WAKE UP with BWW 5/12/14 - Boggess & Lewis Join PHANTOM, NYTW Gala and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis join the cast of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as 'Christine' and 'The Phantom' tonight!

TODAY'S TOP ITEMS:

• Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis join THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as its new leads tonight! Boggess is well known for playing 'Christine' in the original production, as well as its sequel LOVE NEVER DIES, but Lewis will be making his PHANTOM debut. Break a leg!
• BroadwayWorld.com's Jule Styne tribute took place last night at Joe's Pub, so stay tuned for our exclusive follow-up coverage...
• Director Des McAnuff and Michael David, president of The Dodgers, will be honored at NYTW's 2014 Spring Gala this evening! Look for performances by Sebastian Arcelus, Roger Bart, Victoria Clark and more...
• A one-night-only event to benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, CABARET FOR A CAUSE will feature a slew of Broadway stars at this evening at Galapagos Art Space.
• And finally, the box office for the upcoming Tupac Shakur musical HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME opens today!

WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEKEND:

• The Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN will begin previews this September at the Lyric Theatre to prep for an October 16th opening!
• Jason Robert Brown will conduct PARADE at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall next February.
• Original writer and director Ron Shelton has been adapting the baseball movie BULL DURHAM for Broadway...
• Rob McClure and Jenny Powers will co-star as 'Gomez' and 'Morticia' in THE ADDAMS FAMILY at the Muny in St. Louis this summer!
• Bernadette Peters has added new concert dates through 2015, while Liza Minnelli has canceled all of her upcoming appearances due to a recurring back ailment...
• Michael Urie's BUYER & CELLAR national tour opened on Saturday in Chicago.
• We got a first look at off-Broadway's BOOGIE STOMP! and MISS SAIGON in the West End!
• Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace will bring DANCE 'TIL DAWN to the London stage this fall!
• I CAN'T SING: THE X FACTOR MUSICAL ended its run in London on Saturday...
• ABC continues to corner the TV fairytale market -- the network just ordered Alan Menken's musical comedy GALAVANT to series!

Broadway Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy with a high of 81 degrees.

Quote of the Day: Inspiring words, especially for actors, from a most qualified doctor...

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"
-- Dr. Seuss (via Goodreads)

Video of the Day: In honor of Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis joining the cast of PHANTOM tonight, rewind to the pair as performing "If Only" as 'Ariel' and 'King Triton' in Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID on Broadway!