GRACE NOTES: Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Have a joyous, heartwarming holiday, and a spectacular new year.

GRACE NOTES will return Mon. Jan. 2

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Holiday Highlights:

Tuesday, December 20

Manhattan Theatre Club‘s The Collaboration, by Anthony McCarten, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, featuring Paul Bettany (Warhol), Jeremy Pope (Basquiat), Krysta Rodriguez (Maya), and Erik Jensen (Bruno Bischofberger), opens at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Rebecca Frecknall, featuring Lydia Wilson, Paul Mescal, Anjana Vasan, and Dwane Walcott, opens at London’s Almeida Theatre.

Joy The Musical, world premiere by Ken Davenport & AnnMarie Milazzo, directed by directed by Casey Hushion, featuring Erika Henningsen (Joy), Vicki Lewis (Toots), Stephen De Rosa (Rudy), Trent Saunders (Tony), Sami Bray (Christie), Badia Farha (Ronnie), Pomme Koch (Dan), Hazel Anne Raymundo (Thelma), Oliva Jones (Young Joy), Hazel, and John Hickok (Cowboy Eddie), with Gaelen Gilliand, Ashleigh Marie Arnold, Brian Shepard, Dana Costello, Kristen Faith Oei, Alanna Saunders, Ryan Duncan, Anthony Wayne, Justin Gregory Lopez, Bronwyn Tarboton, and Michael Kolaczkowski, opens at NJ’s George Street Playhouse.

Patti LuPone: Songs From a Hat concert, opens at 7 PM at NYC’s 54 Below.

Darius de Haas: The Holiday Concert, at 9:30 PM at NYC’s 54 Below.

The Wiz, directed & choreographed by Kelli Foster Warder, featuring 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, closes at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre.

Sister’s Christmas Catechism, by Marypat Donovan, Marc Silvia and Jane Morris, closes at Laguna Playhouse.

Wednesday, December 21

Thursday, December 22

Friday, December 23

Ain’t No Mo’, by Jordan E. Cooper, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, featuring Jordan E. Cooper (Peaches), Crystal Lucas-Perry (Passenger #5), Fedna Jacquet (Passenger #1), Marchant Davis (Passenger #2), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Passenger #4), and Shannon Matesky (Passenger #3), with Nik Alexander, Jasminn Johnson, Michael Rishawn, Kedren Spencer, Brennie Tellu, and Emma Van Lare, closes at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre, after 22 previews & 21 regular performances.

Ye Bear & Ye Cubb, byWilliam Darby, directed by Ryan Emmons, featuring Amara J. Brady (Tavernkeeper/Justice), Julie Congress (Ursa Day), Steven Conroy (William Darby), Erin Lamar (Philip Howard), Anthony Michael Martinez (Cornelius Watkinson), and Joseph Medeiros (Edward Martin), closes at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters.

Christmas on the Rocks, an offbeat collection of twisted holiday tales by John Cariani, Judy Gold, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jenn Harris, Jacques Lamarre, Edwin Sanchez, and Matthew Wilkas, directed by Rob Ruggiero, featuring Jen Cody (The Woman), Ted Lange (The Bartender), and Harry Bouvy, closes at TheaterWorks Hartford.

A Christmas Carol, adapted by Geoff Elliott, directed by Jeff Elliott & Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, featuring Geoff Elliott (Ebenezer Scrooge), Jeremy Rabb (Marly), Bert Emmett (Bob Cratchit), Emily Kosloski (Mrs. Cratchit), Rafael Goldstein (Fred), Sydney A. Mason (Fred’s Wife), Stanley Andrew Jackson III (Ghost of Christmas Present), Deborah Strang (Ghost of Christmas Past), and Frederick Stuart (Narrator), with Clifton Adams, Stella bullock, José Donado, Cynthia San Luis, Amalia Anne Morris, Kwayi Ndjamen, Roshni Shukla, and Andrea Somera, closes at Pasadena’s A Noise Within.

Saturday, December 24

Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theater‘s “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” written & directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Paxton Whitehead (Ebenezer Scrooge), Brian J. Carter (Bob Cratchit), Joel de la Fuente (Fred), Sana ‘Prince’ Sarr (Street Urchin/Peter Cratchit), Triney Sandoval (jacob Marley), Mia Dillon (Mrs. Dilber), Geneva Carr (Ghost of Christmas Past), Mark Shanahan (Mr. Creakle), Pearl Sun (Fan), Richard Henry (Old Fezziwig), Joe Delafield (Dick Wilkins), Danielle Davenport (Belle), Britney Coleman (Ghost of Christmas Present), Sarah Manton (Mrs. Cratchit), Catherine Shanahan (Martha Cratchit), Theo Adamson (Tiny Tim), John Gromada (Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come), and Mark Lamos (Narrator), now available for listening through Dec. 25.

A Christmas Carol, directed by Leora Morris, featuring Andrew Benator (Ebenezer Scrooge), Emberlynn Wood (Tiny Tim), Austin Barocas (Lamplighter’s Son), Caleb Maumann (Matthew Watkins), Chloe Gia Bremer (Tiny Tim Cratchit), Lena Castro (Wyatt Cratchit), Caitlin Hargraves (Missy Watkins), Christopher L. Morgan (Bob Cratchit), Thomas Neal Antwon Ghant (Tom Watkins, Mr. Fezziwig), Maggie Larson (Martha Cratchit/Belle), Margaret Ivey (Mrs. Dilber/Mrs. Fezziwig), Clare Latham (Mrs. Cratchit), Lizzie Park (Melinda Cratchit), Kevin Qian (Peter Cratchit/Dick Wilkins), Mary Lynn Owen, Brad Raymond, Matthew Morris, Christopher Hampton (Mr. Pritchitt), Clare Latham, Rhyn Mclemore, Asia Rogers, Caleb Baumann, Caleb Clark (Fred), Asia Rogers (Alice), Dane Troy, Lyndsay Ricketson, Eugene H. Russell, and Matthew Morris, closes at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.

Sunday, December 25

Monday, December 26

Tuesday, December 27

Wednesday, December 28

Truth’s A Dog Must Be a Kennel, written & performed by Tim Crouch, opens at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse.

The Ilene Graff Holiday Show live & livestreamed concert, with music direction by Ben Lanzarone, and special guests Lori Tan Chinn, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, and more, at 9:45 PMET/6:45 PM PT, at NYC’s 54 Below. Live show here …. livestream show here.

Thursday, December 29

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Holiday Panto, by Kris Lythgoe, directed by Bonnie Lythgoe, featuring Olivia Sanabia (Dorothy), Barry Pearl (The Wizard), Desi Dennis-Dylan (Glinda), Ashley Bruce (The Wicked Witch), Doran Butler (The Scarecrow), Patrick Davis (Tinman), and Andrew Metzer (The Lion), closes at Laguna Playhouse.

Friday, December 30

Downstate, by Bruce Norris, directed by Pam MacKinnon, featuring Francis Guinan (Fred), K. Todd Freeman (Dee), Glenn Davis (Gio), Eddie Torres (Felix), Susanna Guzmán (Ivy), Tim Hopper (Andy), Sally Murphy (Em), and Gabi Samels (Effie), closes at Off-Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons.

Patrick Page concludes his run as Hades in Hadestown at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre.

Truth’s A Dog Must Be a Kennel, written & performed by Tim Crouch, closes at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse.

Christmas in Connecticut – A New Musical, by Patrick Pacheco, Erik Forrest Jackson, Jason Howland & Amanda Yesnowitz, directed by Amy Anders Corcoran, featuring Audrey Cardwell (Liz Sandor), Ed Dixon (Alexander Yardley), Matt Bogart (Victor Beecham), Josh Breckenridge (Jefferson Jones), Raymond J. Lee (Dudley Beecham), James Judy (Felix Bassenak), Tina Stafford (Norah O’Connor), and Rashidra Scott (Gladys Higgenbottom, with Matthew Curiano, Rachel Fobbs, Julie Kavanagh, Emily Larger, Brendan McGrady, Melvin Tunstall III, Ty-Gabriel Jones, and Jamie Zeidman, closes at CT’s Goodspeed Musicals.

Disney’s Winnie The Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation closes at LA’s Kirk Douglas Theatre.

A Merry Little Christmas, adapted by & starring Mark Shanahan, closes at Virginia Stage.

Saturday, December 31

Rita Rudner: It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like New Year’s comedy show, at 7 PM at Laguna Playhouse.

York Theatre Company‘s Stardust Road, by Susan H. Schulman, Michael Lichtefeld, Lawrence Yurman & Hoagy Bix Carmichael, directed by Schulman, featuring Marcus Blair, Sara Esty, Dion Simmons Grier, Danielle Herbert, Kayla Jenerson, Cory Linger, and Mike Schwitter, with Rachel Fairbanks and Drew Tanabe, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans.

Our Town… But Wilder, world premiere written & directed by Richard Krevolin, featuring Robert Aloi, Frances Karagio, Chris Carmer, Anne Nadell, Isabell Sheehan, Caitlin Wells, Ben Elias, Scotty Kall, Joseph Monseur, Josh Manson, and Camber Carpenter, closes at Off-Broadway’s Actors Temple Theatre.

A Christmas Carol, directed by Jessica Thebus, featuring Larry Yando (Ebenezer Scrooge), Vikram Konkimalla (Tiny Tim), Presley rose Jones (Ebenezer Scrooge alternate), Presley Rose Jone (Tiny Tim alternate), Justin Amolsch (Marley Dupe), Kareem Bandealy (Ghost of Jacob Marley), Dee Dee Battest (Frida), Jayson Brooks (Abe), Ariana Burks (Martha Cratchit), Thomas J. Cox (Bob Cratchit), Amira Danan (Belle), William Dick (Ortle), Cindy Gold (Mrs. Maud Fezziwig), Gregory Hirte (Dick Wilkins), Susaan Jamshidi (Mrs. Cratchit), Vikram Konkimalla (Tiny Tim), Daniel José Molina (Ghost of Christmas Future), Lucky Stiff (Ghost of Christmas Past), Bethany Thomas (Ghost of Christmas Present), Austin Tichenor (Ebenezer Scrooge Alternate), and Andrew White (Narrator), with Amir Henderson, Presley Rose Jones, Austin Tichenor, Belinda, Rika Nishikawa, Alexander Quiñones, Karla Serrato, Jalen Smith, Penelope Walker, Wai Yim, Molly Bunder, Sam Hyson, Loren Jones, and Tim Kidwell, closes at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by James Vásquez, featuring Andrew Polec (The Grinch), Tyrone Davis Jr. (Young Max), John Treacy Egan (Old Max), and Issa Ally & Harper Quinn (alternating as Cindy-Lou Who), Kevin Solis (Grandpa Who), Bets Malone (Grandma Who), Julia Davis & Leila Manuel (alternating as Annie), Chloe Oh & Pearl Salonga (alternating as Betty-Lou Who), Ari Gimbel & Faizi Mahalingham (alternating as Boo Who), Ryan Hafner & Landon Tweet (alternating as Danny Who), and Joelle Dana Advento & Ali Nelson (alternating as Teen Who), and many more, closes at San Diego’s Old Globe.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, directed by Kevin McAllister, featuring Jay Frisby, Kaiyla Gross, Patricia Hurley, and Nick Lehan, closes at VA’s Olney Theatre Center.

Sunday, January 1

A Christmas Carol, adapted by Jefferson Mays, Susan Lyons & Michael Arden, directed by Arden, starring Mays closes at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre.

Theatre for a New Audience‘s Des Moines, by Denis Johnson, directed by Arin Arbus, featuring Johanna Day, Michael Shannon, Heather Alicia Simms, and Arlis Howard, closes at Off-Broadway’s Polonsky Shakespeare Center.

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical, by Jonathon Hogue, directed by Nick Flatto, featuring Jamir Blair (Lucas), Jeremiah Garcia (Dustin), Caroline Huerta (Joyce/Will), Jeffrey Laughrun (Mike), Garrett Poladian (Steve/Jonathan), Harley Seger (Eleven/Nancy), SLee (Barb), and Shawn W. Smith (Hopper), with Jean Christian Barry, Dashiell Gregory, and Hannah Clarke Levine, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Lukes.

Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey, featuring Steven Skybell (Tevye), Jennifer Babiak (Golde), Lisa Fishman (Yente) Michael Nigro (Fyedke), Ben Liebert (Motl), Stephanie Lynne Mason (Hodl), Rosie Jo Neddy (Khave), Bruce Sabath (Leyzer-Volf), Drew Seigla (Pertshik), Rachel Zatcoff (Tsaytl), Kirk Geritano (Avrom), Raquel Nobile (Shprintse), Jonathan Quigley (Chaim), Nick Raynor (Yosl), Adam B. Shapiro (Der Rov), Jodi Snyder (Beylke/Frume-Sore), James Monroe Števko (Mendl), Lauren Jeanne Thomas (Der Fidler), Bobby Underwood (Der Gradavoy), Mikhl Yashinsky (Nokhum/Mordkhe), and Jonathan Cable (Sasha), with Abby Goldfarb, Yael Eden Chanukov, Ron Tal and John Giesige, closes to Off-Broadway’s New World Stages.

A Sherlock Carol, written & directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Drew McVety (Scrooge), Dan Domingues, Isabel Deating, and Mark Price, with Joe Delafield, Alexandra Kopko, and Byron St. Cyr, closes at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages.

The Far Country, by Lloyd Suh, directed by Eric Ting, featuring Ben Chanse, Jinn S. Kim, Whit K. Lee, Christopher Liam Moore, Shannon Tyo, Amy Kim, and Eric Yang, closes at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre Company.

Theatre for a New Audience‘s Des Moines, by Denis Johnson, directed by Arin Arbus, featuring Johanna Day, Michael Shannon, Heather Alicia Simms, and Arliss Howard, closes at Off-Broadway’s Polonsky Shakespeare Center.

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations national tour, directed by Des McAnuff, featuring Jalen Harris (Eddie Kendricks), Harrell Holmes Jr. (Melvin Franklin), James T. Lane (Paul Williams), Marcus Paul James (Otis Williams), and Elijah Ahmad Lewis (David Ruffin), with Michael Andreaus, Gregory Carl Banks Jr., Brian C. Binion, Reed Campbell, Lawrence Dandridge, Shayla Brielle G., Treston J. Henderson, Najah Hetsberger, Devin Holloway, Antwaun Holley, Kyshawn Lane, Traci Elaine Lee, Brett Michal Lockley, Harris Matthew, Amber Mariah Talley, Andrew Volzer, and Nazarria Workman, closes its LA run at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.

The Sound of Music, directed by Mark S. Hoebee, featuring Ashley Blanchet (Maria Rainer), Graham Rowat (Captain Georg von Trapp, Cáitlín Burke (Mother Abbess), Emily Borromeo (Elsa Schraeder), Gavin Lee (Max Detweiler), Analise Scarpaci (Liesl von Trapp), Andrew Alstat (Rolf Gruber), Stacia Fernanez (Frau Schmidt), Christopher Gurr (Herr Zeller), Paul Slade Smith (Franz), Mark Banik (Admiral von Schreiber), Coleman Simmons (Friedrich), Jacey Sink (Louisa), Cody Braverman (Kurt), Tara Rajan (Brigitta), Austin Elle Fisher (Marta), and Charlotte Sydney Harrington (Gretl), with Charlotte, Ethan Joseph, Griffen Binnicker, Dean Cestari, Brittany Conigatti, Nick Davis, Vincent DePeri, Madeleine Doherty, Eric Michael Gillett, Gina Hanzik, Katie Horner, May Illes, Meredith Lustig, Kate Mazza, Christine Price, Chandler Reeves, Emily Royer, Kayleen Seidl, Arian Vales, and Kai B. White, closes at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse.

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, adapted by Colin Escott, directed by Hunter Foster, featuring Joe Boover (Elvis Presley), Tyler Michal Breeding (Johnny Cash), Jason Cohen (Jerry Lee Lewis), Sam Sherwood (Carl Perkins), Margaret Dudasik (Dyanne), Bart Shatto (Sam Phillips), James David Larson (Brother Jay Perkins), and Tucker Cruz Marshall (Fluke), with Guiliana Augello, Brian Michael Henry, and Sam C. Jones, closes at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas, adapted & performed by Paul Morella, closes at MD’s Olney Theatre.

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Reviews for Between Riverside and Crazy at Broadway’s Hayes Theatre:

NY Times (Jesse Green): …the astonishing Stephen Adly Guirgis play… tied up in a big foul-mouthed holiday bow by the director Austin Pendleton… there wasn’t much to improve [from the 2024-15 Off-Broadway production], what you see is mostly the same, with Stephen McKinley Henderson (as Walter, the police officer) and Liza Colón-Zayas (as the Church Lady) brilliantly re-creating their roles… Guirgis is masterly at getting a boil going without seeming to work too hard at it… Everyone should see it anyway, to experience the pleasure of a great cast making a shrimps-and-veal meal of the incredibly rich material, even as it flips between comedy and tragedy on its way to the truth in between…

Variety (Naveen Kumar): … Crackling with humor and shot through with surprises, Between Riverside and Crazy, which premiered off Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2014 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is both a captivating collection of character studies and an incisive indictment of the systems that act upon them. It’s a stunning intellectual achievement that’s also a total gas, a rare breed of theater deserving of protection at all costs… Walter, played by a magnificent Stephen McKinley Henderson, is hanging on to an enviable rent-controlled apartment… Under the direction of Austin Pendleton, most of the cast from the Atlantic Theater Company production returns with as much ease and richness as if they had lived inside the characters for as many years…

Broadway News (Brittani Samuel): … The story expertly cuts its way through diverse communities and social classes but does not avoid pot (or in this case, plot) holes. Fortunately, virtuosic actor Stephen McKinley Henderson sits in the driver’s seat as protagonist Walter Washington and makes the 140-minute road trip an unforgettable ride… Throughout Between Riverside, Guirgis whips this brand of intimate drama and conflict around like an F1 race. Director Austin Pendleton is an expert on the turf — careening actors into a fast pace when stakes are high or slowing down the speed in scenes where characters unfurl deeper secrets… Henderson’s gorgeous, affecting performance that deserves a reward….

New York Post (Johnny Oleksinki): The riveting play… Guirgis’ compassionate play, directed with great care by Austin Pendleton, is also wildly funny — actually more hilarious than many recent flat-out comedies — and devilishly inappropriate. His dialogue rightly doesn’t try to clean up how cops and convicts might talk and it also establishes that nobody here is a saint… Common takes on his first major stage gig, successfully and admirably… there’s complexity behind the rapper-actor’s warmth… However, it’s Henderson who shakes the stage… He makes the complicated Walter a millions things at once — adorable, frightening, calculating, indifferent, reserved, commanding, a stand-up comic, a boozer — that combine into one indomitable theatrical force.

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Allegiance will run Jan. 8 – Apr. 8 (opening Jan. 17) at the Charing Cross Theatre, directed by Tara Overfield Wilkinson.

George Takei and Telly Leung.

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John Caird & Paul Gordon’s Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist will stream for free through Jan. 1. Click here to stream the production.

Betsy Wolfe (Estella Scrooge), Clifton Duncan (Philip ‘Pip’ Nickleby), Lauren Patten (Dawkins), Patrick Page (Mr. Merdle), Carolee Carmello (Marla Havisham), Danny Burstein (Ebenezer Scrooge), Megan McGinnis (Betty Cratchit), Adam Halpin (Bob Crathit), Sarah Litzsinger (Sissy Jupe), Tom Nelis (Dedlock), Em Grosland (Smike), Phoenix Best (Charity/Mercy), David Bryant (Mr. Podsnap), Gabrielle Reid (Mrs. Pumblechook), Samuel Lee Roberts (Mr. Flopson), Michael Francis McBride (Mr. Dombey), Michele Lee (Mrs. Noggs), Kristen Faith Oei (Ms. Skiffins), Meg Gibson (Molly), William Youmans (Magwitch)/Bagstock), Kevyn Morrow (Jasper Jaggers), Joziyah Jean-Felix (Young Pip), Brooklyn Shuck (Young Essy), and Willow McCarthey (Tiny Tammy).

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Dave Malloy’s Preludes will run Jan. 6 – Feb. 5 at Boston’s Lyric Stage, directed Courtney O’Connor, with music direction by Dan Rodriguez.

Aimee Doherty, Will McGarrahan, Anthony Pires jr., Dan Prior, Kayla Shimizu, and Dan Rodriguez, with Allison Beauregard and Matthew Zahnziger.

When success and failure collide, can a young Rachmaninoff rediscover his musical genius?

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Tom Kitt’s Almost Famous, directed by Jeremy Herrin, will close on Jan. 8 at Broadway’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, after 30 previews and 77 regular performances.

Chris Wook, Anika Larsen, Solea Pfeiffer, Drew Gehling, Rob Colletti, and Casey Likes, with Matt Bittner, Chad Burris, Gerard Canonico, Julia Cassandra, Brandon Contreras, Jakeim Hart, Van Hughes, Jana Djenne Jackson, Katie Ladner, Danny Lindgren, Erica Mansfield, Alisa Melendez, Emily Schultheis, Daniel Sovich, Libby Winters, and Matthew C. Yee.

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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf will begin previews Jan. 13 and open Jan. 18 at Theatre Royal Bath, directed by Lindsay Posner.

Elizabeth McGovern, and more TBA.

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New Los Angeles Theatre Company has extended its run of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, written & directed by Peter Ellenstein, and starring John Rubinstein.

After the holidays, the production will continue Jan. 6-22 at its new location — Hollywood’s Hudson’s MainStage Theatre.

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Video: Victoria Clark and Justin Cooley in a new music video for Kimberly Akimbo‘s “Anagram”

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All donations to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts will be matched (100%) through Dec. 31.

Click here to donate.

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David French’s Salt-Water Moon will will run Jan. 3-28 at the Finborough Theatre, directed by Peter Kavanagh.

Bryony Miller and Joseph Potter.

It’s a splendid moon-filled night in Coley’s Point in 1926. Young Jacob Mercer has returned home to the tiny and remote Newfoundland fishing village, desperate to win back his former sweetheart, Mary Snow. But Mary has become engaged to wealthy Jerome McKenzie, and is still hurt and bewildered by Jacob’s abrupt departure for Toronto a year earlier. Even to speak to Jacob will put Mary’s wedding plans in jeopardy. Stubborn and independent, she is determined never to forgive Jacob…

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The world premiere of Gabriel Oliva’s Final Interview will run Jan 13-29 at West LA’s Pico Playhouse, directed by Katierose Donahue-Enriquez.

Dana Deryuck, Colleen Foy, Frank Martinelli, Gabriel Oliva, and Brian Stanton.

The stress of a job interview is cranked up to 10 when a gun is thrown in the mix. If the interview goes poorly, someone dies. In a claustrophobic game of cat and mouse, both interviewer and interviewee desperately try to escape a high-rise office with their lives.

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Vernon Vanriel & Dougie Blaxland’s On the Ropes will begin previews Jan. 6 and open Jan. 10 at the Park Theatre, directed by Anasasia Osei-Kuffour.

Mensah Bediako, Ashley D Gayle, and Amber James.

Pulsating with the rhythmic energies of blues, reggae and boxing, this is an uplifting musical drama telling the extraordinary story of Vernon Vanriel who arrived in the UK aged 6 with his family as part of the Windrush Generation, and rose to prominence as one of the most charismatic and influential Black British boxers of the 70s and 80s.