No Bull With Raging Robert.

It was great to be back at Aladdin on Broadway last night.

Among the most notable reopening-audience moments was the mid-show, two-minute standing ovation following “Friend Like Me,” which seemed to bring real joy and surprise to the eyes of Michael Maliakel (making his Broadway debut as Aladdin) and Genie Michael James Scott (who followed up the number with an ad lib, “18 months, people! 18 months!”).

We would also note that Shoba Narayan was a fantastic new Jasmine, and Jonathan “Jafar” Freeman and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago were still so on top of their comedic bits that we have to assume they’ve been quarantining together for the last year and a half.

Photo: Curtis BrownWelcome 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

Hollywouldn’t.

“How the potential IATSE strike could impact Broadway productions” by Broadway News’ Caitlin Huston — “If IATSE members vote to strike later this week, Broadway productions will be largely unaffected.

The union … is planning to hold a nationwide vote to authorize a strike Friday. If members vote to strike, it would primarily impact the film and television industry, as it concerns a stalled contract negotiation between IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

It would not affect the IATSE contracts with the Broadway League or any other theater employer. One potential impact within the theater industry could be for productions scheduled to be filmed under the Producer-IATSE Basic Agreement and the Theatrical and the Television Motion Picture Area Standards Agreement, the contracts involved in the negotiations.

The only Broadway production that had plans to record was “Waitress,” according to several sources familiar with the matter, but that shooting schedule was due to be completed before the potential strike.” http://bway.ly/givu10

NEWS AND NOTES

BRIEFING EXCLUSIVE: Members of the New York City theater community will have access to free flu shots thanks to annual funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The free flu shots will be available through The Actors Fund and Mount Sinai’s Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts on October 28, October 29, November 11 and November 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST by appointment. No health insurance is required. Sign up: actorsfund.org/flushot2021

FIRST IN THE BRIEFING: Red Bull Theater announced the cast for the world premiere of a new adaptation of Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher and directed by Jesse Berger. The cast will feature Nathan Christopher, Stephen DeRosa, Carson Elrod, Manoel Felciano, Teresa Avia Lim, Jacob Ming-Trent, Louis Mustillo, Reg Rogers, Jennifer Sánchez, and Allen Tedder.

AT THE OFFICE:
“Michael Cassel Group, Sydney Theatre Company Sign First Look Pact” by Variety’s Brent Lang — “Sydney Theatre Company and Michael Cassel Group have signed a commercial first look agreement for all future works produced by the theatre company. As part of the pact, STC’s productions will have the opportunity to be transferred or remounted as commercial productions in new markets, with the intention of touring across Australia and internationally.” http://bway.ly/e0shyx

“Billy Porter and Henry Tisch Join The Actors Fund’s Board of Trustees” by BroadwayWorld’s Chloe Rabinowitz — http://bway.ly/wcolvb

EXTENSION: New York Theatre Workshop’s production of Sanctuary City by Martyna Majok has been extended one week through October 17 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

THE VISITOR: The Public Theater: “Over the past 18 months, conversations and commitments around equity and anti-racism have deepened across our organization and our industry. Our production of THE VISITOR brings up important questions about race, representation, and identity, and we’ve taken the time as a company to listen to each other and discuss, to respond to these issues, and to continue to develop THE VISITOR with changes that reflect how our broader culture has grown. To do this work thoughtfully, we gave extra time to our process and have decided to delay our first preview by a week. Our first preview will now be on October 14.” http://bway.ly/xssoc0

SLAVE PLAY: Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris): “The plan had always been to come back…when we closed in Jan (we were a limited engagement and another show was already booked for the slot after us at the golden) an opportunity arose for us to go to another Broadway house that April. We were going to announce March 17, 2020. …” http://bway.ly/a0x2lx

LAST NIGHT: Alex Timbers and Sonya Tayeh make a speech celebrating Moulin Rouge at the first performance after its ten Tony wins: http://bway.ly/n2h3k5

OFF-BROADWAY:
“Faith Salie’s Approval Junkie Sets New York Debut” by TheaterMania’s Hayley Levitt — “Faith Salie’s Approval Junkie, developed in collaboration with and directed by Amanda Watkins, will make its New York premiere at Audible Theater’s Minetta Lane Theatre.” http://bway.ly/9vjg8l

“Full Cast Announced for Will Eno’s Gnit, a Modern Take on Ibsen’s Peer Gynt” by TheaterMania’s Zachary Stewart — “… Gnit features Jordan Bellow … Joe Curnutte … Christy Escobar … Deborah Hedwall … David Shih … and Jasmine Batchelor …” http://bway.ly/rb6on7

REGIONAL:
“Connecticut performing arts venues form coalition to promote reopening, safety protocols” by The Hartford Courant’s Christopher Arnott — “Six of Connecticut’s major nonprofit performing arts centers have formed a coalition to promote their work, spread awareness of COVID safety protocols and share resources to proclaim live entertainment is back.” http://bway.ly/hbxkj0

“Another large Rochester venue will require COVID vaccination” by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Marcia Greenwood — “Starting this Friday, Oct. 1, Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s Auditorium Theatre … will ask ticketholders 12 and older for proof they’ve gotten at least one vaccine dose.” http://bway.ly/t67lg2

FILM: “Fresh Off Her Tony Win, Adrienne Warren Finds Her Next Project In Viola Davis’ TriStar Pic ‘The Woman King’” by Deadline’s Justin Kroll — http://bway.ly/o4y244

COHORT: “Playwrights Realm Announces Expanded Cohort of Writers for 2021” by American Theatre — “The NYC-based company doubles down on its new-works initiatives in lieu of a traditonal season.” http://bway.ly/25a1s8

TRUMP: “Stephanie Grisham’s Book Details Trump’s ‘Terrifying’ Temper” by The New York Times’ Katie Rogers — “At one point, [Stephanie Grisham] writes, Mr. Trump’s handlers designated an unnamed White House official known as the “Music Man” to play him his favorite show tunes, including “Memory” from “Cats,” to pull him from the brink of rage.” http://bway.ly/jmvojn

CHEDDAR: Cheddar News (@cheddar): “‘[Emily Bear] describes what it feels like to be invited to perform “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” album at the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Concert.” http://bway.ly/rc2y4y

PAGE SIX: “Bernadette Peters rewore ’80s Bob Mackie dress to the 2021 Tony Awards” by Page Six’s Elana Fishman — http://bway.ly/griqym

AMNY: “Following Broadway’s debut, smaller NYC theatre companies work to recover” by amNY’s Haeven Gibbons — “While the return of Broadway may mean the end of home-made productions for some actors, the last curtain call for many smaller theater companies throughout the city was over a year ago. … But the return of Broadway is a sign that all live theater will hopefully return soon, said Kate Cortesi, a New York-based playwright.” http://bway.ly/wrrhhm

MARKETPLACE: “One show at a time, Broadway theater is coming back” by Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab — “The real test is whether the tourists come back, especially as the industry moves into the holidays, when it typically pulls in the most money. The industry’s return has been slow because there are lots of logistics to work out, according to Charlotte St. Martin …” http://bway.ly/jzqdpr

VARIETY: “How Two ‘Playwriting Sisters’ Are Restarting Shows After the Shutdown” by Variety’s Gordon Cox — “The playwrights Jocelyn Bioh and Martyna Majok have a bond, in life and in their work. “I feel like Martyna and I are these playwriting sisters in terms of the groups of people and the stories that we’re trying to uplift in our work,” said Bioh …” http://bway.ly/mretyd

GLOBE & MAIL: “The biggest snub at the Tony Awards? Canadian fans of Broadway” by The Globe & Mail’s J. Kelly Nestruck — “… Canadians who subscribed to Paramount+ — some of whom did so specifically to watch the Tony Awards — could not find it on the streaming service on this side of the border. Then, those in the Toronto area who tuned in to CBS at 9 p.m. found an NFL game instead — one that delayed the start of Broadway’s Back! by almost an hour.” http://bway.ly/p454yp

OUT-OF-TOWN REVIEW: “‘American Mariachi’ at Goodman Theatre could be a Broadway musical” by The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones — “If “American Mariachi,” the messy but entertaining fall show penned by José Cruz González at the Goodman Theatre, found the right producers and creative additions, it could easily become a populist new Broadway musical with a good chance of attracting a Latino audience that Broadway rightly craves.” http://bway.ly/9d8j0vA MESSAGE FROM NORTH COAST COMEDY FESTIVAL:
Bringing together some of the best comedians from around the country including Astronomy Club (Netflix), AzNPoP!, and Will Hines with Connor Ratliff (GLTS), the festival will book 6 days of back-to-back improv, stand-up, sketch and musical comedy along with specially curated workshops, late night jams and industry events! In person at Asylum NYC or available via livestream for only $10. Learn more.SPONSOR A BRIEFING

BROADWAY BRIEFING PRO [PREVIEW]

SHOWS IN DEVELOPMENT | by Theatrical Index

God Looked Away
Eric Falkenstein, Carl Moellenberg

Good Night, Oscar
Hazy Mills Productions, Grove Entertainment, Barbara Whitman Productions

Gorillas in the Mist
Ryan Hugh Mackey

Gun and Powder
Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, Fiona Rudin

Harry Belafonte Story
Ken Davenport

… and many more!That’s just a sample of today’s exclusive pro content.
Try BROADWAY BRIEFING PRO free for a week.TRY PRO FOR FREE

CALLBOARD

CALL TIMES:
7:30 PM: OPENING Chasing Jack @ The Theater Center

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1934, the play Merrily We Roll Along opened at the Music Box Theatre.

BROADWAY BIRTHDAYS: Debbie Gravitte, Lynnette Perry McCollum, Darius de Haas, Zachary Levi, Alfie Boe, Roger Bart, Ryan Bogner

STAGE DOOR

The cast of Caroline, or Change performs ‘Salty Teardrops’ on Good Morning America. Check it out: http://bway.ly/j1fz35

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