Steve Martin’s musical to try out in D.C. before Broadway
“Bright Star,” a new musical written by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) and Edie Brickell, is slated to come to Broadway next spring after a tryout run in Washington, D.C. Set in the American South of the 1920s and ’40s, it is the love story of a literary editor and a World War II soldier.
‘Camp’ is getting a sequel
Todd Graff’s 2003 film “Camp,” about theater-obsessed teens at a performing arts camp based loosely on Stagedoor Manor in upstate New York, will finally receive a sequel, Graff told Playbill.com. Its working title is “Camp 2: Freaks in Nature.” The cast of the original film included Anna Kendrick, Robin de Jesus and Sasha Allen. As part of the sequel, Patti LuPone and Donna Murphy will apparently perform “Steppin’ to the Bad Side” from “Dreamgirls.” There is already a website: camp2themovie.com.
Hal Prince revue to premiere in Japan
“Prince of Broadway,” a long-in-development musical revue celebrating the numerous noteworthy musicals helmed by director-producer Hal Prince, will receive its world premiere in the fall in Japan. Prince will direct, with Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) serving as co-director and choreographer. The cast will include Shuler Hensley (“Oklahoma!”), Ramin Karimloo (“Les Miz”), Josh Grisetti (“It Shoulda Been You”), Nancy Opel (“Honeymoon in Vegas”) and Emily Skinner (“Side Show”).
Hilty to do ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ at City Center
Megan Hilty (“Smash”) will headline a one-night concert production of the classic Irving Berlin musical “Annie Get Your Gun” at City Center on Oct. 27. Hilty will play Annie Oakley, the brash frontier gal originally played by Ethel Merman and more recently by Bernadette Peters (who played Hilty’s mother on “Smash”) in the 1999 Broadway revival. John Rando (“On the Town”) will direct.
Jessie Mueller’s sister inherits her role in ‘Beautiful’
Abbie Mueller — sister of Jessie Mueller, who won last year’s Tony Award for Best Actress as singer-songwriter Carole King in the musical “Beautiful — will play King in the musical’s national tour, which launches in the fall. Meanwhile, Jessie Mueller is set to star in the new musical “Waitress,” which has its regional premiere in Cambridge in August.
Richard Nelson writing new play cycle for the Public Theater
Playwright-director Richard Nelson, whose acclaimed four-part drama “The Apple Family Plays” at the Public Theater explored a family from upstate New York on significant political dates from 2010 through 2013, will premiere “The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family “a new three-play cycle, next year at the Public. As with “The Apple Family Plays,” each part will open on the day it is actually set in March, September and November 2016, culminating with election night.
Tony-winner Ashford to play a dog in ‘Sylvia’
Annaleigh Ashford, who just won a Tony Award for her wonderfully nutty performance in “You Can’t Take It With You,” will headline a Broadway revival of A.R. Gurney’s romantic comedy “Sylvia” in the fall. Ashford will play a dog that is found in Central Park and brought home by a middle-aged New York couple. She will be joined by Tony winner Julie White (“The Little Dog Laughed”) and Robert Sella.
‘View from the Bridge’ coming to Broadway
The acclaimed London revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge,” staged by the experimental Belgian director Ivo van Hove, will transfer to Broadway in the fall. It will be jointly produced by Scott Rudin and Lincoln Center Theater. The play was revived on Broadway just five years ago with Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber.
Spotted …
Billy Crystal at “Something Rotten!” … Senator Harry Reid and Bryan Cranston at “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” … John Waters at “Hand to God.”
