On Broadway and beyond, a curtain can rise as quickly as it can fall; a star can be swapped as easily as Bernie Telsey can say, “That’s enough.” Theater is the beating heart of New York show business and, if you want to make it here, it’s crucial you’re up to date on incoming projects, latest castings, and other industry news. Don’t worry, Broadway baby, Backstage has your back. Every week, we’re rounding up the can’t-miss stories no thespian should live without, so you can focus on important matters like hitting your high F. Curtain up and light those lights!
The “Moulin Rouge” finds its stars.
The very anticipated “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” has announced casting for its pre-Broadway run in Boston. Leading the adaptation, which begins performances at the Emerson Colonial Theatre June 27, will be stage favorites Aaron Tveit, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo, Tony nominee Danny Burstein, and others. Directed by Alex Timbers, the tuner will run through Aug. 5, before making its way to New York (details for the Main Stem run are to-be-announced).
The “School Girls” will be back.
MCC’s “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play,” the rapturously-received piece by Jocelyn Bioh, will play a return engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre beginning Oct. 16. The coming-of-age dramedy, featuring direction by “Indecent” Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman, will run through Nov. 25; it’s yet to be announced whether any of the previous production’s cast will return for the run.
New works on tap for NYTW.
New York Theatre Workshop announced its full 2018/19 season lineup, featuring a slate of ambitious works by both up-and-comers and industry stalwarts. Among the offerings will be Madeleine George’s “Hurricane Diane,” directed by Leigh Silverman, “Slave Play,” by Jeremy O. Harris, and Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me,” which will kick off the season this fall.
Actors prepare to “Pass Over.”
Casting has been confirmed for Lincoln Center Theater’s upcoming production of “Pass Over,” a new play by Antoinette Nwandu billed as a mashup of “Waiting for Godot” and the Exodus saga. The drama, beginning performances at the Claire Tow Theater June 2, will star Gabriel Ebert, Jon Michael Hill, and Namir Smallwood. Directed by Danya Taymor, the limited engagement will run through July 15.
Gurney gets a revival.
A.R. Gurney’s “The Fourth Wall” will receive its first Off-Broadway revival courtesy of Theater Breaking Through Barriers, the company that integrates able-bodied actors with fellow artists with disabilities. This production of the 1992 play will be directed by Christopher Burris, and will begin previews at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at The A.R.T./New York Theatres on May 26. A limited engagement is slated to run through May 26.
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