Theatre News Roundup: 8/4

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• Betty Buckley and Rachel York head the cast of the Bay Street Theater's production of Grey Gardens, beginning Aug. 4 in Sag Harbor. Opening night is scheduled for Aug. 8.
• Whorl Inside a Loop, a new play by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott, begins previews at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre Aug. 4.
• The premiere of Deborah Zoe Laufer's Informed Consent begins performances Aug. 4 at the Duke on 42nd Street.

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• Tickets will go on sale for Pirates of Penzance with Betsy Wolfe and Montego Glover (Oct 15-16) and Dido & Aeneas with Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark (April 28-29) on September 8

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• Amélie, a new musical based on the Academy Award-nominated film of the same title, has set dates and supporting cast for its world premiere. It will begin previews Aug. 28 and open Sept. 11 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California.

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Frank Langella will return to Broadway in spring 2016 with the American premiere of Florian Zeller's The Father. Beginning previews March 22, 2016, and opening April 12 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, the Broadway production will be directed by Doug Hughes and will be produced under the auspices of the Manhattan Theatre Club.
• The name of the actress who has won the coveted role of Dorothy in the upcoming NBC broadcast of The Wiz will be announced the morning of Aug. 5 on NBC's "The Today Show."
• New York City Ballet principal dancer Megan Fairchild will depart the revival of On the Town Aug. 9 to return to the NYC Ballet. Fairchild will be succeeded by New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin, who will step into the role of Ivy Smith Aug. 11-23. Beginning Aug. 25, Misty Copeland will make her Broadway debut as Ivy for 12 performances only through Sept. 6.
• Amy Spanger plays a limited engagement in Chicago beginning Aug. 4 at the Ambassador Theatre through Aug. 16.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS)

• Billy Porter is planning to leave Kinky Boots after his contract is up in January 2016 for a role in an unnamed new, original musical.

Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC)

• After three sold-out June shows at 54 Below nightclub, actors from the original Broadway production of Spring Awakening and its national tour are coming together again Aug. 30 to present an all-new show with different song choices.
• 54 Below will present Clue at 54 Below, a celebration of the cult 1985 film, which itself was based on the classic board game. 

A Musical (MUSICALS)

• Ordway Center for the Performing Arts presents Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance Aug. 4-16. Pirates stars Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Broadway's A Little Night Music) as Frederic and Brandon O'Neill (Broadway's Aladdin ) as The Pirate King. Herdlicka and O'Neill are joined by Dieter Bierbrauer as the Sergeant of Police, Gary Briggle as Major-General, Anne Eisendrath as Mabel and Kersten Rodau as Ruth.

It’s Only a Play (PLAYS)

• The Present, a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's unfinished first play, begins Aug. 4 at the Sydney Theatre Company. Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh star in the world-premiere stage adaptation by Andrew Upton that has been reset in the mid-1990s.
• Ars Nova will present the New York City premiere of Romance Language by Joe Godfrey this fall, a play about a wealthy Manhattan widow's relationship with her handsome young Italian language teacher. Performances begin Oct. 13, running through Nov. 8. An official opening night is set for Oct. 22 at Theater 511 at Ars Nova.
• Matthew-Lee Erlbach's Sex of the Baby will make its Off-Broadway premiere at the Access Theater Gallery Space (380 Broadway) Sept. 9-27.

One Song Glory (ALBUMS)

• Matt Doyle has set up a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for his new album. 

We Open in Venice, We Next Play Verona (TOURS)

• John Rapson will play the role of the eight D'Ysquith heirs with Kevin Massey in the role of Monty Navarro for the first national tour of the Tony-winning Best Musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, which will kick off Sept. 29 at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre.

I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS)

• Disney's The Descendants  is now available on DVD.

Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE)

• Casting call for Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris
• Audra McDonald offers a number of incentives to raise money for the Covenant House charity to help homeless youth in a new pledge drive now available.