GRACE Notes will return Friday, September 8
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Upcoming Highlights:
Wednesday, September 6
Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical, world premiere by Dominique Morisseau, directed by Kamilah Forbes, featuring Angela Birchett (Delores), Quentin Earl Darrington (Don Cornelius), Kayla Davion (Jody Watley), Sidney DuPont (Tony Cornelius), Cameron Hah (Cheryl Song), Amber Iman (Pam Brown), Richard James (Tyrone Proctor), Jaquez (Jeffrey Daniel), Alain “Hurrikane” Lauture (Don Campbellock), Mayte Natalio (Rosie Perez), and Charlene “Chi-Chi” Smith (Damita Jo), with Terence Archie, Jennifer Marie Frazier, McKenzie Frye, Justin Jorrell, Jahi Kearse, Alora Tonielle Martinez, Miki Michelle, Aché Richardson, Roukijah Rooks, SeQuoiia, Maleek Washington, Unissa Cruse, Amanda Le Nguyen, and Aya Travick-Best, opens at San Francisco’s A.C.T.
Pygmalion, directed by Richard Jones, featuring Bertie Carvel (Professor Henry Higgins), Patsy Ferran (Eliza Doolittle), Lizzy Connolly (Clara Eynsford Hill), Grace Cookey-Gam (Mrs. Eynsford Hill), Penny Layden (Mrs. Pearce), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Mrs. Higgins), Michael Gould (Colonel Pickering), John Marquez (Alfred Doolittle), Taheen Modak (Freddy Eynsford Hill), and Kieran Smith (Aristid Karpathy), with Steven Dykes, Liz Jadav, Caroline Moroney, and Rohan Rakhit, begin previews at London’s Old Vic.
Death, Let Me Do My Show, created & performed by Rachel Bloom, directed by Seth Barrish, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Job, by Max Wolf Friedlich, directed by Michael Herwitz, featuring Peter Friedman (Loyd) and Sydney Lemmon (Jane), begins previews at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse.
No Good Things Dwell in the Flesh, world premiere by Christina Masciotti, directed by Rory McGregor, featuring Kellie Overbey, Carmen Zilles, and T. Ryder Smith, with Jeffrey Brabant, Annie Fang, and Megan Lomax, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s A.R.T./New York Theatres.
Pygmalion, directed by Richard Jones, featuring Bertie Carvel (Professor Henry Higgins), Patsy Ferran (Eliza Doolittle), Lizzy Connolly (Clara Eynsford Hill), Grace Cookey-Gam (Mrs. Eynsford Hill), Penny Layden (Mrs. Pearce), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Mrs. Higgins), Michael Gould (Colonel Pickering), John Marquez (Alfred Doolittle), Taheen Modak (Freddy Eynsford Hill), and Kieran Smith (Aristid Karpathey), with Steven Dykes, Liz Jadav, Caroline Moroney, and Rohan Rakhit, begins previews at London’s Old Vic.
Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan Macmillan & Jonny Donahoe, directed by Colm Summers, featuring Daniel K. Isaac, begins previews at LA’s Geffen Playhouse.
The Sound Inside, by Adam Rapp, directed by Cameron Watson, featuring Amy Brenneman (Bella Lee Baird) and Anders Keith (Christopher Dunn), begins previews at Pasadena Playhouse.
Robert Briemeyer: Broadway Barfly concert, with special guest Bianca Marroquin, at 9:30 PM at NYC’s 54 Below.
Open-Door Playhouse’s “Amusing Wille” podcast, directed by directed by Rachel Berney Needleman, featuring Kenajuan Bentley, Gita Reddy, Nicole Javier and Desiree Mae Jung, available here.
Thursday, September 7
Death Note: The Musical in Concert, by Frank Wildhorn, Jack Murphy & Ivan Menchell, directed & choreographed by Nick Winston, featuring Aimie Atkinson, Rachel Clare Chan, Jessica Lee, George Maguire, Carl Man, Christian Ray Marbella, Dean John-Wilson, and Joaquin Pedro Valdes with an ensemble featuring Boaz Chad, Charlotte Coggin, Jade Copas, Eu Jin Hwang, Yojiro Ichikawa, Deena Kapadia, and Patrick Munday, opens at London’s Lyric Theatre.
Rebecca Gilman, directed by Robert Falls, featuring Mary Beth Fisher (Peg), Kirsten Fitzgerald (Sheriff Kris), Anne E. Thompson (Dani) and Bubba Weiler (Ryan), with Laura T. Fisher, Jessica Ervin, and Jack Lancaster, opens at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theatre.
The Creeps, written by & starring Catherine Waller, opens at Off-Broadway’s Playhouse 46.
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, by Ossie Davis, directed by Kenny Leon, featuring Leslie Odom Jr. (Purlie), Vanessa Bell Calloway Idella Landy), Billy Eugene Jones (Gitlow Judson), Noah Pyzik (Deputy), Noah Robbins (Charlie Cotchipee), Jay O. Sanders (Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee), Heather Alicia Simms (Missy Judson), Bill Timoney (Sheriff), and Kara Young (Gussie Mae Jenkens), begins previews at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre.
Prayer for the French Republic, by Joshua Harmon, directed by Loretta Greco, featuring Amy Resnick (Marcelle Salomon Benhamou), Barzin Akhavan (Charles Benhamou), Carly Zien (Elodie Benhamou), Joshua Chessin-Yudin (Daniel Benhamou), Tony Estrella (Patrick Benhamou), Talia Sulla (Molly), Will Lyman (Pierre Salomon), Will Lyman (Pierre Salomon/Marcelle/Patrick’s Father), Phyllis Kay (Irma Salomon), Peter Van Wagner (Adolphe Salomon), Jaren Troilo (Lucien Salomon), and Jesse Kodama (Young Pierre Salomon), with Fady Demian, Josephine Elwood, David Kelly, Zach Kelley, Adrianne Krstansky, and Nael Nacer, begins previews at Boston’s Huntington Theatre.
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Broadway Grosses for the week ending Sept. 3: Click here for the complete analysis (scroll down).
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National Theatre Live will present a screening of London’s production of C.P. Taylor’s Good on Sat. Sept. 23 at 3 PM at UCLA’s James Bridges Theatre, directed by Dominic Cooke.
David Tennant.
As the world faces its Second World War, John Halder, a good, intelligent German professor, finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run Oct. 8 – Nov. 12 (opening Oct. 14) at Pasadena’s A Noise Within, directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott & Geoff Elliott.
Zach Kenny (Theseus & Oberon), Tricia Miller (Hippolyta & Titania), Jeanne Syquia (Helena), Kasey Mahaffy (Puck), Cassandra Marie Murphy (First Fairy), Frederick STuart (Nick Bottom), Veralyn Jones (Peter Quince), Ed F. Martin (Flute), and Brendan Mulligan (Snug), with Hakop Mkhsian and Erick Valenzuela.
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The world premiere of Noel Carey, Julia Mattison & Marco Pennette’s Death Becomes Her will run April 30 – June 2, 2024 at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, directed & choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, with music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell. 
Video: Promo
Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp), and more TBA.
Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies… until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for. After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored… and a grudge to last eternity.
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The 2023 American Theatre Wing Gala will take place Mon. Sept. 11 at NYC’s Cipriani 42nd Street, directed by Jason Michael Webb. Click here for more information.
Leslie Odom Jr., Melissa Etheridge, Tituss Burgess, Justin Guarini, LaChanze, Chuck Cooper, Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Judy Kuhn, Lilli Cooper, and Eddie Cooper, Julie Halston, famed animal trainer Bill Berloni, and many more.
The Gala’s concert program honoring “Unsung Heroes of the Theatre Industry”, in which each stage star will shine a spotlight on their own personal Unsung Hero. From dressers who execute seamless quick changes between scenes, to understudies and swings who go into a show with little to no notice and don’t miss a beat, to makeup artists responsible for the flawless faces seen on stage, and so many more vital contributors to the theatrical art form, the 2023 Gala celebrates members of the theatrical community who don’t often get the recognition they deserve.
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San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon has announced its 2023-24 season. Casting and creative teams TBA.
Mame (Nov. 2-19), directed by Beck Potter.
Falsettos (Feb. 29 – Mar. 17, 2024), directed by Dennis Lickteig.
Forever Plaid (Apr. 18 – May 5), directed by Daniel Thomas.
Bright Star (June 6-23), directed by Cindy Goldfield
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A return engagement of Richard Hellesen’s Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground will run Oct. 2-27 at Theatre at St. Clements, directed by Peter Ellenstein.
John Rubenstein.
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Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, will present The Pearl Cleage Festival Sept. 14 – Oct. 15, offering two productions and a reading series:
Blues for an Alabama Sky (Sept. 14 – Oct. 15), at the Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, directed by Mikael Burke. It’s Summer 1930 in Harlem, and jazz singer Angel has just been fired from The Cotton Club. As she hopes for her next big break, her flatmate friends pursue their own dreams amidst daily realities: costume designer Guy imagines sewing dresses in Paris while Delia brings family planning centers to the community. But sparks fly when Angel encounters Alabama-transplant Leland, tossing all of their aspirations into jeopardy.
The Nacirema Society (Sept. 16 – Oct. 15), at the Goodman Theatre, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.
Staged Reading Series (Sept. 19 – Oct. 14). Too much to post here, but available on the link above.
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Hair will run Sept. 30 – Oct. 22 at NJ’s Two River Theater, directed by James Vásquez, with original choreography by Mayte Natalio.
Andrew Polec (Berger), Tré Frazier (Hud), Janelle McDermoth (Dionne), Olivia Oguma (Jeanie), Olivia Puckett (Shelia), Angel Sigala (Woof), Bailey Day Sonner (Crissy), Jordan Dobson (Claude) and Bailey Day Sonner (Crissy), with Darius Wright, Deviin Cortez, Tiffany Frances, and Delaney Love.