Odds & Ends: Rachel Bay Jones & Steven Pasquale to Announce Lucille Lortel Noms & More

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

Rachel Bay Jones & Steven Pasquale to Announce Lucille Lortel Award Nominations
Broadway favorites Rachel Bay Jones and Steven Pasquale will join forces on April 4 to announce the nominees for the 33rd annual Lucille Lortel Awards. Grammy and Tony Award winner Rachel Bay Jones was last year’s Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen, and Steven Pasquale was recognized as the 2016 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for The Robber Bridegroom. As previously announced, Laura Benanti will co-host the ceremony, which toasts the best of off-Broadway theater debuting in the 2017-2018 season. Joining Benanti as co-emcee will be Jason Jones, co-creator of the TBS comedy series The Detour (in which Benanti appears). The Lortel Awards are slated to take place at NYU's Skirball Center on May 6 at 7:00pm.

Theater Couple Sergio Trujillo & Jack Noseworthy Are Parents
Tony-nominated choreographer Sergio Trujillo and actor Jack Noseworthy have announced the birth of their son Lucas Alejandro Truworthy, born on March 12. Trujillo’s latest work can be seen in the new Broadway show Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, currently playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Noseworthy currently stars in the Toronto production of Come From Away at Royal Alexandra Theatre.

Oh, What a Beautiful Day at Frozen
Speaking of cuteness, the Broadway company of Frozen paid tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical Oklahoma!, which opened at the St. James Theatre 75 years ago this past weekend on March 31, 1943. Jelani Alladin, Greg Hildreth, John Riddle and the entire cast of the Broadway blockbuster sang the sweeping opening number, “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin.” Check it out!



Watch Escape to Margaritaville Put Their Party Spin on Oklahoma!
Over at the Marquis Theatre, the Broadway cast of Escape to Margaritaville also added their own flavor to Rodgers & Hammerstein, celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Oklahoma! with a very Jimmy Buffett version of “Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” complete with an appearance by Buffett himself. Watch below!



Taylor Louderman & More Join Chairman’s Awards Gala
A slew of stars will step out for Theatre Forward’s Chairman’s Awards gala, honoring the works of August Wilson and The Band’s Visit songwriter David Yazbek. Mean Girls’ Taylor Louderman, SpongeBob SquarePants’ Ethan Slater, Katrina Lenk and more Broadway faves will attend the celebration, which is scheduled for April 9 at The Pierre New York. The Chairman’s Awards Gala supports the work of Theatre Forward, which is dedicated to advancing American theatres and its communities through its Educating Through Theatre and Advancing Strong Theatre initiatives and is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary season.

P.S. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has been renewed for its fourth season on The CW! Creator, writer, executive producer and star Rachel Bloom shared the good news on Twitter with a fun photo. 

Just turned on my wifi on our flight to Chicago and found out that #CrazyExGirlfriend has been renewed for a final season. https://t.co/Gk8YgvyUX8 pic.twitter.com/cJFnjT1KQu

— Rachel Bloom (@Racheldoesstuff) April 2, 2018