Concluding July 2
Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway at New York City Center). The New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production of the Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musical Little Shop of Horrors features Ellen Greene as Audrey and Jake Gyllenhaal as Seymour alongside Taran Killam as Orin, Eddie Cooper as the Voice of Audrey II and Joe Grifasi as Mushnik. The Urchins are portrayed by Tracy Nicole Chapman (Chiffon), Marva Hicks (Crystal) and Ramona Keller (Ronnette). Little Shop of Horrors, according to City Center, is a "sci-fi musical about Seymour Krelborn (Jake Gyllenhaal), a hapless florist shop worker who pursues a doomed romance with his ditzy, lovable co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene) by acquiring an R&B-singing plant (Eddie Cooper) that feeds on human blood." Visit NYCityCenter.org.
Concluding July 5
Wolf Hall (Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre). Wolf Hall, Parts 1 and 2 (the London productions of Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies, based on the Hilary Mantel history novels about the bloody reign of Henry VIII) features the entire original London cast. Mike Poulton adapted the double-bill for the stage, and Jeremy Herrin directed. Original London stars Ben Miles (Thomas Cromwell), Lydia Leonard (Anne Boleyn) and Nathaniel Parker (King Henry VIII) repeated their performances in the Broadway production alongside fellow RSC members. The plays premiered at Stratford-upon-Avon's Swan Theatre in January 2014 and transferred to the West End's Aldwych last May. The two plays tell the compelling story of Thomas Cromwell's rise from blacksmith’s boy to Henry VIII’s chief fixer and deliverer of the King’s chosen bedfellows. Visit WolfHallBroadway.com.
The Tempest (Off-Broadway at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park). The Tempest, starring Sam Waterston, marks his 13th Shakespearean role at the Public Theater. Helmed by Tony nominee Michael Greif, Waterston (who stars as Prospero) is joined by Louis Cancelmi (Caliban); Francesca Carpanini (Miranda); Nicholas Christopher (Boatswain, Spirit); Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Trinculo); Frank Harts (Sebastian); Olga Karmansky (Iris); Tamika Lawrence (Ceres);Danny Mastrogiorgio (Stephano); Charles Parnell (Alonso); Chris Perfetti(Ariel); Rodney Richardson (Ferdinand); Laura Shoop (Juno); Cotter Smith(Antonio); Sam Waterston (Prospero); and Bernard White (Gonzalo). The non-equity ensemble includes Jordan Barrow, Chloe Fox, Roshara Francis, Thomas Gibbons, Sunny Hitt, Brandon Kalm, Rico Lebron, Tim Nicolai and Matthew Oaks. First staged at the Delacorte in its inaugural year 1962, The Tempest is Shakespeare’s classic tale of young love and old enemies. Prospero is exiled to a fantastical island where he unleashes a churning storm to shipwreck the traitor brother who stole his throne and settle the score once and for all. His quest for revenge is upended, however, by newfound love. Visit ShakespeareInThePark.org.
