Week in Review 9.12.14

Justin Peck Featured
Dance magazine features NYCB soloist and rising choreographer Justin Peck on the cover of its September issue. In the feature article, which you can read online, Peck talks about balancing his work as a dancer and a choreographer; being inspired by music; and his mentors, including Christopher Wheeldon and NYCB Ballet Master in Chief, Peter Martins. After you've read the article, head to nycballet.com to purchase tickets for the 2014-2015 season, which will feature two new Peck ballets (the first, Belles Lettres, is set to premiere this month), and an encore performance of Everywhere We Go.

SNL Comings and Goings
Several changes to the long-running sketch comedy show were announced this week.
  • Three new writers, Natasha Rothwell, Streeter Seidell and Jeremy Beiler, have joined the team.

  • Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Moneyball) and recent Emmy winner Sarah Silverman will host the first two episodes of the new season, September 27 and October 4.

  • After a brief stint at The Daily Show, Michael Che returns to SNL (where he had been a writer), and will join Colin Jost at the Weekend Update desk. Che is taking over Cecily Strong's chair; Strong will remain with the show as a regular cast member. The Hollywood Reporter has more about this.
Casting News
Film—Billie Joe Armstrong (American Idiot) will star in the upcoming film Geezer, about an aging rock star whose family forgets his birthday. Playbill has more.

Broadway—Michael C. Hall will take over as Hedwig in the Tony-winning revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Current Hedwig Andrew Rannells will play his final performance on October 12. Hall begins his run on October 16. Tony winner Lena Hall remains with the production. Broadway.com has more.

TV Concert—It is confirmed that Christian Borle, who won a Tony Award for playing Captain Hook progenitor Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher, will appear in the December 4 live NBC broadcast of Peter Pan. Borle will play Hook's sidekick, Smee. Also heading to Neverland is Kelli O'Hara (The Bridges of Madison County), who will play Wendy, Michael and John's mother, Mrs. Darling (wasting her beautiful voice). They join Allison Williams (as Peter Pan) and Christopher Walken (as Captain Hook). Playbill has more about Borle and O'Hara.

Broadway—The crowd-pleasing Beautiful will welcome Scott J. Campbell as Gerry Goffin, taking over for the departing Jake Epstein. Campbell will begin performances on September 23, and will star alongside Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller, who continues to shine as Carole King. Broadway.com has more.

Film—Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon (How Do You Know?), who has three movies, The Good Lie, Inherent Vice and Wild, due out this year, is set to star as Peggy Lee in a long-gestating biopic that was written by the late Nora Ephron. Playwright Doug Wright (Hands on a Hardbody) rewrote the script and Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) is set to direct. Playbill has more.

Broadway—Full casting as been announced for the upcoming revival of Side Show. Ryan Silverman, David St. Louis and Matthew Hydzik will reprise their roles from the La Jolla and Kennedy Center productions. Side Show, which will run at the St James Theatre, begins previews October 28, with opening night set for November 17. Broadway.com has the full cast list.

TV—Additional casting has been announced for the upcoming NBC miniseries, The Slap. Zachary  Quinto (The Glass Menagerie) and Brian Cox join the previously announced Mary-Louise Parker and Peter Sarsgaard. The Slap is written by Jon Robin Baitz (Other Desert Cities). The Hollywood Reporter has more.

Broadway—A revival of The Heidi Chronicles is getting closer, with Elisabeth Moss (The West Wing, Mad Men) reportedly taking on the title role. The New York Times reports that the play will begin preview in February 2015, in advance of a March opening, with Jason Biggs (Orange is the New Black), Tony nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) and Tracee Chimo (Bad Jews) co-starring.

Dig This
  • Dates are set for the Tony Awards! Nominations will be announced on April 28, 2015 (following an April 23 eligibility cut off date), and the big night will be held on June 7. Broadway.com has more.

  • Tony Award winner James Corden (One Man, Two Guvnors) will take over CBS's The Late Late Show after Craig Ferguson steps down in 2015. TV Line has details.

  • Keep an eye on Netflix—on October 21, the comedy special Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn premieres on the streaming service. The comedian and former Daily Show correspondent announced the news this week.

  • Rejoice: the Tony-winning production of Twelfth Night, starring Mark Rylance, will hit movie theaters this month. Screenings begin September 16. Playbill has more.

  • The American Theatre Wing is partnering with the Village Voice to co-present the Obie Awards, which honor excellence in off-Broadway. Playbill has more.

     
  • The Newsroom will return to HBO for its third and final (six-episode) season on November 9 at 9pm. The Wrap has more.

  • James Snyder takes you behind the scenes at If/Then in the latest episode of his Broadway.com vlog, Hey Kid. And Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart takes you behind the scenes at Aladdin in the latest episodes of his Broadway.com vlog, I Dream of Genie.

  • There is a Broadway-bound revival of Gigi debuting at the Kennedy Center in January 2015, and it stars Vanessa Hudgens. Broadwayworld.com has details.

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