Today’s Highlights:
The Norm Lewis Christmas Show, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, opens at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert, directed by Christopher Gatelli, featuring Audra McDonald, Julian Ovenden, Marisha Wallace, Patrick Wilson, Daniel Dae Kim, Ashley Park, Aaron Tveit, Joanna Ampil, Michael Ball, Maria Friedman, Lucy St. Louis, and more, at 2:30 & 7:30 PM at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
A celebration to honor the life and career of director Shirley Jo Finney will take place at 7 PM at LA’s Kirk Douglas Theatre. All are welcome. A livestream option will also be available HERE.
“Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir” concert, with special guests Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet, airs at 8 PM on PBS (check local listings).
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Nominations for the 2024 Golden Globes Awards have been announced HERE.
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York Theatre‘s The Jerusalem Syndrome, by Laurence Holzman, Felicia Needleman & Kyle Rosen, continues through Dec. 31 at Theatre at St. Jean’s, directed by Don Stephenson.
Farah Alvin, Dana Costello, Scott Cote, Andrea Fleming, James D. Gish, Alan H. Green, Danielle Lee James, John Jellison, Josh Lamon, Garrett Long, Karen Murphy, Jeffrey Schecter, Jennifer Smith, Chandler Sinks, Lenny Wolpe, and Laura Woyasz.
This original musical comedy explores a real-life psychological malady that causes tourists in Israel—over 200 every year!—to suffer mental breakdowns and suddenly come to believe that they are characters from the Bible. At The Jerusalem Syndrome you’ll meet an inept tour guide who turns into Moses, a professor in a troubled marriage who thinks she’s Abraham’s wife Sarah, and a resort tycoon with daddy issues who might be Jesus…not to mention multiple Virgin Marys and the Lord Herself!
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Jennifer Lopez will star as Aurora in Bill Condon’s film adaptation of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” directed by Condon.
Filming is expected to begin in spring 2024.
Casting and additional information TBA.
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Ira Levin’s Deathtrap will run Jan. 19-28 at NJ’s Algonquin Arts Theatre, directed by Gillian Roberts.
Mark S. Megill (Sydney Bruhl), Cindy Chait (Myra Bruhl), Garrett Gallinot (Clifford Anderson), Laurd J. Cooke (Helga ten Dorp), and Brendan Flanagan (Porter Milgram).
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Jason Kravits’ Off the Top Improv Cabaret will take place Thurs. Dec. 21 at 7 PM at NYC’s Chelsea Table & Stage. Highly recommended.
Jason will write songs based on audience suggestions.
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New York Rep continues its world premiere production of Michelle Kholos Brooks’ War Words through Dec. 17 at A.R.T./New York (502 W. 53rd St.), directed by Sarah Norris.
David Alan Basche (John), Maggie Bofill (Jennifer), Donald Calliste (Nate), John Concado (Matt), Jennean Farmer (Amy), Bethany Geraghty (Kimberly), Brandon Jones (Steve), Kevin Loreque (Dan F.), Matthew Nititow (James), Haythem Noor (Janis), Alysia Reiner (Emily), Joshua David Robinson (Nash), John Siciliano (Pete), and Jakob Von Eichel (Danny).
A docu-play in the words of the men and women who served in the U.S. Military during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Based on the playwright’s interviews with veterans of the 20-year Long War and their families, War Words is composed of heroic and heartbreaking stories of the veterans, families, and allies of people who served: those who came home, and those who were left behind.
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The North American tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will launch Sept. 20, 2024 – Feb. 1, 2025 (opening Sept. 26) at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre.
Casting TBA.
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The World Goes Round, directed by Ren T. Brown, continues through Dec. 23 at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre.
Mary Ann Hermansen, Jeffrey Landman, April Nixon, and Andrew Samonsky.
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New York City Center Encores! has announced complete casting for Once Upon a Mattress, to run Jan. 24 – Feb. 4, directed by Lear deBessonet, with choreography by Lorin Latarro and music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.
Sutton Foster (Princess Winnifred), Michael Urie (Prince Dauntless), Harriet Sanson Harris (Queen Agravain), Nikki Renée Daniels (Lady Larken), J. Harrison Ghee (Jester), Cheyenne Jackson (Sir Harry), Francis Jue (Wizard), and David Patrick Kelly (King Sextimus the Silent), with Shavey Brown, DeMarius R. Copes, Kaleigh Cronin, Cicily Daniels, Ben Davis, Ta’Nika Gibson, Gaelen Gilliland, Jaquez, Paul Kreppel, Morgan Marcell, Abby Matsusaka, Adam Roberts, Ryan Worsing, and Richard Riaz Yoder.
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David Ireland’s Ulster American, currently in previews, will open Dec. 13 and close Jan. 28 at Riverside Studios, directed by Jeremy Herrin.
Woody Harrelson (Jay Conway), Andy Serkis (Leigh Carver), and Louisa Harland Ruth Davenport.
An Oscar-winning American actor, an English director, and a Northern Irish playwright are about to begin rehearsals for a new play—one that could transform each of their careers. But when it turns out that they’re not on the same page, the night threatens to spiral out of control.
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Adam Rapp, Justin Levine, Jonathan clay & Zach Chance’s The Outsiders will begin previews Mar. 16, 2024 and open Apr. 11 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, directed by Danya Taymor, with choreography by Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman and music direction by supervision by Justin Levine.
Brody Grant (Ponyboy), Brent Comer (Darrel), Jason Schmidt (Sodapop), Sky Lakota-Lynch (Johnny), Joshua Boone (Dallas Winston), Emma Pittman (Cherry Valance), Kevin William Paul (Bob Sheldon), and Dan Berry (Paul Holden), with Jordan Chin, Milena J. Comeau, Barton Cowperthwaite, Tilly Evans-Krueger, Henry Gendron, RJ Higton, Wonza Johnson, Sean Harrison Jones, Maggie Kuntz, Renni Anthony Magee, SarahGrace Mariani, Melody Rose, Josh Strobl, Victor Carrillo Tracey, and Trevor Wayne.
Based on S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel and set in 1967 Tulsa, Oklahoma, The Outsiders follows a band of working-class “greasers,” led by Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, as they fight for space and purpose against the preppy “Socs” and a whole society designed to see them fail.
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Live at The Lee! will take place Wed. Dec. 13 at 7:30 PM at LA’s Lee Strasberg Theatre (7936 Santa Monica Blvd.), directed by Gregory Nabours, and hosted by Nick Hardcastle.
Matthew Scott Montgomery, Mitchell Johnson, Catherine Alcorn, Joshua Perlman, Michelle Sharman, Yolanda Thomas, and more.
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The world premiere of Danny Strong, Michael Weiner & Zoe Sarnak’s Galileo will run May 5 – June 16, 2024 (opening May 15) at CA’s Berkely Rep, directed by Michael Mayer, with choreography by David Neumann, and music direction by Roberto Sinha.
Raul Esparza (Galileo), and more TBA.
Galileo is summoned to Rome to defend his observations of the celestial universe.
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Roundabout Theatre Company‘s Jonah, by Rachel Bonds, will run Jan. 11 – Mar. 10, 2024 at the Laura Pels Theatre, directed by Danya Taymor.
Gabby Beans (Ana), Hagan Oliveras (Jonah), Samuel Henry Levine (Danny), and John Zdrojeski (Steven).
Ana knows that everybody has a fantasy — her especially, and she’d do anything to make it come true. And when she meets Jonah, a sweet and caring student at her boarding school, everything she’s ever wanted is finally falling into place. Except Jonah is not all that he seems.
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The cast album of “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends: A Celebration (Live at the Sondheim Theatre)” is now available on most platforms.
Shan Ako, Christine Allado, Michael Ball, Rob Brydon, Ashley Campbell, Helena Bonham Carter, Anna-Jane Casey, Petula Clark, Rosalie Craig, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Daniel Evans, Maria Friedman, Josefina Gabrielle, Louis Gaunt, Amy Griffiths, Haydn Gwynne, Rob Houchen, Holly-Anne Hull, Bradley Jaden, Bonnie Langford, Damian Lewis, Julia McKenzie, Ian McLarnon, Julian Ovenden, Bernadette Peters, Sian Phillips, Jon Robyns, Clive Rowe, Jenna Russell, Jeremy Secomb, Imelda Staunton, Charlie Stemp, Matthew White, Gary Wilmot, Michael D. Xavier, students from Mountview, and The Royal Academy Musical Theatre Company.
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends transferred to London’s West End at the Gielgud Theatre where it will run through Jan 6, 2024. The current cast features Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, Christine Allado, Clare Burt, Janie Dee, Damian Humbley, Bradley Jaden, Bonnie Langford, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Jac Yarrow, Marley Fenton, Beatrice Penny-Touré, Harry Apps, Bella Brown, Richard Dempsey, and Monique Young.