Broadway musicals “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” and “Bandstand” will close on Sept. 3 and 17, respectively. Following the exit of Josh Groban earlier this summer, “The Great Comet” entered a period of tumult when its producers attempted to bring in Mandy Patinkin to play Pierre in place of Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan, creating backlash on social media and Patinkin to withdraw from joining the show. “Bandstand,” about a group of World War II veterans who form a swing band, simply failed catch on with audiences after it opened on April.
‘Jersey Boys’ returning to the New York stage
The boys will soon be back in town. The Four Seasons biographical/jukebox musical “Jersey Boys,” which closed this past January after running 11 years at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre, will return to New York in November, but this time it will play Off-Broadway’s New World Stages. The new cast has not yet been announced.
Lea Salonga joins ‘Once on This Island’
Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, who originated the role of Kim in “Miss Saigon” and returned to Broadway two seasons ago in “Allegiance,” has joined the cast of the Broadway revival of the 1990 Caribbean-flavored musical “Once On This Island,” which will play at Circle in the Square in the fall. Salonga will play Erzulie, the goddess of love. “In casting the gods that inhabit our island, it became imperative for me to break expectations and stretch beyond the bounds in which gods are traditionally represented,” director Michael Arden said in a statement.
‘Symphonie Fantastique’ will receive revival
Basil Twist’s “Symphonie Fantastique,” a spectacle of puppetry, water and music inspired by Hector Berlioz’s 1830 symphony of the same name, will receive a 12-week revival at the HERE performing arts complex in Greenwich Village, beginning March 29. The show received its premiere at the same venue 20 years ago. The elaborate production will feature a 1,000-gallon water tank and live piano accompaniment from Christopher O’Riley, host of NPR’s “From the Top.”
Spotted . . .
Al Roker at “Stomp” . . . Toni Collette at “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” . . . Lauren Graham at “Hello, Dolly!” . . . Victoria Justice at “Dear Evan Hansen.”
