Odds & Ends: Billy Magnussen Tapped for FX Pilot, Sara Bareilles Gives Waitress Sneak Peek & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Billy Magnussen: From Kato to Cocaine
Tony nominee Billy Magnussen has been tapped to star in the FX pilot for Snowfall, a drama from John Singlton following the Los Angeles crack cocaine epidemic of the ‘80s. According to Deadline, Magnussen will play Logan Miller, a member of a prominent family who enters the cocaine trade in its early stages. It’s not Magnussen’s first foray into the L.A. crime ring; he will also appear in FX’s forthcoming American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson as Kato Kaelin.

Michael Cerveris Fills in for Sutton Foster
But will he tap dance? Fun Home Tony winner Michael Cerveris is stepping in at the last minute to host the National High School Musical Theatre Awards—a.k.a. the Jimmy Awards—on June 29. Cerveris replaces Sutton Foster, who had to step down due to laryngitis. The awards, which honor the best of high school performers across the country, will take place at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre (home of The Lion King). Get well soon, Sutton! We’re looking forward to your wild, wild party! Plus, we’ve already picked out our statement jewelry.

New Rodgers & Hammerstein Bio in the Works
Publisher Henry Holt will release a biography of musical theater legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II in 2018—75 years after the premiere of their first collaboration, Oklahoma! According to The New York Times, the book, penned by journalist Todd S. Purdum, will explore their personal lives and their numerous works, including The King and I, The Sound of Music, Carousel, South Pacific and Cinderella. Count us in, as we look forward to getting to know them, getting to know all about them.

Date Set for NPH’s AGT Stint
As previously announced, Tony and Emmy winner Neil Patrick Harris will serve as a guest judge on the current season of America’s Got Talent. His stint will air on NBC on July 14. He joins perennial judges Howard Stern, Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum. It’s the last chance for competitors to make it into the live rounds, and Harris will have control of the Golden Buzzer, which could secure a spot for one of the acts. Here’s a tip for all of the contestants: he likes magic and glitter. Meanwhile, Harris’ own NBC variety show, Best Time Ever, will premiere on September 15.

Sara Bareilles Previews Waitress Tune
Sara Bareilles recently chatted with Garrison Keillor on A Prairie Home Companion, and while there, she previewed a song from her upcoming musical Waitress. Based on the movie of the same name, the show follows a diner employee who fosters her creative energy and emotions into creatively titled pies (as Keillor wisely observes, it’s not the first musical about a woman who puts her feelings into her pies.) Take a listen to the singer/songwriter’s performance of “Take It From an Old Man." Waitress, starring Jessie Mueller, Jeanna de Waal, Keala Settle and more, will begin performances at the American Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts on August 2.