Odds & Ends: Moana's Auli’i Cravalho Joins Drama High, Sara Bareilles' Mickey Mouse Club Dreams & More
Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.
There’s Just No Telling How Far She’ll Go!
Fresh off of slaying her performance at the Oscars, Moana star Auli'i Cravalho already has her next gig lined up. According to Deadline, she has been cast in a lead role in the previously announced pilot Drama High. Based on Michael Sokolove’s book of the same name, Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller and Friday Night Lights’ Jason Katims are joining forces to executive produce the pilot. The story focuses on high school drama teacher Lou Volpe, whose dedication to his students and the theater department inspires the raises the local community’s morale. Expect to hear more of Cravalho’s easy, breezy pipes.
Sara Bareilles Could Have Been BFFs with Ryan Gosling
Before she was scoring Broadway musicals and hitting the Waitress rehearsal room for her own Broadway bow, six-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. Yup—the season that included Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. The songstress recently stopped by The Late Late Show with James Corden to recount why she didn’t make it past her second callback. “I forgot the words to ‘A Whole New World,’” she said. It’s all good, Sara. We have total faith that you’ll rock the stage in Waitress (not Aladdin) beginning on March 31.
Come From Away Will Return to Toronto
Come From Away hasn’t even officially opened on Broadway, and fans already want to see it in their town. The tuner, which nabbed 14 Helen Hayes Award nominations for its Washington, D.C. run, will return to Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre in a second production beginning on February 13, 2018. No word yet on casting for the welcome return, but Jenn Colella, Rodney Hicks and more are currently starring in the Great White Way production, which opens on March 12 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Those in Canada who can’t make it to the show before the Toronto return can listen to the cast album beginning on March 24.
Cast Complete for Norbert Leo Butz-Led The Whirligig
We just can’t wait to have two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz back on the New York stage! As previously announced, Butz, Zosia Mamet and Maura Tierney will star in the New Group’s final show of its season, the world premiere of Hamish Linklater’s The Whirligig. Rounding out the cast are Noah Bean, John DeVries, Alex Hurt, Jonny Orsini and Grace Van Patten. Directed by Scott Elliott, the off-Broadway engagement will begin previews on May 2 and open on May 21.
P.S. Alex Brightman and Drew Gasparini’s previously announced project It’s Kind of a Funny Story has a full score. Fans can hear it live when Gasparini presents it at Feinstein’s/54 Below on March 20. We’re kind of obsessed with this art as well.
Auli'i Cravalho(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)