2024 Fall Broadway Preview
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed. In this week's email,
Check out some exciting grant opportunities for theatre educators from The American Theatre Wing!
The Scene’s 2024 Fall Broadway Preview!
So, raise the curtain, shine the spotlight, and dive into another thrilling week in the theatre world. Welcome to The Scene.
The Truth About Patti LuPone and Mia Farrow by Ben Brantley, The New York Times | The longtime friends are appearing together in the new Broadway play “The Roommate.” Everything you think you know about them may be wrong. Read...
David Henry Hwang Keeps Things Real. He Even Puts Himself in His Plays by Margaret Hall, Playbill | Ahead of ‘Yellow Face’s’ Broadway debut, the Tony Award-winning playwright shares the real-life origins of some of his most famous works. Read...
‘The Notebook’ Will End Its Broadway Run in December. A Tour Is Next. by Michael Paulson, The New York Times | The show, nominated for three Tony Awards, opened March 14 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. It will go on a national tour starting next September. Read...
Daniel Dae Kim Isn’t Afraid to Fail by Robert Ito, The New York Times | In the new Broadway production of “Yellow Face,” the “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0” star is taking a risk. “I am aware,” he says, “that people have not usually seen me in this way.” Read...
See JJ Niemann, Patti LuPone, Ariana DeBose, More in Their High School Musicals by Molly Higgins, Playbill | In honor of back-to-school season, Playbill has compiled a gallery of your favorite stars' early performances from ‘A Chorus Line’ to ‘In the Heights.’ Read...
Little-Known Theater Jobs: Wardrobe Supervisor by Ruthie Fierberg, Broadway News | “Aladdin” wardrobe master Christel Murdock describes the duties of managing a Disney musical with over 300 costumes. Read...
StrawHat Unified Summer Stock Auditions Shutting Down by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | "We feel our business model is no longer sustainable," reads a statement from the operation's leadership. Read...
How To Make A Cast Album by Ruthie Fierberg, Broadway News | Tony Award winner Tom Kitt, Sony Masterworks’ Scott Farthing, and more reveal their process — starting with everything that happens before recording. Read...
The Spotlight
Exciting Grant Opportunities for Theatre Educators from The American Theatre Wing
Attention theatre educators! Are you looking for resources to boost your school’s drama program? The American Theatre Wing, with the generous support of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, is offering Classroom Resources Grants to provide much-needed funding directly to under-resourced public schools. These grants can make a world of difference by helping you acquire the equipment and materials necessary to enhance your theatre program and nurture young talent.
What You Need to Know
Who Can Apply?
Any individual public K-12 school or non-profit parent group associated with that public K-12 school is eligible. Unfortunately, private/parochial schools, school districts, home schools, and pre-schools cannot apply. However, a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or similar parent group with an independent EIN and 501c(3) status from the IRS can submit an application.
What Kinds of Project Proposals Are Competitive?
The Classroom Resources Grants are designed to support teachers seeking essential resources to improve their theatre programs. Grants can be used to purchase:
Purchase of production equipment (audio, lights, shop tools, etc.) and professional installation costs.
Production supply costs associated with the presentation of plays, musicals, and other theatrical performances including, but not limited to, costumes and material, lighting supplies, and scenery/scenic supplies.
Musical Instruments
Licensing fees
Costs associated with artistic consultants to leverage equipment and/or resources. This could include artistic residencies, mentorship, and technical consultants.
Grant requests of up to $50,000 will be considered, enabling multiple schools to benefit each year. This is your chance to secure vital resources for your drama program and create opportunities for your students to shine on stage.
What Grant Funds Cannot Be Used For.
It's important to note that these funds cannot be applied toward the following:
Capital costs of the theatre and/or school (i.e., auditorium renovations, structural building enhancements, etc.)
Individuals and families (including scholarships--please see our other program initiatives)
Religious denomination-sponsored programs or events (holiday pageants, etc.)
Sponsorship of fundraising events (i.e. dinners, walks, golf tournaments, and auctions)
Advertising or marketing
Sports teams or athletic events (parade floats, etc.)
Development or production of books, films, videos, or television programs
Endowment campaigns or scholarship campaigns
Continuing education for teachers and staff
Institutional overhead and/or indirect costs (i.e., salaries, benefits, etc.)
Memorial campaigns
Multi-year requests
Timeline to Apply
August 6, 2024: Applications open
October 25, 2024: Extended Deadline – Be sure to get your proposal in before this final deadline!
Fall 2024: The review process begins, with selections made by a panel of industry experts.
Winter 2024: Notification of grants and disbursement of funds.
This is a fantastic opportunity for theatre teachers to bring their creative visions to life and ensure their students have access to the tools they need to explore and excel in the performing arts.
Don’t Miss the ALWI Classroom Resources Grant Webinar!
Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 26th, from 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM EST for the ALWI Classroom Resources Grant Webinar. This special event will feature some of Broadway’s best designers, who will share their insights on how to best equip your theatre space for success. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your lighting, sound, or other technical aspects, these experts will provide invaluable tips and advice on maximizing the grant's potential for your program.
RSVP for the September 26th Webinar here to ensure you don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to hear directly from Broadway professionals!
For more details or to start your application, visit The American Theatre Wing's Classroom Resources Grants page.
Don’t miss this chance to support your school’s theatre program and help your students thrive!
The Big Idea
2024 Fall Broadway Preview
by Zach Dulli, The Scene
Welcome to The Scene's 2024 Fall Broadway Preview! As autumn arrives, bringing with it the vibrant colors of changing leaves and a refreshing crispness in the air, the iconic lights of Broadway shine even brighter. This season promises an exhilarating lineup of performances that are sure to captivate audiences. From electrifying revivals of beloved classics to innovative, groundbreaking new productions, the stages of Broadway are set to dazzle this fall. And let's not forget the star-studded casts featuring a host of Hollywood luminaries gracing the theater marquees. So, stay with us as we dive into an exploration of the nine plays and seven musicals that are opening on Broadway this fall. Get ready for a season of unforgettable performances that only Broadway can deliver!
September
The Roommate by Jen Silverman
About The Roommate: Sharon’s never had a roommate before. In fact, there’s a lot Sharon’s never done before, but Robyn’s about to change all that. Jen Silverman’s The Roommate shatters expectations with its witty and profound portrait of a blossoming intimacy between two women from vastly different backgrounds as they navigate the complexities of identity, morality, and the promise of reinvention. Being bad never felt so good as it does in this riveting one-act about second acts.
Starring: Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone
Director: Jack O’Brien
Theatre: Booth Theatre
Previews Begin: Thursday, August 29
Opening Night: Thursday, September 12
McNeal by Ayad Akhtar
About McNeal: Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Jacob McNeal is a great writer, one of our greatest, a perpetual candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. But McNeal also has an estranged son, a new novel, old axes to grind, and an unhealthy fascination with Artificial Intelligence. Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar’s new play is a startling and wickedly smart examination of the inescapable humanity – and increasing inhumanity – of the stories we tell.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr.
Director: Bartlett Sher
Theatre: Beaumont Theatre Lincoln Center
Previews Begin: Thursday, September 5
Opening Night: Monday, September 30th
The Hills of California by Jez Butterworth
About The Hills of California: In the sweltering heat of a 1970s summer, the Webb sisters return to their childhood home in Blackpool, an English seaside town, where their mother Veronica lies dying upstairs. Gloria and Ruby now have families of their own. Jill never left. And Joan? No one’s heard from her in twenty years… but Jill insists that their mother’s favorite won’t let them down this time.
The run-down Sea View Guest House is haunted by bittersweet memories of amusement park rides and overdue bills. Back in the 1950s, each night, the girls rehearse their singing act, managed by their fiercely loving single mom. But when a record producer offers a shot at fame and a chance to escape, it will cost them all dearly.
Starring: Laura Donnelly, Leanne Best, Ophelia Lovibond, and Helena Wilson
Director: Sam Mendes
Theatre: Broadhurst Theatre
Previews Begin: Wednesday, September 11
Opening Night: Sunday, September 29th
October
Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang
About Yellow Face: In this play inspired by real events, the playwright’s fictionalized doppelgänger protests yellowface casting in Miss Saigon, only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. This Obie Award-winning and Pulitzer finalist play is a laugh-out-loud farce about the complexities of race.
Starring: Daniel Dae Kim
Director: Leigh Silverman
Theatre: Todd Haimes Theatre
Previews Begin: Friday, September 13
Opening Night: Tuesday, October 1
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
About Our Town: May 7, 1901. Life has begun in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. Milk is being delivered. Breakfast is on the stove. We meet the town gossips, the boys who play baseball and the choirmaster with a secret sorrow. And soon teenagers George Gibbs and Emily Webb will go from friends to puppy love to wedding day and beyond—two families forever joined together. And as they come to terms with the meaning of their lives, this Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic beautifully celebrates our own shared humanity.
Starring: Jim Parsons, Katie Holmes, Zoey Deutch, Ephraim Sykes, Billy Eugene Jones, Richard Thomas, Michelle Wilson, Julie Halston, and Donald Webber Jr..
Director: Kenny Leon
Theatre: Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Previews Begin: Thursday, September 17
Opening Night: Thursday, October 10
Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron
About Left on Tenth: When she least expects it, Delia, beloved novelist and screenwriter of “You’ve Got Mail,” makes a surprising connection with a man from her past and falls into her own romantic comedy. What starts with an unlikely spark blossoms into a love story that seems to defy all odds in the face of life’s challenges. Left on Tenth celebrates the messy, beautiful true story of two people with the courage to open their hearts again.
Starring: Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher
Director: Susan Stroman
Theatre: James Earl Jones Theatre
Previews Begin: Thursday, September 26
Opening Night: Wednesday, October 23
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
About Romeo and Juliet: Two young lovers with feuding families navigate their budding relationship as uncontrollable circumstances lead to a tragic end. Love leads to loss, then grace, in this everlasting tale that has captivated audiences throughout history.
Starring: Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor
Director: Sam Gold
Theatre: Circle in the Square Theatre
Previews Begin: Thursday, September 26
Opening Night: Thursday, October 24
Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Christopher Hampton & Don Black
About Sunset Boulevard: Haunted by her memories and dreams, movie star Norma Desmond yearns to return to the big screen. A struggling screenwriter who can’t sell his scripts to the Hollywood studios may be her only hope until their dangerous and captivating relationship leads to disaster. Drenched in champagne and cynicism, Sunset Boulevard focuses the lens on the ambitions and frustrations of its characters and puts their intoxicating need for fame and adoration in stark close-up.
Starring: Nicole Scherzinger
Director: Jamie Lloyd
Theatre: St. James Theatre
Previews Begin: Saturday, September 28
Opening Night: Sunday, October 20
November
A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical by Aurin Squire
About A Wonderful World: A Wonderful World traces the life of Louis Armstrong, the musical genre he helped define, and the complex history of race in America, from the birth of jazz in Armstrong's native New Orleans to international stardom and the Civil Rights era.
Starring: James Monroe Iglehart
Director: Jamie Lloyd
Theatre: St. James Theatre
Previews Begin: Wednesday, October 16
Opening Night: Monday, November 11
Maybe Happy Ending by Will Aronson & Hue Park
About Maybe Happy Ending: Inside a one-room apartment in the heart of Seoul, Oliver lives a happily quiet life listening to jazz records and caring for his favorite plant. But what else is there to do when you’re a HelperBot 3, a robot that has long been retired and considered obsolete? When his fellow HelperBot neighbor Claire asks to borrow his charger, what starts as an awkward encounter leads to a unique friendship, a surprising adventure, and maybe even...love?
Starring: Darren Criss and Helen J Shen
Director: Michael Arden
Theatre: Belasco Theatre
Previews Begin: Wednesday, October 16
Opening Night: Tuesday, November 12
Tammy Faye by James Graham, Elton John, & Jake Shears
About Tammy Faye: It's the 1970s, and for the very first time, satellites are bringing cable television into American homes. As families gather in their living rooms, young preacher Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye hit the airwaves to build a nationwide congregation and put the fun back in faith. But while Tammy dazzles on screen, rivals plot behind the scenes, jealous of her popularity and threatened by her determination to lead with love.
Starring: Katie Brayben, Christian Borle, and Michael Cerveris
Director: Rupert Goold
Theatre: Palace Theatre
Previews Begin: Saturday, October 16
Opening Night: Thursday, November 14
Death Becomes Her by Marco Pennette, Julia Mattison, & Noel Carey
About Death Becomes Her: Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies…until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for. After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity.
Starring: Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, and Michelle Williams
Director: Christopher Gattelli
Theatre: Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Previews Begin: Wednesday, October 23
Opening Night: Thursday, November 21
Swept Away by John Logan & The Avett Brothers
About Swept Away: When a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the coast of New Bedford, Mass., the four survivors face a reckoning: how far will they go to stay alive? And can they live with the consequences? With music and lyrics from The Avett Brothers, whose 2004 “Mignonette” was inspired by an 1884 shipwreck and the struggle of four men to survive, Swept Away is an electrifying, soul-stirring new musical exploring how facing tragedy can open the door to forgiveness… if only we’ll let it.
Starring: John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands, Wayne Duvall, and Adrian Blake Enscoe
Director: Michael Mayer
Theatre: Longacre Theatre
Previews Begin: Tuesday, October 29
Opening Night: Tuesday, November 19
December
Cult of Love by Leslye Hunter
About Cult of Love: It’s the holiday season for the Dahl family! The four adult children return to their childhood home with partners in tow. The Dahl traditions include singing carols in harmony at the drop of a hat, but the gathering is anything but harmonious. Old conflicts resurface, new issues battled, and dinner is taking absolutely forever to be served. Will the love the Dahls have for each other be enough to get them through, or will this be their last Christmas together?
Starring: TBD
Director: Trip Cullman
Theatre: Helen Hayes Theatre
Previews Begin: Wednesday, November 20
Opening Night: Thursday, December 12
Gypsy by Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne, & Stephen Sondheim
About Gypsy: Gypsy Rose Lee was the world’s most famous striptease artist; Momma Rose was the ultimate stage mother. Follow their extraordinary story in the timeless musical about sex, power, and longing. With legendary songs, including “Let Me Entertain You” and “Everything’s Coming up Roses,” Gypsy remains the greatest American musical.
Starring: Audra McDonald
Director: George C. Wolfe
Theatre: Majestic Theatre
Previews Begin: Thursday, November 21
Opening Night: Thursday, December 19
Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector
About Eureka Day: Eureka Day is a private California elementary school with a Board of Directors that values inclusion above all else – that is, until an outbreak of the mumps forces everyone in the community to reconsider the school’s liberal vaccine policy. As cases rise, the board realizes with horror that they’ve got to do what they swore they never would: make a choice that won’t please absolutely everybody.
Starring: Anber Gray, Jessica Hecht, Bill Irwin, and Thomas Middleditch
Director: Anna D. Shapiro
Theatre: Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Previews Begin: Monday, November 25
Opening Night: Saturday, December 16
See Who's Joining Joshua Malina in the European Premiere of ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank’ by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | The Nathan Englander play made its world premiere in 2022 at The Old Globe. Read...
Ian McKellen Has 'No Plans' To Retire From Acting by Steven McIntosh, BBC | McKellen has said he has no plans to retire from acting, and he does not want any other actor to play Gandalf in the forthcoming Lord of the Rings film. Read...
London's ‘Moulin Rouge!’ The Musical Will Feature New Leads in October by Andrew Gans, Playbill | The international hit musical continues at the Piccadilly Theatre. Read...
James McArdle, Bel Powley Lead London Revival of ‘The Real Thing’ by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | The Old Vic is staging the Tony-winning Tom Stoppard play with Max Webster at the helm. Read...
Baltimore Theatres Go All In on August Wilson by Daniella Ignacio, American Theatre | Over the next 3 years at 10 Charm City venues, the playwright’s entire American Century Cycle will unfold in chronological order. Read...
New Work Through New Eyes by Cassie Beck, American Theatre | Cassie Beck and Kent Nicholson reflect on their weekend at the South Carolina New Play Festival, an inspiring first for one and a delightful return for the other. Read...
Rachel Bloom, Matthew Morrison, and Neema Muteti to Join Reefer Madness L.A. Revival by Molly Higgins and Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | Bloom and Morrison will both step into the production for limited guest star engagements, while Muteti will join the revival's ensemble. Read...
See Who's Starring in the World Premiere of ‘Rutka Musical’ at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park by Andrew Gans, Playbill | The new indie-rock musical is adapted from Rutka’s Notebook: A Voice From the Holocaust. Read...
Free Reads of the Week
Read entire plays for free! Playscripts offers a selection of full-length and one-act plays that you can access for free, which is ideal for use in theatre productions, school performances, or competitions. To explore these titles, click on the cover image below or select the "READ FOR FREE" button at the bottom of this section. This action will direct you to the play's page on the Playscripts website. Once there, click "READ NOW" to begin enjoying the play immediately!
The Invasion of Earth as It Began in Grover's Mill, New Jersey by J.R. Mimbs
Comedy/Drama | 35 - 45 minutes | 6 W, 4 M, 5 Any (14-20 actors possible: 6-11 W, 4-9 M) | Set: Minimal set indicating four separate suburban locations.
The Story: For four different groups of people awaiting the radio broadcast of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds in 1938, things go horribly awry when a news report indicates that aliens may have invaded Grover's Mill, New Jersey. As fears set in, concerns over money, conspiracies, faith, and self-defense come to a head and panic builds as everyone struggles to decide what to do next. But what if things are not necessarily as they seem? In the face of a possible catastrophe, everyone must discover what is important in their lives.
