Today’s Highlights:
Oresteia, directed by Robert Icke, featuring Anastasia Hille (Klytemnestra), Angus Wrightas (Agamemnon/Aegisthus), Luke Treadaway (Orestes), Kirsty Rider (Doctor), Peter Wright (Menelaus), Joshua Higgott (Talthybius), Tia Bannon (Electra), and Michael Abubakar (Calchas), with David Rintoul, Hara Yannas, Gilbert Kyem Jr., Ross Waiton, and Marty Cruikshank opens at NYC’s Park Avenue Armory.
Dial M for Murder, by Frederick Knott, directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Celia Keenan-Bolger (Margo Wendice), Dan Domingues (Tony Wendice), Isabel Keating (Inspector Hubbard), Kavin Panmeechao (Max Halliday), and Mark Price (Captain Lesgate), opens at Nantucket’s White Heron Theatre Company.
The Group Rep‘s New Works Summer Festival, with all new plays, featuring Todd Andrew Ball, Van Boudreaux, Peter Henry Bussian, Paul Cady, Julie Davis, Julie Davis, Bert Emmett, Michael Gabiano, Sheena Georges, Pascale Gigon, Tessa Grace, Lee Grober, Doug Haverty, Linnea Ingesson, Kat Kemmet, Maria Kress, James Lemire, Melissa Lugo, Hisato Masuyama, Beccy Quinn, Hersha Parady, Anica Petrovic, Kirstina Reyes, Michael robb, Michelle Schultz, Mark Stancato, Neil Thompson, Troy Whitaker, and Tamir Yardenne, opens at North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre. Admission is FREE – first come, first served.
Kinky Boots, directed & choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, featuring Callum Francis (Lola), Christian Douglas (Charlie Price), Danielle Hope (Lauren), Brianna Stoute (Nicola), Sean Steele (Don), and Marcus Neville (George), with Devin Bowles, Bella Coppola, Nick Drake, Ian Gallagher Fitzgerald, Ryan Halsayer, Matthew Michael Janisse, Lindsay Joan, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Marty Lauter, Tommy Martiniez, Ryah Nixon, Lucas Patrana, Liz Pearce, Rickey Schroeder, David J. Socolar, Ebrin R. Stanley, Tarion Strong, Ernest T. Williams, and Maria Wirries, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Stage 42.
Here There are Blueberries, world premiere by Moisés Kaufman & Amanda Gronich, directed by Kaufman, featuring Scott Barrow, Charles Browning, Rosina Reynolds, Jeanne Sakata, Elizabeth Stahlmann, Charlie Thurston, Grant James Varjas, and Frances Uku, with Abby Huffstetler, Noah Keyishian, and Sabrina Liu, begins previews at La Jolla Playhouse.
Identical, by George Stiles, Anthony Drewe & Stuart Paterson, directed by Trevor Nunn, featuring 3 sets of identical twins who share the central roles of Lottie and Lisa,: Kyla & Nicole Fox, Emme & Eden Patrick, and Sienna & Savannah Robinson, with Emily Tierney, James Darch, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson, Louise Gold, Michael Smith-Stewart, Rico Bakker, David Bardsley, Hannah Cauchi, Paige Fenlon, Rosie Glossop, Dominic Adam Griffin, Jordan Isaac, Rutendo Mushonga, Ellie Nunn, Winter Jarrett Glasspool, Daisy Jeffcoate, Isabelle Larrey, Saffia Layla, Parrine Long, Helena Middleton, Kirsten Muzvuru, and Poppy Pawson, begins previews at the UK’s Nottingham Playhouse.
The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical in concert, by Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear, directed by Sammi Cannold, featuring Kelli O’Hara, Denée Benton, Micaela Diamond, Jason Gotay, Solea Pfeiffer, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Ephraim Sykes, at 8 PM ET at the Kennedy Center.
Tom Kit: Reflections concert at 7 PM ET at NYC’s 54 Below.
Aaron David Gleason: Come Hell and High Water concert, directed by Joanna Gleason, at 9:30 PM ET at NYC’s 54 Below.
The Sound of Music in Concert, directed by Marc Bruni, featuring Christy Altomare (Maria), Brandon Victor Dixon (Captain von Trapp, Ashley Blanchet (Elsa), Ana Maria Martinez (Mother Abbess), Brad Oscar (Max), with Sydney Brochers, Megan Brilleslyper, Katherine Burns, Amelia Burshe, Eleanor Carroll, Valérie Filloux, Kayleigh Flynn, Chance Friedman, Claire Griffin, Peyton Herzog, Julia Holoman, Grace Lerew, Emma McAlister, Nina Mutalifu, James Nottingham, Sierra Quint, Jessica Reese, Anna Riley, Legan Saad, Nijel Smith, Harry Spitteler, and Gabrielle Turgeon, closes at the Aspen Music Festival.
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Manhattan Theatre Club has announced complete casting for Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living, to begin previews Sept. 13 and open Oct. 3 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, directed by Jo Bonney.
Gregg Mozgala, Katy Sullivan, Kara Young, and David Zayas.
This insightful, intriguing work is about the forces that bring people together, the complexity of caring and being cared for, and the ways we all need each other in this world.
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Young Frankenstein (the newly revised London version) will run Sept. 16 – Oct. 9 (opening Sept. 17) at CA’s La Mirada Theatre, directed by Jeff Whiting, with choreography by James Gray, and music direction by Benet Braun.
Sally Struthers (Frau Blücher) and more TBA.
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RIP: Paul Sorvino has died at the age of 83.
Over the course of Sorvino’s 50-year career stage and screen, he made his mark both as an artist who could effortlessly move from musical theater to dark dramatic roles. He made his Broadway debut in the 1964 musical Bajour, and also appeared in Skyscraper (1965) and That Championship Season (1972), for which he earned a Tony nomination and won a Drama Desk Award for his performance as former high school basketball player Phil Romano.
Sorvino was Gloucester in the 1973 Shakespeare in the Park production of King Lear, and he made his New York City Opera debut as Tony in the 2006 production of Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella. Sorvino was also a “Too Much Tuna” guest during the Broadway run of Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s Oh, Hello on Broadway.
On screen, Sorvino was known for playing imposing characters: James Caan’s bookie “Hips” in “The Gambler,” Paul Cicero in “Goodfellas,” and Det. Phil Cerretta in “Law & Order.” Other films include “Dick Tracy,” “The Rocketeer,” “Where’s Poppa!?”, and “Reds,” among many others.
Born in Bensonhurst, Sorvino studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and with Sanford Meisner and William Esper. He is survived by his wife, Dee Dee Benkie, a former aide to President George W. Bush, as well as his children, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, Michael Sorvino, and Amanda Sorvino.
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Video: In rehearsal for The Last Supper at NJ’s Orange PAC, featuring Charlette d’Amboise, Alex Newell, and Mark Evans.
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Dames at Sea will run Aug. 12 – Sept. 11 (opening Aug. 13) at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse, directed & choreographed by Randy Skinner.
Lesli Margherita (Mona Kent), Daisy Wright (Ruby), Julie Kavanaugh (Joan), Byron St. Cyr (Captain/Hennessy), Daniel Plimpton (Dick), and Drew King (Lucky), with more TBA.
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Casting has been announced for Weeks 4 & 5 at Hollywood’s Blank Theater‘s 30th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, which will be presented as digital shorts on Vimeo (July 29 – Aug. 11).
Last Will and Testament and Other Wild Frog Facts, by Alethea Shirilan-Howlett, directed by Laura Stribling, featuring Sunkrish Bala, Parvesh Cheena, Scott Lowell, Ash Maeda, and Meera Rohit Kumbhani. A writer, a doctor, a science teacher, a student, and a Congresswoman discuss loss and untimely death with an animatronic frog during the reading of a will at a children’s themed cafe.
Droplets Pellets Bullets, by Isabel Beatriz Tongson, directed by June Carryl, featuring Davina Colaco, Gavin Lewis, Madylin Nichols, Madylyn Sweeten, and Jeff Torres. The play conceptually explores the phenomenon of false memories as often experienced by students and teachers who witness school shootings and recall vivid memories of the event that conflict with evidentiary accounts.
Venus, and What Else is Nocturnal, by Dylan Malloy, directed by Victoria Hoffman, featuring Lily Dominique, Reina Hardesty, Chase Liefeld, and Sloane Morgan Siegel. Jude has become shut in and isolated following the death of his brother Liam, the hometown hero. Liam and Jude both admired and adored one another so much that Liam’s absence drives Jude into an obsession with weather, water, and chat rooms trying to discern if his feelings are rooted in grief, science, or cosmic destiny.
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Susan V. Booth has been named the next artistic director of the Goodman Theatre, Chicago’s largest not-for-profit theatre company. Booth, who will succeed current Artistic Director Robert Falls, will be the eighth creative leader, and the first woman, in the Goodman’s 97 years. Falls departs the Goodman after 35 years with the company.
Booth, who assumes leadership Oct. 3, will arrive at the Goodman following 21 years at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Company,
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Heidi Blickenstaff (Mary Jane Healy) will join the tour of Jagged Little Pill on Sept. 6 at Las Vegas’ Smith Center.
Click here for the complete tour schedule.
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National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will present a 7-week run of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish Nov. 13 – Jan. 1, 2023 at New World Stages, directed by Joel Grey.
Steven Skybell (Tevye) and more TBA.
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The world premiere of Mud, written & directed by Bree Pavey, will run Aug. 19 – Sept. 11 at North Hollywood’s Loft Ensemble.
Biniyam Abreha, Antwan Alexander II, Lemon Baardsen, Britt Crips, Emilie Crotty, Madylin Sweeten Currie, Travyz Santos Gatz, Barbera Ann Howard, Silas Jean-Rox, Robert Jolly, Matt Lorenzo, Maia Luer, Benjamin Marshall, Kristian Maxwell-McGeever, Ignacio Navarro, Sarah Nilsen, Danielle Ozymandias, Benjamin Rawls, and Mitch Rosander.
After the collapse of society, a group of people band together for safety, survival, and community. As they begin to rebuild, they examine the failures of the past with an eye on Truth. But can they escape the Beast that haunts them and avoid falling into the holes humanity has left behind?
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Dames at Sea will run Aug. 12 – Sept. 11 (opening Aug. 13) at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse, directed & choreographed by Randy Skinner, with music direction by Jeffrey Campos.
Lesli Margherita (Mona Kent), Daisy Wright (Ruby), Julie Kavanaugh (Joan), Bryon St. Cyr (Captain/Hennessy), Daniel Plimpton (Dick), and Drew King (Lucky) with Anna Louizos and David C. Woolard.
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Video: Sneak peek at Legally Blonde at the St. Louis Muny, starring Kyla Stone and Patti Murin.