Theatre News Roundup: 7/13-7/14

Sorry, my loves! Broadway Rising Stars concert at Town Hall Monday. Some fantastic talent and quite a bit of over-singing but of course I had fun when the theme was Disney songs. Tonight (last night?) I saw Christina Perri and Colbie Caillat at Pier 97. I missed the opener. They were both fantastic and I felt all the feels. Yes, I did tear up more than once. Stop judging me.

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• Hamilton begins Broadway performances July 13 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (former home of Miranda's In the Heights).
• Ruthless! The Musical, originally staged in New York 22 years ago, returns Off-Broadway, officially opening July 13 following previews that began June 25 at St. Luke’s Theatre.
• The Public Theater presents The National Asian American Theatre Company's production of Awake and Sing!, which officially opens July 13. 
•  The Encores! Off-Center staging of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party, which stars Tony Award winner Sutton Foster as Queenie, begins performances tonight at New York City Center.

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• Tickets are now on sale to the general public for the Broadway revival of D.L. Coburn's The Gin Game, starring Tony Award winners James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson. The production begins previews Sept. 18 at the Golden Theatre, which staged the original 1977 production.
• Tickets for Misery will go on sale exclusively for American Express Card Members beginning July 15. Audience Rewards Members will have access to tickets before the general public through July 26.
• The Off-Broadway return of Patrick Barlow's comedy 39 Steps has released a new block of tickets for October and November. The news joins the announcement that all seats to Wednesday matinees will be available for $39 throughout the summer.

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• The Muny production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story plays the St. Louis venue July 13-19.
• Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities" is being adapted for the first time into a stage opera. New York's El Museo del Barrio will host the premiere this October, the New York Times reported.
• Inspired by the sometimes contentious relationship between Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia, composer Derrick Wang's new comedic opera Scalia/Ginsburg had its premiere at the Castleton Festival in Virginia July 11, with performances continuing through July 19.
• A February 2016 start of previews has been scheduled for American Psycho, the stage musical adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel, with music by Duncan Sheik. The precise date and theatre have not been announced

Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS)

• Reviews of Penn & Teller on Broadway

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Jane Krakowski will return to Broadway for RTC's 50th anniversary season to star in the Main Stem revival of She Loves Me, starring Laura Benanti and Josh Radnor. Gavin Creel, Andrew Kober, Jim Walton, and others also announced. Performances will begin Feb. 5, 2016, prior to an official opening March 3, 2016, at Studio 54. The limited engagement will play through May 22, 2016.
• Jose Llana takes the throne of Siam as The King in Lincoln Center Theater's Tony-winning Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The King and I starting tonight.
•  Marlo Thomas will return to Joe DiPietro's Clever Little Lies for its Off-Broadway staging this fall. An official opening night is slated for Oct. 14 with performances scheduled to continue through Jan. 3, 2016.
• San Diego's Old Globe theatre has announced casting for the Summer Shakespeare Festival production of The Comedy of Errors.
• An open call will be held in Los Angeles July 20 for the leading role of Dorothy in NBC's upcoming live presentation of The Wiz, according to Deadline Hollywood. A New York open call was held June 6.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS)

• Chuck Palahniuk, author of the 1996 novel "Fight Club," teased that the property may be headed for the stage with Julie Taymor at the helm.
• Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Walter Afanasieff revealed that he is collaborating with Idina Menzel on a new pop album and a potential Broadway musical.
• The West End revival of Miss Saigon has announced it will close next February, with plans afoot for productions around the world, including Broadway.

Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC)

• 54 Below presents an all-new show by writer and performer Charles Busch titled That Girl/That Boy

It’s Only a Play (PLAYS)

• The Flea will stage Crystal Jackson's dark comedy The Singularity, presented by San Francisco's Virago Theatre Company. 

A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS)

• The current U.K touring production of Calamity Jane, directed by Nikolai Foster (artistic director of Curve in Leicester) and starring Jodie Prenger in the title role, has been filmed in a 360° recording that is being made available to view for free online for three days only, July 22-24.

Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS)

• Hamish Linklater will star in the comedy pilot "I Shudder," by Paul Rudnick. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the new TV Land show is a dark comedy centered on eccentric character Elyot Vionnet, played by Linklater.

Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE)

• The lights of Broadway will dim July 15 in memory of late Tony Award-winning actor Roger Rees, who died July 10 at the age of 71. All of Broadway's theatres will dim their marquees for one minute at 7:45 PM.
• Starting July 18 the tour company "Walks of New York" will roll out "Disney on Broadway: Behind the Magic," a new two-and-a-half-hour tour of the Broadway theatre district.
• New York radio station 106.7 Lite FM continues into its second week of the free lunchtime theatre summer series Broadway in Bryant Park, bringing selections from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows to the outdoors.