Broadway Briefing.
Robert Massimi.
PRESENTED BY
A MESSAGE FROM THE COOPER COMPANY:
SENDING BIRTHDAY WISHES TO BEN VEREEN FOR OCTOBER 10TH. 75
GLORIOUS YEARS AND AN AMAZING CAREER! Congratulations on joining Broadway’s Annaleigh Ashford on CBS’s “B Positive.” Look forward to seeing you on Broadway soon. Learn more.Good morning, Robert!
Aaron Sorkin made the curtain speech at last night’s re-opening of To Kill a Mockingbird. Taking the stage to great applause, he joked that he hoped the audience didn’t think he was someone else. In his brief but touching remarks, Sorkin pointed out how long it had been since an audience filled the Shubert Theatre and thanked everyone in attendance. It was a privilege to see Jeff Daniels and Celia Keenan-Bolger back in the roles of Atticus Finch and Scout, and to hear the words of the play in a new time.Welcome back, Broadway! As you head back to rehearsals, theaters, and offices, send in your stories, posts, and photos to morningmessage@broadwaybriefing.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Briefing!GOT A TIP?
SETTING THE STAGE TODAY
People.
BREAKING THIS MORNING: “Ramin Karimloo, Jane Lynch to star in ‘Funny Girl’ on Broadway” by Broadway News’ Caitlin Huston — “Karimloo … will play Nick Arstein and Lynch … will play Mrs. Rosie Brice. Jared Grimes … will play Eddie Ryan.
The revival, directed by Michael Mayer, is scheduled to begin performances at the August Wilson Theatre on March 26, 2022, ahead of an April 24 opening. … Additional casting and creative team members will be announced at a later date.” http://bway.ly/zdubjt
NEWS AND NOTES
IN DEVELOPMENT: “‘Silver Linings Playbook’ Musical Headed to Broadway” by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg — “James D. Stern … has acquired the rights to develop the 2012 motion picture … into a musical theater production. “I’ve thought Silver Linings Playbook would make a perfect musical since it was first released,” Stern tells THR. “I am thrilled to now be moving ahead with wonderful creative writers to open this show on Broadway.”” http://bway.ly/5rgedl
TEDXBROADWAY: “TEDxBroadway Sets In-Person and Virtual Hybrid Return for 2022” by Playbill’s Dan Meyer — “The COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to be presented digitally in 2020, but TEDxBroadway will be offered at New World Stages March 8, 2022, at 1 PM ET with a live stream option on Stellar.” http://bway.ly/a99yvm
THE LARK: “The Lark Is Grounded: New-Play Incubator to Fold After 25 Years” by American Theatre — “… the Lark has announced that it will close its doors, though not before it works with “peer institutions to re-home existing Lark programs and fellowships.” According to a press release, the decision to shutter the 27-year-old play development mainstay was a “unanimous yet painful conclusion” of the organization’s board after “many long months of responding to pandemic-related crises and seeking paths to sustainability.”” http://bway.ly/3l4akl
AT THE OFFICE: “Jason Rodriguez’s New Talent Agency Announces Its Inaugural Roster” by them.’s Shar Jossell — “Alongside longtime manager-turned-business partner Ricardo Sebastián, the duo have teamed up to launch Arraygency, with the stated mission of “bringing BIPOC, queer, and trans people to the forefront of all creative industries.” http://bway.ly/pbtv44
EXHIBIT: “‘Showstoppers!’ costume exhibit temporarily closed due to flooding” by Broadway News’ Caitlin Huston — “Four costumes were impacted by the flooding, which a spokesperson said appears to have come from the nearby Applebee’s, and organizers plan to have those costumes restored. The exhibit has a planned reopening next week. “Showstoppers!”is scheduled to run through October 31, 2021.” http://bway.ly/sfa5gj
OFF-BROADWAY:
“Colin Quinn: The Last Best Hope to Play Off-Broadway Ahead of National Tour” by TheaterMania’s Zachary Stewart — “… Colin Quinn: The Last Best Hope, which will play at the Lucille Lortel Theatre November 2–20. A national tour will follow, with stops in Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, and Orlando.” http://bway.ly/dm6b7k
“New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players Return for H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance” by TheaterMania’s Zachary Stewart — “The Gondoliers, the New Years Eve concert, and a special reopening celebration will also feature in the 2021–22 season.” http://bway.ly/yifx96
REGIONAL:
“Jeremy O. Harris Announces Plan To Pull ‘Slave Play’ L.A. Run Over Scarcity Of Female Playwrights” by Deadline’s Greg Evans — “Playwright Jeremy O. Harris said Tuesday that he intends to pull his Tony-nominated Slave Play from the upcoming lineup at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles due to the theater company’s dearth of scheduled productions by female playwrights — a scarcity acknowledged by the management of Center Theatre Group, which operates the Taper.” http://bway.ly/r9ezr0
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris): “On @SlavePlayBway at @CTGLA:” http://bway.ly/nq610b
— Center Theatre Group (@CTGLA): “A Note from Center Theatre Group Leadership: … We are regrouping and will be able to share more in the coming days about the impact on our upcoming season.” Read the full statement: http://bway.ly/ss1ews
“TheaterWorks Hartford Season Includes East Coast Premiere of Matthew López’s Zoey’s Perfect Wedding” by Playbill’s Andrew Gans — “The 2021–2022 season, also available virtually, will also feature Madeleine George, Harrison David Rivers, and Jared Mezzocchi.” http://bway.ly/8zff4x
“It’s time for the show to go on, Broadway shows return to Memphis after 575+ days” by ABC 24’s Jalyn Souchek — http://bway.ly/osc4go
ON THE ROAD:
“Kate Burton and Alex Newell Join A Christmas Carol on Tour” by TheaterMania’s Hayley Levitt — “The company will star Tony nominee Kate Burton as Ghost of Christmas Past and Grammy nominee Alex Newell as Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs. Fezziwig …” http://bway.ly/hy78jm
“Complete Cast Announced for the National Tour of Hairspray, Starring Nina West” by Broadway.com’s Lindsey Sullivan — “The company will also include Billy Dawson as Corny Collins, Will Savarese as Link Larkin, Emery Henderson as Penny Pingleton, Brandon G. Stalling as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Kaelee Albritton as Amber Von Tussle and Addison Garner as Velma Von Tussle.” http://bway.ly/o9d68c
“Disney ‘Princess Concert’ Tour Cancels Fall Dates Due To Covid Concerns, Plans To Reschedule Next Year” by Deadline’s Greg Evans — http://bway.ly/e7z6ce
ACROSS THE POND: “‘Grim outlook’: producers and theatres prepare for tough winter” by The Stage’s Giverny Masso — “Theatres and producers have warned that any restrictions implemented this winter would be “crippling” for the sector, as they urged the government to give the industry time and support to adapt to any new Covid regulations. … producers are particularly concerned that a working-from-home mandate could have a devastating impact on theatre attendances, particularly in the West End, where footfall remains below pre-pandemic levels.” http://bway.ly/ishvce
SPAIN: “Alice Ripley Will Lead Immersive Next to Normal in Spain” by BroadwayWorld’s Nicole Rosky — “Its authors, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, have adapted the book, creating a 60-minute version, where actors and audience will be sharing the same space — a 20,000 square foot venue in Spain designed for immersive experiences.” http://bway.ly/8u1oyc
CRITICISM: “Online Theatre Journal 3Views Returns to Theatre Criticism” by Playbill’s Talaura Harms — “The refocused site will launch its first issue on October 11 covering the Broadway production of Douglas Lyon’s Chicken & Biscuits. 3Views will also welcome three co-editors: dramaturg and producer Sarah Rose Leonard, arts journalist Brittani Samuel, and critic Jose Solís.” http://bway.ly/w2p400
FESTIVAL: “Vineyard’s Fall Forward Festival to Present New Works by Kirsten Childs, Madeline Sayet, More” by Playbill’s Talaura Harms — “The 2021 festival comprises new alternative theatre works commissioned by the Off-Broadway company.” http://bway.ly/dnv1ef
BENEFIT: “Tituss Burgess, André De Shields, Telly Leung Join Light the Lights! A Drama League Celebration Honoring Wayne Brady” by Playbill’s Andrew Gans — “Kandi Burruss will host the benefit, which will also celebrate The Drama League’s four new board members.” http://bway.ly/n07njq
TINA: “Tina Turner’s Music Interests Acquired by BMG” by Variety’s Chris Willman — “BMG, the world’s fourth biggest music company, announced Tuesday it has bought a portfolio of rights associated with Tina Turner and her music catalog, including her share of her solo recordings and publishing assets, and rights to her name and image.” http://bway.ly/664o2f
NYTIMES: “Their Downtown Hits Are Now Sharing a Broadway Stage” by The New York Times’ Laura Collins-Hughes — “The shows’ [Is This a Room and Dana H.] main common denominator is verbatim, or interview-based, theater — though they both also have smart, central female characters who find themselves, in vastly different circumstances, at the mercy of men. … [Tina] Satter and [Lucas] Hnath spoke for about an hour. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.” http://bway.ly/1ggj98
DIANA:
— “Frank Marshall on Why ‘Diana: The Musical’ Opened on Netflix Before Broadway” by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg — http://bway.ly/rk5y9y
— “From the Palace to the Stage: Inside the Making of Diana, the Musical’ by Architectural Digest’s Cathy Whitlock — http://bway.ly/el7kn3
— “Why the Netflix musical ‘Diana’ is theme-park schlock and a bad sign for Broadway” by The Los Angeles Times’ Charles McNulty — http://bway.ly/x48t9d
— “Maybe a Princess Diana Musical Wasn’t Such a Great Idea” by Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson — http://bway.ly/9y7pdh
— “Netflix’s ‘Diana: The Musical’ could be Broadway’s ticket to a comeback” by NBC News’ Ani Bundel — http://bway.ly/j42ev9
— “‘Diana the Musical’ is the legendary flop Broadway deserves” by The New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski — http://bway.ly/0svjei
IN MEMORIAM: “Lenka Peterson Dies: Tony-Nominated Broadway Actress, Mother Of Glynnis O’Connor Was 95” by Deadline’s Greg Evans — “Lenka Peterson, whose Broadway performances included a 1984 Tony-nominated turn in the musical Quilters, co-starring roles with Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish and Colleen Dewhurst in plays with creative teams including Truman Capote and Arthur Penn, died Sept. 24 in her sleep at home in Roxbury, Connecticut.” http://bway.ly
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