Today’s Highlights:
Liz McCartney begins her temporary run as Mrs. Brice in Funny Girl at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre.
Second Stage‘s Patience, world premiere by Johnny G. Lloyd, directed by Zhailon Levingston, featuring Justin Davis (Daniel), Jonathan Burke (Jordan), Nemuna Ceesay (Nikita), Zainab Barry (Ella), and Mary E. Hodges (Mother), opens at Off-Broadway’s McGinn/Cazale Theater.
The Color Purple, directed by Timothy Douglas, featuring Nova Y. Payton (Celie), Danielle J. Summons, Frenchie Davis (Sofia), Kaiyla Gross (Nettie), Stephawn P. Stephens (Ol’ Mister/Preacher), Soloman Parker III (Harpo), Temídayo Amay (Squeak), and Torrey Linder (Mister), with Ian Anthony Coleman, Jalisa Williams, Keenan McCarter, Nia Savoy-Dock, Raquel Jennings, Sean-Maurice Lynch, Tobias A. Young, Yewande Odetoyinbo, Catrina Brenae, Gabrielle Rice, and Jay Frisby, opens at DC’s Signature Theatre.
Helen Park: Light the Night concert, with special guests Zachary Noah Piser, Luna, Julia Abueva, Toren Nakamura, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, Lina Rose Lee, and Abraham Lim, both live & livestreamed at 7 PM ET at 54 Below.
Dial M for Murder, by Frederick Knott, directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Celia Keenan-Bolger (Margo Wendice), Dan Domingues (Tony Wendice), Isabel Keating (Inspector Hubbard), Kavin Panmeechao (Max Halliday), and Mark Price (Captain Lesgate), closes at Nantucket’s White Heron Theatre Company.
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In the Works~In the Woods will take place Sept. 8-11 at NY’s Forestburgh Playhouse, which is dedicated to nurturing playwrights, composers, lyricists, and emerging theatrical works and cabaret.
Bottle Shock! The Musical, by James D. Sasser & Charles Vincent Burwell, directed by Jeremy Lapp, with music direction by Vadim Feichtner.
Based on the 2008 cult hit movie, this is the story of the early days of Napa Valley winemaking and the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” wine tasting, when, for the first time, California wines beat the French in a blind tasting and history was upended.
Outbound, by Caitlin Collins, directed by Joan Sergay. Irish feels lost in her call-center job, until she lands on the phone with Shelly, a young widow who happens to live in a small town Iris has a connection to. the women’s journeys intertwine in an exploration, loss, belonging, isolation, and resilience.
Gorden Gets Down!, by Caleb Damschroeder & Mattheew Ravey. It’s Martha Gruffington Day at Sunny Creek Goat Farm. While preparing for the farm’s annual line dance, Gordon discovers he’s got 4 left hooves. With a little self-discovery, a love of love, and a few songs along the way, Gordon is sure to find the right moves.
Catskills CAB LAB. Alan Muraoka and Scott Evans will develop and direct 2 unique solo musical cabaret evenings featuring Marrick Smith and Ariana Valdes.
Walking With Bubbles, written & performed by Jessica Hendy, featuring original songs by Brianna Barnes
Off the Cuff Conversations with celebrated writers & theatre insiders, including Charles Busch, Carl Andress, Rachel Hoffman, and more…
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CA’s Coachella Valley Rep has announced its 2022-23 season (creative teams and casting TBA):
The Humans (Nov. 8-20)
Fun Home (Dec. 6-18)
Once (Feb. 21 – Mar. 5), directed by John Carney
Hand to God (Mar. 28 – Apr. 9)
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The world premiere of AnnMarie Milazzo & Ken Davenport’s Joy the Musical will run Dec. 7-10 (opening Dec. 16) at NJ’s George Street Playhouse, directed by Casey Hushion, with choreography by Joshua Bergasse, and music supervision by Andy Einhorn.
Erika Henningsen and more TBA.
Joy is the story of a family across three generations, centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founded a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Facing betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, Joy becomes a true boss of family and enterprise. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces.
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Complete casting has been announced for the new national tour of Aladdin, which will launch Oct. 11-23 at Schenectady’s Proctors, directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. 
Click here for the tour schedule.
Adi Roy (Aladdin), Marcus M. Martin (Genie), Senzel Ahmady (Jasimine), Anand Nagraj (Jafar), Aaron Choi (Iago), Sorab Wadia (Sultan), Ben Chavez (Omar), Jake Letts (Babkak), and Colt Prattes 9Kassim), with Dwelvan David, J. Andrew Speas, Alyssa Anani, Carina R. Avila, Daniel Brackett, Victoria Byrd, Edward Cuellar, Cody Hernández, D. Jerome, Joshua Kenneth Allen Johnson, Tyler Johnson-Campian, Maya Kazzaz, Brandon J. Large, Lauren louis, Melissa McCann, Angelina Mullins, Omar Nieves, Ryan Rodiño, Cameron Sirian, Taylor Mackenzie Smith, and Asten Stewart.
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The remaining shows have been announced for Manhattan Theatre Club‘s 2022-23 Off-Broadway season at NYC Center Stage.
the best we could (a family tragedy) (previews Feb. 7, opens Mar. 1) world premiere by Emily Feldman, directed by Daniel Aukin. A daughter’s road trip with her father becomes a theatrical journey across more that just state lines. King James (previews May 2, opens May 16), by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Kenny Leon.**********************
The 1997 TV production of “Cinderella,” starring Brandy and the late Whitney Houston, will present a 25th anniversary reunion special on Tues. Aug. 23 at 8 PM on ABC.
Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, Paolo Montalban, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, Veanne Cox, Billy Porter, Todrick Hall, Jade Jones, and more.
The special will be followed by the first TV airing of the film in more than two decades.
Video: Promo
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An Evening with Julie Garnye will take place Thurs. Aug. 25 at 7 PM PT at CA’s Coachella Valley Rep, with music direction by Michael Sobie.
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Melissa Etheridge: My Window – A Journey Through Life will run Oct. 13 – 29 at New World Stages, directed by Amy Tinkham.
An intimate experience like never before, inviting theatergoers into an exhilarating evening of storytelling and music. From tales of her childhood in Kansas to her groundbreaking career highlights – with all of life’s hits and deep cuts between – Etheridge opens her heart & soul on stage to fearlessly dazzle audiences of all generations.
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Neil Appelbaum (May 3, 1939 – June 29, 2022)
Neil Appelbaum served as the creative director of “Cabaret Scenes” magazine, worked for a number of well-known publications, including “After Dark,” “Back Stage,” “The New York Review of Books”, and also designed the now-famous Scrabble poster for the legendary Sondheim: A Musical Tribute, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year.
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Gertrude Stein’s Four Saints in Three Acts will run Sept. 15 – Oct. 9 (opening Sept. 9) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll.
David Greenspan (portraying 66 different roles)
The play is said to have “no discernible plot” and follows the saints as they use language and expressions to depict the human experience.
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Jaime Cepero’s Songs About Anxiety 2.0 will take place Wed. Aug. 17 at 9:30 PM at NYC’s 54 Below, with music direction by Darnell White.
William Bailey, Taylor Blackman, Genesis Collado, Kevin Curtis, Michael Ray Fisher, Kristina Nicole Miller, Destan Owens, Cartreze Tucker, and Jason Veasey.
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A 40th anniversary production of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off will launch its UK tour Sept. 22 – Oct. 1 at Theatre Royal Bath, directed by Lindsay Posner.
Felicity Kendal (Dotty Otley), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Belinda Blair), and Matthew Kelly (Selsdon Mowbray, with Alexander Hanson (Lloyd Dallas), Joseph Millson (Garry LeJeune), Sasha Frost (Brooke Ashton), Pepter Lunkhuse (Poppy Norton Taylor), Jonathan Coy (Frederick Fellows), and Hubert Burton (Tim).
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The Al Hirschfeld Foundation has launched its latest online exhibition, “Call Her Madam: Sex, Crime, & Fun in Polly Adler’s New York,” which continues through Oct. 15. 
Once you’re on the main page, click the hand with the pointed finger (on the right) to continue to the exhibition.
The exhibition reflects some of the denizens of New York’s hottest after-hours clubhouse, including Desi Arnaz, Milton Berle, Duke Ellington, George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Lamour, The Marx Brothers, Dorothy Parker, Martha Raye, Franklin D. Roosevelt, James Thurber, Jimmy Walker and Walter Winchell.
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Alan Cumming will host his Showtime comedy special, “Club Cumming Presents a Queer Comedy Extravaganza,” which will premiere Sept. 2 at 10 PM ET.
The 75-minute cabaret-style gathering will feature seven up-and-coming queer comedians who will perform a mix of standup, characters, and musical performances.
Joe Castle Baker Julia Shiplett, Zach Teague & Drew Lausch, Nori Reed, Pat Regan, and Larry Owens.
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York Theatre Company will present Barry Kleinbort, Randy Skinner & David Hancock Turner’s Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood Sept. 13 – Oct. 16 at Theatre at St. Jean’s, directed & choreographed by Randy Skinner.
Jeremy Benton, Darien Crago, Kaitlyn Davidson, Danny Gardner, and Melinda Porto, with Corinne Munsch and Sean Quinn.
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The Hunger Games’ prequel, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is currently in production, and will be released on a date TBA, directed by Francis Lawrence.
Viola Davis (Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Rachel Zegler (Lucy Gray Baird), Tom Blyth (Coriolanus Snow), Josh Andrés Rivera, Peter Dinklage, and Hunter Schafer.
The story follows the 18-year-old male lead, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. He is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.