The time in which to search for that lost shaker of salt is nearing an end. The Jimmy Buffett jukebox musical “Escape to Margaritaville,” which has struggled at the box office since opening to negative reviews and receiving no Tony nominations, will play its final performance on Broadway on July 1. The producers noted that a national tour will kick off in October 2019 and that the cast will perform with Buffett at the Fourth of July celebration “A Capitol Fourth” in Washington, D.C., which will be broadcast live on PBS.
Donna Murphy will return to ‘Hello, Dolly!’ during Midler’s encore run
Two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy (who served as the alternate Dolly Gallagher Levi during Bette Midler’s original run in “Hello, Dolly!”) will play the role six more times when Midler returns for the Broadway revival’s final weeks from July 17 to Aug. 25. Bernadette Peters will give her last performance in the role on July 15. Betty Buckley (“Cats”) will lead a national tour of the production beginning in the fall.
Audible to take over Minetta Lane Theatre
The audiobook provider Audible (which is currently in the midst of producing it second consecutive play at Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theatre) has announced that going forward the West Village venue (which has been rarely used in recent years) will serve as its creative home for all kinds of live performances including plays, comedy acts and panel discussions. Its new production of “Girls & Boys” with Carey Mulligan begins previews on June 12. It follows on the heels of “Harry Clarke” with Billy Crudup.
Stars in the Alley set for Friday
The annual “Stars in the Alley” concert (where both new and long-running Broadway musicals offer free outdoor performances in the theater district’s Shubert Alley) will be held on Friday at 1 p.m., rain or shine. Nineteen musicals will participate, including “The Band’s Visit,” “Mean Girls,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Frozen” and “Carousel.” Alex Newell (“Once On This Island,” “Glee”) will host the event. Shubert Alley is located between Broadway and 8th Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets.
Spotted…
Joe Scarborough making a surprise onstage appearance with Jimmy Buffett at “Escape to Margaritaville”…Sally Field at “Carousel.”
