Sunday Scoop Week of 11/23/25 What's Happening This Week and More

A) Beginning Performances 

In New York

1) A Christmas Carol

2) Could You Patent the Sun?

3) Gazillion Bubble Show Holiday Spectacular

4) Gotta Dance

5) Sweet Smell of Success

B) Cast Changes

6) Little Shop of Horrors

C) Cast Recording

7) Just in Time

D) Run Extensions 

In New York

8) 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

9) Pen Pals

10) Operation Mincemeat

E) Tickets on Sale 

In New York

11) Buena Vista Social Club

12) Just in Time

F) What Else is Happening

In New York

13) American Museum of Natural History Origami Christmas Tree Returns

starting 11/24

14) Broadway's Hell's Kitchen Releases Holiday Song

15) Ellen's Stardust Diner Holiday Happenings

16) Marching Bands at the South Street Seaport Museum

11/26

17) Works & Process at the Guggenheim Presents Tell Me Where it Comes From

In Pennsylvania

18) Bucks County Playhouse Holiday Cabaret Performances

A) Beginning Performances 

In New York

Courtesy of Polk and Co. PR

1) A Christmas Carol

PAC NYC (251 Fulton St.)

11/23 - 12/28

Opening Night 12/4

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pacnyc.org/whats-on/a-christmas-carol.

2) Could You Patent the Sun?

A proud son of New York City, Salk grew up in the Bronx, studied at City College, and embodied a distinctly New York blend of grit, intellect, and compassion. His legacy finds a natural home at the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living, part of the Educational Alliance, a historic Lower East Side institution founded over a century ago to serve New York’s Jewish immigrant community. Today, the Sirovich Center continues that mission fostering connection, creativity, and care for all older adults making it the perfect place to honor Salk’s spirit of service and accessibility.

Sirovich Center for Balanced Living (331 E. 12th St.)

Friday 7pm, November 21 & Sunday 4pm, November 23
Friday 7pm, December 12 & Sunday 4pm, December 14
Friday 7pm, January 16 & Sunday 4pm, January 18

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

3) Gazillion Bubble Show Holiday Spectacular

The world-famous Gazillion Bubble Show transforms its Times Square home into a dazzling Holiday Wonderland for a limited engagement filled with snow, sparkle, and bubble magic.

New World Stages (340 W. 50th St.)

11/26 - 1/4

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

4) Gotta Dance

GOTTA DANCE features inspired reconstructions from classic musicals such as West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Pippin, Singin’ in the Rain, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and more, brought to life by some of Broadway’s most dazzling dancers. This joyous production pays tribute to the choreographers who shaped Broadway and Hollywood, including Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gene Kelly, Michael Bennett, Susan Stroman, Billy Wilson, and others. Experience the steps and spirit that have defined generations of dance in a performance bursting with energy, heart, and Broadway brilliance.

Theater at St. Jeans (150 E. 76th St.)

11/25 - 12/28

Opening Night 12/3

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.yorktheatre.org/gotta-dance.

Courtesy of Pascal Nadon Communications

5) Sweet Smell of Success

The 2002 musical is based on the gripping 1958 film noir classic of the same name, which depicts the twisted relationship between J.J. Hunsecker, a powerful Manhattan gossip columnist, his much younger sister, Susan, and Sidney Falco, a struggling press agent.

Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall (10 Columbus Circle)

12/21 & 12/22

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.mastervoices.org/events/sweet-smell-of-success.

B) Cast Changes

6) Little Shop of Horrors

Courtesy of Vivacity Media Group

Andrew Duran joins the cast in the role of Dr. Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. 11/25

Previously on 11/1, Christian McQueen joined the cast as the voice of Audrey II

West Side Theatre (407 W. 43rd St.)

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

C) Cast Recording

Courtesy of Polk and Co. PR

7) Just in Time

Atlantic Records proudly unveils the JUST IN TIME (Original Broadway Cast Recording), the official companion to Broadway’s sold-out smash hit musical starring Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff as legendary singer Bobby Darin. The album is available now on all digital platforms HERE and physically, including exclusive blue vinyl.

D) Run Extensions 

In New York

8) 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T. As six wonderfully unique and impassioned contestants vie for the championship by spelling their way through vexing vocabulary, hilarious and poignant personal stories unfold…along with a dash of riotous audience participation. Declared by The New York Times as an “irresistible musical” that is “refreshingly handcrafted, effortlessly endearing, and riotously funny,” The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee delivers an unforgettable experience that is sure to leave audiences spellbound.

Six spellers enter, but only one can win The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences across the world since its Tony–winning Broadway debut in 2005. It now returns to New York in a special 20^th Anniversary production that celebrates the singular heart, humor, and verve that cemented its place in the musical theater canon. 

New World Stages (340 W. 50th St.)

Now closing 4/12

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

9) Pen Pals

Inspired by a true story, Pen Pals invites audiences into the lives of Bernie and Mags—two women whose bond, forged in adolescence, endures for decades without them ever meeting in person. A story of connection, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between friends, Pen Pals is as poignant as it is powerful.

DR2 Theatre (103 E. 15th St.)

Now closing 3/15

Upcoming Rotating Pen Pals Cast: 

Nov 25 – Dec 7: Paige Davis & Montego Glover (see website for holiday schedule)

Dec 10 – Dec 21: Donna Lynne Champlin & Emily Skinner

Dec 23 – Jan 4: Veanne Cox & Melissa Gilbert (see website for holiday schedule)

Jan 7 – Jan 18: Sharon Lawrence & Maureen McCormick (Encore)

Jan 21 – Feb 1: Randy Graff & Beth Leavel

Feb 4 – Feb 15: Melora Hardin & TBD

Feb 18 – Mar 1: Gina Torres & Carmen Cusack

Mar 4 – Mar 15: Jodi Benson & Marcia Mitzman Gaven

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

10) Operation Mincemeat

In Operation Mincemeat, it’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.

Golden Theatre (252 W. 45th St.)

Now closing 4/26

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

E) Tickets on Sale

11) Buena Vista Social Club

Step into the heart of Cuba, beyond the glitz of the Tropicana, to a place where blazing trumpets and sizzling guitars set the dance floor on fire. Here, the sound of Havana is born—and one woman's remarkable journey begins.

Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W. 45th St.)

Tickets on sale through 9/6/26.

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

12) Just in Time

JUST IN TIME invites audiences to experience the great American entertainer’s meteoric journey – from soaring highs to crushing lows – brought to life by Groff, featuring a live on-stage band performing Bobby Darin’s iconic hits including “Beyond the Sea,” “Splish Splash,” “Dream Lover,” and “Mack the Knife."

Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W. 50th St.)

Tickets on sale through 3/29/26 when Jonathan Groff will end his run in the role of Bobby Darrin.

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

F) What Else is Happening

In New York

Courtesy of AMNH

13) Origami Tree to Open at the American Museum of Natural History on November 24

New Beginnings theme inspired by new exhibition Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs and the approaching New Year

Opening Monday, November 24, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree returns for an annual New York City tradition that has marked the start of the holiday season at the American Museum of Natural History for decades.

This year’s 13-foot tree, New Beginnings, celebrates the spectacular variety of species that evolved after an asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago, inspired by the new exhibition Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs. The theme is a playful nod to the burst of new life, including an explosion of mammal diversity, that followed the asteroid impact, which ended the age of non-bird dinosaurs and reshaped life on Earth.

American Museum of Natural History (200 Central Park West)

Beginning 11/24

The Origami Holiday Tree will be on view in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery, on Floor 1.

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Courtesy of Polk and Co. PR

14) BROADWAY’S GRAMMY®- WINNING HELL’S KITCHEN CAST  RELEASES HOLIDAY SONG

Broadway’s Hell’s Kitchen released a new holiday song, “Hell’s Kitchen’s A Merry Little Christmas," via Alicia Keys Records/Interscope Records. Featuring four-time GRAMMY® winner, and newly added Hell’s Kitchen cast member, Yolanda Adams, “Hell’s Kitchen’s A Merry Little Christmas" also features cast members Amanda Reid, Phillip Johnson Richardson and Jessica Vosk. Produced by Adam Blackstone, “Hell’s Kitchen’s A Merry Little Christmas” is an original mash up of the holiday classic “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and Alicia Keys’ “The Gospel.”  Pre-save/Pre-Order “Hell’s Kitchen’s A Merry Little Christmas” HERE.

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15) Holiday Happenings at Ellen's Stardust Diner in Times Square

On top of Ellen’s Stardust Diner's daily musical fun 365 days a year, the diner will feature special holiday menu items, opportunities to shop for gifts, a festive New Year's Eve celebration to say goodbye to 2025and a New Year’s Day Mamma Mia! Brunch to welcome 2026 with a Super Trouper start.

• Special Holiday Menus at Ellen’s Stardust Diner – Opened 365 days a year from 7 am to midnight, the diner will be serving classic diner fare the whole family will love on Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and more, featuring specially curated holiday menu items.

 

• Ellen’s Stardust Diner’s New Year’s Eve Party in Times Square (Wednesday, December 31) – Ring in 2026 at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, where the world-famous singing waitstaff will bring nonstop music and Stardust magic. Tickets include entry to the diner located in the heart of Times Square, a 3-course meal, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Guests will also have access to a full cash bar throughout the night and can watch the ball drop from inside on the diner’s screens. Tickets are available for $295 (plus taxes, fees and 20% gratuity) and can be purchased here.

 

• New Year’s Day MAMMA MIA! Brunch (January 1, 2026) – Start the new year with an ABBA-solutely great time at the Ellen’s Stardust Diner's MAMMA MIA! Brunch, where superfans can come eager to dine, sing, and dance along. Back by popular demand, the diner has added more dates through February 2026. Tickets for all shows can be purchased here.

 

• Gifts Galore! – For those looking to get ahead on holiday shopping, check out Ellen’s Stardust Diner merch like the new limited time canvas tote bag. It’s perfect for travel, commuting, or sightseeing. For a special holiday keepsake, Ellen’s white ball ornament is a great collector’s item to bring jolly joy from the diner to your home. Other options include the classic Starduster t-shirts, hats and sweatshirts. You can shop in-person at the diner or online here, available to ship anywhere in the United States.

Located at 1650 Broadway, Ellen’s Stardust Diner is open 365 days a year from 7 am to midnight every day. The diner is home of the original world-famous singing waitstaff, the Stardusters. I would be happy to answer any questions on the exciting season ahead, share additional assets or put you in touch with the team. For more information on Ellen’s Stardust Diner, visit www.ellensstardustdiner.com and Follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

16) South Street Seaport Museum

Announces

Marching Bands 

at the Seaport Museum

November 26 | 1–3:15pm | Pier 16 | Free

Get ready for a booming afternoon on November 26 at the South Street Seaport Museum—a front-row preview of the iconic New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade, a day early in the Seaport! Tickets to the event are free and can be reserved here.

Catch the excitement as marching bands from Temple University and the Damien Spartan Regiment take over Pier 16 with stationary performances that are sure to get you in the parade spirit. Hundreds of students from these talented bands will fill the air with the sounds of classics like “Funkytown” and “Uptown Funk” plus medleys of popular hits, school songs, and catchy drum cadences. The band from Temple University will begin at 1pm and the performance from the Damien Spartan Regiment will begin at 2:30pm.

Marching bands have been a staple of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since its inception in 1924 and this is your chance to experience their magic before the big day and without all the crowds.

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

17) Works & Process at Guggenheim New York Presents

Works & Process Commission

World Premiere

Tell Me Where It Comes From by Emily Coates

Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 7PM

Dancer, writer, and choreographer Emily Coates presents the world premiere of Tell Me Where It Comes From, a performance project commissioned by Works & Process, on Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 7 PM at Guggenheim New York in the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.

Spurred by George Balanchine’s brief but pivotal 1933 touchdown in Hartford, Connecticut, Coates gathered artifacts of his lingering presence in archives throughout the northeast United States. Drawing on her background as a former member of New York City Ballet, Coates creates an unexpected portrait of his choreographic legacy, working in collaboration with director Ain Gordon, performer and co-creator Derek Lucci, violinist and composer Charles Burnham, pianist Melvin Chen, lighting designer Krista Smith, and costume designers Reid Bartelme & Harriet Jung to collage far-flung remnants: unanswered letters, lost ballets, old photographs, music exercises, early muses, and more. Filled with hidden movements and quieted voices, Tell Me Where It Comes From meditates on the spark that propels art into existence.

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In Pennsylvania

Courtesy of Feldshur Horowitz PR

18) Playhouse Announces Two Broadway Stars Present

Cabaret Performances for the Holidays!

 

“Liz Callaway: Broadway and Beyond” Nov. 23

and Melissa Errico in The Secret Diary of Mrs. Santa Dec. 12

Tony- and Grammy-nominated, Emmy-winning Broadway star Liz Callaway brings her concert “Broadway and Beyond” to the Playhouse Barn on Sunday, November 23 at 7 p.m. In this career-spanning program, Callaway performs songs from her Broadway and film work — from “Baby” (for which she earned a Tony nomination) and her long-run “Memory” in “Cats,” to her Oscar-nominated original from “Anastasia” — all woven together with selections from her recording catalog. She’ll be accompanied by her longtime collaborator Alex Rybeck on piano.

Then, just ahead of the holidays, Broadway’s Melissa Errico arrives with a special holiday concert: “The Secret Diary of Mrs. Santa” on Friday, December 12 at 6 p.m. She’ll be accompanied by Billy Stritch on the piano. Errico, a Tony-nominated actress and acclaimed concert artist, reimagines the life of Mrs. Claus in an evening of jazz, American Songbook gems, seasonal favorites, clever parodies, and playful storytelling.

About Liz Callaway
Callaway launched her Broadway career in Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along”, and went on to star in “Baby, Miss Saigon,” “Cats,” among others. Across recordings, concert performances, and film voice work (such as in “Anastasia”), she is celebrated for her richness of voice, emotional range, and storytelling presence.

About Melissa Errico
A Tony-nominated Broadway actress (for “Amour”) and consummate concert artist, Melissa Errico has starred in musicals including “My Fair Lady,” “High Society,” “Les Misérables,” and more. In concert she has been praised by Opera News as “the Maria Callas of the American musical theater.”

Tickets to both of these cabarets are $65. Both cabarets have limited table seating (assigned by host). In addition to the ticket price, a $25 beverage minimum is required, payable at the venue.  Tickets may be purchased at www.buckscountyplayhouse.org or by calling the box office at 215-862-2121.

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

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