Greenlit means a project is officially a go, so all you have to do is follow these leads to stay up to date. You never know where you’ll find an opportunity to land an audition!
“The Music Man”
River City has a little less trouble now that it’s found its Marian. The forthcoming revival of the classic musical “The Music Man” has cast Broadway sweetheart Sutton Foster in its lead role, starring opposite Hugh Jackman as the con man Harold Hill. Jackman tweeted out excitement for the choice with a photo of him and Foster. The 2020 revival has set most of its creative team already. Jerry Zaks will direct, Warren Carlyle will choreograph, and Scott Rudin will produce, reuniting the award-winning team behind “Hello, Dolly!” Expect “Dolly” casting director and Broadway go-to Telsey + Company to head this production, as well.
“Pose”
As Broadway legend Patti LuPone finishes up her run in the West End’s “Company” revival, she will head to another major production: Ryan Murphy’s “Pose.” Speaking at PaleyFest, the showrunner announced to the cast and audience that LuPone will be joining Season 2 and will be appearing in a lot of scenes with Broadway superfan and series star Mj Rodriguez, as well as Broadway vet Billy Porter. Season 2 of the FX series will jump forward in time from the 1980s to 1990, and the first episode will reportedly take place on the day that Madonna’s hit single “Vogue” was released. The show, which had a six-month casting period and now carries the largest cast of trans actors in series regular roles ever for a scripted series, will continue to cast, so keep an eye on the door of CD Alexa L. Fogel for future opportunities.
“West Side Story”
Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” adaptation has added a pair of familiar faces. Corey Stoll and Brian d’Arcy James will play Lieutenant Schrank and Sergeant Krupke, respectively, joining the already-announced cast members Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Rita Moreno. The highly-anticipated second film adaptation of the classic musical is being penned by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner and will start filming this summer in New York City. Cindy Tolan is in charge of casting.
“Jekyll & Hyde”
Another Broadway show is getting a film adaptation, as well. The Frank Wildhorn musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale, will head to the big screen with a script written by “Birdman” screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris. The musical, which takes on the classic story of Dr. Jekyll, who faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild into the animalistic Mr. Hyde, opened on Broadway in 1997 and last had a revival in 2013. The film adaptation is still looking for a director, so this will be one to watch when the project gets out of its script phase.
“Defending Jacob”
Apple continues casting one of its highly anticipated original series. Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey”) and Jaeden Martell (“It”) will star opposite Chris Evans in the platform’s limited series “Defending Jacob,” based on William Landay’s best-selling novel. The story follows Andy Barber (Evans), a father dealing with the accusation that his young son, Jacob (Martell), is a murderer. Dockery will play Laurie, the wife of Andy and mother of Jacob. Creator and writer Mark Bomback will serve as showrunner with Morten Tyldum directing. Meredith Tucker is adding talent.
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