The Weekend Report: Louis Armstrong Biomusical; Moulin Rouge! Loves Australia
Welcome to TheaterMania's Weekend Report, where you'll find recent news stories from the New York theater scene and beyond.
(© Matthew Murphy)
Broadway's Moulin Rouge! The Musical Loves Australia
Moulin Rouge! The Musical has announced several events in conjunction with the efforts to fight the bushfires in Australia.
In honor of Australia Day, all proceeds from the performance on Sunday, January 26, will be donated to support the wildlife relief efforts. The next day, January 27, members of the production take part in the Make It Rain Rally at (Le) Poisson Rouge. An initiative by Australian cast members Karli Dinardo and Reed Luplau, this special event will feature cast members from the show, alongside Ben Folds, Postmodern Jukebox with Morgan James, and other Broadway stars.
All proceeds will be donated to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund and WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue.
(photo provided by the Press Room)
A New Louis Armstrong Bio-Musical Is in the Works
Miami New Drama will present the world premiere of A Wonderful World, a new musical based on the life and songs of jazz legend Louis Armstrong. The production will play Miami's Colony Theatre, March 5-April 5.
The company will be led by Juson Williams as Louis Armstrong, Dionne Figgins, Lana Gordon, Nicole Henry, Darlene Hope, Stephen G. Anthony, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Gavin Gregory, and Michael McKeever. The ensemble includes Kareema Khouri Castro, Lindsey Corey, Jamal Christopher Douglas, Traci Elaine Lee, James A. Pierce III, Khadijah Rolle, Ben Sandomir, Dori Waymer, and Shanna L. Woods.
Christopher Renshaw will direct the production, which features a book by Aurin Squire, choreography by Rickey Tripp, music arranged and orchestrated by Annastasia Victory and Michael O. Mitchell, scenic design by Adam Koch, costume design by Ari Fulton, lighting design by Cory Pattak, sound design by Kai Harada, and props design by Jameelah Bailey.
(© David Gordon)
Casting, Extensions, and Other Announcements
• The 2019 Lucille Lortel Awards will be presented May 3 at the NYU Skirball Center. Nominations will be announced April 2.
• Original cast member Peter Friedman will join Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell in the Actors Fund's upcoming concert of Ragtime on April 27.
• Opal Alladin, Jenn Harris, Rami Margron, Jennifer Paredes, and Liz Wisan will star in James Vásquez's production of Madeleine George's Hurricane Diane at the Old Globe in San Diego, running February 8-March 8.
• Erin Treadway will star in Leegrid Stevens's A Peregrine Falls at the Wild Project, running February 6-29. Directed by Padraic Lillis, the production will also star Sidney Williams, Kevin Cristaldi, Julia Brothers, and Mason Walker.
• The Atlantic Theater Company production of Eboni Booth's Paris, directed by Knud Adams, has extended through February 16 at Atlantic Stage 2.
• Lyndsay Allyn Cox, Brandon G. Green, Lizan Mitchell, Postell Pringle, Nikkole Salter, Cheryl D. Singleton, and Arie Thompson will star in Kimberly Senior's production of Kirsten Greenidge's Our Daughters, Like Pillars at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company, running March 20-April 19.
• Encompass New Opera Theater will honor Estelle Parsons and Maury Yeston at its annual gala, to be held January 26 at the National Arts Club.
• Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzales-Nacer, and Kay Trinidad will take part in a BroadwayCon panel about Hadestown on Sunday, January 26.
• Waterwell's The Courtroom will be presented at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on February 12 and at Symphony Space on March 9.
• Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band has been extended at the Pershing Square Signature Center through March 15.
• The Broadway production of Tracy Letts's The Minutes will feature scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Ana Kuzmanic, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, sound design and original music by André Pluess, hair and wig design by Tom Watson, and dramaturgy by Edward Sobel.
• The Vineyard Theatre production of Lucas Hnath's Dana H. will now begin performances February 11, instead of February 7.
Submissions are now open for Red Bull Theater's 10th annual festival of 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes. Winning entries will be performed alongside new works by Jeremy O. Harris and Theresa Rebeck. Enter here.
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