Theatre News Roundup: 11/30-12/3

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• New York Animals officially opened Nov. 29 
• Invisible Thread officially opens Off-Broadway Dec. 2.
• Performances began Dec. 2 for the first revival of Di Goldene Kale (The Golden Bride)
• C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce officially opens Dec. 3
• Gigantic officially opens Dec. 3

The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS)

• "Les Miserables will end its run Sept. 4, 2016, at the Imperial Theatre. A new U.S. tour of the musical will launch in 2017. The production stars Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean through Feb. 28. John Owen-Jones will succeed him March 1 for the duration of the run."

Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS)

• Long Day's Journey Into Night has pushed its opening from April 19 to April 27

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• (CHAMPAIGN, IL) Industrial Musicals Film Show: Live! Dec. 4 at 9:30 PM at the Art Theater Co-Op. Tickets are $11.
• The Illusionists is offering $35 rush tickets, available for purchase on the day of the performance, on a first-come, first-served basis. Limit two per customer.

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• Bright Star begins a pre-Broadway engagement Dec. 2 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
• The developmental world premiere of the new musical Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz, officially opens Dec. 2 at Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina.
• A reading of Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey, starring Michael Urie in the titular role, took place at Manhattan Theatre Club's studios earlier this week.  
• Alice By Heart
• Diner begins performances Dec. 2 at the Delaware Theatre Company.
• A Taste of Things to Come: Undressing Betty Crocker One Song at a Time

Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS)

• Funny Girl
• Invisible Thread 
• The New York Times Javier Muñoz in Hamilton

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• The complete original cast from the Off-Broadway Public Theater production of Eclipsed will move to Broadway in 2016. Saycon Sengbloh has returned after being replaced with Stacey Sargeant at the end of the Public run.
• Jonathan Groff returned to Hamilton Dec 1
• Byron Jennings replaces the previously announced René Auberjonois in the Broadway revival of She Loves Me
• Nicolas Dromard joins the company of Jersey Boys on December 21. 
• Complete casting for the world premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew
• The New Group has announced full casting for the revival of Sam Shepard’s Buried Child, opening in February 2016.

Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC)

• Jennifer Holliday will perform in Broadway Names with Julie James Live Jan. 18, 2016, at 8 PM at the OUT Hotel in Manhattan. Ticket sales will benefit Arts for All.
• A Very Broadway Holiday Dec 6 at 54 Below
• Whistle Down The Wind: In Concert Dec. 13 at Feinstein's/54 Below
• Opening Doors: The Music of Maglione & Ruiz, Lyons & Pakchar, and Rosser & Sohne Dec. 14 at 7:30 PM.
• Raise The Roof! A Broadway Holiday-ish Benefit Concert for The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew will be presented Dec. 14 at 7 PM
• Project Shaw will continue Dec. 21 at 7 PM with a reading of Shaw's The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet. James Monroe Iglehart will play Elder Daniels.

It’s Only a Play (PLAYS)

• "Second Stage Theatre has announced that playwright Leslye Headland and director Trip Cullman will reunite for the world premiere of Layover. The play will be the final production of the 2015-16 mainstage season. Previews will begin Aug. 2, 2016, at Second Stage’s Tony Kiser Theatre."

One Song Glory (ALBUMS)

• "The cast of the new musical Allegiance will head into the recording studio Dec. 7. The album is scheduled to be released digitally Jan. 30, 2016."

A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS)

•  A new, sold-out London production of Funny Girl, starring Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice, officially opens Dec. 2 at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
• "The spring 2016 season at London's Donmar Warehouse will consist of three plays: Welcome Home, Captain Fox! (a new version of Jean Anouilh's Le Voyageur Sans Bagage, the world premiere of Nick Payne's Elegy and a revival of Brian Friel's Faith Healer starring Stephen Dillane."
• "The rarely-seen Irving Berlin musical Miss Liberty is getting its long-delayed London premiere in a production that will restore four songs cut during tryouts."

I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS)

• Audra McDonald leads the cast currently in New York City shooting the film adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa's 1994 musical Hello Again. Martha Plimpton, T.R. Knight, Rumer Willis and Jenna Ushkowitz round out the cast.
• "Barbra Streisand, is returning to director's chair for an upcoming film based on the life of the Empress of Russia, "Catherine the Great"

Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS)

• Tom Kitt (music supervision), David Korins (production design) and William Ivey Long (costume design) join Grease Live!

Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE)

• "With the addition of choreographer Lorin Latarro, the creative team for the forthcoming musical Waitress is poised to make Broadway as the first Broadway musical in history in which the book writer, songwriter, choreographer and director are all female artists."
• The new Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof will celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with four events Dec. 6.
• Sony Masterworks will launch a new online video series Dec. 2 called Legends of Broadway, which will be available for viewing each Wednesday.
• "Deaf West Theatre's Broadway production of Spring Awakening will be captured for posterity by New York Public Library’s Theatre on Film and Tape archive at Lincoln Center at the performance Dec. 8 at 7 PM."
• "Annoying Actor Friend's "#GRATEFUL: Everything Happens for a Reason," a choose-your-own show-business destiny book was released 11/30."
• "Mike Birbiglia has announced a limited Off-Broadway engagement of his new show, Thank God for Jokes, at The Lynn Redgrave Theater. Performances are scheduled to run Feb. 2, 2016-March 13."
• "A new virtual exhibition from the Google Cultural Institute allows visitors to experience dance, drama, music and opera alongside some of the world's leading performers — with a 360° view of the action."
• The Helen Hayes on West 44th Street will get an extensive interior and exterior renovation