Today’s Highlights:
Sylvia, world premiere by Kate Prince, Priva Parmar, Josh Cohen, DJ Walde & Tachia Newall, directed by Kate Prince, featuring Kelly Agbowu (Mrs. Flora “The General” Drummond/Mrs. Savoy), Verity Blyth (Clementine Churchill/Mrs. Scurr/Kitty), Bradley Charles (Lord Cromer/Richard Pankhurst/Alan), Kimmy Edwards (Emily Davison/Lillie Hardie/Mrs. Watkins), Alex Gaumond (Keir Hardie), Jade Hackett (Lady Jennie Churchill/Mrs. Payne/Edith Garrud), Stevie Hutchinson (Lloyd George/Lord Curzon), Kate Ivory Jordan (Annie Kenney/Norah Smyth), Kandaka Moore (Mrs. Parsons/Sophia Singh), Razak Osman (Harry Pankhurst/Sir Almroth Wright/Asquith/King George V), Jay Perry (Winston Churchill/George Lansbury), Kirstie Skivington (Adela Pankhurst/Mrs. Bird), Sweeney (Silvio Corio), and Ellena Vincent (Christabel Pankhurst), with Sinead Long, Jaye Marshall, Antoine Murray-Straughan, Malachi Welch, and Hannah Khemoh, opens at London’s Old Vic.
Soho Rep’s Wolf Play, by Hansol Jung’, directed by Dustin Wills, featuring Christopher Bannow (Peter), Esco Jouléy (Ash), Brian Quijada (Ryan), Nicole Villamil (Robin), and Mitchell Winter (Wolf), opens at Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater.
Cornelia Street, world premiere by Simon Stephens & Mark Eitzel, directed by Neil Pepe, featuring George Abud, Norbert Leo Butz, Esteban Andres Crus, Gizel Jiménez, Jordan Lage, Kevyn Morrow, Mary Beth Peil, Lena Pepe, and Ben Rosenfield, opens at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre.
Sunday in the Park with George, directed by Sarna Lapine, featuring Graham Phillips (George Seurat/George), Krystina Alabado ((Dot/Marie), Michael Manuel (Jules/Bob), Emily Tyra (Yvonne/Naomi), Liz Larsen (Old Lady/Blair), Jenni Barber (Celeste #2/Elaine), Pippa Blaylock (Louise), Brian Calì (Boatman/Lee), Jennie Greenberry (Nurse), Trevor James (Soldier/Alex), Robert Knight (Louis/Charles), Deborah Lew(Frieda/Betty), Alexandra Melrose (Mrs./Harriet), Juliana Sloan(Celeste #1), Jimmy Smagula (Mr./Billy), and Jason Michael Snow (Franz/Dennis), with Marc Ginsburg, Armand Akbari, Allison Belinkoff, Savannah L. Jackson, Matthew McCoy, Brianna Pember, begins previews at Pasadena Playhouse.
Baby cast album (2021 NYC site-specific production), featuring Christina Sajous (Pam), Gabrielle McClinton (Nicki), Julia Murney (Arlene), Robert H. Fowler (Alan), Liz Flemming (Lizzie), and Johnny Link (Danny), with Jorge Donoso, Marisa Kirby, Jewell Noel, and Ethan Paulini, released on most platforms.
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Pacific Resident Theatre will present The Glory of Love concert, featuring Rita Obermeyer, on Sun. Feb. 19 at 7 PM at the theatre’s concert space (705 Venice Blvd in Venice).
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TheaterWorks USA has announced the return of Devin Del Aguila & Brad Alexander’s Dog Man: The Musical, to run Mar. 4 – Apr. 30 (opening Mar. 14) at New World Stages, directed & choreographed by Jen Wineman.
DeShawn Bowens, L.R. Davidson, Martin Landry, Jamie LaVerdier, Marcus Montgomery, Brian Owen, Dan Rosales, Crystal Sha’nae, and Markia Nicole Smith.
Dog Man follows the chronicles of a canine superhero who loves the fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, with world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime??
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New Dramatists will present Suzan-Lori Parks with its 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award at its 71st Annual Spring Luncheon Tribute on Tue. May 30 at 11 AM at NYC’s Marriott Marquis.
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The Kingston Trio in concert will take place Mar. 8 & 9, both at 7:30 PM at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre.
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Putting It Together will run Mar. 3-18 at Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Theatre Company, directed & choreographed by Gerry McIntyre, with music direction by Phil Reno.
Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Judy McLane, Cayleigh Capaldi, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Brent Thiessen.
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Red Bull Theater has announced casting for a live & livestreamed reading of Jean Racine’s Phèdre, in a new translation by Rob Melrose, which will take place Mon. Feb. 20 at NYC’s Florence Gould Hall, directed by Lanise Antoine Shelley.
FREE streaming on demand will be available Feb. 21-26.
Jennifer Ehle (Phèdre), Robert Cuccioli (replacing David Strathairn), Stephanie Berry, Mister Fitzgerald, Allen Gilmore, Jacqueline, Nwabueze, AhDream Smith, and Sarin Monae West.
Secret yearnings are unleashed, ruinous deceits are perpetrated, and scandalous fmilial dysfunction is displayed. Isn’t it astonishing what loneliness can do to a person? Once a model mother and devoted wife, Phèdrew finds her resolve destroyed as her desire for her maturing stepson becomes inescapable and all-consuming.
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Audio: “Two People in Love” from the Out of the Box Theatrics’ new recording Off-Broadway’s 2021 production of Baby.
Christina Sajous, Gabrielle McClinton, Julia Murney, Robert H. Fowler, Elizabeth Flemming, Johnny Link, Jorge Donoso, Marisa Kirby, Jewell Noel, and Ethan Paulini.
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Off-Broadway’s New Ohio Theatre will close its doors on Aug. 31 after 30 years.
Along with increased financial pressures, other factors cited as part of the decision include the field’s shifting landscape, and Founding Artistic Director Robert Lyons’ decision to step down from leading the theatre. “We had a hell of a run,” said Lyons in a statement. He continued, “We think theatre organizations have their own natural life spans. This is a perfect moment for new ideas, new energy, and new models for the indie theatre scene.”
Founded in 1994 under the name Soho Think Tank, it rebranded as the New Ohio Theatre and moved to the West Village’s Archive Building. It has fostered works which have subsequently played Off-Broadway, had national and international tours, and earned earned Drama Desk nominations, Obie Awards, and Audience First Awards in Edinburgh. During its history, New Ohio Theatre has been recognized with two Obie Awards for Sustained Excellence
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An invitation only reading of Thomas Lennon, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner’s Trading Places will take place Feb. 16 & 17 in NYC, directed by Kenny Leon, with choreography by Fatima Robinson.
Aneesa Folds (Billie Rae Valentine), Bryce Pinkham (Louis Winthorpe III), Marc Kudisch (Mortimer Duke), Lenny Wolpe (Randolph Duke), Sara Chase (Penelope Van Verst), Jay Klaitz (Mr. Beeks), Michael Longoria (Phil Lopez), and Don Stephenson (Coleman), with Jimmy Ray Bennett, Dana Costello, Kayla Marie Cruz, Benjamin Howes, Bre Jackson, Arica Jackson, Justin Gregory Lopez, James Luc, Orville Mendoza, Malaiyka Reid, Michael McCorry Rose, and Kevin Zak.
A hilarious and contemporary musical reimagining of the prince and pauper fable. Billy Rae Valentine, a savvy hustler down on her luck, and Louis Winthorpe III, a minted commodities-trading firm director, have their lives deliberately switched by the devious Duke brothers to settle a petty bet in an outrageous debate of nature versus nurture.
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Between Riverside and Crazy, which opened Dec. 19 at Broadway’s Second Stage Theatre, has extended it live stream option:
Additional performances available to livestream:
Feb. 17 at 8 PM
Feb. 18 at 2 PM & 8 PM
Feb. 19 at 3 PM (closing performance)
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Video: Julie Benko and the Broadway Sinfonietta perform “Start with a Bang”
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STAGES St. Louis has announced upcoming productions. Creative teams and casting TBA.
Aida (June 2 – July 2)
Clue (July 21 – Aug. 20)
Million Dollar Quartet (Sept. 8 – Oct. 8)
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Invitation-only readings of Thomas Lennon, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner’s Trading Places, inspired by the 1983 film starring Eddie Murphy, will take place Feb. 16-17 in NYC, directed by Kenny Leon, with choreography by Fatima Robinson.
Aneesa Folds (Bill Rae Valentine), Bryce Pinkham (Louis Winthorpe III), Marc Kudisch (Mortimer), Lenny Wolpe (Randolph Duke), Sara Chase (Penelope Van Verst), Jay Klaitz (Mr. Beeks), Michael Longoria (Phil Lopez), and Don Stephenson (Coleman), with Jimmy Ray Bennett, Dana Costello, Kayla Marie Cruz, Benjamin Howes, Bre Jackson, Arica Jacson, Justin Gregory Lopez, James Luc, Orville Mendoza, Malaiyka Reid, Michael McCorry Rose, and Kevin Zak.
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Red Bull Theater‘s Arden of Faversham, by Jeffrey Hatcher & Kathryn Walat, will run Mar. 6 – Apr. 1 (opening Mar. 16) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, directed by Jesse Berger.
Cara Rickets (Alice), Thomas Jay Ryan (Arden), and Tony Roach (Mosby), with Veronica Falcón, Zachary Fine, Emma Geer, Joshua David Robinson, Thom Sesma, David Ryan Smith, and Haynes Thigpen.
Printed in 1592 with no authorial attribution, Arden of Faversham has long been seen as the most famous anonymous play from the Elizabethan era. In recent years, however, its authorship has become a topic of heated critical debate. Scholars have generally agreed that the play was written collaboratively, as was typical of early modern drama in general and especially at the time of Arden’s composition. New work with computational stylistic analysis has supported a growing consensus that the play was written by two authors: one possibly Thomas Watson, and the other, responsible for many of the play’s middle scenes, William Shakespeare. If Shakespeare contributed to Arden, as seems increasingly likely, it would be one of the earliest plays in which he had a hand—possibly the earliest. As such, it introduces suggestive details about his early artistic development. In particular, its unusually substantial and complex female leading role offers a haunting pre-history for later Shakespearean creations such as Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, and Cleopatra. This production compounds the play’s collaborative voices with two newer additions: Jeffrey Hatcher and Kathryn Walat.
