| “SUNSET BLVD.” STARRING NICOLE SCHERZINGER ANNOUNCES COMPLETE CASTING FOR BROADWAY | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 12:37 pm EDT 08/12/24 | |
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| JAMIE LLOYD'S NEW PRODUCTION OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S "SUNSET BLVD." ANNOUNCES COMPLETE BROADWAY CASTING STARRING OLIVIER AWARD® WINNER & GRAMMY AWARD ® NOMINEE NICOLE SCHERZINGER IN HER EAGERLY ANTICIPATED BROADWAY DEBUT HEADSHOTS OF THE COMPLETE CAST CAN BE FOUND HERE ST. JAMES THEATRE BOX OFFICE TO OPEN THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 New York, NY (August 12, 2024) – Today, producers announced complete casting for two-time Tony Award® nominee and multiple Olivier Award®-winning director Jamie Lloyd's new Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Blvd. starring Olivier Award® winner and Grammy Award® nominee Nicole Scherzinger as ‘Norma Desmond.' Sunset Blvd., which features book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, will play the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street) with preview performances beginning Saturday, September 28 ahead of a Sunday, October 20 opening night. Joining Scherzinger will be co-stars of the London production, 2024 Olivier Award winner Tom Francis as ‘Joe Gillis,' 2024 Olivier Award nominee Grace Hodgett Young as ‘Betty Schaefer,' and Olivier Award winner and 2024 Olivier nominee David Thaxton as ‘Max Von Mayerling.' Drama Desk® and OBIE Award® winner Mandy Gonzalez will guest star as ‘Norma Desmond' at certain select performances and Caroline Bowman will standby for the role of ‘Norma Desmond.' They will be joined by ensemble members Olivia Lacie Andrews as ‘Nancy,' Brandon Mel Borkowsky as ‘John,' Shavey Brown as ‘Finance Man/Stan/DeMille,' Hannah Yun Chamberlain as ‘Young Norma,' Cydney Clark as ‘Joanna/Guard,' Raúl Contreras as ‘Finance Man/Frank,' Tyler Davis as ‘Sheldrake,' E.J. Hamilton as ‘Lisa,' Sydney Jones as ‘Dorothy,' Emma Lloyd as ‘Mary/Heather,' Pierre Marais as ‘Sammy,' Shayna McPherson as ‘Camera Operator/Katherine,' Jimin Moon as ‘Morino/Hog Eye,' Justice Moore as ‘Jean,' Drew Redington as ‘Myron/Jones/Camera Operator,' and Diego Andres Rodriguez ‘Artie.' Swings for the production will be Giuseppe Bausilio (dance captain), Kristina Garvida Doucette (assistant dance captain), Brandon LaVar, Maggie Likcani, Abby Matsusaka, and Rixey Terry. Tickets for Sunset Blvd. are on sale at www.sunsetblvdbroadway.com or Seat Geek HERE . To coincide with the show's Broadway opening, SUNSET BLVD: THE ALBUM recorded live at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End, is set for global release in October via The Other Songs. Featuring the powerhouse London cast, SUNSET BLVD: THE ALBUM captures the thrilling energy of this bold, new production. When The Jamie Lloyd Company's new production of Sunset Blvd. began performances last fall, it immediately grabbed the attention of theatergoers worldwide as an extraordinary reimagination of Lloyd Webber's iconic musical. Scherzinger's performance was hailed as "soul-baring and roof raising" (Daily Mail) and Lloyd's "tour de force of a show" (Evening Standard) became the talk of both sides of the Atlantic and was called "the show of the year" (Time Out) and went on to win a record seven Olivier Awards including Best Musical Revival, Best Director for Lloyd, Best Actress in a Musical for Scherzinger, and Best Actor in a Musical for Francis. Lloyd Webber's thrillingly atmospheric Sunset Blvd. features an iconic score including the songs "With One Look," "The Perfect Year," and "As If We Never Said Goodbye." Haunted by her memories and dreams, movie star Norma Desmond (Nicole Scherzinger) yearns to return to the big screen. A struggling screenwriter (Tom Francis) who can't sell his scripts to the Hollywood studios may be her only hope, until their dangerous and compelling relationship leads to disastrous circumstances. Drenched in champagne and cynicism, Sunset Blvd. scrutinizes the ambitions and frustrations of its characters and their intoxicating need for fame and adoration. The creative team for Sunset Blvd. includes Soutra Gilmour (set and costume design), Fabian Aloise (choreography), Alan Williams (music supervisor and music director), Jack Knowles (lighting design), Adam Fisher (sound design), Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom (video design and cinematography), Cheryl Thomas (hair and makeup design), Ann James (intimacy coordinator), Jim Carnahan CSA and Jason Thinger CSA (U.S. casting director), Stuart Burt CDG (U.K. casting director), and Johnny Milani (production stage manager). 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the General Manager for Sunset Blvd. The creative team also includes Rupert Hands (U.K. associate director), Benita de Wit (U.S. associate director), Paris Green (U.K. associate choreographer), Ashley Andrews (U.S. associate choreographer), and Fred Lassen (associate musical director). Sunset Blvd. is produced by The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions, Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, and Gavin Kalin Productions by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd and based on the Paramount Pictures film directed by Billy Wilder. BIOGRAPHIES Nicole Scherzinger (Norma Desmond) is a Grammy-nominated, multi-award-winning, platinum-selling singer, actress, and dancer. Scherzinger was formerly a member of one of the world's best-selling music groups of all time, The Pussycat Dolls, firmly cementing herself as a global pop icon. Scherzinger grew up a student of theater and is a classically trained performer. Her early onstage career included musical performances in Guys and Dolls, Chicago, and Showboat. Her West End debut came in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Scherzinger recently garnered rave reviews for her "career-defining" performance as ‘Norma Desmond' in Jamie Lloyd's reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Blvd. The rapturously received production was nominated for 11 Olivier Awards, winning seven of them, including Best Musical Revival and Best Actress in a Musical for Scherzinger. She also won the Best Musical Performance award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The production is moving to Broadway this fall, beginning previews on September 28 and opening on October 20 at the St. James Theater. On screen, Scherzinger co-starred in the critically acclaimed NBC musical television special, "Annie Live!" as ‘Grace Farrell.' She won "Dancing with the Stars" in 2010 and served as a judge on several other television talent shows, including "The X Factor" US (2011), "The X Factor" UK (2012-2013, 2016-2017), and "The Masked Singer" (2019-2023). Scherzinger is also the voice of ‘Sina' in Disney's popular film Moana. Tom Francis (Joe Gillis; he/him) is an Olivier Award winner for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as ‘Joe Gillis' in Sunset Blvd (Savoy Theatre- West End). Other theater credits include: & Juliet (Shaftesbury), What's New Pussycat? (Birmingham Rep), Rent (Hope Mill), Hair – The Concert (London Palladium), and I Could Use A Drink (Gartland Productions). Screen credits include "You" (Netflix) and the upcoming untitled Noah Baumbach Picture (Netflix). Training: Arts Educational School. Instagram: @realtomfrancis. Grace Hodgett Young (Betty Schaefer; she/her) is the winner of the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Professional Debut and an Olivier Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Sunset Blvd. at the Savoy Theatre. Other theater credits include Eurydice in Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre. Screen credits include "What It Feels Like For A Girl" (BBC). Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Instagram: @gracehodgettyoung. David Thaxton (Max Von Mayerling; he/him). Theater credits include: Sunset Blvd. (Savoy Theatre; Olivier Award nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical); Passion (Donmar Warehouse; Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical); Les Misérables (Sondheim/ Queen's); Come From Away (Phoenix); The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's); Camelot (London Palladium); Love Never Dies (Adelphi); West End Men (Vaudeville); She Loves Me (Sheffield Crucible); Candide (Menier Chocolate Factory); Roller Diner (Soho); Only The Brave, The Rake's Progress (Wales Millennium Centre); The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Southwark Playhouse); The Cunning Little Vixen (Sherman, Cardiff); Trial by Jury (BBC National Orchestra of Wales/ St David's Hall/ Chandos). Concerts include: Jesus Christ Superstar – The Concert (Regent's Park Open Air); Broadway to the Bay (Wales Millennium Centre); "Welsh Guards Centenary Celebration" (Cardiff Principality Stadium); "Friday Night is Music Night" (BBC Radio 2); Bond with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Sage Gateshead); Bring Them Home (Cardiff Castle). Training: Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Instagram: @youngthacko. Mandy Gonzalez (Norma Desmond at certain performances) is an accomplished film, TV, stage actor, and author. She possesses one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time. Her first Broadway role was in Aida and has since gone on to originate the role of ‘Nina Rosario' in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, In The Heights, for which she received a Drama Desk Award. She is also among the Broadway greats who have taken on the role of ‘Elphaba' in Wicked and most recently she starred in the megahit Hamilton as ‘Angelica Schuyler' for six years. Along with being a stage actor, Gonzalez has been featured in television and movie roles including "The Good Wife," "Madam Secretary," Across the Universe, "Quantico," and "Only Murders in the Building." A frequent concert soloist, Gonzalez has performed with symphony orchestras around the world. Highlights include Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops, Boston Pops, Philly Pops, the National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Atlanta Pops to name a few. Gonzalez released her debut album FEARLESS in 2017, which debuted in the Top 20 of iTunes pop charts. In her quest to create positive change, Gonzalez is the proud founder of #FearlessSquad – a social media movement for inclusiveness and positivity. She is also an accomplished author who recently published her young adult series, FEARLESS – a four-book middle-grade series that follows young thespians whose brushes with the supernatural teach them about theater, friendship, and themselves. Gonzalez is deeply committed to advocating for underserved communities and schools. She serves on the boards of BCRF (Breast Cancer Research Foundation) and BC/EFA (Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS), where she actively promotes awareness and fundraising efforts. Caroline Bowman (Standby for Norma Desmond; she/her) has an extensive theater career that has taken her all over the world. Fresh off her five-year run as ‘Elsa' in the North American tour of Disney's Frozen playing over 1,000 performances. Broadway and tours include: Kinky Boots OBC and closing cast (‘Nicola'), Wicked (‘Elphaba'), Evita (‘Eva Peron,' Helen Hayes Award nomination), Spamalot (‘Lady of the Lake'), Fame - China Tour (‘Carmen') and Grease - Istanbul, Turkey (‘Rizzo'). Select Regional: The MUNY (All Shook Up, Kinky Boots), Cape Playhouse (Gypsy), Toby's Dinner Theatre (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Helen Hayes Award nomination), Vancouver Opera (Evita). She holds a BFA in musical theater from Penn State. Instagram: @carolinebowman5. Olivia Lacie Andrews (Nancy; she/her). Broadway debut! Tour: Chicago (‘Annie,' understudy ‘Roxie Hart'). Regional: Music Theatre Wichita, Bucks County Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, Theatre Aspen. Choreographer of the regional premiere of Salt City Blues. Proud Syracuse University alum. Instagram: @livdrews. Giuseppe Bausilio (Swing; he/him) is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, cinematographer, and producer born and raised in Switzerland by a Brazilian mother and Italian father. Both are former ballet dancers and currently teach at their school in Switzerland and New York/NJ: American-Swiss Ballet. His brother is a former ballet dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet and his sister is a carpenter. Bausilio began dancing at the age of three under the tutelage of his parents and made his Broadway debut in Billy Elliot: The Musical at just 11 years old. Since then, he's appeared in six Broadway shows including Newsies; Aladdin; Cats; Hello, Dolly!; and Hamilton. Bausilio loves to choreograph and cinematography with ambitions to merge his interests on the big screen. His film and television credits include playing Alfie in "The Next Step," "Ode to Passion," and "Dead Man Down." Co-producer and Director of Photography for Sharrod Williams' "Neighbors." He is also a judge, masterclass teacher, and emcee for Youth America Grand Prix. Speaks seven languages. Instagram: @GiuseppeBausilio. Brandon Mel Borkowsky (John; he/him). Coney Island born and raised, Borkowsky is ecstatic to be making his Broadway debut with Sunset Blvd! He is a USC Musical Theater BFA and a LaGuardia High School alum. He has performed at venues such as Madison Square Garden, Pasadena Playhouse, and Lincoln Center. Borkowsy likes to eat rice and beans. Don't forget the chicken. When you see him on stage, just know he is living his dream. Instagram: @smurf.boy. Shavey Brown (Finance Man/Stan/DeMille; he/him). Broadway debut! National and international tours: Hadestown (First National Tour), The Prom (First National Tour), LCT's My Fair Lady, and Dreamgirls. Off-Broadway and other New York theater: Once Upon a Mattress (City Center), Smokey Joe's Cafe, and The Fantasticks (El Gallo). Regional: Old Globe, Ahmanson, American Conservatory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre, and Ordway Theatre. Film and television: "The Blacklist" and "Vinyl" (HBO). Instagram: @shaveybrown. Hannah Yun Chamberlain (Young Norma; she/her). Training: Urdang. Theater Credits: Tania/Ensemble in Your Lie in April (Concert), ‘Young Norma' in Sunset Blvd. (West End), a member of the ensemble in Cabaret (Lido 2 Paris), ‘Serena' in Legally Blonde (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre). Screen credits: Dancer in Knuckles (Paramount+). Cydney Clark (Joanna/Guard; she/her) is absolutely delighted to be making her Broadway debut! Past credits include: Six (NCL), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Theatre by the Sea), State Fair, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the Rev Theatre Company). She is a graduate of the University of Michigan's musical theater program. Raúl Contreras (Finance Man/Frank; he/him). Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Contreras most recently served as dance captain, swing and understudy for ‘Santiago' in Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway. You can catch him as a featured dancer in the upcoming, anticipated feature film, Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Jennifer Lopez. He previously danced for Ballet Metropolitano de Monterrey, Metamorphosis Dance Collective, and Ballet Hispánico. He has served as a teacher, choreographer, and artistic director for Universidad de Monterrey's Dance Group, and as a guest teacher for Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center. He has performed at renowned venues across New York City including the Joyce Theater as a soloist in Bennyroyce Royon's world premiere of Homebound/Alaala, New York City Center for the Fall For Dance Festival and the Apollo Theater with Ballet Hispánico. Contreras has performed pieces from renowned choreographers such as Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Iratxe Ansa, and Andy Blankenbuehler among others. He is a graduate of the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey with a BFA in Contemporary Dance and has trained with Comunidad de Danza Urbana, Martha Graham School, and Universidad de Monterrey. Tyler Davis (Sheldrake; he/him) Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Film: O'Brien in The Boys in the Boat (MGM). Theater: ‘3D' and understudy for ‘Biff Tannen' in Back to the Future the Musical (Adelphi Theatre, London), ‘Adam' in Love Beyond (City Gates, London), ‘Sheldrake' in Sunset Blvd. (Savoy Theatre, London). Instagram: @tylermichaeldavis. Kristina Garvida Doucette (Swing; they/she) is honored to be joining the company of Sunset Blvd., doing everything always for the people who helped them get here. Broadway: Wicked, Here Lies Love (OBC); Regional: The Karate Kid (STAGES St. Louis). www.kristinadoucette.com E.J. Hamilton (Lisa; she/her) hails from St. Petersburg, Florida. Her training began at Judith Lee Johnson's Dance Studio and Soulful Arts Dance Academy. She spent consecutive summers at Debbie Allen's Dance Academy, the Ailey School, Broadway Theatre Project, the Performing Arts Project, and Broadway Dance Center. A proud alumna of thespian Troupe 4127, she graduated from St. Petersburg Catholic High School in 2011 and was accepted to Spelman College. Her junior year, she was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Drama with a concentration in Dance with a Spanish minor in 2015. Post graduation, she moved to New York City and began her career as an assistant to NYU New Studio on Broadway professor and award-winning choreographer Byron Easley. Hamilton made her Broadway debut in Diana: The Musical in March 2020 and can also be seen in the Netflix film. She joined the heels ensemble of Moulin Rouge! on Broadway in 2022 and in 2023 became the first universal Lady M cover for both Broadway and the North American tour. Instagram: @e.j._hamilton. Sydney Jones (Dorothy; she/her) is grateful and ecstatic to join this fierce team! Broadway: A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Regional: Escape to Margaritaville (‘Rachel'), and 42nd Street (‘Anytime Annie,' Arrow Rock Lyceum); Boop! The Betty Boop Musical (CIBC Theater); The Karate Kid (STAGES St. Louis); Grease (‘Sandy,' Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); and 12 seasons at the MUNY. Proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre. Instagram: @syd__jones. Brandon LaVar (Swing; he/him). Broadway: MJ The Musical. Tour: Hello, Dolly! Regional: MUNY, Maltz Jupiter Theater, Seattle Fifth Avenue Theatre. Film and television: "The Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt" and "Westworld." Instagram: @brandonlwhitmore. Maggie Likcani (Swing; she/her). Broadway debut! Likcani received her BFA from Montclair State University in 2023. Regional: Jersey Boys (‘Mary Delgado') at the REV, Anastasia (regional premiere) at WPPAC, Evita at the REV, Something Rotten! (‘Bea Bottom') at Forestburgh Playhouse. She is also a choreographer; her work has recently been seen Off-Broadway and at her alma mater. Instagram: @maggielikcani. Emma Lloyd (Mary/Heather; she/her). Her credits include Sunset Blvd. (West End, Savoy Theatre), Back To The Future (West End, Adelphi Theatre), Back To The Future (Workshop/Manchester Opera House), Dr. Dolittle (UK Tour), Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK Tour), Salad Days (Union Productions Ltd/Theatre Royal Bath). This will be her Broadway debut. Instagram: @emmadlloyd. Pierre Marais (Sammy; he/him) was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. Broadway: Aladdin. Film and television: Scorpion King 2 (Netflix), Black Beauty (Disney+), Wake of Death (Universal). Favorites: ‘Jack Kelly' in Newsies (TUTS), the ‘Emcee' in Cabaret (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), ‘Gilbert' in Anne of Green Gables (Goodspeed). National tours: A Chorus Line, Flashdance, and Aladdin. Marais is also an award-winning filmmaker: As Apple Pie (Cannes World Film Festival – Best Young Filmmaker), Apart (Alternative Film Festival – Best USA Drama), Bound by a Thread (San Francisco Dance Film Festival and Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center – Official Selections). Instagram: @pierre_marais. Abby Matsusaka (Swing; she/her) is so grateful to be a part of this incredible show. New York: Some Like it Hot (Broadway), Lempicka (Broadway), Once Upon a Mattress (City Center Encores) Regional: The Karate Kid (STAGES St. Louis). Instagram: @abbyrose_m. Shayna McPherson (Camera Operator/Katherine; she/her). Training: The Urdang Academy. Theater includes: The Artist (McOnie Company at Theatre Royal, Plymouth), Sunset Blvd. (Savoy Theatre, West End), Johannes Radebe: Freedom Unleashed (UK Tour), Aladdin (Apollo Theater, Stuttgart), The Wiz (Hope Mill Theatre). Film appearances include Disenchanted (Disney). McPherson is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut in Sunset Blvd. Jimin Moon (Morino/Hog Eye; he/him). Living the dream baby! Broadway: Lempicka, Disney's Aladdin. Instagram: @jiminmmoon. Justice Moore (Jean; she/her) is a New York based performer and choreographer. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, she trained in all styles at Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center. Upon graduating from Allen High School, she had the amazing opportunity to open Hamilton in Chicago as ‘The Bullet.' She then went on to open the second national tour of the show and join the Broadway production. Moore had the honor to work on projects by Keone and Mari Madrid such as Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway and The Karate Kid: The Musical in St. Louis. She worked on seasons four and five of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" with choreographer Marguerite Derricks. She made her movie debut in Disney+' Better Nate Than Ever, directed by Tim Federle and choreographed by Zach Woodlee, and her television choreographic debut in CBS' "East New York." She was recently the associate choreographer for London's Fangirls (under Ebony Williams) and New York City Center's production of Jelly's Last Jam (under Edgar Godineaux). Never limiting herself to one side of the dance industry, she continues to keep expanding her community, training, and possibilities. She performed with Doja Cat for MTV's VMAs, Tyla for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and Stray Kids for the 2024 Youtube Brandcast. She is also a principal company member in Candace Browns' Soul Project Dance Company. Moore has captivated audiences online and off through her story telling, choreography, and comedy. She hopes to continue exploring the many ways dance and storytelling can connect with humans of all avenues. Instagram: @justicemoore_. Drew Redington (Myron/Jones/Camera Operator; he/him) is thrilled to be back at the St. James Theatre where he was recently a part of Spamalot (2023 Revival) and the original Broadway cast of New York, New York. Other Broadway credits: Mean Girls, The Prom, and Holiday Inn. Select Regional: Lyric Opera of Chicago (Fiddler on the Roof), the MUNY of St. Louis (Gypsy and Jerome Robbins' Broadway), TUTS (Rock of Ages), Marriott Theatre Chicago (West Side Story), and Paper Mill Playhouse. Television performances with CBS, NBC, and Broadway HD. Training received at Elon University. Instagram: @drew.redington. Diego Andres Rodriguez (Artie; he/him) is an actor and writer from McAllen, TX making his Broadway debut in Sunset Blvd. His upbringing in the vibrant border land of South Texas has greatly influenced his artistic journey, identity, and sense of community. Rodriguez is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan's musical theater program. Instagram: @_diegorodz_. Rixey Terry (Swing; they/he) is making their Broadway debut in Sunset Blvd. Regional: Pippin (‘Pippin'), Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat (‘Joseph'), The Bridges of Madison County (‘Michael' understudy), 42nd Street (ensemble). University of Michigan musical theater graduate and Davidson, North Carolina native. Instagram: @rixeyterry. |
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