Best Bets: May 26th – June 1st

There is an abundance of great new shows and performances this week, so we have a supersize version of Best Bets: May 26^th – June 1^st. Summer season is coming and everyone is rolling out their programming.

FLASHES OF LIGHT – Sierra Madre Playhouse – Sierrra Madre, CA – Now – June 9^th

This a world premiere musical about Nikola Tesla with book, music and lyrics by Billy Larkin & Ron Boustead.

The premise is that the goddess Electra, at the time of Tesla’s birth, has chosen him to guide the future inventor through his time on earth with her knowledge. A mix of other gods and goddesses plus real-life figures enter the story. They include Athena, Dionysus, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan, Mark Twain and George Washington.

Devyn Rush plays Electra and Thomas Winter plays Nikola Tesla. Jon Lawrence Rivera directs.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

AYODELE CASEL: THE REMIX – Joyce Theater – New York, NY – May 28^th – June 8^th

I’ve long enjoyed and endorsed the work of dancer/choreographer Casel. She’s wonderfully inventive and endlessly fascinating.

The Remix is a world-premiere. The 90-minute performance offers a kaleidoscopic look at Casel’s 20-plus year career. Her work, Audrey, anchors the show. It’s a tribute to Cholly Atkins, Dave Brubeck and Honi Coles. It was first performed in 2005.

The dancers joining Casel are Jared Alexander, SuB a.k.a. Elijah Bullard, Naomi Funaki, Tony McPherson, Izaiah Montaque Harris, Keisel Jiménez, Quynn L. Johnson, Ryan K. Johnson, Jonn Manzari, Raúl Reyes, Funmi Sofola and Liberty Styles.

Torya Beard, who co-created the show with Casel, directs.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

MILES DAVIS CELEBRATION – Smoke Jazz Club – New York, NY – May 28^th – June 8^th

For two weeks jazz legend Miles Davis will be celebrated with two different ensembles. The reason for the celebration is May 26^th would have been his 99^th birthday.

The first week will feature George Cables on piano; Eddie Henderson on trumpet; Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone and Peter Washington on bass. Billy Hart will be on drums Wednesday and Thursday. Bill Stewart will be on drums Friday – Sunday. 

The second week features Vicente Archer on bass; Marcus Gilmore on drums; Mike Moreno on guitar; Nick Payton on trumpet; Joel Ross on vibraphone and Mark Turner on tenor saxophone.

The May 30^th shows (at 7:00 PM ET and 9:00 PM ET) are available for livestreaming. You can find details HERE.

For tickets and more information to attend one of the sets in week one, please go HERE. For week two, please go HERE.

THE IMAGINARY INVALID – Red Bull Theater at New World Stages – New York, NY – Now – June 29^th

Molière’s 1673 comedy-ballet center around Argan. He’s a massive hypochondriac who encourages his daughter, Angélique, to marry a doctor – just so he can cut the costs of his medical bills. Of course, not being a hypochondriac might do that, too. She isn’t in love with a doctor, but someone else. She schemes with her maid, Toinette, to scuttle Argan’s plans.

This off-Broadway production features a new translation by Mirabelle Ordinaire which was itself adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher. I have to imagine this will be wildly entertaining.

Mark Linn Baker, so utterly wonderful in My Favorite Year with Peter O’Toole (if you haven’t seen this film, do yourself a favor and watch it!), stars as Argan. The cast also includes Arnie Burton, Russell Daniels, Manoel Felciano, Emilie Kouatchou, Sarah Stiles, Emily Swallow and John Yi. Jesse Berger directs.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

THE COUNTERFEIT OPERA: A BEGGAR’S OPERA FOR A GRIFTER’S CITY – Little Island The Amph– New York, NY – May 29^th – June 15^th

John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, the opera that inspired Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, has once again beguiled creatives. Composer Dan Schlosberg and bookwriter/lyricist Kate Tarker have set their musical in the streets of Manhattan in the 1850s.

Macheath (Damon Daunno), Jenny Diver (Lauren Patten), Mr. and Mrs. Peachum (Vin Knight and Ann Harada) and Sukey Tawdry (Emma Ramos) are once again at the center of this version.

Also appearing in the show are Christopher Bannow, Sola Fadrian, Rob Kellogg, Dorcas Leung, Daniel Liu, Leonardo Khan, Katerina McCrimmon, Jason Veasy and Zenzi Williams. Dustin Wills directs.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

CARMEN.maquia – Ballet Hispánico – New York City Center – New York, NY – May 29^th – June 1^st

Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen is amongst the most-performed works in opera. To celebrate its 150^thanniversary, Ballet Hispánico (which is celebrating its 55^th anniversary) is performing CARMEN.maquia, choreographed by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano.

There are four performances of this ballet. On Saturday, May 31^st they are having En Familia Family Matinee which will include an excerpt from CARMEN.maqui, Arabesque, an excerpt from Club Havana and Tres Cantos.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

KISS ME, KATE! – Great Performances on PBS – May 30^th (Check local listings)

William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is the inspiration for this thoroughly enjoyable musical. Kiss Me, Kate! won the 1949 Tony Award for Best Musical. The music and lyrics are by Cole Porter and the book is by Bella and Samuel Spewack. There have been multiple Broadway revivals.

It tells the story of Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi who are starring in a musical version of Shakespeare’s play. They are also exes. What happens in the musical is mirrored by what’s going on off-stage between the two battling stars.

Amongst the show’s best-known songs are Another Op’nin’, Another Show; So In Love; Too Darn Hot, Always True to You in My Fashion, From This Moment On and Brush Up Your Shakespeare.

In this 2024 production from London, Stephanie J. Block plays Lilli Vanessi and Adrian Dunbar plays Fred Graham. Block is one of my favorite performers (also a favorite interview – you can see that one HERE), so this is guaranteed to be a good time. Bartlett Sher (The Light in the Piazza) directed.

Check local listings for airtimes in your area. You can also watch the show on PBS.org.

SING HAPPY! THE COLLABORATION OF KANDER & EBB – 92^nd Street Y – New York, NY – May 31^st – June 2^nd

Even if you don’t know their names, you know the musicals they created: Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Scottsboro Boys (one of their best shows and certainly deserving of further productions), Woman of the Year and The Visit to name a few.

Over three performances their many songs will be performed by Kate Baldwin, Heidi Blickenstaff, Ivan Hernandez, Adam Kantor, Julia Murney and Matthew Scott.

I so wish this was one of the shows the 92^nd Street Y was streaming, but these are only in-person concerts.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

THIS HOUSE – Opera Theatre of Saint Louis – St. Louis, MO – May 31^st – June 29^th

Playwright/librettist Lynn Nottage (two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for Ruined and Sweat) and composer Ricky Ian Gordon collaborated on their stunning 2022 opera Intimate Apparel based on her play.  

They have reunited and added librettist Ruby Aiyo Gerber for this world premiere opera. Gerber’s play serves as the original source material for the opera. She is also Nottage’s daughter.

This House tells the story of the Walker family and the home in Harlem in which they’ve lived since the 1920s. Zoe (Briana Hunter) returns home having been away for several years. She tries to convince her mother Ida (Adrienne Danrich) and brother Lindon (Justin Austin) to allow her to do much-needed renovation of their once glorious home. But they are reluctant to agree. Zoe learns the secrets behind why her family wants to leave the house as it is.

James Robinson directs and Daniela Candillari conducts. 

Check back soon for my interview with Lynn Nottage.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES – Stratford Festival – Stratford, Ontario – May 31^st – October 25^th

This is the world premiere of a new play based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel. Kat Sandler did the adaptation of this beloved story and directs this production.

Anne Shirley (Caroline Toal) is an orphan who is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert (Tim Campbell and Sarah Dodd). Facing obstacles of acceptance and love, Anne uses her wit, imagination and determination to win over everyone she encounters in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. 

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

That’s all for Best Bets: May 26^th – June 1^st.

So much to choose from! What will you see?

Enjoy your week! Go see a show!

Main Photo: Stephanie J. Block and Adrian Dunbar in Kiss Me, Kate! (Courtesy Great Performances/PBS)