Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

Erivo and Henry Set for The Last Five Years Benefit Tony winner Cynthia Erivo  ( The Color Purple ) and two-time Tony nominee Joshua Henry  ( The Scottsboro Boys , Violet , Shuffle Along... ) will star in a one-night-only benefit concert of Jason Robert Brown's   The Last Five Years , which was last seen in New York in 2013 . Proceeds from the September 12 Town Hall concert will go to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence . (Brown has been a vocal support of gun safety measures.) Though Erivo and Henry are African-American performers, nothing about the show—dramaturgically speaking—will change. ( The Last Five Years  is specifically about a Jewish man, Jamie, and his shiksa goddess, Cathy.) Tickets go on sale Wednesday. Visit The New York Times  for more. Television Critics Association Awards Nominations The TCA Awards nominees have been announced. The Hollywood Reporter has the full list of nominees. Herein, some notable nominations: Rami Male...

Broadway Bites: Casting and New Shows Announced Lots of news this week about shows that are coming to Broadway in the 2013-2014 season. Casting : Additional casting has been announced for the upcoming repertory productions of Twelfth Night  and Richard III . Joining the all-male cast led by the incomparable Mark Rylance  are several members of the Shakespeare's Globe company. Visit Playbill for the full cast list. New show : After Midnight , a re-conception of  Cotton Club Parade and filled with the music  Duke Ellington , will play the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Previews begin October 18 and opening night is set for November 3.  Playbill  has details. Casting : Lead casting has been announced for the previously announced Broadway run of Jason Robert Brown 's stage adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County . The busy  Kelli O'Hara  and Steven Pasquale  will star in the production that begins previews in January 2014. The ta...

"Don't Owe You a Thang" Check out the latest from Gary Clark, Jr.:  Next Season on Broadway... We may find the upcoming Shakespeare in the Park production of Into the Woods transferring out of the woods and into a proscenium theatre, with Amy Adams in tow. Hands on a Hardbody (with music by Phish's Trey Anastasio ) will tread the boards. Annie will be back ( as we learned last week ), headed by Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan. We may see a revival of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , this one (possibly) starring Tony winner (for A View from the Bridge ) Scarlett Johansson as Maggie and either Jeremy Renner ( The Hurt Locker ) or Chris Pine ( Star Trek (the recent movie remake)) as Brick. Visit Playbill for details. Rob McClure will play the title role in the upcoming Broadway musical Chaplin . And Off-Broadway ... The Last Five Years is coming back to New York! This breakthrough work from Tony-winning songwriter Jaso...