Odds and Ends: Tom Stoppard Theater Naming, Ragtime and Just In Time Set for July 4 TV Specials & More

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

Warn the Duke
The West End’s Duke of York’s Theatre is being renamed after late playwright Tom Stoppard, which currently houses his 1993 play, Arcadia. The same play was revived at the theater in 2009 and Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll played the Duke of York’s in 2006. The venue is now owned by ATG Entertainment, whose company made the name change in honor of Stoppard’s contributions to British theater. Stoppard is the recipient of an Oscar, three Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards, among other honors. As a playwright, he was honored for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Travesties, The Real Thing, The Coast of Utopia and Leopoldstadt. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for writing Brazil and Shakespeare in Love, winning for the latter.

Ragtime, Flag Time
Bust out Father’s fireworks! The Tony-winning revival of Ragtime will join Disney Celebrates America, the 24-hour multiplatform broadcast on ABC celebrating the semiquincentennial. The program begins on July 3 at 10:00 p.m. EDT, running through 11:00 p.m. on July 4. Ragtime will be part of the Party Across America lineup, airing on July 3 from 11:35 p.m.–12:37 a.m. While the details of what will be performed hasn’t been disclosed, Disney will most certainly “Make Them Hear You.”

Somewhere Beyond D.C.
Bobby’s headed to Washington! The Broadway cast of Just In Time will perform during the A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration concert in Washington, D.C. Matt Magnusson, Olivia Holt and Carrie St. Louis will show the people in D.C. how it’s done, with the broadcast airing on PBS at 8:00 p.m. ET on July 4. But the fun doesn’t end there! Tune in for other performances by Patti Labelle, Loren Allred, the band Chicago and more. The celebration is hosted by Dancing with the Stars' Alfonso Ribeiro.

RSC + SDC
Three-time Olivier winner Sharon D Clarke will be the next general of the Venetian military, playing the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Othello. Directed by Monique Touko, this futuristic production reimagines Othello as a Black lesbian confronting topics such as all-male workplaces and age-gap relationships through the lens of misogynoir. The term, introduced by Black feminist scholar Moya Bailey, describes the unique form of prejudice and hostility experienced by Black women. Performances begin on February 13, 2027 at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and are set to run through April 3.

A Month In the Donmar
The full cast and creative team has been announced for Donmar Warehouse’s production of A Month in the Country, starring Tony winner Sophie Okonedo as Natalya Petrovna. Directed by Lyndsey Turner, the play will run from August 22 through October 3. Rounding out the cast of Brian Friel’s play are Thomas Arnold, Jessica Brindle, Susan Brown, Rachelle Diedericks, Patrick Gibson, Mark Hadfield, Michael Hodgson, Jonathan Livingstone, Alistair Petrie, Daniel Rigby and Amanda Wilkin. Following Natalya Petrovna and her seemingly perfect life, a penniless young tutor arrives and changes everything, igniting a spark of desire that sets the summer ablaze.