by Mike Haber | Jul 15, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
DELICIOUS NEWS: Full casting has been revealed for the upcoming Broadway debut of Douglas Lyons’ new comedy play
Chicken and Biscuits. Under the direction of
Zhailon Levingston making history as the youngest Black director in Broadway History at age 27, the cast will be led by…..
Broadway favorite NaTasha Yvette Williams (Broadway’s
Waitress) as “Brianna Jenkins”,
Devere Rogers making his Broadway debut as “Kenny Mabry”.
The cast will also feature several actors who appeared in the World Premiere production of this play last year at the
Queens Theatre That engagement abruptly cut short by 2 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic That will include…..
Ebony Marshall Oliver as “Beverly Jenkins”,
Aigner Mizzelle as “La’trice Franklin”,
Alana Raquel Bowers as “Simone Mabry”.
Williams, King, Rogers, Oliver, Mizzelle, and Bowers join the previously announced lineup of…..
Acclaimed stage and screen star Michael Urie as “Logan”.
In case anyone may not know, CHICKEN & BISCUITS is a raucous family comedy centering on The Jenkins, a dysfunctional family coming together celebrating the life of their father without killing anyone. However everything changes when the Grandson invites his boyfriend into the picture.
The production begins previews September 23rd, 2021 and will officially open on October 10th, 2021.
Congrats to this incredible new cast!!!
by Mike Haber | Jul 14, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, off broadway, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: So much anticipation in the air for Live Theayer returning. We are so excited to share with you that OFF Broadway’s
Vineyard Theatre will be transferring 2 of its recent sold out hits ON Broadway this Fall…. Tina Satter’s IS THIS A ROOM and Lucas Hnath’s DANA H. Both these productions (based on real true stories) had triumphant sold out runs recently prior before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
As part of the REPERTORY ON BROADWAY series, both plays will rotated and performed at the legendary Lyceum Theatre. Set to be played as a strictly limited engagement, the timing will consist as this…..
IS THIS A ROOM begin preview performances September 24th, 2021 and will officially open on October 11th, 2021. Meanwhile DANA H will start its previews October 1st, 2021 and will open October 17th, 2021. Both shows will alternate through January 16th, 2022.
In addition, both plays leading ladies will be reprising their performances from their Off Broadway runs to the Broadway stage.
Tina Satter’s IS THIS A ROOM tells the story of a 25-year-old former Air Force linguist (played by Emily Davis) who goes under an intense interrogation by the FBI and eventually charged with leaking evidence of Russian interference during the U.S elections. Reality remains in jail with a record-breaking sentence. Satter both wrote and directed the play.
Lucas Hnath’s DANA H is a one woman show. It tells the story of a mother (played by Deidre O’Connell) who recounts an extreme horrifying kidnapping experience in a set of Florida motels for 5 months. This story was inspired by that real situation that Hnath’s real life mother dealt with. It’s directed by Les Waters.
Both these stories are also inspired by real transcripts from both these terrifying experiences.
Additional casting will be announced soon.
With REPERTORY ON BROADWAY going into the Lyceum Theatre, sadly it gets rid of the initial show that was slated to go there in the Spring of 2020…… the musical adaptation of the cult classic movie
Sing Street, However, the production is still slated to go to Broadway soon. Details on what will be of that show’s future will be revealed soon.
Tina Satter’s IS THIS A ROOM and Lucas Hnath’s DANA H. Will Play in Repertory on Broadway This Fall (broadwayworld.com)
by Mike Haber | Jul 12, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: Casting has been announced for the highly anticipated Broadway debut of Lynn Nottage’s new play CLYDE’S coming this Fall. Leading the company as a group of workers in a truck-stop sandwich shop will consist of…..
Lucille Lortel Award nominee
Kara Young (Off Broadway’s All The Natalie Portmans) in her On Broadway debut,
Reza Salazar (no stranger working with Lynn Notage in the Broadway debut of
SWEAT and appeared in the original 2019 premiere of this play).
The play will be a 5 person cast. The last remaining cast member will be announced soon.
For those who may not know, CLYDE’S tells the story of a incarcerated kitchen staff of a truck-stop sandwich shop. One day, they are offered a chance at reclaiming their lives. Along the way, the staff is given permission and the chance to dream of that possibility of the perfect delicious sandwich.
The play originally had its world premiere debut in 2019 as FLOYD’S at the
Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN.
Under the direction of Kate Whoriskey, CLYDE’S will have a delicious Broadway debut at the Hayes at
Second Stage Theater. Previews begin November 3rd, 2021 and the Opening Night is set for November 22nd, 2021. It will run for a strictly limited engagement through January 16th, 2022.
by Mike Haber | Jul 10, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, Casting, off broadway, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: Singing sensation and Broadway veteran
Nick Jonas is currently in Cleveland, Ohio to shoot an upcoming filmed for television adaptation of the Tony and Grammy winning smash hit
Jersey Boys. The pop star will star in the musical’s central lead role of “
Frankie Valli” showing off that falsetto and belty voice on hit songs like SHERRY and CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU.
Check out Nick behind the scenes in tech rehearsals and in costume for the upcoming filmed presentation. From what we can see, this new TV production will be a filmed version of the actual stage production.
The role was originated on Broadway by
John Lloyd Young who won a 2006
Tony Award for his performance.
This new TV production of
Jersey Boys is also the 2nd time this musical has been captured on film. The original film adaptation was directed by Clint Eastwood in 2014 featuring Young reprising role.
Additional casting and a release date for this new presentation will be revealed at a later time.
Meanwhile for the stage version of
Jersey Boys, the New York production will re-open Off Broadway at
New World Stages on November 15th, 2021. It will also launch a West End revival at London’s new Trafalgar Theatre starting July 28th, 2021. Other productions will include an ongoing US and UK Tour.
by Mike Haber | Jul 9, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, Casting, Shows
Under the direction of y Charles Randolph-Wright. TROUBLE IN MIND is set to begin previews on October 29th, 2021 and officially open on November 18th, 2021 at the American Airlines Theatre. It will run for a strictly limited engagement through January 9th, 2022.
In case anyone may not know, this play centers on an experienced black actress going through the experience of a Broadway rehearsal. It deals with themes of racism, identity, and ego in the New York theatre scene.
The play originally debuted Off Broadway in 1955. It originally was slated to go to Broadway in 1957. However, it never happened due to the forefront of both the Civil Rights and feminist movements.
Most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roundabout did 2 virtual development lab productions. They also had did an online reading of another one of Alice Childress’ plays WINE IN THE WILDERNESS as part of the company’s multi-year The Refocus Project, presented in association with Black Theatre United (which LaChanze herself is a founding member) spotlighting 20th century Black plays and their playwrights.
Welcome back to Broadway LaChanze!!!
LaChanze Will Lead Roundabout’s TROUBLE IN MIND on Broadway (broadwayworld.com)
by Mike Haber | Jul 7, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: The Magic of THE MOUSE is making its way back to the Big Apple this year. Prior before its Broadway return,
Disney on Broadway will be presenting a set of 4 benefit concerts at the legendary New Amsterdam Theatre (home of Aladdin) to help raising money for
The Actors Fund this month. The concert series entitled LIVE AT THE NEW AM is set to run from July 22nd-25th, 2021. It will be headlined by Disney on Broadway veterans…..
The Quartet will perform an unforgettable lineup of your favorite songs within over the past 25+ years of Disney on Broadway including…..
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, this quartet has been touring across the country bringing the magic of Disney on Broadway to the people. Some of their notable performances already include at the
Walt Disney World Resort (during Epcot’s annual FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS concert series), London’s
Royal Albert Hall (which was filmed and set to be released on
Disney+), and more.
The performance schedule will be as follows….
July 22nd-24th, 2021 – Evening Performances at 7:30pm
and
July 25th, 2021 – Mattinae Performance at 2:00pm.
In addition, there will be extreme ongoing COVID-19 pandemic safety protocols in place for everyone who plans to attend. Audiences attending need to show that they have taken the vaccine….. with the exception of people under the age of 12. No details though have been said if people will still have to wear face masks and social distant.
LIVE AT THE NEW AM will be the ultimate prelude of what we’re so excited for beginning this Fall when Disney on Broadway’s ongoing productions are set to return.
As previously announced, THE LION KING is set to once again ROAR it out to packed audiences at the Minskoff Theatre beginning September 14th,, 2021. Meanwhile, ALADDIN will take audiences once again to ANOTHER ARABIAN NIGHT and A WHOLE NEW WORLD beginning September 28th, 2021.
What an exciting celebration it’s going to be celebrating the magic of Disney on Broadway this Summer before the real deal resumes.
