Today’s Highlights:
Mark Linn-Baker begins his run as Mayor Shinn in The Music Man at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre.
A Raisin in the Sun new revival by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Robert O’Hara, featuring Francois Battiste (Walter Lee Younger), Toussaint Battiste (Travis Younger alternate), John Clay III (Joseph Asaggi), Calvin Dutton (Bobo), Mister Fitzgerald (George Murchison), Perri Gaffney (Mrs. Johnson), Paige Gilbert, Mandi Masden (Ruth Younger), Camden McKinnon Travis Younger alternate), Jesse Pennington (Karl Lindner), Tonya Pinkins (Lena Younger), and N’yomi Stewart, with Skyler Gallun and N’yomi Stewart, opens at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.
Gingold Theatrical Group‘s Candida, directed by David Staller, featuring Avanthika Srinivasan (Candida), R.J. Foster (James Mavor Morell), Avery Whitted (Eugene Marchbanks), David Ryan Smith (Burgess), Amberber Reuchean Williams (Prosperine), and Peter Romano (Lexy Mill), with Alton Alburo, Fernando Lamberty, and Matenin Sangare, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
The Secret of My Success, by Gordon Greenberg, Steve Rosen, Michael Mahler & Alan Schmuckler, directed & choreographed by Dan Knechtges, featuring Ben Fankhauser (Brantly Foster), Ashley Blanchett (Christy Lockhart), Sally Wilfert (Vera Prescott), Brian Mathis (Piers Johnson), Susan Koozin (Joann Foster), Melrose Johnson (Rose), Gemini Quintos (Lester Mann), Regina Hearne, Sylvia Popkin, and Ernie Lockhart (A.J. Dada), with Anthony Boggess-Glover, Austin Colburn, Jack Gereski, Miles Marmolejo, Trey Harrington, T.J. Newton, Chelsea Ryan McCurdy, Sarah Sachi, Briana Steptoe, Yasmyn Sumiyoshi, Holland Vavra, and Teresa Zimmermann. Lydia Berckley, Mariah Cooper, Izzy Harris, Lauren Schweers, Kyler Huyse, and Rizal Patagoc, opens at Houston’s TUTS.
The New Group‘s Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, by Will Arbery, directed by Danya Taymor, featuring Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Jeb Kreager, Ken Leung, and Rachel Sachnoff, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Signature Center.
Good Enemy, world premiere by Yilong Liu, directed by Chay Yew, featuring Francis Jue, Ron Domingo, Tim Liu, Geena Quintos, Alec Silver, Ryan Spahn, and Jeena Yi, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theatre.
“Setting the Standard: Stories From the Great American Songbook” released on all podcast platforms.
**********************
Lolita Chakrabarti’s Life of Pi will begin previews Mar. 9, 2023 and open Mar. 30 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, directed by Max Webster.
Casting TBA.
A cargo ship has sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, leaving behind five survivors in a lifeboat. Sixteen-year-old Pi is one of them, joined in this tense quest for survival by a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
**********************
Jason Graae: Graaetest Hits will take place, both live & livestreamed, on Oct. 28 (at 7 PM) and Oct. 30 (at 9:30 PM) at NYC’s Green Room 42, with music direction by Gerald Sternbach.
**********************
The world premiere of Bradley Bredeweg, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo’s Invincible – The Musical will run Nov. 22 – Dec. 18 at Beverly Hills’ The Wallis, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, with choreography by Galen Hooks, and music direction by Jesse Vargas.
Khamary Rose (Romeo), Kay Sibal (Juliet), Sharon Leal (Madame Capulet), Dionne Gipson (Madame Montague), Brennin Hunt (Paris), Ari Notartomaso (Benvolio), Julia Harriman (Nura), Jon Patrick Walker (Friar), Aaron Alcaraz (Mercutio), and Josh Strobl (Tybalt), with Steven Agdeppa, Gilliam Bozajian, Cameron Field, Sophia Hall, Nadja Hayes, Eric Myrick, Ian Joseph Paget, Lyric Rachae, Krystle Simmons, Kelsey Lee Smith, Ian Ward, and Kendyl Yokoyama.
In the modern war-torn metropolis of Verona, the newly elected Chancellor Paris vows to destroy the progressive resistance and return the city to its traditional roots. The star-crossed lovers’ story, exploring how love and equality battle for survival in times of a great transformation, envisions peace in a divided world.
**********************
The full cast of Jason Huza, Sylvana Joyce & C. Robert Smith’s The Last Match: A Pro Wrestling Rock Musical, will return for two performances on Nov. 14 (at 2:30 & 7:30 PM) at Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall, directed by Jeremiah James.
Ramin Karimloo, Amber Ardolino, Matt Cardona, Sylvana Joyce, Liz McCartney, Jason Simon, James Michael Reilly, Larissa Klinger, Joe Dellger, Sam Zeller, and Ryan Gregory Thurman, with pro wrestlers Brandon Scott, Tina San Antonio, and Vicious Vicki.
The story of Ben Vengeance – professional wrestling’s biggest star – on the night of his last match. With the weight of his legacy, the future of the wrestling organization, and the prospects of a peaceful retirement with his wife, Jenny – a wrestling star in her own right – on his shoulders, the evening promises to be anything but a quiet ride into the sunset.
Video: “When It All Falls Down”
**********************
Broadway’s Into the Woods has announced cast album options:
Click here to stream/download the entire album. The CD will be released Dec. 2, with the Vinyl 2 LP set to be released Mar. 17, 2023.
**********************
A Christmas Carol, adapted by Geoff Elliott, will run Dec. 3-23 at Pasadena’s A Noise Within, directed by Elliott & Julia Rodriguez-Elliott.
Geoff Elliott (Ebenezer Scrooge), Jeremy Rabb (Marly), Bert Emmett (Bob Cratchit), Emily Kosloski (Mrs. Cratchit), Rafael Goldstein (Fred), Sydney A. Mason (Fred’s Wife), Stanley Andrew Jackson III (Ghost of Christmas Present), Deborah Strang (Ghost of Christmas Past), and Frederick Stuart (Narrator), with Clifton Adams, Stella bullock, José Donado, Cynthia San Luis, Amalia Anne Morris, Kwayi Ndjamen, Roshni Shukla, and Andrea Somera.
**********************
RIP: Seymour “Red” Press, a prolific music coordinator on and Off-Broadway, has died at the age of 90.
Mr. Press made his Broadway debut in the short lived musical The Body Beautiful, before stepping into the original orchestra of Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim’s Gypsy, originally contracted to have an orchestra filled with big band players.
From there, Mr. Press became a stalwart member of Broadway’s musical landscape, first as a woodwind player in the pit orchestra of the original productions of Pippin, Mame, Chicago, Mack and Mabel and many more.
In the early 1970s, Mr. Press transitioned into his longtime role as a music contractor or coordinator. He worked on a remarkable number of productions, including the original productions of Dreamgirls, Nine, Baby, The Tap Dance Kid, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rags, Roza, Black and Blue, Once On This Island, Nick and Nora, The Red Shoes, Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, Side Show, Marie Christine, Wild Party, The Light in the Piazza, Elaine Stritch at Liberty, The Color Purple, LoveMusik, After Midnight, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Violet, An American in Paris, and Bright Star. He also contracted numerous highly successful revivals over his fifty year career, including The Most Happy Fella, Alice in Wonderland, Anything Goes, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Guys and Dolls, She Loves Me, Carousel, Company, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, On The Town, Bells Are Ringing, Flower Drum Song, Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game, The Apple Tree, Gypsy, Hair, Finian’s Rainbow, and Sunday in the Park with George.
In 2007, Mr. Press was awarded the Tony Award for Excellence in the Theatre, honoring his lifelong commitment to the music of the American theatre.
Mr. Press was one of the founding members of the New York City Center Encores! program, creating the music department alongside music director Rob Fisher in 1994. Mr. Press worked on more than 75 Encores! productions, and frequently played in the Encores! orchestra.
At the time of his death, Mr. Press was working on three 2022-23 season productions: Into the Woods, Almost Famous, and KPOP, in addition to his work on the currently running revivals of The Music Man, Funny Girl, and Chicago.
**********************
Musical Theatre Guild has announced complete casting for its concert presentation of Brigadoon, to take place on Mon. Nov. 14 at 7:30 PM at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, directed by Kim Huber, with music direction by Jennifer Lin, and musical staging by Leslie Stevens.
Eileen Barnett, Will Collyer, Jasmine Ejan, Tal Fox, Todd Gajdusek, Gordon Goodman, Jason Graae, Joe Hart, Maura Knowles, Susan Edwards Martin, Kevin Matsumoto, Dana Meller, Gabriel Navarro, Ray Rochelle, Shannon Warne, Robert Yacko, David Zak, and Seth Bellston.
**********************
The Public Theater‘s Summer 2022 production of Richard III will air on PBS in Spring 2023 (date TBA), directed by Robert O’Hara.
Danai Gurira (Richard III), Wyatt Cirbus (Prince of Wales), Sanjit De Silva (Buckingham), Sam Duncan (Duke of York), Monique Holt (Duchess of York), Gregg Mozgala (King Edward IV), Paul Niebanck (George), Michael Potts (Lord Stanley), Ariel Shafir (Lord Hastings), Heather Alicia Simms (Queen Elizabeth), Ali Stroker (Anne), Sharon Washington (Queen Margaret), and Daniel J. Watts (Catesby Ratcliffe), with Maleni Chaitoo, Thaddeus Fitzpatrick, Skyler Gallun, Sarah Nina Hayon, Matthew Jeffers, Matt Monaco, Xavier Pacheco, Marcus Raye Pérez, Grace Porter, and N’yomi Stewart.
**********************
The 1949 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, awarded to Nanette Fabray for Love Life, will be auctioned on Oct. 27 by Nate D. Sanders.
This very early Tony award is from the 3rd annual event, held on Apr. 24, 2949, when the design of the Tony award medallion was first introduced, show the comedy and tragedy masks on the front, and a profile portrait of Antonette Perry in relief on the reverse side.
**********************
Due to Covid cases within the company, Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’ has delayed it previews, which will now begin Nov. 9, with an opening set for Dec. 1 at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb.
Jordan E. Cooper (Peaches), Crystal Lucas-Perry (Passenger #5), Fedna Jacquet (Passenger #1), Marchant Davis (Passenger #2), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Passenger #4), and Shannon Matesky (Passenger #3), with Nik Alexander, Jasminn Johnson, Michael Rishawn, Kedren Spencer, Brennie Tellu, and Emma Van Lare.
The comedy imagines what would happen if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa.
**********************
The Foundation for New American Musicals will present an evening of selections from new musicals on Mon. Nov. 7 at 7:30 PM at Hollywood’s Bourbon Room.
One of those musicals is 44 – The unOFFICAL, unSanctioned OBAMA Musical, by Eli Bauman & John “Bowzer” Bauman, directed by Eli Bauman.
T.J. Wilkins (Barack Obama) and Shanice as Michelle O’Bama.
The story of Obama you won’t read about in history books…because history books are now banned in most states. But also because 44 is the story of Obama as Joe Biden kinda sorta remembers it… Click here to learn more.
**********************
“Josh Groban’s Great Big Radio City Show” will air Nov. 25 at 9 PM on PBS.