BWW Morning Brief December 28th, 2017: Off-Off-Broadway Openings, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Scroll down for the latest news, and click HERE to learn more about how we've revamped our morning brief for 2017! Want our morning reports delivered via email? Subscribe here!

1) Rialto Chatter: Will Audra McDonald be the Next Dolly?
by BWW News Desk - December 27, 2017

In his recent guest appearance on 77 WABC Radio Podcast, Michael Reidel has teased the possibility of a glamorous new Dolly Levi poised to stroll the passerelle following Bernadette Peters. Reidel says there are 'rumblings' that Audra McDonald is topping the list of choices. Could she be the next to come back where she belongs?. (more...)

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2) Curtain Up! BroadwayWorld Looks Back on 2017's Memorable Broadway Debuts
by Caryn Robbins - December 27, 2017

From WICKED's newest Glinda to a talented actor who overcame a serious accident just days before his first preview performance, 2017 has been a year filled with noteworthy debuts on the Great White Way. Below, BWW looks back on the talented actors who were profiled in this year's 'Debut of the Month' feature.. (more...)

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3) BWW Morning Brief December 27th, 2017: FRANKENSTEIN Opens Off-Broadway, and More!
by Stephanie Wild - December 27, 2017

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: FRANKENSTEIN, starring Robert Fairchild and The Vampire Diaries' Paul Wesley, opens off-Broadway tonight, and more!. (more...)

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4) Simon Jones Joins The Cast Of FARINELLI AND THE KING On January 9
by BWW News Desk - December 27, 2017

Simon Jones (The Real Thing, Benefactors), will join the cast of the Shakespeare's Globe production of FARINELLI AND THE KING on Tuesday, January 9, playing the role of opera impresario John Rich. Colin Hurley, who was scheduled for a limited run in the role, will play his final performance as John Rich on Sunday, January 7.. (more...)

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5) VAMPIRE DIARIES Star Paul Wesley Joins Robert Fairchild in FRANKENSTEIN Off-Broadway; Cast Complete!
by BWW News Desk - December 27, 2017

Ensemble for the Romantic Century has announced that joining Tony nominee Robert Fairchild in the Off-Broadway premiere of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will be Avey Noble (Radio City Christmas Spectacular), Krysty Swann (Mozart's Requiem at Carnegie Hall; Verdi'sRequiem at Lincoln Center), Mia Vallet (Lucy Thurber's Asheville at Rattlestick), Peyton Lusk (Falsettos on Broadway), Rocco Sisto (OBIE Award for sustained excellence), Shiv Ajay Pancholi-Parekh, and Paul Wesley ('The Vampire Diaries,' Cal In Camo).. (more...)

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Today's Call Sheet:

-B.H. Barry's THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF MR. MOLE to begins performances tonight at the Sheen Center!

-New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players begin their holiday run of H.M.S. PINAFORE today!

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BWW Exclusive: Iconic artist Petula Clark performed at the B.B. King Blue Club and Grill on December 26. BroadwayWorld attended the show, and you can check out our exclusive photos!

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What we're geeking out over: BroadwayWorld's 'Some Like It Pop' podcast hosts discuss 'Hamilton' and 'Superhero' disagreements in latest episode.

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What we're watching: The cast of SPAMILTON performs the show's opening number on FOX!

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And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Denzel Washington, who turns 63 today!

Denzel Washington is an American actor, director, and producer. He has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day(2001).

Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1980s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters(2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). In 2016, Washington was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.

In the summer of 1990, Washington appeared in the title role of the Public Theater's production of Shakespeare's Richard III. In 2005, he appeared onstage again as Marcus Brutus in a Broadway production of Julius Caesar. In the spring of 2010, Washington played Troy Maxson, opposite Viola Davis, in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play on June 13, 2010.

From April to June 2014, Washington played the leading role in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Kenny Leon.

Beginning March 22, 2018, Washington will star as Theodore "Hickey" Hickman in a Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. The production, directed by George C. Wolfe, will begin regular performances April 26 and run for 14 weeks.

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See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!