Sunday Scoop Week of 8/2/25 What's Happening This Week and More

A) Beginning Performances 

In New York 

1) The Animals Speak

2) Double-Crossed 

3) Sleeping Beauty

4) Take a Banana for a Ride 

B) Festivals

In New Jersey

5) 2025 Summer Opera Festival

In New York 

6) Limefest 2025

C) Run Extension 

In New York 

7) Josh Sharp's ta-da!

D) Season Announcement 

In New Jersey

8) American Theater Group

In New York

9) The Orchestra Now

E) Streaming 

10) The Fairest 

F) Tickets on Sale

In New York 

11) Buena Vista Social Club

12) 44 - The MusicG

G) What Else is Happening

In New Jersey

13) American Theater Group Seeks Video Auditions from NJ Drama Teachers 

for Fall Production of Our Town

14) Garden State Live 

In New York 

15) Artechouse NYC now Offers XR Bar: Cocktail Tasting Experience

16)) Ballet Hispanico Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Performance

8/7

17) Creative Stage Collective presents CSC Open Day

8/9

18) Nai-Ni Chen Dance Co. Announces USDAN Festival Performance

8/8

19) South Street Seaport Museum Free Fresh Prints 

8/7

In Pennsylvania

20) Bucks County Playhouse Student Auditions for We Are the Tigers

8/10

Other 

21) Fathom Entertainment Upcoming Events

A) Beginning Performances 

In New York 

Courtesy of Spincycle NYC

1) The Animals Speak

THE ANIMALS SPEAK follows a depressed Walt Disney in 1941 with his wife and a small crew of artists on a goodwill tour funded by the U.S. Government to sway South America from the influence of Nazis. Walt is trying to forget everything: the near bankruptcy of the company, the ongoing animator's strike, and the recent death of his mother, for which he blames himself. Mary Blair, a young artist with the company, has tagged along and struggles to find a true artistic voice separate from her husband's. But with a bit of encouragement and late-night gins with Walt's wife Lillian, her work blossoms and might end up being the inspiration everyone needs to keep going.

The Wild Project Theatre (195 E. 3rd St.)

8/5 - 8/17

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.thirdwing.info

Courtesy of Alton PR

2) Double-Crossed 

When a staff member on a luxury cruise ship is accused of theft by a wealthy guest, the normally unflappable Cruise Director is thrust into a high-stakes game of class warfare, manipulation, and shifting alliances. Her secret affair with the accused, a handsome, poverty-stricken Brazilian struggling to support his ailing mother, threatens to unravel her career, reputation, and moral compass. Meanwhile, her overworked and overlooked assistant watches her superior’s unraveling with quiet calculation, possibly to her own advantage. As tensions rise and loyalties dissolve, the ship speeds toward a reckoning where no one is innocent and everyone has something to lose. Be careful who you leave in your wake.

AMT Theater (354 W. 45th St.)

8/6 - 8/15

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit broadwayboundtheatrefestival

3) Sleeping Beauty

Argyle Theatre (34 W. Main St.)

Through 8/31

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.argyletheatre.com 

Courtesy of Vivacity Group

4) Take a Banana for a Ride 

Hot off the record-breaking success of his Emmy-nominated “GROAT (Greatest Roast of All Time): Tom Brady” for Netflix, Ross offers audiences a strikingly rare insight into his life with Take A Banana For The Ride, a hilarious and cathartic comedic experience about life and human resilience. Named for his beloved grandfather’s practical and loving travel advice, this exhilaratingly intimate one-man show offers a peeled back look into the heart and soul of America’s Roastmaster – but don’t expect to get away un-skewered.

Nederlander Theatre (208 W. 41st St.)

8/5 - 9/29

Opening Night 8/18

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  JEFFROSSBROADWAY.COM

B) Festivals

In New Jersey

5) 2025 Summer Opera Festival

Carmen

Thursday August 7th 7:30 pm 

Friday, August 8th at 7:30 pm

Experience this story of unstoppable passion and sizzling drama with alluring melodies including the famous Habanera. 

Sung in French with English subtitles

La Bohème

Saturday August 9th 2pm

Sunday, August 10th 2pm    

Opera's great love story set in sparkling Paris- come experience the beauty, passion, and enchantment of love for an afternoon remember!

Sung in Italian with English subtitles

Festival Night Gala 

Saturday August 9th 7:30pm  

A live performance immersive with a cinematic backdrop- don't miss this visually-stunning program featuring live on stage performances, including opera favorites paired with rare opera gems. 

With English subtitles

Kelsey Theatre (1200 Old Trenton, West Windsor)

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit kelsey.mccc.edu

In New York

6) Limefest

FEATURING OVER 60 PRODUCTIONS BY WOMEN, NONBINARY, AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING ARTISTS

Tickets, beginning at $20, schedules, and more information on these and additional productions can be found at thetanknyc.org/limefest-2025. 

C)Run Extension 

In New York 

7) Josh Sharp's ta-da!

Josh Sharp’s ta-da! is a one-man comedy show inside of a manic 2,000 slide PowerPoint. Expect dumb but erudite jokes and sad but sweet stories alongside the Herculean feat of stupidity that is memorizing a slide every 2.1 seconds.

Greenwich House Theater (27 Barrow St.)

Now closing 9/11

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit JoshSharpTaDa.com.

D) Season Announcement 

In New Jersey

8) American Theater Group

American Theater Group (ATG) will present the Pulitzer

Prize-winning Our Town by Thornton Wilder as its 2025-26 Season Opener, followed by the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Play written by Joe Landry. Additional main stage productions for the upcoming season will be announced at a later date.

Beloved by many, Our Town is set in the fictional town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, and explores the universal themes of life, love, and death. Since it was first performed in 1938, it has been widely considered one of the best American dramas of all time and had an acclaimed Broadway run last season. Its seemingly simple story proves to be momentous, focusing on the everyday lives, relationships, and ordinary experiences of the small town’s inhabitants. ATG’s production will feature professional actors as well as a significant number of Drama teachers from around the state. It will be directed by Merete Muenter, whose numerous credits include serving as Associate Director of the 2022 Off Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof directed by Joel Grey and ATG’s 2019 production of Bridges of Madison County. Casting information will be announced in September. Performance dates are Oct. 23-Nov. 2 nd at the new Union Arts Center in Union, NJ and Nov. 6-9 th at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge, NJ.

Our Town is presented by arrangement through Concord Theatricals.

www.concordtheatricals.com

Based on the classic American film, It's a Wonderful Life Radio Play is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience. Five actors perform the dozens of characters in the radio drama as well as produce the necessary sound effects. Joseph Discher, the former Associate Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, will direct the production, which will run Dec. 5-7 th at the Sieminski Theater and Dec. 11-14 th at the Union Arts Center; additional dates and venues may be announced in the future. The play is presented by arrangement through Dramatists Play Service. www.dramatists.com.

Along with these main stage productions, ATG’s season will include additional events including free play readings, a spring performance event and Juneteenth celebrations; details will be forthcoming.

In New York

9) The Orchestra Now

The Orchestra Now (TŌN), the visionary orchestra and master’s degree program founded by Bard College, and led by president, conductor, educator, and music historian Leon Botstein, begins its 11th season on September 20, 2025, and continues through May 12, 2026. Acclaimed for its novel combinations of both well-known and seldom-heard repertoire, TŌN offers 13 programs and a total of 20 concerts this season, including two at Carnegie Hall, three at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, three free concerts in Manhattan at Peter Norton Symphony Space and the Julia Richman Educational Complex, and 12 at the Orchestra’s home at Bard College’s Fisher Center, including one special event.

CARNEGIE HALL SERIES, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

Sounds and Echoes of Empire Monday, October 13, 2025, at 7 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Overture on Russian Themes in D Major, Op. 28 Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis: In the Forest (Miške) Vítězslava Kaprálová: Military Sinfonietta, Op. 11 (Vojenská Symfonieta) Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Festival Coronation March, TH 50 Boris Lyatoshynsky: Symphony No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 50 This program spotlights Eastern European works from the late-19th and early-20th centuries that reflect the nationalism of the Russian Empire. More familiar pieces like Rimsky-Korsakov’s Overture on Russian Themes and Tchaikovsky’s grand Festival Coronation March, written to celebrate the coronation of Alexander III, are performed alongside lesser-known works. The symphonic poem In the Forest, by Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, was among his earliest musical successes. The Military Sinfonietta of Vítězslava Kaprálová brought international exposure when the work received the prestigious Smetana Foundation award. Boris Lyatoshynsky’s Third Symphony was premiered in his native Ukraine in 1951, but later revised after being banned by Soviet authorities. TŌN performs the original version in this concert.

Strauss’s Alpine Symphony Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 7 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Blair McMillen, piano Members of the Bard Festival Chorale James Bagwell, choral director Members of the Bard College Conservatory Orchestra (for An Alpine Symphony) All-Richard Strauss Program Burleske in D Minor, TrV 145 Times of the Day, TrV 256, Op. 76 (Die Tageszeiten) An Alpine Symphony, TrV 233, Op. 64 (Eine Alpensinfonie) After a string of successful tone poems, An Alpine Symphony was Richard Strauss’s first such composition after nearly a dozen years of focusing on opera. Written for a massive orchestra that includes such rarities as the heckelphone, thunder sheets, and a wind machine, this rich masterpiece takes listeners through the ascent and descent of a mountain in the Alps, with meadows, streams, storms, and vistas along the way. Strauss’s Burleske for piano and orchestra is performed by Blair McMillen. Hailed as “prodigiously accomplished and exciting” (New York Times), he is co-founder and co-director of the Rite of Summer Music Festival at New York City’s Governors Island. Also on the program is Times of the Day, a setting of four nature poems by Joseph von Eichendorff.   Tickets, priced at $25-$50, are available starting in August at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th & 7th Avenue.

SIGHT & SOUND SERIES AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART  The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium In the popular Sight & Sound series, The Orchestra Now explores the parallels between orchestral music and visual art. Each performance includes a discussion with conductor and music historian Leon Botstein accompanied by on-screen exhibition images and live musical excerpts, followed by a full performance of the works and an audience Q&A.

Egypt in Music and Art Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 2 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Terrence Wilson, piano Johann Strauss II: Egyptian March, Op. 335 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute Overture, K.620 Camille Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, “Egyptian”, Op. 103 Artwork from the exhibition Divine Egypt In ancient Egypt, images of gods weren’t just images—they brought the gods to life. Egyptians believed that it was through their depictions in tombs, temples, and shrines that the deities could enter sacred spaces and become active participants in rituals, offering a vital connection between the human and divine worlds. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, European composers like Mozart and Johann Strauss II incorporated influences from the Middle East into some of their music. Saint-Saëns’s Fifth Piano Concerto was written in Egypt, where the composer included in his work the melody of a Nubian love song he had heard along the Nile. Grammy-nominated pianist Terrence Wilson, winner of the SONY ES Award for Musical Excellence, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Juilliard Petschek Award, will perform the concerto with TŌN. The exhibition Divine Egypt will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue from October 12, 2025–January 19, 2026 in gallery 899.

Sibelius, Schjerfbeck, and Finland Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 2 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Jean Sibelius: Finlandia, Op. 26 Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op. 105 Artwork by Helene Schjerfbeck and others Beloved in Nordic countries for her highly original style, Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck overcame immense personal struggles working in a remote location for decades, producing a powerful body of work through sheer willpower. Over the years, her art shifted from traditional and realistic subjects to a simplified, spare style. The music of Schjerfbeck’s contemporary compatriot Jean Sibelius saw a similar change over time. His patriotic 1900 work Finlandia paints a clear picture of the historical progress of Finland and its bright future. By the time he finished his Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh symphonies 20 years later, Sibelius became increasingly concerned with paring down his music to the bare essentials.   The exhibition Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue December 5, 2025–April 5, 2026 in gallery 964.

Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 2 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C Major, “Jupiter”, K. 551 Artwork to be announced Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most prolific and influential artists of the Classical period. He gave piano concerts starting at age five, wrote his first opera at age 11, and composed more than 800 works by the time of his death at age 35. He wrote dozens of symphonies, composing the final three over six weeks in the summer of 1788. The Symphony No. 41, his last, puts on full display his extraordinary compositional technique.   Tickets, priced at $30 - $50, include same-day museum admission. Tickets will be available starting in August and may be purchased at metmuseum.org, by calling The Met at 212.570.3949, or at The Great Hall box office at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

THE FISHER CENTER SERIES AT BARD, Sosnoff Theater The Orchestra Now presents its 11th season of 7 different programs and 12 concerts. Performances at the Fisher Center led by Leon Botstein will be livestreamed on TŌNtube at ton.bard.edu/tontube.

Mahler’s Third Symphony Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 7 pm Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 2 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano Bard Conservatory Preparatory Chorus Bard College Chamber Singers Members of Bard Conservatory’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program James Bagwell, choral director Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor For the fourth year in a row, TŌN opens the season with a Mahler symphony. The Third Symphony is the composer’s longest work, a deeply personal and all-encompassing masterpiece that stands as a towering monument to nature and humankind’s place within it. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe—a Musical America Vocalist of the Year, Opera News, and Richard Tucker Award-winner—joins the orchestra for two of the Symphony’s six movements, singing a text by Nietzsche telling of joy transcending death and worldly suffering, and then a German folk poem about heavenly joy rewarding the faithful.

Sounds and Echoes of Empire: A Carnegie Hall Preview Concert Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 7 pm Sunday, October 12, 2025, at 2 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Overture on Russian Themes in D Major, Op. 28 Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis: In the Forest (Miške) Vítězslava Kaprálová: Military Sinfonietta Op. 11 (Vojenská Symfonieta) Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Festival Coronation March, TH 50 Boris Lyatoshynsky: Symphony No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 50   TŌN performs this program at Carnegie Hall on October 13; see description above.

Dvořák and the Music of Ukraine Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 7 pm Tatiana Kalinichenko, conductor Dmytro Tkachenko, violin Victoria Poleva: Nova Antonín Dvořák: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53 Myroslav Skoryk: Carpathian Concerto Yevhen Stankovych: The Vikings Suite (U.S. Premiere) Ukrainian musicians Tatiana Kalinichenko—co-founder, music director, and conductor of the New Era Orchestra in Kyiv—and internationally-recognized violinist Dmytro Tkachenko, winner of the Carl Nielsen, Lysenko, and Wronski Solo Violin Competitions—come to the Fisher Center for a one-night-only concert. Tkachenko performs Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, which includes a uniquely Czech finale featuring two popular folk dances. The program also presents music by three Ukrainian composers: Skoryk’s Carpathian Concerto, inspired by the folklore of the country’s Western region; the U.S. premiere of Stankovych’s suite from his ballet The Vikings; and Poleva’s 2022 composition Nova, a salute to the courage of the Ukrainian people.

Stravinsky, Cage, and C.P.E. Bach Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 7 pm Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 2 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Ulysses Kay: Chariots: Orchestral Rhapsody John Cage: Suite for Toy Piano (orch. Lou Harrison) Igor Stravinsky: Symphony in C, K061 C. P. E. Bach: Symphony D Major, H. 663, W. 183/1 Albert Roussel: Symphony No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 42 Leon Botstein leads TŌN in a concert of music spanning over 200 years, from 1776 to 1978, with four 20th-century works. The program comprises Ulysses Kay’s Chariots, based on the spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”; Lou Harrison’s orchestration of John Cage’s Suite for Toy Piano, which was initially used as music for Merce Cunningham’s choreographed piece A Diversion; Stravinsky’s Symphony in C, which he finished composing in America before he conducted the premiere with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; C.P.E. Bach’s Symphony in D Major, written in Hamburg and dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Prussia; and one of Albert Roussel’s most beloved works, his Third Symphony, composed for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930.

Strauss’s Alpine Symphony: A Carnegie Hall Preview Concert Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 7 pm Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 3 pm Leon Botstein, conductor Blair McMillen, piano Members of the Bard Festival Chorale James Bagwell, choral director Members of the Bard College Conservatory Orchestra (for An Alpine Symphony) All-Richard Strauss Program Burleske in D Minor, TrV 145 Times of the Day, TrV 256, Op. 76 (Die Tageszeiten) An Alpine Symphony, TrV 233, Op. 64 (Eine Alpensinfonie)   TŌN performs this program at Carnegie Hall on May 12; see description above. Tickets, priced at $15 - $35, will be available starting in August at fishercenter.bard.edu, or by calling the Fisher Center at 845.758.7900.

SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE FISHER CENTER AT BARD

TŌN Benefit: Jurassic Park in Concert Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 7 pm Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 2 pm James Bagwell, conductor John Williams: Jurassic Park Steven Spielberg’s epic 1993 adventure film, Jurassic Park, pits man against prehistoric predators in a cinematic smash hit that features stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects. Williams, the composer of more than 100 film scores and recipient of five Academy Awards, worked closely with Spielberg while creating the score. He wanted to create music that "would convey a sense of’ awe and fascination" and used a wide range of instruments, including harps, a shakuhachi, and synthesizers. Jurassic Park, will be projected in HD with TŌN performing John Williams’ score live.   Jurassic Park is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Tickets, priced at $25 - $75, will be available starting in August at fishercenter.bard.edu, or by calling the Fisher Center at 845.758.7900.

Tan Dun Conducts Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 7 pm Tan Dun, conductor Program to be announced Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer and conductor Tan Dun makes his fourth appearance with TŌN. Tickets, priced at $15 - $35, will be available starting in August at fishercenter.bard.edu, or by calling the Fisher Center at 845.758.7900.

FREE CONCERTS SERIES

Don Juan and Vaughan Williams Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 4 pm Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY Zachary Schwartzman, conductor Ryan Michki, tenor Richard Strauss: Don Juan, Op. 20, in E Major Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge Henry Purcell (arr. Steven Stuckey): Funeral Music for Queen Mary, Z. 860 Samuel Barber: Symphony No. 1 in One Movement, Op. 9 TŌN Resident Conductor Zachary Schwartzman returns with the Orchestra to Symphony Space for another free concert. The program comprises Strauss’s beloved tone poem Don Juan, followed by 2024 Bard Conservatory Concerto Competition winner tenor Ryan Michki in a performance of Vaughan Williams’ English song cycle On Wenlock Edge, written after the composer had spent three months studying with Maurice Ravel in Paris. Also on the program are Stuckey’s arrangement of Purcell’s Funeral Music for Queen Mary, composed 330 years ago in 1695, and Barber’s Symphony No. 1 in One Movement.

TŌN + All-City High School Orchestra Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 3 pm Julia Richman Educational Complex, 317 E 67th Street, New York, NY Leonardo Pineda, conductor Selections performed with the All-City High School Orchestra David West, principal director Program to be announced The Orchestra Now and conductor Leonardo Pineda present a free holiday-season concert at the Julia Richman Educational Complex on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. For the second year in a row, TŌN is joined by NYC’s All-City High School Orchestra for a side-by-side performance.

Franck, Faust, and William Tell Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 4 pm Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY Zachary Schwartzman, conductor Gioachino Rossini: William Tell Overture Charles Gounod: Faust Ballet Music César Franck: Symphony in D Minor TŌN Resident Conductor Zachary Schwartzman leads the Orchestra in a free concert of audience favorites. The program comprises Rossini’s popular William Tell Overture, famed for the final notes that came to be used as the Lone Ranger theme music in movies and on radio; the ballet music from Gounod’s opera Faust, which premiered in Paris in 1859 and is based on the Goethe play telling the story of a philosopher who sells his soul to the devil; and French composer César Franck’s Symphony in D Minor, completed two years before his death and known for the repeating themes that occur throughout all of its movements.    Tickets are free. Advance RSVP requested at ton.bard.edu, available in August. For detailed information about the 2025-26 season, visit ton.bard.edu.

E) Streaming 

q    1Courtesy of Spincycle NYC

10) The Fairest 

Thirdwing’s first acclaimed play in Cameron Darwin Bossert's Venomous Color Trilogy, THE FAIREST, is coming to their streaming platform, thirdwing.info, in a condensed and film-centric version beginning August 5. The release coincides with the World Premiere of the final part in the trilogy, THE ANIMALS SPEAK, at The Wild Project in NYC (which will only be available to see live in person August 5 - 17, 2025).

Originally presented as a live theatrical drama at Wild Project in 2021, THE FAIREST tells the story of the women who painted Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the summer heat of 1937, with little pay and no credit (women weren’t allowed to be animators). A talented young inker and painter loaded with self-doubt, jealousy, and social anxiety, and OCD (practically undiagnosable in the 1930s), is tasked with painting hundreds of frames of “a perfect fairytale woman.” As an imaginary friendship between her and the first Disney princess develops, it turns out this version of Snow White is not very kind.

By using special sound design and music, with color, “stop-motion,” and compositing VFX, THE FAIREST is a unique hybrid of film and theater, also condensed from its full stage version for viewing on the small screen.

THE FAIREST was followed by Thirdwing’s hit union strike drama BURBANK, currently streaming on the platform (called “smart and entertaining” by Laura Collins Hughes of The New York Times), which shows Walt Disney dealing with the aftermath of Snow White’s success.

Bossert’s “Venomous Color Trilogy” asks what is the true cost of commodifying art for the masses and examines the role of women at the Disney Studio, artistically and financially.

THE FAIREST will also be available to rent or purchase on its own for $4.99 to rent / $12 to buy.

F) Tickets on Sale

In New York 

Courtesy of Polk and Co.

11) Buena Vista Social Club

With a book by Tony Nominee Marco Ramirez (Drama Desk Award, The Royale), Tony-nominated director Saheem Ali (Fat Ham) leads an ensemble of visionary performing artists, including a Special Tony Award-winning band of renowned musicians from across the globe to tell the legendary story of the artists who recorded the original album. BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB™ features the soul-stirring music of Cuba’s golden age, choreography by Tony Award winners Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck (Illinoise, Steven Spielberg's West Side Story).  

Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W. 45th St.)

 

Tickets now on sale through 5/25/26 at Telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200, or at the Schoenfeld Theatre box office.

For more information, visit www.buenavistamusical.com

Courtesy of Candi Adams PR

12) 44 - The Musical

Barack Obama's election changed history. 44 is a satirical look at the rise and presidency of Barack Obama, as well as the eccentric political characters he met along the way. It is the story of Obama you won't read about in history books...because history books are now banned in most states. But also, because 44 is the story of Obama as Joe Biden kinda sorta remembers it… 

In honor of our 44^th President Barack Obama’s 64^th Birthday on Monday, August 4^th, a limited number of $44 tickets will be put on sale, including the front two rows for the first two weeks of performances and limited $44 seats available for all performances in select locations. Tickets for the Off-Broadway run will go on sale to the general public at 10:00 AM on Monday, August 4th at 44theobamamusical.com or by visiting Telecharge.com or by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6210.

G) What Else is Happening

In New Jersey

13) American Theater Group Seeks Video Auditions from NJ Drama

Teachers for production of Our Town

American Theater Group (ATG) is seeking video audition submissions from NJ drama and music teachers (and related staff) for its upcoming production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Our Town by Thornton Wilder. The production will feature professional actors in main roles as well as a select number of arts teachers from around the state in supporting roles as townsfolk.

Beloved by many, Our Town is set in the fictional town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, and explores the universal themes of life, love, and death. Since it was first performed in 1938, it has been widely considered one of the best American dramas of all time and had an acclaimed Broadway run last season.

The production will be directed by Merete Muenter, whose numerous credits include serving as Associate Director of the 2022 Off Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof directed by Joel Grey and ATG’s 2019 production of Bridges of Madison County. Performance dates are Oct. 23-Nov. 2 nd at the new Union Arts Center in Union, NJ and Nov. 6-9 th at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge, NJ. Our Town is presented by arrangement through Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com.

Rehearsals will take place in Union starting September 30.  If cast, actors will be expected to attend two scheduled evening rehearsals during the week, and all daytime weekend rehearsals.  Final Dress will take place early afternoon on October 23.

 

A small stipend will be provided, and Professional Development Credit is available for those completing the run. Audition information, including sides and video submission tips, can be found at www.americantheatergroup.org. Deadline for submission is Fri. Aug. 8th. 

XXX

14) NEW JERSEY’S NEXT BIG NAMES  IN MUSIC  TAKE THE STAGE AT GARDEN STATE LIVE! Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and  the Prudential  North to Shore Festival join forces to present a new concert series spotlighting rising  New Jersey and Atlantic City talents Series kicks off August 8 with performances by rockers  Low Cut Connie and Atlantic City’s own Isn’t It Always

The Prudential North to Shore Festival and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City are proud to announce the launch of Garden State Live!, a new monthly performance series designed to highlight the talents of rising New Jersey musicians.

Beginning August 8, two to three emerging New Jersey artists — primarily from South and Central New Jersey — will be featured at each of these monthly Friday night concerts at Hard Rock’s Sound Waves Theater.

Tickets will be reasonably priced at $10 to allow Atlantic City residents and visitors alike to enjoy these performances by New Jersey’s budding musical stars.

Low Cut Connie, dubbed “the best live rock & roll band in America” by NPR’s All Songs Considered, will inaugurate the series. The band’s lead singer and songwriter, Adam Weiner, hails from Cherry Hill. Low Cut Connie has performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and was featured on President Barack Obama’s inaugural Spotify playlist.

The Atlantic City-born alternative rock trio Isn’t It Always? — featuring Devin Scheck on vocals and guitar, Joey Dobbins on drums and Juliani Bonilla on bass — will open the first Garden State Live show.

In addition to Low Cut Connie and Isn’t It Always?, performers who will be featured in the first five months of the series include:

September 5: Blues musicians Billy Walton of Asbury Park, Debra Devi of Jersey City and the Somers Point-based trio Twisted Livin.

October 3: Rising pop rocker Destinee Monroe of Egg Harbor, the Hammonton-based band red and the Grip Weeds, a power-pop quartet from Highland Park

November 21: Contemporary country artists Megan Knight of Williamstown, Holdyn Barder of Stone Harbor and Kenny Curcio of Medford.

December 19: Pop singer-songwriters Max Davey of Woodstown, Maddie Hogan of Cape May and Camille K of Mount Laurel

More artists will be added to the Garden State Live! lineup, with performances continuing through May 2026.

In addition to June mainstage performances featuring headlining comedians and musicians in Asbury Park and Newark, this season the festival is also presenting a full year of community-focused arts events in Atlantic City. From block parties and family-friendly street fairs to exciting new performance series like Garden State
Live, the festival will amplify Atlantic City’s thriving arts and entertainment scene through next summer.

For updates, please visit northtoshore.com.

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In New York 

15) ARTECHOUSE NYC now offers XR BAR: 

COCKTAIL TASTING EXPERIENCE

a first-of-its-kind extended reality cocktail sampling

This summer, New York’s cocktail-enthusiasts have a new, multi-sensory adventure to sip on. Starting in August, ARTECHOUSE NYC (Chelsea Market, 439 W. 15th Street, NYC) debuts its first-ever XR Bar: Cocktail Tasting Experience, a five-course mixology journey set within the venue’s immersive XR Bar. Inspired by the artistry of a fine dining tasting menu, each course is a handcrafted cocktail designed to take guests on a flavorful progression, from bright, sparkling openers to rich, layered profiles, and a bold, memorable finale. This first-of-its-kind cocktail experience blends flavor, aroma, sound, and visuals into a cohesive, multi-sensory narrative, pushing the boundaries of what a cocktail tasting can be. Previously exclusive to exhibition guests, the XR Bar is now open to all through this standalone offering — an ideal destination for cocktail connoisseurs, adventurous date nights, or anyone seeking an unforgettable experience in the heart of Chelsea Market. Reservations can be made via OpenTable. Visit Artechouse.com/events/nyc-cocktail-tasting-experience for more information.

No exhibit ticket is required to participate in the XR Bar: Cocktail Tasting Experience. Following the sampling, guests can enjoy one of ARTECHOUSE NYC’s two immersive events: Blooming Wonders, an ARTECHOUSE studio original, guests step into the venue's digital garden where art, technology, and nature converge in an immersive, botanically inspired exhibition; or Rolling Stone Presents: Amplified, The Immersive Rock Experience, a 50-minute immersive journey into the music, history, imagery and culture of rock ‘n’ roll.

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

16) Ballet Hispánico announces

Capital One City Parks Foundation

SummerStage Performance

August 7, 2025 at 8pm

Ballet Hispánico is proud to announce their return to Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage on Thursday, August 7, 2025 at 8pm (doors open at 7pm) at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, NYC. Admission is free and details are available at cityparksfoundation.org/events/ballet-hispanico.

Ballet Hispánico is a leading force in New York’s contemporary dance scene, distinguished by its powerful dancers and daring, original works. The company blends technical precision with inventive storytelling, offering performances that are both viscerally compelling and artistically rigorous – work that speaks not just to the moment, but to the future of dance. Led by Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro, the organization has been heralded by the Ford Foundation as one of America’s Cultural Treasures. “Performances by the Ballet Hispánico dancers are always vibrant and richly textured.” (The New York Times).

Program:

House of Mad’moiselle

House of Mad’moiselle, by internationally acclaimed choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, is a wild romp through the layered symbols of Latin American femininity. It revels in the drama, elegance, and defiance of iconic women who blur the lines between myth and memory.

Sombrerisimo (excerpt)

Inspired by the surrealist world of Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Sombrerísimo references the iconic sombreros (hats) found throughout the world that help to represent culture. Originally choreographed for an all-male cast, Sombrerísimo has evolved into a work that can also be performed by an all-female or mixed-gender cast.

Tango Vitrola (excerpt)

Alejandro Cervera’s Tango Vitrola conjures a metaphysical space that highlights the struggle between men and women through simple yet poetic patterns.

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

17) Creative Stage Collective

presents

CSC Open Day

August 9, 2025 from 1-3pm

Creative Stage Collective presents CSC Open Day on Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 1-3pm at Ballet Hispánico, 167 W. 89^th Street, NY. Children ages 8-16 will be invited to join the CSC Youth Troupe and some of their fabulous CSC Adult Professional Artists for two hours of theater, movement and music games and activities. Lead artists will include Madeline Bender, Andrew Dolan, and Sheri Graubert. Sign up for a slot here. For more information, visit https://www.creativestagecollective.org/upcoming-events.

There is no cost to join and no limit to how many workshops participants can attend. This program is designed to serve as a fun and enriching educational opportunity for kids in the neighborhood, to get to know the local community and introduce them to CSC’s multi-generational performing troupe. This is a "drop off" workshop. However, parents are warmly welcome to stay and observe (and may even be invited to participate on occasion).

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

18) Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Announces

USDAN Festival Performance

Friday, August 8, 2025 at 12:10pm

185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, the renowned international touring dance company founded by Chinese American choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, and now led by Artistic Director Greta Campo and Executive Director Andy Chiang, announced today that they will perform at the USDAN Festival at 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY on Friday, August 8, 2025 starting at 12:10pm. The company will perform again at 12:35pm.

The program is aimed at introducing dance students to the cultural background of the Company’s work as well as providing the unique opportunity to learn the skill of handling props while dancing. The program will begin with the Company’s traditional silk fan dance, which originated in Southern China, depicting a group of young dancers visiting a beautiful flower garden. Through the skillful use the silk fan, the audience will experience wavering flowers and butterflies as the dancers move through the music. Fan dance will be followed by Peacock Dance from Southwestern China where the dancers use their hands/arm, and upper body to depict various movements of the sacred bird in the Yunnan forest. Finally, a contemporary dance, Way of Fire, using the fan to highlight the fire within the warrior’s heart, will conclude the performance. After the performance, the Company will conduct a prop handling workshop using the ribbon and the silk fan. The Company would like to acknowledge the support of the New Victory Theatre for making this appearance possible.

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

19) South Street Seaport Museum

South Street Seaport Museum announces the free Fresh Prints open house at the historic letterpress print ship Bowne & Co. located at 211 Water Street on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 6pm. The event is free, advanced registration is encouraged. seaportmuseum.org/fresh-prints

Come to Bowne & Co. for a one-of-a-kind New York experience! This popular monthly open house features a breadth of printing equipment that you will be invited to use. You’ll get to see how the designers at Bowne lock up limited edition designs that showcase some of the more eccentric parts from the Seaport Museum’s printing and graphic arts collection.

Established in 1775, the original Bowne & Co., Inc. was one of New York’s oldest printing firms. The Bowne & Co. that you can experience today at the Seaport Museum is an offshoot of the original and continues the age-old tradition of job (or small batch) printing.

Advanced registration is encouraged for this free open house but walkups will be accommodated as possible. Anyone ages 12 and up is welcome. All participants get to take home the items they print during the afternoon. Can’t stay the full 90-minutes? No problem! Leaving a bit early is fine, but you might miss out on taking home something special.

These popular workshops fill quickly, so claim your tickets today! If you don’t see tickets for a specific date, that workshop has reached capacity.

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20) Attention Students Grades 9 – 12

Auditions Announced for 

“We Are The Tigers: A Killer Musical Comedy” 

at Bucks County Playhouse

The show is part of the Fall Semester at
Playhouse Institute Conservatory at Bucks County Playhouse

Bucks County Playhouse is excited to announce auditions for “We Are The Tigers,” a darkly funny, high-energy musical murder mystery featuring a fierce cheerleading squad, teen drama, and a killer twist. “We Are The Tigers” is presented by the Playhouse Institute Conservatory at Bucks County Playhouse. This program is perfect for high school students who want to take their skills to the next level, offering advanced training that culminates in a fully staged production at Lambertville Hall.

Auditions for students in grades 9–12 will be held on Sunday, August 10 from 12–3 pm, with callbacks scheduled for Monday, August 11 from 4–6 pm. Rehearsals begin August 17 and continue through October 16, with tech rehearsals October 19–23. The production will run for six performances between October 24 and November 2 at Lambertville Hall in Lambertville, NJ.

Accepted students for the production will be enrolled in the Fall Conservatory program. Tuition is $1,400 and includes more than 60 hours of professional rehearsal, unlimited access to Bucks County Playhouse Education fall classes, workshops, talkbacks, and enrichment activities tied to the Playhouse’s mainstage productions of “She Loves Me” and “The Rocky Horror Show.” In addition, students will experience workshop time that allows them to explore scenic design, costumes, lighting, and other production elements. Financial assistance is available and strongly encouraged for families who need it.

To sign up for auditions or request materials, students should email bcpedu@buckscountyplayhouse.org. The audition packet includes sides, song selections, and detailed instructions. Headshots and résumés are requested.

About the Show:

“We Are The Tigers”
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Preston Max Allen

“We Are The Tigers” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global. www.broadwaylicensing.com.

The Tigers’ high school cheerleading squad is meeting for their annual sleepover at captain Riley’s house—and they’ve brought all their teenage baggage with them. From love triangles and viral cheer stunts gone wrong to one very lustful boyfriend, team bonding is about to get complicated. But when one of the Tigers turns up dead in the front yard, the night spirals into a hilarious whodunnit with pom-poms.

With a pop-driven, belty score and a seriously silly book, “We Are The Tigers” is part “Mean Girls”, part “Scream” — and all high school drama. Audiences will be cheering for the Tigers as the Tigers learn to cheer for themselves.

Performances will be held at Lambertville Hall, with general admission tickets priced at $25 and premium Splatter Zone seating at $35 (includes protective oversized T-shirt). Tickets will be on sale soon. The show is rated PG-13 for language and content.

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Other 

21) Fathom Entertainment 

Upcoming Events

Courtesy of Fathom Events

It’s Back: Big, Loud & Live Set to Return to Movie Theatres On August 7 for 2025 DCI World Championship Prelims

After a one-year hiatus, Big, Loud & Live will return to select movie theatres nationwide on Thursday, August 7, bringing the sights and sounds of the 2025 Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championship Prelims back to the big screen. Presented in partnership with Fathom Entertainment, the leading specialty distributor of content to theatrical partners worldwide, the live broadcast will feature the top-15 drum corps performing at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The approximately five-hour event will include live commentary, interviews, and real-time scoring, offering theater-goers an immersive look into one of the most anticipated nights of the annual Drum Corps International Tour.

After a one-year hiatus, Big, Loud & Live will return to select movie theatres nationwide on Thursday, August 7, bringing the sights and sounds of the 2025 Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championship Prelims back to the big screen. Presented in partnership with Fathom Entertainment, the leading specialty distributor of content to theatrical partners worldwide, the live broadcast will feature the top-15 drum corps performing at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The approximately five-hour event will include live commentary, interviews, and real-time scoring, offering theater-goers an immersive look into one of the most anticipated nights of the annual Drum Corps International Tour.

Courtesy of Fathom Events

Studio Ghibli Fest 2025 Continues With

“Grave of The Fireflies”

Oscar^®-Nominated Director Isao Takahata’s Acclaimed Historical War Drama Returns to the Big Screen Nationwide

 

With Fathom Entertainment for 3 Nights Only

Tickets are on sale now for Grave of the Fireflies – Based on the retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki, the historical war drama tells the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Brought to you by Academy Award^® nominated director Isao Takahata, the emotional tour de force returns to theatres this August for three nationwide screenings. GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment are delighted to continue Studio Ghibli Fest with the 2025 edition which celebrates The Secret World of Arrietty’s 15th anniversary.

Audiences can look forward to Studio Ghibli Fest 2025’s eight-title lineup of films, including The Boy and the Heron, re-entering theatres for the first time since its release. Grave of the Fireflies will be shown in the original Japanese language version with subtitles.

In addition to the full feature, screenings will include a post-film clip from bonus featurette, “Interview with Isao Takahata”. Tickets for Grave of the Fireflies can be purchased online by visiting GhibliFest.com, or at participating theatre box offices (Theatre participants are subject to change). 

 

Grave of the Fireflies Show Dates

Check with your local theatres or online ticketing site for specific showtimes.

 

Sunday, August 10 (Japanese Language with Subtitles)

Monday, August 11 (Japanese Language with Subtitles)

Tuesday, August 12 (Japanese Language with Subtitles)

 

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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for More Theater Monday.

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