Today’s Highlights:
Funny Girl national tour, directed by Michael Mayer, featuring Melissa Manchester (Mrs. Brice), Katerina McCrimmon (Fanny Brice), Stephen Mark Lukas (Nick Arnstein), Izaiah Montaque Harris (Eddie Ryan), Walter Coppage (Florenz Ziegfeld), Leah Platt (Emma/Mrs. Nadler), Cindy Chang (Mrs. Meeker), Eileen T’Kaye (Mrs. Strakosh), and David Foley Jr. (Tom Keeney), with Vinny Andaloro, Lamon Brown, Kate E. Cook, Julia Grondin, Jacks on Grove, Alex Hartman, Dot Kelly, Ryan Lambert, Kathy Liu, Meghan Manning, Bryan Charles Moore, Sami Murphy, Emily Nester, Hannah Shankman, Jordon Taylor, Rodney Thompson, Sean Thompson, and Annaliese Wilbur, opens at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre.
Second Stage Theater’s Mother Play, by Paula Vogel, directed by Tina Landau, featuring Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jim Parsons, and Jessica Lange, begins previews at Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre.
Uncle Vanya!, newly translated by Heidi Schreck, directed by Lila Neugebauer, featuring Alison Pill (Sonya), Steve Carell (Uncle Vanya), Alfred Molina (Alexander Serabryakov), and Anika Noni Rose (Wife), Jonathan Hadary (Waffles), William Jackson Harper (Astrov), Jane Houdyshell (Mama Voinitski), Mia Katigbak (Marina), and Anika Noni Rose (Yelena), begins previews at Broadway’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre.
Gunter, by Lydia Higman, Julia Grogan & Rachel Lemon, directed by Rachel Lemon, featuring Hannah Jarrett-Scott and Norah Lopez Holden, begins previews at London’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.
Scarlett Dreams, written & directed by S. Asher Gelman, featuring Brittany Bellizeare (Liza, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Kevin), Caroline Lellouche (Scarlett), and Borris Anthony York (Milo), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Greenwich House Theatre.
Ken Page: Right Here, Right Now concert, at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
**********************
Broadway Grosses for the week ending Mar. 31.
Click here for the complete analysis.
**********************
Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky will run Apr. 17 – May 5 at Virginia Stage Company, directed by Jerrell L. Henderson.
Tarina J. Bradshaw (Angel Allen), Kendrix Brown (Leland Cunningham), Rachel Fobbs (Delia Patterson), James T. Lane (Guy Jacobs), and Gregory Warren (Sam Thomas).
The story of Angel, a struggling blues singer in 1930s Harlem, New York during the Great Depression. Playwright Cleage has been praised for bringing to life the cultural renaissance which took place in Harlem during a period of economic uncertainty.
**********************
Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé & Sean Hartley’s Prelude to a Kiss will run Apr. 5 – May 4 (opening Apr. 12) at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Rep, directed by David Ivers, with music direction by Wiley DeWeese, and
Hannah Corneau (Rita), Jonathan Gillard Daly (Julius), Julie Garnyé (Leah), Jimmie “J.J.” Jeter (Taylor), James Moye (Rita’s Dad), DeAnne Stewart (Angie), and Karen Ziemba (Rita’s Mom), with Bella Hicks, Robert Knight, Caroline Pernick, Tristan J. Shuler, Rachel Lykins, and Robert Zelaya.
“For better or worse” takes on new meaning when a mysterious guest requests a kiss at Peter and Rita’s wedding—and their lives are forever changed.
**********************
Introducing Billy Barnes: A Benefit Concert for the Billy Barnes Foundation, will take place Sun. Apr. 7 at 1 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
Eileen Barnett, Kay Cole, Nancy Dussault, Shelly Goldstein, Jane A. Johnston, Jackie Joseph, Roslyn Kind, Karen Morrow, Shawn Ryan, Todd Sherry, Joanne Tatham, and Jo Anne Worley, plus young artists from YATC.
**********************
The world premiere of Scott Emegreen & Drew Fornarola’s Ghost of John McCain will run Sept. 2 – Nov. 5 at the Soho Playhouse (link TBA), directed by Catie Davis
TBA
McCain contemplates a wonderful afterlife, but instead finds that “heaven” is inside Trump’s brain, where a “Greek Chorus” of iconic figures, including Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, Eva Peron, Teddy Roosevelt, Robert Jordan, and Lindsey Graham, rebel against the former President’s relentless demands for affirmation.
**********************
Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares will return to Off-Broadway May 9 – June 2 at the Minetta Lane Theater, directed by Annie Tippe, with music direction by Todd Almond, and backup singers Barrie McLain and Chelsea Lee Williams.
The evening of comedic storytelling—described as “a love letter to ingenues, and recovering ingenues, and moms, and anybody working on themselves.”
**********************
The world premiere of Gatsby, by Martyna Majok, Florence Welch & Thomas Bartlett’s Gatsby, will run May 31 – July 31 at Cambridge’s A.R.T., directed by Rachel Chavkin, with music supervision by Kimberly Grigsby, and choreography by Sonya Tayeh.
Casting TBA.
**********************
Theater Breaking Through Barriers‘ I Ought to Be in Pictures will run Apr. 20 – May 25 (opening May 2) at Theatre Row, directed by Nicholas Viselli.
Makenzie Morgan Gomez, Pamela Sabaugh, and Chris Thorn.
**********************
The Rehearsal Club will present It’s A Woman’s World on Sun. Apr. 7 at 3 PM at NYC’s Don’t Tell Mama, directed & hosted by Francine Mancini & Michele Mais, with music direction by Clare Cooper.
Kaylan Bradford, Shawnee Fierros Casas Richberger, Jaimee Lee Gaston, Abiageal Mangum, Alyssa Payne, Sophie Sarnacki, Oksana Veres, Chelsea Weaver, Genevieve Wisdom. Directed and hosted by Francine Mancini and Michele Mais.
**********************
Private industry readings of Charles Abbott, Andrew Morrissey & Mark William’s Dorian’s Wilde(e) Affair, a sexual Fantasy will take place Apr. 8 & 9 in NYC, directed by Charles Abbott, with music direction by Matthew Lowy.
Mark William (Dorian), John-Charles Kelly, Stuart Marland, Jody Reynard, Elle Rigg, and Darius Rose.
A wealthy young man from the coast
In Wilde’s wicked book was engrossed
Corruption ensued
Most everyone screwed
But who loved our Dorian most?
**********************
Amas Musical Theatre will present its 55th Anniversary Gala Benefit Concert – A Lotta Night Music on Mon. May 13 at 6 PM at Off-Broadway’s Baruch Performing Arts Center, directed by Jonathan S. Cerullo, with music direction by Jeffrey Campos.
Ivy Austin, Brenda Braxton, Liz Callaway, Joanna Carpenter, robert Cuccioli, Carole Demas, DeWitt Fleming Jr. Penny fuller, Clint Hromsco, Kylie Kuioka, Erin Moore, Geoffrey Owens, Hugh Panaro, Lee Roy Reams, and Cyndi Lauper, with The Academy Teens.
**********************
read: Shaina Taub Discusses Suffs on Broadway… and more.
**********************
Rehearsal Club: It’s a Woman’s World! will take place Apr. 7 at 3 PM at at NYC’s Don’t Tell Mama, directed & hosted by Francine Mancini & Michele Mais, with music direction by Clare Cooper.
Kaylan Bradford, Shawnee Fierros, Casas Richberger, Jaimee Lee Gaston, Abiageal Mangum, Alyssa Payne, Sophie Sarnacki, Oksana Veres, Chelsea Weaver, and Genevieve Wisdom.