Today’s Highlights:
It’s Only a Play filmed production, by Terrence McNally, directed by Kevin Cahoon, featuring Andy Grotelueschen, Julie Halston, Christine Toy Johnson, Triney Sandoval, Zach Shaffer, and Greg Cuellar, begins streaming at NJ’s George Street Playhouse.
Linda Purl & Tedd Firth ~ Out and About: Songs for a New Beginning concert, streams at 8 PM ET here.
A Little New Music concert, featuring the music of Meinwald & Leary, co-hosted by Luke H. Klipp & Kila Packett, streams for FREE at 7 PM PT/4 PM ET here.
“Revolution Rent” documentary following the 2014 Cuban production of Rent, from auditions through closing night, directed by Andy Señor Jr & Victor Patrick Alvarez, begins streaming on HBO and HBO Max.
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Video: Jim Caruso’s Cast Party variety show, with special guests Hayden Tee, Raena White, Marcus Goldhaber, and Christina Jones. (1:22:01)
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John Ross Bowie’s Four Chords and a Gun, directed by Jessica Hanna, will livestream Sat. June 26 at 7:30 PM ET on Play-Per View (and available through June 30), in support of the LA’s Food on Foot.
Michael Cassady, Ben Feldman, Brendan Hunt, Lena Hall, Justin Kirk, and Bobby Conte Thornton.
40 years ago, Phil Spector made the Ramones a legend and destroyed the band. The play is an intense black comedy based on exhaustive research, the notorious punk band records 1979’s “End of the Century” in an infamous session that sparks both personal tensions among the group’s members and violent struggles with the volatile Spector.
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With the U.K. government pushing back Step 4 of its re-opening roadmap in the light of the continued coronavirus crisis, theatres in the West End and beyond will have to wait longer than anticipated to reopen at full capacity.
When the timeline was proposed in February, Step 4 was penciled in for June 21 (though a date was never set in stone). In an effort to increase vaccine distribution before re-opening, Step 4 now won’t go into effect until July 19. However, if numbers improve between now and then, the Prime Minister’s office says that date could be pushed back to July 5.
The news delivers a blow to several theatre companies and other arts organizations that had been preparing a come-back this month. Generally, the West End has found ways to present some productions during the pandemic when guidelines would allow. Many shows played to reduced audience, offering hope that the show would go on, even if in not the most economically sustainable way. Show that have reopened already and were planning to scale up to full houses will now have to weigh whether to continue running at diminishing returns.
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The Theater Hall of Fame has announced its Lifetime Achievement 2021 inductees:
* Lynn Nottage
* Anna Deavere Smith
* Alan Menken
* Bob Crowley
* Leslie Uggams
* Gerald Freedman (posthumously)
The induction ceremony will take place Nov. 15 at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre.
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Video: Trailer for the “Tick…Tick…Boom” film, which will premiere this Fall (date TBA) on Netflix.
The cast features Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry, MJ Rodriguez, Judith Light, Bradley Whitford, and more.
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Tom Kitt’s “Reflect” will be released Aug. 13 here.
Adrienne Warren, Mandy Gonzalez, Michael McElroy, Jenn Collela, Danny Burstein, Javier Muñoz, Lauren Patten, Jerry Dixon, Elizabeth Stanley, Heidi Blickenstaff, Brian d’Arcy James, Pearl Sun, and Kitt’s own children Julia and Michael Kitt.
The album features music from Kitt and lyrics from some of his most talented friends, and is a true collaboration that captures the hope and heartbreak of the tumultuous times we’re living through.
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Additional casting has been announced for the film adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s “13,” directed by Tamra Davis & Jason Robert Brown. Filming is expected to begin this month in Toronto.
Previously announced: Gabriella Uho, JD McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne.
Newly announced: Rhea Perlman (Grandma Ruth), Josh Peck (Rabbi Shapiro), and Peter Hermann (Joel Goldman).
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Stephen Tobolowsky’s A Good Day at Auschwitz, is now available for purchase at LA Theatre Works.
Stephen Tobolowsky and Alan Mandell.
The extraordinary true story of Abe, a Holocaust survivor with great humor and heart, who not only endured three years at Auschwitz – certainly the worst place on earth – but fell in love there.
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Video: Matthew Morrison performs “Singin’ In The Rain” with Seth Rudetsky.
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RIP: Lisa Baines has died at 65 after a hit-and-run accident in NYC earlier this month.
She was on her way to meet her wife for a dinner party at a friend’s home near Lincoln Center when someone on a scooter or motor bike hit her and then fled. Police say that Banes was in the crosswalk and had the right of way.
She was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital where she remained in critical condition with a traumatic brain injury, until she passed away on June 14.
Banes was known for her roles on “One Life to Live,” “China Beach, “The Royal Pains,” “Nashville,” “Cocktail,” and “Gone Girl,” among others.
Her many Broadway credits include Rumors, Arcadia, High Society, Accent on Youth, and Present Laughter. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for best featured actress in a play in 1984 for Isn’t it Romantic. She won a Theatre World Award in 1981 for the Off-Broadway play Look Back in Anger, and an Obie in 1982 for her role in My Sister in This House.
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“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” will begin airing its 4th season a date TBA on Amazon Prime.
New recurring guest stars: Jackie Hoffman and Allison Guinn. No character details have been announced.
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North Hollywood’s Loft Ensemble has announced three upcoming events:
JUNE 19: Juneteenth Welcome Back Party, featuring Belly of the Beast, an evening of poetry slam, music and comedy.
JUNE 30: Kevin Padilla & Friends (June 30), spotlighting local LGBTQ+ comics, including Arielle Soloman, Bri Giger, Corinne Irizarry, Denise Winkerman, Les Kurkendaal-Barrett, Matthew Janis, Ryan Opton, Tia Jai, and Yesh Malik, with special musical guest Electric Preacher.
JULY 10: Code Pink mainstage production, written & directed by Adam Chambers & Jana Lee Hamblin.
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The Muny has announced principal casting for it 2021 season:
Smokey Joe’s Cafe (July 26 – Aug. 1), featuring Charl Brown (Sonny), Michael Campayno (Rod), Mykal Kilgore (Little Walter), Tiffany Mann (Willie Mae), Hayley Podschun (Annette), Christopher Sams (Cornelius), Nasia Thomas (Pearl), and Jason Veasey (Doc).
The Sound of Music (Aug. 3-9), featuring Kate Rockwell (Maria), Michael Hayden (Captain von Trapp), Bryonha Marie Parham (Mother Abess), Elizabeth Teeter (Liesl), Andrew Alstat (Rolf), Jenny Powers (Elsa Schraeder), and John Scherer (Max).
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Aug. 12-28), featuring Kendra Kassebaum (Milly) and Edward Watts (Adam).
On Your Feet (Aug. 21-27), featuring Omar Lopez-Cepero (Emilio), Natascia Diaz (Gloria), Alma Cuervo (Consuelo), and Lee Zarrett (Phil).
Chicago (Aug. 30 – Sept. 5), featuring Sarah Bowden (Roxie), J. Harrison Ghee (Velma), Emily Skinner (Matron “Mama” Morton), James T. Lane (Billy Flynn), Adam Heller (Amost Hart), and Ali Weoldt (Mary Sunshine).
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The Wiz will run Nov. 24 – Jan. 16, 2022 at the Hope Mill Theatre, directed by Matthew Xia, with music supervision by Sean Green, and choreography by Leah Hills.
Casting TBA.
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Video: Max Crumm performs “The Rainbow Connection”
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RIP: Karla Burns, who was the first Black actor to win an Olivier Award (and a Tony nomination on Broadway) in 1991 for her role as Queenie in Show Boat, died June 4 in Whichita, Kansas at the age of 66.
After winning the Olivier, Karla later fought to regain her soulful voice after losing it in an operation to remove a growth in her throat.
Ms. Burns’ musical journey began when she was a girl growing up in Whichta in the 1960s. Her father was a blues and gospel pianist, and every Saturday night show she danced beside his piano while he played. On bus rides to school she broke out in song. One day, a choir teacher told her, “Kiddo, you can really sing,”
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North Hollywood’s Road Theatre Company streaming production of Steve Yockey’s Reykjavik has extended again, now through June 27, directed by Ann Hearn.
Stephen Tyler Howell, Alaska Jackson, Carlos Lacamara, Brian Ibsen, Danny Lee Gomez, and Jacqueline Misaye.
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Video: Stephanie J. Block performs “Never Neverland”
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LA’s Ahmanson Theatre has announced its 2021-22 season. Casting and additional information TBA.
A Christmas Carol (Nov. 30 – Jan. 2, 2022), adapted by Jack Thorne, directed by Matthew Warchus.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Jan. 16 – Feb. 20), by Dan Gillespie Sells & Tom MacRae, directed by Jonathan Butterell.
The Lehman Trilogy (Mar. 3 – Apr. 10), adapted by Ben Power, directed by Sam Mendes.
Hadestown (Apr. 26 – May 29), by Anaïs Mitchell, directed by Rachel Chavkin.
Come From Away (May 31 – June 12), directed by Christopher Ashley.
Dear Evan Hansen (June 29 – July 31), 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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Video: Ben Clark and Dee Roscioli perform “Turn Back Time”
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Harvey Fierstein has donated $2.5 million to create a new “theatre lab” at the NY Public Library’s Lincoln Center campus.
The new lab will be a dedicated educational space where students and the general public will be able to attend programs about the library’s photographs, scripts, recordings, set models, costumes, and other materials.
“Live theater is live theater – you do it and that’s it,” said Fierstein. “Without a library collecting this stuff, our whole history disappears.”