Teatro SEA-Cesar Chavez; MTC – How I Learned to Drive; Hadestown-Jewelle Blackman; Birthday Candles – Debra Messing
Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) presents the New York premiere of Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle,starring Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, directed by Vivienne Benesch, began previews March 18. The cast features award winning TV star Debra Messing as “Ernestine,” Enrico Colantoni as “Kenneth,” Tony Award nominee John Earl Jelks as “Matt/William” with Crystal Finn as “Joan/Alex/Beth,” Susannah Flood as “Alice/Madeline/Ernie,” and Christopher Livingston as “Billy/John.” Debra Messing was last seen on Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s play Outside Mullingar opposite Brían F. O’Byrne. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Teatro SEA announces the 11th season of MicroTheater New York, a series of short productions, March 19, 20, 21 and 31, including the premiere of a new puppet theater production “César Chávez and the Migrants (The César Chávez Story),” whichcelebrates the life and legacy of the Mexican-American labor activist. Written and directed by Manuel Antonio Morán, the bilingual production highlights Chávez’s life story for a new generation, and premieres in connection with both World Puppetry Day (March 21) and Chávez’s birthday (March 31). The play highlights Chávez’s early life as well as his partnership with Dolores Huerta, activism with the National Farm Workers Association, the 1968 grape boycott, and his ongoing commitment to nonviolent civil rights work. More information: www.teatrosea.org
Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director and Barry Grove, Executive Producer) presents Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive, directed by Mark Brokaw, starring Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse beginning March 29 at Broadway’s Samuel J.Friedman Theatre and the American premiere of Golden Shield, written by Anchuli Felicia King (White Pearl) and directed by May Adrales (Vietgone at MTC). The ensemble will feature Cindy Cheung, Fang Du, Kristen Hung, Daniel Jenkins, Michael C. Liu, Max Gordon Moore, Ruibo Qian and Gillian Saker.
Golden Shield will begin performances on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 ahead of a Tuesday, May 17, 2022 opening night at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55th Street). www.manhattantheatreclub.com
The producers of Hadestown, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, announce that beginning Tuesday, April 5, Jewelle Blackman, will summon spring eight times a week at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street) when she takes over the role of Persephone, goddess of springtime and queen of the underworld. Blackman, a native of Toronto, first joined Hadestown in 2017 with the musical’s developmental run at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre. She went on to captivate audiences with her soul-stirring alto as one of the original trio of Fates on Broadway and as a Persephone understudy. www.Hadestown.com
