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BROADWAY CAST OF INTO THE WOODS TO TOUR U.S.

Members of the current Broadway cast of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods will hit the road next month, playing select cities from Boston to San Francisco. Reprising their Broadway roles on tour are Montego Glover as The Witch, Stephanie J. Block as The Baker’s Wife, Sebastian Arcelus as The Baker and Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf. For more details, visit intothewoodsbway.com.

CASTING FOR WICKED MOVIE CONTINUES

Joining the cast of director Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of Wicked is Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) as the Wizard, Ethan Slater (Spongebob the Musical) as Boq and Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians) as Madame Morrible. They join previously announced cast members Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Part 1 of Wicked is set to debut in cinemas in 2024.

WATCH AND LEARN

Hear behind-the-scenes stories from National Geographic’s photographers, scientists, filmmakers, and adventurers live on stage with the Nat Geo Live series. You’ll have a whale of a good time when you discover the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures among four different species of whales with expert Brian Skerry on January 13. The series continues with Wild Hope on February 19, then it’s all about dinos with Spinosaurus on May 24. Tickets are available at playhousesquare. org/natgeolive.

ON SALE DATES FOR TINA AND MOULIN ROUGE: THE MUSICAL!

Individual tickets for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (April 25-May 14) will go on sale on January 20. Tina is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Tickets for Moulin Rouge! The Musical (June 7-July 2) will make the perfect gift for your Valentine this year when they go on sale to the public on February 14. Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in this new musical mash-up extravaganza. Sign up for email updates at playhousesquare.org to always be among the first to know when show tickets go on sale.

The District

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS

A standing ovation goes to the staff at our official hotel – the Crowne Plaza Cleveland at Playhouse Square! Their trophy case is about to burst with recent recognition for their hard work. At this fall’s Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association Awards, they earned Leadership Team of the Year, GM of the Year, Sales Manager of the Year, Manager of the Year and Service Superstar of the Year. And for the second year in a row, Nic DiLillo was recognized as the Crowne Plaza National GM of the Year.

MOVERS & SPEAKERS

Last month, we announced two significant additions to the PSQ District. The venerable City Club of Cleveland and strategic communications firm Dix & Eaton, a longstanding partner of Playhouse Square, will relocate to the district. We welcome them with open arms and look forward to the vibrancy they will add to our neighborhood.

A NEW DINING OPTION

Nestled among the theaters, the recently-opened Sushi En is ready to serve up sushi and other Asian favorites.

Donors

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE HONORS CHRIS CONNOR WITH FALCO AWARD

Playhouse Square presented the Falco Award to Chris Connor on November 21 during the President’s Dinner.

Chris joined the Playhouse Square Board of Trustees in 2004. During the eighteen years he spent on the Board, Chris held the roles of Vice Chair of Strategic Planning, Vice Chair of Marketing and served on the Executive Committee for fifteen years.

In 2014, Chris and his wife Sara made the largest family gift to Playhouse Square, $9 million to the Advancing the Legacy campaign. In honor of the gift, the Connor Palace — which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year — is named for the family.

The Falco Award, named for former Playhouse Square President & CEO Art Falco, honors an individual, foundation or organization in Northeast Ohio whose leadership, perseverance and dedication has contributed to the success of Playhouse Square.