The recent Encores! revival of the 1959 fairy tale musical comedy “Once Upon a Mattress,” which played City Center in January, will transfer to Broadway’s Hudson Theatre for a limited run this summer, with performances beginning July 31.
Sutton Foster, who just finished a run on Broadway in “Sweeney Todd,” will reprise his performance as Princess Winnifred. The City Center cast also included Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Urie, J. Harrison Ghee, Harriet Harris, and Nikki Renée Daniels.
Meanwhile, City Center has announced the titles that will comprise next year’s Encores! season, which include the 2001 dystopian musical comedy “Urinetown,” the rarely-seen 1948 concept musical “Love Life,” and the Michael John LaChiusa’s short-lived 2000 Broadway musical “The Wild Party” (not to be confused with Andrew Lippa’s version of “The Wild Party,” which City Center previously produced).
“Love Life,” which will be directed by Tony Award-winning actress Victoria Clark, was in rehearsals at the time of the pandemic shutdown and a week away from its first performance. As its annual gala presentation in the fall, City Center will stage the much celebrated 1997 musical “Ragtime” with Joshua Henry (“The Scottsboro Boys”), Brandon Uranowitz (“Falsettos”), and Caissie Levy (“Frozen”).
‘Swept Away’ on Broadway
“Swept Away,” a new musical featuring the folk-rock music of the Avett Brothers and inspired by the group’s 2004 album “Mignonette,” will open on Broadway in the fall following earlier regional runs at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage.
The Avett Brothers made the announcement live onstage during a performance at Forest Hills Stadium on Friday night. With direction by Michael Mayer (“Spring Awakening”) and a book by playwright-screenwriter John Logan (“Gladiator”, “Red”), the musical is set off the coast of New England circa 1888 following a violent shipwreck.
‘Teeth’ musical to receive Off-Broadway encore
“Teeth,” a new musical by Michael R. Jackson (“A Strange Loop”) based on the 2007 comedy-horror film about a teenage girl who fights back against sexual assault in a most unusual way, which just receive its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons, will receive a commercial Off-Broadway at New World Stages beginning in October. An original cast album is slated to be released in June.
‘Death Becomes Her’ headed to New York
The new musical adaptation of 1992 film comedy “Death Becomes Her,” which is currently receiving its world premiere in Chicago, is set to transfer to Broadway in the fall, playing the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (recently home to “Sweeney Todd”) beginning Oct. 23.
In the original Robert Zemeckis film, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play two women who fight over the same man and resort to a potion that promises physical immortality.
The musical’s cast includes Megan Hilty (“Smash”), Jennifer Simard (“Company”), Christopher Sieber (“Shrek”), and Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child).
Wayne Brady leaving ‘The Wiz’
Wayne Brady, who is currently playing the title role in the Broadway revival of “The Wiz” will exit the show on June 12 and be replaced by Alan Mingo Jr., who previously played the role during the show’s pre-Broadway national tour. “The Wiz” has been doing solid business despite receiving weak reviews and no Tony Award nominations.
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