s AMT Theatre, directed by Charles Kirsch, with music direction by Michael Lavine.
Stephen Hanan, Amy Spanger, Todd Buonopane, Jeremy Benton, Catherine DeLuce, Nadia Duncan, Caleb Funk, Leah Horowitz (Follies), Jay Aubrey Jones, Andrew Leggieri, Ashley Morton, Jenny Lee Stern, Andy Tighe, Rebekah Wellons, and Stuart Zagnit.
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We’re Not Your Cup of Tea will take place Sat. May 11 at 8 PM at Theatre West, directed by Arden Teresa Lewis.
Evie Abat, Cyndy Fujikawa, Marcel Licera, Meg Lin, and Pamela Nagera.
A celebration of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander)
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New York City Ballet has announced its 2024-25 season.Too much to list here. Click on the link above for the complete season.
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The world premiere of Cary Gitter & Neil Berg’s The Sabbath Girl will run May 3-26 at Stony Point, NY’s Penguin Rep, directed by Joe Brancato.
Marilyn Caserta (Angie), Diana Di Marzio (Sophia), Rory Max Kaplan (Blake), Lauren Singerman (Rachel), and Max Wolkowitz (Seth).
Art gallery owner Angie Mastrantoni doesn’t have much time for romance… until a neighbor unexpectedley knocks on her door.
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Guys and Dolls will close Jan. 4, 2025 at the Bridge Theatre, directed by Nicholas Hytner.
Owain Arthur (Nathan Detroit), Timmika Ramsay (Miss Adelaide), George Ioannides (Sky Masterson), Celinde Schoenmaker (Sarah Brown), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Nicely-Nicely Johnson), Ryan Pidgen (Benny Ssouthstreet), Tori Scott (General Cartwright), Niall Bugge (Arvide Abernathy), TJ Lloyd (Rusty Charlie), Cornelius Clarke (Lieutenant Brannigan), Cameron Johnson (Big Jule), and Dashaun Begas (Harr the Horse, with Katie Bradley, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Filippo Coffano, Eamonn Cox, Kamilla Fernandes, Alex Given, Lucie Horsfall, Hollie Jane Stephens, Dominic Lamb, Siân Nathaniel-James, Sophie Pourret, Nathan Rigg, Pierce Rogan, Samuel Routley, and Saffi Needham, and swings Iroy Abesamis, James Revell, Charlotte Scott, and Dale White.
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Dan Lauria’s Just Another Day will run May 3-30 (opening May 12) at Theater 555, directed by Eric Krebs.
Dan Lauria and Patty McCormack.
A comedy writer and a poet in their 70s meet daily on a park bench, all the while trying to figure out how they came to know each other.
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A live-to-film concert event celebrating the 30th anniversary of “The Lion King” film will run May 24-25 at the Hollywood Bowl. Tickets go on sale Apr. 19. Audiences are encouraged to attend in costume.
Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Jennifer Hudson, and more TBA.
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Ahrens & Flaherty’s Luck Stiff will run May 3- June 30 (opening May 12) at the AMT Theatre, directed by Robert W. Schneider, with choreography by Gerry Mcintyre, and music direction by Miles Plant.
Patrick Brady (Harry, Missy Dowse), Janine LaManna (Rita), Robert Anthony Jones (Vinnie), Anania (Dominique), Marisa Budnick (Landlady), Alexander Carney (Uncle Anthony), Quinn Corcoran (Bellhop), Eric Michael Gillett (Luigi), and Richard Rowan (Solicitor).
The story revolves around an unassuming English shoe salesman who is forced to take the embalmed body of his recently murdered uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed in passing his uncle off as alive, Harry Witherspoon stands to inherit $6,000,000. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn… or else his uncle’s gun-toting ex!
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A one-night-0nly presentation of William Kennedy’s IRONWEED: An Evening of Art & Humanity will take place Fri. May 17 at 7:30 PM at Brooklyn’s BAM, directed by Jodie Markell.
Mark Ruffalo (Francis Phelan) and Jessica Hecht (Helen Archer).
The performance will intertwine live performance with recorded sound, presenting scenes from the new play, written by Kennedy and Markell. The evening will also include excerpts from an upcoming audio recording of the play, featuring Norbert Leo Butz, Kristine Nielsen, John Magaro, Michael Potts, David Rysdale, Frank Wood, Katie Erbe, and others.
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Stages St. Louis has announced its 2024 season:
Creative teams and casting TBA.
Steel Magnolias (May 31 – June 30)
Newsies (July 26 – Aug. 25)
Ragtime (Sept. 30 – Oct. 20), directed by Deidre Goodwin