Rubin-Vega to Take Leave from Les Miz for Off-B'way Play Jack Goes Boating

Daphne Rubin-Vega, who had been previously announced as a star of Bob Glaudini's new play Jack Goes Boating at the LAByrinth Theater Company, will take a leave of absence from the Broadway company of Les Miserables from February 18 to April 11, 2007, to fulfill her commitment. She is currently playing Cosette's doomed mother Fantine in Les Miz, which opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on November 9.

Rubin-Vega, a member of the ensemble at LAByrinth, will co-star with the company's co-artistic directors Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz and ensemble member Beth Cole in Jack Goes Boating, directed by Peter DuBois. The play is a world premiere and has been announced to open in March 2007; the company is in residence at the Public Theater. LAByrinth press materials offer this cryptic description of the play: "Swimming lessons. Cooking classes. A random subway attack. Confessions of betrayal. Cocaine paranoia. A best friend's meltdown. How much is too much for a date with someone you've just met?"

Les Miz, which had been scheduled to run for six months on Broadway, has been doing sellout business since opening night. According to a company spokesperson, auditions for Rubin-Vega's replacement in the pivotal role of Fantine are being held in the next few weeks.