This Week’s Picks! Join Misty Copeland On the Town, See Amy Spanger Get Personal & Spend an Evening with Elphaba

Hey, you, crying uncontrollably over all the back-to-school commercials. Why so sad over jeans? Do you even go to school? Regardless, we have just what we need to chase those blues away, and it’s not a new Trapper Keeper. There’s Misty Copeland’s arrival to On the Town, Amy Spanger’s show at Joe’s Pub, and a new season of Broadway Balances America. Get ready: here come this week’s picks!


Meet Amy Spanger at Her Place
August 24 at Joe’s Pub
Since Mondays stink worse than a Dumpster fire, you should always do something fun that day. Let’s start this week, shall we? In This Must Be the Place, Broadway star Amy Spanger (Chicago, Rock of Ages and soon in Matilda) sings some of the songs that made her famous—as well as rock, pop, and country numbers—and share “glamorous and not so glamorous tales” from her life. Click for tickets!


See Misty Copeland Twirl in On the Town
Begins August 25 at Lyric Theatre
On the Town may be coming to end, but it remains en pointe. Why the lousy ballet-influenced pun? The wonderful Misty Copeland, the first African-American prima ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. She takes over as Ivy Smith in select performances before the highly entertaining Tony-nominated revival bids adieu on September 6. So allegro on over! We’ll stop now. Click for tickets!


Explore Broadway in Your PJs
Begins August 25 on Lifetime
We need another reason other than steady employment and coffee for getting up early in the morning. For several weeks, we have one. Lifetime’s morning show, The Balancing Act, begins its second season of Broadway Balances America. This season features behind-the-scenes excerpts and interviews with the shows featured in Broadway Across America’s 2015-16 series nationwide, including Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Kinky Boots and Cabaret.


Go Laugh It Up, Stare It Down
Begins August 26 at Cherry Orchard Theatre
Alan Hruska’s comedy Laugh It Up, Stare It Down isn’t the usual “two souls finding each other” story. No way, guys. Cleo and Joe’s journey to a deeper fulfillment involves the following: a missing baby, a forged painting, a house invader, a tidal wave and frozen pistou. If you’re not the least bit curious to see what this is all about, we’re pretty sure you hate fun in all forms. Click for tickets!


Have Wicked Fun with Willemijn Verkaik
August 27 and 28 at 54 Below
If you can’t get enough of Wicked—or great singing—you’re in luck. Willemijn Verkaik, the only actress to play Elphaba in more than one language, takes the stage at 54 Below for two nights. Plan on hearing rousing renditions from Wicked (maybe in a language or three), a guest appearance from Stephen Schwartz, and regret over sleeping through high school German. You could have been an international star! Ack! Click for tickets!