Odds & Ends: Les Misérables - The Staged Concert Extends West End Run & More

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

Les Misérables - The Staged Concert Extended by Two Weeks
Due to public demand, a two-week extension has been announced for Les Misérables - The Staged Concert. The show will run at the Sondheim Theatre from December 5 through January 31, 2021. The staging had originally been scheduled to play through January 17. The cast will once again include Michael Ball as Javert, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine and Matt Lucas as Thénardier. John Owen-Jones will play the role of Jean Valjean at certain performances.

Theatre District Restaurant Joe Allen Reopens on October 15
Joe Allen Restaurant, the fabled haunt of the Broadway community, will reopen its doors on October 15 after seven months of closure due to the coronavirus crisis. The restaurant has undergone a redesign by Tony-winning scenic designer David Rockwell as part of his initiative DineIn NYC, which assures compliance with current safety protocols. The redesign involves a new table layout that meets current New York City guidelines for distance and capacity, guided patron choreography that provides safe pathways for diners, an entirely new outdoor seating area and custom plexiglass table dividers. Call (212) 581-6464 for reservations.

Dine with Betsy Wolfe, Max von Essen & More
In other restaurant-related news, October 18 will mark the launch of Broadway @ Breslin, a charitable dinner and musical series hosted by NY1's Frank DiLella. Each evening will feature a special prix-fixe menu paired with live performances from Broadway actors singing from the socially-safe distance of the second story windows of Ace Hotel New York. Guests will take in the performance from the Breslin’s outdoor dining room located on Broadway between 28th and 29th streets. Betsy Wolfe, Alysha Umphress and Max von Essen are confirmed to participate on October 18, October 25 and November 1, respectively. Make a reservation here.

Leicester’s Curve Announces Reopening Plans
Curve has announced plans to reopen to the public. The theater, which was forced closed its doors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, will open again this autumn for re-imagined, socially distanced concert performances. T’Shan Williams and Danielle Fiamanya will star in The Color Purple from November 23 through December 3; Ria Jones and Danny Mac will return to star in Sunset Boulevard from December 14 through January 3, 2021; and a revival of the 2018 production of Memoirs Of An Asian Football Casual will run from January 25 through February 6. Full casting for all three productions will be revealed later. The season will officially launch on November 12 with an exclusive event which will be live-streamed from the theater. Stay tuned!

Inventive Shakespeare Mashup Series Bedlam to Begin Filming
Theater fans have never experienced Shakespeare like this! Written by Eric Tucker and Musa Gurnis and directed by Tucker, Bedlam: The Series, an inventive and irreverent Shakespeare mashup that twists together characters and plots from King Lear, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice and other plays into a new story, will begin filming in New York City and the Hudson Valley this month. The series will unfold over eight episodes and be released on a streaming platform to be announced. The cast includes Zuzanna Szadkowski, Triney Sandoval, Kaden Kearney, Mike Labbadia, Tracee Beazer, Elan Zafir, Claire Hsu, Ryan Quinn, John Terry, Perri Yaniv, Eric Tucker, Katie Hartke, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Ted Lewis, Nigel Gore, Musa Gurnis, Arash Mokhtar, Rami Margron, Zachary Fine, Lisa Birnbaum, Ashley Bufkin, Karen Alvarado, Galen Molk, Woody Fu, Murphy Taylor Smith, Maya Margarita, Tiffany Denise Hobbs, Violeta Picayo, Mia Vallet and Caroline Grogan. Learn more here.