Today’s Highlights:
Annie national tour, directed by Jenn Thompson (Pepper in the original Broadway Production), featuring Whoopi Goldberg (Miss Hannigan (Dec. 11- Jan. 25), Hazel Vogel (Annie), Stefanie Londino (Miss Hannigan), Christopher Swan (Oliver Warbucks), Julia Nicole Hunter (Grace, Mark), Woodard (FDR), Rhett Guter (Rooster,) and Isabella De Souza Moore (Lily St. Regis), and Kevin, (Sandy), with Aria Valentina Aldea, Eva Lizette Carreon, Anna Dillon, Kylie Noelle Patterson, Olive Ross-Kline, and Nora West, while the ensemble includes Stephen Cerf, Anthony DaSilva, Savannah Fisher, Alloria Frayser, Brooke Olivia Gatto, Caroline Glazier, Ryan Mulvaney, Joel Newsome, Melinda Parrett, Lawrence E. Street, Drew Tanabe, and Stephanie Wahl, opens at NYC’s Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Wicked national tour, featuring Lauren Samuels (Elphaba), Austen Danielle Bohmer (Glinda), Aymee Garcia (Madame Morrible), Blake Hammond (The Wizard), Erica Ito (Nessarose), Kingsley Leggs (Doctor Dillamond), Xavier McKinnon (Fiyero), and Alex Vinh (Boq), with Carly Augenstein, Jennifer Mariela Bermeo, Anthony Lee Bryant, Sean Burns, Matt Densky, Kelley Dorney, Kayla Goldsberry, Rose Iannaccone, Mattie Tucker Joyner, David Kaverman, Kelly Lafarga, Marina Lazzaretto, Lauren Leach, Colin Lemoine, Tiffany Rae Mallari, Adelina Mitchell, Brayden Newby, Allsun O’Malley, Madison Claire Parks, Kat Rodriguez, Derek Schiesel, Wayne Schroder, DJ Smart, Brett Stoelker, Ben Susak, and Justin Wirick, opens at LA’s Pantages Theatre.
A Sherlock Carol, by Mark Shanahan, directed by Steve Pacek, featuring Scott Wichmann (Sherlock Holmes), Beatty Barnes (Ebenezer Scrooge), Patrick Halley, Sarah Manton, Seth Robert Patterson, and Rachel Fobb, opens at Virginia Stage.
Ensemble Theatre Company‘s Million Dollar Quartet, directed by Brian McDonald, featuring Blake Burgess (Johnny Cash, Nick Voss (Elvis Presley), Will Riddle (Carl Perkins), Ian Fairlee (Jerry Lee Lewis), Janaya Mahealani Jones (Dyanne), Andy Hoff (Sam Phillips,) Jordan Lamoureux (Brother Jay), and Gus Graham (Fluke), begins previews at Santa Barbara’s New Vic.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Dec. 1.
Click here for the complete analysis.
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Jordan Harrison’s The Antiqutities will run Jan. 11 – Feb. 23, 2025 (opening Feb. 4) at Playwrights Horizons, directed by David Cromer & Caitlin Sullivan.
Cindy Cheung (Woman 3), Marchánt Davis (Man 2), Layan Elwazani (Woman 4), Andrew Garman (Man 3), Aria Shahghasemi (Man 1), Kristen Sieh (Woman 1), Ryan Spahn (Man 4), Julius Rinzel (Boy), and Amelia Workman (Woman 2).
The play is set at the Museum of Late Human Antiquities, where the curators are fiercely committed to bringing a lost civilization to life again: What were humans really like? What did they wear, what did they eat, how did they die out?
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Liza Minnelli‘s memoir, to be published by Grand Central Publishing in Spring 2026, may also be developed into a TV series. Stay tuned….
The memoir and series will be a candid review of Minnelli’s life, both professionally and personally, from her childhood in the spotlight as the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli to her breakout successes in Cabaret and Liza With a Z, and through her marriages and struggles with substance abuse disorder.
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Slay Belles: A Holiday Celebration will take place Sun. Dec. 8 at 7 PM at LA’s Young Actors Workspace (5571 West Pico Blvd.), directed by Kirsten Chandler, with music direction by Michael Collum. 
$25 (includes free hors d’oeuvres and wine).
Edyie Alyson, Eileen Barnett, Jenifer Bennet, July Garnyé, Barbara Carlton Heart, Maura Knowles, Susan Edwards Martin, Dana Meller, Lisa Picotte, Leslie Stevens, and Mary Van Arsdel.
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A Sherlock Carol, a family-friendly holiday show, will run Dec. 17-22, at CT’s Westport Country Playhouse, written & directed by Mark Shanahan.
Drew McVety (Sherlock Holmes), Byron St. Cyr (Ebenezer Scrooge), Dan Domingues (Dr. Timothy Cratchit, /Mr. Topper/ Ralph Fezziwig/ Constable Hopkins), Isabel Keating (The Countess of Morcar/ Martha Cratchit/ Mary Morstan/ Abigail Fezziwig/ Caroler/ Woman in Restaurant), and Sharone Sayegh (Emma Wiggins /Fan Gardner/ Inspector Lestrade / Mrs. Windgate).
Moriarty was dead, to begin with. And Sherlock Holmes is a haunted man. When a grown up Tiny Tim asks Holmes to investigate the death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Great Detective must use his gifts to solve a Dickens of a mystery! But, it’s a dark and treacherous Christmas Eve, and once again the night is haunted by the spirits of the past, present, and future. Can Holmes overcome his own ghosts to crack the case
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(listen here): Jonathan Groff performs “Beyond the Sea” as singer Bobby Darin.
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Liza Minnelli‘s earlier announced memoir, to be published by Grand Central Publishing in Spring 2026, may be hitting the small screen. The memoire is the work of the work of Minnelli; Heidi Evans, a Pulitzer Prize and two-time George Polk Award winner; Josh Getlin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times correspondent and New York Bureau Chief; and Minnelli’s longtime friend, Michael Feinstein.
Variety reports that Warner Bros. TV and Magnolia Hill have joined forces to option the project. Minnelli’s former agent, Sam Haskell, also the founder of Magnolia Hill, will lead the development of the TV series.
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Flayed, written & performed by Josiah Blount, will take place Feb. 7 & Mar. 22 at LA’s LGBT Center, directed by David Bridel.
Joshua is fresh out of pastor’s college and delivering his first sermon to a conservative church in Southwest Virginia. This trial-run sermon will determine if he will join the church staff as an Associate Pastor, something he’s longed for his whole life. However, Joshua is queer, deeply closeted, and on the precipice of a mental breakdown. As his sermon progresses his pristine public self begins to falter and his messy, complex internal world is revealed. Will he be able to hide the hell fire within? Or will his whole identity go up in flames?
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Arthur Miller’s The Price will run Feb. 19 – Mar. 20, 2025 at Theatre at St. Clements, directed by Noelle McGrath.
Bill Barry, Michael Durkin, Janelle Farias Sando, and Cullen Wheeler, with Benjamin Russell, Monica Lowy, John Palacio, and Joe Bowen.
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The world premiere of Laura Shamas’ Four Women in Red will run Jan. 10 – Feb. 23 (opening Jan. 17) at Burbank’s Victory Theater Center, directed by Janette Harrison.
Carolyn dunn, Harriette, Feliz, Zoey Reyes, and Jehnean Washington.
Four First American women are desperate to find missing friends and relatives in the face of apathetic sheriffs and dwindling clues. Are their loved ones lost? Were they taken? Are they even alive?
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The Broadway cast recording of the Avett Brothers’ Swept Away will be released digitally on Feb. 27 here, and on all platforms.
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Red Bull Theater will present its Two Gentlemen of Verona: The Rock Musical concert on Mon. Dec. 16 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Zi Alikhan, with music direction by Greg Pliska, and choreography by Karla Puno Garcia.
André De Shields.
Delphi Borich, Chuck Cooper, DeMarius Copes, Jordan Donica, Coby Getzug, Jin Ha, Ben Jones, Taylor Iman Jones, Kelvin Moon Loh, John-Michael Lyles, Alisa Melendez, Mikayla Renfrow, Sam Simahk, Nasia Thomas, and Alysha Umphress.