Today’s Highlights:
Nkeki Obi-Melekwe begins her run as Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, featuring Sara Sheperd (Carole King), James D. Gish (Gerry Goffin), Sara King (Cynthia Weil), Ryan Farnsworth (Barry Mann), Matt Loehr (Don Kirshner), and Rachel Coloff (Genie Klein), with Isaiah Bailey, Edwin Bates, Kaitlyn Nicole Davis, Rosharra Francis, Jamary Alexandra Gil, Kevin Hack, Danielle Herbert, Torrey Linder, Nick Moulton, Nurney, Teshomech Olenja, Monet Sabel, Paul Scanlan, Sarah Sigman, and Ben Toomer, re-opens at Chicago’s CIBS Theatre.
Paradise Square, by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, Nathan Tysen, Masi Asare & Larry Kirwan, directed by Moisés Kaufman, featuring Joaquina Kalukango (Nelly O’Brien), Matt Bogart (Willy O’Brien), John Dossett (Frederick Tiggens), Sidney Dupont (Washington Henry), A.J. Shiveley (Owen Duignan) Kevin Dennis (Mike Quinlan), Nathaniel Stampley (Reverend Samuel Jacob Lewis), Chilina Kennedy (Annie Lewis), Gabrielle McClinton (Angelina Baker), Jacob Fishel (Milton Moore), Kevin Dennis (‘Lucky’ Mike Quinlan), with Hailee Kaleem Wright, with Kennedy Caughell, Colin Cunliffe, Chloe Davis, Josh Davis, Bernard Dotson, Jamal Christopher Douglas, Sam Edgerly, Jacobi Hall, Sean Jenness, Ben Michael, Jay McKenzie, Kayla Pecchioni, Eilis Quinn, Lee Siegel, Erica Spyres, Lael Van Keuren, Alan Wiggins, Kristen Beth Williams, Rashidra Scott, and Yasmeen Sulieman, opens it pre-Broadway engagement at Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre.
Rent, directed by Matthew Gardiner, featuring Jake Loewenthal (Mark Cohen), Vincent Kempski (Roger Davis), Arianna Rosario (Mimi Marquez, David Merino (Angel Dumott Schunard), Josh A. Dawson (Tom Collins), Katie Mariko Murray (Maureen Johnson), Ines Nassara (Joanne Jefferson), and Da’Von T. Moody (Benjamin Coffin III), with Kaiyla Gross, Imani Branch, Adelina Mitchell, Solomon Parker III, Usman Ali Ishaq, Jimmy Mavrikes, and Devin Bowles with swings Ricardo Blagrove, Alex De Bard, Emmanuel Kikoni, and Sarah Anne Sillers, opens at DC’s Signature Theatre.
Sister Act, directed & choreographed by Dan Knechtges, featuring Simone Gunder (Deloris Van Carter), Alan H Green (Curtis), Anthony Alfaro (Pablo), Jamall Houston (Eddie Souther), Logan Keslar (Joey), Susan Koozin (Mother Superior), Trey Morgan Lewis (TJ), Joline Murica (Mary Patrick), Cathy Newman (Mary Lazarus), Raven Justine Troup (Mary Robert), and LaBraska Washington (Monsignor O’Hara), with Miles Marmolejo, Yasmyn Sumiyoshi, Hallie D Chapman, Courtney Chilton, Trey Harrington, T.J. Newton, Kim Stengel, and Holland Vavra, opens at Houston’s TUTS.
Megan Hilty in concert opens at 54 Below.
Diana The Musical, by Joe DiPietro & David Bryan, directed by Christopher Ashley, featuring Jeanna de Waal (Diana), Roe Hartrampf (Prince Charles), Erin Davie (Camilla Parker Bowles), and Judy Kaye (Queen Elizabeth), with Zach Adkins, Ashley Andrews, Austen Danielle Bohmer, Holly Ann Butler, Richard Gatta, Alex Hairston, Lauren E.J. Hamilton, Shaye B. Hopkins, André Jordan, Gareth Keegan, Libby Lloyd, Nathan Lucrezio, Tomás Matos, Chris Medlin, Anthony Murphy, Kristen Faith Oei, Laura Stracko, Bethany Ann Tesarck, and Michael Williams, resumes previews at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre.
Assassins, directed by John Doyle, featuring Adam Chanler-Berat (John Hinckley, Jr.), Eddie Cooper (The Proprietor), Tavi Gevinson (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Andy Grotelueschen (Samuel Byck), Judy Kuhn (Sara Jane Moore), Steven Pasquale (John Wilkes Booth), Ethan Slater (Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer), Will Swenson (Charles Guiteau), Wesley Taylor (Giuseppe Zangara), and Brandon Uranowitz (Leon Czolgosz), with Brad Giovanine, Bianca Horn, Whit K. Lee, Rob Morrison, and Katrina Yaukey, resumes previews at Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage Company.
Cullud Wattah, by Erika Dickerson-Despenza & Canid C. Jones, directed by Canids C. Jones, featuring Crystal Dickinson (Marion), Jenean Farmer (Marion), Lizan Mitchell (Big Ma), Ta’Neesha Murphy (Plum), Andrea Patterson (Ainee), Alicia Pilgrim (Plum), Chavez Ravine, and Lauren F. Walker, and Lauren F. Walker (Reese), with Chavez Ravine, begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.
**********************
Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders will run in 2022 (dates TBA at a theatre TBA), directed by Kenny Leon. Link TBA.
Audra McDonald and more TBA.
The play follows fiction author Suzanne Alexander as she returns to Ohio State University to talk about the violence in her writing. Soon after arriving, however, a dark mystery unravels.
**********************
Jeffre Spivak’s “Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley” is now available in Kindle and Hardcover here.
**********************
Gingold Theatrical Group continues with “A Scintillating Shaw Party,” a companion even to compliment its production of Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession (which continues through Nov. 20 at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row).
The party is a free event, offering a chance to chat with the experts about all things Shaw, which will take place Mon. Nov. 15 at 7 PM ET at NYC’s Symphony Space.
James Armstrong, Stephen Brown-Fried, Ellin Dolgin, Adam Feldman, Chris Finan, Sarah Rose Kears, Ethan E. Litwin, Martin Meisel, Svetlana Mintcheya, and Liam Prendergast.
The event will bring you an international team of actors, directors, scholars, and historians to explore the distinctly Shavian issues addressed in Mrs. Warren’s Profession, and how they relate to our lives in the present. The audience will engage in discussions about several Shaw-themed issues with this amazing team moderated by David Staller.
**********************
Complete casting has been announced for She Loves Me, to run Dec. 11 – Jan. 15, 2022 (opening Dec. 16) at the Crucible Theatre, directed by Robert Hastie, with music direction by Caroline Humphris, and choreography by Ewan Jones.
Alex Young (Amalia Balash), David Thaxton (Georg Nowack), Marc Elliott (Ladislav Sipos), Andy Coxon (Steven Kodaly), Kaisa Hammarlund (Ilona Ritter), Karle Seth (Zoltan Maraczek), Lewis Cornay (Arpad Laszlo), and Adele Anderson (Head Waiter), with Zac Adlam, Michael Anderson, Kamau Davis, Lawrence Guntert, Samantha Hull, Exme Laudat, and Gleanne Purcell-Brown.
**********************
Showcase presentations of Bradley Bredeweg’s Invincible The Musical, featuring the hits of Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, will take place Nov. 10-12 at the Los Angeles Bourbon Room, directed by Scott Schwartz, with music direction by Jesse Vargas, and choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant & Christopher Grant.
Abigail Barlow (Juliet) and James Hayden Rodriguez (Romeo), Joan Almedilla (Madam Capulet), J. Valerione (Mercutio), Jordan Kai Burnett (Benvolia), Nicole Clemetson (Nura), Carson Higgins (Tybalt), Patrick Ortiz (Paris), Patrick Reilly (Friar), Krystle Simmons (Madam Montague), and Ja. Valerione (Mercutio), with Tickwanya Jones, Janaya Mahealani Jones, Jonathan Omar Mouton, and Kay Sibal.
Similar to & Juliet, this musical uses a familiar catalog to offer a new take on the Bard’s tragedy of star-crossed lovers. The show presents Juliet’s suitor Paris as a newly elected official of war-torn Verona, intent on destroying a progressive resistance.
**********************
Readings (by invitation only) of Joseph Church & Jeff Bienstock’s Pants! The Jimmy Pants Musical will take place Nov. 8 & 9 (both at 3:30 PM ET) in NYC, directed & choreographed by Bill Castellino, with music direction by Henry Aronson & Polia Senderova.
Justin Collette, Jim Conroy, Lorna Courtney, Anthony Festa, Aaron Arnell Harrington, Danny Rutigliano, Kirsten Scott, Lily Thomas, and John Wascavage.
A zany sendup of bio-jukebox musicals that tells the story of our fictitious hero, with an original score spanning pop styles from the 1960s through the 2000s. It’s “This is Spinal Tap” meets The Drowsy Chaperone with a rocking musical score.
**********************
One More For The Road, an authentic re-enactment concert honoring the musical of Frank Sinatra, with a full 32-piece orchestra, starring Bob Anderson, will take place Sat. Dec. 11 at 7 PM ET at Carnegie Hall.
**********************
Shoshana Bean performs two songs:
“Back to Before” from Ragtime here.
“Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen here.
**********************
NYC’s Town Hall has announced upcoming concerts:
Judy Collins: Winter Stories (Dec. 18 at 8 PM ET), with special guests Toshi Reagen and Chatham Country Line. 
here.
Darlene Love: Home For The Holidays (Dec. 18 at 8 PM ET). here.
Origin of Love: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig (Dec. 29-31 at 8 PM ET), featuring John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask. here.
**********************
The original Broadway cast of Spring Awakening will reunite for a 15th anniversary benefit concert, in support of The Actors Fund, to take place Mon. Nov. 15 at 7 PM ET at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre, directed by Michael Mayer.
Skylar Astin, Gerard Canonico, Lilli Cooper, Jennifer Damiano, Christine Eastbrook, John Gallagher, Jr., Gideon Glick, Jonathan Groff, Robert Hager, Brian Johnson, Lea Michele, Lauren Pritchard, Krysta Rodriguez, Stephen Spinella, Phoebe Strole, Jonny B. Wright, and Remy Zaken.
**********************
Paul Gordon & John Caird’s Estella Scrooge is now available for streaming here.
Betsy Wolfe (Estella Scrooge), Danny Burstein (Ebenezer Scrooge), Lauren Patten (Dawkins), Carolee Carmello (Marla Havisham), Patrick Page (Mr. Merdle), Michelle Lee (Ms. Noggs), Sarah Litzsinger (Sissy Junes), Clifton Duncan (Philip Nickleby), Megan McGinnis (Betty Chatchit), Tom Nelis (Dedlock), Adam Halpin (Bob Cratchit), Meg Gibson (Molly), William Youmans (Bagstock), Em Grosland (Smike), Phoenix Best (Charity/Mercy Pecksniff), David Bryant (Mr. Podsnap), Gabrielle Reid (Mrs. Pumblechook), Samuel E. Roberts (Mr. Flopson), Michael Francis McBride (Mr. Dombey), Kristen Faith Oei (Ms. Skiffins), Kevin Morrow (Jasper Jaggers), Jocziyah Patrick Jean-Felix (Young Pip), Brooklyn Shuck (Young Essy), and Willow McCarthy (Tiny Tammy).
Estella Scrooge is a Wall Street tycoon with a penchant for foreclosing. A hotelier in her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio has defaulted on his mortgage, and as a Christman gift to herself, she decides to deliver the sad news in person. Arriving at the Harthouse Hotel on Christmas Eve, Estella discovers that the mortgage holder is none other that her childhood sweetheart, Pip Nickleby. Always the humanitarian, Pip has generously transformed the property into a refuge for the distraught, disabled and displaced. A freak snowstorm forces Estella, much to her dismay, to take refuge at Harthouse. That night, as it happened to her ancestor Ebenezer long ago, she too is haunted by three visitation. And oh what uninvited overnight houseguests they are!
**********************
Bob Anderson’s One More For the Road, a celebration of Frank Sinatra, will take place Sat. Dec. 11 at 7 PM ET (the eve of Sinatra’s 106th birthday) at Carnegie Hall.
The production features a 32-piece orchestra, Sinatra’s original charts of his most beloved songs, and the work of award-winning makeup artists.