GRACE NOTES: Tuesday, January 11, 2022

 

Today’s Highlights:

  The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, by Jane Wagner, directed by Leigh Silverman, starring Cecily Strong, opens at Off-Broadway’s The Shed.

  Conrad Ricamora begins his run as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors at Off-Broadway’s West Side Theatre.

  Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Prayer for the French Republic, by Joshua Harmon, directed by David Cromer, featuring Betsy Aidem, Yair Ben-Dor, Francis Benhamou, Ari Brand, Pierre Epstein, Peyton Lusk, Molly Ranson, Nancy Robinette, Jeff Seymour, Kenneth Tigar, and Richar Topol, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s New York City Center.

  The New Group‘s Black No More, by John Ridley & Tariq Trotter, directed by Scott Elliott, featuring Tariq Trotter, Brandon Victor Dixon, Lillias White, Jennifer Damiano, Tamike Lawrence, Theo Stockman, Tracy Shayne, Ephraim Sykes, Walter Bobbie. Leanne Antonio, Rhaamell Burke-Missouri, Elijah A. Carter, Ryan Fitzgerald, Polanco Jones Jr., Zachary Daniel Jones, Sarah Meahl, Mary Page Nance, Oneika Phillips, Nicholas Ranauro, Malaiyka Reid, Mars Rucker, Angela M. Sauers, Katie Thompson, Akron Watson, Nyla Watson, and Edward Watts, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Signature Center.

  Long Day’s Journey into Night, directed by directed by Robert O’Hara, featuring Bill Camp (James Tyrone), Elizabeth Marvel (Mary Tyrone), Ato Blanson-Wood (Edmund Tyrone), and Jason Bowen (Jamie Tyrone), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theater.

  Whisper House, by Duncan Sheik & Kyle Jarrow, directed by Steve Cosson, featuring Samantha Mathis, Alex Boniello, Jeb Brown, Wyatt Cirbus, Molly Hager, and James Yaegashi, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters.

  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by Jack Thorn, directed by John Tiffany, featuring John Skelley (Harry Potter), Angela Reed (Ginny Potter), Benjamin Papac (Albus Potter), Steve O’Connell (Ron Weasley), Lily Mojekwu (Hermione Granger), Folanmi Williams (Rose Granger-Weasley), Lucas Hall (Draco Malfoy), and Jon Steiger (Scorpius Malfoy), with Chadd Alexander, John Alix, William Bednar-Carter, Ebony Blake, Melanie Brezill, Shannon Cochran, Jamyl Dobson, Iriving Dyson Jr, Gary-Kayi Fletcher, Eleasha Gamble, Kita Grayson, Logan James Hall, Abbi Hawk, Corey Hedy, Chance Marshaun Hill, Nathan Hosner, Nick Hyland, Charles Janasz, Cynthia Jimenez-Hicks, Joel Leffert, Chanté Odom, Erik Evan Olson, Christine Perdersen, Elise Southwick, Tuck Sweeney, Geoffrey Wade, and Brittany Zeinstra, begins previews at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre.

  “Ailey” documentary, by Jamila Wingot, featuring interview with Ailey dancers and choreographers Robert Battle, Rennie Harris, Darrin Ross, Don Martin, Mary Barnett, Linda Kent, George Faison, Judith Jamison, Bill Hammond, Sylvia Waters, Hope Clark, Sarita Allen, Masazumi Chaya, and Bill T. Jones, airs at 9 PM (check local listings) on PBS.

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DC’s Signature Theatre presents Everybody Rise: Signature Remembers Stephen Sondheim, which will stream for free Jan. 14 (starting at 5:45 PM ET) – Jan. 17 (concluding at 5 PM ET), directed by Matthew Gardiner, with music direction by John Kalbfleisch.

  Evan Casey, Natascia Diaz, Erin Driscoll, James Gardiner,  Nicholas McDonough, Christopher Mueller, Katie Mariko Murray, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Nova Y. Payton, Christopher Michael Richardson, Maria Rizzo, Awa Sal Secka, Bobby Smith, Holly Twyford, John Leslie Wolfe), and Rachel Zampelli.

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. The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene & New York City Opera will present Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Garden of the Finzi-Continis Jan. 27 – Feb. 6 at NYC’s Museum of Jewish Heritage, directed by Michael Capasso & Richard Stafford, and conducted by James Lowe.

 Rachel Blaustein (Micól Finzi-Contini), Brian James Myer (Alberto Finzi-Contini), Mary Phillips (Mama), Franco Pomponi (Papà), Anthony Ciaramitaro (Giorgio), and Matt Ciuffitelli (Malnate), D’Marreon Alexander, Robert Balonek, Adam Cioffari, Peter Kendall Clark, Dani Goldstein, Spencer Hamlin, Kristee Haney, Rebecca Hargrove, Sarah Heltzel, Adam Klein, Meredith Krinke, Melanie Long, Violet Paris, Gabe Ponichter, Sami Sallaway, Drew Seigla, Markos Simopoulos, Rosy Anoush Svazlian, Tim Roller, and Rachel Zatcoff.

  Set on the eve of World War II, this is the story of an aristocratic Italian-Jewish family, the Finzi-Continis, who believe they will be immune to the changes happening around them. As they make a gracious haven for themselves in their garden, walling out the unpleasantness of the world outside, Italy forms its alliance with Germany and begins to enforce anti-Semitic racial laws. But the Finzi-Continis discover too late that no one is immune, no one is untouchable.

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 Lynn Nottage & Ricky Ian Gordon’s Intimate Apparel will begin previews Jan. 13 and open Jan. 27 at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher.

Dominic Armstrong, Justin Austin, Errin Duane Brooks, Helena Brown, Kearstin Piper Brown, Chanáe Curtis, Adrienne Danrich, Leroy Davis, Matthew Gamble, Arnold Livingston Geis, Christian Mark Gibbs, Tesia Kwarteng, Anna Laurenzo, Justin Lee Miller, Jasmine Muhammad, Naomi Louisa O’Connell, Kimberli Render, Krysty Swann, and Chabrelle Williams.

Set in 1905 in turn of the century New York, this is the story of Esther, a lonely, single African-American woman who makes her living sewing beautiful corsets and ladies’ undergarments. Seeking love and romance, Esther eventually embarks on a letter writing relationship with a mysterious suitor laboring on the Panama Canal. When he moves to New York they embark on an unhappy marriage, leading Esther to realize that only her self-reliance and certainty of her own worth will see her through life’s challenges.

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Grantham will read an excerpt from the play and discuss the challenges of one particular speech (Act 2: Scene 3), as well as the rewards of playing one of Shakespeare’s most charismatic leading men. Feel free to ask questions.

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  Sandy Rustin, Hunter Foster, Eric Price & Michael Holland’s  Clue will run Jan. 26 – Feb. 20 (opening Jan. 30) at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse, directed by Casey Hushion.

John Treacy Egan (Colonel Mustard), Donna English (Mrs. White), Kathy Fitzgerald (Mrs. Peacock), Sarah Hollis (Miss Scarlet), Kolby Kindle (Cop & Others), Michael Kostroff (Professor Plum), Alex Mandell (Mr. Green), Isabelle McCalla (Yvette), Mark Price (Wadsworth), Hazel Anne Raymundo (Cook & Others), and Graham Stevens (Mr. Boddy & Others), with Pamela Bob, Jamie LaVerdiere, Alanna Saunders, and Jeff Skowron.

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Rescheduled concert dates for Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway have been announced at NYC’s Town Hall:

  Brian Stokes Mitchell (Apr. 4 at 8 PM ET). here.

 Vanessa Williams (June 20 at 8 PM ET).  here.

  Jane Krakowski (Sept. 12 at 8 PM ET).  here.

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Due to COVID-19 breakouts, the UK national tour of Bring It On: the Musical has canceled the remainder of its touring schedule.

The production, however, will continue its London engagement through Jan. 22 at the Southbank Theatre.

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 RIP:  Bob Saget has died at the age of 65. Best known for “Full House,” Bob also appeared on Broadway in The Drowsy Chaperone (as Man in Chair – 2007) and Hand to God (as Pastor Greg – 2015).

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 Upcoming London productions:

  A Number (previews Jan. 24, opens Feb. 2) at the Old Vic, by Caryl Churchill, directed by Lyndsey Turner, featuring Paapa Essiedu and Lenni James.  A son confronts his father when he finds out that he is one of a number of genetically identical clones.

 Cyrano de Bergerac (opens Feb. 3) at the Harold Pinter Theatre, adapted by Martin Crimp, directed b Jamie Lloyd, featuring James McAvoy.

  Wuthering Heights (previews Feb. 3, opens Feb. 4) at the National Theatre, written & directed by Emma Rice, featuring Sam Archer,Nandi Bhebhe, Sid Goldsmih, Mirabelle Gremaud, TJ Holmes, Ash Hunter, Craig Johnson, Jordan Laviniere, Nadine Lee, Lucy McCormick, Kandaka Moore, Katy Owen, Tama Phethean, Renell Shaw, Witney White.

  Saturday Night Fever (opens Feb. 5) at Sadler’s Wells. Director & cast TBA.

  Dirty Dancing (previews Feb. 2, opens Feb. 9) at the Dominion Theatre, by Eleanor Bergstein. Director and cast TBA).

  Never Not Once (previews Feb. 9, opens Feb. 11) at the Park Theatre, by Carey Crim, directed by Katharine Farmer.  Casting TBA. Eleanor, a biology major at Princeton, brings her boyfriend Rob home to meet her two moms. While there, she lets them know that she has hired a private investigator to help her find her biological father. She says, as a scientist, she is curious about her genetics. But it’s evident she might also just want to meet her dad. Nadine, her non-biological mom thinks it’s a great idea. Allison, Eleanor’s biological mom is insisting that Eleanor’s father, a one night stand in college whose name Allison doesn’t remember, never even knew she existed. Eleanor is sent on a journey to an unexpected and explosive answer to the question “Where do I come from?”

  Running with Lions (previews Feb. 10, opens Feb. 15) at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, by Sian Carter, directed by Michael Buffong, featuring Ruby Barker, Wil Johnson, Nickcolia King-N’da, Suzette Llewellyn, Velile Tshabalala.  Following the death of a loved one, a British-Caribbean family struggles to come to terms with their grief. Isolated by their generational beliefs and challenges to their faith and mental health, they live between the things they do and do not say.

 Broken Wings (previews Feb. 11, opens Feb. 15) at the Charing Cross theatre, by Kahlil Gibran, Nadim Naaman & Dana Al Fardan, directed by Bronagh Lagan, featuring Yaseem, Audi, Haroun Al Jeddal, Lucca Chadwick-Patel, Soophia Foroughi, Alex Kais, Johan Munir, Nadim Naaman, Ayesha Patel, Stephen Rahman-Hughes, Noah Sinigaglia. New York City, 1923. Through exquisite poetry and enchanting music, an ageing Gibran narrates our tale, transporting us back two decades and across continents, to turn-of-the-century Beirut. Gibran meets Selma; their connection is instant and their love affair, fated. However, their journey to happiness is soon thrown off course, as the pair face obstacles that shake the delicate foundation of their partnership. Will their love win out or will their dream of a life together be torn apart?

  Our Generation (previews Feb. 10, opens Feb. 17) at the National Theatre, by Alecky Blythe, directed by Daniel Evans, featuring Dee Ahluwalia, Joe Bolland, Anna Burnett, Anushka Chakravarti, Debbie Chazen, Gavi Singh Chera, Rachelle Diedericks, Hasan Dixon, Hélder Fernandes, Sarita Gabony, Conor Gormally, Alex Jarrett, Callum Mardy, Poppy Shepherd, and Stephanie Street. Created from five years of interviews with 12 young people from across the UK, Our Generation is a captivating portrait of their journey into adulthood.

  After the End (opens Feb. 25) at Theatre Royal Stratford East, by Dennis Kelly, directed by  Lyndsey Turner.  Casting TBA. A city under attack from a nuclear blast. As the dust settles, Louise wakes to find herself in a fallout shelter with Mark, the colleague who has saved her life. They have enough water and food to last two weeks. Now they just need to find a way of surviving each other.

  Persuasion (opens Feb. 26) at the Rose Theatre, by Jeff James & James Yeatman, directed by Jeff James. Casting TBA. When Frederick Wentworth proposed to Anne Elliot eight years ago, he was undistinguished with no prospects, only able to offer his love and ambition. Persuaded out of accepting his proposal by her family, Anne has never quite got over her first love. But now Wentworth is back. Rich, successful, single and handsome, the now decorated naval Captain has become a serious catch. When circumstances bring the two face to face again, Anne’s forced to confront her past and face-up to her choices.

 The Woods (previews Feb. 24, opens Mar. 1 at Southwark Playhouse, by David Mamer, directed by Russell Bolam, featuring Francesca Carpanini and Sam Frenchum.  Nick and Ruth are spending the weekend at a remote cabin in the woods. They push their relationship to the breaking point in a night of stories and fights, only to rediscover their need for one another in the morning, but the final reconciliation remains uncomfortably tempered by the violent core we now know to be hiding beneath.

  Small Island (previews Feb. 24, opens Mar. 3) at the Olivier Theatre, by Andrea Levy, adapted by Helen Edmundsdon, directed by Rufus Norris. Casting TBA. The play follows three intricately connected stories. Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer, and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots.

  Ghosts of the Titanic (previews Mar. 9, opens Mar. 10 at the Park Theatre, by Ron Hutchinson, directed by Eoin O’Callaghan. Casting TBA. On the Titanic, Emma Heyer’s fiancé Henry has landed his dream job with the ship’s orchestra. But by 14th April the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic is at the bottom of the ocean and 1500 are dead. Tormented by conflicting theories as to why the ship sank and who might have benefited as a result, Emma decides to find out what really happened. A decision which leads her to the edge of her sanity. In the 36 hours after the Titanic sank, the cries of ‘Fake news’ and distraction tactics were already in play. Did the Titanic really hit an iceberg? Was the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic in fact an over-engineered liability rushed into service to satisfy a powerful and impatient owner? Was news of its loss delayed to allow its insurers time to hedge their losses, thereby removing any chance of a rescue?

  The Human Voice (opens Mar. 17) at the Harold Pinter Theatre, adapted & directed by Ivo van Hove, featuring Ruth Wilson. A woman sees her last chance for happiness disappearing forever at the end of a telephone line. We’ve never been more connected. We’ve never been more alone.

  Clybourne Park (previews Mar. 16, opens  Mar. 19) at the Park Theatre, by Bruce Norris, directed by Oliver Kaderbhai. Casting TBA.

 To Kill a Mockingbird (previews Mar. 10, opens Mar. 31) at the Gielgud Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher. Casting TBA.