Head Over Heels, Melissa Benoist & Straight White Men

June 2018 Highlights on Broadway and Beyond

Check out our guide to the biggest theatrical events of the month.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Ring out the old, bring in the new... Here it is, folks! June - the biggest month of the Broadway calendar - where one season culminates and is celebrated at the greatest awards ceremony in theatre, before making way for the next exciting season on the Great White Way. This June sees the culmination of Awards Season with The 63rd Annual Drama Desk Awards and, finally, The 72nd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall and the first performances of the 2018-2019 season's new productions, proving once again that (at least in terms of theatre) New York is the city that never sleeps.

This June we'll also say goodbye to a handful of exquisite productions and we'd like to take this opportunity to urge you not to miss out on the following:

June 10 - Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway revival of Saint Joan, starring 4-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad, plays its final performance at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

June 17 - Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway revival of Travesties, starring Tony Award nominee Tom Hollander, ends its limited run at the American Airlines Theatre.

June 24 - The 6-time Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women, starring Glenda JacksonLaurie Metcalf Alison Pill, closes at the Golden Theatre.

Also - Fans of "Smash" and "American Idol" star Katharine McPhee have until June 17 to catch her in her Broadway debut engagement as Jenna in hit musical Waitress at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, but fear not because Ms. McPhee will be back for a second shift at the diner from July 5 through to August 19, 2018!

So, now you're all up to speed on what's closing this month on the Great White Way, here's what you can look forward to in June on Broadway and beyond...


June 3

Regarded by many as the second most important event during the build-up to the Tonys each year, the Drama Desk Awards are often (but not always) a good indicator as to who will take home the Tony Awards on Broadway's biggest night. The 63rd Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on June 3 at 8pm at The Town Hall and will once again be hosted by Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie, marking his third consecutive year as host of the prestigious awards ceremony. Check out all the nominees for the 34 competitive categories of this year's awards here.


June 4

On Monday, June 4 this year's twelve recipients of The 74th Annual Theatre World Awards will be honored at a ceremony at the Circle in the Square Theatre for their respective "Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performances". Find the full list of recipients here. A special mention goes to four time Tony Award nominee Victor Garber (currently starring as Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! until July 15), who will be honored with the John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement In The Theatre, in recognition and celebration of his 46th year on the Broadway stage. Kudos to you, Mr. Garber!


June 7

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a Broadway debut for "Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist! The TV star, who many will also know as Marley Rose in Fox's musical series "Glee," will be stepping into the shoes of Carole King for a limited engagement in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Broadway's Stephen Sondheim Theatre from June 7 through to August 4, 2018. With a strong background in musical theatre, with regional appearances in shows such as The Sound of MusicBye Bye BirdieA Chorus LineRodgers & Hammerstein's CinderellaFootloose, Evita, and Thoroughly Modern Millie on her résumé, we can't wait to feel the earth move and see Ms. Benoist fly (metaphorically) on the Broadway stage!

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Tickets are available now for performances through to December 30, 2018.


June 10

The wait is over! Tune into CBS on Sunday, June 10 for The 72nd Annual Tony Awards - the biggest night in New York's theatrical calendar, live from Radio City Music Hall! The ceremony will be hosted by Tony Award nominees and multi-platinum recording artists Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban. Ms. Bareilles wrote the score and then made her Broadway debut in hit musical Waitress before starring as Mary Magdalene in the recent televised musical "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert," whilst Mr. Groban made his Broadway debut as Pierre in immersive sensation Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. We can't wait to see how these two talented performers will make their mark on this year's ceremony and, of course, to see who will take home the coveted trophies! Find a full list of nominees here!


June 23

They've got the beat, folks, so "Get Up and Go" to the Hudson Theatre as previews begin for the Broadway premiere of a new musical comedy featuring the hits of The Go-Go's and Belinda Carlisle... Head Over Heels! Boasting an original story described as "an Elizabethan love story turned on its head," the musical is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer and features musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tom Kitt. The cast includes Andrew DurandTaylor Iman JonesJeremy KushnierBonnie MilliganTom Alan RobbinsAlexandra SochaRachel Yorkand "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Peppermint, who will become the first trans-woman actress to ever create a principal role on Broadway... Could Head Over Heels provide Heaven a place on Earth? Why not find out for yourselves!

Head Over Heels Tickets are available now for performances from June 23, 2018 through to February 17, 2019!


June 29

Following the success of Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, Second Stage Theater presents its second Broadway production at its new Broadway home - The Hayes Theater. Previews begin on June 29 for the Broadway premiere of Young Jean Lee's Straight White Men and the playwright is set to make history as the first female Asian-American playwright to ever be produced on Broadway! The play itself had an impressive outing at the Public Theater in 2014 and has brought in a brand new cast of well-known faces for the Broadway premiere (most of whom will be making their Broadway debuts), including Armie Hammer, Tom SkerrittJosh Charles & Paul Schneider. Described as "a hilariously ruthless look at the classic American father-son drama," Straight White Men promises an intriguing glimpse into the lives of that most primitive (and privileged) of species!

Straight White Men Tickets are available now for performances from June 29 through to September 9, 2018.


 And here's a few important dates for your diary to fill you in on what's going down Off-Broadway...

June 1 Log Cabin, starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, begins previews at Playwrights Horizons, ahead of an official opening on June 25.

June 2 Cyprus Avenue, starring Stephen Rea, begins previews at the Public Theater, ahead of an official opening on June 25. In addition, Pass Over begins previews at Lincoln Center's Claire Tow Theater. An official opening night for the LCT3 production is set for June 18.

June 4 - Atlantic Theater Company's The Great Leap, starring BD Wong, officially opens at Atlantic Stage 2.

June 5 - Manhattan Theatre Club's Sugar in Our Wounds begins previews at New York City Center's Studio at Stage II, ahead of an official opening on June 19.

June 6 - Manhattan Theatre Club's Dan Cody's Yacht officially opens at New York City Center's Stage I.

June 9 Carmen Jones, starring Anika Noni Rose, begins previews at Classic Stage Company, ahead of an official opening on June 27.

June 12 Girls & Boys, starring Carey Mulligan, begins previews at Minetta Lane Theatre, whilst Ma-Yi Theater Company's Teenage Dick begins performances at the Public Theater. Official openings for both productions are set for June 20.

June 13 Desperate Measures officially opens at New World Stages.

June 15 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever begins previews at Irish Repertory Theatre, ahead of an official opening on June 28.

June 18 - The "Shakespeare in the Park" production of Othello, starring Chukwudi Iwuji Corey Stoll, officially opens at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

June 19 - Second Stage Theater's Mary Page Marlowe begins performances at the Tony Kiser Theater, whilst Fire in Dreamland begins performances at the Public Theater.

June 21 - Roundabout Theatre Company's Skintight, starring Idina Menzel, officially opens at the Laura Pels Theatre. In addition, Mint Theater Company's Conflict officially opens at Theatre Row.

June 27 - Encores! Off-Center kicks off its 2018 season with Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World which runs through to June 30 at New York City Center.

June 29 - Atlantic Theater Company's This Ain't No Disco begins performances at the Linda Gross Theater.


And that about wraps it up for this most pivotal month in the Broadway calendar and we think you'll agree there's plenty to keep up with both on and off-Broadway this June. If you are hosting a Tony Awards viewing party, then we wish you a fabulous evening with all of your theatre-loving friends! Until July, folks...

 

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