Today’s Highlights:
Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, by Jeff Augustin & The Bengsons, directed by Joshua Kahan Brody, featuring Abigail Bengson, Shaun Bengson, Billy Eugene Jones, and Chris Myers, opens at Off-Broadway’s NYC Center.
The Year of Magical Thinking, Keen Company‘s site-specific production, by Joan Didion, directed by Jonathan Silverstein, starring Kathleen Chalfant, staged entirely in non-traditional theatre spaces throughout NYC, opens.
Merciful Delusions, a series of one acts by Tennessee Williams, directed by Lorraine Serabian, featuring Elizabeth Bove, JR Carter, Elena Clark, Josh Freed, Marie-Claire Giraud, Steven J. Harris, Janelle (Jyan) Jung, Michelle Oppedisano, Aurora Quintard, Martin Riofrio, Joey Welsh, Letty Ferrer, Nicole Gut, and Natalie Neckyfarow, opens at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row.
My Body, My Choice, a FREE evening of monologues, by Lee Cataluna, Fatima Dyfan, Lisa Loomer, and Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Judith Morland, featuring Liza Fernandez, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Jenny O’Hara, Arianna Ortiz, Veralyn Jones, Amy Pietz, Pam Trotter, and Jenapher Zheng, opens at LA’s Fountain Theatre.
The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise, by Anthony McCarten, directed by Michael Mayer, featuring Will Swenson (Neil Diamond), Mark Jacoby (Neil Diamond – Now), Robyn Hurder (Marcia), and Linda Powell (Doctor), Jessie Fisher (Jaye Posner), Michael McCormick (Fred Colby/Tommy ORourke), Tom Alan Robbins (Bert Berns/Kieve Diamond), Bri Sudia (Ellie Greenwich/Rose Diamond), and Nick Fradiani (Neil Diamond on Wed. evenings), with Neal Benari, Ninako Donville, Kalonjee Gallimore, Samantha Gershamn, Alex Hairston, Makai Hernandez, Jess LeProtto, Tatiana Lofton, Aaron James McKenzie, Mary Page Nance, Robert Pendilla, Max Sangerman, and MiMi Scardulla, begins previews at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre.
44 – The unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL, by Eli Bauman, Monica Saunders Weinberg & Anthony “Brew” Brewster, directed by Bauman, featuring TJ Wilkins (Barak Obama), Shanice (Michelle Obama), Kevin Bailey (John Boehner), Ted Barton (Roger Ailes), Larry Cedar (Mitch McConnell), Chad Doreck (Joe Biden), Kelley Dorney (Hillary Clinton), Kitten Kuroi (Voice of the People), Jane Papageorge (Sarah Palin), Dino Shorté (Herman Cain), Jeff Sumner (Lindsay Graham), and Michael Uribes (Ted Cruz), previews at LA’s Bourbon Room.
Love Online cabaret, directed by directed by Joseph Hayward, featuring Diane Love and Jay Nickerson, at 7 PM at Off-Broadway’s Laurie Beechman Theatre.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Sun. Oct. 30.
Click here for the complete analysis.
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ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse will present a return engagement of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical May 11 – June 10, 2023.
Creative team, casting, and additional information TBA.
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Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Camelot will begin previews Mar. 9, 2023 and open Apr. 13 at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher, with choreography by Bryon Easley, and music direction by Kimberly Grigsby.
Andrew Burnap (Arthur), Phillipa Soo (Guenevere), Jordan Donica (Lancelot Du Lac), and more TBA.
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Broadway’s Into the Woods will now offer $59 general rush tickets through the remainder of its run on Jan. 8 at the the St. James Theatre.
The general rush policy offers a very limited number of tickets available – they will be first come, first served and can only be purchased in-person at the box office beginning at 10 AM the day of the performance. There is a two ticket limit per audience member. Tickets will be $59 each.
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Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine will run Dec. 9 – Feb. 4, 2023 (opening Dec. 15) at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Ellen McDougall.
Kate Duchêne (Anise), Caitlin FitzGerald (Sara Muller), Patricia Hodge (Fanny Farrelly), John Light (Teck de Brancovis), Carlyss Peer (Marthe de Brancovis), Geoffrey Streatfield (David Farrelly), Mark Waschke (Kurt Muller), David Webber (Joseph), and Finley Glasgow (Joshua Muller), with Tamar Laniado & Chloe Raphael (sharing the role of Babette Muller), and Berti Caplan & Henry Hunt (sharing the role of Bodo Muller).
Fanny Farrelly, a widow, waits in her living room in 1941 Washington, D.C. for her daughter — who is fleeing Europe with her German husband and children in tow. America, however, turns out not to be the refuge they believed it would be as new dangers are revealed.
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Remember the Ribbon: A Tribute to World AIDS Day will take place Mon. Nov. 7 at 7 PM at NYC’s Sony Hall, directed by Bryan Camione & Leonard Rodino, with music direction by Joshua Stephen Kartes, and hosted by Karl Schmid. Proceeds will benefit GLADD.
The event will also stream on Playbill Dec. 1-3
Ariana De Bose, Judith Light, Carolee Carmello, André Jordan, Darius Anthony Harper, Colin Cunliffe, and Anthony Wayne, with the Broadway Sings Band and Stonewall.
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Gingold Theatrical Group‘s Candida continues through Nov. 19 at Theatre Row, directed by David Staller.
Avanthika Srinivasan (Candida), R.J. Foster (James Mavor Morell), Avery Whitted (Eugene Marchbanks), David Ryan Smith (Burgess), Amberber Reuchean Williams (Prosperine), and Peter Romano (Lexy Mill), with Alton Alburo, Fernando Lamberty, and Matenin Sangare
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Initial casting has been announced for Sunset Boulevard, to run Feb. 1-8, 2023 at the Kennedy Center, directed by Sammi Cannold, with choreography by Emily Maltby.
Stephanie J. Block (Norma Desmond), Derek Klena (Joe Gillis), Auli’i Cravalho (Betty Schaefer), Nathan Gunn (Max von Mayerling), and more TBA.
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The national tour of Beetlejuice will launch Dec. 7 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre. Click here for the complete tour schedule.
Justin Collette (Beetlejuice), Isabella Esler (Lydia Deetz), Britney Coleman (Barbara Maitland), Will Burton (Adam Maitland), Jesse Sharp (Charles), Kate Marilley (Delia), with Danielle Marie Bonzalez (Miss Argentina), Abe Goldfarb (Otho), Karmine Alers (Maxine Dean/Juno), Brian Vaugn (Maxie Dean), and Jackera Davis (Girl Scout), with Michael Biren, Ryan Breslin, Juliane Godfrey, Morgan Harrison, Matthew Michael Janisse, Kenway Ho Wai K. Kua, Sean McManus, Lee N Price, Nevada Riley, Trevor Michael Schmidt, Lexie Dorsett Sharp, and CorBen Williams.
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Anthony Rapp‘s solo show, Without You, will run Jan. 14 – Apr. 30, 2023 (opening Jan. 25) at New World Stages, directed by Steven Maler, with music direction by Daniel A. Weiss.
In 1994, Anthony Rapp was 22, out of money and working at a Starbucks, about to audition for a new musical by a young writer named Jonathan Larson…
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The Ilene Graff Holiday Show! will take place Wed. Dec. 28 at 9:30 PM at NYC’s 54 Below, with music direction by Ben Lanzarone.
Lori Tan Chinn, John Miller, and Nikka Graff Lanzarone.
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Listen: Heidi Blickenstaff sings “Uninvited” from the national tour of Jagged Little Pill.
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Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts has announced its upcoming holiday concert series:
Silent Night Silent Disco (Dec. 9)
Holidays Around the World (Dec. 10)
American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker (Dec. 9-18)
The Broadway Hollywood Holiday Songbook (Dec. 15-17)
Johnny Mathis Christmas Concert (Dec. 23)
Fiesta Navidad (Dec. 23)
Salute to Vienna (Jan. 1)
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“Hip Hop Legends The Roots” will air Fri. Jan. 27 at 9 PM on PBS.
Known for electrifying live performances that blend hip hop, jazz, rap, soul. and funk, The Roots take music fans beyond the stage, coupling live concert footage with a look at the band’s curatorial endeavors, masterclasses and humanitarian activities from their residency at the Kennedy Center, and are committed to inspiring and educating rising artists.
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Kinky Boots will close Nov. 20 at Off-Broadway’s Stage 42, after 32 previews and 102 regular performances, directed & choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.
Callum Francis (Lola), Christian Douglas (Charlie Price), Danielle Hope (Lauren), Brianna Stoute (Nicola), Sean Steele (Don), and Marcus Neville (George), with Devin Bowles, Bella Coppola, Nick Drake, Ian Gallagher Fitzgerald, Ryan Halsaver, Matthew Michael Janisse, Lindsay Joan, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Marty Lauter, Tommy Martinez, Ryah Nixon, Lucas Pastrana, Liz Pearce, Ricky Schroeder, David J. Socolar, Ebrin R. Stanley, Tarion Strong, Ernest T. Williams, and Maria Wirries.
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Michigan’s Flint Repertory Theatre presents The Who’s Tommy in Concert Nov. 18-19, directed & choreographed by Davanand Janki, with music direction by Casey Baker.
George Salazar (Tommy), Janet Dacal (Mrs. Walker), Mauricio Martínez (Captain Walker), Paul Whitty (Uncle Ernie), Jeremiah Porter (Cousin Kevin, and Arielle Crosby (The Acid Queen), with Jason Briggs, Noah Canales, Rachael Cupples, Ian Deane, Elliott Dudek, Quinn Dudek, Emi Fishman, Musa Hitomi, Donovan Mahannah, Daniel Ryan May, Paris Porché Richardson, Lily Rose, and Samuel Sommer.
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Marsha Norman & Lucy Simon’s The Secret Garden will run Feb. 19 – Mar. 26, 2023 (opening Feb. 26) at the Ahmanson Theatre., directed & choreographed by Warren Carlyle, with music direction by Rob Berman.
Sierra Boggess (Lily), and more TBA.
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Video: First look at Parade at NYC Center, starring Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond.
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David Cale’s Sandra will run Nov. 3 – Dec. 11 (opening Nov. 20) at the Vineyard Theatre, directed by Leigh Silverman.
Marjan Neshat
In this new one-woman thriller, Sandra seeks to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of her closest friend, a young pianist and composer, who went on a trip to Mexico and never returned. Her search for clues leads her into both a highly charged love affair, and increasingly dangerous territory.
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The 3rd annual Remember the Ribbon: A Tribute to World AIDS Day live benefit concert will take place Mon. Nov. 7 at 6:30 PM at NYC’s Sony Hall, directed by Bryan Campione and Leonard Rodino, with music direction by Joshua Stephen Kartes.
The concert will also stream Dec. 1-3 on Playbill.com
Carolee Carmello, André Jordan, Darius Anthony Harper, and Anthony Wayne, with virtual appearances by Ariana DeBose and Judith Light.