Today’s Highlights:
Cowbois, by Charlie Josephine, directed by Josephine & Sean Holmes, featuring Bridgette Amofah (Mary), Lee Braithwaite (Lucy/Lou), Shaun Dingwall (Frank/Tommy), Michael Elcock (George), Colm Gormley (John), Vinnie Heaven (Jack), Paul Hunter (Sheriff Roger Jones) Lucy McCormick (Jayne), Sophie Melville (Miss Lillian), Julian Moore-Cook (James), Emma Pallant (Sally-Ann) and LJ Parkinson (Charley Parkhurst), opens at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
White Rose: The Musical, by Brian Belding & Natalie Brice, directed by Will Nunziata, featuring 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, begins previews at Off Broadway’s Theatre Row.
POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, by Selena Fillinger, directed by Jennifer Chambers, featuring Ito Aghayere (Chris), Maria Bello (Bernadette) Alexandra Billings (Margaret), Lauren Blumenfeld (Stephanie), Shannon Cochran (Harriet), Celeste Den (Jean), Jane Levy (Dusty) and Deirdre Lovejoy (Bernadette), begins previews at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.
Kate, Kate Berlant’s solo show, begins previews at Pasadena Playhouse.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Jan. 14.
Click here for the complete analysis.
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Recipients of the 34th annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre have been announced:
Most Promising Lyricist: Rona Siddiqui
Most Promising Librettist: Lisa Loomer
The ceremony will take place Mon. Feb. 5 at 4 PM at an invitation-only ceremony.
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Jonathan A. Abrams & Tyler Mitchell’s The Heart of Rock and Roll will begin previews Mar. 29 and open Apr. 22 at the James Earl Jones Theatre, directed by Gordon Greenberg, with choreography by Lorin Latarro, and music direction by Will Van Dyke.
Corey Cott (Bobby), McKenzie Kurtz (Cassandra), John Dossett (Stone), Josh Breckenridge (Wyatt), F. Michael Haynie (Glenn), Zoe Jensen (Paige), Tamika Lawrence (Roz), Raymond J. Lee (JJ), John-Michael Lyles (Eli), Orville Mendoza (Fjord), and Billy Harrigan Tighe (Tucker), with Mike Baerga, Tommy Bracco, TyNia René Brandon, Olivia Cece, Taylor Marie Daniel, Lindsay Joan, Ross Lekites, Robin Masella, Kara Menendez, Michael Olaribigbe, Kevin Pariseau, Robert Pendilla, Joe Moeller, Jennifer Noble, Fredric Rodriguez Odgaard, and Leah Read.
Set in 1987 and jam-packed with Huey Lewis mega-hits, the musical centers on a couple of twenty-somethings on the cusp of their futures — Bobby, a rock and roller who’s traded his guitar for the corporate ladder and his boss Cassandra who’s always put the family business first. When they both get a second shot at their dreams, it’ll take “The Power of Love” and a little help from their friends — to figure out what kind of life they really want.
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Red Bull Theatre will partner with the WB Yeats Society of NY to present a reading & discussion of Shaw and Yeats’ John Bull’s Other Island on Thurs. Feb. 1 (at 6 PM – Sun. Jan. 28 at 11:59 PM) at Off-Broadway’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater, directed by Nathan Winkelstein, hosted by David Staller, and followed by a wine & refreshment reception. 
Click here to read the play.
Christian Coulson, Merritt Janson, Ismenia Mendes, Matthew Rauch, Alexandra Silber and John Douglas Thompson
Yeats had commissioned Shaw to write a play to open Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. Yeats rejected it claiming that its approach was “far too comedic.” Shaw then had Harley Granville Parker produce and star in the production at London’s Royal Court Theatre where it was immediately praised for its broad ironic lampooning of the British Empire and its failure to address the socio-political issues regarding Ireland. At a Royal Command Performance for King Edward VI, he is reported to have laughed so hard he broke his chair. Shaw and Yeats, two brilliant Irishmen determined to use their artistic voice for the greater good, remained jovial friends in spite of their different visions of art in our world.
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Rona Siddiqui and Lisa Loomer have been named as winners of the 34th Annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre by The Kleban Foundation.
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A benefit staged reading of Jenny Sullivan & Barry Sullivan’s J For J will take place Sat. Feb. 3 (at 7 PM) & Sun. Feb. 4 (at 2 PM) at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre, directed by Jenny Sullivan.
Jeff Kober, Eric Lange, and Nancy Travis.
A semi-autobiographical memory play. It opens with the character of Jenny finding a journal that her father, Hollywood film, TV and stage actor Barry Sullivan (“The Great Gatsby,” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” “The Tall Man”) started when her brother Johnny was born. The entries continue after Jenny’s birth, ending with the words, “Remember Johnny, you must take care of your sister Jenny – it’s J for J.” But over time, it becomes clear that Brother Johnny is “slow,” incapable of taking care of himself or anyone else. In this literate and lovingly conceived story, Sullivan explores the ache and anger of “not being enough”; the awesome, sometimes awful responsibility of feeling responsible for another’s physical and emotional well-being; and the strange, sweet surprise of being loved at an unexpected moment.
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A workshop production of Unconditional: A Musical Memory, written & performed by Margaret Rose, will run Jan. 19-21 at the Fountain Theatre, directed by Vanessa Stalling.
A funny and poignant story of family, loss, connection, community, and a backyard.
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Douglas Lyons will develop a film adaptation of Big River.
Timeline and additional information TBA.
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5-Star Theatricals has announced its 2024 season at CA’s Thousand Oaks Bank of America Performing Arts Center. Creative teams and casting TBA.
Million Dollar Quartet (Mar. 15-24)
The Sound of Music (July 19-28)
Little Shop of Horrors (Oct. 4-20)
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The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles presents We 
Boy Bands, to run Mar. 23-24 at Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre.
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42 Street will run Feb. 9-25 (opening Feb. 10) at Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West, directed by Cynthia Ferrer, with choreography by Cheryl Baxter, and music direction by Wilkie Ferguson.
Emma Nossal (Peggy Sawyer), Robert Mamana (Julian Marsh), April Nixon (Dorothy Brock), Jane Papageorge (Annie Reilly), Quintan Craig (Billy Lawlor), Phillip Attmore (Andy Lee), Jamie Torcellini (Bert Barry), Bree Murphy (Maggie Jones), Kevin Carolan (Abner Dillon), Stephen Bishop (Pat Denning), Ricky Bulda (Mac/Doc/Thug), Maggie Ek (Phyllis), and April Lovejoy (Lorriane), with Ryan Cody, Erin Dubreuil, Jonathan Blake Flemmings, Joh Paul Batista, Evan Martorana, Cole Sisser, Kurt Kemper, Marisa Moenho, Missy Marion, Helen Tait, Johnisa Breault, Ellie Cook, Grace Simmons, and Noelle Roth.
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Barry Manilow & Bruce Sussman’s Harmony will close Sun. Feb. 4, after 24 previews and 96 regular performances, at Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre, directed & choreographed by Warren Carlyle,
Chip Zien, Sierra Boggess, Julie Benko, Allison Semmes, Andrew O’Shanick and the Harmonists: Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman, and Steven Telsey. They join the complete company which includes Zak Edwards, Dan Hoy, Bruce Landry, RhonniRose Mantilla, Daniel Z. Miller, Benjamin H. Moore, Matthew Mucha, Constantine Pappas, Kayleen Seidl, Kyla Stone, Bronwyn Tarboton, Kate Wesler, Stuart Zagnit, and Lee Zarrett.
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Joe DiPietro’s F***ing Men will return Apr. 13 – May 26 to the Waterloo East Theatre, directed by Steven Kunis.
TBA.
The dramatic comedy follows 10 men through a series of erotic encounters that change their lives in small but significant ways. The work interweaves La Ronde’s tales of sexual discovery and exploration into contemporary gay culture. Casting will be announced at a later date.
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A benefit concert presentation of Nick Blaemire & James Gardiner‘s Glory Days will take place Mon. Feb. 12 at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s Keen Company, directed by Jonathan Silverstein, with music direction by Lily Ling.
Derek Klena, Coltan Ryan, Jordan Dobson and George Salazar.
The musical tells the story of four high school friends who reunite one year after graduation to enact revenge on their former bullies. Though the work has since become a cult favorite, the Broadway bow famously closed on opening night, playing just 17 previews and one single performance.