Full Circle: Brian d'Arcy James Will Join Broadway's Next to Normal

Brian d’Arcy James, who originated the role of Dan in the off-Broadway premiere of Next to Normal, will join the Broadway production on May 17 for what is being billed as "a special limited engagement," replacing J. Robert Spencer, who depart on May 16. James will be reunited with Tony winner Alice Ripley in a cast that also includes original off-Broadway stars Jennifer Damiano and Adam Chanler-Berat, as well as Kyle Dean Massey and Louis Hobson. Next to Normal, which recently won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, continues its run at the Booth Theatre, directed by Michael Greif.

“It is so rare for a show to have a ‘full circle’ moment like this—and we are thrilled to welcome him home,” producer David Stone said of James in a statement. Due to a pre-existing conflict, the actor will not appear July 1-11.

Earlier this season, James co-starred on Broadway with Laura Linney in Time Stands Still. He received Tony nominations for Shrek the Musical (alongside Spencer) and Sweet Smell of Success and has appeared on Broadway in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Titanic, Carousel and Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway credits include Port Authority, The Wild Party and The Good Thief.

After the Second Stage production of Next to Normal, James chose to take the title role in Shrek rather than waiting to see if a revised version of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s musical would make it to Broadway. In a Q&A with Broadway.com during the run of Time Stands Still, the actor insisted he had no regrets. “I had a distinct and integral part in the birthing process of [Next to Normal], which I feel lucky about,” he said. “It’s a unique thing to see a show you were part of at the beginning have a life, and I take pride in that.”