GRACE NOTES: Tuesday, January 4, 2022

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Broadway the Calla-way concert, starring Liz & Ann Hampton Callaway, opens at NYC’s 54 Below.

 Poirot and More, A Retrospective, by Sir David Suchet & Liza McLean, starring David Suchet, begins previews at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre.

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Video: Stars in the House, a “Come From Away Game Night!,” with special guests Josh Breckenridge, Holly Ann Butler, Happy McPartlin, Sharon Wheatley, and Jack Plotnick.  (1:00:28)

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  2022 Streaming Guide:

Amazon Prime
  “Cruel Intentions,” starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe, and Reese Witherspoon.
 “Once” film.
 “The Preacher’s Wife,” starring Denzel Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines, Loretta Devine, and Jenifer Lewis.

Apple TV+
The Tragedy of Macbeth,” adapted by Joel Coen, starring Denzel Washington (Macbeth) Frances McDormand (Lady Macbeth), Bertie Carvel (Banquo), Brendan Gleeson (King Duncan), Corey Hawkins (Macduff), Harry Melling (Malcolm), Alex Hassell (Ross), and Kathryn Hunter (all three Witches).

“The Eyes of Tammy Fay,” starring Jessica Chastain (Tammy Fay Bakker), Andrew Garfield (Jim Bakker), and Cherry Jones (Tammy’s mom, Rachel)

“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts,” starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.
 “The Philadelphia Story,” starring Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

“A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Marlon Brando, Vivian Leigh, and Kim Hunter.

  “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana.

  “Somebody Somewhere” (Jan. 16), starring Bridget Everett, Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Danny McCarthy, and Mike Hagerty. The series follows Sam, a true Kansan on the surface, but struggling to fit the hometown mold. Her one saving grace is singing, which leads her on a journey to self-discovery and a community of outsiders who also don’t fit in.

 “The Gilded Age” (Jan. 24), at 9-part limited series, starring Carrie Coon, Morgan Spencer,  Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Audra McDonald, Denée Benton, Katie Finneran, Kristine Nielsen, Calybourne Elder, Bill Irwin, Michael Cereris, and Simon Jones. The series explores the power struggles of NYC high society. Bertha and George Russell are new to NYC and ready to take their place in society as power players as they content with longstanding residents.

Hulu
  “Falling for Figaro” (release date TBA), starring Joanna Lumley, Danielle Macdonald, and Hugh Skinner. A young fund manager Millie leaves her career and long-term boyfriend to follow her opera dreams. As expected, the film showcases Lumley’s famous deadpan comedy chops as the fictional former opera diva turned vocal coach with some unusual training methods.

 “women of the Movement” (Jan. 6 on ABC/Jan. 7 on Hulu), starring Adrienne Warren, Tonya Pinkins, Ray Fisher, Glynn Turman, Chris Coy, Carter Jenkins, and Julia McDermott.   Mamie is on her pursuit of justice for her son Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African-American boy who was brutally lynched in 1955 Jim Crew Mississippi.

 “Ailey” (Jan. 10), documentary, directed by Jamila Wignot. The film uses archival footage and audio recordings of Ailey alongside interviews with company dancers and choreographers, who give insight into Ailey’s process and legacy.

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. Amas Musical Theatre presents Dare to Be Different – Three Musicals in Development:

 Settle Down (Jan. 27-28), by Gabe Caruso & Sangwoo Lee, directed by Christopher Scott.  Mark, a 17 year old product of the darker side of the foster system, moves in with his best friend, Lily, and her father, John. A hip-hop rom-com, Settle Down explores the concept of family and the hidden secrets that separate and bind them.

 Māyā (Feb. 10-11), by Eric Sorrels & Cheeyang Ng, directed by Arpita Mukherjee.  Set in the twilight of the British Raj, Māyā tells the story of a young poet finding her purpose within Gandhi’s non-violent Indian Independence movement.

 Living It (Feb. 17-18), by Julie Mandel & Denise Puricelli, directed by Jennifer Delac.   A tribute to nonagenarian Julie Mandel: a wonderful, high-spirited woman who left her childhood home in 1947 to come to New York City and pursue her dream of becoming a composer and lyricist. For over 75 years, she has created a wealth of beautiful music from classical to jazz to musical theatre and is still going strong as she approaches her 100th Birthday.

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Keith Harrison and Laura Schein’s Emojiland will return to Off-Broadway sometime this year.

Dates, casting, theatre and additional information TBA.

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Off-Broadway’s Public Theater has canceled all performances in the 2022 Under the Radar Festival, citing difficulties stemming from the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

The festival, which was to take place in Jan. 12-30, has been a showcase for nearly two decades of most exciting experimental theater from around the globe. After going entirely virtual in 2021, the festival was to return to live performances this year.

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 5-Star Theatricals will present Something Rotten! Feb. 3-13 at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, directed by Richard Israel, with music direction by Anthony Lucca, and choreography by Michelle Elkin.

 Aleks Pevec (Shakespeare), Justin Michael Wilcox (Nick Bottom), Randy Brenner (Nostradamus), Brittany Anderson (Bea Bottom), Frankie Zabilka (Nigel Bottom), Bella Gil (Portia), Eran Scoggins (Brother Jeremiah), Mitchell Johnson (Minstrel), Art Brown (Shylock), and Joe Hebel (Lord Clapman), with Madison Aisanaye, John Paul Batista, Amanda Carr, Joah Ditto, Augusto Guardado, Laura Leo Kelly, Drew Lake, Colden Lamb, Tyler Marshall, AJ Morales, Isabella Silecchio, Scott Spraags, Julia Springer, and Racheal Yeomans.

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 Two Lost Souls will take place Thurs. Jan. 20 at 7:30 PM PT at Beverly Hills’ The Wallis, with music direction by Tony Guerrero.

  Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery

The duo put their one-of-a-kind spin on songs from Broadway to The Barry Sisters to the Swingin’ Sixties.

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 MCC Theater has announced that Van Hughes & Nick Blaemire’s Space Dogs will now run Jan. 25 – Mar. 6 (opening Jan. 30), directed by Ellie Heyman, with choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie

Van Hughes and Nick Blaemire.

An epic new musical that tells the mind-blowing true story of Laika and the Chief Designer — a stray dog and the top-secret Russian scientist who sent her to space during the Cold War.

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  The Huntington has announced complete casting for Lydia R. Diamond’s The Bluest Eye, to run Jan. 28 – Mar. 13 at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion, directed by Awoye Timpo.

Ramona Lisa Alexander (Mama), Brittany-Laurelle (Claudia), Hadar Busia-Singleton (Pecola), Brian D. Coats (Soaphead Church), McKenzie Frye (Mrs. Breedlove), Lindsley Howard (Maureen), Alexandria King (Darlene/Frieda), and Greg Alverez Reid (Cholly).

Inspired by the storytelling circles of Black rituals, audiences will be seated in a circle surrounding the actors, and the experience will create a space for provocation, remembrance, and healing.

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  Sierra Boggess and filmmaker Stefano Da Free are now engaged.  No word yet on a wedding date.

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 Video: Last night’s PBS concert, “United in Song: Celebrating the American Dream,” with The American Pops Orchestra, conducted by Luke Frazier, and featuring Lea Salonga, Paulo Szot, Judy Collins, Sandi Patty, Deborah Cox, Cassadee Pope, Delbert Anderson, David Archuleta, Amber Merritt, Midori, guitarist Pepe Romero, and Brandee Younger.

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 A Chorus Line will return to Barcelona’s Teatre Tivoli Apr. 23 – May 15, directed by Antonio Banderas & Baayork Lee.

 Manuel Bandera, Antonio Banderas, Angie Alcázar, Tomy Álvarez, Lucía Castro, Alex Chavarri, Javier Cid, Aaron Cobos, Anna Coll, Fran Del Pino, Daniel Délyon, Sonia Dorado, Roberto Facchin, Daniel Garod, Bealia Guerra, Pep Guillem, Cassandra Hlong, Ariel Juin, Flor Lopardo, Joan López-Santos, Juan José Marco, Graciela Monterde, Fran Moreno, Marcela Nava, Ivo Pareja-Obregón, Lucrecia Petraglia, Estibalitz Ruiz, Aida Sánchez, Lorena Santiago, Sarah Schielke, and Victor González.

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  Video: Fox’s 2016 production of “Grease Live!” is now available on YouTube. The production was adapted by Robert Cary & Jonathan Tolins directed by Thomas Kail.  (2:10:47)

Aaron Tveit (Danny Zuko), Julianne Hough (Sandy), Vanessa Hudgens (Betty Rizzo), Carlos Pena Vega (Kenickie), Keke Palmer (Marty), Carly Rae Jepsen (Frenchy), Kether Donohue (Jan), David Del Rio (Putzie), Jordan Fisher (Doody), Andrew Call (Sonny), Elle McLemore (Patty Simcox), Noah Robbins (Eugene), Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer (Cha-Cha), Ana Gasteyer (Principal McGee), Mario Lopez as Vince Fontaine, Eve Plumb as Mrs. Murdock, Didi Conn as Vi, Wendell Pierce (Coach Calhoun), Joe Jonas, DNCE (Johnny Casino and the Gamblers), and Boyz II Men (Teen Angel).

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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Joe Iconis & Rob Rokicki’s Punk Rock Girl, to run Jan. 20 – Feb. 27 (opening Jan. 22) at the Argyle Theatre, directed & choreographed by Jennifer Werner, with music direction by Jennifer Peacock.

  Philippe Arroyo, Kayla Catan, Seth Eliser, Jaylan Evans, Kalonjee Gallimore, Ashley LaLonde, Lauren Marcus, Jackson Mattek, Jordan Leigh McCaskill, Kelly McIntyre, Natalie Powers, Mikaela Rada, Brooke Shapiro, and Brad Weatherford.

A new musical scored by popular songs written and make famous by female artists and female-fronted bands including Blondie, Pat Benatar, Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, Pink, Gwen Stefani, and more.  16-year-old Angela Quivers is a perfectionist who never takes chances and feels like there’s no place where she belongs … until she meets Proxi, a teenager who pulls her into a world of grungy guitars, shocking secrets, and big, loud, messy emotions. A musical about a young person finding a community and creating her tribe, Punk Rock Girl is a noisy celebration of all things raw and ragged; trashy and heartfelt; familiar and alien.

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VideoHugh Jackman on returning to Broadway.

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 The Huntington Theatre will present Lydia R. Diamond’s The Bluest Eye Jan. 28 – Mar. 13 at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion, directed by Awoye Timpo, with music direction by David Freeman Coleman, and choreography by Kurt Douglas. The production will also included digital access available through Mar. 27).

Ramona Lisa Alexander (Mama), Brittany-Laurelle (Claudia), Hadar Busia-Singleton (Pecola), Brian D. Coats (Soaphead Church), McKenzie Frye (Mrs. Breedlove), Lindsley Howard (Maureen), Alexandria King (Darlene/Frieda), and Greg Alverez Reid (Cholly).

The story of Pecola, a young Black girl who believers everything in her world would be made wonderful if only she had blue eyes.

 


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