Three to See: September

Broadway is slowing coming out of its summer hibernation, but our eyes are wandering toward Off Broadway and beyond for our top picks of the month.

All the Ways to Say I Love You
An unconventional triple threat conspires for one of the most anticipated plays of the fall: Neil LaBute’s All the Ways to Say I Love You.

Starring the formidable Judith Light under the direction of Leigh Silverman, the play follows high school English teacher and guidance counselor Mrs. Johnson. As she recounts her experiences with a favored student from her past, Mrs. Johnson slowly reveals the truth that is hidden just beneath the surface details of her life. The solo play about “love, hard choices, and the cost of fulfilling an all-consuming desire.”

All the Ways to Say I Love You
MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel
121 Christopher Street
Previews begin September 6

Marie and Rosetta
Before there was Aretha Franklin or Tina Turner, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. A legend in her time, she brought fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music. Tharpe was the queen of ‘race records’ in the 30’s and 40’s, performed mornings at churches and evenings at the Cotton Club. She filled a baseball stadium for her (third) wedding yet ended up in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia.

The play chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history.

Marie and Rosetta
Atlantic Theater
Linda Gross Theater
336 West 20th Stret
Opening night: September 12

Verso
“We’ve got magic to do just for you…” No, it’s not Pippin. Instead, Neil Patrick Harris directs Helder Guimarães in a contemporary magic show likely to bewilder and amaze audiences. Bear witness as he pushes the very limits of magic, and challenges just how much you’re willing to accept what your eyes assume to be true.