Today’s Highlights:
* Musical Theatre West‘s Keep the Lights On Benefit Concert, featuring cast members from the theatre’s productions of Ragtime, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, and Evita — Paul Garman, Barry Pearl, Julie Garnyé, Adam Wylies, David Kirk Grant, Michael Scott Harris, Hannah Rose Kidwell, Jeffrey Landman, Kamilah Marshall, Anna Mintzer, Gary Patent, Mayo Somers, Brittany Anderson, Malakai Brasile, Richard Bermudez, Dedrick Bonner, Aden Coleman, and Mel Collins, re-broadcast at 3 PM PT.
* Mauricio Martinez: De Mexico to Broadway Concert, (filmed July 2018 at 54 Below), with special guests Orfeh and Mariand Torres, FREE streamed at 7 PM ET here.
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GRACE NOTES Quote of the Week: “Why waste a sentence saying nothing?” ~ Seth Godin
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Chicago’s 2020 Equity Jeff Award nominations.
Click here for the complete list of nominees.
The awards will be presented virtually on Nov. 9.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” a Next to Normal original Broadway cast reunion, with Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, Adam Chanler-Berat, Jennifer Damiano, Aaron Tveit and Louis Hobson. (1:25:19)
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As national tours have been brought to a standstill in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Broadway Booking Office will partner with stage-to-cinema distributor BY Experience to offer some form of theatre to touring venues across the country.
Participating theatres will host socially distanced screenings of filmed performances, allowing patrons to enter the venues that have been shutdown since March.
The performances hail largely from the U.K. and include the filmed West End productions of Kinky Boots and 42nd Street, Phoebe Waller Bridge’s Fleabag, the James Corden-led One Man, Two Guvnors, King Lear with Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in Frankenstein.
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Off-Broadway’s Amas Musical Theatre has announced that submissions are now being accepted for the the Eric H. Weinberger Award for Emerging Librettists, in which a juried cash and production grant is given annually to support the early work and career of deserving musical theatre librettist.
The winner will receive $2,000 to help pay cost-of-living expenses. The winning musical will receive development assistance in the theatre’s 2021 New Works Development Program. The development assistance culminates in the work being rehearsed and performed by theatre professionals in an Amas Lab production.
Submission guidelines (deadline Nov. 30) here.
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Casting has been announced for Emma Rice, Christopher Dimond & Michael Kooman’s Romantics Anonymous, which will be livestreamed from London (as part of a “digital tour”) on Sept. 26 at 1 PM PT & Sept. 28 at 4 PM PT at Beverly Hills’ The Wallis.
The cast and crew have been in quarantine together in the UK and will remain so through the end of the run to ensure their safety and enable them to perform without socially distancing measures.
Marc Antolin (Jean-René), Carly Cawden (Angélique), Me’sha Bryan (Suzanne/Mimi), Harry Hepple (Ludo/Remi), Laura Jane Matthewson (Young Woman), Sandra Marvin (Magda/Brigitte/Dr Maxim), Philip Cox (Father/Pierre/Receptionist), Gareth Snook (Mercier/Mumbler/Marini), and Omari Douglas (Salesman/Fred).
Angélique is a gifted chocolate maker inhibited by social anxiety and Jean-René is the boss of a failing chocolate factory. When Angélique takes a job in Jean-René’s struggling factory, a fragile love affair unfolds. A delicious love story about breaking the mold and finding the courage to be happy.
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Video: The Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet (1:35:44)
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& 
LA’s Open Fist Theatre Company presents its 30th Anniversary Virtual Gala & Auction on Sat. Sept. 26 at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET
Shoshana Bean, Jason Paige, and Ty Taylor.
Auction includes:
* Exotic 7-night vacations in an 8-bedroom private villa near Puerto Vallarta at the Hammock Cover Resort & Spa in Antigua, and at The Club in Barbados.
* Virtual Italian cooking class for up to 6 people from a Tuscan chef
* Golf packages from the Monarch Beach Golf Links in Orange County, St. Mark Gold Club in San Diego, and Oaks Club at Valencia
* 3-night Napa Valley Wine Train Legacy Tour
…and much more…
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Video series: The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues…. written by James Lapine, Lonergan, Rachel Axler, Eliza Bent, Rachel Bonds, Will Brumley, J. Julian Christopher, Angie Bridgette Jones, James Lapine, and Kenneth Lonergan, and featuring Marsha Norman, Liliana Padilla, Andrew Rincón, Sung Rno, Alexis Scheer, Jonathan Marc Sherman, and Omar Vélez Meléndez, and featuring Brittany O’Grady, Patrick Wilson, Noah Galvin, Dagmara Domińczyk, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Kevin R. Free, Lora Lee Gayer, Nina Hellman & Jeremy Shamos, Richard Kind, Alice Kors, Sydney Lemmon, Joy Osmanski, Emily Pendergast, Sarah Steele, and Dominic Rains.
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Broadway On Demand has announced the launch of Broadway Access Pro, a subscription service dedicated to individuals interested in master classes from Broadway’s most celebrated creators. which will launch Sept. 21.
Broadway Access Pro provides:
* Essential master classes and top performer training from Broadway stars and creators.
* Unlock secrets from Broadway’s industry leaders with over 250 episodes of content, featuring more than 100 Broadway icons and 45 Tony Award Winners.
* Access a full suite of exclusive Broadway education content, including programs on acting, dance, producing, directing, audition technique, accent courses, business coaching, performer focused fitness and more.
* Learn from Broadway’s Best at home or on-the-go with Broadway Access Pro.
Teachers & Coaches: Denée Benton, Andy Blankenbuehler, Sierra Boggess, Danny Burstein, Stephen Byrd, Andre De Shields, Taye Diggs, Andy Einhorn, Savion Glover, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Michael R. Jackson, Alia Jones-Harvey, Tom Kitt, Lindsay Mendez, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, David Byrne, Anthony Rapp, Jon Rua, Tara Rubin, Lea Salonga, Stephen Schwartz, Frank Wildhorn, Julie Taymor, and many more.
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Video: “The Story Goes On” from Baby, with The Valley Villagers Choir
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PA’s Bucks County Playhouse (link TBA) will present Playhouse Live! on Sun. Sept. 20 at 7 PM ET, hosted by producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman, and Josh Fiedler, and co-hosted by Didi Conn.
The 30-min. all-new program will feature performances and interviews with notable writers, directors, designers, and actors, as well as acoustic performances from Playhouse artists, and remembrances from Playhouse alumni.
Included:
* An interview with Didi Conn about her experiences filming “Grease!”
* Linda Lavin will introduce you to her latest character, internet sensation Yvette Scloch.
* Mason Reeves and Sky Seals offer musical performances,
* Richard Riaz Yoder will tap to Fats Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose.”
* The cast of BCP’s Once will perform a song from the show.
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Video: Joshua Henry talks about his start as an actor.
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Barry Kleinbort & Mark Janas’ Broadway & The Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song, in support of The Actors Fund, will stream Wed. Sept. 30 at 7:30 PM ET here (and available through Oct. 4).
Len Cariou (it’s also his 81st birthday!)
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Alternative Theatre Los Angeles and LA Stage Alliance will present Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival Oct. 1-17, to celebrate the vibrant and diverse intimate theatre scene of the greater Los Angeles area. Proceeds will support Color of Change.
Over the course of three weekends, 34 of ATLA theatre companies will showcase 10-minute works, digitally produced and virtually shared. Each evening will be hosted by celebrity guests.
Participating Los Angeles theatre companies: 24th Street Theatre, Actors Co-op, Ammunition Theatre Company, Celebration Theatre, Chance Theater, Coin and Ghost, Company of Angels, Echo Theater Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, IAMA Theatre Company, Impro Theatre, Independent Shakespeare Company, Interact Theatre Company, Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble, Macha Theatre, Open Fist Theatre Company, Ophelia’s Jump Productions, Pacific Resident Theatre, Playwrights’ Arena, Rogue Machine Theatre, Sacred Fools Theater Company, Sierra Madre Playhouse, Skylight Theatre Company, The 6th Act, The Fountain Theatre, The Group Rep Theatre, The Inkwell Theater, The New American Theatre, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, The Road Theatre Company, The Victory Theatre Center, Theatre of NOTE, Theatre West and Whitefire Theatre.
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Fabulous Fanny: The Songs and Stories of Fanny Brice, starring Kimberly Faye Greenberg, has been extended through Oct. 18, which is livestreamed here.