Week in Review 10.16.15


Ask a Star: Robbie Fairchild and Leanne Cope
The Tony-nominated stars of An American in Paris are the latest to sit down on the Broadway.com couch and answer fans' questions (including mine!) in the latest installment of Ask a Star.


Casting News
  • Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal, Graceland) will lead the cast of a new CBS series, Brain Dead. The show is set in DC, and imagines what would happen if aliens took over the Capitol and started eating elected officials' brains. (Different from now how...?) The series is set to premiere next summer. Broadway.com has more.

  • Full casting has been announced for Gigantic, the new musical set to play off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre this fall. Bring It On alumnae Taylor Louderman and Ryann Redmond are among the cast members, as well as Leslie Kritzer (A Catered Affair, The Memory Show), Andrew Durand (War Horse) and others. Previews begin November 11, with opening night set for December 3. The limited engagement is scheduled to conclude on December 20. Broadway.com has more.

  • Tony nominee Carrie Coon (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Placebo) and Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) will star in the supernatural romance The Keeping Hours. Variety reports that the film will start shooting in December.


  • Elle McLemore (Bring It On, Heathers) has joined the starry cast of Fox's live broadcast of Grease. McLemore will play Patty Simcox. Aaron Tveit stars as Danny Zuko. Tune in on January 31, 2016, to see the T-Birds, Pink Ladies and more. Deadline has details.
You're in the Band!
With less than a month until School of Rock begins Broadway previews, the production has released this cool, interactive, 360 degree music video for the tune, "You're in the Band." Led by star Alex Brightman, the video captures the moment when the school rock band comes together. The musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Phantom, et al.), lyrics by Glenn Slater (Leap of Faith) and a book by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), is based on the 2003 film that starred Jack Black. School of Rock will play the Winter Garden Theatre, where previews begin on November 9. Opening night is set for December 6. Visit schoolofrockthemusical.com for more information and to purchase tickets.


Dig This
  • In a new twist on their Cue + A questionnaire, Playbill is now asking actors to "Put It In Writing." First up: Tony winner Nina Arianda (Venus in Fur), who can currently be seen on Broadway in Fool for Love. Visit Playbill to learn about her favorite cast albums and what she'd do with a year off. (PS—Fool for Love will play an extra week of performances; the run continues through December 13.)

  • An In Performance at the White House special, featuring Audra McDonald, Carol Burnett, James Taylor and more, was filmed this week, and will air on PBS on January 8, 2016, at 9pm. Playbill has more.

  • Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line, Wild) will receive the American Cinematheque Mid-Career Achievement Award (kind of an odd honor, but OK) on October 30. The Hollywood Reporter has more.

  • Head to Theater Mania for a discussion among orchestrators in which you'll learn about what they do to make the musicals you love sound so good.

  • Foo Fighters are recording their next album! Sonic Highways was released less than a year ago, yet Dave Grohl announced during an Austin City Limits performance, that the band recorded five tracks while in Austin. Grohl continued, saying one of the tracks features musician Ben Kweller. No news about the album's "theme" or a release date, but Rolling Stone has more about the appearance.

  • Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker (The Flick, John) was on Marc Maron's WTF podcast this week. Visit wtfpod.com to listen.

  • Be sure to tune into HBO this Saturday night, October 17, for Amy Schumer's comedy special. The comedy set was performed at the famed Apollo Theatre, and the special was directed by Chris Rock.

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