The production will begin performances at the Gielgud Theatre from the 6th March 2024.
Further casting has now been confirmed for the upcoming World Premiere of John Cassavetes’ Opening Night, a new musical with book by Ivo van Hove and music and lyrics by Rufus Wainwright.
Joining the previously announced Sheridan Smith as Myrtle will be Hadley Fraser as Manny, Shira Haas as Nancy, Nicola Hughes as Sarah, Amy Lennox as Dorothy and John Marquez as David. Additional casting has yet to be announced.
Hadley Fraser’s many West End credits include most recently The Lehman Trilogy at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, City of Angels at the Garrick and Donmar Theatres, Young Frankenstein, also at the Garrick Theatre and Javert in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre.
Shira Haas garnered international critical acclaim for her role in the Netflix series Unorthodox, for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series and was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Opening Night marks her West End debut.
Nicola Hughes is a double Olivier Award nominee for Best Actress in a Musical for her starring roles in Fosse at the Prince of Wales Theatre and Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre. Her other West End credits include Velma Kelly in Chicago and Lola in Damn Yankees, both at the Adelphi Theatre and The Acid Queen in the original London company of Tommy at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
Amy Lennox recently starred as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. She received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Lauren in the West End production of Kinky Boots.
John Marquez recently played Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion at the Old Vic. He has also appeared at the Old Vic in The American Clock and Flea in her Ear. His many other theatre credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre, Privates on Parade at the Noël Coward Theatre and Ragtime at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Sheridan Smith is an award-winning stage and screen actress, whose acclaimed West End credits include most recently playing the title role in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Her performance as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre and as Doris in Flare Path at Theatre Royal Haymarket, both garnered her Olivier Awards.
Based on John Cassavetes’ legendary film, Opening Night follows a theatre company’s preparations to stage a major new play on Broadway. But drama ignites behind the scenes when their leading lady is rocked by tragedy, and her personal turmoil forces everybody to deliver the performance of their lives.
Directed and conceived by Ivo van Hove, Opening Night will play a strictly limited season at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End from 6 March to 27 July 2024. Talking about the production he said: “I am truly delighted to be bringing this new musical to the West End and thrilled we’ve assembled such a stellar cast to join Sheridan. It is a real privilege to be collaborating with the wonderful Rufus Wainwright, fulfilling our ambition of bringing this tale of the trials and tribulations behind the scenes of the theatre to the stage.”
Produced by Benjamin Lowy and Emily Vaughan-Barratt of Wessex Grove, the production will feature set, lighting and video design by Jan Versweyveld, costume design by An D’Huys and sound design by Tom Gibbons and Alex Twiselton.Orchestrations are by Wainwright, with musical supervision and musical direction by Nigel Lilley. Movement and choreography is by Polly Bennett, casting by Julia Horan CDG and the associate director is Daniel Raggett.
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