Today’s Highlights:
New Golden Age, by Karen Hartman, directed by Jade King Carroll, featuring Carmen Castillo, Ricardy Fabre, Doug Harris, Maria Kakkar, and Claire Siebers, opens at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters.
Belfast Girls, by Jaki McCarrick, directed by Nicola Murphy, featuring Labhaoise Magee (Ellen Clarke), Aida Leventaki (Molly Durcan), Mary Mallen (Hannah Gibney), Caroline Strange (Judith Noone), and Sarah Street (Sarah Jane Wylie), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep.
The Joy That Carries You, world premiere by Awa Sal Secka & Dani Stoller’, directed by Jason Loewith & Kevin McCallister, featuring Billie Krishawn (Alaia), Dani Stoller (Shiri), Michael Russotto (Martin), Susan Rome (Nancy), Bru Ajueyitsi (Ezekiel), Lolita Marie (Alaia’s Ma), and James J. Johnson (Beau), begins previews at MD’s Olney Theatre.
Asolo Rep‘s Knoxville, world premiere by Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens, directed by Frank Galati, featuring Jason Danieley (James Agee), Hannah Elless (Mary Follet), Paul Alexander Nolan (Jay Follet), Ellen Harvey (Aunt Hannah Lynch), Nathan Salstone (Andrew Lynch), Sarah Aili (Sally Follet), Natalie Venetia Belcon (Jessie), Dwelvan David (Ferryman/Dr. Dekalb), Jack Casey (Rufus Follet), Barbara Marineau (Cathering), William Parry (Joel), Abigail Stephenson (Victoria), Joel Waggoner (Ralph Follet), and Scott Wakefield (Man at the Scene), with Alan Chandler, Sade Crosby, Ian Johnston, Patricia M. Lawrence, and Sharon Pearlman, closes at FL’s FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
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Reviews for Oh God, A Show About Abortion at Off-Broadway’s Cherry Lane Theatre:
New York Stage (Melissa Rose Bernardo): …now that the entire country is talking about the likely overturn of 1973’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, there couldn’t be a better time for Leiby’s highly personal show about her own abortion…. “The show is exactly the same as it was before we lost all of our rights,” Leiby assures the audience… the procedure itself is only a small part of the show… Refreshingly, Leiby is also unapologetically honest about her choice not to have children—a decision about which she’s wholly confident, but with which she’s still confronted at so many turns.
Talkin’ Broadway (James Wilson): …Alison Leiby…possesses indisputable comic timing. Over the course of the evening, nearly every joke lands, and the laughs come fast and furious even when she is talking about what people would rather not talk about… Leiby has something else going for her: exceptional political timing… The effectiveness of the piece stems from its utter ordinariness… she unsentimentally states that she emphatically doesn’t want children… At a time when it is needed most, Oh God, A Show About Abortion potently demonstrates that it’s okay to laugh about abortion. For now.
New York Theatre (Jonathan Mandell): …Oh God, A Show About Abortion isn’t exactly a show about abortion. It is largely a stand-up comedy routine. Leiby gives an account of the abortion she tells us she had three years ago, but a much larger share of the show are her comic takes on a range of subjects that in effect add up to what it’s like to be a woman in America… Some of this is funny, some clever, some thought-provoking. The odd thing about Oh, God, A Show About Abortion for me is that the most disappointing moments in the monologue are when Leiby focuses on abortion.
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GRACE NOTES Quote of the Week: ”Now that you’ve got me right down to it, the only thing I didn’t like about The Barretts of Wimpole Street was the play.” ~ review by Dorothy Parker
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending May 8. Click here for the complete analysis.
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The Official Tony Awards Challenge is now available. 
here by June 12 at 3 PM ET.
The returning game invites Broadway fans to predict the winners of the 75th Annual Tony Awards, with a chance of winning a number of Broadway tickets, including 75 free Broadway tickets. Presented in partnership with Broadway loyalty rewards program Audience Rewards and open to its members, the challenge has participants choose between “Go Big,” in which entrants are asked to make a correct guess in each category to win the grand prize, or to “Go Fast” and predict eight notable category winners for 500 Audience Rewards ShowPoints. The points are redeemable for tickets, curated experiences, and more.
Those wishing to play who are not already Audience Rewards members may join the program for free to participate.
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The Secret Garden In Concert will take place Sun. Aug. 28 at the London Palladium, directed by Nick Winston, with music direction by Adam Hoskins.
Mark Feehily (Neville), Hadley Fraser (Archibald), Maiya Quansah-Breed (Martha), Alex Thomas-Smith (Dickon), Emma Williams (Lucy), with Darcy Jacobs (Mary), Isaac Lancel-Watkinson (Colin), Michael Riseley (Captain Albert Lennox), Linda John-Pierre (Mrs. Medlock), Grace Mouat (Alice), Aleyna Mohanraj (Ayah), Johndeep More (Fakir), Glain Rhys (Rose), and Howard Scott Walker (Ben Weatherstaff).
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James Ijames‘ play, Fat Ham, has won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The play is a queer adaptation of Hamlet.
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The Kennedy Center has announced initial productions in its 2022-23 season:
Guys and Dolls (Oct. 11-16), directed by Marc Bruni.
A Soldier’s Play (Dec. 13 – Jan. 8, 2023), by
Sunset Boulevard national tour (Feb. 1-6) at the Kennedy Center, directed by Mar Bruni, and starring Sephanie J. Block, directed by Marc Bruni.
The Mortification of Fovea Munson (Mar. 4-19), by Mary Winn Heider.
Kiss of the Spider Woman (May 15-21).
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Broadway by the Year: From Ziegfeld Follies to Moulin Rouge will take place Mon. May 23 at 8 PM ET at NYC’s Town Hall, created, written, directed & hosted by Scott Siegel.
Tony Danza, Tom Wopat, Anais Reno, Douglas Ladnier, and Danny Gardner.
Celebrating songs from The Ziegfeld Follies, George White’s Scandals, The Jersey Boys, Beautiful, All Shook Up, Kismet, After Midnight, Ring of Fire, and more…
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Broadway’s Girl From the North Country will open its national tour in Fall 2023 at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theater.
Dates, casting, and additional information TBA.
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The Actors Fund has officially changed its name to the Entertainment community Fund.
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Lillias White: Divine Sass, a tribute to the Divine One – Sarah Vaughan, will run May 26-28 (all at 7 PM ET) at NYC’s 54 Below.
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Complete casting has been announced for Melissa Li & Kit Yan’s INTERSTATE, to run June 2-26 (opening June 9) at East West Players, directed by Jesca Prudencio.
Jupiter Lê (Dash Koi), Gillian Han (Adrian Tong), Jaya Joshi (Henry Ahuja), Michelle Noh (Mom), Reuben Uy (Dad), Stefan Miller (Pastor Fred), Natalie Holt MacDonald (Madison), and Krystle Simmons (Carly).
An Asian-American pop-rock poetry musical that follows Dash, a transgender spoken word performer who becomes internet-famous along with his best friend Adrian, a lesbian singer-songwriter.
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Due to a COVID breakout, Milwaukee Rep has cancelled the remainder of its production of Titanic (which was to have run through May 14).
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Audio: Aron Accurso & Rachel Griffin Accurso’s “You Are Enough,” in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, directed by Angelo Soriano, with orchestrations by Doug Besterman.
Kathryn Allison, Arielle Jacobs, Natalie Kaye Clater, Ray Lee, Dennis Stowe, Olivia Donalson, Juwan Crawley, Katie Terza, Emily Croft, Ben Roseberry, Angelo Soriano, and Aron Accurso.
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Erich Bergen in concert will run May 20-21 at NYC’s Café Carlyle, offering and all-new high-energy show, with music direction by Michael J. Moritz Jr.
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Duncan Macmillan & Johnny Donahoe’s Every Brilliant Thing will run May 18 – June 5 at Virginia Stage Company, directed by Tom Quaintance.
Jeffrey Meanza and Kathryn Hunter-Williams, rotating performances.
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The Kennedy Center has announced its 202223 season, with creative teams and casting TBA.
Wicked (Dec. 8 – Jan. 22, 2023)
A Soldier’s Play (Dec. 13 – Jan. 8, 2023), starring Norm Lewis.
Les Misérables (Apr. 11-29)
The Lion King (June 21 – July 29)
1776 (June 17 – July 16), directed by Diane Paulus.
The Play That Goes Wrong (July 18 – Aug. 13)
Moulin Rouge! (Aug. 2 – Sept. 24)
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Article: Playbill looks at the artists and productions left out of this year’s Tony Awards.
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The world premiere of Arthur Holden’s Beloved, currently in previews, will open May 13 and continue through June 19 at North Hollywood’s Road on Magnolia, directed by Cameron Watson.
Sam Anderson (Stephen), Taylor Gilbert (Dorothy), and Cherish Duke (Sylvia / Miriam / Marika).
Dorothy and Stephen are married co-owners of a failing real estate company. They’re shocked when they learn that their teenage son has committed a disturbing crime – and they’re devastated when they find out why. In three successive waiting rooms, accompanied by three young professionals, Dorothy and Stephen must overcome confusion, acrimony and bitter regret as they struggle to find a way forward.
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Sylvia Khoury’s Selling Kabul continues through May 22 at Seattle Rep, directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton.
Yousof Sultani (Taroon), Susaan Jamshidi (Afiya), Awesta Zarif), Fatima Wardak (Leyla), and Barzin Akhavan (Jawid), with Adam El-Sharkawi and Salwa Khan.
Taroon once served as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. After the Americans have withdrawn, their promises of protection and safety are no longer there. He now spends his days in hiding from the growing presence of the Taliban as he anxiously awaits news from the hospital on the ever of his first child’s birth. What are the consequences of taking sides during wartime?