Wake Up With BWW 1/15: MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON Opens on Broadway, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

We'd like to wish a happy opening to My Name is Lucy Barton, which officially opens on Broadway tonight! Laura Linney returns to Broadway in a haunting new solo play adapted by Rona Munro from the bestselling novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout.

Kelsey Grammer is headed to Toronto with The Boy Friend! The show arrives after an acclaimed, sell-out season at the prolific Menier Chocolate Factory in London and prior to a West End transfer. Stage and screen actor Kelsey Grammer will make his Canadian stage debut in this new production as Lord Brockhurst. THE BOY FRIEND will be performed March 29 to May 3, 2020 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre.

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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1) VIDEO: The Cast of TINA: THE Tina Turner MUSICAL Performs 'River Deep / Mountain High' on THE LATE SHOW
by Stage Tube

On last night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the cast of the hit Broadway musical 'TINA: The Tina Turner Musical,' performed 'River Deep/Mountain High,' led by the incredible Adrienne Warren.. (more...)

2) Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young Will Lead HIT HER WITH THE SKATES at the Royal George Theatre; Full Cast Announced!

HIT HER WITH THE SKATES, a new musical about life, love and the roller rink starring American Idol power couple Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young, has announced full casting for the world premiere of the Chicago production at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted St., Chicago, IL, on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Preview performances are slated to begin March 10.. (more...)

3) Richard Jay-Alexander Turns His Eyes to the Talents of Amy Shaughnessy, a Former Assistant

Last Thursday, we noticed that an engagement was quietly added to the schedule of London's famed The Crazy Coqs at Brasserie Zedel. The announcement was for a debut of Amy Shaughnessy, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander. We knew nothing about it, so, since both are friends of BroadwayWorld, we reached out.. (more...)

4) Photo Flashback: Carrie Fisher After a Performance of CENSORED SCENES FROM KING KONG in 1980
by Walter McBride

Today we're taking a look back into our archive with this flashback photo of Carrie Fisher after a performance of Censored Scenes From King Kong in 1980.. (more...)

5) Kelsey Grammer Will Lead THE BOY FRIEND In Toronto

THE BOY FRIEND by Sandy Wilson will come direct to Toronto from an acclaimed, sell-out season at the prolific Menier Chocolate Factory in London and prior to a West End transfer, will have a new star. Stage and screen actor Kelsey Grammer will make his Canadian stage debut in this new production. THE BOY FRIEND will be performed March 29 to May 3, 2020 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre. Mr. Grammer will star as Lord Brockhurst.. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

My Name is Lucy Barton officially opens on Broadway tonight!

Four-time Emmy Award winner, two-time Golden Globe Award winner, three-time Academy Award and four-time Tony Award nominee Laura Linney returns to Broadway in a haunting new solo play adapted by Rona Munro from the bestselling novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout. The show was originally produced by the London Theatre Company at the Bridge Theatre in London.

Linney plays Lucy Barton, a woman who wakes after an operation to find - much to her surprise - her mother at the foot of her bed. They haven't seen each other in years. During their days-long visit, Lucy tries to understand her past, works to come to terms with her family, and begins to find herself as a writer. This spellbinding story is directed by five-time Olivier Award winner Richard Eyre.

The creative team for My Name is Lucy Barton includes Bob Crowley (scenic & costume design), Peter Mumford (lighting design), John Leonard (sound design) and Luke Halls (video design).

Paradise Lost begins previews tonight at Theatre Row!

Written by award-winning playwright Tom Dulack (Incommunicado, Kennedy Center Prize for New American Drama; Road to Damascus) and directed by Michael Parva (Irena's Vow, Martin Luther on Trial), opening night is set for Wednesday, January 22, at Theatre Three at Theatre Row for a run through Sunday, February 23, 2020. Tickets are on sale now at www.FPAtheatre.com.

Robbie Simpson plays "Adam," replacing the previously announced Andrew Veenstra. The cast for PARADISE LOST also includes two-time Tony Award nominee Alison Fraser (The Secret Garden, Romance/Romance), Mel Johnson Jr. (Kiss Me, Kate, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), Tony Award nominee Lou Liberatore (God Shows Up, Burn This - Original Broadway Cast), David Andrew Macdonald (Rocky, "The Deuce") and Marina Shay (Shakespeare in Love - Cleveland Play House, Miss Julie).

Set Your DVR...

Brian Cox will appear on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE

Renee Zellweger will appear on LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN

Billy Porter will appear on LATE NIGHT WITH Seth Meyers

What we're watching: Watch Highlights from A SOLDIER'S PLAY on Broadway!

Previews are underway for A Soldier's Play, which opens officially on January 21, 2020. This is a limited engagement at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street).

1944. A black Sergeant is murdered on a Louisiana Army base, and one tenacious investigator must race against his white leadership to unravel the crime before they unravel him. A hair-raising drama that reverberates with the "authentic and exciting pulse" (Ben Brantley, The New York Times) of mystery, Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece rockets onto Broadway for the first time, directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun).

A Soldier's Play stars David Alan Grier, Blair Underwood, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jerry O'Connell, McKinley Belcher III, Rob Demery, Jared Grimes, Billy Eugene Jones, Nate Mann, Warner Miller, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Lee Aaron Rosen.

Social Butterfly:

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Andrea Martin, who turns 73 today!

Andrea Martin is the legendary comedy star of SCTV and the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." She won her second and most recent Tony Award in 2013 for her performance as Berthe in the Broadway revival of "Pippin" and was nominated for another Tony Award last season for the 2016 production "Noises Off." Her new series "Great News," premieres April 25th on NBC, Executive produced by Tina Fey, and Andrea can currently be seen on the Hulu hit series "Difficult People" created by Julie Klausner. Martin's big break came when she got cast in the original Toronto production of Godspell, in what is now considered the legendary cast of Victor Garber, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Jayne Eastwood and Paul Shaffer, their musical director. She went on to join the famous SCTV troup winning two Emmy awards for writing, winning her first Tony award for Featured Actress in a Musical for "My Favorite Year,' and also garnering Tony nominations for her roles in "Young Frankenstein," "Oklahoma" and "Candide." Her film credits include "Breaking Upwards," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "All Over the Guy," "Young Triffie's Been Made Away With," "Stepping Out," "Bogus," "Wag the Dog," "New York Minute," "Black Christmas," and "Cannibal Girls." In addition to her legendary work on SCTV, her television credits include "My Big Fat Greek Life," "Ed," and "Nurse Jackie."

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!