Casting and Additional Dates Announced for New Doctor Dolittle Tour; Dee Hoty to Co-Star

Confirming previous reports that she would play opposite nine-time Tony Award-winner Tommy Tune in the animal-friendly musical, Dee Hoty has signed on to the revised national tour of Doctor Dolittle. Other casting for the show has also been completed.

Hoty will play Emma Fairfax, the love interest of Doctor Dolittle, in the show, which will kick off its new national tour on January 17th, 2006, at the Hobby Center in Houston; it will circulate the country through July. Tune, who helms as well as stars in the show, previously directed Hoty in The Will Rogers Follies and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public.

In addition, twelve year old newcomer Aaron Burr was handpicked by Tommy Tune to play Chee-Chee the chimpanzee. This past summer, Burr recently won the Greatest Dancer competition on ABC's "Good Morning America," judged by Tune and a handful of other celebrity judges. Joel Blum, Amanda Braddock, Jessica Leigh Brown, Kristin Dawn Calgaro, Matthew Crowle, Sandi DeGeorge, Jack Doyle, Mike Erickson, Joe Jackson, Lesley M. Klose, Scott Leiendecker, Allan Mangasser, Amanda Rose, Jonathan Sandler, Sarah Stiles, Sally Ann Swarm, Elisa Van Duyne, David F.M. Vaughn, Erin Webley, Steven Wenslawski and Jessica Wu, comprise the rest of the cast, while Adam Cates and Denise Payne are the swings.