Today’s Highlights:
Diana The Musical, by Joe DiPietro & David Bryan, directed by Christopher Ashley, featuring Jeanna de Waal (Diana), Roe Hartrampf (Prince Charles), Erin Davie (Camilla Parker Bowles), and Judy Kaye (Queen Elizabeth), with Zach Adkins, Ashley Andrews, Austen Danielle Bohmer, Holly Ann Butler, Richard Gatta, Alex Hairston, Lauren E.J. Hamilton, Shaye B. Hopkins, André Jordan, Gareth Keegan, Libby Lloyd, Nathan Lucrezio, Tomás Matos, Chris Medlin, Anthony Murphy, Kristen Faith Oei, Laura Stracko, Bethany Ann Tesarck, and Michael Williams, opens at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre.
Little Women, by Allan Knee, Mindi Dickstein & by Jason Howland, directed by Bronagh Lagan, featuring Lydia White (Jo), Hana Ichijo (Meg), Anastasia Martin (Beth), Mary Moore (Amy), Bernadine Pritchett (Aunt March), Sev Keoshgerian (Laurie), Ryan Bennett (Professor Bhaer), Brian Protheroe (Mr. Lawrence), Lejaun Sheppard (John Brooke), Savannah Stevenson (Marmee), and Liv Andrusier, opens at London’s Park Theatre.
Company, directed by Antonio Banderas, featuring Antonio Banderas (Bobby), Maria Adamuz, Roger Berruezo, Alber Bolea, Lorena Calero, Lydia Fairén, Dulcinea Juárez, Silvia Luchetti, Anna Moliner, July Möller, Paco Morales, Marta Ribera, Carlos Seguí. Rubén Yuste, Nando González, Pepa Lucas, Beatriz Mur, Mariola Peña, and Ángel Saavedra, opens at Spain’s Soho CaixaBank Theatre.
Cullud Wattah, by Erika Dickerson-Despenza & Canid C. Jones, directed by Canids C. Jones, featuring Crystal Dickinson (Marion), Lizan Mitchell (Big Ma), Ta’Neesha Murphy (Plum), Andrea Patterson (Ainee), Alicia Pilgrim (Plum), Chavez Ravine, and Lauren F. Walker, and Lauren F. Walker (Reese), with Chavez Ravine and Jenean Farmer, opens at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.
Middletown, by Dan Clancy, featuring Didi Conn, Donny Most, Loretta Swit, and Adrian Zmed, opens at Off-Broadway’s Actors Playhouse.
Nunsense, directed by Michelle Lauto, featuring Missy Aguilar (Sister Robert Anne), Cynthia Carter (Sister Mary Regina), Landree Fleming (Sister Mary Amnesia), Rebecca Keeshin (Sister Mary Leo), and Kyra Leigh (Sister Mary Hubert), opens at Chicago’s Porchlight Theatre.
Steven Brinberg’s Simply Barbra opens at Palm Springs’ Oscar’s.
Selling Kabul, by Sylvia Khoury, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, featuring Dario Ladani Sanchez (Taroon), Francis Benhamou (Leyla), Mattico David (Jawid), and Marjan Neshat (Afiya), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons.
David Sabella Sings Kander & Ebb: 25Chicago25 live & livestream concert, with special guests Jana Robbins and Haley Swindal, at 7 PM ET at 54 Below. Live tickets here. Livestream tickets here.
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GRACE NOTES Quote of the Week: “I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.”
~ Frank Capra
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Little Christmas Miracles, by Ryan Paul James, Pat Denson, David DeVaul, Nathan Demarco Jacobson & Jamie Floyd, will run Nov. 20 – Jan. 3 (opening Dec. 4) at the Actors Temple Theatre, directed by Denson.
Glauco Araujo, Jackson Ark, Sara Gerding, Tisa Harriott, Skyler Marie, Rachel McAlpine, Sam Neagle, Trinity Posey, Courtney Reece, Jordan Richards, and David Rodriguez.
Two widows try to convince their kids to celebrate Christmas. The children are in pain over the loss of their fathers, and have no desire to even thing about the holidays. But the two families journey together on what turns out to be the road to hope and healing – as they experience more miracles than they can count.
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A Grand Night for Singing: A Celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein concert, directed by Rob Ruggiero, continues through Nov. 28 at CT’s Goodspeed Opera House.
Jasmine Forsberg, Mauricio Martínez, Jesse Nager, Mamie Parris, and Diane Phelan, with Kathryn Boswell and Kevin Schuering.
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Jamie deRoy & friends, in support of The Actors Fund, will take place Mon. Dec. 6 at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Birdland, directed by Barry Kleinbort, with music direction by Ron Abel.
Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Christie Altomare, Jelani Alladin, Ali Ewoldt, Cassandra James, Mauricio Martinez, and Donna McKechnie.
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Video: New trailer for Stephen Spielberg’s “West Side Story”
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Off-Broadway’s J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company has announced its 2022 season at Theatre Row. Creative teams and casting TBA.
A Class Act (Feb. 10-20), by Ed Kleban, Linda Kline, and Lonny Price.
A Day In Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine (Feb. 24 – Mar. 6), by Frank Lazarus & Dick Vosburgh.
The Baker’s Wife (Mar. 10-20), by Stephen Schwartz & Joseph Stein.
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The cast album of Roundabout’s Caroline, or Change will be released digitally on Dec. 17 and on CD on Jan. 14, 2022. The recording will be a double-CD release that preserves the entire score. Links for downloading & ordering are TBA.
Sharon D. Clarke, Alexander Bello, John Cariani, Joy Hermalyn, Arica Jackson,, Tamika Lawrence, Caissie Levy, Kevin S. McAllister, Harper Miles, N’Kenge, Nya, Jayden Theophile, Nasia Thomas, Samantha Williams, Stuart Zagnit , and Chip Zien, with Gabriel Amoroso, Adam Makké, and Jaden Myles Waldman, who share the role of Noah Gellman (it is unclear which actor will record the role for the album).
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Shaina Taub’s SUFFS, which will run Mar. 10 – Apr. 24, 2022 (opening Apr. 6) at The Public Theater, directed by Leigh Silverman, with choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Jenna Bainbridge (Harry T. Burn) Ally Bonino (Lucy Burns), Tsilala Brock (Dudley Malone), Jenn Colella (Carrie Catt), Hannah Cruz (Ruza Wenclawska), Nadia Dandashi (Doris Stevens), Aisha de Haas (Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burns), Amina Faye (Robin), Cassondra James (Mary Church Terrell), Nikki M. James (Ida B. Wells), Jaygee Macapugay (Molly Hay), Grace McLean (Woodrow Wilson), Susan Oliveras (Nin Otero-Warren), Mia Pak (Mrs. Wu), J. Riley Jr (Phyllis Terrell), Phililipa Soo (Inez Milholland), Shaina Taub (Alice Paul), and Ada Westfall (Mrs. Herndon), with Stephanie Everett, Holly Gould, Monica Tulia Ramirez, Angela Travino, and more TBA.
A musical one hundred years in the making, brings to life a complicated chapter in the ongoing battle for the right to vote: the American women’s suffrage movement, with an unflinching look at these unsung trailblazers. In the seven years leading up the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, an impassionate group of suffragists —”Suffs” as they called themselves — took to the streets, pioneering protest tactics that transformed the country.
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Christmas on the Rocks returns Dec. 2-23 at Theater Works Hartford, conceived & directed by Rob Ruggiero.
John Cariani, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jenn Harris & Matthew Wilkas, Jacques Lamarre, Theresa Rebeck, and Edwin Sanchez.
Jen Cody (The Woman), Ted Lange (The Bartender) and Randy Harrison (The Man).
An offbeat collection of twisted holiday tales. It’s Christmas Eve in a rundown local bar. Expecting a silent night, the bartender finds himself mixing drinks for a parade of surprising guests – children from your favorite Christmas specials and movies – now all grown up.
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The writing team of Isabella Dawis & Tidtaya Sinutoke have been named the recipients of the 17th annual Fred Ebb Award, presented to aspiring musical theatre songwriters who have not yet achieved commercial success.
The award will be presented at a Jan. 3rd event at NYC’s Birdland.
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The Vocal Ease Benefit concert will stream Thurs. Nov. 18 at 8 PM ET here, hosted by Karen Mason.
Beth Leavel, Tamara Tunie, Christine Pedi, and Steve Ross.
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Video: Andrew Garfield, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Vanessa Hudgens discuss the “Tick, Tick…Boom!” film.
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Complete casting has been announced for The Play That Goes Wrong, to run Dec. 14 – Jan. 30, 2022 at Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse, directed by Matt DiCarlo.
Colton Adams (Trevor), Joseph Anthony Byrd (Jonathan), Ernaisia Curry (Annie), Michael Kurowski (Dennis), Matt Mueller (Christ), Kelly O’Sullivan (Sandra), Jarred Webb (Max), and Jonah D. Winston (Robert), with Caroline Chu, Drew Johnson, Russell Mernagh, and Brenann Stacker.
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Estella Scrooge, by John Caird & Paul Gordon, directed by Gordon, is now available to stream on BroadwayOnDemand.
Betsy Wolfe, Clifton Duncan, Lauren Patten, Patrick Page, Carolee Carmello, Danny Burstein, Megan McGinnis, Adam Halpin, Sarah Litzsinger, Tom Nelis, Em Grosland, Phoenix Best, David Bryant, Gabrielle Reid, Samuel Lee Roberts, Michael Francis McBride, Michele Lee, Kristen Faith Oei, Meg Gibson, William Youmans, Kevyn Morrow, Joziyah Jean0Felix, Brooklyn Shuck, and Willow McCarthy.
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Complete casting has been announced for the world premiere of Sanaz Toossi’s English will run Feb. 3 – Mar. 13, 2022 (opening Feb. 22) at Atlantic Theater Company, directed by Knud Adams.
Tala Ashe, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Pooya Mohseni, Marjan Neshat, and Hadi Tabbal.
A group of adults in Iran prepare for the TOEFL in an “English Only” classroom.
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Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, written by and starring Kristina Wong, directed by Chay Yew, which opened Nov. 4, will now close on Sun. Nov. 21 at New York Theatre Workshop.
However, the production will be available to stream Dec. 1-14 here.