Anthony Rapp, Bonnie Milligan, and More Take the Stage Next Week at Feinstein’s/54 Below
Next week, Feinstein’s54 Below presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL to Headline 2021 US Open Opening Night Ceremony
The USTA today announced that the cast of the Tony-nominated hit Broadway musicalMoulin Rouge The Musical, led by the shows stars, Tony Award nomineeAaron TveitandNatalie Mendoza, will headline the Opening Night Ceremony at the 2021 US Open.
In the News: Moulin Rouge! Cast Will Perform at US Open, Oslo Team Forms Production Company, More
Read on for more theatre news you may have missed in today’s headlines.
Maria Irene Fornes Tribute Set for August 28-29
Ángela Maria Ramos and Rebecca Rivera of All-Latina Theatre Collective will present the bilingual work celebrating the famed Cuban-American playwright, whose plays include Fefu and Her Friends, most recently seen Off-Broadway at TFANA. The cast will include Sofia Figueroa, Buchanan Highhouse, Ramos, and Rivera as they perform highlights from Fornes’ works along with poetry by Rivera and songs by Marta Gomez, Chavela Vargas, and Omara Portuondo. Directed by Maria Sofia Hernandez and Sofia Ubilla, Maria Irene Fornes Tribute will be staged at the Russian Arts Theater in NYC. Click here for tickets.
Moulin Rouge! Cast Will Perform at US Open
Current Tony nominee Aaron Tveit and incoming star Natalie Mendoza will headline the August 30 Opening Night Ceremony at Arthur Ashe Stadium prior to the first evening session of tennis match play. Also slated to appear are fellow cast members Jaqueline B. Arnold, Tony nominee Robyn Hurder, Holly James, and Jeigh Madjus. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is set to resume performances on Broadway September 24 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
READ: 74th Annual Tony Awards Will Be Held at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre
SRO Productions Formed by Bartlett Sher, J.T. Rogers, and Cambra Overend
The company, led by the trio who worked on HBO’s movie adaptation of Rogers’ play Oslo after Sher directed the Broadway production, is already developing several yet-to-be-named stage musicals, including ones from Marc Platt (Dear Evan Hansen) and Aaron Sorkin (To Kill a Mockingbird). Plans are also in the works to present a number of revivals. Deadline reports SRO is also developing film and TV projects, including a series inspired by Rogers’ play Blood and Gifts and another based on the Robert Caro-penned biography The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York.
Primary Stages Will Present Virtual Fall 2021 Season
Kate Hamill’s BadAss GalBoss Power Hour (Mandatory Meeting – 11/18/2020) will kick things off September 22 with a run directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel. The comedy is set at a mandatory Zoom business meeting for a multi-level marketing company. Joining Hamill in the cast are Kimberly Chatterjee, Krystal Lucas, Jason O’Connell, Maria-Christina Oliveras, and Miriam Silverman. The season continues with the dramaturg workshop Seeing Between the Lines Class (October 7), and Inda Craig-Galván’s Undo The Sea (dates TBD), directed by Jennifer Chang. The latter is a virtual drama that explores the age of lockdown through the eyes of a married couple. For more information about the season, visit PrimaryStages.org.
Voting Now Open for the Finale of Next on Stage: Dance Edition!
Voting is now open for the final round of Next on Stage Dance Edition Your votes determine who wins season 2 in our high school and college categories. The voting deadline isWednesday, August 25 at 1159pm ET.
A Look Inside Rehearsal for the North American Tour of Frozen
Rehearsals are underway for the national tour of Disney’s Frozen. The production, starring Caroline Bowman and Caroline Innerbichler, is scheduled to resume performances in Buffalo at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre September 10.
Returning to the cast are Bowman as Elsa, Innerbichler as Anna, Austin Colby (Bowman’s husband) as Hans, F. Michael Haynie as Olaf, Mason Reeves as Kristoff, and Collin Baja and Evan Strand alternating as Sven.
New to the touring production are Robert Creighton as Weselton (a role he originated in the Broadway company), Natalia Artigas and Natalie Grace Chan alternating in the role of Young Elsa, and Olivia Jones and Victoria Hope Chan alternating in the role of Young Anna. The Chans are sisters.
A Look Inside Rehearsal for the North American Tour of Frozen
Rounding out the ensemble are Caelan Creaser, Jeremy Davis, Colby Dezelick, Michael Everett, Berklea Going, Michael Allan Haggerty, Tyler Jimenez, Hannah Jewel Kohn, Marina Kondo, Dustin Layton, Nika Lindsay, Tatyana Lubov, Adrianna Rose Lyons, Michael Milkanin, Kyle Lamar Mitchell, Jessie Peltier, Naomi Rodgers, Brian Steven Shaw, Daniel Switzer, Zach Trimmer, Brit West, and Natalie Wisdom.
The Michael Grandage-helmed musical, based on the 2013 Oscar-winning animated film, opened at Broadway’s St. James Theatre in March 2018, subsequently earning Tony Award nods for Best Musical, Best Score for Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and Best Book for Jennifer Lee. Rob Ashford choreographs.
Frozen also has scenic and costume design by two-time Tony and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram, lighting design by six-time Tony winner Natasha Katz, sound design by seven-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski, video design by Tony winner Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry, hair design by David Brian Brown, makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates, and special effects design by Jeremy Chernick.
Two-time Tony winner Stephen Oremus is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental, and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by orchestrator Tony nominee Dave Metzger, executive music producer Chris Montan, additional dance arranger David Chase, and music director Faith Seetoo.
Jersey Boys Revival Opens in London August 17
The Tony and Olivier–winning Jersey Boys officially opens at the newly renovated Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End August 17 following previews that began July 28. The production had been scheduled to open August 10, but the date was postponed due to canceled performances for precautionary measures related to the coronavirus.
Leading the cast are Ben Joyce in his professional stage debut as Frankie Valli with Adam Bailey (The Book of Mormon) as Bob Gaudio, Benjamin Yates (Wicked) as Tommy De Vito, and Karl James Wilson (Dirty Dancing) as Nick Massi.
Watch Joyce, Bailey, Wilson, and Yates rehearse “My Eyes Adored You,” accompanied by musical director Katy Richardson, in the video above. Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan penned the song, first recorded by The Four Seasons in 1974.
The original Jersey Boys creative team, led by Tony-winning director Des McAnuff and Tony-winning choreographer Sergio Trujillo, reunited for the new London production.
The company also features Ben Irish as Bob Crewe, Mark Isherwood as Gyp de Carlo, Koko Basigara as Lorraine, Melanie Bright as Mary Delgado, Jack Carl Douglas as Norm/Hank, Matteo Johnson as Joe Pesci, Jacob McIntosh as Barry Belson, and Helen Ternent as Francine with swings Elliot Allinson, Jack Campbell, Huon Mackley, Bonnie Page, and Andy Smith.
Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, the international hit musical details the rise of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Jersey Boys opened in New York in November 2005, ending its 11-year run January 15, 2017, after 4,642 performances at the August Wilson Theatre. The musical first ran in London from March 18, 2008–March 26, 2017, and, at the time, was the sixth longest-running musical in the West End. The musical also began an Off-Broadway run in November 2017 at New World Stages.
READ: Jersey Boys Sets Fall Off-Broadway Return
The production also features scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound by Steve Canyon Kennedy, and projection design by Michael Clark. The orchestrations are by Steve Orich, with music supervision and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose.
Jersey Boys is produced in London by the Dodgers and Trafalgar Theatre Productions, with BB Investments, Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group in association with Latitude Link, and Eilene Davidson Productions.
Jersey Boys Production Photos
(Updated August 10, 2021)
VIDEO: Ballet Star Tiler Peck Recreates Iconic CENTER STAGE Finale
New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck recreated the finale from the beloved classic, Center Stage for her MondayMoviesMoves series.
ICYMI: Watch the Top 3 College Students Perform for Next on Stage: Dance Edition!
Next on Stage Dance Edition is back with season 2 of our online dancing competition Miss the announcement of our college top 3 Check out the episode here