NYC theater roundup: Sondheim musical, ‘Hamilton’ casting and more

A new Stephen Sondheim musical could receive its premiere as soon as next year. As first reported by The Washington Post, at an event at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, New York, Sondheim said that he hopes his new musical (which is based on two Luis Buñuel films and has a book by playwright David Ives) will debut at the Public Theater in the fall of 2017, especially since an opera based on one of the same Buñuel films is going to be produced at the Metropolitan Opera at the same time. Sondheim’s last new musical, “Road Show,” received its premiere at the Public Theater in 2008 following many years of development.

Signature Theatre founder dies

James Houghton, founder of off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre, died on Tuesday at age 57 following a two-year battle with stomach cancer. Under Houghton’s leadership, the Signature Theatre became one of New York’s most pre-eminent off-Broadway institutions, with a distinctive mission of focusing on individual American playwrights and producing multiple works by each playwright over a fixed period of time. In 2012, the company moved to a new multi-theater complex at Pershing Square and its annual programming has more than doubled.

More ‘Hamilton’ casting announced

Mandy Gonzalez, who created the role of Nina in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s breakout musical “In the Heights,” will take over for Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler in “Hamilton” in October. Meanwhile, Joshua Henry is now set to join the Chicago cast of “Hamilton” as Aaron Burr. Interestingly, Brandon Victor Dixon (Henry’s “Shuffle Along” co-star) is about to begin playing Burr on Broadway.

‘Trip’ over for 1960s pop music tribute show

The 1960s pop music tribute “Trip of Love” will close on Aug. 7 after running just under a year off-Broadway. Singer Darlene Love (“He’s a Rebel”), who was already about to join the show, will be there for the final four performances. “Trip of Love” marks the longest-running show to ever play the long-vacant, over-sized Stage 42 on 42nd Street, whereas neighboring off-Broadway hubs like Theater Row, Playwrights Horizons and the Signature Center are always busy.

‘Troilus and Cressida’ opening pushed back due to actor injury

Opening night of the Shakespeare in the Park production of “Troilus and Cressida,” which was supposed to be this past Tuesday, got pushed back by a week due to an injury sustained by David Harbour (who played Achilles). Louis Cancelmi (Caliban in last summer’s “The Tempest”) has taken over the role. This means that the production will close just a few days after the reviews are published on Wednesday.

‘Harry Potter’ parody scores off-Broadway transfer

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which just opened in London to great reviews and a huge box office advance, is likely to hit Broadway soon. But for the time being, you can check out the “Harry Potter” parody “PUFFS or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic,” which will transfer off-Broadway to The Elektra Theater beginning Sept. 29, following a hit run at the Peoples Improv Theater. “PUFFS” is about the unnoticed classmates of Harry Potter who “try to keep their heads down and get a basic wizarding education.”

‘Flamingo Kid’ eyed for musical adaptation

The late Garry Marshall’s 1984 film comedy “The Flamingo Kid” is being developed into a stage musical, with a book by Robert Freedman (“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”) and music by Scott Frankel (“Grey Gardens”). The goal is for it to open on Broadway in two years. The film, which starred Matt Dillon, is about a young boy who takes a job at a beach resort in the summer of 1963.