Tony winner Laura Benanti (“Gypsy,” “She Loves Me”), who was long considered a leading candidate to play Eliza Doolittle in the new Broadway revival of “My Fair Lady,” will take over the plum role from Oct. 23 to Feb. 17. Lauren Ambrose (who won a Tony nomination for her performance as Eliza) will play her final performance on Oct. 21. In a statement, Benanti said that “Eliza Doolittle has been my dream role for as long as I can remember.”
‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ creative team finalized
A Broadway musical based on the 1982 cross-dressing comedy “Tootsie” (where Dustin Hoffman played Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels) is already set to come to Broadway in March, but that will not stop the development of a musical adaptation of the 1993 cross-dressing comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” (where Robin Williams played Daniel Hillard/Euphegenia Doubtfire). It was announced this week that the creative team of “Mrs. Doubtfire” will include producer Kevin McCollum (“Rent”), director Jerry Zaks (“Hello, Dolly!”) and the “Something Rotten!” writing trio of Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell.
Mandy Patinkin to sing in the East Village
Mandy Patinkin, whose presence on the New York stage has been limited in recent years due to the success of “Homeland,” will appear in a series of concerts at the Connelly Theater in the East Village from Oct. 10 to 28. “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Diaries 2018” will include a song list will include classic show tunes, plus selections from his newest recordings. Last year, Patinkin was slated to join the Broadway musical “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” but he bowed out following backlash over the fact that Okieriete Onaodowan’s run as Pierre would be cut short to accommodate Patinkin’s schedule.
Keri Russell has no plans to enter ‘Waitress’
Keri Russell — who is set to make her Broadway debut in a revival of the Lanford Wilson drama “Burn This” — has no plans to ever step into “Waitress,” the musical based on the 2007 indie film, in which she played the lead role of Jenna. “I am a dancer, but I’m not a singer,” Russell told Deadline. Russell also said that she has yet to see “Waitress” on Broadway.
Spotted…
Martin Lawrence at “Mean Girls”…Neil Patrick Harris at “Head Over Heels.”
