Tony Winner Ari'el Statchel Departs The Visitor at the Public Theater
(Photo by Caitlin McNaney for Broadway.com)
The Band's Visit Tony winner Ari’el Stachel will no longer appear in the previously announced new musical The Visitor at The Public Theater. In a social media announcement posted on October 20, the theater said "The Public Theater and Ari’el Stachel have made a mutual decision that he will step away from The Visitor and his role in the production. We are grateful for his artistry and participation over the past six years. We wish Ari well in his future endeavors."
The Visitor, which began preview performances on October 14, was set to star Stachel alongside David Hyde Pierce and Alysha Deslorieux. No news yet as to who will replace Stachel in the production, which is scheduled to officially open on November 4.
With music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Brian Yorkey and a book by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Yorkey, The Visitor is directed by Daniel Sullivan and features choreography by Lorin Latarro. The Visitor is based on the independent film of the same name by Thomas McCarthy and follows a widowed college professor who is swept into a struggle of whether to stay in a place that he calls home but seeks to cast him out.
The cast also features Jacqueline Antaramian, Robert Ariza, Anthony Chan, Delius Doherty, C.K. Edwards, Will Erat, Brandon Espinoza, Sean Ewing, Crystal Joy, Marla Louissaint, Ahmad Maksoud, Sahar Milani, Dimitri Joseph Moïse, Takafumi Nikaido, Paul Pontrelli and Katie Terza.
