Today’s Highlights:
Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Whitney White, featuring Brittany Adebumola, Maechi Aharanwa, Rachel Christopher, Kalyne Coleman, Somi Kakoma, Lakisha May, Nana Mensah, Michael Oloyede, Dominique Thorne, and Zanai Williams, opens at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, directed by Mathew Bourne & Julia McKenzie, featuring Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, Haydn Gwynne, Damian Humbley, Bradley Jaden, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Christine Allado, Janie Dee, Bonnie Langford, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Jac Yarrow, Marley Fenton, Beatrice Penny-Touré,Harry Apps, Bella Brown, and Monique Young, opens at London’s Gielgud Theatre.
Hadestown national tour, featuring Nathan Lee Graham (Hermes), Maria-Chritina Oliveras (Persephone), Matthew Patrick Quin (Hades), Hannad Whitley (Eurydice), and Chibueze Ihuoma (Orpheus), with Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano, Nyla Watson as The Fates, along with Jordan Bollwerk, Lindsey Hailes, Courtney Lauster, Eddie Noel Rodríguez, and Jamari Johnson Williams. Swings for the tour will include Tyla Collier, Ian Coulter-Buford, Alex Lugo, J. Antonio Rodriguez, and Cecilia Trippiedi, previews at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
The 24 Hour Plays – Los Angeles benefit performance, in support of the Entertainment Community Fund, for support of entertainment industry workers, many of whom have struggled during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, with writers Steve Yockey, Kristin Newman, Ariana Berkowitz, Laura Jacqmin, Ken Greller…. directors David Wain, Nick Lieberman, Bridey Elliott, Nell Teare, Rob Greenberg, Lovell Holder, and performers Shannon Purser, Drew Tarver, Harry Shum Jr., Diedrich Bader, Nat Wolff, Daryl Sabara, Jessica Rothe, Mamoudou Athie, Vico Ortiz, Rachel Matthews, Francesca Reale, Nicole Kang, Jolene Purdy, Lewis Pullman, Midori Francis, Nico Greetham, Lisa Gilroy, Josh Ruben, Nichole Sakura, Alice Kremelberg, Malcolm Barrett, Coral Peña, Chelsea Frei, and more, at 8 PM at LA’s Hudson Theatres.
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has announced new casting as of Nov. 14 at the Lyric Theatre.
Cara Rickets (Hermione Granger), Daniel Frederick (Ron Weasley), and Jane Bruce (Delphi Diggory), with John Alix, William Bednar, Eric Cheung, Jamyl Dobson, Eleasha Gamble, Kaléa Leverette, Kira Player, Gabrielle Reid, and Emily Schultheis. Continuing in their roles are Steve Haggard (Harry Potter), Angela Reed (Ginny Potter), Joel Meyers (Albus Potter), Maya Jerome Thomas (Rose Granger-Weasley), Aaron Bartz (Draco Malfoy), and Erik Christopher Peterson (Scorpius Malfoy).
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A world premiere reading of Roger Allers & Genaro Pereira’s The Grasshopper will take place Sat. Oct. 7 at 1 PM at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre, directed by Allers, with music direction by Pereria. 
Invite@LDKProductions.com
Tomasina Abate, Julia Black, Abby Carlson, Sarah Chaney, Ashley Faatoalia, Barrett Foa, Michael Thomas Grant, Doug Kreeger, Doublas Landier, Jonathan Ritter, and Jason Michael Snow.
Our hero is Jean de la Fonatine, the brilliant writer of fables, whose gift is to see the animal beneath the “Mask of Respectability.” His bold criticism of tyrants pits him against Louis XVI, and so the Kind does everything in his power to suppress him. In spite of this, his shart wit makes him popular with the people. We wintness his fables come to life on stage as characters transform into their tru animal selves.
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Richard Wesley’s The Talented Tenth will run Nov. 9 – Dec. 10 (opening Nov. 11) at the LA Theatre Center (514 S. Spring St.), directed by Ben Guillory.
Nic Few, Tiffany Coty, Jessica Obilom, Monte Scalante, Stirling Bradley, Julio Hanson, Rogelio Douglas III, and Ben Guillory.
The play borrows its title from a 1903 article by scholar, activist and social reformer W.E.B. DuBois, in which he described the likelihood of one in ten Black men becoming leaders of Black people by continuing their education, writing books, or becoming directly involved in social change.
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Complete casting has been announced for Spamalot, to run Oct. 31 – Apr. 28, 2024 (opening Nov. 16) at the St. James Theatre, directed & choreographed by Josh Rhodes, with music direction by John Bell.
Taran Killam (Lancelot), Alex Brightman (Lancelot as of Jan. 9, 2024) Christopher Fitzgerald (Patsy), James Monroe Iglehart (King Karthur), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (The Lade of the Lake), Ethan Slater (The Historian/Prince Herbert), Jimmy Smagula (Sir Bedevere), Michael Urie (Sir Robin, and Nik Walker (Sir Galahad), with David Josefsberg, Graham Stevens, Daniel Beeman, Maria Briggs, Gabriella Enriquez, Michael Fatica, Denis Lambert, Shina Ann Morris, Kaylee Olson, Kristin Piro, Drew Redington, Tyler Roberts, Anju Cloud, Darrell T. Joe, Lily Kaufmann, and Charlie Sutton.
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42nd Street Moon‘s Mame will run Nov. 2-19 at San Francisco’s Gateway Theatre, directed by Becky Potter, with choreography by Lori Wood, and music direction by Tim Flether.
Cindy Goldfield (Mame), Pam Drummer-Williams (Vera), Azzy David (Young Patrick), Elise Youssef (Agnes Gooch), Kurt Tijamo (Patrick), Joey Alvarado (Beau/Mr. Upson), Jessi Caldwell (Babcok), Nick Ishimaru (Ito), Tania Johnson (Mother Burnside/Mrs. Upson), and Larissa Kelloway (Sally Cato), Nick Nakashima (Lindsay), Joel Ochoa (Junior Babcock), and Sara Schori (Pegeen), with Lillian Kurtz (Lindsay),and Jillian A. Smith.
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Video: Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada preview The Great Gatsby musical at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse, which begins previews Oct. 11.
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“Wherever You Are: Ann Hampton Callaway & Liz Callaway,” with music and lyrics by Ann Hampton Callaway, is now available on most platforms.
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Robin Goldfin’s Flawless will run Nov. 9-26 at Theater for the New City, directed by Ed Chemaly.
David Carson, Page Clements, Hannah Dillenbeck, Ricardo Gomez, Deanna Henson, John Lampe, and Hana Lauer.
A family’s youngest daughter takes center stage as her father cares for his wife of over 50 years, who now has Alzheimer’s. Witnessing the relentless repetition of the disease and the extraordinary patience and unwavering commitment of her father’s love, Estella struggles to accept her mother as she is now. While recalling her mother’s former vitality, a world view emanates, and we see the same couple in their first year of marriage, filled with light and hope for the future. She moves through time and space to learn the flickering power of memory, and to remember what is important when the mother she loves cannot.
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Tiny Fay, Jeff Richmond & Nell Benjamin’s Mean Girls will premiere in June 2024 at the Savoy Theatre, directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
Casting and additional information TBA.
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Pittsburgh CLO has announced its 2024 Summer season. Casting and creative teams TBA.
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (May 13 – June 30)
West Side Story (June 11-16)
The Color Purple (June 25-30)
The Music Man (July 9-14)
Young Frankenstein (July 19 – Sept. 1)
Seussical (July 30 – Aug. 4)
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The Group Rep will offer a one-night-only encore presentation of Moisés Kaufman and the Members of Tectonic Theater Project’s The Laramie Project on Thurs. Oct. 12 at 7 PM at LA’s LGBT Center, directed by Kathleen R. Delaney.
Landon Beatty, Paul Cady, Roslyn Cohn, Julie Davis, Marc Antonio Pritchett, Stephen Rockwell, Jackie Shearn, Margaret Rose Staedler, Cathy Diane Tomlin, Amelia Vargas, and Kay Vermeil.
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Audio: Liz Callway & Ann Hampton Callaway pay tribute to their late parent with “Wherever You Are.” Absolutely stunning. Do not miss this one…
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Complete casting has been announced for Conway McDermott & Gez Mercer’s Billie the Kid, which will have 2 semi-staged performances on Nov. 13 & 20 (b0th at 7:30 PM) at the Vaudeville Theatre, directed by Kerry Kyriacos Michael, with music direction by Tom Cagnoni, and choreography by Julian Capoli.
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.
The musical follows a young girl, Billie, who was born in a Bible Belt town to a delinquent mother, and has grown used to having the odds stacked against her. After spending years planning her future with her childhood sweetheart, Brody, she discovers he’s been exchanging dirty DMs with their queer classmate David.
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“Ann Hampton Callaway: Finding Beauty – Originals, Volume 1” includes collaborations with Melissa Manchester, Alan Bergman, and Amanda McBroom, along with duets with Melissa, Tierney Sutton, Kurt Elling, and…Liz Callaway. The album is available on most platforms.