Janis Joplin Debuts, Romeo and Juliet Make it Official & Andrea Martin Bows Out in This Week’s Datebook
Get out your calendars, and get set for a busy week of theatergoing! From Romeo and Juliet and Janis Joplin to the final performances by Pippin Tony winner Andrea Martin and a star-studded line-up at 54 Below, there's something to please everyone. Read on for this week’s top picks.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
ETHAN COEN DELIVERS HIS WOMEN OR NOTHING
Academy Award-winning writer/director Ethan Coen's first full-length play, Women or Nothing, celebrates opening night at Atlantic Theater Company. Susan Pourfar stars as Laura, a prickly concert pianist trying to have a child with her girlfriend Gretchen (Halley Feiffer). Directed by David Cromer, the play co-stars Robert Beitzel as the man one of them may be willing to sleep with to make their motherhood dreams come true and Tony nominee Deborah Rush as Laura's meddling mother.
ALSO: Tony winner Frances Ruffelle gives a peek Beneath the Dress at 54 Below; the Canal Room celebrates turning 10 with an '80s tribute featuring Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis; the American Theatre Wing's annual gala honors Broadway icon Harold Prince; Tony winner Hugh Jackman stops by Ellen.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
NATURAL AFFECTION LEADS TO TROUBLE
Family tension, sexual repression and violent confrontations ensue in William Inge's 1963 drama Natural Affection, which begins performances at off-Broadway's Beckett Theatre. Broadway alum John Pankow and Tony nominee Kathryn Erbe star in The Actors Company Theatre's revival, which follows a fresh-from-reform-school teenage boy (Chris Bert) who returns home to find that his unwed mother (Erbe) has shacked up with her younger, car salesman boyfriend (Pankow).
ALSO: Shrek the Musical, featuring Brian d'Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Daniel Breaker, Christopher Sieber and John Tartaglia, is available on most digital platforms; HBO's Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra and the fourth season of FOX's Glee get the DVD and Blu-Ray treatment; Romeo and Juliet's Orlando Bloom swings by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; Tony host and upcoming Hedwig and the Angry Inch star Neil Patrick Harris drops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
JAKE GYLLENHALL TALKS PRISONERS WITH KELLY & MICHAEL
New York theater vet Jake Gyllenhaal heads to Live! with Kelly and Michael to talk about his new thriller Prisoners. Gyllenhall plays a detective who finds himself at odds with Hugh Jackman as father whose daughter and best friend were ripped out of their families' lives on Thanksgiving. Prisoners, which also features Broadway vet Terrence Howard and Tony winner Viola Davis, looks to be one of fall's not-to-be-missed film hits.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
ROMEO AND JULIET CONFESS THEIR LOVE...FOR BROADWAY
It's opening night for five-time Tony nominee David Leveaux's contemporary, interracial take on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's heartrending tragedy boasts a Broadway debut by international film star Orlando Bloom as the forlorn Romeo, two-time Tony nominee Condola Rashad as the headstrong Juliet and an ensemble cast including two-time Tony nominee Jayne Houdyshell, Tony winners Chuck Cooper and Brent Carver and Justin Guarini. Look for graffiti and motorcycles mixed with ancient artifacts at the newly renovated Richard Rodgers Theatre.
ALSO: Bad Jews, starring Tracee Chimo and Molly Ranson, begins at the Laura Pels Theatre; Lady Day, starring Dee Dee Bridgewater as Billie Holiday, begins at the Little Shubert Theatre; Tony winners Laura Benanti and Alice Ripley head to 54 Below.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE OF JANIS JOPLIN'S HEART
The boozy and bluesy Queen of Rock 'n' Roll is ready to rock Broadway as A Night with Janis Joplin, starring Mary Bridget Davies, begins previews at the Lyceum Theatre. Written and directed by Randy Johnson, the show traces the life and musical inspirations of Joplin, who died at 27 just before the release of her biggest selling album, Pearl. A Night with Janis Joplin features hits like “Piece of My Heart,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”
ALSO: Roundabout's Broadway revival of The Winslow Boy begins at the American Airlines Theatre; off-Broadway's How to Be a New Yorker moves to Planet Hollywood; the campy cabaret show Bette & Barry: Back to the Bathhouse plays the Laurie Beechman Theatre; Prisoners, starring Broadway vets Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis and Terrence Howard, opens in movie theaters; C.O.G., starring Jonathan Groff and Corey Stoll, and Thanks For Sharing, starring Mark Ruffalo and Josh Gad, open in limited release.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
ANDREA MARTIN KISSES HER PIPPIN TRAPEZE GOODBYE
It's your last weekend to see Tony-winning scene-stealer Andrea Martin before she take her final swing in the Tony-winning revival of Pippin on September 22. Martin earned standing ovations for her showstopping performance as Berthe, Pippin's exiled grandmother, who teaches the prince to enjoy life because there's “No Time At All” to waste. Hurry to see Martin in Tony-winning director Diane Paulus' production at the Music Box Theatre.
ALSO: The Cheaters Club closes at off-Broadway's Abrons Arts Center; Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band, featuring Nick Blaemire, Caissie Levy, Motown The Musical's Ariana DeBose and more, returns to 54 Below.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
BROADWAY FLEA MARKET TAKES OVER TIMES SQUARE
A T-shirt worn onstage by Tom Hanks in Lucky Guy! A broom prop used by Idina Menzel in Wicked! A lunch date with Angela Lansbury and Judith Light! Eager bidders will be able to snap up signed memorabilia from more than a dozen Broadway shows, get stars' autographns and bid for walk-on roles at the 27th annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction. This festive free outdoor market takes place in and around Shubert Alley and is the perfect opportunity to mingle with fans and your favorite stage stars. You can bet we'll be there!
ALSO: Tony nominee Adam Pascal and upcoming If/Then star Anthony Rapp rock out at 54 Below.
