Will Chase Withdraws from Little Miss Sunshine; Books Role on TV's Nashville

It may be a sunny day in Hollywood, but it’s cloudy off-Broadway. Tony nominee Will Chase has left the cast of the new musical Little Miss Sunshine, which is slated to begin performances on October 15 at off-Broadway’s Second Stage Theatre. Chase, who was set to play patriarch Richard Hoover, has withdrawn from the production to accept a role on TV’s Nashville. His replacement for Little Miss Sunshine has not yet been named.

On season two of Nashville, Chase will play Luke, a successful and charismatic country music star who may become romantically involved with Rayna (played by Connie Britton) on the hit series. No filming dates or specific air dates for Chase's appearances have been announced. Nashville's new season begins Sepetember 25 on ABC.

Chase was last seen on Broadway in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, garnering a Tony nomination for his performance. His additional Broadway credits include Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Story of My Life, Billy Elliot, High Fidelity, Lennon, The Full Monty, Aida and Rent. His film and TV credits include Smash, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, Rescue Me, Royal Pains, One Life to Live, Law & Order and Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway.

Directed by James Lapine, Little Miss Sunshine features a book by Lapine and music and lyrics by William Finn. The production stars Stephanie J. Block as Sheryl Hoover, Hannah Rose Nordberg as Olive, Rory O’Malley as Frank Hoover, David Rasche as Grandpa Hoover, Wesley Taylor as Joshua Rose, Jennifer Sanchez as Miss California, Josh Lamon as Buddy and Logan Rowland as Dwayne Hoover.