Wake Up With BWW 8/8: SEA WALL/A LIFE and BAT OUT OF HELL Officially Open, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

Happy opening to both Sea Wall/A Life, and Bat Out Of Hell, both of which officially open tonight!

Casting has been announced for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz at Paper Mill Playhouse! Leading the cast will be Ruby Rakes, Max von Essen, Lesli Margherita, and more! The musical features a book by Marc Acito, musical adaptation & additional music by David Libby and is conceived by and additional lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento.

Netflix has given a 10-episode order to Tiny Pretty Things, a drama series based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. The series will star Broadway's Damon J. Gillespie, Michael Hsu Rosen, and more!

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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1) Ruby Rakos, Max von Essen, Lesli Margherita, and More Will Lead CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ at Paper Mill Playhouse

Casting has been announced for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz at Paper Mill Playhouse! The musical features a book by Marc Acito, musical adaptation & additional music by David Libby and is conceived by and additional lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento.. (more...)

2) ALADDIN Adds Monday Performances; FROZEN and THE LION KING Get New Schedules

Disney Theatrical Productions has announced new fall schedules for all three of its current Broadway productions.. (more...)

3) BWW Review: THE PARTY, The Cockpit
by Cindy Marcolina

After President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be elected to be a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, Doctor Christine Blasey Ford accused him of a sexual assault happened at a house party 36 years prior when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh went on to call the indictment a political hit to prevent his ascent and denied all the allegations. A televised hearing followed and more stepped out to testify against him.. (more...)

4) Netflix Orders Ballet Drama Series Starring Broadway's Damon J. Gillespie, Michael Hsu Rosen, and More
by TV News Desk

Netflix has given a 10-episode order to Tiny Pretty Things, a drama series based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, according to Deadline.. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

Sea Wall/A Life officially opens tonight!

Sea Wall / A Life stars Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Tony Award nominee Tom Sturridge.

Written by Tony Award winner Simon Stephens and Olivier Award nominee Nick Payne and directed by Carrie Cracknell, the acclaimed production comes to Broadway following its sold-out engagement at The Public Theater this past spring where it had audiences roaring to their feet.

Meet Alex, a photographer on a holiday with his family in the south of France. Meet Abe, a music producer with a baby on the way. Two men - both fathers, husbands, and sons - take us on a journey you will never forget.

Bat Out Of Hell officially opens tonight!

Like a bat out of hell, Bat Out of Hell is flying to New York City Center, where the Jim Steinman musical officially opens tonight, August 8. The show will play a six-week engagement through September 8, 2019.

Under the direction of Jay Scheib, the New York engagement for Bat Out of Hell - The Musical stars Andrew Polec who thrilled London and Toronto critics with his powerhouse performance as Strat. Joining him are Christina Bennington who originated the role of Raven in London, Lena Hall as Sloane, Bradley Dean as Falco,Avionce Hoyles as Tink, Danielle Steers as Zahara, and Tyrick Wiltez Jones as Jagwire. The ensemble for Bat Out of Hell- The Musical includes Will Branner, Lincoln Clauss, Kayla Cyphers, Jessica Jaunich, Paulina Jurzec, Adam Kemmerer, Nick Martinez, Harper Miles, Erin Mosher, Aramie Payton, Andres Quintero, Tiernan Tunnicliffe, and Kaleb Wells.

Jillian Mueller, Brennin Hunt, and more will perform at Broadway in Bryant Park today!

Broadway in Bryant Park returns this summer for its 20th year! 106.7 LITE FM's popular series will bring the best of Broadway and Off-Broadway together for FREE performances, for six consecutive weeks, continuing this Thursday, August 8 to Thursday, August 15. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple are invited to come at 11 a.m. every Thursday, beginning July 11 through August 15, with performances running from 12:30 p.m. EST - 1:30 p.m. EST on the Bryant Park Stage. The Bryant Park stage is located at 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. Lawn seating is first-come, first-serve.

This week's performances will feature the casts of A MUSICAL ABOUT STAR WARS (Taylor Crousore, Scott Richard Foster and Emily McNamara); BEAUTIFUL; OKLAHOMA! (Denver Milord, Chelsea Williams, Chris Bannow); PRETTY WOMAN (Jillian Mueller and Brennin Hunt)

BWW Exclusive: Learn All about RAGS with Spencer Glass on It's the Day of the Show Y'all!

BroadwayWorld is excited to announce our new partnership with It's The Day of the Show Y'all" - a video series that teaches viewers about the hidden treasures of Musical Theatre and Broadway.

The shows that viewers will learn about may appear familiar, but do they REALLY know these lesser known pieces? Every episode of "It's The Day of the Show Y'all" is an ode to musical underdogs that deserve air-time, beginning with a description of the show's plotline and detailing cast-spotlights, fun facts, and awards received. Concluding with a featured song from the musical performed by the host, Spencer Glass, this digital series is a must-watch for the little theatre nerd within all of us, or even for those new to the show biz scene! Follow along on Instagram: @itsthedayoftheshowyall.

In today's episode, watch as Spencer gives us a history lesson on Rags and performs "Children of the Wind." This episode features videography by Dan Tracy (Broadway's Waitress), Jessica Wang on cello, Michael Liepper on piano, and arrangements by Blake Allen.

Set Your DVR...

Josh Gad will appear on THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH James Corden tonight!

What we're listening to: The Theatre Podcast With Alan Seales Welcomes Jackie Hoffman

The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales welcomes Jackie Hoffman! Trust us. Listen to this episode. She is unapologetically Jackie.

Jackie Hoffman has solidified herself as one of the funniest women of her generation, perhaps even of all time. This Emmy-nominated, Obie-award-winning actress can currently be seen off-Broadway in the National Yiddish Theatre's production of "Fiddler on the Roof" as Yente the matchmaker. She will be performing her one woman show THEMELESS on August 12th, 18th and 25th 2019 at Joe's Pub.

Social Butterfly: Barbra Streisand and Ariana Grande Team Up For A Concert Duet!

Hold on to your pearls! Tonight Ariana Grande and Barbra Streisand hit the stage together for a duet of Barbra's classic hit, "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)!

Check out Ari and Babs in matching black ensembles belting out the disco classic together!

And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Michael Urie, who turns 39 today!

It was just announced that Michael Urie will star in Grand Horizons on Broadway! Urie most recently starred in Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song on Broadway. Off-Broadway / London / National Tour: Jonathan Tolins' Buyer and Cellar (Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award, Lucille Lortel Award, LA Drama Critics Award, nominations for the Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards; filmed for the PBS series Theatre Close-Up). Broadway: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Off-Broadway: Second Stage Theater: Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song; Red Bull Theater: The Government Inspector, The Revenger's Tragedy; Lincoln Center Theater: Shows For Days; LAByrinth Theater Company: Homos, or Everyone in America (Obie Award); Classic Stage Company: The Cherry Orchard; Signature Theatre: Angels in America; The Temperamentals (Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk and Theatre World Awards, Drama League nomination); HB Playwrights: Another Vermeer.

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!