Lucas Hnath’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” which began previews on Broadway with virtually no buzz but has since caught on with audiences, has extended its Broadway run to January 7, 2018. It was originally slated to run only 16 weeks. Whereas the show grossed $106,139 during its first full week of previews, it grossed $452,694 last week. The play is up for the Tony Award for Best Play and all four of its cast members (Laurie Metcalf, Chris Cooper, Jayne Houdyshell, Condola Rashad) have been nominated for their performances.
Pearl Theatre shuts down after three decades
Depressing news for fans of classical theater in New York City. The Pearl Theatre Company, a scrappy 33-year-old company dedicated to producing classic dramas (and one of the few still in existence with a resident company of actors), announced Wednesday that it is shutting down, effective immediately, due to a lack of money. In a mass email, the company stated that it “simply could not outpace the economic reality of operating a mid-size theatre company in Manhattan amid a crowded field of worthy causes.” In 2009, the Pearl moved from its longtime home on St. Mark’s Place to City Center, and then again in 2012 to a larger venue on the far west side of 42nd Street. Its most recent production, an adaptation of Thackeray’s “Vanity Fair,” was a hit.
Musicals performing at the Tonys named
The Tony Awards on Sunday night will include performances from the musicals “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Hello, Dolly!,” “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” “Miss Saigon,” “Come from Away,” “Bandstand,” “Falsettos,” “War Paint,” and “Groundhog Day,” plus the Rockettes, Leslie Odom Jr. and Cynthia Erivo. The press release making the announcement contained no details about what each performance will consist of. It has previously been reported that Bette Midler will not perform with the cast of “Hello, Dolly!” during the broadcast.
‘Come from Away,’ ‘Oslo’ score at the Drama Desks
The Drama Desk Awards, which were held on Sunday night at Town Hall, are not always an accurate reflection of which shows will do well at the Tony Awards (especially since the Drama Desk considers both Off-Broadway and Broadway shows and typically will not reconsider a show if it transfers to Broadway in a later season). But for what it’s worth, “Come from Away” won the award for Outstanding Musical (“Dear Evan Hansen” was considered last year) and “Oslo” won Outstanding Play. For the complete list of winners, visit DramaDeskAwards.com.
Stroman to helm ‘Crazy for You’ Broadway revival
Earlier this year, director-choreographer Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) staged a one-night-only concert production of the smash 1992 musical comedy “Crazy for You” (which she originally choreographed) at Lincoln Center. Now word comes that Stroman will helm a Broadway revival of the musical, with a pre-Broadway run set for next winter in Los Angeles. In a statement, Stroman said that “Crazy for You” is “a raucous musical tale about the power art has to bring life to a community and purpose to its people.” Tony Yazbeck (“On the Town”) and Laura Osnes (“Cinderella”) starred in the concert production.
Potter parody ‘Puffs!’ transferring to New World Stages
“Puffs!,” a “Harry Potter” parody about some of the other students at Hogwarts who sat next to Harry, Ron and Hermione (who we never heard about in the books), will transfer to Off-Broadway’s New World Stages next month for an open-ended run. “Puffs!” has played various other Off-Off-Broadway and Off-Broadway venues, beginning with the Peoples Improv Theater. New sets and “new creatures” will be added for the new run.
Menzel to take part in reading of ‘Jagged Little Pill’ musical
Last week, we reported that a new musical based upon the best-selling Alanis Morissette album “Jagged Little Pill” will debut next year at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. As reported by Broadway.com, “Wicked” and “Frozen” star Idina Menzel will take part in a developmental reading of the musical in New York. However, that is no guarantee that Menzel will appear in the show at Cambridge or during a later run.
Spotted…
Chris Rock at “1984” … Jason Mraz at “Waitress” … Paul Rudd at “Derren Brown: Secret” … Mo Rocca at “A Doll’s House, Part 2” … Micky Dolenz at “Sunset Boulevard.”
