Odds & Ends: Colin Hanlon Set for A.R. Gurney Triptych Final Follies & More

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

Colin Hanlon & More to Lead A.R. Gurney Triptych Final Follies
Casting has been announced for Primary Stages' upcoming production of Final Follies, three one-act plays by the late Pulitzer finalist A.R. Gurney. The previously announced production, directed by David Saint, will run at off-Broadway's Cherry Lane Theatre beginning on September 12 with an opening set for October 2. The cast will include Colin Hanlon (In Transit), Betsy Aidem (All the Way), Mark Junek (The Hairy Ape), Piter Marek (Cyrano de Bergerac), Greg Mullavey (Clever Little Lies), Rachel Nicks (War) and Deborah Rush (Orange Is the New Black). The three Gurney plays include The Love Course, The Rape of Bunny Stuntz and the titular Final Follies, the last chapter in Gurney’s oeuvre of short plays examining WASP life in America. The production will play a limited engagement through October 21.

Dear Evan Hansen's Michael Lee Brown to Make Solo Concert Debut
Michael Lee Brown, the talented young star who currently plays two shows per week in the title role of Dear Evan Hansen, has announced his solo concert debut, Way It Used to Be. The cabaret will play midtown venue Feinstein's/54 Below on September 30 at 9:45pm. The evening will consist of 1990s and early 2000s pop-rock and musical-theater favorites, as well as some of Brown's original songs. His EP, Way It Used to Be, premiered recently and can be heard on all streaming services worldwide. Brown's solo concert will feature musical direction by Ted Arthur.

Chita Rivera to Be Honored by L.A.-Based Organization Shane's Inspiration
Tony-winning triple-threat Chita Rivera will be hat-tipped this fall by Shane's Inspiration, an L.A.-based organization that creates accessible playgrounds for kids with disabilities. The benefit gala honoring Rivera will be held at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall on October 1 at 7:30pm. Stars announced to sing in Rivera's honor will include Tony nominee Melissa Errico, Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso, Joan Ryan, Liz Calloway and Ali Stroker. Additional performers will be announced.

Carol Lawrence, Marilyn Maye, Penny Fuller & More to Sing Ballroom in Concert
A star-packed cast of stage talent has signed on to sing from the 1979 Tony-nominated musical Ballroom in a special concert at Feinstein's/54 Below. Robert W. Schneider will direct the evening, scheduled to take place on September 4 at 7:00pm. The company will include Tony nominees Carol Lawrence, Penny Fuller and Jill O'Hara, legendary cabaret star Marilyn Maye, along with Loni Ackerman, Klea Blackhurst, Jim Brochu, Natalie Douglas, Patti Mariano, Steve Schalchlin, Jim Walton, Lennie Watts and Debbie Zecher. The concert will also feature a special appearance by Ballroom's composer, Billy Goldenberg, as well as songs that were cut from the original production. The score of Ballroom was written by Goldenberg along with Marilyn and Alan Bergman, with a book by Jerome Kass. The musical is based on the 1975 TV movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.

Dominique Morisseau's Pipeline to Appear in Cinemas
Pipeline, Dominique Morisseau's acclaimed play which was seen off-Broadway in 2017, will play select movie theaters nationwide on October 3, 5 and 7, courtesy of BroadwayHD. Directed by Lileana Blaine-Cruz, Pipeline follows Nya (played by Karen Pittman), a dedicated inner-city public high school teacher who is committed to her students' achievement, while she sends her only son, Omari (Namir Smallwood), to a private boarding school. When Omari is involved in a controversial incident that threatens him with expulsion from his school, Nya is forced to reconcile Omari's rage and her own parental decisions, as she rallies to save her son. The off-Broadway staging of Pipeline ran at Lincoln Center Theater's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater from June 15 through August 27, 2017. Look back at our sitdown with Pittman in the Broadway.com Show episode below.