This Week's Theater News: September 20, 2024

This Week's Theater News: September 20, 2024

The latest news in theater in New York's Capital Region and beyond.

Highlights:
• Strong reviews of Capital Region performances: Maggie May, Seared, School of Rock, Red Maple, and more
• Theater community remembers James Earl Jones, from Broadway to Poughkeepsie
• Brooke Shields, Actors’ Equity Association advocate for federal funding for the arts as well as a bill providing tax benefits for theater industry workers
• Shakespeare & Co. reveals plans for 32-acre campus in Lenox, Mass.
• Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre cancels entire run of modern retelling of Shakespeare classic over references to Palestine and trans rights

Bennett Liebman

Government Law Center at Albany Law School

September 20, 2024

Greater Capital District

“Maggie May” - a play about dementia at Albany Civic Theatre | WAMC

REVIEW: American premiere of ‘Maggie May’ from Harbinger Theatre and Albany Civic Theater is not to be missed | Arts | nippertown.com

REVIEW: “Maggie May” Presented by Harbinger Theatre at Albany Civic Theater (berkshireonstage.blog)

REVIEW: Harbinger's 'Maggie May' has something to say | Life & Arts | dailygazette.com

Review: The Rep’s restaurant comedy ‘Seared’ funny, argumentative (timesunion.com)

Single Tickets for TheREP 2024-25 Season Now Available - ONCE & More (broadwayworld.com)

REVIEW: School is definitely in full swing with ‘School of Rock’ at SLOC | Arts | nippertown.com

Theater Review: SLOC's 'School of Rock' is a 'fun ride' | Life & Arts | dailygazette.com

REVIEW: ‘Songs for a New World’ at Sand Lake Center for the Arts has you looking for answers | Arts | nippertown.com

REVIEW: Curtain Call Theatre launches season 33 with David Bunce’s ‘Red Maple’ | Arts | nippertown.com

‘Red Maple’ a comedy-drama at Curtain Call Theatre in conflict with itself – Saratogian

Delightful quartet shines in Curtain Call's 'Red Maple' | Life & Arts | dailygazette.com

5 Questions: Q&A with Cris Eli Blak, writer of ‘There Are Black Roses Under The Sea’ in Troy’s Half Baked Festival | Arts | nippertown.com

THEATER REVIEW: 'The Fantasticks' plays at the Mac-Haydn Theatre through Sept. 15 - The Berkshire Edge

THEATER REVIEW: The world-premiere production of 'Three Tall Persian Women' plays at Shakespeare & Company through Oct. 13 - The Berkshire Edge

The curtain’s up on Shakespeare & Company's plan for its 32-acre campus | Central Berkshires | berkshireeagle.com

Weston Theater Company Presents “The Woman in Black” (berkshireonstage.blog)

THEATER REVIEW: Majestic Theater's 'Shear Madness' has audiences riding waves of laughter | Arts and Theater | berkshireeagle.com

Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York Presents “Valley Song” at Hubbard Hall (berkshireonstage.blog)

Ghent Playhouse Announces 50th Anniversary Season Plans (berkshireonstage.blog)

Fat Knight Theatre’s Award-Winning “ChipandGus” Comes to Bridge Street Theatre (berkshireonstage.blog)

Carolee Carmello heading to Utica stage as 'Kimberly Akimbo' | Content Exchange | romesentinel.com

'The energy is electric': Curtain Up kicking off Buffalo theater season (wkbw.com)

Theater Talk: Tonight is Curtain Up! Anthony got his star on The Plaza of the Stars as 9/9/2024 declared "Anthony Chase Day." THE PROM at MusicalFare and MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA both deliver high-quality theater. | WBFO

Buffalo theater season kicks off with 'Curtain Up' event (wivb.com)

Curtain Up! brings hundreds to Buffalo's Theatre District (wkbw.com)

Review: DISNEY'S NEWSIES THE MUSICAL at Shea's 710 Theatre (broadwayworld.com)

Review: SHIPWRECKED!- THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF LOUIS DE ROUGEMONT (AS TOLD BY HIMSELF) at Road Less Traveled Theater (broadwayworld.com)

Photos: CLUE at The John W. Engeman Theater (broadwayworld.com)

From Broadway to Poughkeepsie: James Earl Jones’s Hudson Valley Connection | Schools | Hudson Valley | Chronogram Magazine

 

Everywhere Else

Video: Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho Perform 'Willkommen' in CABARET (broadwayworld.com)

Auliʻi Cravalho and Adam Lambert Take Over Cabaret's Kit Kat Club Tonight | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com

Broadway’s box office up 26% year over year; nearly every show rises in attendance (broadwaynews.com)

Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 9/15/24 - WICKED, HELL'S KITCHEN & More Top the List (broadwayworld.com)

Broadway Grosses Analysis: Robert Downey Jr.-Led McNeal Brings in Almost $1 Million in a 5-Performance Week | Playbill

Robert Downey Jr. Broadway Debut 'McNeal' Sells Out Another Week (deadline.com)

‘Hadestown’: Allison Russell hits Broadway with Greek myth musical (tennessean.com)

A ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ Musical Will Open on Broadway Next Year - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

'Buena Vista Social Club' Musical Sets Broadway Opening, Cast (deadline.com)

'Buena Vista Social Club' Musical to Open on Broadway in 2025 (variety.com)

Broadway at the Emmys. The Roommate (and surprise replacement). Stageworthy News of the Week. – New York Theater

Mia Farrow exits new Broadway play 'The Roommate' due to COVID (nydailynews.com)

Mia Farrow Bows Out of ‘The Roommate’ With Covid; Marsha Mason Steps In - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Reviews: What Do Critics Think of The Roommate on Broadway, Starring Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone? | Playbill

Review: ‘The Roommate’ on Broadway has stars much bigger than this story (yahoo.com)

Review: Patti LuPone and Mia Farrow Clean Up in ‘The Roommate’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

'Stereophonic' Extends Broadway Run for Final Time (rollingstone.com)

‘Stereophonic’ extends again; replacement casting announced (broadwaynews.com)

'Stereophonic' Extends Broadway Run, Announces New Cast Members (deadline.com)

Jim Parsons, Katie Holmes and the Company of Our Town Re-Introduce Broadway to Thornton Wilder's Timeless Masterpiece | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com

Meet the Cast of OUR TOWN, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway (broadwayworld.com)

Grover's Corners Returns to Broadway as Our Town Begins Previews September 17 | Playbill

Alyssa Milano stuns in a bodysuit and sheer tights as she makes her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago | Daily Mail Online

Actress Alyssa Milano makes her Broadway debut in "Chicago" - CBS New York (cbsnews.com)

'Real Women Have Curves' Musical Sets 2025 Broadway Run (deadline.com)

The Musical Real Women Have Curves Is Headed to Broadway in 2025 - TheaterMania.com

Frank DiLella's theater picks (ny1.com)

Woman With Tickets to RAGTIME Post-Election Unsure if She’s Going to Cry for the Good Reason or the Bad Reason (thebroadwaybeat.com)

Broadway’s ‘Hamilton’ partners with When We All Vote to release nonpartisan voting anthem (broadwaynews.com)

Stranger Things: The First Shadow Is About to Turn Broadway Upside Down | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com

Review: BROADWAY BOUND Belongs at 54 Below (broadwayworld.com)

SUFFS Will Offer Discount Tickets Aimed at Mobilizing Young Voters (broadwayworld.com)

Actor Darren Criss Discusses Bringing ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ To Broadway (forbes.com)

‘Counting and Cracking’ Review: One Family’s Tale Fit for an Epic - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

As a Kid, Michael Herwitz Used to Knit Backstage With Kelli O'Hara. Now He's Directing JOB | Playbill

Jujamcyn Offices Above St. James Theatre Will Be Turned Into Ambassador Lounge (broadwayworld.com)

‘You’re Basically on a Broadway Stage, With New Friends’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

How Often Do Writers Play in the Orchestra for Their Own Musicals (broadwayworld.com)

Meet the two best friends managing the 2024 Tony Award-winning best shows (broadwaynews.com)

The Pipeline Project to Connect Women-Identifying Designers with Industry Leaders (broadwayworld.com)

Kyle Selig Has Hopped a Train Back to Broadway (broadwayworld.com)

Broadway’s ‘Water for Elephants’ partners with various nonprofits for ‘Memory Maker Program’ (broadwaynews.com)

These Two Broadway Shows Are So Good I Had to See Them Twice (aol.com)

Video: First Look at PRIMARY TRUST at Signature Theatre (broadwayworld.com)

Emily Shooltz Named New Artistic Director of Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre | Playbill

Bull Durham a home run on musical stage (wral.com)

Unpublished Clifford Odets Play THE NURSERY to Have Off-Broadway Debut (broadwayworld.com)

Theater community remembers James Earl Jones (spectrumlocalnews.com)

Shucked Announces Full Casting for North American Tour - TheaterMania.com

New musical ‘Bran Castle’ to receive industry presentation (broadwaynews.com)    

Brooke Shields says she's giving back to the theater as head of Actors' Equity union | National Press Club

How Sonya Tayeh Is Making Shakespeare Move (broadwayworld.com)

Review: Riotous 'POTUS' Peeks Behind the Scenes of a Chaotic White House | EDGE United States (edgemedianetwork.com)

Brittney Mack & More to Star in SPELLS OF THE SEA in DC & Off-Broadway (broadwayworld.com)

Ray of Light Theatre relitigates 'Legally Blonde: The Musical' :: Bay Area Reporter (ebar.com)

Two world premiere musicals and three new plays highlight the Old Globe’s 2025 season – San Diego Union-Tribune (sandiegouniontribune.com)

AMERICAN THEATRE | Long Wharf to Hold Artistic Congress at Yale

AMERICAN THEATRE | Perfect Prop Pie

This is happening: Longmont couple's New York stage dream comes true | John Moore | Arts & Entertainment | denvergazette.com

Review: "Never Better" at Theo an authentic musical about mental illness (chicagotribune.com)

Review: “Henry V” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (newcitystage.com)

Spotlight: Steppenwolf opens season with ‘Noises Off,’ Goodman with ‘Inherit the Wind’ (dailyherald.com)

Steppenwolf Theatre to Launch Steppenwolf IMPACT: Corporate & Professional Development Training (broadwayworld.com)

Review: "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812" is simply superb at Writers Theatre (chicagotribune.com)

What a fabulous, tangled web is woven in glorious 'Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet' at Writers Theatre - Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)

'Harry Potter,' Destinos festival and rarely staged 'Pericles' herald Chicago's fall theater season - Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)

Marriott Theatre announces landmark anniversary season (dailyherald.com)

Review: "The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk" is the love story of Chagall (chicagotribune.com)

Find the hottest tickets in Chicago - Lonely Planet

Oregon Shakespeare Festival announces new executive director - oregonlive.com

Review: ‘Raisin’ subtly reveals the fruits of an American classic (ajc.com)

Premiere of “Empire Records: The Musical” Succeeds at McCarter; Energetic Script, Score, and Production Deliver a Fun, Heartfelt Story | Town Topics

‘Empire Records: The Musical’ a soulless interpretation of cult classic on N.J. stage | Review - nj.com

Central Florida performing arts scene rebounds from Covid-19 slump - Orlando Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Orlando Shakes theater company shares fundraising, budgeting ideas - Orlando Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

'From Here' off-Broadway: 'I hope we made Orlando proud' (orlandosentinel.com)

Community grants to bolster shows, programs at Westcoast Theatre (heraldtribune.com)

Venice Theatre struggling to rebuild after losing grant money – SNN News (snntv.com)

Manchester theatre cancels show’s entire run ‘over Gaza and trans rights references’ | Stage | The Guardian

Brie Larson to make her West End debut in revenge tragedy Elektra | Theatre | The Guardian

Brie Larson 'excited' for West End debut in Greek tragedy Elektra (bbc.com)

Oscar Winner Brie Larson to Make West End Debut in Daniel Fish-Helmed Elektra | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com

Captain Marvel’s Brie Larson to make UK stage debut in West End play | The Independent

Doubtfire Daiquiri, madam? How theatres are ramping up the drama with themed cocktails | Cocktails | The Guardian

‘They said I was trying to make it the Black National Theatre’: Kwame Kwei-Armah on his trailblazing Young Vic tenure | Kwame Kwei-Armah | The Guardian

‘A Face in the Crowd’ Isn’t About Trump. It Just Seems Like It. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button musical – inside the West End rehearsal room (whatsonstage.com)

‘Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical’ to transfer to the West End | London Theatre

‘Why Am I So Single?’ Review: After ‘Six,’ a Scrappy, Sappy Dating Musical - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Why Am I So Single review: Six follow-up is frothier than pink prosecco – but not as satisfying | The Independent

Why Am I So Single? Reviews Round-up [Updated] | West End Theatre