Today’s Highlights:
From Here to Eternity, by Tim Rice, Stuart Brayson, Donald Rice & Bill Oakes, directed by Brett Smock, featuring Jonny Amies, Jonathan Bentley, Desmonda Cathabel, Leonard Cook, Kyerron Dixon-Bassey, Sarah Drake, Dominic Adam Griffin, Cassius Hackforth, Robin Hayward, Callum Henderson, James Mateo-Salt, Rhys Nuttall, Jack Ofrecio, Jaden Oshenye, Eve Polycarpou, Adam-Rhys Charles, Carly Stenson, Alan Turkington, and Josephy Vella, opens at London’s Charing Cross Theatre.
Into the Woods, directed & choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, featuring Christopher Bloch (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Kurt Boehm (Steward), Simone Brown (Rapunzel), Alex De Bard (Little Red Riding Hood), Sherri L. Edelen (Jack’s Mother), Crystal J. Freeman (Cinderella’s Mother/Granny), Vincent Kempski (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Jake Loewenthal (The Baker), David Merino (Jack), Adelina Mitchell (Florinda), Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella), Nova Y. Payton (The Witch), Lawrence Redmond (Cinderella’s Father), Maria Rizzo (Cinderella’s Stepmother), Paul Scanlan (Rapunzel’s Prince), Erin Weaver (The Baker’s Wife), Chani Wereley (Lucinda), and Phylicia Rashad (Voice of the Giant), with Drake Leach, Julia Wheeler Lennon, Dylan Toms, and Cassandra Victoria, opens at VA’s Signature Theatre.
The Humans, by Stephen Karam, directed by Adam Karsten, featuring Arthur Hanket (Erik Blake), Barbara Lee Bragg (Deirdre Blake), Katie Kerr (Aimee Blake), Katie Peabody (Brigid Blake), Mary Burkin (Momo Blake), and Ali Zahiri (Richard Saad), opens at CA’s Coachella Valley Rep.
A Christmas Carol, adapted by Jefferson Mays, Susan Lyons & Michael Arden, directed by Arden, starring Mays begins previews at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre.
Becky Nurse of Salem, by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Rebecca Taichman, featuring Tina Benko, Candy Buckley, Alicia Crowder, Deirdre O’Connell, Thomas Jay Ryan Sanchez, and Bernard White, begins previews at Lincoln Center‘s Mitzi Newhouse Theatre.
Mindplay, world premiere by Vinny DePonto & Josh Koenigsberg, directed by Andrew Neisler, starring Vinny DePonto, begins previews at LA’s Geffen Theatre.
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Reviews for Only Gold at Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater:
NY Times (Jesse Green): The cutesy Frenchness of Only Gold, a dance-musical hybrid directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, begins even before the lights go up… But it really moves into overdrive when Kate Nash, the English singer-songwriter who provided the music and lyrics, arrives onstage and says: “Paris. 1928. A time when rules were ready to be broken.” A show that starts that way should come with a content warning: These clichés may hurt your teeth… The upside of Only Gold…is that it is so pretty to look at, and so musically dreamy, you can mostly tune out the words… all the dancing is thrilling; perhaps it’s the magic in the cobblestones.
Theatrely (Amanda Marie Miller): …has all of the makings of a sparkling musical. There are high-energy numbers, bold design choices, and even a bit of star power. But be it the plot, the book, or the space, the production’s greatest potentials are swallowed by its desire to be more than it can handle. This seemingly rare dance-heavy show with an original story could carve a place into the theatre landscape (honestly…think Movin’ Out,) but it would need to shed a lot of gratuitous layers before… to make her [Kate Nash] writing fit a storyline, a number of lyrics were adapted and adjusted: the results are disappointing and clunky… With the lyrics hit or miss, the book (Andy Blankenbuehler with Ted Malawer) and general plot cannot keep it afloat…
Theatermania (Meg Masseron): In a Great Gatsby-gone-steampunk whirlwind of gold embellishments, shimmering metallic backdrops, and an entire solar system of art deco lighting orbs… In true Blankenbuehler fashion, there is rarely a beat between numbers, and it should come as no surprise that his work makes us feel like we’re all collectively discovering the magic of theatrical dance for the first time again… In an era of musical-theater where existing pop songs are strung together to appeal to the masses, Only Gold captures the magic of old Broadway, but with a contemporary take on balletic choreography and a sharply crafted score, altogether making this resonant story about love and the time we dedicate to it extraordinarily refreshing.
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A Musical Christmas Carol will run Dec. 9-23 at Pittsburgh CLO, directed by TBA.
Michael Cerveris (Scrooge) and more TBA.
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Mark St. Germain has written a film adaptation of his play Freud’s Last Session, with production expected to begin in January, directed by Matt Brown. Exact timeline and additional information TBA.
Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, and more TBA.
On the eve of World War II, Sigmund Freud is nearing the end of his life when he invites author C.S. Lewis to debate the existence of God.
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SIX has announced new casting as of Dec. 5 at the Lena Horne Theatre:
Hailee Kaleem Wright (Catherine of Aragon), Leandra Ellis-Gaston (Anne Boleyn), Bella Coppola (Jane Seymour), Leandra Ellis-Gaston (Anne Bolyen), Nasia Thomas (Anna of Cleves), Zoe Jensen (Katherine Howard), and Taylor Iman Jones (Catherine Parr), with Marilyn Caserta, Kristina Leopold, Aubrey Matalon, Holli’ Conway and Ayla Ciccone-Burton.
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Off-Broadway’s York Theatre Company has announced its 30th Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala, to take place Mon. Nov. 14 at 6 PM at NYC’s The Edison Rooftop, directed by Michael Unger, with music direction by Christie Chiles Twillie, and hosted by Gerry McIntyre.
Leslie Uggams (2022 Oscar Hammerstein Award, presented by Dionne Warwick) and Ted Chapin (York Theatre Company Founders’ Award, (presented by his daughters Anika and Zoë Chapin).
Shoshana Bean, Lilli Cooper, Jared Grimes, Christine Pedi, Klea Blackhurst, Gregg Edelman, Michael James Leslie, Ron Raines, Stephanie Umoh, Jeffrey Wright, Dionne Warwick, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and video appearances by La Chanze, André De Shields, and Lee Roy Reams.
The evening will also include a Silent Auction with an exciting and exclusive array of bidding items, including tickets to a New York Jets game, tickets to Broadway’s Six and Sleep No More, an evening at 54 Below, and much more.
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Ensemble Theatre Company‘s A Christmas Carol, adapted by Patrick Barlow, will run Dec. 1-18 (opening Dec. 3) at Santa Barbara’s New Vic, directed by Jamie Torcellini.
Mark Capri (Scrooge), Regina Fernandez, Bo Foxworth, Louis Lotorto, and Jenna Cardia.
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Video: Kelli O’Hara‘s clip from the final season of Amazon Prime’s The Accidental Wolf.“
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The world premiere of Arthur M. Jolly’s Mrs. Dilber’s Fabulous Bedcurtains will run Nov. 12 – Dec. 18 at North Hollywood’s Loft Ensemble, directed by Tor Brown & Marc Leclerc.
Antwan Alexander II, Lemon Baardsen, Macedonia Bullington, Isaac Deakyne, Jennifer DeRosa, Raymond Donehey, Madylin Sweeten Durrie, Jay Hoshina, Robert Jolly, Maia Luer, Benjamin Marshall, Matthew Monaco, Ignacio Navarro, Sara Nilsen, TJ O’Brien, Bree Pavey, and Natasha Renae Potts.
A comedic reimagining of A Christmas Carol, but without the old rich guy! Instead, this piece focuses on Mrs. Dilber, the housekeeper in the original story – and her epic attempt to get some bedcurtains despite a series of ghosts and other diversions including Dr. Jekyll, the little matchstick girl, and an oddly Mr. Hyde-esque Tiny Tim … on a night somewhat adjacent to the more familiar story.
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Andrea McArdle: Broadstreet to Broadway will take place Sun. Jan 15, 2023 at 7:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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Video: Trailer for “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”on Netflix, which will be released Dec. 23.
Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, with Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. Also appearing: Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury, Jackie Hoffman, and more.
The film will also be released in movie theaters on Nov. 23. Click here to find a theater near you.
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Rupert Holmes’ All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg will continue through Nov.27 at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre, directed by Laley Lippard.
Michelle Azar
The play brings audiences into an intimate evening with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, through a fascinating and funny glimpse into her life and its many trials, as they are played out onstage.
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Video: Highlights from Broadway’s Kimberly Akimbo, starring Victoria Clark, Justin Cooley, Steven Boyer, Alli Mauzey, Bonnie Milligan, and Fernell Hogan.
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Complete casting is announced for Patrick Spencer, Charlie O’Leary & Anthony De Angelis’ new musical, An Axemas Story, to run Dec. 1-18 at The Players Theatre, directed by Jake Beckhard, with music direction by Sara Linger, and choreography by Mackenna Goodrich.
Angelo McDonough (Small Paul), Ben Schrager (Buck), Charissa Bertels (Mrs. Frasier), Jessie Jo Aka (Noel), Kelly Whitley (Virginia), Lucy Rossi (Fern), Richard Lafluer (Chuck), Curry Whitmire (Farmer Todd), and RJ Christian (Mayor Maple), with Rose Anne Rabut and Mark Mendez Muñoz.
A “sappy new musical” set during Christmas time in Tree Town, and all the trees are dying to look their best. After a string of disappearances, Small Paul (the puniest tree in Tree town) and Noel (the Mayor’s daughter), begin to question Tree Town’s relationship with the venerated Farmer Todd – who has been acting particularly strange as of late.
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Upcoming Seth Rudetsky concerts at NYC’s Town Hall (all at 8 PM). Links TBA, but the best deals are on Today Tix.
Andrea McArdle (Nov. 13)
John Riddle (Nov. 21)
Niki M. James (Nov. 27)
Claybourne Elder (Dec. 4)
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The recipient of the 18th Annual Fred Ebb Award is Julia Riew. The award will be presented by Beth Leavel on Mon. Nov. 28 at Broadway’s American Arlines Theatre.
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Ed. Weinberger’s Two Jews, Talking continues with an enhanced holiday schedule at Theatre at St. Clement’s, directed by Dan Wackerman.
Josh Mostel and Richard Masur.
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Other Lives: The Story Songs of Michael Colby will take place Dec. 11 (3 PM) and Dec. 13 ( 7 PM) at Off-Broadway’s Urban Stages, directed by Sara Louise Lazarus, with music direction by Michael Lavine.
(lyrics by Michael Colby): Andrea Colby, Larry Hochman, Paul Katz, Peter Millrose, Gerald Jay Markoe, Alex Rybeck, Steven Silverstain, Joseph Thlaken, and Herman Yabaloff.
Janet Aldrich, Ari Axelrod, Bethe Austin, Klea Blackhurst, Steven Bogardus, Ladonna Burns, David Edwards, Sarah Rice, Luke Nephat, Jane Seaman, Jake David Smith, Megan Styrna, Marianne Tatum, Maureen Taylor, Deborah Jean Templin, Deborah Tranelli, Joshua Turchin, and Stuart Zagnit, with Lauren Baker, Talia Cutulle, and Heeya Kim.