Today’s Highlights:
Love Letters, directed by John Tillinger, featuring a rotating cast — Matthew Broderick & Talia Balsam ….J. Smith-Cameron & Victor Garber …. and Brook Shields & John Slattery, opens at Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep.
Job, by Max Wolf Friedlich, directed by Michael Herwitz, featuring Peter Friedman (Lloyd) and Sydney Lemmon (Jane), opens at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse.
Cyrano de Bergerac, adapted by Martin Crimp, directed by Nelson T. Eusebio III, featuring James Chen (Cyrano de Bergerac), Ito Aghayere (Roxane), Christopher Rivas (Christian), Khalif J. Gillett (Lignière/Montfleury), Jimmy Kieffer (De Guiche), Eileen Rivera (Leila Ragjeneau), and Bradley J. Thomas a( Bret), with Dri Hernaez, Nico Holguin, Craig Marcus Lindsay, and Will Porter, opens at Kansas City Rep.
Evita, directed by Sammi Cannold, featuring Shereen Pimentel (Evita), Gabriel Burrafato (Magaldi), Omar Lopez-Cepero (Che), Caesae Samayoa (Perón), Naomi Serrano (Mistress), and Eddie Gutiérrez (Young Cadet), with Melissa Parra, Ariadne Rose, Martin Almiron, Julian Alvarez, Adrienne Balducci, Leah Barsky, Bianca Bulgarelli, Camila Cardona, Melody Celatti, Esteban Domenichini, Rebecca Eichenberger, Sean Ewing, Nicole Fernandez-Coffaro, David Michael Garry, Eric Anthony Lopez, Jonatan Luján, Caleb Marshall-Villareal, Ilda Mason, Jeremiah Valentino Porter, Leonay Reina, Alysia Velez, Marissa Barragán, Jorge Guerra, Isabella Bria Lopez, and Ángel Lozada, begins previews at DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Oklahoma, all new cast recording, featuring Sierra Boggess, Nathaniel Hackmann, Rodney Earl Clarke, Jamie Parker, Louise Dearman, Sandra Marvin, Nadim Naaman, Leo Roberts, Juan Jackson, Will Richardson, and Sejal Keshwala, released on most platforms.
The Caretaker, by Harold Pinter, directed by Elina Santos, featuring Richard Fancy, Scott Sheldon, and Spike Pulice, closes at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: Just Plain Bill by Jim Bernhard
Match these characters named Bill with the play or musical in which they appear.
| 1. Bill Austin | A. Finian’s Rainbow |
| 2. Bill Fordham | B. Kiss Me Kate |
| 3. Bill Starbuck | C. August: Osage County |
| 4. Bill Rawkins | D. Me and My Girl |
| 5. Bill Bobstay | E. Oliver! |
| 6. Bill Snibson | F. 110 in the Shade |
| 7. Bill Bailey | G. Mamma Mia |
| 8. Bill Calhoun | H. Cats |
| 9. Bill Sikes | I. Peter Pan |
| 10. Bill Jukes | J. H.M.S. Pinafore |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Broadway for Biden will take place Mon. Sept. 18 at a NYC venue TBA, hosted by Jeffrey Seller, Thomas Kail, Luz & Luis Miranda, Bruce Cohen & Gabe Catone, Tom Healy & Fred P. Hochberg, Barbara Marcin & Orin Kramer, Stacey & Eric Mindich, Karen & Gary Rose, Janet & Marvin Rosen, Alexandra & Eric Schoenberg, Ted Snowdon & Duffy Violante, and Henry Tisch & Sean Walsh.
Joe Biden
Josh Groban, Ben Platt, Sara Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Laura Benanti, Annaleigh Ashford, Josh Gad, Alex Edelman, Christopher Jackson, LaChanze, Ruthie Ann Miles, Andrew Rannells, and Aaron Tveit.
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Sunday in the Park with George will run Mar. 8-24, 2024 at NJ’s Axelrod PAC, directed & choreographed by Eamon Foley.
Graham Phillips and Talia Suskauer, with more TBA.
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The Group Rep will present John Murray & Allen Boretz’s Room Service Sept. 18 – Oct. 15 at North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre, directed by Mareli Mitch-Shields.
Fox Carney, Joe Clabby, Joseph Eastburn, Tommy Jacobs, Jessica Kent, Sam Logan, Will Maizel, Matthew McLaughlin, Jackie Shearn, Bonnie Snyder, Axel Truitt, Sal Valletta, Grant Velarde, Timothy Willard, and Chris Winfield.
It’s 1937. A perpetually penniless theatrical producer and his pals are rehearsing a play
they think will be a huge hit, but their mounting hotel bills threaten to overwhelm the
enterprise before opening night. They must rehearse and secure a backer while trying to
outwit the hotel efficiency expert who is trying to evict them. The astounding sum these
dreamers must attain to get their 22-member cast onto Broadway is $15,000!
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Read: Broadway producer Emanuel Azenberg: “We’ve chased away an audience.”
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Musical Theatre Guild will offer a concert presentation of Follies on Sun. Oct. 1 at 7 PM at Santa Monica’s Broad Stage (1310 11th Street), directed by Jason Graae, with music direction by Brad Ellis, and choreography by Lee Martino.
Teri Bibb (Phyllis), Roger Befeler (Buddy), Anastasia Barzee (Sally), Brent Schindele (Ben), Roger Befeler (Buddy), Barbara Carlton Heart (Stella), Eydie Alyson (Emily), Mary VanArsdel (Heidi), Susan Edwards Martin (Solange), Glenn Rosenblum (Dimitri Weismann), Paul Wong (Roscoe), Will Collyer (Young Ben), Chelsea Morgan Stock (Young
Phyllis), Gabriel Navarro (Young Buddy), Ashley Fox Linton (Young Sally), Bryce Charles (Young Heidi) and Jasmine Ejan (Showgirl), along with Guest Artists Jennifer Leigh Warren (Carlotta), Brad Ellis (Theodore), and Michael James and Ricky Bulda in the Ensemble.
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NYC’s York Theatre Company has announced it Musicals in Mufti series, all at Off Broadway’s Theater at St. Jean’s:
The Lieutenant (Sept. 9-17, opening Sept. 10), by Chuck Strand, Eugene Curty & Nita McAuliffe, directed & choreographed by Bill Castellino, and music direction by Eric Svjecar, featuring Chris Cardozo, Dan Domenech, William Thomas Evans, Anthony Festa, Travis Kent, Cal Mitchell, Noah Christopher Ruebeck, Alyssa Marie Watkins, and A.D. Weaver. The musical follows the passage of Lieutenant William Calley from raw recruit in the US Army through his 1971 court-martial for the infamous My Lai massacre of innocent civilians in 1968. The authors question the guilty verdict of a man who was tried first in the national media and later by a military tribunal, when militarism itself should perhaps shoulder the brunt of the blame.
Golden Rainbow (Sept. 23 – Oct. 1, opening Sept. 27), by Walter Marks & Ernest Kinoy, directed by Stuart Ross. Casting TBA.
When We Get There (Oct. 2-15, opening Oct. 8), by Robert P. Young III, Richard Lasser & Charlie Barnett, directed by Janeece Freeman-Clark, with music direction by Dionne McClain-Freeney. Casting TBA.
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Mohamed-Zain Dada’s Blue Mist will run Oct. 5 – Nov. 18 (opening Oct. 11) at at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by Milli Bhatia.
Salman Akhtar, Omar Bynon, and Arian Nik.
Set in the shisha lounges of North West London, the play follows a journalist who sells out his own community, in a candid riposte to the portrayal of South Asian Muslim men in the media.
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Lea Michele‘s farewell post on Instagram:
“For the past year, I’ve had the honor and privilege of playing the iconic Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on the August Wilson Stage,” she wrote. “An opportunity my younger self could have only dreamed of. And did. I’ve always felt a deep love and connection to this story. And to Fanny, a remarkable woman who relentlessly blazed a trail in the entertainment industry. Somehow her essence has continuously been serving as inspiration and motivation throughout the most pivotal corners of my life.
“Thank you all for the love and support. This was truly the most extraordinary year and chapter of my life. I cannot wait for what’s next. Click here to read more.
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Kansas City’s Spinning Tree Theatre has announced its 2023-24 season:
Ride the Cyclone (Nov. 3-12), by Jacob Richmond & Brooke Maxwell.
Young Playwrights Live (Feb. 9-11), offering 3 world premiere short plays by Kansas City Teens.
Rubik (Apr. 26 – May 5), world premiere by Vanessa Severo.
Working (June 21-23), by Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more.
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Lucy Kirkwood & Dave Malloy’s The Witches, to run Nov. 7 – Jan. 27, 2024 (opening Nov. 21) at the Olivier Theatre, directed by Lyndsey Turner.
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. The young cast will include Bertie Caplan, Frankie Keita, and Vishal Soni playing the hero Luke; Cian Eagle-Service, George Menezes Cutts, William Skinner, Jersey Blu Georgia, Asanda Abbie Masike, Chloe Raphael, Nesim Adnan, Alaia Broadbent, Chenai Broadbent, Cristian Buttaci, Sekhani Dumezweni, Rudy Gibson, Florence Gore, Elara Jagger, Annabelle Jones, Jemima Loosen, Charlie Man-Evans, Iesa Miller, Jack Philpott, Sienna Sibley, Savannah Skinner-Henry, Poppy-Mei Soon, Benjamin Spalding, Dylan Trigger, Alice Valeriano, Sasha Watson-Lobo, and Stella Yeoman.
Luke and his Gran come to face at a gathering of all the witches in England, determined to rid the world of children by transforming them into mice.
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Almost Made, written & performed by Louie Liberti, will run Sept. 21 – Oct. 26 at Sherman Oaks’ Whitefire Theatre, directed by Richard Israel.
Charles and Louie are close to the Mob in Yonkers…maybe too close.
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Sweeney Todd will run Oct. 17-29 at Houston’s TUTS, directed by Dan Knechtges, with music direction by Stephen W. Jones.
Kevin McAllister (Sweeney Todd), Sally Wilfert (Mrs. Lovett), Sam Gravitte (Anthony Hope), Leslie Jackson (Johanna), August Emerson (Tobias), Brian Mathis (Judge Turpin), Mark Ivy (Beadle Bamford), Courtney Markowitz (Beggar Woman), Benjamin Lyry (Adolfo Pirelli), and Alec Michael Ryan (Jonas Fogg), with John Ryan Del Bosque, Sophia Clarke, Jana Ellsworth, Gemini Quintos, Cody Ryan Arthuer, Joseph Rawley, Piero Regis, Lisa Borik Vickers, Miles Marmolejo, Cassandra Zepeda, LaBraska Washington and Teresa Zimmermann.
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The Eighth Annual Binge Free Festival will run Oct. 15 – Nov. 19 at the Santa Monica Playhouse, offering 5 weeks of free performances, workshops, and music.
Order your free tickets here: Call 310-394-9779 ext. 1 ….. or email theatre@santamonicaplayhouse.
Click here for more information.
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LA’s Theatre 40 will present a series of play readings on Wednesdays in September (all at 6:30 PM) at LA’s Greystone Mansion (905 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills), with free parking onsite. 
here.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: Just Plain Bill
1-G. Bill Austin – Mamma Mia
2-C. Bill Fordham –August: Osage County
3-F. Bill Starbuck – 110 in the Shade
4-A. Bill Rawkins – Finian’s Rainbow
5-J. Bill Bobstay – H.M.S. Pinafore
6-D. Bill Snibson – Me and My Girl
7-H. Bill Bailey – Cats
8-B. Bill Calhoun – Kiss Me Kate
9-E. Bill Sikes – Oliver!
10-I. Bill Jukes – Peter Pan