‘Mr. Saturday Night’ with Billy Crystal to close
“Mr. Saturday Night,” the new Broadway musical comedy starring Billy Crystal, will end its Broadway run on Sept. 4 – a Sunday afternoon. The musical, which is based on Crystal’s 1992 film comedy of the same name, in which he plays an aging Borscht Belt comedian, opened in late April to mixed reviews and lackluster box office numbers. “Bringing ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ to the Broadway stage and experiencing the laughter and tears this show generates has truly been one of the high points of my career,” Crystal said in a statement. “It has been a joyous experience to make my musical comedy debut at the age of 74.”
‘& Juliet’ set for Broadway
The original London musical “& Juliet,” which is currently running in Toronto, will transfer to Broadway in the fall, playing the Sondheim Theatre (recently home to “Mrs. Doubtfire”) beginning Oct. 28. “& Juliet,” which has a book by David West Read (“Schitt’s Creek”), uses contemporary pop songs (such as “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” and “Larger than Life”) to imagine what would happen if Romeo and Juliet did not die in tragedy. Among the show’s characters are Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. The cast includes Tony winner Paulo Szot (“South Pacific”), Betsy Wolfe, and Stark Sands (“Kinky Boots”).
Cheyenne Jackson to fill in for Gavin Creel in ‘Into the Woods’
“Anything can happen in the woods,” explains Cinderella’s Prince in “Into the Woods.” Indeed. Cheyenne Jackson, who has rarely appeared onstage in recent years, will take over as Cinderella’s Prince and The Wolf in the new Broadway revival of “Into the Woods” from July 24 to Aug. 2 due to a prior commitment on the part of Gavin Creel, who will return to the show on Aug. 6. Since “Into the Woods” opened to thundering acclaim last week, speculation has mounted over whether its limited run at the St. James Theatre (which is scheduled to end in late August) will be extended. A cast album will be released in Sept.
‘West Side Story’ film leads Met’sFree Summer HD Festival
Stephen Spielberg’s film adaptation of “West Side Story” will be screened for free on Aug. 26 at Lincoln Center as a bonus offering of the Met’s Free Summer HD Festival, which will consist of 10 outdoor opera screenings through Labor Day, including “Porgy and Bess,” “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” “Boris Godunov,” “Lucia di Lamermoor,” and “Cinderella.” Approximately 3,000 seats will be available for each screening. No tickets are required.
Bettany and Pope to lead ‘The Collaboration’
“The Collaboration,” a new play by Anthony McCarten about a 1984 collaboration between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat on a new art exhibition, will be produced on Broadway by Manhattan Theatre Club during the winter. Paul Bettany (“WandaVision,” “The Avengers”) and Jeremy Pope (“Ain’t Too Proud,” “Choir Boy”) will play Warhol and Basquiat respectively. The play was previously produced by London’s Young Vic Theatre.
