Broadway
Theatre News: Jordan Sparks and Waitress, MCC’s The Wrong Man, Carmen Cusack and Flying Over Sunset
Jordan Sparks the American Idol alum will star as the pie-maker Jenna in Waitress on Broadway from Sept. 16 – Oct. 27. This is Sparks’ second time on Broadway, she made her stage debut in 2010 as Nina in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. The show closes on January 5, 2020.
MCC Theater (Bob LuPone, Bernie Telsey, Will Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced today the complete casting for the the highly anticipated World Premiere of The Wrong Man, the new stage musical written by multi-platinum songwriter Ross Golan (book, music, lyrics).
As previously announced, The Wrong Man will star three-time Tony Award® nominee and Grammy Award® nominee Joshua Henry, Ciara Renée, and Ryan Vasquez. They will be joined by “American Idol” finalist Anoop Desai, Tilly Evans-Krueger (“RENT: Live”), Malik Kitchen (Hamilton, Chicago), Libby Lloyd, Amber Pickens (Cirque du Soleil Paramour), Kyle Robinson (An American in Paris), Debbie Christine Tjong (Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future), and Julius Williams.
The production, which marks the reunion of Hamilton’s Tony Award®-winning director Thomas Kail and three-time Tony® and four-time Grammy®-award winning orchestrator Alex Lacamoire, begins performances Wednesday, September 18, 2019 (with opening night set for October 7, 2019). The production will also feature choreography by two-time Emmy® winning choreographer Travis Wall.
The creative team for The Wrong Man includes scenic design by Tony Award® winner Rachel Hauck, costume design by Jennifer Moeller andKristin Isola, lighting design by Betsy Adams, sound design by Tony Award® winner Nevin Steinberg, hair and make-up design by Tommy Kurzman, music direction by Taylor Peckham, and casting by Telsey + Company. The Production Stage Manager is Jason Pacella. Tickets are now available at mcctheater.org.
In this singular and exciting new work, the wrong man meets the wrong woman in the wrong place at the wrong time. Set in Reno, Nevada, The Wrong Man tells the story of Duran, a man just scraping by, who is accused of a murder he says he didn’t commit.
Ross Golan has written hit songs for artists spanning multiple genres, including Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Lady Antebellum, Michael Bublé, Selena Gomez, Keith Urban, Ariana Grande, Flo Rida, One Direction, Idina Menzel, Nelly, Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, Cee Lo Green, 5 Seconds of Summer, Prince Royce, Snoop Dogg, Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Caillat, Andy Grammer, James Blunt, Big Sean, Travis Barker, Lukas Graham, Skylar Grey, Rixton, The Vamps, and Icona Pop, amongst many others.
Initially conceived as a solo-acoustic performance in which Golan sings the story, The Wrong Man has evolved over the last 10+ years into a full-length album, animated film, and now a musical developed with Warner Chappell Music.
Ross Golan’s concept album of The Wrong Man, released by Interscope Records, is now available at all major digital retailers. The lead single fromThe Wrong Man, “Stay Positive,” is now available at all major digital retailers and can be found here. The Wrong Man concept album is written by Golan (music and lyrics); produced by Ricky Reed (The Weeknd, Twenty One Pilots); mixed by Grammy nominee Neal Avron; and features Dr. Dre’s rhythm section, Mike Elizondo, Trevor Lawrence, Johan Carlsson, and Nate Mercereau. An animated film adaptation, directed by Golan and John Hwang, premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Lincoln Center Theater, under the direction of André Bishop, has announced it will produce a new musical during its 2019-2020 season. Flying Over Sunset, with a book and direction by James Lapine, music by Tom Kitt, and lyrics by Michael Korie, will feature choreography by Michelle Dorrance, and will begin previews March 12, 2020 and open on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Carmen Cusack, Harry Hadden-Paton and Tony Yazbeck will head the cast with additional casting to be announced at a later date.
Set in the 1950’s, Flying Over Sunset is a work of fiction inspired by the lives of three extraordinary and accomplished people – writer Aldous Huxley (to be played by Harry Hadden-Paton); playwright, diplomat, and congresswoman, Clare Booth Luce (Carmen Cusack); and film legend Cary Grant (Tony Yazbeck) – each of whom in real life experimented with the drug LSD. At a crossroads in their lives the three come together, and under the influence of the drug, take a trip and confront the mysteries of their lives and their world.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.