Broadway
Broadway Openings in April
Paradise Square: Ethel Barrymore Theatre Opening Night: April 3
Creative Team: Jason Howland (music), Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare (lyrics); Larry Kirwan (additional material); Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan (book); Moisés Kaufman (director); Bill T. Jones (choreographer), Alex Sanchez (musical staging).
Cast: Joaquina Kalukango, Chilina Kennedy, John Dossett, Sidney DuPont, A.J. Shively, Nathaniel Stampley, Gabrielle McClinton, Jacob Fishel, Kevin Dennis, and Matt Bogart
Set in Manhattan’s Five Points neighborhood during the Civil War, the musical follows the inhabitants of a local saloon—including the Black woman who owns it, a conflicted newly arrived Irish immigrant, a runaway slave, and a once-great songwriter.
Take Me Out: Helen Hayes Theatre Opening Night: April 4
Creative Team: Scott Ellis (director), Richard Greenberg (playwright)
Cast: Jesse Williams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Patrick J. Adams
A revival of the Tony-winning comedy-drama, about the coming out of a gay baseball player.
Beetlejuice: Marquis Theatre Performances resume: April 8 Rob McClure, Leslie Kritzer and the rest are back to scare you just one more time. Creative Team: Alex Timbers (director), Eddie Perfect (score), Scott Brown and Anthony King (book)
The popular musical is back from the dead (again) in a new home after closing prematurely during the pandemic.
The Little Prince: Broadway Theatre First Preview: March 29 Opening Night: April 11
Creative Team: Anne Tournié (co-director and choreographer), Chris Mouron (libretto and co-director), Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (source material) and Terry Truck (music).
A stage adaptation of the 1942 book, penned and illustrated by de Saint-Exupéry, featuring spectacle, dance, aerial acrobatics, and video mapping technology.
American Buffalo:Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell, Darren Criss at the Circle in the Square Opening Night: April 14
Creative Team: David Mamet (playwright), Neil Pepe (director)
A junk shop owner schemes to get back a valuable nickel sold for much less than it’s true worth.
The Minutes: Studio 54 Previews Resume: April 2 Opening Night: April 17
Creative Team: Anna D. Shapiro (director), Tracy Letts (playwright)
Cast: Tracy Letts, Blair Brown, Jessie Mueller, Ian Barford, K. Todd Freeman, Austin Pendleton, Cliff Chamberlain, Danny McCarthy, Sally Murphy, Jeff Still, Noah Reid
The city council drama returns to previews in a new theatre.
How I Learned To Drive: Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Opening Night: April 19
Creative Team: Paula Vogel (playwright), Mark Brokaw (director)
Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse reprise their roles more than 20 years later after the 1997 Off-Broadway debut of the Pulitzer-prize winning play. It follows Li’l Bit (Parker) as she looks back in time in order to make sense of an uncle (Morse) who impacted her past, present, and future.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf: Booth Theatre First Preview: April 1 Opening Night: April 20
Creative Team: Camille Brown (director-choreographer), Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons and Kenneth Teaton (producers),
Ntozake Shange’s form-changing choreopoem tells the stories of seven women of color using poetry, song, and movement. Leah C. Gardiner, who directed the revival at Off-Broadway’s Public Theater in 2019, is unable to continue at the helm on Broadway due to pre-pandemic commitments.
Hangman: Golden Theatre First Preview: April 8 Opening Night: April 21
Creative Team: Martin McDonagh (playwright), Matthew Dunster (director), Anna Fleischle (set/costume designer), Joshua Carr (lighting designer), Ian Dickinson (sound designer)
Cast: David Threlfall, Alfie Allen, Tracie Bennett, Owen Campbell, Jeremy Crutchley, Gaby French, Josh Goulding, John Hodgkinson, Richard Hollis, John Horton, Ryan Pope, Sebastian Beacon, Peter Bradbury, Katie Fabel, Colin McPhillamy, Andy Nyman
About: Regulars at a pub in 1960s England gather to hear how a hangman will react to the news hanging is abolished.
Funny Girl: August Wilson Theatre Opening Night: April 24
Cast: Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice, Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, Jane Lynch as Mrs. Rosie Brice, and Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan
Creative Team: Michael Mayer (director), Harvey Fierstein (revised book), Jule Styne (music) and Bob Merrill (lyrics), Isobel Lennart (original book), Sonia Friedman and Scott Landis (producers), David Zinn (set designer), Ellenore Scott (choreographer), and Ayodele Casel (tap choreographer).
The first Broadway revival of Funny Girl since the original 1964 production catapulted Barbra Streisand to stardom.
The Skin Of Our Teeth: Vivian Beaumont Theatre: First Preview: April 1 Opening Night: April 25 Creative Team: Lileana Blain-Cruz (director), Thornton Wilder (playwright)
Recipient of the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The Skin of Our Teeth illuminates the endurance of the human spirit as it follows the Antrobus family of Excelsior, New Jersey, as they persevere through an Ice Age, a biblical flood, and war.
A Strange Loop: Lyceum Theatre First Preview: April 6 Opening Night: April 26
Cast: Antwayn Hopper, L Morgan Lee, John-Michael Lyles, James Jackson, Jr., John-Andrew Morrison, Jaquel Spivey, and Jason Veasey.
Creative Team: Michael R. Jackson (book, music, and lyrics), Stephen Brackett (director), Raja Feather Kelly (choreographer), Arnulfo Maldonado (set designer), Montana Levi Blanco (costume designer)
The winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama follows Usher, a young, Black, gay theatre writer grappling with his toxic inner thoughts while trying to write a musical about a young, Black, gay theatre writer grappling with his toxic inner thought while trying to write a musical about… and on and on.
Potus: Or, Behind Every Great Dunbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive Shubert Theatre First Preview: April 14 Opening April 27th’s matinee performance Creative Team: Selina Fillinger (playwright), Susan Stroman (director)
Cast: Lilli Cooper, Lea DeLaria, Rachel Dratch, Julianne Hough, Suzy Nakamura, Julie White, and Vanessa Williams
Mr. Saturday Night: Nederlander Theatre Opening Night: April 27
Cast: Billy Crystal, Randy Graff, David Paymer, Chasten Harmon
Creative Team: Jason Robert Brown (composer), Amanda Green (lyricist), John Rando (director), Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel (book)
Crystal returns to the role of stand-up comic Buddy Young Jr., whom he played in the 1992 Columbia Pictures film of the same name. Crystal co-wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy about a borscht-belt comedian whose abrasive ego eclipses his success and alienates his family.
Macbeth: Longacre Theatre First Preview: March 29 Opening Night: April 28
Cast: Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga Creative Team: Sam Gold (director)
The U.K. stage and screen favorites come to Broadway in one of the Bard’s most dastardly works.
As we head into the holiday season, The Algonquin Hotel’s December event lineup is open to both hotel guests and New York City locals. The hotel will spread holiday cheer with a variety of festive performances, cocktails, and experiences including:
- Cocoa and Carols Happy Hour: Daily, 5-8PM, Every evening this December, all are invited to enjoy Specialty Cocoa while Christmas carols chime at the Blue Bar. Drinks will include Mexican Hot Chocolate spiked with mezcal
- KT Sullivan Cabaret: December 5th, 12th and 19th, Sullivan will perform her iconic Christmas Cabaret. As noted by The New York Times, Sullivan is a thrilling Off-Broadway performer with over eight published albums
- Rocco Dellaneve’s Rat Pack Christmas: December 7th, 14th and 21st, Rocco Dellaneve will perform iconic songs from the Rat Pack Christmas album with special inclusions of Santa with Sinatra, Rocco of the Snow, Rudolph and the Rat pack
- The Serafina’s and Broadway Vocalists: December 8th, 15th and 22nd, enjoy the high kicking – precision line dancing Christmas tradition around The Algonquin tree. The Serafina’s will be available for pictures and autographs from 6pm to 7pm, followed by special Broadway vocalists
A portion of proceeds from all events will be donated to Toys for Tots.
Beyond the December events, The Algonquin Hotel is located in a prime position nestled in the heart of Times Square and Fifth Avenue, making it the perfect launchpad for a New York City holiday experience. The hotel is a historical jewel that emphasizes the importance of making unique, storied experiences. Since its opening in 1902, The Algonquin Hotel is famous for its timeless style and desire to honor the literary and cultural elite. The distinguished Round Table Restaurant and Blue Bar offer tasteful dining inclusions and curated cocktails that are sure to excite everyone.
Photo credit: The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection
2o days to go! Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.
Chita & Patrick Pacheco at Drama Book Shop event May 15, 2023 Photo by Merle Frimark
There are a lot of books out there this year but we highly recommend Chita: A Memoir , the critically-acclaimed book is written by the legendary Broadway icon Chita Rivera with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco. Chita takes fans behind-the-scenes of all her shows and cabaret acts, she shares candid stories of her many colleagues, friends, and lovers. She speaks with empathy and hindsight of her deep associations with complicated geniuses like Fosse and Robbins, as well as with the mega-talent Liza Minnelli, with whom she co-starred in The Rink. She openly discusses her affair with Sammy Davis, Jr. as well as her marriage to Tony Mordente and her subsequent off-the-radar relationships. Chita revisits the terrible car accident that threatened to end her career as a dancer forever. Center stage to Chita’s story are John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriters and dear friends indelibly tied to her career through some of her most enduring work: Chicago, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Visit.
Chita’s love of performing began as a child in Washington, D.C., when her mother enrolled her in a local ballet school to channel her boundless energy. Still a teenager, she moved to New York to attend the School of American Ballet after an audition for George Balanchine himself and winning a scholarship. But Broadway beckoned, and by twenty she was appearing in the choruses of Golden Age shows like Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. In the latter, she received special encouragement from its star Gwen Verdon, forging a personal and professional friendship that would help shape her career. The groundbreaking West Side Story brought her into the orbit of Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, and Stephen Sondheim. After Bye Bye Birdie further burnished her rising star, she reunited with Verdon and her then-husband Bob Fosse to work on the film version of Sweet Charity and the celebrated original Broadway production of Chicago.
Chita: A Memoir was published in English and Spanish and the English audio version of the Memoir was recorded by Chita. A Spanish audio version is also available.
“Chita Rivera blazed a trail where none existed so the rest of us could see a path forward. She has been part of some of the greatest musicals in the history of the form, from Anita in the trailblazing West Side Story through Claire Zachanassian in the underrated masterpiece The Visit, over 60 years later. She is a Puerto Rican Broadway icon and the original ‘triple threat.’ We’re so lucky to be alive in the same timeline as Chita Rivera.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“A frank and fascinating memoir from one of the truly great artists of the American Theater. Lots of stories … Lots of insight … and quite a few caustic statements from Chita’s alter ego, Dolores. An illuminating history and a guaranteed pleasure!” — John Kander
Broadway legend and national treasure Chita Rivera, multi-Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – has taken no prisoners on stage or screen for seven decades. From her trailblazing performance as the original Anita in West Side Story—for which she tapped her own Puerto Rican roots—to her haunting 2015 star turn in The Visit. Chita has proven to be much more than just a captivating dancer, singer, and actress beloved by audiences and casts alike. In her equally captivating and one-of-a-kind memoir, Written with Patrick Pacheco, the woman born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero shares an incomparable life, both on stage and behind the curtain.
By the way this Memoir has won a Gold Medal for “Best Autobiography – English” at the 2023 International Latino Book Awards. https://www.latinobookawards.org/
Click here to buy your copy.
Here is the amazing cast of Spamalot. Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Ethan Slater as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin, Nik Walker as Sir Galahad andTaran Killam as Lancelot.
I was so inspired I drew the whole cast.
To read T2C’s review click here.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.