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The Week in New York Theater Reviews

Oslo

“Oslo,” a fascinating play about the surprising story behind the first peace accord between the Israelis and Palestinians, arrives at Lincoln Center at a time when we can use something hopeful amid the horror and chaos of the last few weeks.

Small Mouth Sounds

“Small Mouth Sounds,” Bess Wohl’s play about six characters who are attending a silent retreat , contains almost no dialogue, but it speaks volumes. It is a satire, but it treats its subject with respect. It is a comedy, but it slowly reveals each individual’s tragedy. In the hands of Rachel Chavkin (whose many recent successes include “Hadestown” and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), and its exquisite seven-member cast (four of whom were in the original production at Ars Nova last year), “Small Mouth Sounds” is a remarkable work of theater.

The Week in New York Theater News

Hamilton Cast Changes

Two more original cast members of Hamilton are leaving

Daveed Diggs left on Friday, July 15. He has been cast as an English teacher in a Julia Roberts film “Wonder,”  based on the novel by Raquel J. Palacio.

Renee Elise Goldsberry will leave the musical this fall to star in Altered Carbon, a new Netflix sci-fi series.

Meanwhile, the Chicago production of Hamilton announced its stars: Karen Olivo as Eliza, Miguel Cervantes as Alexander Hamilton, and Alexander Gemignani as King George III.

Sondheim Revivals

George Takei, who made his Broadway debut last year in Allegiance, has been cast as “Reciter” in the Classic Stage Company’s Off-Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s 1986 musical, “Pacific Overtures,” to be directed by John Doyle, beginning on April 5, 2017.   “Commodore Matthew Perry sails to Japan in 1853 on a U.S mission to open up trade relations at any cost. The musical tells the tale of a samurai and a fisherman who are caught up in the Westernization of the East.”

Annaleigh Ashford

Annaleigh Ashford joins Jake Gyllenhaal is Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, as part of the New York City Center Off-Center Encores series, October 24-26 (that’s two added performances)

Theater at the Emmys

THE WIZ LIVE! — Pictured: (l-r) Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, David Alan Grier as Lion, Shanice Williams as Dorothy — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon Baines Johnson in All The Way, 2014, by Robert Schenkkan

Audra McDonald re-creates the voice of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill, and there is a sad, sad moment, after Billie has gone off-stage (clearly to shoot up), when she comes back, cheerful and wobbly.

The 2016 Emmy nominations (complete list
) include TV adaptations of several shows originally on Broadway

Grease Live received ten nominations including nods for theater veterans director Thomas Kail, set designer David Korins (both from Hamilton) and costume designer William Ivey Long

All The Way,  the adaptation for HBO of Robert Schenkan’s Broadway play about LBJ, received eight Emmy nominations, one of them for Bryan Cranston

The Wiz Live  received six nominations, including one for set designer Derek McLane, who also received one for his design of the Oscars

Theater stalwarts who received Emmy nominations:
Audra McDonald  for the HBO adaptation of the Broadway show about Billie Holiday, Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill
Judith Light
Dame Maggie Smith

Director Sam Gold is pulling his Hamlet with Oscar Isaac from Theatre for a New Audience, citing artistic differences and in negotiations to move it to the Public Theater

Out of the Mouths of Babes closes early at the Cherry Lane after Estelle Parsons health scare. She was brought to the hospital after the first act of the July 6, then treated for dehydration.Cherry Lane artistic director Angelina Fiordellisi, in consultation with Parsons’ doctors, decided to end the run then, rather than continue to July 31.

(From Malloy’s forthcoming Broadway musical, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.”)

dave malloy‏@dave_malloy

so thrilled to share the new Pierre song, Dust and Ashes, with Mr. Josh Groban on lead existential crisis.

 

$40 digital lottery for Cats, which began with  first preview on July 14.

.@jaimecamil and @biancamarroquin now starring together in @ChicagoMusical.#OrgulloMexicano! pic.twitter.com/OrPTeeJgjp

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 13, 2016

Happy 60th birthday, Tony Kushner.,playwright of seminal Angels in America +; screenwriter of intelligence pic.twitter.com/xexmBDOpAr

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 16, 2016

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. @SpringBway‘s @DanielNDurant, @AmeliaHensley12, @TreshelleEdmond & @barbeemiles sign:
“Spring Awakening” pic.twitter.com/bFLMGhS5Nk

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 15, 2016