Today’s Highlights:
Awkward Productions’ Gwyneth Goes Skiing, featuring Linus Karp (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Joseph Martin (Terry Sanderson), opens at London’s Pleasance Theatre.
TheBuena Vista Social Club, world premiere by Marco Ramirez, directed by Saheem Ali, featuring Skizzo Arnedillo, Renesito Avich, Natalie Belcon, Angélica Beliard, Kenya Browne, Danaya Esperanza, Carlos Sanchez Falú, Jared Machado, Hector Juan Maisonet, Ilda Mason, Marielys Molina, Julio Monge, Leonardo Reyna, Mel Semé, Olly Sholotan, Jainardo Batista Sterling, Nancy Ticotin, and Luis Vega, opens at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre.
Ulster American, by David Ireland, directed by Jeremy Herrin, featuring Woody Harrelson (Jay Conway), Andy Serkis (Leigh Carver), and Louisa Harland, opens at London’s Riverside Studios.
Live at The Lee! variety show, directed by Gregory Nabours, hosted by Nick Hardcastle, featuring Matthew Scott Montgomery, Mitchell Johnson, Catherine Alcorn, Joshua Perlman, Michelle Sharman, Yolanda Thomas, and more, at 7:30 PM at LA’s Lee Strasberg Theatre (7936 Santa Monica Blvd.)
Gingold Theatrical Group‘s FREE Speakers Corner New Play Cohort 2023, offering new play readings, concludes at NYC’s 520 8th Ave. (3rd floor).
The Norm Lewis Christmas Show, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, closes at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Dec. 10. Click here for the complete analysis.
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Taylor Mac’s Hir will run Feb. 15 – Mar. 16, 2024 at the Park Theatre, directed by Steven Kunis.
Felicity Huffman ( Paige), Steffan Cennydd (Isaac), Thalía Dudek (Max), and Simon Startin (Arnold).
The comedy follows prodigal son Isaac who returns home from war to find his family transformed by domestic revolution. The patriarchy has fallen, and Paige, liberated from an oppressive marriage, is on a crusade to tear apart the old regimes.
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An industry reading of Meg Fofonoff, Eric Holmes, Chilina Kennedy & Daniel Edmond’s Silk will take place Fri. Dec. 15 in NYC, directed by Chilina Kennedy.
Myha’la Herrold (Denise), Julian Ovenden (Mauret), Jackie Burns (Mme Des Forges), Eddie Cooper (Baudu), Aisha Jackson (Pauline), Kevin Cahoon (Bourdoncle), James Harkness (Bourras), Hailee Kaleem Wright (Genvieve), Jenn Colella (Countess Des Boves), Jennifer Fouche (Madame Guibal), Josh Jordan (Jean), Nasia Thomas (Madame Marty), Bridget Beirne (Madame Aurelie), Lauren Cipoletti (Clara), Megam Masako Haley (Marguerite), Jimmy Brewer (Deloche), and Jakeim Hart (Bauge).
Denise, a young woman from the country attempts to survive in Paris at the turn of the century and comes head-to-head with the owner of the world’s first department store, Mouret. A precursor to Zuckerberg, Musk and Gates, Octave Mouret revolutionizes the world and its relationship to shopping, but then Denise revolutionizes Mouret. As all of Paris loses their mind over the most decadent fabrics for the least amount of money, sexual politics collide with capitalism. Can someone ever love the man who set the world on a path towards obsessive consumption?
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Samuel D. Hunter’s A Permanent Image continues through Jan. 14, 2024 at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre, directed by Andrew D. Weyman.
Phil Cass (Martin), Terry Davis (Carol), Scott Jackson (Bo), and Dalia Vosylius (Ally)
Called a fusion between realism and the absurd, the play is a tense exploration of the distance families put between themselves, and what it takes to bring them back together.
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Fred Alley & James Kaplan’s Guys on Ice will run Jan. 12 – Mar. 17, 2024 (opening Jan. 14) at Milwaukee Rep, directed & choreographed by Jeffrey Herbst, with music direction by Ryan Cappleman.
Dan Klarer (Ernie), Steve Koehler (Lloyd), and Doug Mancheski (Marvin).
Life on the lake is easy, especially when the fish are biting, the jokes are funny, there’s a ‘couple two three’ beers in the bucket and the Green Bay Packers are on the field. From the warmth of their shanty ‘up north,’ old pals Marvin and Lloyd spin wit, wisdom and hilarious songs about life, love and the one that got away.
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Video: Alex Newell sings “Rhythm of My Heart” from Trans-Positive animated musical “Pacemaker.”
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Itamar Moses’ The Ally, which will run Feb. 15 – Mar. 10, 2024 (opening Feb. 27) at The Public Theater, directed by Lila Neugebauer.
Josh Radnor (Asaf), Cherise Boothe (Nakia/Rabbi), Elijah Jones (Baron), Michael Khalid Karadsheh (Farid), Joy Osmanski (Gwen), Ben Rosenfeld (Reuven), and Madeline Weinstein (Rachel).
Asaf is thrown into conflict as a liberal husband, academic, American atheist, and Jewish person asked to sign a social justice manifesto.
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Theatre Communications Group (link TBA) has announced its 2024 TCG Gala: Our Stories, which will take place Mon. Mar. 11 at 6 PM at NYC’s Edison Ballroom.
Teresa Eyring (CEO), David Rockwell, Brian Anthony Moreland, Schele Williams, and The Shubert Foundation.
Performers and additional information TBA.
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A private NYC industry reading of Meg Fofonoff, Eric Holmes, Chilina Kennedy & Daniel Edmonds Silk will take place Dec. 15.
Myha’la Herrold (Denise), Julian Ovenden (Mouret), Jackie Burns (Madame Des Forges), Eddie Cooper (Baudu), Aisha Jackson (Pauline), Kevin Cahoon (Bourdoncle), James Harkness (Bourras), Hailee Kaleem Wright (Genevieve), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Countess Des Boves), Jennifer Fouche (Madame Guibal), Josh Jordan (Jean), Nasia Thomas (Madame Marty), Bridget Beirne (Madame Aurelie), Zoe Jensen (Clara), Megan Masako Haley (Marguerite), Jimmy Brewer (Deloche), Caleb Mathura (Bauge), Pascal Pastrana (Hutin), Nico Oliveri (Colomban), and Jayden Theophile (Pepe).
Denise, a young woman from the country, attempts to survive in Paris at the turn of the century. When she comes head-to-head with the incredibly power owner of the world’s first department store, Mouret, Denise finds her life flipped on its head, even as she revolutionizes his worldview. What does it mean to love the man who set the world on a path towards obsessive consumption? And how can true connection thrive under capitalism?
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Julie Benko: Standby, Me will take place Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 at 8:30 PM at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club, with her husband, Jason Yeager on piano.
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Indhu Rubasingham has been named the next director and joint chief executive of London’s National Theatre. She will succeed Rufus Norris, who will depart those positions in spring 2025 when his second term ends.
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Dean Pitchford & Walter Bobbie’s FOOTLOOSE: The Musical will run Mar. 1 – 17, 2024 (opening Mar. 2) at Burbank’s Colony Theatre, directed by Barry Pearl & Michelle Elkin, with choreography by Elkin.
Casting and additional information TBA.
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Additional casting has been announced for Brian Belding & Natalie Brice’s White Rose: The Musical, which will begin previews Jan. 17, 2024 and open Jan. 25 at Theatre Row, directed by will Nunziata, with music direction by Sheela Ramesh.
Jo Ellen Pellman (Sophie Scholl), Mike Cefalo (Hans Scholl), Kennedy Kanagawa (Christoph Porbst), Laura Sky Herman (Lila Ramdohr), Paolo Montalban (Prof. Kurt Huber), Sam Gravitte (Frederick Fischer), and Cole Thompson (Willi Graff), with Ellis Gage, Dani Apple, Pasquale Crociata, Cal Mitchell, and Aaron Ramey.
Based on a true story, the musical follows a group of university student activists who stood up to Hitler in Nazi Germany, risking everything by creating and distributing leaflets that challenged his propaganda.
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Kristin Caskeyhas been elected chair of the board of The Broadway League and will succeed current Chair Lauren Reid at the end of the year.
Also newly elected are 17 new members to the League’s Board of Governors: Mike Bosner, Rashad Chambers, Jeff Chelesvig, Jeff Daniel, Jeffrey Finn, Kara Gebhart, Mara Isaacs, Laura Kendall, LaChanze, Stephen Lewin, Jeff Loeb, Sammy Lopez, John O’Brien, Alecia Parker, Matthew Rego, Seth Sklar-Heyn, and Allan Williams.
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The Madwoman of Chaillot will run Dec. 15-16 at Venice’s Pacific Resident Theatre, directed by Jean-Marc Demmer.
Talia Gloster, Robert Eddy, Shaun Baker, Ben Martin, Jon Johannessen, Mary Polhemus, Beatrix Davinson, Alan Curelop, Peter Rockwell, Lily Rudnick, Bryan Marcelo, Jon Preston, Penny Safranek, Robert Levit, Tobias Echeverria, Elijah-Blu Smith, Dennis Madden, Laura Liguori, Katina Mastellos, and Rita Obermeyer.