West End musical OPENING NIGHT will receive a cast album and Town Hall concert featuring Benanti, Bareilles, Criss, LuPone, and more

Join us for a one-night-only concert featuring the music from Rufus Wainwright's musical Opening Night, based on John Cassavetes' iconic film, featuring incredible guest performances by Sara Bareilles, Laura Benanti, Darren Criss, Patti LuPone, and Elizabeth Teeter.

The show will take place at The Town Hall in NYC on September 15th, in celebration of the original West End live cast recording releasing on September 12th. A minimum of $30 per ticket sold will be donated to the ACLU's LGBTQ and HIV Project.

Pre-sale begins tomorrow at 9am ET. General on-sale starts Friday at 9am ET.

The live album features Wainwright’s songs written for the original London West End production performed by the cast including Sheridan Smith, Nicola Hughes, and Benjamin Walker recorded over the last 4 performances of the play at London’s Gielgud Theater. 

Release Date: September 12, 2025

It says presale starts tomorrow but i dont see anywhere to sign up for a code. Am I just not seeing it?

Updated On: 5/13/25 at 11:12 AM

This was the worst musical I’ve ever seen in London. Don’t waste your money New York.

Not one single good song in it, not even this cast can make this worthwhile 

Updated On: 5/13/25 at 05:07 PM

The film is one of my favorites and it honestly seems like material that would make for a good musical, but I've heard this has worst of all time potential.

binau said: "I walked out at intermission and I think it’s the only time I’ve done it. I couldn’t bare to sit through more of it. Maybe they’ll find something in the score. I must admit, I’m pretty shocked by this announcement it sounds like an April fools joke."

Sounds about right for a Rufus Wainwright project. Didn’t he blame the marketing for its early closing?

Updated On: 5/14/25 at 07:41 AM

https://music.apple.com/us/album/john-cassavetes-opening-night-original-west-end-live/1817196075

I also bolted at intermission.  OY. What. a mess.  Made me dislike Rufus even more than I already did!

CoffeeBreak said: "The reviews were terrible. Sheridan Smith came out finebut the material and music are not good. It closed two months early."

I disagree about Smith. That was no good. I still want my money back.

Revisiting this score via the album confirms my intial impression, which is that most of Wainwright's music is really beautiful, and that the lyrics are almost universally eye-wateringly bad.

Was a fun night. Sitting up close watching Patti’s face while Betsy Wolfe and Elizabeth Teeter sang was great, you could clearly see just how impressed she was with their voices. But her voice is just as perfect as ever, too. 

I kept hoping she’d drop a hint about her new show when she kept talking about the two of them writing musicals. 

Charley Kringas Inc said: "Revisiting this score via the album confirms my intial impression, which is that most of Wainwright's music is really beautiful, and that the lyrics are almost universally eye-wateringly bad."

I had a similar experience listening to it live in concert for the first time. Still a fun evening. Sara Bareilles’s voice is transcendent and I’m always blown away by how good Patti Lupone still sounds.