Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday.
Grace Notes will return Monday, December 2.
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Holiday Highlights:
Wednesday, November 27
Who’s Holiday, by Matthew Lombardo, directed by Trey Compton, featuring Lara Hayhurst and Lu Zielinski, opens at Pittsburgh CLO.
Fatherland, written & directed by Stephen Sachs, featuring Ron Bottitta (Father), Patrick Keleher (Son), Anna Kahja (US Attorney), and Larry Poindexter (Defense Attorney), closes at Off-Broadway’s New York City Center Stage II.
We Live in Cairo, by The Lazours (Daniel & Patrick), directed by Taibi Magar, featuring Ali Louis Bourzgui, Drew Elhamalawy, John El-Jor (Mean Girls), Nadina Hassan, Michael Khalid Karadsheh, and Rotana Tarabzouni, closes at Off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop.
Thursday, November 28
Relax, let go, let fly…
Friday, November 29
Christmas on the Rocks, by Judy Gold, Jenn Harris, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jacques Lamarre, Edwin Sánchez & Matthew Wilkas, directed by Rob Ruggiero, featuring Harry Bouvy, Jen Cody, and Richard Kline, opens at CT’s TheaterWorks Hartford.
A Musical Christmas Carol, by David H. Bell, directed & choreographed byScott Evans, featuring Charles Shaughnessy (Scrooge), Allison Cahill, Justin Fortunato, Lisa Ann Goldsmith, Ashton Guthrie, Tom Watkins, Dick Wilkins, Luke Halferty, Tim Hartman, Jeffrey Howell, Julia Paladino, Marco Attilio Petrucci, Benjamin Pimental, Erika Strasburg, Mark Tinkey, Terry Wickline, Magan Dee Yantko, Brittany Graham, Lara Hayhurst, Gavan Pamer,Allan Snyder, Maddie Dick, Abigail Gilman, Simon Nigam, and Mario Williams, opens at Pittsburgh CLO.
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas, a solo adaptation, featuring Michael Russotto, opens at MD’s Olney Theatre.
Broadway’s Leading Men: A Musical Celebration! concert, featuring Christian Borle, Jacob Gutierrez, Christopher Jackson, Telly Leung,e Norm Lewis, Alexis Michelle,Matthew Morrison, Nic Rouleau, André De ShieldsPaulo Szot, Luke Frazier, Tituss Burgess, Victor Garber. Jared James Monroe Iglehart, and Liev Schreiber, begins streaming via PBS Passport.
Henry Mancini 100 at The Hollywood Bowl concert, featuring Michael Buble, Cynthia Erivo, saxophonist Dave Koz and Mancini’s daughter Monica Mancini, airs at 9 PM on PBS (check local listings).
Saturday, November 30
Death on the Nile, adapted by Ken Ludwig, directed by Hana S. Sharif, featuring Felicia Curry (Annabelle Pennington), Eric Hissom (Sir Septimus Troy), Nancy Robinette (Salomé Otterbourne), and Sumié Yotsukura (Rosalie Otterbourne), Olivia Cygan (Linnet Ridgeway), Armando Durán (Hercule Poirot), Katie Kleiger (Jacqueline de Bellefort), Jamil A.C. Mangan (Colonel Race), Ryan Michael Neely (Ramses Praed), Robert Santon (Atticus Praed), and Travis Van Winkle (Simon Doyle), begins previews at DC’s Arena Stage.
Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway: New York State of Mind concert closes at NYC’s 54 Below.
Sunday, December 1
Only Fools and Horses, by Paul Whitehouse & John Sullivan, directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, featuring Vinnie Jones (Danny Driscoll0, Paul Whitehouse (Grandad), Sam Lupton (Del Boy), Tom Major (Rodney), Georgina Hagen (Raquel), Craig Berry (Boycie), Nicola Munns (Marlene/Cassandra), Lee VG (Trigger), Bradley John (Denzil), Darryl Paul (Tony Driscoll /Mike the Barman), Peter Watts (Mickey Pearce), Richard J Hunt (Dating Agent), Gloria Acquaah-Harrison (Mrs Obooko), Philip Childs (Alternate Grandad / Phil), Andrew Bryant (Jumbo Mills),Amanda Coutts (Tina), Christopher Arkeston (Monkey Harris), Rhys Owen (Em), Kieran Andrew (Skinner), Katie Paine (Sharon) and Oscar Dobbins (Roy Taylor), opens at London’s Apollo Theatre.
Orson’s Shadows, by Austin Pendelton, directed by Pendleton & David Schweitzer, featuring Brad Fryman (Orson Welles), Patrick Hamilston (Kenneth Tynan), Luke Hofmaier (Sean), Natalie Menna (Vivien Leigh), Cady McClain (Joan Plowright), and Ryan Tramont (Laurence Olivier), closes at Off-Broadway’s Theatre for the New City.
Manhattan Theatre Club’s Bad Kreyol, world premiere by Dominique Morisseau, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, featuring Pascale Armand (Gigi), Fedna Jacquet (Lovelie), Andy Lucien (Thomas), Kelly McCreary (Simone),and Jude Tibeau (Pita), with Toree Alexandre andJude Carl Vincent, closes at Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre.
Back to the Future national tour, directed by John Rando, featuring Don Stephenson (Doc Brown), Caden Brauch (Marty McFly), Burke Swanson (George McFly), Zan Berube (Lorraine Baines), Cartreze Tucker (Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry, Ethan Rogers (Biff Tannen), and Luke Antony Neville (Principal Strickland), with Joshua Blackswan Abbott, Emily Applebaum, Tade Biesinger, Ina Black, Brittany Bohn, Luther Brooks IV, Alyssa Carol, Jenny Dalrymple, Lucas Hallauer, Laura Sky Herman, Will Jewett, Ben Lanham, Kiara Lee, Dwayne P. Mitchell, Zoe Brooke Reed, Fisher Lane Stewart, and Ross Thompson, closes at LA’s Pantages Theatre.
A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Stephen Hamilton, featuring Daniela Mastropietro (Blanche DuBois), Katie Roders (Stella Kowalski), Katie Rodgers Stella Kowalski), Sawyer A. Spielberg (Harold “Mitch” Mitchell), Nicole Marie Hunt (Eunice Hubbell), Joe Pallister (Steve Hubbell), Carlos Barcia (Pablo Bonzalez), and Matthew Conlon (Doctor0O, with She Buckner and Adelaide Mestre, closes at Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre.
Sojourners, by Mfoniso UdoFia, directed by Dawn M. Simmons, featuring Abigail C. Onwunali (Abasiama), Asha Basha Duniani (Moxie), Nomè SiDone (Ukpong), and Joshua Olumide (Disciple), with Aisha Akorede, Malik Mitchell, and Kiera Prusmack, closes at Boston’s Huntington Theatre.
Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Lonny Price, featuring Jason Alexander (Tevye), Valerie Perri (Golde),Rachel Ravel (Tzeitel),Alanna J. Smith (Hodel), Emerson Glick (Chava), Cameron Mabie (Motel),Remy Laifer (Perchi), Sawyer Patterson (Fyedka), Eileen T’Kaye (Yente), nRon Orbach (Lazar Wolf,) Gregory North (Constable), Catherine Last (Shprintze), Ava Giselle Field (Bielke),David Prottas The Fiddler/Yussel), Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper (Mordcha),Hayden Kharrazi (Mendel), Ryan Dietz (Avram), Marc Moritz (Rabbi), Daniel Stromfeld (Nachum), Jean Kauffman (Grandma Tzeitel). Gwen Hollander (Fruma-Sarah), Dana Weisman (Shaindel) and Hannah Nicole Sedlacek (Fredel),with Anthony Cannarella, Michael James, Bruno Koskoff, Gavin Leahy, Mark C. Reis, Michalis Schinas, Chad A. Vaught, and Michael Wells, Bailey Herskowitz, Charley Rowan McCain, and Donovan Mendelovitz, closes at CA’s La Mirada Theatre.
First Date, by Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, directed by James Esposito, featuring Michael Angel, Christopher Baker, Troy Dailey, Olivia Leyva, Paloma Malfavon, Andreas Pantazis, Kendre Scott, Natalie Scott, and Rachel Yoffe, closes at LA’s Zephyr Theatre.
Group Rep‘s Four Top, world premiere by Four Top, directed by Kathleen R. Delaney, featuring Jackie Shearn (Liz), Cassidy LeClair (Server), Jack Menzies (Brian), Rosie Byrne (Megan), and Luke Rampersad (Tony), closes at North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Nov. 24.
Click here for the complete analysis.
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RIP: Helen Gallagher, a two-time Tony winner, passed away Nov. 24, at the age of 98. .
Ms. Gallagher enjoyed a stage career than spanned seven decades. A native New Yorker, Ms. Gallagher got her start on Broadway as a ballerina, performing in the corps of Seven Lively Arts and Mr. Strauss Goes to Boston, and in the original dancing ensembles of Billion Dollar Baby and Brigadoon. Her big break came in 1947, when Jerome Robbins cast her as Charleston-crazed Nancy in High Button Shoes, catapulting her from the chorus to the world of principal roles.
Ms. Gallagher won her first Tony in 1952 for her performance as the no-nonsense chorus girl Gladys Bumps in the 1952 revival of Pal Joeyl. The very next year, she starred as the eponymous media darling in Hazel Flagg, kicking off an extended stretch of leading lady roles in Ms. Gallagher’s ouvre. In The Pajama Game she played the quick witted secretary Gladys Hotchkiss, Guys and Dolls gave her room to stretch her comedic chops as Miss Adelaide, and in back-to-back revivals of Finian’s Rainbow and Brigadoon, Ms. Gallagher played the lively lassies Sharon McLonergan and Meg Brockie, respectively.
In 1966, Ms. Gallagher originated the role of Nickie in Sweet Charity, earning a Tony nomination. She would go on to replace star Gwen Verdon in the lead role of Charity, later taking the show out on tour. In 1969, she replaced as Agnes Gooch in Mame, but it wasn’t until 1971 that her name would again be the toast of the town, winning her second Tony as well as a Drama Desk award for her performance as Lucille Early in the 1971 revival of No, No, Nanette. Her performance was universally celebrated, and Ms. Gallagher was, for a time, credited as one of the great harbingers of Broadway’s revival boon.
Outside of theatre, Ms. Gallagher portrayed the Irish matriarch Maeve Ryan on the ABC soap opera Ryan’s Hope, breathing life into the maternal force for the entirety of the program’s run from July 1975 to January 1989, during which time shw received three Daytime Emmy Awards. While working in television, Ms. Gallagher also taught voice and acting, serving as a private singing instructor out of her home, and as an acting instructor at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York City.
In 1984, Ms. Gallagher starred in the title role of Tallulah, a musical biography of actress Tallulah Bankhead. Her final stage performance came in 2000, where she starred as Gert in the York Theatre Company revival of 70, Girls, 70. Her final television appearance came in 2009, when she appeared as an expert on American Masters to discuss the work of Jerome Robbins.
In all, Ms. Gallagher graced Broadway’s stages 21 times. Her additional Broadway credits include Touch and Go, Make a Wish, Portofino, Cry for Us All, Much Ado About Nothing, The American Dance Machine, and Sugar Babies.
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Roundabout Theatre has announced complete casting for Sanaz Toosi’s English, to run Jan. 3 – May 2, 2025 (opening Jan. 23) at the Todd Haimes Theatre, directed by Knud Adams.
Tala Ashe (Elham), Ava Lalezarzadeh (Goli), Pooya Mohseni ((Roya), Marjan Neshat (Marjan), and Hadi Tabbal (Omid.
The comedy unfolds in an Iranian classroom where adult English learners practice for their proficiency exam. As they leapfrog through a linguistic playground, their wildly different dreams, frustrations, and secrets come to light. Can they overcome the limits of language to discover what they really want to say?
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Video: Allison Russell performs “Livin’ It Up Top” from Broadway’s Hadestown.
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Noises Off will continue through Dec. 22 at Boston’s Lyric Stage Company, directed by Ilyse Robbins.
Amy Barker, Grace Experience, Dan Garcia, Eliza Fichter, Michael Jennings Mahoney, Joseph Marrella, Chip Phillips, Samantha Richert, and Lewis Wheeler.
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Red Bull Theater will present a reading of Henry Chettle’s The Tragedy of Hoffman or Revenge for a Father on Mon. Jan. 27 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s Symphony Space, directed by Nathan Winkelstein.
Tina Benko, Ro Boddie, Madeline Calais-King, Robert Cuccioli, Carson Elrod, Manoel Felciano, Mister Fitzgerald, Rami Margron Laila Robins, Lily Santiago, Socorro Santiago, Michael Stewart Allen, and more TBA.
The captivating story of a young man seeking to avenge the murder of his father with the help of a diabolical servant. He joins the household of his enemies, enacting convoluted plots of deceit, betrayal, poisoning and violence to pursue his ends. But unchecked vengeance has a way of catching up with you.
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Video: B-roll footage of Broadway’s Swept Away
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Death of a Salesman will run Jan. 9-26 (opening Jan. 10) at Burbank’s Colony Theatre, directed by Mark Blanchard.
Joe Cortese as Willy Loman), Frances Fisher (Linda Loman), Cronin Cullen (Biff Loman), Robert Smythe (Happy Loman,), Paul Ganus (Uncle Ben), Brian Guest (Bernard/Stanley), Gary Hudson (Charlie), Jennifer Olsbert (Letta), Scottie Thompson (The Woman/Lady in Bar/Miss Forsythe/Jenny), and Chris Ufland (Howard Wagner).
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Ensemble Theatre Company has added additional performances of Million Dollar Quartet, and will now run Dec. 4 – 22 (opening Dec. 7) at Barbara’s New Vic, directed by Brian McDonald, with music direction by David Lamoureux.
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)
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Blue Man Group will close Feb. 2, 2025, after 33 years at Off-Broadway’s Astor Place Theatre.
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An industry reading of Kara Cutruzzula Kristoffer Bjarke’s Marathon will take place Fri. Dec. 6 at NYC’s Open Jar Studios, directed by Tyrone L. Robinson, with music direction by Simone Alle.
: rsvp@mixandmatchproductions.com
Liz Callaway, Thom Sesma, Leana Rae Concepcion, Stephanie Bacastow, and Tracy Sallows.
A journey of endurance, hope, and finding connection over 26.2 miles.