Tony Award nominated leading man, Max von Essen, celebrated the release of his debut solo recording, Call Me Old Fashioned The Broadway Standard, LML Music, with one show at Birdland on Monday, August 19th at 7pm.
The Geffen Playhouse begins its 2019–2020 season August 20 with the Jen Silverman play Witch, starring Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney. Marti Lyons directs.
The play follows Elizabeth Sawyer, a villager exiled after being labeled a witch. When a charming devil comes to tempt locals to exchange their souls for their desires, Elizabeth is not so easily swayed. Witch is inspired by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, and John Ford’s Jacobean play The Witch of Edmonton.
Joining Tierney (ER, The Affair) on stage are Brian George (Three Seasons), Ruy Iskandar (Macbeth), Evan Jonigkeit (Sweetbitter), Vella Lovell (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and Will Von Vogt (Significant Other).
The production team includes scenic designer Dane Laffrey, costume designer Danae McQueen, lighting designer Keith Parham, choreographer Jessica Lee Keller, and fight choreographer Steve Rankin.
Witch officially opens August 29.
As BroadwayWorld previously reported, WAITRESS will end its Broadway run at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. When the show says goodbye to Broadway, it will have played 33 previews and 1544 performances.
For some revivals, there’s truly no place like home. Here’s a look at 15 Broadway shows with revivals that played the same theatre as the original original production
Flip through the 15 show below:
Whether you’re a rabid theatre fan, a casual lover of the arts, or just an ordinary tourist who appreciates great entertainment, no trip to New York City is complete without an experience at a Broadway show. You might have already booked tickets months in advance good for you, but if you haven’t, there’s still hope
The Broadway community is one synonymous with generosity. For decades, the industry has taken care of its own and the world through organizations like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Actors Fund, and more. Individual shows participate year-round in events for these organizations, like BC/EFA’s Red Bucket Follies or The Fund’s special benefit performances. But the giving doesn’t stop there. A number of Broadway shows have taken on their own individual initiatives, fundraising efforts, and events to raise awareness and money to make the world a better place.
Here are 11 Broadway shows leading by example:
Aladdin
Members of the cast of Aladdin participate in the annual Broadway Bee, an adult spelling bee between the Broadway shows. The more funds each team raises, the more lifelines they get to stay in the Bee. Proceeds benefit arts education charity Broadway Bound Kids.
Come From Away
The production about the passengers of 37 planes re-routed to Gander Newfoundland after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has been yoked to the national day of mourning since its inception. Every year, on September 11, the cast gathers to pack lunches for needy communities as part of the 9/11 Day of Service. The company also participates in the “pay it forward” initiative. On September 11, every company member receives $100 to give out and help in random acts of kindness, paying for someone’s coffee, subway fare, or anything that will help or put a smile on someone’s face. Afterward, the company participates in talkbacks with the audience to share what they did with the money that year. This is something the real life Kevin started after he spent the week in Gander. He gave $100 to each of his employees to do good in the community.
READ: How Come From Away‘s Message of Kindness Has Spread Beyond the Show
Dear Evan Hansen
The 2017 Tony-winning Best Musical has used its global platform to support a number of organizations and eradicate the stigma around mental health issues. A portion of sales from the official show merchandise benefits The JED Foundation, The Trevor Project, Child Mind Institute, Crisis Text Line, and Born This Way. Twice a year, Dear Evan Hansen works with Arts Connection for workshops that bring arts to adolescents. The next workshop is set for November 12, where two cast members attend; the students will attend a performance and talkback November 19, and then artwork inspired by their experience will be on display at Sardi’s, where a reception will take place in January 2020.
Hamilton
Among its contributions is EduHam, the program that brings students to see the Broadway production of the musical and participate in learning history through the arts. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s program engages students in creating original works — such as poems, raps and songs — related to Alexander Hamilton and the country’s founding. And now, students in grades 6-12 can participate in the Hamilton Education Program Online.
Mean Girls
At the heart of Tina Fey’s satire has always been a mission to improve the self-esteem of and camaraderie amongst young women. As part of an ongoing partnership with the Young Women’s Leadership Network, Mean Girls invited high school students from all five of their NYC branches to see the show and conducted workshops with cast members to discuss themes from the show and create an open dialogue about the effects of bullying in schools. Additionally, Mean Girls is a partner of the Kind Campaign, creating online social content to highlight the negative effects of girl-on-girl bullying. Proceeds from the official “You Can Sit With Us!” T-shirt benefits the Campaign.
Moulin Rouge!
Back in June, cast members of the newest Broadway musical Moulin Rouge! Benjamin Rivera, Morgan Marcell, and Jacqueline B. Arnold combined forces to design Moulin Rouge! Pride shirts “because we believe our show celebrates love, acceptance, and pride,” says Rivera. Though originally intended as a display of solidarity for the entire cast and crew of the show, when Rivera took over the official Instagram account for the smash hit, fans went berserk and wanted to know where they could buy them. Well now, they can. Online sales for the T-shirts are now open through August 31 and all proceeds from the unofficial show merch benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Trevor Project, and Human Rights Campaign Greater New York. Visit MoulinRougePride.com.
Oklahoma!
The Tony Award–winning revival of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic is the first Broadway show in history to join Gun Neutral, a non-partisan initiative working to eradicate gun violence. For every visible gun in Oklahoma!, the production has made a minimum donation of $100 to Gun Neutral. These funds are dispersed to reduce the number of illegal guns in circulation, provide funding to support arts and STEM education in underserved communities and areas affected by gun violence, and invest money in research regarding portrayal of gun violence in entertainment.
The Cher Show
Cast members Stephanie J. Block, Teal Wicks, Dee Roscioli, Aléna Watters, Tiana Okoye, and Blaine Krauss will represent the bio-musical at the 2019 Covenant House Stage & Screen Sleep Out. Covenant House International is an organization that offers housing and support services to homeless youth. Serving 800,000 youngsters each year, Covenant House conducts Sleep Outs to raise awareness and funds for their locations and programming by sleeping on the street for a single night in solidarity with these kids. The Broadway community began sleeping out five years ago, and in 2018 the summer event expanded to include all members of the entertainment community as the Stage & Screen Sleep Out. Participating as a team, The Cher Show has already raised over $20,000 ahead of the August 19 event.
To Kill A Mockingbird
Since the show opened in December 2018, all proceeds from official merchandise sold at the Shubert Theatre benefit the Monroe County Public Library, where To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee grew up, and the Trayvon Martin Foundation.
What the Constitution Means to Me
The production is also behind one of the teams at the Covenant House Stage & Screen Sleep Out on August 19 to benefit homeless youth.
Wicked
Over its 15-year Broadway run, Wicked has dedicated support for numerous organizations, including BC/EFA and the Broadway Green Alliance. Wicked is also a partner of BullyBust.org, a campaign led by the National School Climate Center to prevent bullying in schools.
1913 Montague Glass‘ comedy Potash and Perlmutter begins a hit run at the Cohan Theatre, starring George Sidney and Alexander Carr as the hapless pair.
1927 Eddie Cantor headlines the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The Irving Berlin score introduces the song “Shaking the Blues Away.”
1939 Carole Shelley is born in London, England. A Tony Award winner for her performance as Mrs. Kendal in The Elephant Man, she also appears in the original Broadway casts of The Odd Couple, Absurd Person Singular, Stepping Out, Wicked, and Billy Elliot.
1958 Future “Material Girl” Madonna is born. Besides becoming a top recording artist and cultural icon with such hit songs as “Like A Virgin” and “Holiday,” she also stars on Broadway in David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow and plays the title role in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita.
1996 A season of revivals kicks off at the Roundabout Theatre Company‘s Criterion Center Stage Right with Tennessee Williams‘ Summer and Smoke. Following the turn of-the-century-set drama, the season continues with Jean Anouilh‘s The Rehearsal, Anton Chekhov‘s The Three Sisters, and Dion L. Boucicault‘s London Assurance.
2011 The world premiere of Charles Busch‘s Olive and the Bitter Herbs, starring Marcia Jean Kurtz, Julie Halston, and Dan Butler, opens Off-Broadway at Primary Stages. Mark Brokaw directs the comedy about an actor who sees a ghost in her mirror.
2016 Groundhog Day, Tim Minchin and Danny Rubin‘s musical based on the 1993 film comedy of the same name, premieres at London’s Old Vic Theatre. Andy Karl stars as Phil Connors, a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman who is sent to cover the Groundhog Day event in the small town of Punxutawney, Pennsylvania, where he finds himself caught in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day again and again… and again. Karl repeats his performance in the production when it transfers to Broadway the following year.
2018 Samantha Barks and Andy Karl take on the roles created on screen by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman: The Musical, opening on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre. Based on the 1990 romantic comedy about a star-crossed meeting between a sex worker and a disillusioned businessman, the show has a book co-written by the film’s director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, and songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.
Today’s Birthdays: Robert Culp 1930. Julie Newmar 1935. Anita Gillette 1936. Paul Hecht 1941. Bob Balaban 1945. Lesley Ann Warren 1946. Dee Hoty 1952. Kathie Lee Gifford 1953. Angela Bassett 1958. Timothy Hutton 1960. Stew 1961. Cristin Milioti 1985.
Watch highlights from the 2017 Broadway production of Groundhog Day:
Second Stage Theater presents the New York premiere of Make Believe. Written by Bess Wohl and directed by Michael Greif.