LEAP OF FAITH to Open at St. James Theater on Broadway in April; Esparza to Star

[Rob]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 6:51pm

Click Here to Read LEAP OF FAITH to Open at St. James Theater on Broadway in April; Esparza to Star

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 6:59pm

Exciting. Maybe (hopefully) Menken will finally win a Tony for Best Score! He could easily have 2 nominations this year.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:10pm

Yay for Jessica Phillips.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:12pm

To those wondering about the changes, I feel a bit more at liberty to discuss them now that they're being detailed in some of these press reports.

In the previous versions of the show, Jonas's love interest was Marva, a waitress who was skeptical of his ability to perform miracles. In the new version of the book, she's Marla, the town sheriff (a combination of a previous character) who has much more of a justified reason to be invested in the well-being of the town. It's a big change that works beautifully, and Jessica Phillips is perfectly cast.

I'm really excited for everyone to see the show in New York. The producers should be applauded for not giving up and getting the work done to make the show the best it could be when it would have been way easier to let it die after Los Angeles. This will definitely be a force to be reckoned with as far as musicals go.

Updated On: 1/12/12 at 07:12 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:14pm

Will Esparza be nominated? I drink 5 shots every time he loses a Tony. I get wasted.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:24pm

So excited and happy for Jessica Phillips, who is an insanely talented singer and actress. She's deserved a big break for quite some time (and in a perfect world, would have been cast the replacement Diana in n2n, which she totally deserved). Hopefully this is it for her.

Updated On: 1/12/12 at 07:24 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:31pm

AIRPLANE PLEASE.

[wonkit]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 7:49pm

Winning lottery ticket to go with the airplane please.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:07pm

The only thing about this that excites me is Jessica Phillips. She is so insanely talented and severely wasted in Priscilla.

[choitoy]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:08pm

I just want the weather to be not too hot and humid when we go to see the show in mid-July, as that's the only time my sister and I are able to make it to NYC. (hopefully it will run through the summer, though this seems to be the season of short runs for new shows).

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:09pm

A lady sheriff named Marla?
Uh-oh.

Can they fill the St. James without a name?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:46pm

Probably not.

I will be bedazzling a cocktail dress with "Team Esparza" for this year's Tonys.

Updated On: 1/12/12 at 08:46 PM

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:51pm

Totally agreed on the Jessica Phillips comments. Can't wait to see her in this!

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:53pm

Esparza is beast. I can't wait to see him kill it on stage and take home his (sadly) first tony.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 8:58pm

I'm excited that Kendra Kassebaum will be originating a role on Broadway. She's a very talented lady. I saw her in the first national tour of 'Wicked' in 2005 and she was hilarious.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 9:09pm

Bonnie & Clyde & Lysistrata Jones have closed, leaving this, plus Once, Rebecca, Ghost, Newsies & Nice Work... to still open in terms on new musicals. Spiderman is currently the only new musical playing right now.

Any early Tony predictions for Best New Musical?? I highly doubt we'll see anything else open in time unless Peter & The Starcatcher finds a theatre soon??

[Jonwo]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 9:18pm

Peter and the Starcatcher isn't a musical, it's a play with music. As for Best New Musical, it'll be either be Once or Newsies.

[Hest88]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 9:30pm

Wow, they're moving in *that* early in April. I really need to figure out my plans.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 9:46pm

SO happy this will finally be coming to NYC. I hope Esparza might finally win that Tony. Im so mad I wont get to see it though!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 10:14pm

Stop the "T" talk now, you'll jinx him again...

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 10:33pm

so the best new musicals this season are:

- Leap of Faith
- Ghost
- Newsies
- Rebecca
- Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark
- Once
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- Bonnie & Clyde(closed)
- Lysistrata Jones(closed)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/12/12 at 10:46pm

Could TOXIC AVENGER sneak in?

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 1:08am

I'm really excited for Jessica Phillips! She was an amazing Diana in Next to Normal and she is being severely underused in Priscilla.

[f13overture]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 2:31am

Love Raul! But why O why can't both him and Danny get Tonys?!!
when's the last date a show can enter for Tony submissions, btw?

Raul was a sheer force of awesomeness in LA - especially in the second act!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/13/12 at 4:00am

So do we expect them to still be using the same design as in LA or can they rebuild and redesign a new set so quickly?