Week in Review 6.12.15

Casting News

  • Michael Esper (The Last Ship) has joined the cast of Shades of Blue, an upcoming NBC series starring Jennifer Lopez. The series is shooting in New York. Deadline has details.

  • Tony winners Gabriel Ebert (Matilda, Casa Valentina) and Judith Light (The Assembled Parties) have joined the cast of Therese Raquin. The Roundabout revival begins previews October 1, and opening night is set for October 29. Broadway.com has more.

  • Steven Pasquale (The Bridges of Madison County), John Ellison Conlee (Murder Ballad, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence), Ciara Renee (Big Fish) and Miriam Shor (Yitzhak in the original production of Hedwig) have joined the cast of the Encores! production of The Wild Party. Brandon Victor Dixon (Motown) has also joined, replacing the previously announced Joshua Henry. The show runs July 15-18. Broadway.com has more.

  • It is confirmed that Alex Brightman will star in the Broadway run of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation of School of Rock. Previews begin November 9, and opening night is set for December 6. it will play the Winter Garden. Playbill has more.

  • Betsy Wolfe (The Last Five Years) will lead the cast of Up Here, the new musical from Bobby Lopez and Kristin Anderson-Lopez, the Oscar-winning "Let it Go" songwriting duo. (Bobby also co-wrote Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon). The show is premiering in San Diego this summer, and is directed by Alex Timbers (Rocky, Peter and the Starcatcher). Broadway.com has additional casting information.
A View from the Bridge Returns to Broadway

Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge will return to Broadway this fall. (It was most recently on Broadway during the 2009-2010 season.) This is a transfer of the Olivier-winning West End production, and many of the production's cast members will reprise their roles on Broadway. The cast is led by Olivier winner Mark Strong (Zero Dark Thirty), and is directed by Ivo Van Hove. A View from the Bridge will play the Lyceum Theatre. Previews begin October 21, and opening night is set for November 12. The limited engagement will conclude February 21, 2016. Broadway.com has more.

Dig This

  • New York City Ballet dancer Lauren Lovette was promoted to principal! The spirited dancer, who was recently seen in La Sylphide,  shared the news (just a couple weeks after having foot surgery) on her Instagram account.

  • As often happens after the Tony Awards, some shows have posted a closing notice. We learned that The Visit, the Kander and Ebb musical starring Chita Rivera, will close this week, playing its final performance this Sunday, June 14. We also learned that the revival of Gigi will close on Sunday, June 21.

  • Dave Grohl discussed the possibility of a second season (and accompanying album) of Sonic Highways, teasing that it might be set in the UK. NME has the scoop.

  • PBS will broadcast the Australian production of Driving Miss Daisy, which features Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines. Look for the episode of Great Performances on July 17. Playbill has more.

  • Tickets for Hand to God, the terrific, original, American play, are now on sale through January 24, 2016. It's wickedly funny and highly recommended. Get your tickets now! Broadwayworld.com has more about the new block of tickets.

  • Disgraced, the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play by Ayad Akhtar, will be adapted for the small screen. Akhtar is adapting his script for HBO. Broadway.com has more.

  • Head backstage at Hedwig and the Angry Inch with the fierce Rebecca Naomi Jones (American Idiot, Murder Ballad), now starring at Yizhak, in the fourth installment of her Broadway.com vlog, Total Package

  • Recent Tony winner Simon Stephens's new play, Heisenberg, has extended through July 11. The play stars Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt. Broadway.com has more.

  • The initial itinerary for the first national tour of The Bridges of Madison County has been released. The tour begins this November in, fittingly, Iowa, and will make stops in California, Florida, DC and more. Visit Playbill for details.

  • Check out the penultimate installment of 'S Wonderful, Max von Essen's Broadway.com vlog in which he takes us backstage at An American in Paris:

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