Today’s Highlights:
Marilu Henner, Marsha Mason, Benja K Thomas, and Julia Sweeney join the cast of Joy Behar’s My First Ex-Husband at Off-Broadway’s MMAC Theatre.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Apr. 20, 2025
Click here for the complete analysis.
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Reviews for Stranger Things, First Shadd0w at Boradway’s Marquis Theatre:
New York Times (Elizabeth Vincentelli): …The First Shadow fulfills its franchise requirements in terms of spectacular art direction and compliance to the series’ canon (to which it adds tantalizing tidbits). Whether it is satisfying as a piece of theater is a dicier proposition… “The First Shadow,” written by Trefry, is a prequel to the series. More specifically, it piggybacks on Season 4, which is set in 1986, and tells the origin story of that season’s primary antagonist, Vecna — the teenager Henry Creel in 1959, when the main plot of the Broadway play takes place…
Theatermania (Pete Hempstead): …Broadway’s introduction to the terrifying alternate dimension of Stranger Things: The First Shadow—and it’s spectacular… Netflix are banking on audiences getting hooked by those first five minutes, which make up one of the most electrifying—and frightening—opening scenes you’ll ever see onstage. It’s a technical tour de force that leaves you gaping as the enormous letters of the title slide across a screen and the familiar thuh-thump of the show’s theme pulsates through the Marquis Theatre. All the time and money that went into the intro seems to have paid off. At the performance I attended, the crowd went wild.
Variety (Frank Rizzo): …comes the question: Will this stand-alone tale appeal — and then satisfy — audiences beyond its fan base? The answer will depend on whether one’s love of spectacular effects — of which there are many — trumps other essential elements for great theatrical storytelling… The show delivers on the spectacle, big time, thanks to the wizardry of the illusions and visual effects designers Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher..
The Wrap (Robert Hofler): …This stage adaptation could be retitled “The Dreaming.” The disturbed teenage Henry Creel (Louis McCartney, who is absolutely riveting) has a love-hate relationship with his portable radio, the static of which allows him to manifest dreams or enter into them. (I’m not sure which.) In the most typical King tradition, Henry can blow up pet cats, laboratory hamsters and, yes, people by simply marshalling his powers, which are seemingly infinite.
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Gingold Theatreical Group‘s script-in-hand performance of Shaw’s Saint Joan will take place Mon. May 12 at 7 PM at NYC’s The Players, directed by Lily Kanter, Riopelle.
PJ Adzima, Ben Davis, R.J. Foster, Christopher Innvar, Ty Jones, Robert Elijah Kollman, Rob McClure, Sean McIntyre, John-Andrew Morrison, Patrick Page, Madeline Seidman, Mark Shanahan, and Paco Tolson.
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A special limited engagement of Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone will run May 23 – 25 at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
Whether you experienced the magic of Felder’s Rachman Rachmananinoff firsthand or heard the buzz and missed out, now is your chance to witness his incomparable artistry and versatility. In a tour-de-force performance, Felder returns to The New Vic, showcasing his remarkable versatility as he embodies the vibrant energy of an American jazz legend – George Gershwin – and the genius behind some of the 20th century’s most beloved melodies.
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44, written & directed by Eli Bauman, will return to theKirk Douglas Theatre, with music direction by Anthony “Brew” Brewster, and choreography by James Alsop.
T.J. Wilkins (Barack Obama), Shanice (Michelle Obama), and Chad Doreck (Joe Biden), with Larry Cedar (Mitch McConnell), Jane Papageorge (Sarah Palin), and Jenna Pastuszek (Hillary Clinton).
Barack Obama’s election changed history. And as we can clearly see, it also ended racism forever! But 44 is the story of Obama you won’t read about in history books… because history books are now banned in most states. Also because 44 is the story of Obama as Joe Biden kinda sorta remembers it… as a Musical!
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The cast album of Broadway’s Redwood, m starring Idina Menzel, will be released May 13 on most platforms.
Video: music video for “In the Leaves+
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” The threat to PBS and its arts programs,” by By Jessica Gelt & Ashley Lee.
A week ago, President Trump’s Office of Communications issued a news release titled “The NPR, PBS Grift Has Ripped Us Off for Too Long.” The missive went on to criticize the use of taxpayer money to support National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, which, according to the Trump administration, “spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news’.”
It was soon reported that the administration had drafted a memo to Congress stating that it intended to end almost all federal funding for public media. The loss of funding for both organizations could very well cripple or eliminate local radio and television member stations, even if their parent companies survive.
This would be an immense loss for the arts — and arts-loving TV viewers.
Click here to read the complete article.
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. In tie Heights will run May 20 – June 1 at Houston’s TUTS directed & choreographed William Carlos Angulo.
Daniel Melo (Usnavi,)” Jordan Leal (“Nina), Yassmin Alers (Abuela Claudia,), Rosarito Rodriguez (Camil) Cesar F. Barajas (Kevin), John Lara (Sonny), Alysia Velez (Vanessa), Lamont Walker II (Benny),” Carisa Gonzalez (Daniel), Glendaliris Torres-Greaux (Carla), Michael Alonzo (Piragua Guy), and Mrince Williams (Graffiti Pete), with Ben Chavez, Adriel Flete, Angelica Lozada Ramos, Emily Madigan, Kiki Rodriguez, Sarah Sachi, Saroa-Dwayne Sasa, Matt Rivera, Arik Vega, and Cassandra Zepeda.
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Due to circumstances beyond my control, this issue of GRACE NOTES is shorter than usual.