GRACE NOTES: Tuesday, July 19, 2022

 

Today’s Highlights:

  Sister Act, directed by Bill Buckhurst, featuring Beverley Knight, Jennifer Saunders, Keala Settle, Lesley Joseph, Clive Rowe, Lizzie Bea, Jeremy Secomb, Graham McDuff, Tricia Deighton, Lori Haley Fox, Damian Buhagiar, Tom Hopcroft, Bradley Judge, Tanya Edwards, Catherine Millsom, Anne Smith, Emma Ralston, Jermaine Woods, Michael Ward, and Caroline Bateson, opens at London’s Eventim Apollo.

   The Devil Wears Prada, by Elton John, Shaina Taub & Kate Wetherhead, directed by directed by Anna D. Shapiro, featuring Beath Leavel (Miranda Priestly), Taylor Iman Jones (Andy Sachs), Javier Muñoz (Nigel Owens), Christiana Cole (Lauren), Megan Masako Haley (Emily Charlton), Tiffany Mann (Kayla), Michael Tacconi (Nate Angstrom), and Christian Thompson (Christian Thompson), with Kyle Brown, JoJo Carmichael, Olivia Cipolla, Tyrone Davis Jr., Audrey Douglas, Hannah Douglass, Madison Fendley, Cailen Fu, Michael Samarie George, Henry Gottfried, Marya Grandy, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Liana Hunt, Amber Jackson, Chris Jaroz, Carlos A. Jimenez, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Anthony Murphy, Jim Ortlieb, Jonathan Rice, Sawyer Smith, Terrance Spencer, and CJ Tyson, opens at Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre.

  The Skivvies in Concert, starring Nick Cearley & Lauren Molina, with special guests Lesli Margherita, Nathan Lee Graham, Aaron Marcellus, Marissa Rosen, Diana Huey, Leslie McDonel, and Jordan Kai Burnett, at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Joe’s Pub.

   Porchlight Music Theatre‘s FREE Broadway in Your Backyard concert series, directed by Michael Weber, featuring Lydia Burke, Vasily Deris, Caitlin Dobbins, Carisa Gonzalez, Nik Kmiecik, Just Akria Kono, and Bryan McCaffrey, opens at various Chicago locations.

  All Shook Up benefit streaming concert presentation, re-imagined by Joe DiPietro, in support of Project ALS, directed by Jesse Walker, featuring Drew Duboff (Chad, aka Elvis), Krystina Matos (Natalie), and Jesse Walker (Dennis), livestreamed for FREE at 8 PM ET here.

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  Video:  First listen to the songs of The Devil Wears Prada as the cast meets the press in Chicago.

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  Matthew Lopez, Amber Ruffin, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman’s Some Like It Hot will begin previews Nov. 1 and open Dec. 7 at the Shubert Theatre, directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

  Christian Borle (Joe/Josephine), J. Harrison Ghee (Jerry/Daphne), Adrianna Hicks (Sugar), Kevin Del Aguila (Osgood), NaTasha Yvette Williams (Sweet Sue), Adam Heller (Mulligan), Mark Lotito (Spats), and more TBA.

Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, this is the story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they’re on the run as the newest members of the swingingest big band ever to cross the country. Can they hide in plain sight with completely losing themselves? Or will the mob, the truth, and maybe even love itself finally catch up to them?

  Video: The show’s title song, featuring Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks, Kevin Del Aguila, and NaTasha Yvette Williams.

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The world premiere of Jeremy Desmon & Jeff Thomson’s The Last Supper will run July 27 – Aug. 7 at NJ’s South Orange PAC, directed by Sheryl Kaller, with choreography by Lorin Latarro.

  Charlotte d‘Amboise, Mark Evans, Alex Newell, Pomme Koch, Megan Kane, Allan K. Washington, and Wes Zurick, with Josh Canfield, Jennifer Frankel, and Alan Wiggins.

An absurdly funny song and dance antidote to our daily political absurdity. This world premiere new musical comedy is about five liberal grad students sharing a house in a conservative college town who, in their efforts to save the world, invite some neighbors to dinner for a political discussion. It’s a funny thing about politics. If you aren’t careful, somebody might get killed.

  Video: First look at the opening number.

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  CA’s Coachella Valley Rep has announced its 2022-23 season:
Casting, creative teams, and additional information TBA.

  The Humans (Nov. 8-20)

  Fun Home (Dec. 6-18)

  Dirty Blonde (Jan. 17-29, 2023)

  Once (Feb. 21 – Mar. 5)

  Hand to God (Mar. 28 – Apr. 9)

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  Hollywood’s Blank Theatre has announced Week 3 of its Annual Young Playwrights Festival, which will stream (as digital shorts) on Vimeo July 22-28. The playwrights are aged 15-19.  The shorts are FREE to view, with a suggested $40 donation.

  So-Fish-Ticated, by Ava Ditto, directed by Jefferson Reid, featuring Leonard Robinson, Barry Rothbart. A fisherman and a fish realize they have a history that sets them both on a path to discovering friendship and purpose in the most unlikely circumstances.

  Here’s to All the Broken Girls, by Elizabeth Shannon (ELLIS), directed by June Carryl, featuring Saylor Bell, Jade Bender, Jessi Case, Sydney Veronica Lee, and Jillian Shea Spaeder. Five graduates recall their time at The School of St. Cecilia and the abuses they experienced, creating a rich depiction of the potential viciousness of adolescent friendship and its greater possibilities.

  Dollface, by Jeremino Sutton (age 17). directed by Michael Shepperd, featuring Toks Olagundoye and Kirsten Vangsness. A subway ride unravels when a woman helps a life-size, sentient, yarn doll repair a slash on its leg while exploring all the identities we knit into ourselves.

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  Video: Will Swenson on becoming Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise.  (24:59)

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  Broadway’s Intimate Apparel, by Lynn Nottage & Ricki Ian Gordon, directed by Bartlett Sher, will air Fri. Sept. 23 at 9 PM ET on PBS (check local listings).

  Justin Austin, Errin Durane Brooks, Kearstin Piper Brown, Chanáe Curtis, Adrienne Danrich, Jesse Darden, Arnold Livingston Geis, Tesia Kwarteng, Anna Laurenzo, Barrington Lee, Jasmine Muhammad, Naomi Louisa O’Connell, Adam Richardson, Kimberli Render, David Morgans Sanchez, Krysty Swann, Indra Thomas, Chabrelle Williams, and Jorell Williams.

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   The National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic’s 2017 production of Jane Eyre is now available for streaming, directed by Sally Cookson.

  Madeleine Worral (Jane Eyre), Criag Edwards (Mr. Brocklehurst/Pilot/Mason), Laura Elphinstone (Helen Burns/Adele/St. John/Grace/Pool/Abbo), Felix Hayes (Rochester), Melanie Marshall (Bertha Mason), Simone Saunders (Bessie/Blanche Ingram/Diana Rivers), and Maggie Tagney (Mrs. Reed/Mrs. Fairfax.

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  Fernanda Coppel’s King Liz, currently in previews, will run July 21 – Aug. 14 at the Geffen Playhouse, directed by Jesca Prudencio.

Ray Abruzzo (Mr. Candy), Oscar Best (Coach Jones), Nancy Linari (Barbara Flowers), Evan Morris Reiser (Freddie Luna), Michelle Ortiz (Gabby Fuentes), and Sabrina Sloan (Liz Rico).

  It’s good to be king. Liz Rico is a powerful sports agent who represents NBA superstars, having fought her way to the opt of a male-dominated profession with her skill for cutthroat negotiations. Given the chance to sign Freddie Luna, a once-in-a-lifetime generation high school talent with a troubled past. Liz sees an opportunity to take her career to the next level. But when accusations start swirling around the young phenom, Liz must attempt to rebound Freddie’s career or protect her own crown.

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  Erich Bergen will join the Broadway cast of Chicago as Billy Flynn from Aug. 1 – Sept. 11 at the Ambassador Theatre.

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  The national tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical will run Nov. 9-27 at Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center, directed by Alex Timbers.

  Courtney Reed (Satine), Conor Ryan (Christian, Austin Durant (Harold Zidler), André Ward (Toulouse-Lautrec), David Harris (Duke of Monroth), Gabe Martinez (Santiago), Libby Lloyd (Nini), and Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer (Satine Alternate), with Nicci Claspell, Harper Miles, Andrés Quintero, Adrienne Balducci, Andrew Brewer, Jack Cahill-Lemme, Sam J. Cahn, Darius Crenshaw, Alexander Gil Cruz, Alexa De Barr, Tamrin Goldberg, Alexis Hasbrouck, Jordan Fife Hunt, Justin Keats, Tyler John Logan, Tanisha Moore, Brayden Newby, Kent Overshown, Amy Quanbeck, Ayden Pratt, Adéa Michelle Sessoms, Jenn Stafford, Denzel Tsopnang, Travis Ward-Osborne, Sharrod Williams, Jennifer Wolfe, and Ricardo A. Zayas.

 


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