Vanessa Hudgens is Both 'Terrified' and 'Stoked' to Star in GIGI on Broadway

By: Oct. 21, 2014
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As previously reported, Vanessa Hudgens will soon hit Broadway in the revamped revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's beloved Oscar and Tony Award-winning film and stage musical, GIGI.

At Global Green's annual gala in Los Angeles, Hudgens opened up, saying that she's "terrified" to hit the stage, though the material makes it worth it.

"I love the play so much!" she said. "I love Gigi-she's so adorable. She's so much fun, the music's absolutely wonderful. I'm stoked."

You can check out Hudgens' full interview in the video!

Also starring in the production are Howard McGillin (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, The Phantom of the Opera) as Honore Lachaille, Corey Cott(Newsies) as Gaston Lachaille and Steffanie Leigh (Mary Poppins) as Liane d'Exelmans. Casting for the roles of Madame Alvarez and Aunt Alicia will be announced soon.

Gigi will be directed by Eric Schaeffer (Follies, Million Dollar Quartet), in a re-envisioned adaptation by British playwright and BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated screenwriter Heidi Thomas ("Call the Midwife," "Cranford," "Upstairs, Downstairs"). Joshua Bergasse (On the Town, "Smash") will choreograph the production.

Gigi will play a pre-Broadway engagement in the Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (David M. Rubenstein, chairman, Deborah F. Rutter, president) in Washington, D.C. from January 16-February 12, 2015. Opening night is January 29, 2015.

The cast also features Cameron Adams, Madeleine Doherty, Hannah Florence, Jenifer Foote, Allison Jantzie, Sam Lips, Ian Paget, James Patterson, Justin Prescott, Manuel Stark, Tanairi Vazquez and Ashley Yeater, with additional casting to be announced.

Scenic design is by Tony Award-winner Derek McLane, costume design is by five-time Tony Award winner Catherine Zuber, lighting design is by four-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz and sound design is by Tony Award nomineeKai Harada. Hair design is by David Brian Brown. Musical director is James Moore. Orchestrations are by August Eriksmoen. Vocal and incidental music arrangement is by Matt Aument. Dance music arrangements are by Sam Davis.

Based on the 1944 novel by Colette, Gigi was first adapted for the Broadway stage in 1951 by Anita Loos, with an unknown Audrey Hepburn in the title role; then, following their success with My Fair Lady, the team of Alan Jay Lerner(screenplay and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) adapted the material for the 1958 movie musical, winner of nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, is widely considered the last great MGM movie musical, and is beloved for its wit, charm and sumptuous costume and production design. Gigiincludes such numbers as "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," "I Remember It Well" "The Night They Invented Champagne" and the Oscar-winning title song, "Gigi". Gigi also won the Tony Award for Best Score in 1974.

This new adaptation of Gigi will feature all of the songs from the movie, including two songs, "The Parisians" and "Say a Prayer for Me Tonight," which were dropped from the previous stage version. The production also includes four songs written and added to the score by Lerner and Loewe in 1973, "Paris is Paris Again," "I Never Want to Go Home Again," "The Contract," and "In This Wide, Wide World."



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