Goings on About Town

In 1949, the writer Adrienne Kennedy, now ninety-one, enrolled at Ohio State University, where she became enamored with “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” but, as one of only a few Black female students, was stung by racism within the institution. She revisited this time in her 1992 one-act “Ohio State Murders.” The play’s Broadway première is now in previews, starring the theatrical luminary Audra McDonald (above). Kenny Leon’s production marks Kennedy’s Broadway début, and the first show at the newly renamed James Earl Jones Theatre.

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As ever, it’s advisable to check in advance to confirm engagements.

MUSIC

Breland

COUNTRY The singer-songwriter Breland’s music was born into an “Old Town Road” world. In 2019, in the wake of Lil Nas X’s breakout hit and the controversy surrounding its genre, Breland’s début single, “My Truck,” felt poised to make sense of the confusion. A honky-tonk trap ode to a long-standing symbol of blue-collar life, the song used its unmistakable synthesis of country and rap signifiers to display not only the alchemy of modern music but the shared history between the two genres. His recently released début album, “Cross Country,” deepens this relationship, even allowing country lifers such as Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban to indulge their hip-hop impulses. Breland’s music feels natural to both worlds—not an anomaly but a distinct perspective.—Sheldon Pearce (Mercury Lounge; Nov. 18 and Nov. 28.)

Burial: “Streetlands”