GRACE NOTES - Thursday, March 3, 2011

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Today’s highlights:

* The Good People opens at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

* The Homecoming begins previews at San Francisco's A.C.T.

* Comedy of Errors opens at Glendale’s A Noise Within.

* ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Late Night Catechism 3 begins previews at Pasadena Playhouse's Carrie Hamilton Theatre.

* In a Forest Dark and Deep previews at London's Vaudeville Theatre.

* Steven Brinberg’s Simply Barbra (also on March 4) at 8 PM at LA’s MBar.

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Tony Yazbeck will play love-struck aviator Captain Billy Buck Chandler in Goodspeed's new production of My One and Only, playing April 15-June 25 (opening night is May 11.). Gabrielle Ruiz, who appeared in Broadway's In the Heights, will play Edythe Herbert. The production will be directed by Ray Roderick and choreographed by Kelli Barclay.

Additional casting: Prince Nicolai will be played by Khris Lewin; Mickey will be played by Kirsten Wyatt (Elf); Reverend J.D. Montgomery will be played by Trent Armand Kendall (Into the Woods); Mr. Magix will be played by Alde Lewis, Jr. (Big Deal and My One and Only); The New Rhythm Boys will be played by Victor J. Wisehart and Michael Ramey; the New Rhythm Girl will be Vasthy E. Mompoint (Mary Poppins, Hot Feet and Good Vibrations).

The ensemble will include Nancy Renee Braun, Brian Davis, Deanna Glover, Joe Grandy, Matthew Kilgore, Drew King, Lea Kohl, Jarran Muse, Kristyn Pope, Allison Kaye Rihn, and Kristen J. Smith. The swings will be Dan Gleason and Laurie Veldheer.

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GN quote of the week: “I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.” ~ Frank Capra

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Steppenwolf’s upcoming season:

* Clybourne Park, Sept. 8-Nov. 6
* Penelope, Dec. 1, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012
* Time Stands Still, Jan. 19-May 13, 2012
* The March, April 5-June 10, 2012
* Three Sisters, June 28-Aug. 26, 2012

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Rinne Groff's Compulsion and the Broadway-aimed Lisa D’Amour play Detroit are among the finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. Also selected are The Good Counselor by Kathryn Grant; The History of Invulnerability by David Bar Katz; Nine Circles by Bill Cain; and Splinters by Emily Schwend.

A committee of 13 theatre critics selected the six finalists, which were narrowed down from a group of 27 eligible scripts. The three top honors will be presented April 2 at Actors Theatre of Louisville during the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

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The American Theatre Wing’s original interview series, “Downstage Center” continues with an exclusive conversation with composer Stephen Schwartz. Interviewed at the keyboard, Schwartz chronicles his career from college to Wicked and beyond, dropping colorful details along the way such as how writing for animated films such as "Pocahontas" and "Prince of Egypt" is like working on a Broadway show; how he began seeking to option Wicked even before he'd read the book; recounting his involvement as a producer on the musical The Blue Flower, written by others, at American Repertory Theater - and why he won't be producing again; and talking about what he's learned about writing for the musical theatre from his 15 years running the ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop.

In addition to this lively, music-filled hour with Schwartz, all-new interviews with legendary playwright Alan Ayckbourn, Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Natasha Katz, Director George C. Wolfe (A Free Man of Color), Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and actors Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities), Fiona Shaw (John Gabriel Borkman) and Everett Quinton (The Witch of Edmonton) are now available online by visiting americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/.

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Video: Inside Priscilla’s Priscilla: http://bit.ly/eOFOCF

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Center Theatre Group has announced that American Idiot will play the Ahmanson Theatre March 14 - April 22, 2012, with the opening set for March 16.

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Casting is complete for LA’s The Blank Theatre’s final production of its 20th anniversary season, the West Coast premiere of The Temperamentals at 2nd Stage Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Blvd. Directed by Michael Matthews, The Temperamentals will begin preview performances on Saturday, April 9 and is set to open on Saturday, April 16 at 8PM. The engagement will run through Sunday, May 22.

The cast features Erich Bergen, Dennis Christopher, Patrick Scott Lewis, Mark Shunock, John Tartaglia and Michael Matthews.

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Another Spider-Man musical has entered the mix: From the creators of Fat Camp and Perez Hilton Saves the Universe! comes Spidermusical, running March 15-21 at the Mint Theater. Book by Randy Blair and Timothy Michael Drucker, music by Matt roi Berger and lyrics by Blair. spidermusical.com/

Directed by Timothy Michael Drucker with choreography by Connor Gallagher and music direction by Kristen Lee Rosenfeld, the Equity-approved showcase will feature the talents of Alex Brightman (Wicked), Sara Chase (Toxic Avenger, First Wives Club), Randy Blair (Adding Machine), Steven Booth (Avenue Q, Glory Days), Kate Wetherhead (Legally Blonde, Spelling Bee), Katie Thompson (Giant, RRRed), Dana Steingold (Spelling Bee), Max Jenkins (The Last Goodbye), Sam Tedaldi and Jason Veasey (The Lion King).

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A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for Wicked, which will be performing from March 9 – April 3 at Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time, people who present themselves at the Segerstrom Center Box Office will have their names placed in a lottery drum and then 30 minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the Box Office, with a limit of two tickets per person.

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Theatermania interviews Dame Judi Dench about her new memoir and more: http://bit.ly/hyxGYO

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Jason Robert Brown and Georgia Stitt will be honored at the CAP21 Spring Gala on April 11 at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College to benefit CAP21: America’s Musical Theatre Conservatory & Theatre Company. Show time for the benefit concert is 7:30 PM.

Directed by Daisy Prince, the evening of songs by the husband-wife composers, will feature Broadway stars Kelli O’Hara, Christopher Jackson, Saycon Sengbloh, Jessica Molaskey, Brian d’Arcy James and more. The concert will also feature performances by Jason Robert Brown, Georgia Stitt, accompanied by a 9-piece band and a 30-voice chorus, under the musical direction of Thomas Murray. The evening will also include a special video appearance by Matthew Morrison, recipient of the CAP21 Distinguished Alumni Award.

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The Stephen Joseph Theatre, playwright Alan Ayckbourn's longtime artistic home in Scarborough, England, will produce the world-premiere productions of his plays Dear Uncle and Neighbourhood Watch in the 2011 summer season.

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Washington State's Village Theatre, which aided in the development of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal, will debut two new musicals as part of its 2011-2012 season.

The first production will be Take Me America, by William Nabel (book and lyrics) and Bob Christianson (music), running Sept. 14-Oct. 13 in Issaquah and Oct. 28-Nov. 20 in Everett. The Richard Rodgers Award-winning work, inspired by true stories, was presented as part of the 2009 Village Originals Festival of New Musicals. The musical asks the question: “What happens when your life is at stake, and the only chance you have at survival lies in the hands of a complete stranger?”

Annie Get Your Gun will run Nov. 9-Dec. 31 in Issaquah and Jan. 26-29, 2012, in Everett. The Odd Couple will run Jan. 18-Feb. 26, 2012, in Issaquah and March 2-25, 2012, in Everett.

It Shoulda Been You, developed during the 2010 Village Originals Festival, will run March 14-April 22, 2012, in Issaquah and April 27-May 20, 2012, in Everett. It has book and lyrics by Brian Hargrove and music by Barbara Anselmi. The musical is described as…"wedding bells aren’t ringing, they’re clanging at the union of a Jewish bride and Catholic groom!"

The final production of the season will be The Producers, running May 9-July 1, 2012, in Issaquah and July 6-29, 2012, in Everett.

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Video: Sister Act’s Patina Miller sings “Fabulous, Baby”: http://bit.ly/gCFFJF

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New Jersey’s Surflight Theatre’s 2011 mainstage season:

* Rent, May 28-June 19
* Grease, June 22-July 10
* Love Letters, July 14-17, with Dawn Wells, Peter Marshall
* Art, July 19-31, with Judd Hirsch
* The Female Odd Couple, Aug. 4-21, with Cindy Williams, JoAnne Worley
* I Do! I Do!, Aug. 24-Sept. 4
* Plaid Tidings — A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid, Nov. 25-Dec. 23

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In a year marking the 100th anniversary of Tennessee Williams’ birth, A Noise Within presents Eccentricities of a Nightingale March 12-May 28 (opening night is March 19).

Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez, the cast features Deborah Puette, Jason Dechert, Jill Hill and Mitchell Edmonds, Christopher Callen, Darby Bricker, Dave Kirkpatrick, David LM McIntyre, Henry Todd Ostendorf, Jacque Lynn Colton, Karla Menjivar, Stefanie Demetriades and Tameé Seidling.

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Oberon, the American Repertory Theater’s destination for theater and nightlife on the fringe of Harvard Square, has announced their upcoming schedule:

* SPARKS! An evening of Robotics, Music and more, March 6, 7 PM
* The Last Butch Standing, with Lea DeLaria, March 13, 7:30 PM
* Billions of Bucks: A Cyberpunk Review, March 20, 7:30 PM
* An Evening with Robert Pinsky, March 27, 7 PM
* The Big Quiz Thing. The Ultimate Multimedia Trivia Experience, April 5, 7:30 PM

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The PS Classics CD "Love on a Summer Afternoon: Songs of Sam Davis" will come to life in an all-star performance at New York City's Birdland on March 21 at 7 PM.

Scheduled to appear are Kate Baldwin, Heidi Blickenstaff, Danny Burstein, Philip Chaffin, Will Chase, Sarah Corey, Santino Fontana, Jessica Herschberg, Edward Hibbert, Lauren Kennedy, Andy Mientus, David Hyde Pierce, Michele Ragusa, Daniel Reichard, Matthew Scott, Christopher Sieber, Bobby Steggert, Will Swenson and Betsy Wolfe.

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Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, FL, is reviving Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge March 3-20. Artistic director Kristen Coury directs.

Larry Bull (Broadway's The Coast of Utopia) plays Eddie Carbone, Gayton Scott (Broadway's The Women, Gypsy with Bernadette Peters) plays his strained wife Beatrice and recent NYU/Tisch School of the Arts graduate Kira McCarthy plays Catherine, their 17-year-old niece. Joseph R. Sicari (Off-Broadway's orginal Dames at Sea, Second Stage's Loose Ends) plays the sagacious neighborhood lawyer and narrator, Alfieri. The cast also includes Michael Serratore as Louis, Nick Duckart as Marco, Christian Pedersen as Rodolpho and Valerian Kuffel as the Immigration Officer.

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If It Only Even Runs a Minute 6, featuring "rare and inspiring songs, anecdotes, and photos from Broadway musicals that may not have been fully appreciated the first time around," will be presented March 28 at Le Poisson Rouge. Created and produced by Jennifer Ashley Tepper and Kevin Michael Murphy, the 7 PM performance will feature musical direction by Caleb Hoyer.

Currently scheduled to perform are Alexis Field, Alexis Fishman, Andrew Hollenbeck, Andrew Sotomayor, Anthony Rapp, Anne Bobby, Brian Gari, Courtney Balan, Debbie Gravitte, Jenny Donoghue, Jeremy Morse, Jill Eikenberry, Jim Stanek, Kara Guy, Kilty Reidy, Laura Jordan, Lauren Marcus, Mary Testa, Megan Kane, Michael Morch, Molly McCarthy-Egan and Tracy Weiler.

The concert will feature songs from and stories about Actor Lawyer Indian Chief, Brownstone, In My Life, In Trousers, Late Nite Comic, The Little Prince and the Aviator, Onward Victoria, Rachael Lily Rosenbloom and Don’t You Ever Forget It, Smile, So Long 174th Street, Story of My Life, Two on the Aisle and Zorba.

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Tony Award nominee Brian Murray has joined the cast of the Westport Country Playhouse reading of the 1941 Broadway thriller Angel Street, which will take place March 14.

Playhouse artistic advisor Anne Keefe will stage the one-night-only 7 PM presentation of Patrick Hamilton's London-set play that will also feature Mia Dillon, Molly Ephraim, Andrea Maulella and Mark Shanahan.

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Barbra Streisand, Barbara Cook, Bette Midler, Melissa Manchester, Lily Tomlin, and Reba McEntire are among the artists who will be featured alongside Barry Manilow on the new CD "Duets," to be released by Arista/Legacy on May 3.

The 15-track disc will feature one previously unreleased track, "You've Got a Friend," which Manilow and Manchester perform. Also on the disc are renditions of "Look to the Rainbow," sung with Cook; "I Won't Be the Last One to Let Go," which Manilow and Streisand perform; and "The Last Duet," delivered by Manilow and Tomlin.

Among the other artists featured on the recording will be Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughan, Dionne Warwick, Sheena Easton, Kid Creole, and The Association, among others. Other tracks will feature such songs as "Hey Mambo," "Big City Blues," "Run to Me," "Summertime," and "Blue."

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Robert Cuccioli, Suzzane Douglas, Christine Marie Heath, Garth Kravits, Rob Richardson, Joel Robertson, David Sabella-Mills, Matthew Shepard, Julie Waldman and Susan Speidel will perform in the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum's The Best of Times: A Star-Studded Salute to the Tony Awards, to be held on April 9 at 8 PM. Stephen Kantrowitz will direct the event, which will have musical direction by Joe Elefante and will raise funds for the theater's ongoing work.

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Tracie Thoms will appear in the March 5 performance of For the Record: Baz Luhrmann, running at LA's Show at Barre. Directed by Shane Scheel and featuring musical direction by Chris Bratten, the production will continue through April 30.

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A staged reading of Martin Moran's solo show Analphabet will be offered on Monday, March 28 at LA's The Hayworth Theatre. The performance, to be directed by Seth Barrish, will benefit BC/EFA.

The play tells the dual stories of what happens when a middle aged actor meets an African refugee--a survivor of torture who is seeking asylum, and of a bewildered tourist's discovery at The Cradle of Human Kind on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

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In Trousers, the first of composer William Finn's Marvin trilogy, which also includes March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, will play a limited engagement at the Duplex in Greenwich Village March 25, 26 and 28 at 9:30 PM. Samantha Saltzman directs with music direction by Eric K. Johnston.

The cast will feature Josh Scheer (national tour of Camelot; Singin' in the Rain at North Shore Music Theatre) as Marvin with Kate Erin Gibson, Chrysten Peddie and Nikki Van Cassele.

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