Today’s Highlights:
Straight White Men, by Young Jean Lee, directed by Mark Lamos, featuring Richard Kline (Ed), Bill Army Jake), Denver Milord (Matt), Nick Westrate (Drew), Akiko Akita (Person in Charge), and Ashton Muñiz (Person in Charge), opens at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse.
The Public Theater‘s Gala On the Green, with special guests Danai Gurira and Lin-Manuel Miranda, featuring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Oscar Isaac, Norm Lewis, Julia Murney, Kelli O’Hara, and Kimber Elayne Sprawl, at 6 PM ET at NYC’s Delacorte Theater Lawn.
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Highlights from Miscast 2022
Video: Lea Michele performs “Gliding” (from Ragtime)
Video: Andrea Martin performs “I Can’t Say No”
Hopefully more performances will be available in the next few days. In the meantime, the concert is available for streaming through May 25 here.
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2022 Tony Awards: Angela Lansbury will receive a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.
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The Music Man will run June 17 – July 24 (opening June 23) at MD’s Olney Theatre, directed by Sandra Mae Frank & Michael Baron, with music directed by Christopher Youstra, and choreography by Karma Camp. The production will include both deaf and hearing actors.
James Caverly (Harold Hill), Vishal Vaidya (Marcellus), Florrie Bagel (Ethel Toffelmeier), Heather Marie Beck (Alma Hicks), Amelia Hensley (Eulalie Shinn), Matthew August (Tommy), Gregor Lopes (Olinn Britt), Andrew Morrill (Mayor Shinn), Anjel Piñero (Woman #1), Mervin Primeaux-OBryant (Maude Dunlap), Nicki Runge (Mrs. Paroo), Christopher Tester (Oliver Hicks), and Dylan Toms (Ewart Dunlop), with Jay Brisby, Sarah Ann Sillers, Sophia Early, Aarron Loggins, and Stephen Russell Murray.
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The 10th annual Night of a Thousand Judys, honoring Judy Garland, will take place Sun. June 5 at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s Joe’s Pub, written & hosted by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, directed by Peter James Cook, with choreography by Jason Wise, and music direction by Tracy Stark. Proceeds will benefit The Ali Forney Center.
Frances Ruffelle, Nathan Lee Graham, Kathryn Gallagher, Sally Mayes, Nicolas King, Shereen Pimentel, Amy Jo Jackson, Bonnie Milligan, Hilary Kole, and Eleri Ward, with more TBA.
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The New York Restoration Project‘s Spring Picnic Gala will take place Wed. June 15 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, hosted by Frank DiLella.
Adam Jacobs and Kate Rockwell, who will perform with the faculty jazz ensemble of Brooklyn Music School.
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A filmed performance of Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe’s Heather’s The Musical has recently completed, and the production has resumed performances (though Sept. 4) at London’s The Other Palace, directed by Andy Fickman. The released date for the filmed version is TBA.
Ailsa Davidson (Veronica Sawyer), Simon Gordon (Jason “J.D” Dean), Maddison Firth (Heather Chandler), Vivian Panka (Heather Duke), Teleri Hughes (Heather McNamara), Vicki Lee Taylor (Ms. Fleming/Veronica’s Mom), Mhairi Angus (Martha Dunnstock), Liam Doyle (Kurt Kelly), Rory Phelan (Ram Sweeney), Oliver Brooks (Kurt’s Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper), Andy Brady (Ram’s Dad/Principle Gowan/Veronica’s Dad), Benjamin Karran (Beleaguered Geek), Chris Parkinson (Hipster Dork/Officer McCord), Jermaine Woods (Peppy Stud/Officer Milner), Eleanor Morrison Halliday (Young Republicanette), Mary-Jean Caldwell (Stoner Chick), Hannah Lowther (New Wave Party Girl), and May Tether (Drama Club Drama Queen).**********************
Shelea Pretty World: Through the Eyes of Alan & Marilyn Bergman will take place Sat. June 25 at 7:30 PM PT at Beverly Hills’ The Wallis.
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Douglas Carter-Bean & Lewis Flinn’s Hood will run June 3-26 (opening June 11) at FL’s Asolo Rep, directed by Mark Brokaw, with choreography by Ellenore Scott.
Anthony Chatmon II (Robin), Savy Jackson (Marian), Billie Aken-Tyers (Much), Caitlin Humphreys (Lady Ann), Erin Kei (Lady Jane), Aury Krebs (Meg), Daniel Lopez (Troubadour), Jamen Nanthakumar (Friar Tuck), Luke Anthony Neville (Will Scarlet), Nick Rehberger (Sheriff of Nottingham), Zachary Francis Stewart (Little John), and Imani Youngblood (Gamble Gold), with Jordan Sam Rich, Michail Roberts, Darius Vines, Danielle Vivcharenko, and Taylor Erin Wade.
The world’s sexiest thief. A pair of history’s greatest lovers. The Merry Band that made redistributing wealth cool. Here, finally, is the real story of the nobleman forced out of his home and into the wilderness, who seeks revenge not only for himself but against an unjust system. And as he sets out on a mission to rescue the damsel he left behind, he discovers that this particular damsel doesn’t need any rescuing.
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Theatre NFT marketplace MuseWorks Lab has launched the Broadway Exchange, which will sell digital collectibles, connections, and experiences for theatre fans (including free tickets, behind-the-scenes events, and meet-and-greets), with 90% of the sales profits benefitting the participating shows, and 3% of gross sales benefitting non-profit organizations, including Broadway Cares and The Entertainment Community Fund.
The launch will feature three NFT collections, including:
* the first-ever NFTs created for Broadway Cares
* the new country musical May We All, an Off-Broadway’s Stranger Sings the Parody Musical.
Upcoming projects includes NFTs for Broadway’s Girl from the North Country, West End’s 2:22 A Ghost Story, Bonnie & Clyde, and the non-profit Broadway for Arts Education.
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A benefit reading of Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me will take place Thurs. June 9 at 8 PM ET at NYC’s Great Hall at Cooper Union, directed by Oliver Butler.
(original Broadway cast): Heidi Schreck, Mike Iveson, Rosdely Ciprian, and Thursday Williams.
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A rare Tony Award awarded to Jose Ferrer for Directorial Achievement in 1952, the same year he won in the category of Best Director for three plays: Stalag 17, The Fourposter, and The Shrike, will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on May 26.
Rather than awarding three separate Tonys, Ferrer was given this Award for ”Diverse Directorial Achievement”. In addition to winning Tony Awards in both acting and directing over the course of his career, Ferrer was also the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award.
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“National Memorial Day Concert,” filmed in Washington, D.C., and air Sun. May 29 at 8 PM on PBS (check local listings), and will be livestreamed here as well. The concert will be conducted by Jack Everly, and hosted by Joe Mantegna & Gary Sinise.
Lea Salonga, Norm Lewis, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary McCormack, and more…
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A Christmas Carol, adapted & directed by Mark Clements, will run Nov. 29 – Dec. 24 at Milwaukee Rep, with music direction by Dan Kazemi.
Matt Daniels (Scrooge), and more TBA.
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& 
Lyrics & Lyricists presents Isn’t This Bliss? Sondheim on Love June 18-20 at NYC’s 92Y, conceived, directed, hosted & music directed by Ted Sperling.
Ben Davis, Jordan Donica, Solea Pfeiffer, and Scarlett Strallen.
Ted explores Sondheim’s perspective on relationships through the many songs that capture the ins, outs, ups, downs, awkwardness, fears and trajectories, from young love to commitment to breaking apart to reconciliation.
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Jeffrey Schmelkin’s The Parts I Keep Inside: A New Musical, will play two performances (July 9 & 11) at Off-Broadway’s Triad Theater.
Casting TBA.
The musical follows four characters that live inside the head of a music director who is attempting to find a sense of inner peace.
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Video: Inside rehearsals for the all-female 1776 at Cambridge’s A.R.T.
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Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre will present a staged reading of Paul Oakley Stovall’s Clear on Tues. May 31 at 7 PM CT, directed by Reneisha J. Jenkins, with music direction by Austin Deadman.
here (pay-what-you-can)
The musical was born when Stovall’s personal life experience with his life-changing political odyssey as part of the Obama administration. He created Clear for everyone who wants to say yes to life, continue searching for joy and live in their truth.
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Angela Lansbury will receive the 2022 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at the 75th annual ceremony on June 12.
Lansbury has received Tony Awards for her performances in:
* the title role of Mame (1966 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical)
* Countess Aurelia in Dear World (1969 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical)
* Rose in the first Broadway revival of Gypsy (1975 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical)
* Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (1979 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical)
* Madame Arcati in the most recent Broadway revival of Blithe Spirit (2009 Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play)
…as well as nominations for her work in Deuce and the 2009 revival of A Little Night Music.
Lansbury’s other Broadway credits include Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Hotel Paradiso, A Taste of Honey, Anyone Can Whistle, The King and I, and A Little Family Business.
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Complete casting has been announced for The Taming of the Shrew, to run June 5 – July 10 (opening June 11) at San Diego’s Old Globe, directed by Shana Cooper.
Armando Durán (Baptista), Felicity Jones Latta (Tranio), Orville Mendoza (Grumio), Jesse J. Perez (Gremio), Cassia Thompson (Bianca), John Tufts (Hortensio/Biondello/Merchant), James Udom (Petrucio), and Deborah Ann Woll (Katherine), along with students in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program.