Theatre News Roundup: 1/20-1/25

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• MTC's Broadway production of Our Mother's Brief Affair officially opened Jan. 20
• The Glory of the World, by frequent collaborators Charles Mee and Les Waters, officially opened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Jan. 21
• The Alving Estate, a new immersive theatre experience inspired by Henrik Ibsen's classic play Ghosts, officially opens in New York Jan. 21. The Alving Estate is scheduled to continue through Feb. 26. Each show admits a limit of 35 audience members per performance.
• Stephen Karam’s The Humans begins its Broadway engagement Jan. 23 at the Helen Hayes Theatre.
• The Burial at Thebes officially opened Jan. 24. The Off-Broadway engagement is scheduled to run through March 6 at the DR2 Theatre in Manhattan's Union Square.
• Death of the Liberal Class opened 1/25

The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS)

• The New York Theatre Workshop production of David Bowie and Enda Walsh's musical Lazarus played its final performance Jan. 20.
• Deaf West Theatre's Broadway production of Spring Awakening ended its limited run Jan. 24.
• Clever Little Lies ended its run Jan. 24 at 3 PM.

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• The box office at the Cort Theatre (138 W. 48th St.) opens Jan. 25 for the Broadway premiere of the new musical Bright Star, which will begin previews Feb. 25 prior to an official opening March 24.

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• Empire, a new musical about the building of the Empire State Building in New York City, will have its world premiere Jan. 23 at the La Mirada Theatre
• Plot details of the Spongebob musical

Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS)

• Our Mother's Brief Affair

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• The Public Theater has announced complete casting for the world premiere of Sarah Burgess' comedy drama Dry Powder. The complete cast now includes Claire Danes, Hank Azaria, Sanjit De Silva, and John Krasinski.
• "Ken Watanabe will return to the role of the King of Siam in the Broadway revival of the King and I, for seven weeks starting March 1. Jose Llana, who succeeded Watanabe in the role last fall, will succeed him again for two weeks, April 19-May 1. Daniel Dae Kim will assume the role next from May 3-June 26."
• Denée Benton will make her Broadway debut as Natasha in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
• "Jenna Leigh Green and Sally Schwab have joined the cast of the forthcoming The Marvelous Wonderettes revival. They join the previously announced Christina Bianco and Kathy Brier. Performances of the 1950's-set high school comedy are set to begin March 23 at New York’s Theatre Row. The show opens April 28."
• Matthew Morrison, who starred as J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, exited the production Jan. 24. Tony Yazbeck began performances Jan. 26.
• Kelsey Grammer will now end his run in Finding Neverland March 26.
• Spongebob musical casting
• Wicked cast changes
• Taylor Richardson has replaced Julia Garner in the New York premiere of Smokefall by Noah Haidle.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS)

• Claire van Kampen's Farinelli and The King, which made its debut at Shakespeare's Globe, is headed to New York in November, according to London's Daily Mail

Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC)

• Darren Criss replaces Jeremy Jordan in a New York Pops concert March 11 at Carnegie Hall.

A Musical (MUSICALS)

• Cats has booked the Neil Simon Theatre, with previews beginning July 14 and an official opening set for Aug. 2.

Theatre News Roundup: 1/15-1/19

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• The Glory of the World from Charles Mee and Les Waters opened Jan. 16
• Previews began Jan. 19 for John Patrick Shanley's Prodigal Son at Manhattan Theatre Club.
• Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew officially opened Jan. 19. It is scheduled to play through Feb. 14 at Atlantic Stage 2.

The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS)

• A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder played its final performance on Broadway Jan. 17 at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• "The Broadway revival of Les Misérables, which plays the Imperial Theatre, has launched a daily digital lottery for this winter for a limited number of $37 tickets. The lottery will continue through March 20. Entries can be submitted each day at LesMiz.com/lottery. For matinee performances, entries must be submitted by 11 AM and for evening performances by 3 PM. The production’s rush ticket program also will continue offering a limited number of $37 tickets beginning each day at 10 AM at the Imperial Theatre box office."
• "The School of Rock digital lottery will open daily at 12:01 AM ET for entrants to win a limited number of $37 same-day tickets to that day’s performance(s) at schoolofrocklottery.com. The lottery will remain open until 10:59 AM ET for matinees and 2:50 PM ET for evening performances."

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents free workshop performances of Helldrivers of Daytona, a rock musical about the world of NASCAR, Jan. 15-16.

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• "Bette Midler has announced that she will play Dolly Gallagher Levi in a Broadway revival of the blockbuster 1964 musical, Hello, Dolly! Previews are scheduled to begin March 13, 2017 with an opening date of April 20."
• Complete casting for Tuck Everlasting 
• New York Theatre Workshop has announced full casting for next month's production of Red Speedo by Lucas Hnath.
• "Patrick J. Adams ("Suits") and Troian Bellisario ("Pretty Little Liars") have been cast in The Old Globe's world premiere of The Last Match, Anna Ziegler's new play that takes place during the U.S. Open tennis semifinals. The San Diego production is scheduled to run Feb. 13-March 13."

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS)

• "Boston's Huntington Theatre Company's stage adaptation of "A Confederacy of Dunces," is now being "fine tuned for Broadway."
• "The Play That Goes Wrong, a comedy about an amateur university production that goes hopelessly awry is eyeing Broadway for 2017."

Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC)

• Matthew Morrison has scheduled several concert dates following his departure from Finding Neverland.

A Musical (MUSICALS)

• Atlantic Theater Company has announced the world-premiere production of Marie and Rosetta by George Brant. Billed as a play with music, it tells the story of famed gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

It’s Only a Play (PLAYS)

• Theater for the New City will stage Dare to be Black: The Jack Johnson Story next month, making it the second show of the season to explore the famous boxer's story.
• "Chris Foley tells how he escaped a Wall Street career and embraced his inner performer in Off The Desk (Tales of A Mediocre Stockbroker), his new solo show starting previews Jan. 20 at the WorkShop Theater Main Stage in New York."

One Song Glory (ALBUMS)

• Johnny Gallagher — also known as Tony-winning Spring Awakening actor John Gallagher, Jr. — released his debut solo recording Jan. 15.
• "Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin," will be released on Feb. 26.
• Original cast recording for Merman's Apprentice available 

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

• Once tour

They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS)

• The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced productions of Carmen and My Fair Lady

A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS)

• The world premiere of Miss Atomic Bomb, a new musical comedy starring Catherine Tate will open in March
• Casting for Nick Payne's Elegy 
• Audra McDonald will star as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, beginning performances June 25 prior to an official opening July 5 at Wyndham's Theatre, for a run through Sept. 3.

Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS)

• Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey have penned a new song for Fox's Grease: Live for Carly Rae Jepsen's Frenchy.
• Tim Curry will play The Criminologist who narrates the story in Fox's Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Debra Messing will play Baby's mother in ABC's Dirty Dancing
• "A host of theatre actors can be seen in the six-part series Mercy Street"
• A feature-length documentary titled "Hamilton's America," will be broadcast as part of PBS' "Great Performances" series in fall 2016.

Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE)

• A new exhibition, Curtain Up: Celebrating 40 Years of Theatre in London and New York, will be presented in both cities, transferring to New York's Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center (Oct. 19, 2016-June 2017).
• "Applications are now being accepted for the sixth annual Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, which provides a secluded summer getaway for writers of new musicals."