Harry Potter comedy Puffs coming to movie theaters in May

"Puffs" is ready for its closeup.

The off-Broadway hit was filmed live in February at its New World Stages home and is set to hit movie theaters in May.

More: Harry Potter hits Broadway: 5 things to know about Cursed Child

The story of a boy wizard — no, not that one — at wizard school told from the side of the Puffs, who just happened to be there, too, will play in more than 600 cinemas across the United States on May 9 and 12.

More: 4 Broadway stories to give you warm fuzzies

Audiences will be treated to close-up shots, multiple angles and a look behind the curtain, producers say.

“This epic secondary storyline, imagined from one of the world’s most famous wizarding sagas, has maintained its popularity with fans for years,” Fathom Events Chief Content and Programming Officer Gordon Synn said. “‘Puffs: Filmed Live Off Broadway’ now offers those fans a unique new way to experience this hilarious twist on a classic story, proving that underdogs can be the heroes.”

More: 22 places for autism-friendly entertainment

Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, and 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, May 12. For a full list of theaters, or to buy tickets for “Puffs: Filmed Live Off Broadway” starting Friday, April 6, visit FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices.

“Our fans have meant the world to us since the very beginning of the production and every week we continue to delight audiences in New York,” said David Carpenter, producer. “This incredible partnership with Fathom will allow us to bring the magic of the show and our incredible cast to our fans across the country and invite whole new audiences to experience the joy that is Puffs.”

Broadway unites for Parkland

Members of the Broadway community are coming together with mass shooting survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for a concert and benefit.

"From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Parkland, USA" is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, April 16, at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.

The event will feature stars of Broadway and television, including Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Morrison (“Glee,” "Finding Neverland," "The Light In The Piazza," "Hairspray"), Golden Globe winner Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), award-winning recording artist Deborah Cox ("The Bodyguard"), Wayne Brady (“Whose Line Is It Anyway,” Chicago cast of "Hamilton"), Kirsten Maldonado (Pentatonix), Noah Galvin (“The Real O’Neals,” "Dear Evan Hansen"), Justin Guarini (“American Idol,” "In Transit"), Vincent Rodriquez III (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Ephraim Sykes ("Hamilton," “Hairspray Live”), Erich Bergen (“Madam Secretary”), Christy Altomare ("Anastasia"), Laura Bell Bundy (“Anger Management,” "Legally Blonde"), Telly Leung ("Aladdin"), Jordan Donica ("My Fair Lady," "Hamilton"), Donna Lynne Champlin (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Gabrielle Ruiz (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, "If/Then"), Etai Benson ("The Band’s Visit"), Carrie Manolakos ("Mamma Mia"), George Salazar ("Godspell," "The Lightning Thief"), Bryan Fenkhart ("Waitress" national tour, "Memphis"), Charity Angel Dawson ("Waitress," "Side Show"), Jessica Vosk ("Wicked" national tour), Brandon Shapiro and Jake Wildhorn.

They will perform music written by Parkland students in collaboration with theater composers including Joe Iconis, Bobby Cronin, Zoe Sarnak and Drew Gasparini, as well as songs written solely by students.

More: Deborah Cox steps into 'The Bodyguard'

There also will be speeches by Parkland students and a performance by Jaime Guttenberg's dance troupe in her honor.

The concert will be accompanied by the South Florida Symphony. The lineup is subject change and additional performers will be announced.

The benefit is produced by Van Dean and Yael Silver, both of Broadway Records, together with Joyce Arbucias, Kenny Howard, Andrea Canny and Chris Yakubchik. It is co-directed by Michael Unger (Producing Artistic Director, NewArts in Newtown, Connecticut) and Howard. Michael J. Moritz Jr. will music direct, Moritz Jr. and Jeff Saver will conduct, with lead orchestrations by Kim Scharnberg.

Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-345-7000 and at the BB&T Center Box Office. About 10,000 tickets to the concert have been donated to families of students and staff. Net proceeds, with royalties and artist fees waived, will be donated to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Vicitims’ Fund and Shine MSD, which benefits arts advocacy in the Parkland community).

More:State Theatre announces Broadway series

A fundraising page has been set up at crowdrise.com/parkland and a CD and DVD will be available at BroadwayRecords.com and Amazon.com. If you donate $50 or more to the CrowdRise site, you will receive a free CD, DVD or Blu-Ray of the concert when they are available. Visit FromBroadwayWithLove.org for notification when the CD and DVD become available.

For more information, visit frombroadwaywithlove.org.

World premiere at Crossroads

Crossroads Theatre Company is presenting a world premiere play next month.

Pia Wilson's "Back to the Real" invites audiences to enter the "post 2016 election world of a brother and sister as they navigate the challenges of racial and sexual identity. Current themes confronting the characters include anti-LGBTQ sentiment, colorism in the African-American community, and hiding our true identity," organizers say.

Wilson believes that while the play is specifically about an African-American family, it has universal themes of identity, using satire and humor to tackle difficult issues.

“This is a play that is meant to engage us in a different way. The audience is challenged to be a part of the conversation," she said in a news release.

More: Andre De Shields returns to his roots 40 years later

Wilson is a 2017 NJPAC Stage Exchange commissioned playwright, 2017 resident with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Process Space program, 2015 Sundance fellow, and a recipient of the 2014 Sarah Verdone Writing Award, according to the release.

The play is directed by Marshall Jones III and stars Landon G. Woodson, Regan Sims, Aaliyah Habeeb and Victoria Janicki.

"Back to the Real" is set for May 11 to 20 at Mastrobuono Theatre, 85 George St., in New Brunswick, Crossroads is partnering with venues around the state while it awaits the opening of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in fall of 2019.

More: NJPAC Stage Exchange nurtures new works

Performances are 8 p.m. May 11, 12, 18 and 19; 7 p.m. May 17 and 3:00 p.m. on May 13, 19, and 20.

Tickets, $35 to $55 can be purchased at CrossroadsTheatreCompany.org or by calling 732-545-8100.

Have a fundraiser or event coming up that relates to the stage? Tell us about it. Email ikeller@gannettnj.com, call 732-643-4260 or connect on Twitter @ilanakeller