Have a spectacular holiday!
GRACE NOTES will return Mon. Nov. 27
Holiday Highlights:
Tuesday, November 21
The Witches, world premiere by Lucy Kirkwood & Dave Malloy, directed by Lyndsey Turner, featuring Katherine Kinglsey (Grand High Witch), Daniel Rigby (Mrs. Stringer), Sally Ann Triplet (Gran), Laura Medforth (Mum), Richard David-Caine (Dad), Ekow Quartey (Mr. Jenkins), Maggie Service (Mrs. Jenkins), Irvine Iqbal (Chef Chevalier at Hotel Magnificent), with witches Julie Armstrong, Chrissie Bhima, Zoe Birkett, Maddison Bulleyment, Miracle Chance, Daniele Coombe, Molly-May Gardiner, Tiffany Graves, Bobbie Little, Tania Mathurin, Amira Matthews, and Alexandra Waite-Roberts, along with Adrian Grove, Jacob Maynard, and Ben Redfern, and many more, opens at London’s Olivier Theatre.
Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show, by Gordon Greenberg & Steve Rosen, directed by Greenberg, featuring Christopher Sieber (Ebenezer Scrooge), Josh Brekenridge (Bob Cratchit / Jacob Marley / Charles / Mr. Fezzi), Dan Rosales (Young Scrooge / Medium Scrooge / Tiny Tim), Cathryn Wake (Prudence / Saint / Lavinia / Ghost of Christmas Present / Archibald), Jacque Wilke (Gertrude Saint / Ghost of Christmas Past, / Mrs. Cratchit / Jennie), Dan Rosales (Fred / Young Scrooge / Medium Scrooge / Tiny Tim), Cathryn Wake (Prudence Saint / Lavinia / Ghost of Christmas Present / Archibald), and Jacque Wilke (Gertrude Saint / Ghost of Christmas Past / Mrs. Cratchit / Jennie), opens at San Diego’s Old Globe.
Dog Man: The Musical, by Dav Pilkey, Kevin Del Aguila & Brad Alexande, directed & choreographed by Jen Wineman, featuring L.R. Davidson ((Li’l Petey), Chadaé Nichol (Flippy), Brian Owen (Dog Man; Marcus Phillips (George & Others). Bryan Daniel Porter (Petey), Max Torrez (Harold), Joe Balanza (George) Jasiana Caraballo (Flippy), and Reggie De Leon (Petey), opens at LA’s Kirk Douglas Theatre.
Mike Birbiglia’s The Old Man and the Pool begins streaming on Netflix.
York Theatre Company‘s The Jerusalem Syndrome, world premiere by Laurence Holzman, Felicia Needleman & Kyle Rosen, directed by Don Stephenson, featuring Farah Alvin, Dana Costello, Scott Cote, Andrea Fleming, James D. Gish, Alan H. Green, Danielle Lee James, John Jellison ), Josh Lamon, Garrett Long, Karen Murphy, Jeffrey Schecter, Jennifer Smith, Chandler Sinks, Pablo Torres, Curtis Wiley, Lenny Wolpe, and Laura Woyasz, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jeans.
Huntington Theatre‘s The Heart Sellers, by Lloyd, directed by May Adrales, featuring Jenna Agbayani and Judy Song, begins previews at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion.
“Manhattan Theatre Club, A Home for Artists,” free documentary, available via the All Arts app and website, or on the All Arts TV channel (for those in the New York Metro area).
Wednesday, November 22
Lillias White: Blissfully Thankful concert opens at NYC’s 54 Below.
Thursday, November 23
Arabian Nights, reimagined by Sonali Bhattacharyya, directed by Blanche McIntyre, featuring Yasemin Özdemir, Sara Diab, Saikat Ahamed, Nicholas Karimi, Patrick Osborne, Ajjaz Awad, Arinder Sadhra, and Roxy Faridany, opens at London’s Old Vic.
Billie the Kid semi-staged performance, by Conway McDermott & Gez Mercer, directed by Kerry Kyriacos Michael, featuring Natasha J Barnes, Kymberley Cochrane, Harvey Ebbage, Ki Griffin, Beth Hinton-Lever, Tony Jayawardena, Rob Kershaw, Ryan Kopel, Phoebe-Loveday Raymond, Aharon Rayner, Olivia Saunders, Jodie Steele, Yuki Sutton, Hannah Victoria, and Yasmin Wilde, at 7:30 PM London’s Vaudeville Theatre.
Friday, November 24
New York City Ballet‘s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, featuring 100+ dancers and musicians, along with more than 125 children, opens at Lincoln Center Theater.
Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, by Colin Escott, directed by directed by James Barry, featuring Taylor Aronson, Kasie Buono, Jason Cohen, Matt Cusack, Ian Kerr-Mace, Rob Morrison, Nathan Roberts, Billy Rude, and Jeremy Sevelovitz, opens at Albany’s Capital Rep.
Saturday, November 25
A Merry Christmas Carol, written & directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Beatty Barnes (Ebenezer Scrooge), Sarah Manton, Meredith Nöel, Refiye Tappan, Adalee Alt, Patrick Halley, Dave Hobbs, Steve Pacek, Anna Sosa, Miri Quaintance, Stormie Trevino, Margo Von Buseck, Mia Haymes, Wyllow Smith, and Russell Teagle, opens at Virginia Stage.
Swept Away, by John Logan & The Avett Brothers, directed by Michael Mayer, featuring John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Wayne Duvall, Hunter Brown, Matt DeAngelis, Taurean Everett, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Michael Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Tyrone L. Robinson, John Sygar, and Jamari Johnson Williams, begins previews at DC’s Arena Stage.
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, directed by David Armstrong & James A. Rocco, featuring Ashley Day (Bob Wallace), Phillip Atmore (Phil Davis), Cayman Ilika (Betty Haynes), and Taryn Darr (Judy Haynes), Reginald André Jackson, Candice Song Donehoo, Gia Pellegrini, Beatrice Cramer, Brandon O’Neill, Seán G. Griffin, Ty Willis, Cristin Hubbard, Ania Briggs, Trina Mills, Shelby Willis, Ashley Lanyon, Carolyn Willems Van Dijk, Katy Tabb, Jaclyn Wheatley, Kristin Burch, Richard Peacock, John David Scott, Charlie Johnson, Rico Lastrapes, Jonathan Luke Stevens, Davione Gordon, Eric Polani Jensen, Michael Sharon, Cayel Tregeagle, Miranda Antoinette, Mallory Cooney King, Ann Cornelius, Jordan King, Christopher Sweet, Katie Marshall, and Maggie Darago, begins previews at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre.
Private Lives, directed by Christopher Luscombe, featuring Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge, Dugald Bruce-Lockheart and Natalie Walker, closes at London’s Ambassador Theatre.
Lillias White: Blissfully Thankful concert closes at NYC’s 54 Below.
Sunday, November 26
A Christmas Carol, directed by Jessica Thebus, featuring Larry Yando (Ebenezer Scrooge), Austin Tichenor (Ebenezer Scrooge for 8 performances), Christian Lucas (Tiny Tim), Kareen Bandealy (Marly/Young Marley/Topper), Dee Dee Batteast (Frida), Dee Dee Batteast (Frida), Thomas J. Cox (Bob Cratchit/Wreath Seller), Amira Danan (Belle), Tafadzwa Diener (Martha Cratchit), Susaan Jamshidi (Mrs. Cratchit), Daniel José Molina (Young Scrooge/Ghost of Christmas Future), Rika Nishikawa (Belinda Cratchit), Robert Schleife (Mr. Fezziwig), Lucky Stoff (Ghost of Christmas Past), Leighton Tantillo (Peter Cratchit), Bethany Charwoman/Ghost of Christmas Present), Austin Tichenor (Alternate Ebenezer Scrooge), Penelope Walker (Crum/Mrs, Fezziwig), Andrew White (Narrator), and Wai Yim (Ortle), with Adeoye, Hillary Bayley, Viva Boresi, Mark Bedard, Viva Boresi, Jalbelly Guzmán, Amir Henderson, Detra Payne, opens at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
Here Lies Love, David Byrne & Fatboy Slim, directed by Alex Timbers, featuring Arielle Jacobs (Imelda Marcos), Jose Llana (Ferdinand Marcos), Conrad Ricamora (Ninoy Aquino), Aaron J. Albano, Melody Butiu, Moses Villarama, Jasmine Forsberg, Reanne Acasio, Jaygee Macapugay, Julia Abueva, Renée Albulario, Aaron Alcaraz, Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay, Jeigh Madjus, Aaron “AJ” Mercado, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne, Angelo Soriano, and Danielle Troiano, closes at Broadway’s Broadway Theatre, after 33 previews and 149 regular performances.
Flawless, by Robin Goldfin, directed by Ed Chemaly, featuring David Carson, Page Clements, Hannah Dillenbeck, Ricardo Gomez, Deanna Henson, John Lampe, and Hana Lauer, closes at Off-Broadway’s Theater for the New City.
Alex Edelman’s Just For Us solo show, directed by Adam Brace, closes at LA’s Mark Taper Forum.
The Crucible, directed by Will Pomerantz, featuring Allen O’Reilly (Reverend Samuel Parris), Kate Fitzgerald (Abigail Williams), Teresa DeBerry (Mrs. Ann Putnam / Rebecca Nurse), Gabriel Portuondo (Thomas Putnam / The Bailiff), Sonnie Betts (Mercy Lewis), Anna Francesca Schiavoni (Mary Warren), Joe Pallister (John Proctor), Meg Gibson (Elizabeth Proctor), and Keith Reddin (Reverend John Hale), and Matthew Conlon (Deputy-Governor Danforth), closes at Long Island’s Bay Street Theatre.
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Reviews for Lincoln Center Theater’s The Gardens of Anuncia
NY Times (Juan A. Ramírez): …the acclaimed stage veteran Priscilla Lopez is the star, and her knowing performance as Anuncia (a present-day version of Daniele) enriches this lovely, slightly repetitive, but beautifully sung tribute to sisterly admiration… While tending to her garden on the day she’s set to receive a lifetime achievement award, Anuncia thinks back to the women who raised her in Buenos Aires during the Perón regime… she’s passionate when conjuring up her Mami (Eden Espinosa), Tía (Andréa Burns), and Granmama (Mary Testa). In the show we watch this matriarchal triumvirate, which Anuncia credits for her resilience and compassion, interact with her younger self (Kalyn West)…
New York Theatre Guide (Allison Considine): The Gardens of Anuncia is both a memory musical and a gift of friendship. Composer and lyricist John Michael LaChiusa sets the life story of his longtime collaborator, the famed director-choreographer Graciela Daniele, to a tango-infused score… LaChiusa’s musical, directed and choreographed by Daniele, does not chronicle her early days training at the Teatro Colón in Argentina or follow her star turn on the Great White Way. Rather, the musical is a poetic homage to the women who raised her: Tía, Mami, and Granmama… Priscilla Lopez and Kalyn West portray Older Anuncia and Younger Anuncia, respectively. They beautifully mirror each other… Lopez… brings a quiet reflection to the older character, and West expertly portrays a range of ages, from an imaginative child to a confident young woman…
Theatrely (Joey Sims): Anuncia will tell us her story, if we insist. A story of growing up in Argentina amidst the rise and fall of Juan Perón’s government. Of being raised by three ferocious women, her mami, grandmama and tía. And of maturing without any help from her father, or “That Man,” who left when Anuncia was six. Or, she could just tend to her garden. She might prefer that. Anuncia is not one to dwell greatly on the past… The Gardens of Anuncia finds its oddness and also its considerable charm in this premise: a coming-of-age recalled by a narrator who has little pressing need to revisit her upbringing… As our narrator, Priscilla Lopez is key to the show’s success. She is wonderfully understated and droll, setting the tone for a sparing retelling of an extraordinary life…
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Forbidden Sondheim: Merrily We Stole a Song continues through Mon. Nov. 27 at NYC’s Green Fig, with music direction by Gerard Alessandrini.
Christine Pedi, Fred Barton, and Gerry McIntyre.
Chris Collins-Pisano, Dayna Jarae Dantzler, Jenny Lee Stern, Michael West.
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The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival & Red Bull Theater will present the rolling world premiere of Luis Quintero’s Medea:Re-Versed, to run June 12 – Aug. 20 at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, followed by a production at Off Broadway’s Sheen Center (Sept. 12 – Oct. 15, 2024, opening Sept. 23), co-conceived & directed by Nathan Winkelstein.
Sarin Monae West, and more TBA.
An ice-cold, high-octane adaptation of Euripides’ play written in battle rap verse, this brand-new hip-hop version of Medea sheds contemporary light on the classic tragedy of family, power, and revenge – as terrifying and shocking today as it was two thousand years ago. Quintero’s version of the story reignites the sacred rage of our ancestors and illuminates in the most human terms the extraordinary lengths that some people will travel to even the scales of justice.
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Video: At NYC’s Drama League Gala, Joy Huerta performs “Flying Away” from Real Women Have Curves (currently running at Cambridge’s A.R.T.)
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Industry readings of Kit Goldstein Grant’s Christmas Eve in Dikanka will take place Wed. Dec. 13 at 3 & 7 PM at NYC’s Pearl Studios, directed by Rachel Klein. 
MuseFriends@gmail.com to RSVP or for more information.
TBA.
Based on the story by Ukrainian novelist Nikolai Gogol, the tale follows a blacksmith faced with the decision of whether or not to give up his soul for a pair of fancy shoes, the desire of his beloved.
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Eltonn John, Jake Shears & James Graham’s Tammy Faye will open on Broadway (theatre TBA) in the 2024-25 season, directed by Rupert Goold, with choreography by Lynne Page.
Casting and additional information TBA.
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John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea has extended its run, now through Jan. 13, 2024 at Off-Broadway’s Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Aubrey Plaza (Roberta) and Christopher Abbott (Danny)
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Without You, Anthony Rapp’s autobiographical solo show will run Apr. 2-14, 2024 at Boston’s Wilberly Theatre.
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Rob Elk & Joe Keyes’ Bob’s Holiday Office Party will run Dec. 1-17 at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, directed by Matt Roth.
Peter Breitmayer, Rob Elk, Mark Fite, Judy Heneghan, Andrea Hutchman, Sirena Irwin, Joe Keyes, J.P. Manoux, Johanna McKay, Chloe Taylor, and Pat Towne.
The town mayor, the sheriff, the twin farmers, the stoner, the town floozy and the pastor’s wife have already RSVP’d for this year’s event. But Bob has dreams of a bigger life and wants to escape their narrow-minded thinking. Will he be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional inventor and move to the big city, or will he come to realize how much he is the heart and soul of the town? Will any of this matter once the party stars, the bickering and fighting begins, and the drinks hit the floor?
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Daisy Prince, Jason Robert Brown & Jonathan Marc Sherman’s The Connector will run Jan. 12 – Feb. 18 (opening Feb. 6) at MCC Theater, directed by Prince.
Scott Bakula, Ben Levi Ross, and Hannah Cruz, with Joanna Carpenter, Max Crumm, George Dvorsky, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Danielle Lee Greaves, Mylinda Hull, Daniel Jenkins, Cedric Lamar, Jessica Molaskey, Fergie Philippe, Eliseo Román, Ann Sanders, Kyle Sherman, and Michael Winther.
Set in the late 1990s amid a rapidly changing media landscape we meet a fast-rising journalist, Ethan Dobson, and an assistant copy editor, Robin Martinez, at the revered magazine “The Connector.” In a world that values the next big sensation, Ethan’s writing prowess and ambition force him to confront how far he’ll go for the ultimate scoop and Robin to consider how far she’ll go to stop him.
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Video: Highlights from Goodspeed’s Dream Girls, featuring Ta-Tynisa Wilson (Deena), Keirsten Hodgens (Lorrell), Trejah Bostic (Effie), and more…
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Emily Mann’s Having Our Say will run Nov. 28 – Dec. 17 (opening Dec. 1) at NJ’s George Street Playhouse, directed by Laiona Michelle.
Inga Ballard (Sadie) and Rosalyn Coleman (Bessie).
The play centers around the remarkable lives of African-American sisters, Sadie and Bessie Delany, both of whom surpass the age of 100. Their extraordinary journey unfolds as they share their personal experiences, which include growing up as the daughters of a former slave who became a respected professor, establishing successful careers, and integrating a New York suburb.
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Brian Friel’s The Friel Project will run Jan. 11 – Mar. 3, 2024 at Irish Rep, directed by Charlotte Moore.
Roger Dominic Casey, Meg Hennessy, Tom Holcomb, Colin Lane, Shane McNaughton, Tim Ruddy, Danielle Ryan, and Sarah Street.
Set in Ballybeg Hall in County Donegal, Brian Friel’s Chekhovian play chronicles the decaying home of District Justice O’Donnell, where family members congregate for a wedding, but stay to attend a funeral.