B'way Update: Days of Wine and Roses; Boebert Booted from Beetlejuice

Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James
in Days of Wine and Roses at Atlantic
Theater Company.
Credit: Ahron R. Foster

Announcements of Broadway shows are coming in on an almost daily basis now. After news that Mary Jane, Water for Elephants and Lempicka (the latter announced via a casting call) were arriving next spring, a press release was issued today that Days of Wine and Roses, the musical version of JP Miller's 1962 film and 1958 teleplay about an alcoholic couple would be transferring to Broadway's Studio 54 in early 2024. Tony winner Kelli O'Hara and Tony nominee and Drama Desk winner Brian d'Arcy James will repeat their roles from the Off-Broadway Atlantic Theater Company production which ran from June 5 to July 16 of this year. The new musical features a book by Tony nominee Craig Lucas, score by Tony winner Adam Guettel, and direction by Tony nominee Michael Greif. Further casting will be announced. Previews begin Jan. 6 at Studio 54 with an opening announced for Jan. 28.

Off-B'way Update: Days of Wine and Roses Musical

Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in
Days of Wine and Roses

A musical version of the 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses will open Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company with previews starting May 5 and continuing till June 25. An opening date has not yet been announced. The show is a hot item because of its stars and the creative team. Tony winner Kelli O'Hara (The King and I) and Tony nominee and Drama Desk winner Brian d'Arcy James (Sweet Smell of Success, Shrek) will play the leads, a young couple battling alcoholism played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon in the film (Piper Laurie and Cliff Robertson starred in the original 1958 TV play.) The score is by Adam Guettel (Richard Rodgers' grandson and Mary Rodgers' son) and Craig Lucas pens the book based on JP Miller's screenplay. Michael Greif (Rent) directs. Guettel and Lucas previously collaborated on The Light in the Piazza, both winning Tonys, which starred O'Hara.

Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James

Smash Is Back and Just as Cuckoo as Ever

Now that Smash has come back for a second season--which in itself is a miracle--I really hate Karen or maybe it's just that Katharine McPhee continues to be such a vapid bore in the role. In real life, she would the understudy for Marilyn in Bombshell and the more vibrant, gutsy Ivy (Megan Hilty) would be the star. This imbalance kinda throws off the whole premise of the series. The two-hour premiere begins with a new number "Moving On," depicting Marilyn moving on to another stage in her life and the show closing in Boston. Evidently Ivy survived her drug overdose during the second preview and didn't even go to the hospital (this is all covered during the opening montage.) Everybody gets back to New York and Eileen announces there will be a big press event at the Players Club.