What major movie star is returning to the Broadway stage in the newest Mamet play? Which classic London musical is rumored to be ‘sweetening’ up New York City? And what will Peter Pan and Captain Hook look like in NBC’s upcoming LIVE broadcast? Find out all this and more in Stagelight’s Top 10 Theater Stories of the Week!

 

10.
Big names featured in Kathleen Marshall’s Band Wagon
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Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tracey Ullman, Michael McKean, and Laura Osnes will star in the extremely limited Encores! event The Band Wagon, directed by Kathleen Marshall, beginning November 6. The musical is based on the classic film of the same name, and boasts a book by Douglas Carter Beane (The Nance, Cinderella).

 

9.
Billy Elliot – the musical based on the movie – hits the big screen again
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A filmed version of the smash hit musical Billy Elliot will play in movie theaters around the globe on November 12, 15, and 18. The live performance was taped in London’s West End and features Ruthie Henshall in the prized role of Billy’s dance teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson. For all the Billy lovers out there (and those who missed out on the Broadway run), now is your chance to see Billy fly once more!

 

8.
Tickets to upcoming King and I revival go on sale
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Tickets are now on sale for The King and I starring Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe. This exciting revival will be directed by Bartlett Sher, who last directed O’Hara in the Tony Award winning 2008 South Pacific revival. Rumor has it that this could finally be O’Hara’s chance to snag the award for Best Actress in a Musical. Better get your tickets while you can!

 

7.
London’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory rumored to have a Broadway future
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Composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman was quoted this week as saying, “I’m happy to say that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is most definitely coming to America, and we’re going to get to work on making adjustments for its Broadway unveiling.” Now you shouldn’t believe everything you hear, but in this case, the source seems quite reliable… and this news couldn’t be any sweeter!

 

6.
NBC’s Peter Pan poster is released!
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What could possibly have us more excited than seeing Girls’ Allison Williams battle Christopher Walken on live television? Well, this poster has us setting our DVRs nice and early. Peter Pan Live is going to be the must-see TV event of the holiday season.

 

5.
Disgraced starring Gretchen Mol opens Thursday
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Boardwalk Empire’s Gretchen Mol leads the cast of Disgraced – the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Ayad Akhtar which opens October 23 at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. This is Mol’s second Broadway appearance, following a 2 month stint as Roxie Hart in Chicago back in 2004.

 

4.
Glenn Close, John Lithgow, Martha Plimpton and more start previews Monday
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In an already star-studded Broadway season, Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance starts previews Monday October 20th featuring an all-star cast – Glenn Close, John Lithgow, Lindsay Duncan, Bob Balaban, and Martha Plimpton. Clocking in at just under three hours, the play includes two intermissions, giving you plenty of time to lubricate at the bar in between moments of acting

 

3.
Broadway’s biggest names celebrate the life of the late, great Elaine Stritch
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This week producers announced the upcoming one-night-only tribute celebration, Everybody, Rise! A Celebration of Elaine Stritch. The event will take place November 17 and will feature some of Broadway’s finest, including Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Christine Ebersole, and Betty Buckley. Ticket details are yet to be announced, but apparently a limited number of tickets will be available for purchase the day of the event. Be sure to line up early!

 

2.
Sting’s The Last Ship opens on Broadway this Sunday
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One of this season’s most exciting new musicals, The Last Ship opens this Sunday at the Neil Simon Theatre. Featuring music and lyrics by Sting, the show takes place at a local shipyard in the small English town of Wallsend. This marks Sting’s return to Broadway (yes, you heard that correctly!), having performed in Three Penny Opera in 1989.

 

1.
Al Pacino returns to the stage in Fall 2015
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Producers announced this week that acting legend Al Pacino will return to Broadway in 2015 as the star of David Mamet’s newest play, China Doll. Pacino last played the Great White Way to sold-out audiences in Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross in 2012-2013. Mark your calendars and get tickets early, as this show is bound to sell out in record time.