James Earl Jones & More Join Santino Fontana, Skylar Astin for Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater at City Center

Stage and screen legend James Earl Jones has joined the cast of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater as part of New York City Center Encores!’ Off-Center series. The roster also includes the previously announced Santino Fontana and Skylar Astin. Michael Mayer will direct the production, which will run from July 27 through July 30.

Jones, who last appeared on Broadway in The Gin Game, won Tony Awards for Fences and The Great White Hope. His additional credits include Tony-nominated turns in The Best Man and On Golden Pond, as well as memorable screen performances including Star Wars, The Great White Hope and The Lion King.

The 1979 musical, which marks the first musical collaboration between Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, follows Eliot Rosewater (Fontana), a millionaire who (drunkenly) spends his fortune on a town in poverty after being inspired by novelist Kilgore Trout (Jones). Astin will play Norman Mushari, a lawyer who plots to have Eliot declared insane in order to stop his goodwill.

In addition to Jones, Astin and Fontana, the cast will include Derrick Baskin, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Nick Choksi, Eddie Cooper, Kevin Del Aguila, Clark Johnson, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Eddie Korbich, Marla Louissaint, Liz McCartney, Bonnie Milligan, Brynn O’Malley and Kate Wetherhead.