1987Robert Harling‘s smalltown drama Steel Magnolias transfers from Off-Broadway’s WPA Theatre to Off-Broadway’s Lucille Lortel Theatre where it plays 1,126 performances. The play features Betsy Aidem, Mary Fogarty, Margo Martindale, Rosemary Prinz, Constance Schulman, and Kate Wilkinson under the direction of Pamela Berlin.
1997Cats officially becomes the longest-running musical in Broadway history when it plays its record-breaking 6,138th performance. The record is later surpassed by another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Phantom of the Opera, in 2006.
2004 The musical Children’s Letters to God, inspired by the bestselling book of the same name, makes its Off -Broadway debut at the black box space of the Lamb’s Theatre. Stafford Arima directs the new musical by David Evans (music), Douglas Cohen (lyrics) and Children’s Letters to God author Stuart Hample (book).
2007 Husband-and-wife actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna join the Broadway company of the Tony-winning revival of Kander and Ebb’s Chicago as Billy Flynn and Roxie Hart.
2011 Nilaja Sun’s portrait of New York City public schools, No Child…, which played 311 performances at the Barrow Street Theatre in 2006, returns to that venue for 40 performances only.
2013 The Off-Broadway premiere of Tennessee Williams‘ rarely-seen The Two-Character Play opens at New World Stages. Amanda Plummer and Brad Dourif star as two actors on tour who find themselves deserted by their troupe.
2018 Donja R. Love’s drama Sugar in Our Wounds opens Off-Broadway in a Manhattan Theatre Club production. Saheem Ali directs a cast led by Sheldon Best, Stephanie Berry, Fern Cozine, Tiffany Rachelle Stewart, and Chinaza Uche as Henry. In the play, a mystical tree stretches toward heaven and protects James (Best), who reads newspapers about the imminent possibility of freedom. When a brooding stranger arrives, James and his makeshift family take the man in—the start of an unexpected bond and striking romance.
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, the documentary about the EGOT-winning artist, arrives in theatres June 18. Watch the trailer above.
Directed by Mariem Pérez Riera, the film chronicles Moreno from her early years in Puerto Rico through her childhood as an immigrant in New York City and the racial bias she faced in the studio system, while breaking down barriers and overcoming sexism and identity discrimination with integrity.
In addition to Moreno, others featured in the doc are George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estefan, Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria, Justina Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Karen Olivo.
“Rita is an incredible inspiration to so many, hers is a success story for all women who feel alone as they struggle to assert themselves with courage and bravery against heavy odds,” said director Pérez Riera. “We are so thrilled to bring Rita to theatres for audiences to spend time with a woman who, when speaking about herself, speaks to and for a lot of us.”
American Masters Pictures and Act III Productions in association with Artemis Rising and Maramar Films present the film. Executive producers are Michael Kantor, Lyn Davis Lear, Norman Lear, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Regina K. Scully; producers are Brent Miller and Pérez Riera. The documentary also has cinematography by P.J. López, music by Kathryn Bostic, and editing by Kevin Klauber and Pérez Riera. It is co-produced by Ilia J. Vélez-Dávila.
PBS’ American Masters will present the U.S. broadcast premiere of the documentary, which debuted at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, sometime after the theatrical release.
Moreno has received all of the most prestigious awards in show business, including the Oscar, the Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. She received The Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American Culture and was honored by her peers as the 50th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Moreno was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.
Moreno earned a Tony Award for her work in Broadway’s The Ritz; having earned an Oscar for her performance as Anita in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story, she’ll return to the musical in the upcoming remake as Valentina, a new take on the character Doc.
Meet the Principal Cast of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story Remake
New York City’s popular cabaret venue Feinstein’s/54 Below will welcome back audiences for live performances beginning June 17 with an all-star lineup of entertainment and a new summer menu from Consulting Chef Harold Dieterle, best known as the Season 1 winner of TopChef.
The opening weekend shows include Joe Iconis and George Salazar: Two Player Game (June 17-24), Shakina Nayfack (June 17), Larry Owens (June 19, July 9 and 31), and a celebration of the city, Our New York Renaissance! A Celebration in Song! (June 20), curated by Scott Siegel.
Famed interpreter of the Great American Songbook Michael Feinstein will return to the club for a two-week run August 24–Septmber 6. “As we all start to reconnect our lives, it is a genuine joy to celebrate the reopening of our nightclub. Personally, I have deeply missed our family of performers, staff, patrons and friends and feel so grateful that we will soon be reunited!,” he said in a statement.
André De Shields, Shakina Nayfack, and Beth Malone
June continues with Pride-themed shows by Tony nominee Beth Malone (June 21), Alexis Michelle (June 21), Robbie Rozelle (June 24), and Michael Kushner (June 30). Rounding out June are Britton Smith & The Sting (June 22–23), Nicole Henry (June 27), Scott Coulter & Friends: From Dolly Parton to David Bowie (June 27), Lee Roy Reams: Remembering Jerry Herman (June 28), and I Wish: The Role That Could Have Been hosted by Alexandra Silber (June 28). Tony nominee Derrick Baskin closes the month with a five-show run (June 29-July 3).
Highlights from July include Mike Wartella (July 5), Storm Large (July 6-7), Ryan Scott Oliver (July 6), Deon’te Goodman (July 7), Blaine Alden Krauss (July 8-15), Charlie Rosen and his Roaring 20s Sextet (July 10-13), L Morgan Lee (July 14), Marilu Henner (July 14), Broadway couple Andy Karl and Orfeh (July 15-17), Taylor Sorice (July 16), Sally Wilfert (July 18-20), Tony winner Beth Leavel (July 22-23), Christy Altomare (July 22), Joe Gulla (July 23), Joe Iconis (July 24-26), Adam Pascal (July 26-27), Jelani Remy (July 27), Emily Skinner (July 29-31), John Minnock (July 29), and Robert Bannon (July 30). Feinstein’s/54 Below’s signature series, Sondheim Unplugged, will return July 25.
August shows will feature Tony winner André De Shields (August 2–7), Maria-Christina Oliveras (August 6), Liz Callaway (August 8-9), Vasthy Mompoint (August 8), Amber Iman (August 10-14), Tom McGovern (August 10), Zack Zadek (August 14), Emerson Mae Smith and Murphy Taylor Smith (August 17), Bonnie Milligan (August 18-19), Alice Ripley (August 23), Your Birthday Show! from Scott Siegel (August 25), Todd Buonopane (August 26), and composers Helen Park (August 27), Adam Gwon (August 28), and Michael R. Jackson (August 31).
Feinstein’s/54 Below will be following CDC and New York State guidelines and operating with enhanced safety protocols. Capacity will currently be limited to only 80 guests. Tickets for all shows will be sold in pods of two, three, or four tickets, and unaffiliated parties will not be seated at the same table. Proof of vaccination will be required for entry.
For full schedule and ticketing, visit 54Below.com.
The Broadway League hasannounced the performers forBroadway Celebrates Juneteenth, a free outdoor event centered around Black joy and unity that will feature Black Broadway performers in a 90-minute concert with live music provided by The Music Performance Trust Fund.
Atlantics 2021-2022 season will include the world premiere ofNgoziAnyanwu’splayThe Last of the Love Letters, directed byPatricia McGregor, and featuringNgoziAnyanwu the world premiere musicalKimberly Akimbo, with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winnerDavid Lindsay-Abaire,music by Tony Award-winnerJeanineTesori, and more.
A cast of trans performers will headline a benefit reading of The Wolves, presented by Actors Theatre of Louisville and casting director-producer Charlie Hano. The virtual event will stream June 29, with proceeds going to the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.
Sarah DeLappe’s play, a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, depicts a series of vignettes centering on a girls indoor soccer team, from their intense warmups to the traumas of entering adulthood.
The presentation hits screens against the backdrop of continued efforts across the U.S. to exclude trans students from school sports and restrict their medical care, directly impacting trans youths’ health and well-being. In Kentucky, a bill was recently pre-filed by Republican representative Ryan Dotson that would prevent trans women from competing in women’s sports at public high schools and colleges.
Casting and additional information will be announced later. For more information, visit ActorsTheatre.org.
