The dog days of August are a good time to get away, which may explain why there was so much New York coverage of theater festivals this past week that were out-of-town, some just a little out of town, like The Festival in Kingston, N.Y. (Original RENT Cast Reunites at The Festival Day 2), some way out of town, like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (At Edinburgh Fringe, It’s Time for Comedy, Stunts and Even a Few Owls — AND MORE)
I don’t feel as left out as I might have, for two reasons: 1. The International Puppet Fringe Festival returned this weekend to The Clemente on the Lower East Side after an absence of three years, featuring scores of shows…and a parade! (See videos below.) 2. I didn’t have to go to Edinburgh to watch some current Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows. (They are available online! See below)
Ok, there’s a third reason: I’m planning to be in Edinburgh by the end of the week.
The Week in Theater Reviews and Previews
An American Daughter
The new production of the 1997 play “An American Daughter” has so much going for it that it takes a while to realize how much of a clunker it is. Written by the late Wendy Wasserstein..it focuses on one Lyssa Dent Hughes (portrayed by Jean Lichty), an accomplished public health professional, who has been nominated to be Surgeon General of the United States. But her nomination is derailed because of massive public backlash when it comes out that she ignored a notice for jury duty…”An American Daughter” features a stellar ensemble [but] offers surprisingly little actual wit or insight
MicroTheater at the Puppet Fringe Festival, from ‘Cool’ Elon Musk to Oppressed Puerto Rico
Direct from Edinburgh Fringe (and online!): Doing Time with Lavinia + 9
You can get a Fringe fix without leaving home with shows that are either hybrids like “Doing Time with Lavinia” – performed both in person and online – and others that are apparently being performed only “on demand” and not in person
La MaMa ETC at 65: 10 promising shows in its Fall season
La MaMa is anything but retiring in its 65th year, an anniversary that will be celebrated with a free block party on East Fourth Street the afternoon of October 18th, in the midst of its normal 60 or so productions.
The Week in New York Theater News
Coming to Broadway exactly a year from today, August 17, 2027: 10 Things I Hate About You,” a musical adaptation of the 1999 film, a teen romantic comedy loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew. The creative team includes A creative team that includes co-book writer Lena Dunham (“Girls”), co-composrer Carly Rae Jepsen and director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon (tony winner for An American in Paris and MJ)
Ari Emanuel’s company Mari has acquired ATG Entertainment, reportedly for @6 billion, a year after acquiring Today Tix. This means, he is now the third largest Broadway landlord, owning the seven years, including the five acquired after ATG merged with Jujamcyn: Lyric (currently presenting Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
Hudson
Al Hirschfeld (Moulin Rouge, soon Paddington)
August Wilson (Paranormal Activity)
Eugene O’Neill (The Book of Mormon)
St. James (Titanique, soon Dolly)
and Walter Kerr (Hadestown)
(His company now owns 70 theaters worldwide, including ten in London.)
Emanuel is best known as executive chairman of Hollywood talent agency WME, and rose to prominence guiding the careers of stars including Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson. He is said to be the inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s foul-mouthed agent character Ari Gold in the hit HBO show “Entourage,” which was based on Emanuel’s relationship with Wahlberg. He is also chief executive of TKO Group, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Emanuel founded Mari Group in 2025 with capital from RedBird Capital, Apollo and the Qatar Investment Authority. The company has since built a global live-events footprint spanning sports, art and entertainment. (WSJ)
Philip Boroff reacts in Broadway Journal: “Broadway Stages a Musical Comeback: ATG has a starring role.“
“Already announced for Broadway are Paddington ($31 million), Purple Rain ($29.5 million), The Dolly Parton musical Dolly ($30 million), Galileo ($23 million), Wanted, and Miranda and Eisa Davis’ The Warriors. (Wanted and Warriors haven’t disclosed their capitalizations in Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The figures for Dolly and Purple Rain include the cost of their out-of-town tryouts.)”
Troy Iwata will join the company of Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody as ‘Shane Hollander’ beginning Monday, August 31.
As part of Tickets for Teens, New York City student in grades 9 through 12 can sign up for a lottery for FREE tickets to such Broadway shows as Buena Vista Social Club, Lost Boys, and Two Strangers (as well as In The Heights, etc.)
Let Mayor Mamdani, and some Broadway stars, explain:
The Week in Theater Video
from the International Puppet Fringe Festival
Watch excerpts from six more shows from the International Puppet Fringe Festival
