Today’s Highlights:
Barnum, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, featuring Matt Rawle (Charity Barnum), Monique Young (Charity Barnum), Penny Ashmore ( Jenny Lind), Fergus Rattigan (General Tom Thumb), Tania Mathurin (Joice Heth), Josh Barnett (James Bailey), and Tom Sterling (Edgar Templeton, with Emma Jane Morton, Tom Sowinski, Jessica Jolleys, Charis Alexandra, and Elena Bluck, plus onstage swings Kaine Hatukai and Laura Sillett, and circus performers Kiera Brunton, Emily Odunsi, Dan Holland, and Andre Rodrigues, opens at the UK’s Watermill Theatre.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, world premiere by Taylor Mac & Jason Robert Brown, directed by Rob Ashford, featuring J. Harrison Ghee (Lady Chablis), Tom Hewitt (Jim Williams), Sierra Boggess (Emma Dawes), Lance Roberts (Bobby Lewis), Austin Colby (Danny Hansford), Bailee Endebrock (Corrine Strong), Shanel Bailey (Lavella Cole), Jessica Molaskey (Alma Knox Carter), Brianna Buckley (Minerva), Mary Ernster (Serena Barnes/Dawn Avery), McKinley Carter (Vera Strong), Maya Bowles (Stacey Brown), DeMarius Copes (Jereiah Jones), Sean Donovan (Luther Driggers), Jason Michael Evans CColonel Atwood/Burt), Christopher Kelley (Bubbles/Gregory), Andre Terrell Malcolm (Josiah Domingo), Aaron James McKenzie (Jethro Myles), Wes Oliver (Jack the One-Eyed Jill), Kayla Marie Shipman (Millicent/Mary), and Rory Shirley (Stefanie Davis), Calvin L. Cooper, with Daryn Whitney Harrell, Kayla Kennedy, Jake DiMaggio Lopez, Justin Thomas Rivers., begins previews at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
**********************
David Foster, Susan Birkenhead & Bob Martin’s BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical will open in April 2025 (dates TBA) at a Shubert Theatre TBA, directed & choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.
Casting, creative team, and additional information TBA.
**********************
The Who’s Tommy will close July 21 at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre, after 20 previews and 132 regular performances.
Ali Louis Bourzgui (Tommy), Alison Luff (Mrs. Walker), Adam Jacobs (Captain Walker), John Ambrosino (Uncle Ernie), Bobby Conte (Cousin Kevin), and Christina Sajous (The Acid Queen). with Haley Gustafson, Jeremiah Alsop, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Mike Cannon, Tyler James Eisenreich, Sheldon Henry, Afra Hines, Aliah James, David Paul Kidder, Tassy Kirbas, Lily Kren, Quinten Kusheba, Reese Levine, Brett Michael Lockley, Nathan Lucrezio, Alexandra Matteo, Mark Mitrano, Reagan Pender, Cecilia Ann Popp, Daniel Quadrino, Olive Ross-Kline, Jenna Nicole Schoen, Dee Tomasetta, and Andrew Tufano.
**********************
Following a recent onstage fall, Ian McKellen will now not return to the UK tour of Player Kings. Understudy David Semark, who played the remainder of the production’s West End run following the incident, will remain in the role for the tour. Click here for more information.
The Tony and Olivier winner was scheduled to lead the production’s U.K. tour, but is dropping out on doctor’s orders, according to a social post from the production.
**********************
Jez Butterworth’s The Hills of California will run Sept. 11 – Dec. 8 (opening Sept. 29) at the Broadhurst Theatre, directed by Sam Mendes.
Laura Donnelly (Joan/Veronica), Leanne Best (Gloria), Ophelia Lovibond (Ruby), Helena Wilson (Jill), Nancy Allsop (Young Gloria), Sophia Ally (Young Ruby), Lara McDonnell (Young Joan), Nicola Turner (Young Jill), and more TBA.
Set in a swelteringly hot 1970s summer, the piece sees the Webb sisters returning to their childhood home in the English seaside town of Blackpool. One sister hasn’t been heard from in two decades, but her siblings hope that with their mother close to death upstairs that she might reappear after all.
**********************
Video: Highlights from the recent Broadway Cares: Hit the Strip.
**********************
Jez Butterworth’s The Hills of California will begin previews Sept. 11 and open Sept. 29 at the Broadhurst Theatre, directed by Sam Mendes.
Laura Donnelly (Joan/Veronica), Leanne Best (Gloria), Ophelia Lovibond (Ruby), Helena Wilson (Jill), Nancy Allsop (Young Gloria), Sophia Ally (Young Ruby), Lara McDonnell (Young Joan), and Nicola Turner (Young Jill), with more TBA.
Set in a swelteringly hot 1970s summer, the piece sees the Webb sisters returning to their childhood home in the English seaside town of Blackpool. One sister hasn’t been heard from in two decades, but her siblings hope that with their mother close to death upstairs that she might reappear after all.
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for A Little Night Music, to run July 18 – Aug. 17 at ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse, directed by Hunter Foster.
Julia Murney (Desiree Armfeldt), Lora Lee Gayer (Countess Charlotte), Mike McGowan (Fredrik Egerman), Lauren Maria Medina (Anne Egerman), Lily Philbrook (Fredrika), Mike Schwitter (Frid), Steven Telsey (Henrik Egerman), Nik Walker (Count Carl-Magnus), Gianna Yanelli (Petra), Jennifer Allen Mrs. Segstrom), Colin Anderson (Mr. Erlanson), Lianne Marie Dobbs (Mrs. Anderson), Michael Halling (Mrs. Lindquist), and Lillie Langston (Mrs. Nordstrom), with Scarlett Thomas, Whitney Daniels, Chad Marge, and Francesca Mehrotra.
**********************
Little Island has announced The Glade Series, which will launch July 10, for 7 weeks.
An array of performances, which will will thoughtfully pair a musical performance with a conversation between Suzan-Lori Parks and an expert from a different field. Click the link above for the complete schedule of events.
**********************
Video: Jinkx Monsoon performs every role in Les Mis’ “One Day More” in MCC’s recent Miscast.
**********************
A benefit performance of Douglas Carter Beane’s What Fresh Hell Is This? will take place Mon. July 8 at 8 PM at Off-Broadway’s Players Club, directed by Beane, in support of NAACP.
Julie Halston, Ann Harada, Jackie Hoffman, and Annika Larsen.
Everyone quotes what Algonquin wit, Dorothy Parker, says but what did she actually write? Compiled and directed by Douglas Carter Beane, and performed by Broadway’s finest comic actresses, this once in a lifetime event explores the mad comedy and scathing insight of one of the great female writers of the last century.
Doors open at 6pm. There are cocktails of course (for purchase) and the event is a benefit for the NAACP. Just what Dorothy would have wanted.
**********************
Upcoming Broadway & Off-Broadway closings:
Dark Noon (July 7)
Merrily We Roll Along (July 7) at the Hudson Theatre.
The Welkin (July 7) at Atlantic Theatre
David, A New Musical (July 13) at the AMT Theatre
Home (July 21) at the Todd Haimes Theatre
The Who’s Tommy (July 21) at the Nederlander Theatre
Winesday: The Wine Tasting Musical (July 25) at the Jerry Orbach Theater
Saw: The Musical (July 28) at the AMT Theatre
Pre-existing Condition (Aug. 3) at the Connelly Theatre
N/A (Aug. 4) at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre
Illinoise (Aug. 10) at the St. James Theatre
Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Aug. 11) at the Perlman PAC
From Here (Aug. 11) at the Signature Theatre
Clowns Like Me (Aug. 18) at the DR2 Theatre
The Wiz (Aug. 18) at the Marquis Theatre
Six Characters (Aug. 25) at the Claire Tow Theatre
someone spectacular (Aug. 31) at the Signature Center
Stalker (Sept. 1) at New World Stages
Sleep No More (Sept. 29) at the McKittrick Hotel
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for A Little Night Music, to run July 18 – Aug. 17 at ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse, directed by Hunter Fosterm with choreography by Shannon Lewis, and music direction by Jeffrey Campos.
Julia Murney (Desiree Armfeldt), Lora Lee Gayer (Countess Charlotte), Mike McGowan (Fredrik Egerman), Lauren Maria Medina (Anne Egerman), Lily Philbrook (Fredrika), Mike Schwitter (Frid), Steven Telsey (Henrik Egerman), Nik Walker (Count Carl-Magnus), and Gianna Yanelli (Petra), Jennifer Allen (Mrs. Segerstrom), Colin Anderson (Mr. Erlanson), Lianne Marie Dobbs (Mrs. Anderson), Michael Halling (Mr. Lindquist), and Lillie Langston (Mrs. Nordstrom), with Scarlett Thomas, Whitney Daniels, Chad Marge, and Francesca Mehrotra.
**********************
The first installment of the upcoming two-part “Wicked” movie, directed by Jon M. Chu, will arrive in movie theaters a few days earlier than expected. The Jon M. Chu-directed film is now scheduled for a Nov. 22 release, five days earlier than the initially announced Nov. 27 release (which would have competed with Disney’s “Moana 2”).
Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grade (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Ethan Slater (Boq), Peter Dinklage (Dr. Dillamond), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizzard), Marissa Bode (Nessarose), Keala Settle (Miss Coddle), Bowen Yang (Pfannee), Colin Michael Carmichael (Professor Nikidik), Bowen Yang (Phannee), Bronwyn James (ShenShen), Aaron Teoh (Pfannee), and more.