You don’t have to be a Broadway baby to scratch your onstage acting itch. In fact, all around the country—and outside of it—there are bustling theater communities producing works so vibrant they’d have Edward Albee rolling over in his grave. Want in on that action? You’d be wise to know the ins and outs of industry happenings, and this is a good place to start: From across the pond and back again, here is the week’s biggest regional theater news.
The U.K. will see what baking can do.
Fresh from the oven, Broadway’s hit musical “Waitress” will have its U.K. premiere this coming spring. Debuting at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre in February 2019, the production will announce casting and official dates imminently. Featuring a book by Jessie Nelson and score by Sara Bareilles, the tuner is based on the film of the same name and was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2016, including best musical.
Paper Mill gets “Purple.”
Just as “The Color Purple” national tour wraps, members of its cast have signed on to reprise their roles in the upcoming Paper Mill Playhouse run. Heading the Tony-winning production will be Adrianna Hicks leading as Celie, alongside Carla R. Stewart as Shug Avery, and Carrie Compere as Sofia. The musical, which replaces the previously-announced Andrew Lloyd Webber retrospective “Unmasked,” will run Sept. 26–Oct. 21 at the New Jersey house.
Vanessa Redgrave finds “Inheritance” costars.
Full casting has been announced for the West End’s incoming production of “The Inheritance.” Joining previously-announced Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave will be Jack Riddiford, John Benjamin Hickey, Hugo Colton, Hubert Burton, Syrus Lowe, Michael Marcus, and others, all of whom (with the exception of Riddiford) are reprising their roles from the previous London production. Performances will begin Sept. 21 at the Noël Coward Theatre, before officially opening Oct. 13. Stephen Daldry directs the drama, set in AIDs-ravaged 1980s and 90s New York City.
“Terms of Endearment” (could be) coming to the stage.
Fresh off her run in Broadway’s “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Supergirl” star Melissa Benoist will lead a Los Angeles reading of “Terms of Endearment.” Joining Benoist in the Oct. 1 event, based on the Academy Award-winning film, will be her “Supergirl costar Calista Flockhart, as well as Chris Wood. Gordon Greenberg directs the production, which will benefit Stand Up to Cancer and Geffen Playhouse’s New Play Development Program. No word yet on whether the reading will receive a full-scale production.
Muriel will have another wedding.
“Muriel’s Wedding the Musical,” which played a rapturously-received run in Sydney, Australia in 2017, will get a second lease on life in Melbourne. The musical adaptation based on the smash hit film will play a limited engagement at Her Majesty’s Theatre March–July 2019, before again returning to Sydney at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. Though no official announcement has been made, rumblings of a New York/Broadway transfer have been present since shortly after the musical debuted.
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