HEATHERS Original Off-Broadway Cast: Where Are They Now?
The original Off-Broadway cast of Heathers featured Barrett Wilbert Weed, Ryan McCartan, Jessica Keenan Wynn, and more.
When cult-favorite Heathers: The Musical, featuring music, lyrics, and book by Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy, first premiered, it quickly gained a devoted fanbase!
Heathers, based on the 1988 hit film, was first developed in Los Angeles readings in 2009, and presented as a concert at Joe's Pub in 2010, before landing an official staged production at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Los Angeles in 2013.
The musical's Off-Broadway premiere had its Off-Broadway premeire in 2014 at New World Stages, with a cast that included Barrett Wilbert Weed as Veronica, Ryan McCartan as J.D., Jessica Keenan Wynn as Heather Chandler, Elle McLemore and Heather McNamara, Alice Lee as Heather Duke and Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello as Bill Sweeney/'Big Bud' Dean. The original cast album was recorded that same year, and after six months of success, the production played its final performance in August 2014
Watch highlights of the original cast in action.
Now, more than a decade after its Off-Broadway premiere—and with Heathers: The Musical currently back onstage at New World Stages—BroadwayWorld is taking a look back at what the original cast has been up to since the show first debuted.
Barrett Wilbert Weed
Best known for originating the role of Veronica in Heathers: The Musical, Weed received both a Lucille Lortel Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for her acclaimed performance.
In 2014, she appeared Off-Broadway in FOUND The Musical as Denise in the new production based on Davy Rothbart’s Found books and magazines. Weed later took on the role of Sally Bowles in the Signature Theatre production of Cabaret, which played in the Washington, D.C. area in 2015. Her performance earned her the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical.
She also narrated the audiobook version of Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky, released in 2016, on Audible and CD.
On Broadway, Weed starred as Janis Sarkisian in the musical Mean Girls. She first appeared in the show’s world premiere at The National Theatre in 2017, before the production transferred to Broadway in 2018. She gave her final performance in 2020.
On television, Weed joined the cast of Bridge and Tunnel as Lizzie in 2021. She additionally voiced characters in three episodes of the animated series Helluva Boss, and voices Octavia in the adult animated web series Helluva Boss.
Ryan McCartan
McCartan originated the role of Jason Dean in the original Off-Broadway production of Heathers: The Musical. Around the same time, McCartan had the recurring role of Diggie on the Disney Channel comedy Liv and Maddie, beginning in 2013 and continuing through the series finale in 2017.
In 2015, McCartan and Dove Cameron as the pop duo The Girl and the Dramcatcher released their first music video in 2015 before disbanding in 2016. McCartan went on to star as Brad Majors in Fox’s 2016 musical television film The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again. Two years later, in 2018, he made his Broadway debut as Fiyero in Wicked, remaining with the production until 2019.
During this time, he also originated the role of Eddie Corbin in Mutt House at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2018, appearing as Lt. Cable in South Pacific at the Aspen Music Festival in 2019, and starred as Mac in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Scotland, PA later that year. In 2019, he debuted his solo show at Feinstein’s/54 Below.
In 2020, McCartan joined the Broadway cast of Frozen as Hans. The production closed shortly afterward due to the COVID-19 shutdown in March. He reprised the role in 2022 during two engagements on the Broadway National Tour of Frozen, giving his final performance in 2022.
On screen, McCartan starred as Kyle Reed in The Winchesters, the Supernatural spin-off series. He returned to the stage in 2023, starring as Tony in West Side Story at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. That same year, he appeared Off-Broadway as Cletis in Lone Star, and in 2024, he took on the title role in Randy Newman’s Faust at The Soraya in Los Angeles.
Beginning in 2025, McCartan joined the Broadway cast of The Great Gatsby. Next, he will star in Washington National Opera’s production of West Side Story.
Jessica Keenan Wynn
Jessica Keenan Wynn starred as Heather Chandler in Heathers The Musical Off-Broadway Following Heathers, she went on to star as Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway in 2015.
After her run in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, she starred as Young Tanya in the 2018 film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
In addition to her stage work, Jessica Keenan Wynn has contributed voice performances to a range of film and television projects, including Roofman, The Gilded Age, Etoile, Blue Bloods, The Bear, Girls5Eva, Barbie, No Hard Feelings, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Killers of the Flower Moon, and many more.
Elle McLemore
Elle McLemore originated the roles of Heather McNamara in Heathers: The Musical. Prior to Heathers, McLemore originated the role of Eva in the Broadway production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Bring It On in 2012.
Following Heathers in 2014, McLemore went on to star in Fox's Grease: Live in 2016 as Patty Simcox. McLemore is currently the host of the podcast PLAYDATE with Elle McLemore.
According to the podcast's official description: "From the Pink Room, actress Elle McLemore and her husband Josh bring you a lighthearted escape filled with curiosity, laughter, connection, and a little bit of magic. PLAYDATE is a weekly hangout where fun games and real conversations leave you smiling, thinking, and feeling a little bit lighter."
Alice Lee
Alice Lee originated the role of Heather Duke in the Off-Broadway production Heathers: The Musical in 2014. Prior to Heathers, Lee starred in the Broadway productions of Spring Awakening, and Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark, and the Off-Broadway production of Bare.
After Heathers, Lee played the role of Emily in the television series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist in 2020. Since 2023, Lee has voiced Lois Lane in the animated series My Adventures with Superman. In the NBC series Suits LA, Lee played a young associate attorney, Leah Power. Lee will star in the upcoming film People We Meet on Vacation. Lee has also appeared on screen in Suits LA, and more.
Katie Ladner
Katie Ladner originated the role of Martha Dunnstock in Heathers: The Musical Off-Broadway. Following Heathers, Ladner appeared as Britta in the Off-Broadway production of Gigantic at Vineyard Theatre in 2015. She went on to play Gretchen in the 2016 world premiere of Freaky Friday in Washington, D.C., and performed in the ensemble of the 2017 Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard.
Ladner later appeared as Sapphire in Almost Famous, first in its 2019 premiere production at The Old Globe in San Diego before reprising the role in the show’s 2022 Broadway run.
Jon Eidson
Jon Eidson originated the role of Ram Sweeney in Heathers. Following Heathers, Eidson turned his attention to TV, appearing in (or lending his voice to) Under the Influencer, Chris & Jack, StarTripper, The Maestro, Everyone I Love Is Dead, Amateur Night, Wacko Smacko, Genie in a Bikini, The End of the World.
Evan Todd
Evan Todd originated the role of Kurt Kelly in Heathers the Musical. His film and television credits include Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever, ABC's Switched at Birth, Disney's Liv and Maddie, and the CW's and Jane the Virgin.
In 2015, Evan starred the film 4th Man Out, which received the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature at OutFest. On stage, he most recently starred as Mark in MCC Theater's Which Way To The Stage in 2022.
Anthony Crivello
Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello originated the role of Bill Sweeney/'Big Bud' Dean in Heathers. Following Heathers, Crivello appeared as British film director David Lean in Ryan Murphy's 2017 FOX miniseries Feud. In 2021, he appeared in Black Easter.
In 2022, Crivello starred in the independent feature film Children of God. In 2023, he recurred in Disney's Pretty Freekin Scary. In 2024, he starred as Police Chief D. W. Johnson in the independent film The Omro Heist and also served as executive producer.
Daniel Cooney
Daniel Cooney originated the role of Paul Kelly / Mr. Sawyer / Principal Gowan in Heathers. Following Heathers, he appeared in Paper Mill Playhouse World Premiere Production of The Bandstand in 2015. Cooney also appeared on Broadway in Mamma Mia, Les Miserables, 9 to 5 the Musical, and Bonnie and Clyde. His national tour credits include Evita, Fiddler on the Roof, The Civil War, and Les Miserables.
Michelle Duffy
Michelle Duffy starred as Ms. Fleming/Veronica's Mom in Heathers Off-Broadway. Following Heathers, Duffy appeared on screen in Law & Order, Burning Man: The Musical, Chicago P.D., Succession, #WarGames, K.C. Undercover, Blue Bloods, Pitching Tents, The Hudson Tribes, The Atlantic Motel, The Night Of, Elementary, The Good Wife.
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