Odds and Ends: Liberation Heads to London, Broadway Bets Breaks Records & More

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

Liberated London

Bess Wohl’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Liberation will be staged in London next year. A memory play exploring second-wave feminism, Liberation is nominated for five 2026 Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Direction for Whitney White. After its off-Broadway world premiere at Roundabout Theatre Company, the production transferred to Broadway's James Earl Jones Theatre from October 2025–February 2026. Liberation will also be produced throughout the U.S. in 2026–27, including at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, CA, and the Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., with other productions to be announced.

Luck Be a Lady

The Broadway community raked it on May 18 for their annual poker night Broadway Bets, which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This year, the event raised a record-breaking $989,528 on behalf of the non-profit organization. Those in attendance included Christopher Abbott and Ben Ahlers of Death of a Salesman, Chess' Nicholas Christopher and Hannah Cruz, Titanique stars Deborah Cox, Frankie Grande and Layton Williams, Schmigadoon! townspeople Ana Gasteyer and Brad Oscar, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) duo Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty and Becky Shaw actor Patrick Ball.

Hot Dog

The new musical stage adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s bestselling children’s book Because of Winn-Dixie is holding an invitation only reading in New York City on May 22. First presented at Connecticut's Goodspeed in 2019, the Broadway-bound musical features a book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls, Legally Blonde) and a score by Tony winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening). Because of Winn-Dixie tells the heartwarming story of a young girl who befriends a pint-sized pooch upon moving to a small town in Florida. At the presentation, Mae Schenk (Netflix’s forthcoming Eloise series) will lead the cast as Opal Buloni, with Gabriel Ebert as the Preacher and Damon Daunno as Otis. Winn-Dixie will be played by Gus. Tony winner John Rando directs.

Somewhere That’s Greene

Ellen Greene, who originated the role of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors’ first off-Broadway staging and subsequent big screen treatment, is hitting the road for the 40th anniversary of the show’s 1986 film adaptation. Little Shop of Horrors: The 40th Anniversary Screening will kick off its multi-city tour on August 14 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, California. Greene returned to her signature role in 2015 for a concert staging of Little Shop opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as Seymour. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s cult classic musical is currently playing off-Broadway with Nikki M. James as Audrey and Jordan Fisher as Seymour.