Good Things Going: MTC Extends The Explorers Club and Choir Boy Off-Broadway

Manhattan Theatre Club is keeping a good thing going by extending both its summer plays, The Explorers Club and Choir Boy, by two weeks each. Both limited runs were initially slated to end on July 21, but will now continue through August 4.

Penned by Nell Benjamin and directed by Marc Bruni, The Explorers Club is set in London in the late 1870s and tells the story of the prestigious Explorers Club in the midst of a dual crisis: Their acting coach wants to admit a female and their bartender is terrible. Despite the fact that said woman is brilliant, letting her in could change the British Empire forever, and how could such a decision be made without a decent drink? The production stars Tony nominees John McMartin and Jennifer Westfeldt as well as Lorenzo Pisoni, Brian Avers, Max Baker, Steven Boyer, Arnie Burton, Carson Elrod and David Furr.

Set at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, Choir Boy tells the story of Pharus (Jeremy Pope), who wants nothing more than to take his rightful place as leader of the school’s legendary gospel choir. Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Trip Cullman the musically infused drama also features Tony winner Chuck Cooper, Austin Pendleton, Nicholas L. Ashe, Kyle Beltran, Grantham Coleman and Wallace Smith.