The Play That Goes Wrong

The Play That Goes Wrong, Amelie, Sweet Charity and More

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Welcome to the latest installment of the Broadway Round-up and since we last met I've had an idea for a new comedy... 'The Election That Goes Wrong'... Any takers?

Moving swiftly ahead and speaking of the "Goes Wrong" brand, a huge congratulations goes out to the West End-conquering troupe known as Mischief Theatre! Currently represented in London by no less than 3 smash hit comedies - The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery - the company is now getting set for a British Invasion of the Big Apple with a Broadway debut! Mischief's first (and Olivier Award-winning) smash hit The Play That Goes Wrong will begin previews at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre on 9th March 2017 and officially open on 2nd April. Original Mischief stars Matthew Cavendish, Bryony Corrigan, Rob Falconer, Dave Hearn, Henry Lewis, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill and Nancy Zamit make up the New York cast. Let's hope it'll be anything but 'A Broadway Debut That Goes Wrong'...

More exciting news for the spring, as all available theatres are snapped up one by one. It has now been officially confirmed that the musical adaptation of the 2001 cult French film Amélie will open at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 3rd April 2017, following previews from 9th March. The Tony-nominated Hamilton star Phillipa Soo will be taking on the title role (having originated the part at the initial workshops) and will be joined by Adam Chanler-Berat as Nino. The musical already celebrated its premiere in September 2015 with British star Samantha Barks in the lead role at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and will have another limited engagement, prior to Broadway, at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from 4th December 2016 through to 15th January 2017. This season is shaping up to be one of the most interestingly competitive seasons we have experienced in quite some time!

More good news for our hard-working West End actors as Michael Xavier, Siobhan Dillon and Fred Johanson have been granted the opportunity to reprise their respective roles as Joe Gillis, Betty Schaefer and Max von Mayerling in the Glenn Close-led Broadway transfer of Sunset Boulevard, which premiered this year at the London Coliseum.Congratulations to all three performers, who will all be making their Broadway debuts! Next year could really be a "Perfect Year"!

RENT favourite Adam Pascal has returned to the Great White Way, taking over as William Shakespeare in the musical comedy Something Rotten! at Broadway's St James Theatre. The Tony nominee follows in the footsteps of the likes of two-time Tony winner Christian Borle (who can currently be seen starring as Marvin in the Broadway revival of Falsettos) and Tony nominee and "Nashville" star Will Chase. Pascal debuted on 7th November and will remain with the Broadway production until the final performance on 1st January 2017, before continuing in the role on the show's first U.S. National Tour from 10th January. It may be "Hard to be the Bard," but we're glad this role is in his capable sonnet-writing hands!

OMG! Dr. Dre is heading to Broadway, folks!... Well, sort of... Corey Hawkins, best known for portraying Dre in the hit movie "Straight Outta Compton," is returning to the Great White Way to take on the role of Paul in the Broadway revival of John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation. This one is really shaping up to be something special, with seven-time Emmy Award winner Allison Janney and Tony winner John Benjamin Hickey already cast as Ouisa & Flan Kittredge. Previews begin at the Barrymore Theatre on  5th April 2017, before an offcial opening on 25th April, and a limited engagement through to 16th July 2017.

Fans of Sutton Foster rejoice! The two-time Tony winner is currently starring off-Broadway in The New Group's revival of classic musical comedy Sweet Charity, which is proving to be one of the hottest tickets in town. Fear not, however, as the New York Post reports that the production may well be transferring to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre next autumn! Hey, Big Spenders - it looks like Ms. Foster may be spending a little more time with us than we thought!

We would like to send over a merry old "Break a leg!" to the latest Broadway productions, who have now begun previews since our last Broadway round-up and are hurtling towards their respective opening nights, leaving a fabulous trail of glitter, sweat and tears behind them! A Bronx Tale - The Musical (directed by Robert DeNiro & Jerry Zaks) officially opens at the Longacre Theatre on 1st December. Second Stage Theatre's hit off-Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen - perhaps one of the frontrunners for Best Musical at the Tonys next year - will open at the Music Box Theatre on 4th December. Finally, Broadway's first-ever acappella musical In Transit (which is brought to you by creative minds behind smash hits such as Disney's "Frozen" - Kristen Anderson-Lopez - and "Pitch Perfect" - Deke Sharon) will celebrate its opening night on 11th December at Circle in the Square. Typically a chilly, if not freezing, month, December is certainly heating up on the Great White Way!

Finally, a quick round-up of other casting news... The Manhattan Theatre Club announced the complete cast of the Broadway premiere of August Wilson's Jitney at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre from 28th December, including Anthony Chisholm, who will be reprising his role as Fielding from the original off-Broadway production. Fiddler on the Roof welcomed four-time Tony nominee Judy Kuhn as Golde on Tuesday and she will remain with the production until its final performance at the Broadway Theatre on 31st December. Eric Petersen (and a whole host of new youngsters) joined the Broadway production of School of Rock, replacing Tony nominee Alex Brightman in the lead role of Dewey Finn on 7th November. The Color Purple welcomed its new Mister (Nathaniel Stampley) and Sofia (Carrie Compere) on 15th November at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre and finally... yep, you gussed it... Hamilton news! The musical juggernaut lost two more of its original cast members as Tony nominee Christopher Jackson was replaced by Nicholas Christopher as George Washington and Anthony Ramos' roles of John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton were assumed by Jordan Fisher. Raise a glass!

That about wraps us up for the latest theatrical happenings on the other side of the pond and there is a lot of drama going on both on and off the stage over there! In the meantime, check out NewYorkTheatreGuide.com for all the latest!

 

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