Today’s Highlights:
Parade gala presentation, directed by Michael Arden, featuring Micaela Diamond (Lucille Frank), Ben Platt (Leo Frank), Courtnee Carter (Angela), Eddie Cooper (Newt Lee), John Dossett (Old Soldier/Judge Roan), Erin Rose Doyle (Mary Phagan), Manoel Feliciano (Tom Watson), Brody Grant (Young Soldier), Alex Joseph Grayson (Jim Conley), Danielle Lee Greaves (Minnie McKnight), Christopher Gurr (Mr. Peavy), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Britt Craig), Sean Allan Krill (Governor Slaton), Douglas Lyons (Riley), Erin Mackey (Mrs. Phagan), Ashlyn Maddox (Factory Girl), Sophia Manicone (Iola Stover), Gaten Matarazzo (Frankie Epps), Howard McGillin (Luther Rosser), Grace McLean (Sally Slaton), Ashlyn Maddox (Factory Girl), Sophia Manicone (Iola Stover), Paul Alexander Nolan (Hugh Dorsey), and Sofie Poliakoff (Factory Girl), with Jackson Teeley, Florrie Bagel, Stacie Bono, Max Chernin, and William Michaels, opens at New York City Center.
Tony Danza: Standards & Stories concert opens at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
Some Like It Hot, by Matthew López, Amber Ruffin, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, featuring Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks, Kevin Del Aguila, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Adam Heller, and Mark Lotito, with Tia Altinay, TyNia René Brandon, Ian Campayno, DeMarius Copes, Casey Garvin, Devon Hadsell, Ashley Elizabeth Hale, Jenny Hill, K.J. Hippensteel, Abby Matsusaka, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Brian Thomas Martin, Amber Owens, Kayla Pecchioni, Richard Riaz Yoder, Angie Schworer, Charles South, Brendon Stimson, Raena White, and Julius Williams, begins previews at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre.
Mint Theatre‘s The Rat Trap, by Noël Coward, directed by Alexander Lass, featuring James Evans, Elisabeth Gray, Ramzi Khalaf, Heloise Lowenthal, Cynthia Mace, Claire Saunders, and Sarin Monae, with Emily Bosco, Jason Eddy, and Kate Hampton, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s NYC Center, Stage 2.
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Alan Menken, David Zippel, Robert Horn & Kwame Kwei-Armah’s Hercules will run Feb. 16 – Mar. 19, 2023 (opening Mar. 1) at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse, directed by Lear deBessonet, with choreography by Chase Brock & Tanisha Scott.
Bradley Gibson (Hercules), Shuler Hensley (Hades), James Monroe Iglehart (Phil), Isabelle McCalla (Meg), and more TBA.
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“The Fabulous Four” will begin production in Australia in 2023, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse. The release date is TBA.
Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, Susan Sarandon, Sissy Spacek, and more TBA.
Three best friends travel to Key West, Florida to be bridesmaids for the surprise wedding of their college girlfriend, Marilyn. Once they arrive, their sisterhood is rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there’s enough sparks, drinks, and romance to change their lives in the most unexpected ways.
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A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas, adapted & performed by Paul Morella, will run Nov. 25 – Jan. 1 (opening Dec. 2) at MD’s Olney Theatre.
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Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Winter Benefit will take place Mon. Jan. 23 at NYC’s Ziegfeld Ballroom. Additional information TBA.
Kelly O’Hara in concert.
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Rush tickets and a digital lottery have been announced for Broadway’s Some Like It Hot at the Shubert Theatre.
* A limited number of in-person rush tickets will be available at each performance for $40 when the box offices the day of the performance. The box office is opne Tuesday – Saturday starting at 10 AM and Sunday at 12 PM.
* The digital lottery (click here). Entries start at 12 AM, one day before the performance, and ends that same day at 3 PM. Winners are drawn at 9 AM for matinees and 3 PM for evening shows. Winners may buy up to two tickets at $40 each plus a $5 service fee.
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Complete casting has been announced for Timothy Mason, Mel Marvin, Theodor S. Geisel & Albert Hague’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to run Nov. 9 – Dec. 31 (opening Nov. 13) at San Diego’s Old Globe, directed by James Vásquez, with choreography by John DeLuca.
Andrew Polec (The Grinch), Tyrone Davis Jr. (Young Max), John Treacy Egan (Old Max), and Issa Ally & Harper Quinn (alternating as Cindy-Lou Who), Kevin Solis (Grandpa Who), Bets Malone (Grandma Who), Julia Davis & Leila Manuel (alternating as Annie), Chloe Oh & Pearl Salonga (alternating as Betty-Lou Who), Ari Gimbel & Faizi Mahalingham (alternating as Boo Who), Ryan Hafner & Landon Tweet (alternating as Danny Who), and Joelle Dana Advento & Ali Nelson (alternating as Teen Who), with Summer Broyhill, Berto Fernandez, Jacob Haren, Patricia Jewel, Liliana Rodriguez, Lance Arthur Smith, Maisy Cuaresma, Andrew Gorman, Poly Kazmerchuk, Eva Mather, Ellis Quesada, Arielle Sapozhnikoy, Milla Toler, Ella Washington, Jacob Caltrider, Bethany Slomka, James Vásquez, Arya Bosworth, and Benji Katzke.
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Video: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jimmy Fallon perform an “Encanto” film medley.
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James Graham’s Best of Enemies will begin previews Nov. 14 and open Nov. 28 at the Noël Coward Theatre, directed by Jeremy Herrin.
Zachary Quinto (Gore Vidal), David Harewood (William F. Buckley Jr.), Deborah Alli, Emilio Doorgasingh, Clare Foster, Tom Godwin, John Hodgkinson, Syrus Lowe, Keven McMonagle, and Sam Otto, with David Boyle, Lincoln Conway, Vivienne Ekwulugo, Jamie Hogarth, and Saaj Raja.
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968, the play explores the political rivalry between leading conservative voice William F. Buckley Jr and liberal novelist and polemicist Gore Vidal and their televised debates. The two were hired by ABC—in an effort to boost ABC’s ratings—to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Those live and unscripted televised debates, which often devolved into personal attacks, captured the attention of viewers and changed the television news industry.
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Post COVID breakouts, Mia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can will continue through Nov. 20 at Playwrights Horizons, directed by Daniel Aukin.
(double-cast across gender, generation, and race): Cindy Cheung (father Lon Lavecchia/daughter Daniela), Jon Norman Schneider (mother Roberta Lavecchia/son Robbie), and Ron Yan (mother Theresa Phelan/son Tim).
Double-cast across gender, generation, and race in the family drama set in a blue-collar New England town, Catch as Catch Can follows two families—the Irish-American Phelans and the Italian-American Lavecchias—as the prodigal son returns home for a holiday gathering. Two off-stage characters, who are Korean and Korean-American, impact the families as they face the weight of generational expectations.
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Video: Broadway’s MJ celebrates Halloween with a never-before-seen finale performance of “Thriller”
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Initial casting has been announced for Alan Menken, David Zippel, Robert Horn & Kwame Kwei-Armah’s Disney’s Hercules, to run Feb. 16 – Mar. 19 (opening Mar. 1) at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse, directed by Lear deBessonet, with choreography by Chase Brock & Tanisha Scott, and music supervision by Michael Kosarin.
Bradley Gibson (Hercules), Shuler Hensley (Hades), James Monroe Iglehart (Phil), Isabelle McCalla (Meg), and more TBA.
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The recent Off-Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will return Feb. 24 – Mar. 31, 2023 (opening Mar. 5) at Theatre at St. Clements, directed by Joe Rosario.
Matt de Rogatis (Brick) and more TBA.
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The world premiere of Leah Nanako Winkler’s The Brightest Thing in the World will run Nov. 25 – Dec. 17 (opening Dec. 1) at Yale Rep, directed by Margot Bordelon.
Michele Selene Ang, Magan Hill, and Katherine Romans.
It’s classic rom-com. Beguiling Lane works in a bakery and in short order wins over cool customer Steph with her warmth, wit, and homemade desserts. Their blossoming relationship also opens the door to romance for Lane’s older sister Della, who hasn’t been on a date in years. But the skies dramatically darken as each woman must come to terms with her own limitations.
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Video: The cast of Broadway’s Into the Woods performs a medley of songs from the show on “The View”
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Kirsten Guenther, Nolan Gasser & Mindi Dickstein’s Benny & Joon (based on the film) open-to-the-public workshops will take place Nov. 14 & 15 at London’s The Other Palace, directed by Jack Cummings III, with music direction by J. Oconer Navarro, with choreography by Scott Rink.
Andrew Samonsky (Benny), Hannah Elles (June), Christine Allado (Ruthie), George Blagden (Sam), Jak Malone (Waldo), Landi Oshinowo (Dr. Cruz), Simon-Anthony Rhoden (Mike), and Eric Stroud (Larry).
The musical centers on its title characters, a brother and sister duo, and the man whose love for Joon might forever change the dynamics of their relationship.
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An industry reading of Kevin Ray Johnson’s A (Funny) Imagination!, a one-act based on the characters from Nickelodeon’s “Doug,” will take place Dec. 4 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Dramatist Guild, directed by the playwright.
Jonah McKinley (Dee), Kate Mobley-Tarpley (Tricia), Josha Balan (EmVee), Hugh M. Jones III (Rog), Violet Gartreau (Dee’s Sister), and Hanna Hopper (Constance), with Hannah Heil, and Ben Hoermann.
The play follows Dee as he reunites with Tricia and EmVee a decade after their high school graduation to discuss unresolved issues that altered their relationship.