As expected, the new musical adaptation of the Bill Murray film “Groundhog Day,” which just opened to rave reviews in London, will open on Broadway in April, just before the Tony Awards eligibility date. It will play the August Wilson Theatre, where “Jersey Boys” is about to close. The production reunites director Matthew Warchus and songwriter Tim Minchin, who worked together on “Matilda.” Danny Rubin, who co-authored the film’s screenplay, is the musical’s book-writer.
Understudies warned about social media usage
In recent years, understudies have posted in advance on social media the dates that they will be appearing onstage. This week, megaproducer Cameron Mackintosh sent out a memo asking the understudies in his London shows to refrain from sharing their upcoming performance dates with the general public, raising the possibility that Broadway producers will follow suit. “There is information that could be commercially sensitive that we believe needs to be controlled by management,” a spokesperson for Mackintosh told The Stage, a London theater website.
Leona Lewis to leave ‘Cats’
The Broadway revival of “Cats” opened less than two months ago, but Leona Lewis is already set to take her final trip to the “Heaviside Layer.” The English singer, who received mixed reviews for her performance as Grizabella, will exit the show on Oct. 9. No word yet on who will be the next actress to sing “Memory.”
‘Fiddler’ cancels Yom Kippur performance
The producers of the Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” announced last week that they are canceling a performance that was scheduled for Oct. 11, the evening of Yom Kippur. During the original Broadway production, an actress claimed that she got fired from the show because she took off to observe the High Holidays (although producer Hal Prince insisted that was untrue). The revival will play its last performance on Dec. 31.
‘Broadway Bounty Hunter’ to play Joe’s Pub concert
“Broadway Bounty Hunter,” a new musical by Joe Iconis in which actress Annie Golden plays an alternative version of herself working a professional bounty hunter, will be performed in concert at Joe’s Pub on Sept. 26, following its recent premiere at Barrington Stage. Golden, who has appeared in multiple Broadway musicals, also plays the mute Norma on “Orange is the New Black.”
Spotted …
James Corden making a cameo in “Aladdin” … Kourtney Kardashian at “Cats” … Jimmy Buffett at “Beautiful” … Sigourney Weaver at “Toruk” … Christian Slater at “Fiddler on the Roof.”
