Former Wicked Star Shoshana Bean & Whitney Bashor Will Lead Broadway-Aimed Beaches

They're the ones with with all the glory! Shoshana Bean and Whitney Bashor will headline the previously reported stage adaptation of Beaches in Chicago. Directed by Eric Schaeffer, the Broadway-aimed production will begin previews on June 24 and play a limited engagement through August 16 at the Drury Lane Theatre. Opening night is set for July 2.

Bean will play Cee Cee Bloom. She made her Broadway debut in Hairspray; additional theater credits include Wicked. Her independent solo releases have topped the iTunes R&B and Blues charts in the U.S. and U.K.; she also sang back up for Michael Jackson at his 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden and her music has been featured in TV shows on NBC, MTV, Oxygen and Showtime. Bashor will take on the role of Bertie White. Great White Way credits include Bridges of Madison County; her screen resume includes Boardwalk Empire.

Presley Ryan (The Sound of Music Live!) will appear as Little Cee Cee, with Brooklyn Schuck (Matilda) as Little Bertie, Travis Taylor as John Perry, Nancy Voigts as Leona Bloom, Kelly Anne Clark as Rose White, Jim DeSelm as Michael Barron, Michael Accardo as Nathan Bloom, Andrew Varela as Arthur, Samantha Pauly as Teen Cee Cee and Olivia Renteria as Teen Bertie. William Carlos Angulo, Heather Brorsen, Josh Kohane, Christine Mild and Holly Strauder round out the cast.

Beaches started as a 1985 novel about a 30-year friendship and is best known for the 1988 movie featuring Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey and THAT SONG: “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” The musical features a score by composer David Austin, with lyrics by Dart herself. The book of the musical is a collaboration between Dart and librettist Thom Thomas.

The production will feature choreography by Lorin Latarro, musical direction by Brian Nash, scenic design by Derek McLane, lighting design by Howell Binkley, costume design by Alejo Vietti and sound design by Kai Harada.

Beaches premiered at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia in spring 2014, starring Mara Davi and On the Town’s Alysha Umphress.