Tis the season for hot theater openings from New York to London as several A-List stars take the stage for ambitious new plays, revivals and musicals that will define the fall theater season.
In New York, Hugh Jackman headlines in The River from November 16th. From the writer and director of Jerusalem, The River examines the genesis of human relations and whether new relationships are simply a continuation of those long passed. Dreamgirls director Bill Condon brings a wishful love story about two of vaudeville’s most famous performers in Side Show. Producer extraordinaire Scott Rudin summons Glenn Close, John Lithgow and Lindsay Duncan to the cast of A Delicate Balance, Edward Albee’s weekend allegory of family, friendships and alcoholism. Perhaps the hottest ticket of the season, The Elephant Man stars Bradley Cooper as the infamous Victorian-era icon whose severe disfigurement makes him a cult star. And later in January, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson lead a star-crossed romance in Constellations that explores the role of fate in friendships and love at first sight.
A slightly less macabre line-up of theater openings hit London where throwback musicals and heavier plays trend for this season. Sunny Afternoon brings the music and story of The Kinks to stage caught in the backdrop of London’s turbulent 1960s. Here lies Love can be found at Dorfman - National Theatre through early January that tells the tale of Imelda Marcos through a riotous stage show with music by Fat Boy Slim. Kristen Scott Thomas continues in her riveting performance of Electra through late-December. For a bit of holiday, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas gets an impeccable revival at the Dominion Theatre once again this year while 3 Winters tells of class struggle in post-war Zagreb at the Lyttelton. Treasure Island also gets a redo, this latest take on Stevenson’s maritime novel that adds a motley crew to this adventure at the Olivier - National Theatre. And Henry IV rules over the Barbican Theater in a two-part saga as Jasper Britton leads this tyrannous drama produced by Royal Shakespeare Company.
