Xanadu
RWS Entertainment Group has announced complete casting and select tour dates for the National Tour of the Tony Award®-nominated roller-skating smash hit musical Xanadu, starring previously announced “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season five winner, Jinkx Monsoon (Calliope), and season seven finalist, Ginger Minj (Melpomene).
The cast will consist of Rachelle Rose Clark (Kira), Naysh Fox (Sonny), James May(Danny/Zeus), Larry Luck (Swing) and Alyson Snyder (Swing, Dance Captain).
The music of this production will be helmed by Music Supervisor, Todd Olson. The onstage band, who also play minor roles, will consist of Lena Gabrielle (Music Director/Keys), Alex “Goldie” Golden (Associate Music Director/Keys), Deuce Bennett (Guitar), and Nicole Marcus (Drums). The production will be designed by Jeremy Doucette (Scenic Designer), Estefania Zambrano(Costume Designer), Mike Megliola (Lighting Designer), Duncan Robert Edwards (Sound Designer) and Jenna Snyder (Props Designer). As previously announced, this production will be directed by Alan Souza and choreographed by Maxx Reed.
There will be a limited number of VIP Experience Tickets sold for select performances of Xanadu. Each VIP Experience ticket will include a premium ticket to the show in the best seats in the theater, as well as a post-show photo-op with at least one of the drag queens.
Xanadu, the hilarious roller-skating musical adventure, hailed as “the most fun you’ll have on Broadway” (The New Yorker), returns in a national tour with some fierce new twists! The show follows the beautiful Greek muse Kira, as she journeys from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, circa 1980, on a quest to inspire scrappy artist-on-the-rise Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first ROLLER DISCO! But when Kira stumbles into forbidden love with Sonny, a mere mortal, her salty sisters (RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Ginger Minj and Jinkx Monsoon) take matters into their own hands.
See the current list of stops here. Additional cities will be revealed at a later time.
Jesus Christ Superstar
Work Light Productions announced casting today for the 50th Anniversary Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s iconic musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. Winner of the 2017 Olivier Award® for Best Musical Revival, the North American presentation of the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production will tech in Syracuse, NY. The tour will officially launch at Austin’s Bass Concert Hall on October 8th through the 13th before visiting over 30 cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, Dallas and Chicago.
“We are thrilled to have put together this incredible company. It’s now time for us to plug into the Brown Album and make that music live again on stage. The show will resound with audiences across North America like it was written for us today,” says director Tim Sheader.
The cast is led by Aaron LaVigne (Spider Man: Turn Off The Dark, RENT) in the role of Jesus along with James Delisco Beeks (Kinky Boots, Aida) as Judas, Jenna Rubaii (Groundhog Day, American Idiot) as Jesus’ devoted follower Mary and Alvin Crawford (The Lion King, Candide) as Caiaphas.
Casting also includes Tommy Sherlock (Pilate), Tyce Green (Annas), Eric A. Lewis (Simon), Paul Louis Lessard (Herod), Tommy McDowell (Peter), along with David André, Sara Andreas, Wesley J. Barnes, Brian Golub, Brittany Rose Hammond, Garfield Hammonds, Keirsten Nicole Hodgens, Sheila Jones, Rebecca Kritzer, Jacob Lacopo, Charles McCall, Danny McHugh, Pepe Nufrio, Sarah Parker, Erick Patrick, SandyRedd, Jasmine Schmenk, Neil Totton and Chelsea Williams (Pepe Nufrio and Tommy Sherlock are appearing with the support of Actors’ Equity Association).
Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’, ‘Gethsemane’ and ‘Superstar’.
The North American tour will be helmed by acclaimed director Timothy Sheader and cutting-edge choreographer Drew McOnie, with set and costume design by 2016 Tony Award® nominee, Tom Scutt and music supervision by Tom Deering. Rounding out the creative team is lighting design by Lee Curran, and associate Ryan O’Gara, with co-sound design by Keith Caggiano and Nick Lidster.
Click here to see a current list of stops for the 2019/2020 season.