A )Beginning Performances
In New Jersey
1) All the Devils Are Here
McCarter Theatre 8/19 - 8/30
In New York
2) Masticate
B)Concert
In New York
3) Nancy Kelly
Dante Park 8/19
C) Digital Lottery & Rush
In New York
5) Paranormal Activity
D) Recordings
6) Heated Rivalry
7) Manon!
E) Run Extension
In New York
8) Gazillion Bubble Show
F) What Else is Happening
In New York
9) City Center $28 In the Heights Rush Event
United Palace 8/23
10) Joe's Pub Concert Featuring When Voices Rise Songwriting Contest Winners
8/21
11) Launch Event for Second Book in Broadway Related Mystery Series
Planet Hollywood 8/18
12) Soundstage 2026
wild project 8/21
13) South Street Seaport Monthly Family Activity: Lenape Games
Through 8/30
Other
14) Fathom Entertainment Studio Ghibli Fest Continues with Castle in the Sky
8/22 - 8/26
A )Beginning Performances
In New Jersey
1) All the Villains Are Here
Dubbed “The Villain of Broadway” by Playbill, Tony Award nominee and GRAMMY Award winner Patrick Page (Hadestown) steps into the darkness and invites us along. In a tour-de-force performance, “one of America’s finest classical actors” (The Wall Street Journal) turns to the twisted motivations and hidden humanity at the heart of Shakespeare’s greatest villains, embodying Macbeth’s ruthless ambition, Iago’s seductive manipulation, Richard III’s gleeful cunning, Shylock’s fury, and more.
From king, to murderer, to mastermind, Page illuminates the Bard’s evolving conception of evil by delving into more than a dozen of his most wicked creations, offering a spellbinding masterclass on the most terrifying subject of them all: human nature.
McCarter Theatre, Berlind Theatre (91 Unversity Pl., Princeton)
8/19 - 8/30
In New York
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of Alton PR |
2) Masticate
Set in an East Coast restaurant, Madison Fargo's new dark comedy, Masticate, blends biting workplace comedy with compelling human drama as the relentless pace of the food service industry becomes a pressure cooker for a group of workers grappling with loneliness, ambition, trauma, and identity.
The Players Theatre, Steve & Marie Sgoruros Theatre (115 MacDougal St.)
Through 8/23
A renowned jazz vocalist, Kelly commands a global fan base with her timeless swinging style, transporting audiences back to an era where jazz was an asthenic expression of raw emotion. Over her illustrious five-decade career, Kelly has perfected her trademark swing/bop style on stages across the United States and beyond. A classically trained pianist turned jazz sensation, Kelly was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2022.
Dante Park (on Bwy btwn 63rd St & 64th St.)
Wednesday August 19, 1:30 PM
This event is free.
C) Digital Lottery & Rush
In New York
5) Paranormal Activity
The producers of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, the smash-hit, Olivier Award nominated new play written by Levi Holloway (Grey House) and directed by Felix Barrett (Sleep No More), which began performances on Broadway this past Friday, August 14, 2026 at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street), are thrilled to announce its digital lottery and rush ticket policies.
In-person $40 rush tickets will be available on the day of each performance at the August Wilson theatre box office. Each patron can purchase up to two tickets per person, subject to availability.
Digital rush tickets are available for $40 the morning of each performance on the TodayTix app, beginning at 9 a.m. Users can download the TodayTix app on an iOS or Android device and purchase up to two tickets for that afternoon or evening's show. A limited number of rush tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Users can set an alert on the TodayTix app to be notified when rush tickets are available each day.
Digital Lottery tickets will be available on LuckySeat for $40 each. Participants must have a Lucky Seat account to participate in the lottery. Limit of two tickets per patron. Entries are accepted at LuckySeat.com.
D) Recordings
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of DKC/O&M |
6) Heated Rivalry
Producer Alan Kliffer and Center Stage Records announced today that Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody will release an original cast album on September 18. A single of ‘Gym Song’ is now available everywhere you stream and download music. Click here to listen.
To watch a music video of the song, click here.
Originally scheduled as an 8-week run, the critically acclaimed production has been has been extended twice and is playing Off-Broadway at The Culture Club (530 W 27th St) through Sunday, November 1. Tickets are on sale now and available at https://www.heatedrivalryparody.com/. Subsequent productions are now running in Canada and the UK.
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.
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of Aleba & Co. |
7) Manon!
Heatbeat Opera the indie company whose daring, stripped down takes of classic operas have been called "a radical endeavor" by The New Yorker and "revelatory" by The Los Angeles Times—releases its first-ever full length album MANON! on Friday, August 14.
The recording, made at the legendary Power Station Studios with Lexicon Classics, features the original cast from the company's dazzling run at Irondale last season, which showcased an English-language Broadway-infused revamp of Massenet's 1884 French opera.
Heartbeat takes a radically new approach to Massenet's opera, envisioning it as a musical sung entirely in English. The adaptation features a saucy new libretto by Jacob Ashworth and Obie Award winner Rory Pelsue, who directed the winter production, and the score is newly arranged and conducted from the piano by Dan Schlosberg, who channels Richard Rodgers and Rococo in a luscious re-orchestration for eight musicians.
E) Run Extension
In New York
New World Stages (340 W. 50th St.)
Now closing 1/18/27
F) What Else is Happening
In New York
 |
| Courtesy of City Center |
9) City Center announces $28 Heights
Rush Event at United Palace, Aug 23
NEW YORK CITY CENTER announced a special Washington Heights celebration and $28 Heights Rush Ticket event for In the Heights on Sunday, August 23, part of City Center’s commitment to making the production accessible to the community where it all began.
Throughout the special three-week run of In the Heights, City Center’s affordability initiative is making 10,000 tickets available at $28 or less—with 5,000 of those tickets available to those who register at the event any time from 9am to 12pm at the United Palace. The free community event celebrates the neighborhood that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes's beloved, Tony-winning musical.
The celebration will feature music from radio station La Mega 97.9, with host Frederick Martínez “El Pachá” serving as MC; as well as food vendors; live performances from City Center’s community partners; and In the Heights merchandise giveaways. The event will also offer information and assistance in both English and Spanish.
XXX
10) WHEN VOICES RISE SONGWRITING CONTEST NATIONAL WINNERS; TOP SONGS TO BE FEATURED IN SPECIAL JOE'S PUB CONCERT AUGUST 21
More Than 200 Songwriters Answered the Call to Create Music Inspired by Today’s Social and Political Landscape
The three winning songs from the When Voices Rise Songwriting Contest, along with the eight remaining finalists, will be showcased during a special concert at New York City's acclaimed Joe's Pub on August 21, 2026. Hosted by acclaimed Mexican composer and musical theater storyteller Jaime Lozano, the evening will celebrate the role of music as both artistic expression and social conscience.
The complete list of finalists and additional information about the August 21 concert can be found at www.whenvoicesrise.com.
XXX
11) BROADWAY POSTER LEGEND FRANK “FRAVER” VERLIZZO RETURNS TO RETRO BROADWAY MYSTERIES WITH
SANITY CLAUS
RELEASED BY CAMEL PRESS ON JUNE 9, 2026
NEW YORK CITY LAUNCH EVENT AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD
ON AUGUST 18, 2026
Drama Desk Award-winning theatrical poster designer Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo, the artist behind the iconic imagery of The Lion King, Sweeney Todd, and Sunday in the Park with George, announces the release of his second mystery novel, Sanity Claus. Published by Camel Press, this latest installment in the Retro Broadway Mystery Series transports readers back to the gritty, glamorous theater world of the late 1970s for a Christmas-themed whodunit where the stakes are as high as the marquee lights.
After five decades as one of Broadway’s most prolific designers—having created over 300 posters that defined the visual identity of the American theater—Verlizzo has channeled his deep insider knowledge into fiction. His debut novel, Scenery of the Crime, garnered acclaim for its "delicious verisimilitude" and authentic portrayal of the 1970s theater scene.
In Sanity Claus, the holiday spirit is dampened by a deadly ultimatum. Yule Von Zell, the legendary star of the new Broadway play Saint Nick, finds himself at the center of a murder investigation. With his producer threatening to invoke the "sanity clause" in his contract to replace him, theatrical ad executives Vic Senso and Bettie Balboa must step in to save the show. Alongside NYPD Detective Renny Clements and the eccentric high-society psychic Mizz Mitzi, the duo navigates the secrets of the Christmas-obsessed Von Zell family to find a killer who is targeting the show business dynasty. Spirited holiday greetings from the Retro Broadway Mystery Series, where the drama is real and the murders are diabolically staged!
“Sanity Claus” by Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo, the second in the Retro Broadway Mystery Series from Camel Press, was published on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. It is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from fine booksellers everywhere.
On Tuesday, August 18, the book will be launched at The Men Event’s Networking Party TIMES SQUEER SOCIAL at Planet Hollywood NYC **(136 West 42nd Street – 3rd Fl) from 6-9pm. Mr. Verlizzo will be in attendance, and books will be available for sale and autographs. The event is free to attend. More info and registration link may be found at www.TheMenEvent.com.
XXX
12) Upcoming at wild project
Soundstage 26
Live Music & Performance Series curated by Cyrus Aaron
Featured Artists Briana Swann & Jamie Owens
SOUND STAGE is a live performance campaign that supports independent artists and promotes the need for community spaces. Annually, we select at least six performance artists, regardless of career status, to take center stage for a live concert at our 89-seat theater in the East Village. Artists are financially compensated for the live performance, and receive tech support, promotional materials, and archival performance footage.
wild project (195 W. 3rd St.)
Friday August 21, 7:00 PM
XXX
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR |
13) South Street Seaport Museum
Announces
August Monthly Family Activity:
Lenape Games
Now through August 30, 2026
11am–4:30pm | 14 Fulton Street | Included in General Admission
Saturdays and Sundays throughout August offer families the opportunity to experience the Greater New York region’s rich past through fun, interactive games at the South Street Seaport Museum! Discover the traditions of the area’s Indigenous people and play the same games that were enjoyed here long before the city we know today for free with General Admission. Learn more and get tickets here.
Family-friendly activities include Selahtinalìtin (sˈɛlɑːtˌɪnɐlˌɪtɪn): a scattering straws game similar to Pick Up Sticks or Jackstraws, and Mamantuhwin (mˈæmɐntˌuːwɪn): a dice-and-bowl game inspired by the whirligig beetle. Experience the excitement of these traditional games and connect with the history of Lenapehoking, the land now known as South Street Seaport.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Monthly family activities are included in General Admission to the South Street Seaport Museum on Saturday and Sunday, 11am–5pm. Admission brings you aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16, and into all current exhibitions on view in the first-floor Schermerhorn Row galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Your ticket also sets you on course to explore Maritime City, the Seaport Museum’s immersive, three-floor exhibition at A.A. Thomson & Co., located at 213 Water Street. seaportmuseum.org/admission
XXX
Other
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of Fathom Entertainment |
14) Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 Continues With
“CASTLE IN THE SKY”
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Academy Award® Winning Director Hayao Miyazaki’s Early Masterpiece on the Big Screen Nationwide
With Fathom Entertainment for 5 Nights Only
Tickets are on sale now for Castle in the Sky, a timeless story of courage and friendship from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki.
This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, spies a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, held aloft by a glowing pendant. Both Sheeta and Pazu are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and they vow to travel there together to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal. But their quest won’t be easy, as soon they are being pursued by greedy air pirates, the military, and secret government agents, who all seek the power Sheeta alone can control.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the film returns to theatres this August for five nationwide screenings. Castle in the Sky will be shown in both the original Japanese and English-dubbed versions, featuring the voices of Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill, and Mandy Patinkin in their early roles.
In addition to the full features, screenings will include a post-film clip from the bonus featurette, “The World of Laputa”.
Tickets for Castle in the Sky 40th Anniversary can be purchased online by visiting GhibliFest.com, FathomEntertainment.com and at participating theatre box offices (Theatre participants are subject to change).
Castle in the Sky Show Dates
Check with your local theatres or online ticketing site for specific showtimes.
Saturday, August 22 at 3:00 PM (English Language Dub)
Sunday, August 23 at 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM (English Language Dub)
Monday, August 24 at 7:00 PM (Japanese Language with Subtitles)
Tuesday, August 25 at 7:00 PM (Japanese Language with Subtitles)
Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 PM (English Language Dub)
XXX
And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for More Theater Monday.
Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or PR firms and are used by permission. Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
