*
Saturday, August 3
GO→ Alice Ripley brings her brand of quirky and soulful musical theatre to 54 Below in a one-night-only performance entitled Ripley Reflects. The Tony-winning Next to Normal star promises an eclectic mix of Broadway tunes, pop covers and original music. (8 PM, 54 Below, 254 W. 54th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Aves. Info/tickets.)
Sunday, August 4
BON VOYAGE→ The Playbill crew will depart for our third Broadway on the High Seas cruise starring Patti LuPone, Howard McGillin and Norm Lewis with host, MD and performances by Playbill's own Seth Rudetsky! Want to join in on the fun? Sign up for one of the few remaining spots on next year's Broadway on the High Seas Cruise in Tahiti and the French Polynesian Islands with Sutton Foster, Lea Salonga, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Will Swenson, Rebecca Luker, Danny Burstein and Christine Ebersole! (Info.)
LAST CHANCE→ It's your last chance to catch Billy Magnussen in his Tony-nominated performance as lover boy Spike in Christopher Durang's Tony-winning new play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Taking over as movie star Masha's (Julie White) boy toy for the remainder of the show's run (through Aug. 25) is Creed Garnick. (Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Ave. Click here for Playbill Club discount tickets.)
Monday, August 5
GO→ Another Tony winner will make his 54 Below debut this Week Ahead! South Pacific star Paulo Szot takes his Tony-winning baritone to the Broadway basement venue for a special six-performance engagement. Expect Szot's flair on selections from the Great American Songbook, jazz favorites and, of course, songs from his native Brazil. Something tells me "Some Enchanted Evening" will be on the menu! (Through Aug. 11, 54 Below, 254 W. 54th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Aves. Info/tickets.) Tuesday, August 6
OPENING→ Tony nominee Chad Beguelin's Harbor makes its Off-Broadway debut. The dark comedy follows Donna (Erin Cummings) and her daughter Lottie (Alexis Molnar), who arrive in their van/home to the fancy Hamptons abode of Donna's brother and his husband ("Queer as Folk" star Randy Harrison and Paul Anthony Stewart). Once there, "all hell breaks loose." Directed by Mark Lamos. (Through Sept. 8, 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St., btwn. Park & Madison Aves. Info/tickets.)
 |
 |
|
| Lin-Manuel Miranda |
||
| photo by Corey Hayes |
GO→ Tony-winning In the Heights creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda returns to his rapping roots in a performance with his hip-hop troupe Freestyle Love Supreme. Heights' Tony-winning orchestrator Bill Sherman and Heights co-star Chris Jackson, along with FSL members Anthony Veneziale, Arthur Lewis and beat boxer extraordinaire Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan, will perform. Repeat performances Sept. 5 & 6. (7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., $22. Info/tickets.)
Thursday, August 8
OPENING→ The trials and tribulations of dating in the Big Apple are explored in the new musical comedy First Date. "Smash" star Krysta Rodriguez plays Casey, a serial dater who gets set up on a blind date with brokenhearted Aaron ("Chuck" star Zachary Levi). Both Casey and Aaron come to the date with a ton of baggage in the form of a revolving cast of characters — including nagging mothers, exes, therapists and a nosey waiter. (Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Ave. Info/tickets.)
Friday, August 9
GO→ The 17th New York International Fringe Festival (aka FringeNYC) returns to lower Manhattan offering hundreds of performances from over 200 companies from around the world. FringeNYC has started a new FringeClub — a late-night hangout where audience members can meet with creatives and actors for post-performance discussions and socializing. (Through Aug. 25, multiple downtown venues. Info/tickets.)
Blake Ross is the editor of Playbill magazine. Follow her on Twitter @PlaybillBlake.
Watch the Playbill Video preview of Ripley and Szot at 54 Below:
