Wake Up With BWW 9/26: Alexandra Billings Joins WICKED, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

Something good is happening in Oz when Alexandra Billings joins the cast of Wicked as Madame Morrible! She begins performances on January 20, 2020.

John Stamos and Graham Phillips have join the cast of "The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!" Phillips will play Prince Eric and Stamos will play Chef Louis.

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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1) Review Roundup: BECOMING NANCY Starring Zachary Sayle, Jessica Vosk, and More!
by Review Roundups

The new musical. Becoming Nancy, is currently playing at Alliance Theatre! Get a first look at the show in these all new photos!. (more...)

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2) John Stamos and Graham Phillips to Make a Splash in ABC's THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!
by TV News Desk

Following his performance as Chef Louis in the Hollywood Bowl production of "The Little Mermaid," two-time Emmy®Award-nominated actor and producer John Stamos will reprise his role as the eccentric French cook in "The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!," airing TUESDAY, NOV. 5(8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), live on ABC. Joining Stamos and the previously announced cast including Auli'i Cravalho (Ariel), Queen Latifah (Ursula) and Shaggy (Sebastian) is Graham Phillips, most known for his work on "The Good Wife," who will return to his live theater roots in the role of Prince Eric.. (more...)

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3) Alexandra Billings Joins the Cast of WICKED as Madame Morrible

Beginning performances Monday, January 20, 2020, ALEXANDRA BILLINGS, from the hit show, a?oeTransparent,a?? will assume the role of Madame Morrible in the Broadway production of WICKED.. (more...)

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4) Photo: David Josefsberg Makes Ghoulish First Appearance in BEETLEJUICE

David Josefsberg has taken over as Adam Maitland in the hit musical comedy BEETLEJUICE, playing at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre, and we've got a first look at his ghostly debut.. (more...)

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5) BroadwayHD Will Offer SWEENEY TODD, JEKYLL AND HYDE, and More in October

BroadwayHD kicks off the month of October with a binge-worthy lineup of performances! Leading the charge is the eerie classic Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, starring Tony Award winners Angela Lansbury and George Hearn as Mrs. Lovett and the vengeful Sweeney Todd. On October 17th, Jekyll and Hyde, starring David Hasselhoff in his Broadway debut, will make its way to the platform. As part of BroadwayHD's partnership with Stratford Festival, subscribers will have access to the critically-acclaimed Stratford Stage's 2017 production of Macbeth on October 24th, starring Ian Lake and Krystin Pellerin. Finally, on October 31st, Hugh Grant and Elizabeth McGovern star in a dramatic tale of love and loss in The Changeling.. (more...)

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Today's Call Sheet:

Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz begins performances tonight at Paper Mill!

Directed and choreographed by Tony award nominee Denis Jones, Orchestrations by Larry Blank and David Libby with music direction by Lawrence Yurman, the principal cast features Ruby Rakos (Billy Elliot) as Judy Garland/Frances Gumm, Tony Award nominee Max von Essen (An American in Paris, Paper Mill's The Baker's Wife) as Frank Gumm, Olivier Award-winner Lesli Margherita(Matilda, Dames at Sea) as Ethel Gumm, Karen Mason (Mamma Mia!, And the World Goes 'Round) as Ma Lawlor/Kay Koverman, Stephen DeRosa (Into the Woods, HBO's Boardwalk Empire) as Louis B. Mayer, Michael Wartella (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tuck Everlasting) as Mickey Rooney, and Colin Hanlon (ABC's Modern Family, Paper Mill's Benny & Joon) as Roger Edens.

Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz begins performances Thursday, September 26, 2019, and will continue through Sunday, October 27, 2019, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). Opening Night is set for Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 7:00pm.

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BWW Exclusive: Interview: Ryan McCartan Talks SCOTLAND, PA, His New EP, and the Latest R&H Goes Pop!

Ryan McCartan knows his way around stage, screen, and recording studio, and now he's pulling a thread from all three starring in the latest video from the R&H Goes Pop! series!

McCartan took a moment out of his artistically packed day to chat with us about the video, his current project Scotland, PA, and even his latest EP, Seventh Avenue.

Read the full interview here!

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What we're watching: George Salazar and MJ Rodriguez Talk LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Pasadena Playhouse's Diverse Cast, Fresh Take on the Show, and More!

"We're not rewriting the show," Salazar said. "We're like mining through the text and trying to find a fresh take on it."

Rodriguez mentioned how the themes of the show tie into her experiences as a transgender woman.

"Definitely ties to a women like myself who has a very specific experience that we go through," Rodriguez said. "You know, objectification and being used and being abused."

Watch the full video here!

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Social Butterfly: Lea Salonga, Jett Pangan Preview 'A Little Priest' from SWEENEY TODD

The touring production (Philippines, Singapore) of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, starring Tony winner Lea Salonga and Jett Pangan, will launch in Manila, Philippines, 11-27 October 2019.

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See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!