Sunday Scoop Week of 7/5/26 What's Happening This Week and More

A) Beginning Performances 

In New Jersey

1) The Wedding Singer

Sinik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center 7/9 - 7/19

In New York

2) Are You Mad at Me?
HERE Arts Center 7/10 - 8/15

3) Finding Nemo

Argyle Theater 7/11 - 8/30

4) Hamlet

Gene Frankel Theatre Through 7/25

5) Julius Caesar

The Flea Theater 7/9 - 7/26

6) Shrew

LaMama 7/9 - 8/2

7) What a World! What a World!

The Tank 7/9 - 8/2

8) Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse

SoHo Playhouse 7/8 - 7/18

B) Casting Changes

In New York

9) Every Brilliant Thing

Hudson Theatre 

10) MJ

Neil Simon Theatre

C) Closing Soon

In New York

11) Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo

New World Stages closing 7/18

12) Proof

Booth Theatre closing 7/19

D) Concerts

In New York

13) Lucia Jackson & The Ron Jackson Trio

Dante Park 7/8

E) Exhibitions

In New York

14) Happy Accidents

Wild Project Opening Reception 7/9

F) Festivals

In New York

15) DarkFest

The Tank 7/13 - 7/19

16) Rogue Theater Festival

The Flea Theater 7/7 - 7/11

17) TrashFest

The Tank 7/13 - 7/19

G) Readings

In New York

18) Cherry Picking: The In-Between

wild project 7/13 & 7/14

H) Run Extension

In New York

19) Camping

HERE Arts Center Added Performances 7/9 & 7/11

20) Heated Rivalry

The Culture Club Now Closing 11/1

I) Tickets on Sale

21) Giant, the play starring Tony winner John Lithgow in movie theaters

Ticket on sale 7/9

J) What Else is Happening

In New Jersey

22) American Theater Group Musical Theater Camp Scholarship Opportunity

In New York

23) American Museum of Natural History Upcoming Event:

Block Party Celebrating Manhattanhenge and The World Cup 7/11

24) Broadway Barks

7/11 Shubert Alley

25) Broadway Magic Hour July Shows 

Broadway Comedy Club 

Other

26) Broadway Bound: The Musicals That Never Came to Broadway Season Three Launches on the Broadway Podcast Network

27) Fathom Entertainment's Studio Ghibli Continues with My Neighbor Totoro

7/11 - 7/15

A) Beginning Performances 

In New Jersey

Courtesy of Centenary Stage Co.

1) The Wedding Singer

Based on the hit film starring Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer transports audiences back to the outrageous world of the 1980s, where Robbie Hart is the life of every party – until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar.  Filled with unforgettable characters, hilarious comedy, and a high-energy score, The Wedding Singer has become a favorite among audiences nationwide.

Sitnik Theatre at the Lackland Performing Arts Center (715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown)

7/9 - 7/19

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  centenarystageco.org

In New York

Courtesy of Print Shop PR

2) Are You Mad at Me?

Following a hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, comedian Bryan Safi (9-1-1, Attitudes!, Ask Ronna) brings Are You Mad at Me?? to New York. In this hilarious and disarmingly honest solo show, Safi spirals through anxiety, awkwardness, people-pleasing, and the absurd emotional gymnastics of wanting desperately to be liked. A mix of stand-up, storytelling, music, and theatrical confession, Are You Mad at Me?? is for anyone who has ever overanalyzed a text message to the brink of collapse. 

HERE Arts Center (145 Sixth Ave.)

7/10 - 8/15

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

Courtesy of JT PR

3) Finding Nemo

Disney and Pixar's Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical  - is a new stage version of the beloved 2003 Pixar film, designed specifically for young audiences. Featuring a memorable score from award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen, Coco), this fun and lively musical is sure to delight the entire family! Finding Nemo follows Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo. When Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic odyssey across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.

Argyle Theatre (34 W. Main St., Babylon)

7/11 - 8/30

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

Courtesy Alton PR

4) Hamlet

Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond St.)

Through 7/25

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.genefrankeltheatre.com/hamlet---the-onomatopoeia-theatre-company.html

Courtesy of Off Off PR

5) Julius Caesar

Flea Theater (20 Thomas St.)

7/9 - 7/26

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

Courtesy of Spincycle NYC

6) Shrew

TAMING OF THE SHREW is Shakespeare's classic comedy about an eccentric fortune-seeker who courts and marries a wealthy, defiant woman widely known as a "shrew". To counter her rebellious temperament, he uses a number of tactics to render her an obedient wife.

LaMama (66 E. 4th St.)

7/9 - 8/2

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

Courtesy of Emily Owens PR

7) What a World! What a World!

The 1943 melodrama The Pearl of My Oyster could be a camp masterpiece, an erotic transfixion, a flicker of joy amidst utter terror, or it might just be a dumb old movie. Two performers try to sort it out and things get heated…does anyone need an Altoid?

The Tank (312 W. 36th St.)

7/9 - 8/2

Opening Night 7/11

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2026/4/8/whataworld.

Courtesy of Darr Publicity

8) Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse

At the height of World Cup fever, the multi award-winning Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England travels across the pond to Off-Broadway. The show tells the true story of ardent England football fan Billy Kinley, who sticks a flare up his bum at Euro 2020 and goes viral. What follows is a funny, raw and disarmingly honest exploration of identity, loyalty and belonging.

SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St.)

7/8 - 7/18

Opening night 7/9

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

B) Casting Changes

Courtesy of Vivacity Media Group

In New York

9) Every Brilliant Thing

Tracee Ellis Ross makes her Broadway debut starting 7/7.

Every Brilliant Thing is an exhilarating and heartwarming play, in which its central character looks back at their life and the glimmers of hope that carried them through—all told through a list of every wonderful, beautiful, and delightful thing that makes life worth living. Written by Olivier Award nominee Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things) with Jonny Donahoe, and directed by Olivier & Tony Award nominee Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things; Wolf Hall), Every Brilliant Thing is a one-of-a-kind solo show that creates an electric, communal energy between performer and audience, no matter the venue.

Hudson Theatre (141 W. 44th St.)

7/6 - 8/9

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

Courtesy of DKC/O&M

10) MJ

Brandon Lee Harris takes over the role of Michael 7/7.

Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52nd St.)

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

C) Closing Soon

In New York

Courtesy of JT PR

11) Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo

Described as "a gift from Japan to America" (Splash Magazine), Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo showcases the elegance and humor of Rakugo, a centuries-old form of solo storytelling in which a single performer, dressed in a kimono and armed with only a folding fan and hand towel, creates vivid characters and hilarious tales passed down from lMaster to Apprentice.

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

Closing 8/8

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.rakugo.lol.

Courtesy of DKC/O&M

12) Proof

 

In Proof, Catherine (Edebiri), the brilliant but restless daughter of renowned mathematics professor Robert (Cheadle), is thrust into turmoil when a notebook containing a revelatory proof is discovered after his death. As debate erupts over its true authorship, Catherine must confront the power of legacy, and the cost of proving herself.

Booth Theatre (222 W. 45th St.)

Closing 7/19

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

D) Concerts

In New York

13) Lucia Jackson & The Ron Jackson Trio

A graduate of the Alvin Ailey School of Dance, Lucia Jackson has created her own hybrid of modern dance and jazz vocalizing, a successful combination that melds the forward-looking motion of modern dance with the proud traditions and endless possibilities of jazz singing into a unique art form. Jackson was born and raised in Spain. She studied voice and piano at Madrid’s prestigious Escuela de Música Creativa and attended the Royal Professional Dance Conservatory Mariemma.

Dante Park (at Broadway & 64th St.)

Wednesday, July 8, 1:30 PM

This event is free. 

E) Exhibitions

Courtesy of Emily Owens PR

In New York

14) Happy Accidents

HAPPY ACCIDENTS is, a solo exhibition of 45 polaroid works by artist and director Rob Roth. Friends, lovers, muses, and metropolitan texture in locations spanning Brazil, Paris, Madrid, and New York City, are presented as singular sacred objects of Roth’s private life. Some are decorated as shrines, embellished with gold leaf, ink, and glitter. Shot over a decade, the series marks Roth’s most personal presentation of his photographic practice to date. 

Drawing from goth, camp, drag, and pagan influence, Roth contends with the preservation of the everyday as relic. He juxtaposes the erotic and flamboyant with the quiet and mystical and asserts a commitment to ritual, analog immediacy, and the documentation of ethereality.

Subjects include Parker Posey in a Paris hotel, Ruth Negga in a Whitechapel alleyway, Morgan Spector in the woods, Jenny Runacre backstage at the Alternative Miss World in London, Wayne Kostenbaum at his painting studio in New York, Majur in Brazil, and China on Fire Island. These are interspersed with images of queer intimacy and urban decay: plugs, portals, lyrical fragments, and obstructed environments. Roth’s creative collaboration with Blondie weaves throughout, with backstage and BTS portraits of Debbie Harry around the globe.

wild project (195 E. 3rd St.)

7/9 - 8/30

Opening Reception 7/9

F) Festivals

In New York

15) DarkFest

DarkFest features shows that do not use conventional theatrical lighting and celebrates innovative performance that utilizes self-sufficient and alternative energy sources.

The Tank (312 W. 36th St.)

7/13 - 7/19

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.thetanknyc.org. 

Courtesy of Alton PR

16) Rogue Theater Festival

The week-long festival will showcase 37 original productions, including fully staged plays, short plays, staged readings, and digital streaming performances. 

The Flea Theater (20 Thomas St.)

7/6 - 7/12

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  www.roguetheaterfestival.com/ticketinfo 

For more information, visit t www.thetanknyc.org. 

17) TrashFest

TrashFest centers work that produces no waste by reusing materials discarded as garbage

The Tank (312 W. 36th St.)

7/13 - 7/19

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.thetanknyc.org. 

G) Readings

In New York

18) Cherry Picking: The In-Between

Cherry Picking is an annual opportunity for writers, both established and burgeoning, to create new material for performance in a night of staged readings. Now in its 26th year, Cherry Picking brings new plays inspired by this year’s theme: The In-Between. 

wild project (195 E. 3rd St.)

7/13 & 7/14 7:00 PM

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thewildproject.org/performances/cherry-picking-2026.

H) Run Extension

In New York

Courtesy of Emily Owens PR

19) Camping

This is a love story. It’s hands that smell of Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue after days spent clutching fistfulls of her hair. It’s the rain hitting the earth in a way that reminds you of blood, that makes you think the world's holding a knife to your underwear. It’s the spins. It’s running out of air because you gulped too much of it while you were sobbing. It’s waking up hot and sticky. It’s desperately falling in love with your best friend inside a camping tent while everything outside rages. 

HERE Arts Center (145 6th Ave.)

Added performances 7/9 & 7/11

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.coltcoeur.org/camping.

Courtesy of DKC/O&M

20) Heated Rivalry

Inspired by the hit show about hockey, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody follows starry-eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom.

Relive all of the moments from the show that made you wet (with tears) up close on the small-stage by an incredible cast of Broadway actors who thought they were auditioning to be in Season 2. Sporting a bop-infused score, scene-stealing cameos by characters like "Rose Landry" and "Ilya's Ass", and time jumps absolutely no one can keep track of, audiences will find themselves hot, bothered, and probably saying, "....Girl!"

The Culture Club (530 W. 27th St.)

Now closing 11/1

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hwww.heatedrivalryparody.com.

I) Tickets on Sale

21) Giant

GIANT tells the story of Roald Dahl and the true scandal that shook his legacy.

GIANT will be screened in over 900 cinemas in 18 countries, including the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and select international territories beginning November 19, 2026. 

Tickets for the cinema release of GIANT go on sale on July 9, 2026. 

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

J) What Else is Happening

In New Jersey

22) American Theater Group and Union Arts Center announce

Scholarship Fund for “Broadway Babies” Camp

August Camp offered to children ages 8-13

American Theater Group (ATG), in partnership with the Union

Arts Center and Broadway Babies Theater Company, is excited to announce the availability of two scholarships for its two-week, full-day musical theater camp for children ages 8-13.

Made through the generous support of the Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship Fund, the scholarships will be awarded to two children participating in the camp which will run from Aug. 3-15 th and will be led by Union resident Brooke Hussey. Each scholarship is valued at $400, the standard cost per child.

The camp will run from 9am-3pm at the Girl Scout House located behind Union Town Hall at 1976 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ, with a final performance at the DMK Black Box Theater within the Union Arts Center, located at 1980 Morris Avenue. Students will participate in dance, vocal and audition workshops, enjoy theater games and prepare for a fully staged final performance to be held on the final day of camp.

Eligible applicants must be residents of the Township of Union, be between the ages of 8-13, and must submit a video (no longer than 2 minutes) sharing why they love performing and why they think they are deserving of the scholarship. Two recipients will be chosen by July 13 th with selected families notified by email. Applications can be submitted here:forms.gle/wAsDP7D1uwWkbe1M8

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In New York

23) American Museum of Natural History to Host From Stoops to Stadiums: How New Yorkers Play Block Party and Manhattanhenge Viewing Event on Saturday, July 11

Celebrate global play and local culture at an outdoor block party that culminates in a Manhattanhenge viewing

In celebration of FIFA World Cup 2026™, the Museum invites visitors to From Stoops to Stadiums: How New Yorkers Play, an outdoor block party that honors the games New Yorkers play, the cultures we carry, and the climate we share. Drawing inspiration from the sports and games of the five boroughs, including soccer, Double Dutch with Brooklyn’s Jazzy Jumpers, chess with Chess in the Schools, and board games, the block party highlights local traditions while exploring the impact of extreme heat and sunlight on play, performance, and community life around the world. 

As the Sun begins its descent, the celebration culminates in a collective viewing of Manhattanhenge on 79th Street. Enjoy the vibrant sounds of the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra as the city is bathed in golden evening light.

In addition to the block party, offerings will include World Cup match viewings in the Museum’s iconic halls. The block party is free to attend, and the match viewings are free with any Museum admission.

American Museum of Natural History (79th St. Between Colombus & Amsterdam Aves.)

This program is free. For more information, visit Museum’s calendar.

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24) THE 28^th ANNUAL BROADWAY BARKS

THE STAR-STUDDED DOG AND CAT ADOPTION EVENT

 

HOSTED BY

 

BERNADETTE PETERS and ANDREW RANNELLS

 

SATURDAY, JULY 11^th – SHUBERT ALLEY

 

PRODUCED BY BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

BROADWAY BARKS returns to Shubert Alley on Saturday, July 11, 2026, for the 28^th Annual star-studded dog and cat adoption event. Hosted by Bernadette Peters and Andrew Rannells, the event features adoptable animals from NYC area rescue groups along with Broadway’s biggest names who use their star power to help them find loving homes. 

Produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the adoption event takes place in Shubert Alley (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenues).  BARKS begins at 3 p.m. with a ‘meet and greet’ of all the adoptable pets; from 5-6:30 p.m. adoptees make their Broadway debut on stage alongside some of Broadway’s favorite stars for the celebrity presentations. 

BROADWAY BARKS is free and open to the public. Proceeds from the event benefit the participating shelters and rescue groups. 

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Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

25) Jim Vines and Carl Mercurio

announce

Broadway Magic Hour

July 2026 Shows

Weekends at Broadway Comedy Club

Jim Vines and Carl Mercurio, the stars of The Broadway Magic Hour, a family-friendly hour of fun-filled magical entertainment, announce shows on weekends throughout July at Broadway Comedy Club, 318 W. 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019. Tickets start at $25 for general admission and can be purchased here.

Join Jim Vines and Carl Mercurio this summer for their hit show Broadway Magic Hour. This family-friendly magic show was voted “A Top Magic Show in NYC” by Time Out NY. Complete with audience participation, comedy, grand illusion, mind-reading, and expert sleight-of-hand magic, there’s something for every member of the family in this one-of-a-kind, all-ages show!

JULY 2026 DATES

July 11, 2026, 2:00 PM (Tickets)

July 25, 2026, 2:00 PM (Tickets)

July 26, 2026, 2:00 PM (Tickets)

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Other

Courtesy of Robert W. Schneider

26) BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK ANNOUNCES
‘BROADWAY BOUND: THE MUSICALS THAT NEVER CAME TO
BROADWAY’ SEASON THREE!
HOSTED BY ROBERT W. SCHNEIDER

The  Broadway  Podcast  Network  (BPN)  announces  the third  season  of  Broadway  Bound:  The  Musicals  That  Never  Came  To  Broadway  podcast, hosted by Broadway historian Robert W. Schneider.  Broadway Bound: The Musicals That Never Came To Broadway is a wild, and exhaustively researched, celebration of the musicals that set their sights on Broadway but missed the mark.

The third season of Broadway Bound is called "I’m the Greatest Star" and explores  twelve  Broadway  Bound  musicals  that starred  major entertainers.  Interviews  with  creatives, cast  members  and  critics  are  intercut with never heard demos, recordings, and personal correspondences.

This season's stars will include Bea Arthur in A Mother’s Kisses, Angela Lansbury in Prettybelle, Bette Davis in Miss Moffat, Jerry Lewis in Hellzapoppin, Robert Preston in We Take The Town and The Prince of Grand Street, Gene Barry in Spotlight and Watergate: The Musical, Barbara Cook in Halloween, Ginger Rogers in The Pink Jungle, Anthony Newley in Chaplin, and Randy Quaid in Lone Star Love.

Season  One of  Broadway  Bound:  The  Musicals  That  Never  Came  To  Broadway  explored  ten movies that were turned into Broadway Bound musicals including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Gone With The Wind, and The Graduate. Season Two explored Broadway bound musicals by famous writers including Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, and Arthur Miller.

To  listen  to  Broadway  Bound:  The  Musicals  That  Never  Came  To  Broadway,  visit bpn.fm/broadwaybound or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Courtesy of Fathom Entertainment

27) Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 Continues With

“MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO”

Academy Award^®-Winner Hayao Miyazaki’s Whimsical Forest Adventure Returns to the Big Screen Nationwide

With Fathom Entertainment for 5 Nights Only

Tickets are now on sale for My Neighbor Totoro, a classic magical tale for the whole family from Oscar^® winning director Hayao Miyazaki.

 

When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus.

 

The charming countryside adventure returns to theatres this July for five nationwide screenings. My Neighbor Totoro will be shown in both the original Japanese and English-dubbed versions, featuring the voices of Tim Daly, Lea Salonga, and real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning, in their early roles.

 

GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment are pleased to continue Studio Ghibli Fest with a seven-title lineup featuring Tales from Earthsea 20th Anniversary, which joins the Ghibli Fest lineup for the first time, Only Yesterday 35th Anniversary, Castle in the Sky 40th Anniversary, and concluding with the Spirited Away 25th Anniversary.

 

As well as the full feature, screenings will include a post-film clip of a bonus featurette, “Creating My Neighbor Totoro”.

 

Tickets for My Neighbor Totoro can be purchased online by visiting GhibliFest.com, FathomEntertainment.com or at participating theatre box offices

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

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