Odds & Ends: Barbra Streisand's Gypsy Loses Backer, Kyle Beltran Tapped for The Cherry Orchard & More

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

Babs' Gypsy Loses Backer
Slight setback for Barbra Streisand’s long-in-the-works big screen version of Gypsy. STX Entertainment, which only signed on to the project a few months ago, is quitting its role as distributor and co-financier. According to Deadline, Streisand and her co-producer Joel Silver and director Barry Levinson, will be looking elsewhere to get Richard LaGravanese’s script made. We, meanwhile, will have to content ourselves with Babs’ forthcoming album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, which is scheduled for release on August 26.

Kyle Beltran Tapped for The Cherry Orchard
A bit of a casting switcheroo for the Diane Lane-led The Cherry Orchard. Kyle Beltran will now appear as Trofimov, the character Aaron Clifton Moten had been initially drafted to play. Beltran made his Broadway debut in In the Heights. Stephen Karam’s new version of Chekhov’s classic is set to begin previews on September 15 at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre on Broadway.

Rose Byrne Eyes James Corden's Peter Rabbit
Tony winner James Corden will voice the titular category in Will Gluck’s upcoming movie adaptation of Peter Rabbit. Variety reports that Broadway alum Rose Byrne is also in talks to star in Sony’s live-action/animation hybrid of Beatrix Potter’s children’s classic. Byrne would appear in a live-action role; we're now dreamcasting Mr. McGregor.

Richard Madden Departs Romeo and Juliet
Romeo will not be returning. Richard Madden has had to exit the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's production of Romeo and Juliet at the West End's Garrick Theatre owing to an ankle injury. Freddie Fox will play the role through the end of the run on August 13; Lily James continues as Juliet.

Watch Two Genies Join Forces
This put a great big smile on our faces! Check out below as Aladdin's Tony-winning genie James Monroe Iglehart and his West End counterpart Trevor Dion Nicholas get together for a sing-along. Wish granted!

 

Two Genies. One epic performance.

A video posted by ALADDIN on Broadway (@aladdin) on Aug 4, 2016 at 11:08am PDT