Today’s Highlights:
I Wish You Well: The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical, by Roger Dipper & Rick Pearson, directed by Shiv Rabheru, featuring Diana Vickers (Gwyneth), Marc Antolin (Terry), Tori Allen-Martin (Kristen), and Idress Kargbo (Judge Jude), opens at London’s Criterion Theatre.
Brooklyn’s Way, world premiere by Henry Kass, directed by Ronnie Marmo, featuring Amye Partain (Brooklyn) and Jonathatn R. Freeman (Scoot), opens at North Hollywood’s Theatre 68.
The Hills of California, by Jez Butterworth, directed by Sam Mendes, featuring Laura Donnelly (Joan/Veronica), Leanne Best (Gloria), Ophelia Lovibond (Ruby), Helena Wilson (Jill,) Nancy Allsop (Young Gloria), Sophia Ally (Young Ruby), Lara McDonnell (Young Joan), and Nicola Turner (Young Jill), with Bryan Dick, Richard Short, David Wilson Barnes, Richard Lumsden, Ta’Rea Campbell, Sawyer Barth, Ellyn Heald, Cameron Scoggins, and Max Roll, with Erin Rose Doyle, Sadie Veach, Liz Pearce, Jessica Baglow, Liam Bixby, and Q. Smith, begins previews at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre.
Age is a Feeling, written & performed by Haley McGee, directed by Mitchell Cushman, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre.
The Beacon, by Nancy Harris, directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull, featuring Kate Mulgrew (Beiv), Zach Appelman Colm), Sean Bell (Donal), David Mattar Merten (Ray), and Ayana Workman (Bonnie), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep.
Once, directed by Michael Michetti, featuring Shawn W. Smith (Guy), Maddie Eaton (Girl), Linda Bard (Emcee), Max Bartos (Svec), Linda Bard (Emcee), Max Bartos (Svec), Matt Foyer (Da), Julia Hoffman (Réza), Brian Maillard (Bank Manager), Cynthia Marty (Baruška), and Leota Rhodes (Ex-Girlfriend), and Sam Saint Ours (Billy), with Adam Huell Potter, begins previews at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre.
Kill Move Paradise, by James Ijames, directed by Gregg T. Daniel, featuring Ulato Sam, Aheki Togun, Jonathan P. Sims, and Cedric Joe, begins previews at LA’s Odyssey Theatre.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Sept. 8.
Click here for the complete analysis.
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Tadeusz Slobodzianek’s Our Class will run Sept. 12 – Nov. 3 (opening Sept. 17) at Classic Stage Company, directed by Igor Golyak.
Gus Birney (Dora), Andrey Burkovskiy (Menachem), José Espinosa (Rysiek), Tess Goldwyn (Zocha), Will Manning (Heniek), Stephen Ochsner (Jakub Katz), Alexandra Silber (Rachelka/Marianna), Richard Topol (Abram), Ilia Volok (Władek) and Elan Zafir (Zygmunt).
The play follows ten Polish classmates, five Jewish and five Catholic, growing up as playmates, friends, and neighbors, who then turn on one another with life and death consequences. The piece comes at a time when the world is facing an increase in antisemitism across the globe.
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Little Women Ballet, a site-specific immersive experience, will run Sept. 27 – 29 (at various times) at the Heritage Square Museum (3800 Homer St.) .
A site-specific immersive experience. Be inside the beloved story of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Each immersive experience is entirely unique featuring a different season, different music, different desserts and refreshments, and different parts of the Little Women story told through dance. Audiences will venture into this classic tale for an immersive ballet experience. Join Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy inside the Victorian houses of Los Angeles as they tell their story of sisterhood, love, loss, and family. Meet all the characters up close, go on an immersive walking tour of the Heritage Square Museum, enjoy autumn-themed desserts and refreshments, and join the cast in Victorian dancing at the end of the evening. A wonderful experience for fans, young and old, within this timeless coming-of-age story.
Video: Trailer
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Off-Broadway’s New George’s (link TBA) has announced its 2024-25 season:
A Woman Among Women (Oct. 15 – Nov. 3), by Julia May Jonas & Brian Cavavanagh-Strong, directed by Sara Hughes. It’s Cleo’s backyard, Roy’s back in town, and Christine’s brought information. I mean, basil. A riff off Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. 
Brittany K. Allen, Gabriel Brown, Annie Fang, Zoë Geltman, Hannah Heller, Lucy Kaminsky, Drew Lewis, Maria-Christina Oliveras, and Dee Pelletier.
Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbiran Eoitica in the Woods, (Mar. 28 – apr. 26, 2025),written & performed by Emma Horwitz & Bailey Williams, directed by Tara Elliott. In every woods, there is a box. The box is full of lesbian erotica. Emma and Bailey are going to read some for you. Set inside an intimate archive of towering bankers boxes.
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Gingold Theatrical Group‘s Golden Shamrock Gala will take place Mon. Sept. 23 at 6 PM at NYC’s Robert Restaurant (2 Columbus Circle), directed by David Staller.
Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
Brenda Braxton and Santino Fontana.
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. August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson will run Oct. 13 – Nov. 10 (opening Oct. 19) at Pasadena’s A Noise Within, directed by Gregg T. Daniel.
Nija Okoro (Berniece) and Kai A. Ealy (boy Willies), with LeShay Tomlinson Boyce, Jernard Burks, Madison Keffer, Alex Morris, Gerald C. Rivers and Evan Lewis Smith).
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The world premiere of Michael Merton’s I’ll be with You Shortly will run Oct. 15 – Nov. 17 at North Hollywood’s Loft Ensemble Theatre. directed by Carol Becker.
Alexis C. Martino, Rebecca O’Brien, Janet Hoskins, Debra Kay Lee, Jerry Weil, Jason Paul Evans, Patrick Thofson, Amanda Lynne, Alex De Rita, Nick Benson, Brittany De Leon, Andrea Sojo, Andrew Neaves, and Starr Shapiro, with Joan Kubicek.
Carrie has been in a car accident. Becoming aware of her immediate surroundings, she concludes that she’s probably dead. She’s not in Heaven, and she’s not in Hell. She’s in some kind of waiting area. When she inquires, she’s told that it’s “Reception.” While she waits, an assortment of individuals parades ahead of her. Some are directed to a Heavenly paradise. Others will go straight to some level of the Inferno.
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The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s 2024 production of Tadeusz Slobodzianek’s Our Class will transfer to Classic Stage Company Sept. 12 – Nov. 3 (opening Sept. 17), directed by Igor Golyak. The production will be followed immediately by The Merchant of Venice Nov. 22 – Dec. 22. (also directed by Golyak).
(Our Class): Gus Birney (Dora), Andrey Burkovskiy (Menachem), José Espinosa (Rysiek), Tess Goldwyn (Zocha), Will Manning (Heniek, Stephen Ochsner (Jakub Katz, Alexandra Silber (Rachelka/Marianna), Richard Topol (Abram), Ilia Volok (Władek) and Elan Zafir (Zygmunt). Click here for the link.
(The Merchant of Venice): Richard Topol (Shylock), Gus Birney, Alexandra Silber (Portia) José Espinosa, Goldwyn, Stephen Ochsner Ochsner, and more TBA. Click here for the link. Click here for the link.
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A screening of the film “Lee” and conversation with Kate Winslet will take place Mon. Sept. 23 at 7:30 PM at NYC’s N2NY, moderated by Josh Horowitz.
A fascinating portrait the woman who captured some of the 20th century’s most indelible images of war — including an iconic photo of Miller herself, posing defiantly in Hitler’s private bathtub — in a full-throttle pursuit of truth for which she paid a huge personal price.
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LA Opera will present Puccini’s Mdame Butterfly Sept. 21 – Oct. 13 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, directed by Mario Gas.
Karah Son (Cio-Cio-San), Jonathan Tetelman (B.F. Pinkerton), Michael Sumuel (Sharpless), Hyona Kim (Suzuki), Rodell Aure Rosel (Goro), Hyungjin Son (Prince Yamadori ), Wei Wu (Bonze), Vincuis Costa (Imperial Commissioner), and Gabrielle Turgeon (Kate Pinkerton).