Read on for more theatre news you may have missed in today's headlines.
Broadway Dreams Foundation Will Honor Billy Porter
The arts education non-profit will hold its annual gala December 4 at New York City's Tavern on the Green. Broadway veteran Christopher J. Hanke (How to Succeed...) will host the event, honoring Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winner Billy Porter, a founding key faculty member of Broadway Dreams. Tony-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell has signed on to stage a tribute to Porter, with performers to be announced at a later date. In addition, Broadway Dreams will present Sacks & Sacks LLP Partner Evan Sacks with its Founder’s Award—presented annually in recognition of extraordinary support for arts education. Past honorees have included Tituss Burgess, Tom Kitt, Heather Headley, and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. For tickets, visit BroadwayDreams.org.
Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam Debuts November 4
The new musical, featuring music and lyrics by The Righteous Brother’s Bucky Heard and Timothy D. Lee, will premiere Off-Broadway November 4 ahead of a November 7 opening. The production stars Austin Michael and Bethany McDonald as Mike and Mindy, two singer-songwriters working as a plumber and hairdresser until they make it big in the music industry. The cast also includes Alex Corallo, Peggy Lee Brennan, Mark Corallo, John Fredrickson, Geoffrey Hastings Haberer, Emily Hubelbank, Michelle Jennings, Patricia M. Lawrence, Kim Yancey-Moore, Carlos Reyes, Carmen Romano, and Lisette Serrano. Written and produced by Mark Corallo and Eileen Nelson, the production is directed by Nelson and Scott Werntz with choreography by Andrew Winans. Songwriters Heard and Lee also serve as musical directors. The show runs through November 21 at the Players Theatre. For tickets or more information, click here.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Presents Quills Fest
The two-day immersive digital festival, the first from Oregon Shakespeare Festival in partnership with Artizen and Museum of Other Realities, will explore the intersection of live theatre and Extended Reality with presentations of Virtual Reality works, behind-the-scenes looks at projects using immersive technology, panel discussions with artists-creators, and a plenary talk with Roxane Gay and OSF Artistic Director Nataki Garrett. Quills Fest will present the world premiere Virtual Reality commissions from theatre artists Dede Ayite, Ty Defoe, and Raja Feather Kelly, all teamed with VR creators to realize their ideas. Another highlight on the schedule is O-Dogg: An Angeleno Take on Othello, a re-imagining of the Shakespeare play set during the five days of the L.A. Riots in 1992, performed by The Roots founder Black Thought (Tariq Trotter). The digital festival, to be viewed via VR headset within the Museum of Other Realities or the interactive Quills Fest website, runs November 19–20. Visit QuillsFest.com for more information.