GRACE NOTES: Tuesday, July 13, 2021

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Extinct, by April De Angelis, directed by Kirsty Housley, featuring Kiran Landa, begins streaming at London’s Theatre Royal East.

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  Second Stage Theater will present Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s, to begin previews Nov. 3 and open Nov. 22 at the Hayes Theatre, directed by Kate Whoriskey.

Uzo Aduba, Ron Cephas Jones, Reza Salazar, Kara Young, and one more TBA.

A truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop’s callous owner, Clyde, tries to keep them under her thumb, the staff members are given purpose and permission to dream by their shared quest to create the perfect sandwich. You’ll want a seat at the table for this hysterical, moving, and urgent play.

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Wanna be a theatre critic?

Did He Like It? has been rebranded and will now launch its Did They Like It?, and is seeking to assemble a cohort of five critics to amplify underrepresented voices that aren’t in the critical mainstream and provide users with broader, more diverse perspectives, making reviews more accessible and digestible. All members of the Critic Cohort will be paid to contribute reviews and editorial features for the site.

Application Information:
* Applicants with all levels of experience are invited to apply. There are no pre-requisites in regard to education or professional experience.
* Cover Letter in PDF format that answers the questions “Why Am I a Critic in 2021?”
* Sample of reviews of recent theatrical productions in PDF format. The productions cannot have taken place prior to 2020. Streaming theatre/digital theatrical event reviews will be accepted.
* Please do not submit any materials beyond the requested items.
* All applications will be thoroughly reviewed.
* Applicants who have advanced to the next round will be notified mid-August.

Click here to apply. Deadline is July 31.

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  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will resume performances Nov. 12 at the Lyric Theatre, directed by John Tiffany.

Casting TBA.

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Children of Eden will stream July 16-18 at Kansas City’s, MO’s Spinning Tree theatre, directed by Nedra Dixon, with music direction by Pamela Baskin-Watson, and choreography by Vanessa Severo.

Isabella Ayala, Mira Desai, Libby Dugan, Maggie Herber, Paige Jackson, Aisatu Jallow, Addison Landes, Aubrey May, Sola Owens, Lainey Panek, Aurelia Power, Benjamin Priestland, Cameron James Ritchie, Margo Roberts, Robin Robles, Holden Schroeder, Kai Sitzman, Billiejean Valdivia, and Elena Abigial Xoca.

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  Kimberly Faye Greenberg’s Fabulous Fanny Brice will take place Thurs. July 29 at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Green Room, directed by Brian Childers, with music direction by Jeff Biering, and choreography by Justin Boccitto.

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  LA’s Ahmanson Theatre has announced its 2021-22 season:

  A Christmas Carol (Nov. 30 – Jan. 1, 2022), adapted by Jack Thorne, directed by Matthew Warchus.

  Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Jan. 16 – Feb. 20, 2022), by Dan Gillespie Sells & Tom MacRae, directed by Jonathan Butterell, with choreography by Kate Prince and music direction by Richard Weeden. Jamie New is 16 and lives in public housing in Sheffield, England. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in, he’s terrified about the future and he’s going to be sensation. Supported by his loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcome prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness and into the spotlight.

  The Lehman Trilogy (Mar. 3 – Apr. 10), by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power, directed by Sam Mendes. Told in 3 parts on a single evening. On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside, dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is soon joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, and triggers the largest financial crisis in history.

  Hadestown (Apr. 26 – May 29), by Anaïs Mitchell & Rachel Chavkin, directed by Chavkin.

  Come From Away (May 31 – June 12), directed by Christopher Ashley.

  Dear Evan Hansen (June 19 – July 31), by Steve Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, directed by Michael Greif.

   The Prom (Aug. 9 – Sept. 11), by Bob Martin, Chad Beguelin & Matthew Sklar, directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.

  Oklahoma! (Sept. 13 – Oct. 16), directed by Daniel Fish, with choreography by John Heginbotham.

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  Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, due to COVID regulations surrounding self-isolation within the acting company, are required to cancel performance of Romeo and Juliet from July 12-20.

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  Performing Now, a new pop-up same day ticket booth will be open at 1657 Broadway (inside the I Love NY Gift Shop) from July 14 – Sept. 14 (when TKTS is scheduled to re-open).  Click here to learn more.

The booth will offer tickets for various Off-Broadway dance, comedy shows, etc. at venues throughout the city, The booth will be open M0n.- Fri. from 308 PM ET and Sat./Sun. from 11 AM – 7 PM.

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Britain’s Punchdrunk Theatre Company present the return of Sleep No More, which will re-open Oct. 4 at The McKittrick Hotel, directed by Felix Barrett, and run on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Audiences move freely through the story at their own pace, choosing where to go and what to see. Expect a blend of acrobatic choreography, film noir soundtrack, and 100 rooms of detailed atmosphere sprawling over 100,000 square feet.

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Pittsfield’s Barrington Stage Company will offer an encore stream of Rob Ulin’s Judgement Day, available July 26 – Aug. 1, directed by Matthew Penn.

  Patti LuPone, Jason Alexander, Santino Fontana, and Michael McKean, with Loretta Devine, Josh Johnston, Bianca LaVerne Jones, Julian Emile Lerner, Justina Machado, Carol Mansell, Michael Mastro, and Elizabeth Stanley.

  The play follows corrupt lawyer Sammy Campo, who encounters an angel who threatens him with eternal damnation after a near-death experience. In a quest to make good, Sammy teams up with a Catholic priest, who dealing with his own crisis of faith against a monsignor.

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  Hairspray will extend its pause in performances at the London Coliseum through July 18, after a member of the production team tested positive for COVID-19.

At this time, the show expects to resume performances on July 29.

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  Two lucky winners will win 2 tickets to Cynthia Erivo‘s concert with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on Fri. July 30 at 8 PM PT.

Click here to enter. The contest will close Fri. July 16 at 11:59 PM ET. Winners will be notified the following day.

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  RIP: Elliot Lawrence, Tony and Emmy-winning music director & conductor, died on July 2 in New York City.

A music director in television for many years, Elliot met Gower Champion, who would later ask Mr. Lawrence to music direct Broadway’s Bye, Bye Birdie, for which he earned a Tony nomination. He won the award the following year for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

At the same time, Mr. Lawrence was moving into composing and arranging music for television, with included the film “Network.”

His work in television let to 10 Emmy Awards for many shows. He also served as music director & conductor for the Tony Awards telecast from 1967 through his retirement in 2013.

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  LA’s Write Act Rep will present Hello World!, a festival of one-act plays by Thomas J. Misuraca, to run July 18 – Aug. 15.

Richard Lucas, Anne Mesa, Sebastian Munoz, and Darrin Yalacki.

Lizzie Czerner, Ron Gabaldon, Dean Ghaffari, Jenna Herz, Freda Yifan Jing, Matt W. Kim, Paula K. Long. Skip Pipo, Rafael Hernandez Roulet, Emma Toureau, and Michael J. Treat.

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Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play will run July 30 – Aug. 29 (opening Aug. 2) at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Adia Alli (Gifty), Kyrie Courter (Ericka Boafo), Ashley Crowe (Nana), Ciera Dawn (Paulina Sarpong), Tiffany Renee Johnson (Mercy), Adhana Reid (Ama), Tania Richard (Headmistress Francis), and Lanise Antoine Shelley (Eloise Amponsah).

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VT’s Dorset Theatre Festival will present a live staged reading of the world premiere of Scarecrow, written & performed by Heidi Armbruster, to run July 14-28, directed by Dina Janis.

The story of a New York City actress who lands herself on her family’s dairy farm to grieve herself back to life after the death of her father, a farmer. But can she make enough meatloaf, or watch enough Hallmark movies, to feel sense of purpose again now that her most important person is no longer on the planet? A laugh-our-loud journey through loss, survival, resilience, and renewal. Scarecrow is both a comedy and a look ar farm life in America through the eyes of a farmer’s daughter.

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  Discussion: Manhattan Theatre Club’s “The Show Goes On: Ink.” Re-live the electrifying production through footage and conversation with playwright James Graham and director Rupert Gould.  (34:35)

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The Book of Moron, written by & starring Robert Dubac, will begin previews Aug. 12 and open Aug. 23 at the SoHo Playhouse.

An everyman has lost sight of the bigger picture. He racks his brain searching for answers but finds nothing but inner voices that take him on a freight train of provocative through to find the bigger picture and wake up from the dumbing down of modern-day life.

 

 


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