Odds & Ends: Anastasia & Hamilton's Legal Battles, Barrington Stage Company Announces Season & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Anastasia & Hamilton Face Lawsuits
A quick Broadway legal briefing: a New York District Court judge has denied the producers of Anastasia’s motion to dismiss a plagiarism lawsuit. As previously reported, Jean Etienne de Becdelievre, an heir of Marcelle Maurette (playwright of the 1952 play Anastasia), claims that the upcoming musical, scheduled to begin performances on March 23, lifts heavily from Maurette’s text and intends to halt the production until a licensing agreement is made. Meanwhile, a Denver resident has filed a lawsuit against the Nederlander Organization and Hamilton producers over a lack of accommodation for blind patrons at the show, according to The Wall Street Journal. The plaintiff, Mark Lasser, alleges the production refused to add a live audio narrative as some others do, thereby violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ragtime, Company & More Set for Barrington Stage
Barrington Stage Company has announced its 2017 lineup, including new productions of Ragtime and Company. The season begins on May 18 with Jeffrey Sweet’s Kunstler. The production, directed by Meagen Fay, will star Jeff McCarthy. Joe Calarco will helm Ragtime; the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical will begin previews on June 21 and run through July 15. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company, under the direction of BSC Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, will run from August 10 through September 2. The upcoming season also includes Conor McPherson’s The Birds, Alan Ayckbourn’s Taking Steps, Melissa James Gibson's This and Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight. Casting will be announced at a later date.

Trevor Nunn Returns to the Menier
Trevor Nunn will return to the London’s Menier Chocolate Factory this spring to helm two revivals. The first, Terence Rattigan’s Love in Idleness, will run from March 9 through April 29. Next, he’ll direct Lettice and Lovage. the Peter Shaffer play begins on May 4 and will run through July 8. Nunn previously directed productions of A Little Night Music and Aspects of Love at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the latter transferring to Broadway and the West End in 2009. Casting has yet to be announced.

P.S. Mark your calendars: 13 Reasons Why, the previously announced Netflix series starring Tony nominee Brian d’Arcy James, will premiere on the streaming service on March 31, according to Deadline.