Today’s Highlights:
* Betrayal, by Harold Pinter, directed by Jonathan Church, featuring Nancy Carroll, Joseph Millson, Edward Bennett, and Christopher Bianchi, opens in a socially-distanced production at London’s Theatre Royal Bath.
* Broadway For Biden Pep Rally benefit event, hosted by Eric Ulloa, with appearances by Joel Grey, Donna Murphy, Harolyn Blackwell, James Monroe Iglehard, Telly Leung, Caissie Levy, Lesli Marherita, Patti Murin, Zachary Prince, Brandon Uranowitz, Matthew Dicarlo, Leslie Uggams, Alex Brightman, Sophia Anne Caruso, Dana Steingold, and more, streams at 8 PM ET here.
* The Best Man benefit reading, by Gore Vidal, directed by Michael Wilson, featuring Patti LuPone, Morgan Freeman, Laurie Metcalf, Phylicia Rashad, Reed Birney, Matthew Broderick, Katie Finneran, Julie Halston, Stacy Keach, Robert Krulwich, John Malkovich, Zachary Quinto, Robert Sella, Lee Wilkof, Vanessa Williams, Whitney Winfield, Sean Close, Travoye Joyner, Jered McLenigan, and TJ Wagner, streams at 8 PM ET. Pay-what-you-can tickets here.
* New York Theatre Barn‘s New Works Series concert, which will present songs from Bobby Daye & Monica L. Patton’s Love & Southern D!scomfort, directed by Tamara Tunie, featuring Nikki M. James, Mauricio Martínez, Ramona Keller, and Anthony Wayne, streams at 7 PM ET.
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GRACE NOTES Quote of the Week: I’m a bad liar. I don’t know what to say backstage. ~ Uta Hagen
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Video: “Stars in the House,” offering a Regional Theatre Spotlight On: L.A. Theatre Works, hosted by Susan Albert Loewenberg, with special guests Charlayne Woodard, Matthew Rhys, Sara Drew, and Seamus Dever. (57:18)
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Paper Mill Playhouse has announced casting for its first two productions of the 2021-22 season:
* Sing in a New Year! (Dec. 19, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021), directed by Mark S. Hoebee, with music direction by Meghann Zervoulis featuring Kathryn Allison, Kate Baldwin, Natalie Cortez, John Treacy Egan, Mauricio Martinez, Rob McClure, Kyle Taylor Parker, Mamie Parris, Hayley Podschun, Nicholas Rodriguea, Graham Rowat, Christopher Sieber, Elena Shaddow, and Rema Webb.
* Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein (Feb. 13-26, 2021), conceived by Jeffrey B. Moss, directed by Mark S. Hoebee, featuring Belinda Allyn, Ashley Blanchet, Donna English, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Billy Harrigan Tighe.
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The Broadway Potluck, a showcase of Broadway hopefuls, will premiere Sun. Oct. 18 at 7 PM ET here, in support of BC/EEFA. The brainchild of high school junior Kayla Rutner, the young performers were chosen from online submissions.
Inspirational messages from: Joel Grey, Joanna Gleason, Tonya Pinkins, Liz Callaway, Kevin Chamberlin, Adam Pascal, Ann Harada, Jonah Platt, Donna Vivino, and Rachel York.
Video: Teaser
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Article: How Broadway’s Will Blum used 476 pieces of cardboard to create a 125-foot cave and stage a 12-min. solo operetta adaptation of Floyd Collins in his apartment.
The complete production is available in the article. It’s quite wonderful.
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ME’s Ogunquit Playhouse will present a virtual reading of Lloyd J. Schwartz, Hope Juber & Laurence Juber’s A Very Brady Musical on Wed. Oct. 28 at 7 PM ET (and available through Nov. 1), directed by Richard Israel, with music direction by Ted Arthur. A post-show celebration will feature original cast members Barry Williams and Christopher Knight, along with the musical’s creators.
Gavin Lee (Mike), Kerry Butler (Carol), Klea Blackhurst (Alice), Trista Dollison (Cindy), Celia Hottenstein (Marcia), Diana Huey (Jan), Troy Iwata (Peter), Mason Reeves (Greg), and Anthony Zamito (Bobby), along with Trace Bidelman, Jason Matthews, Melinda Portages, and Chuck Ragsdale.
The musical follows the Brady kids’ misadventures when they come to the mistaken conclusion that their parents are heading for certain doom: divorce. An in-person production was planned for 2021 but has been delayed due to the pandemic, according to producers Kate Atkinson, Victoria Lang, and Ryan Bogner.
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Reconnected, starring mentalist Jason Suran, will begin previews Oct. 16 and open Nov. 14, with performances held every Friday & Saturday at 8:30 PM ET on Zoom. 
here.
An intimate, interactive and irresistible experience where sophisticated acts of min-reading and unique immersive elements meet, brining you a show that asks you to engage with yourself and your fellow audience members. There are no muted mics and no back-row seats.
This virtual experience is performed in advance of an upcoming live theatrical show once safety permits.
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The Seth Concert Series, with special guest Beth Leavel, is now available on demand through Oct. 26 here.
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Video: Millicent Martin sings “Everybody Says Don’t” (1967)
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Hollywood’s Actors Co-op Theatre presents an original play, When We Can’t Meet, by company members Garrett Botts, Crystal Jackson, Linda Kerns, Greg Martin, and Nan McNamara, directed by McNamara, to stream Oct.16 & 17, both at 7 PM PT.
Garret Botts, Crystal Jackson, Linda Kerns, Natalie Hope MacMillan, and Greg Martin.
Five friends meet for virtual cocktails, and when they alcohol begins to flow, their relationships are put tot the ultimate test.
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: Glendale’s Antaeus Theatre Company presents podcast airings of The Zip Code Play: Los Angeles beginning Thurs. Nov. 12, with original music by Ellen Mandel. Each play takes place in a different LA zip code.
* Speakeasy, by Khari Wyatt and directed by Bernadett Speakes, featuring Richard K. Addison, Lloyd Roberson II, and Marlow Wyatt. In 1956, Leon Ivy returns home to South Central Los Angeles with a finished novel, a publisher and big plans for his future. But times have changed along Central Avenue, and Leon’s wife, Bird, and her new business partner, Daddy August, have enacted secret plans of their own. What are the costs of leaving home and what is the price of fighting for what you believe in?
* Clara and Serra and The Talking Bear, by Angela J. Davis, directed by Steven Robman, featuring Tony Amendola, Luis Kell-Duarte, and Abby Marks. Strange things are going on at the Los Angeles Civic Center in downtown L.A., where a magical encounter with a celestial comet awakens a pair of downtown statues and a neighboring denizen of the La Brea Tar Pits. Historical accusations, social justice and food truck cuisine lead to a fantasia of repentance, acceptance and grace
* All Information Herein Is Classified, by Deb Hiett, directed by Carolyn Ratteray, featuring Dawn Didawick, Bo Foxworth, and Catia Ojeda. Fresh from participating in street protests for the very first time, 80-year old Westwood, resident Eleanor Pender McAdams seems an unlikely subject for an FBI investigation
* Annexing the Palisades, by Alex Goldberg, directed by Ann Noble, featuring Nike Doukas, Harry Groener, and Adrian LaTourelle. When talented craftsman Joseph Kurtz arrives at the palatial Murphy Ranch ready to carve an ornate balustrade for the estate’s magnificent staircase, the job turns out to be much more complicated than he realized.
* Plucker, by Nayna Agrawal, directed by Jonathan Munoz, featuring Veralyn Jones, Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier, and Marcelo Tubert. Mina never should have eaten that piece of fruit overhanging from a tree in her Santa Monica neighbor’s garden. Now she’s on trial before the Flora and Fauna Committee, defending the Pluckers from the Harvesters.
* Salvage, by Steve Serpas, directed by Julia Fletcher, featuring Gigi Bermingham and Jon Chaffin. A nearly blind former music teacher and the volunteer who has arrived at an auto junkyard in Sun Valley to help her locate a part for her 1998 Subaru Impreza WRX. As Billy attempts to help Martha in her quest to take one last drive, coincidence, empathy and music make for a very special afternoon.
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Video: Douglas Sills sings “Into the Fire” with The Valley Villagers Virtual Choir. Note: This video includes 2 complete performances, followed by a dedication. (11:49)
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Two musicals are now available for streaming:
“Pride and Prejudice,” the new musical, Season 1 (BBC), starring Clare Higgins, David Rintoul, and Elizabeth Garvie, on Amazon Prime.
* The Hunted Encore!” Equal parts mock-umentary, action, comedy, and rock musical! First two seasons are FREE here.
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Video: Melissa Errico and Lara Downs perform “Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe”
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The Seth Concert Series, with special guest Keala Settle, will stream Sun. Oct. 18 at 8 PM ET here.
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The New York Philharmonic has joined Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, and many other major performing arts hubs across the city on pushing its hopes of a return to fall 2021. The orchestra has officially canceled all scheduled performances for the rest of the season, which were slated to take place Jan. 6 – June 13, 2021.
The organization had previously made the call (last June) to remain dark through 2020.
Details of the 2021–2022 season are TBA.
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Howell Binkley: A Celebration of Light and Love, a tribute to the Broadway lighting designer, will take place Sun. Oct. 25 at 8 PM ET here.
Cameron Macintosh, Jeffrey Seller, Richard Winkler, Thomas Kail, Des McAnuff, David Parsons, Sergio Trujillo, Ariana DeBose, Chita Rivera, Paul Nolan, Bob Gaudio, Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with his former assistants, his family and friends.
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Video: Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit record “Winter Wonderland” for the soundtrack of their new holiday film, “Royal Holiday,” which will air this Fall on The Hallmark channel (premiere date TBA).