Odds & Ends: Susan Sarandon to Star in Jesse Eisenberg's New Play & More

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

Susan Sarandon to Star in Jesse Eisenberg's New Play
Oscar winner Susan Sarandon will return to the New York stage this spring, appearing in Jesse Eisenberg's world premiere comedy Happy Talk. Scott Elliott will direct the New Group production, set to begin previews on April 30 with an opening set for May 16 at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Tony nominee Marin Ireland will co-star in the comedy, previously titled Yea, Sister! The play centers on Lorraine (Sarandon), a saint of the suburbs who, on top of trying to save her dying mother, miserable husband and estranged daughter, is starring as Bloody Mary in the Jewish Community Center production of South Pacific. When her mother's home aide, Serbian immigrant Ljuba (Ireland), asks for help finding a husband, Lorraine takes on her most challenging role to date: matchmaker. Happy Talk will play a limited run through June 2.

Michael Luwoye Cast in TV Pilot Bluff City Law
Michael Luwoye, the mega-talented recent title star of Hamilton, has joined the upcoming TV pilot Bluff City Law, Deadline reports. The legal drama will see Luwoye as Anthony Little, a lawyer of controversial landmark civil rights cases and committed father of three daughters. The cast also includes stage alums Jimmy Smits (God of Carnage), Caitlin McGee (When We Were Young and Unafraid) and Barry Sloane (Jerusalem).

Darren Criss & More Join Lineup for 2019 Broadway Backwards
A new slate of performers have signed on for the 2019 edition of Broadway Backwards. The annual benefit serving up gender-bending takes on stars' favorite tunes will be held at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 11 at 8:00pm. Tony nominee Jenn Colella will serve as the evening's emcee. Newly announced talent includes Darren Criss, Lea DeLaria, Rosemary Harris, Christopher Jackson, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Alice Ripley, Alexandra Silber, Ana Villafañe and Teal Wicks. They join the previously announced Lilli Cooper, Gavin Creel, Donna McKechnie, Len Cariou, Ariana DeBose, Nathan Lee Graham, Robyn Hurder, Rachel Bay Jones, Caitlin Kinnunen, Caissie Levy, Isabelle McCalla, Bonnie Milligan, Bebe Neuwirth, Andrew Rannells, Jarrod Spector, Kathleen Turner and the Broadway Inspirational Voices. Broadway Backwards is produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and benefits Broadway Cares and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City.

Mamie Gummer Welcomes First Child; Meryl Streep Is Now a Grandma
Stage alum Mamie Gummer and her fiancé, producer Mehar Sethi, have announced the birth of a baby boy, says Us Weekly. Gummer, who is the daughter of Hollywood legend Meryl Streep, has been seen on Broadway in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and off-Broadway in The School For Lies, Uncle Vanya, Hunting and Gathering, The Water's Edge, Mr. Marmalade and Ugly Lies the Bone. Many congrats to the happy family!

Hailey Kilgore to Appear in The Watsons Go to Birmingham at the Kennedy Center
Tony nominee Hailey Kilgore has been cast as Joetta "Joey" Watson in the world premiere Kennedy Center commission The Watsons Go to Birmingham, adapted by Christina Ham from Christopher Paul Curtis' award-winning book. Presented in a staged concert adaptation with live music, the production will run from March 15-24 in the Eisenhower Theater. The Watsons Go to Birmingham tells the tale of the Watson family of Flint, Michigan—Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, big brother Byron and ten-year-old Kenny—and their bond and endurance amid one of the darkest periods in America's history. Joining Kilgore in the cast will be Tichina Arnold as Wilona Watson, J. Bernard Calloway as Daniel Watson, Chad Coleman as Narrator Kenny, Dante Myles Hoagland as Kenneth "Kenny" Bernard Watson, Isabell Monk O'Connor as Grandma Sands, Nova Y. Payton as The Voice and Justin Weaks as Byron Watson.

Jose Antonio Vargas Joins Producing Team of What the Constitution Means to Me
Immigration rights activist and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas has been added as a producer to the Broadway transfer of Heidi Schreck's acclaimed play What the Constitution Means to Me, arriving at the Helen Hayes Theater next month. "What the Constitution Means to Me is a landmark feat of storytelling, a deeply personal work that sets the stage for what's possible in the American theater," Vargas told Deadline. As previously announced, Oliver Butler directs the play, which will begin preview performances on March 14 ahead of a March 31 opening night. The production will run for a limited engagement through June 9.