Odds & Ends: Ethan Slater, Lena Hall, Javier Muñoz Set for Reefer Madness Reading & More

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

Ethan Slater, Lena Hall, Javier Muñoz Set for Reefer Madness Reading
A talent-packed slate of stage stars will come together later this week for an industry reading of the hit musical Reefer Madness. Tony nominee Ethan Slater, Tony winner Lena Hall and Javier Muñoz are slated to take part in the private reading on April 18 in New York City. Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill) will direct the presentation, with hopes of a production to come to fruition later this year. Slater will take on the role of Jimmy, with Hall as Mae and Muñoz as Jack/Jesus, along with Gizel Jiménez as Mary, Asmeret Ghebremichael as Sally, Eric Petersen as Ralph, Robert Cuccioli as the Lecturer and Aury Krebs as Placard Girl. The ensemble will include Eleanor Philips, Heather Parcells, Genesis Collado, Sav Souza, Ryan Ortega and Jacob Thompson.

Michael Urie to Team Up with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater for Pride Plays Festival
Off-Broadway's Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced Pride Plays, a festival of play readings commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Torch Song star Michael Urie and producer Doug Nevin, who worked together on Buyer & Cellar, are partnering with Rattlestick for the series of new works, produced under festival director Nick Mayo (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). Playwrights slated to present new work include Michael Benjamin Washington, Terrence McNally, Ryan Spahn, Philip Dawkins, Trans Lab, Eduardo Machado, Eri Nox, Paula Vogel, Jonathan Tolins, Chay Yew, Lisa Kron and many more. The festival will run from June 20-24 at Rattlestick's downtown venue. For more information, click here.

Alan Wasser, 2017 Tony Honor Recipient, Dies at 70
Alan Wasser, a beloved general manager whose more than four-decade career on Broadway was capped by a 2017 Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre, died on April 14 due to complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 70. Over the course of his career, Wasser and his company Alan Wasser Associates general-managed three of the most successful productions of all-time: Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon. More recent Broadway credits include The Band's Visit, The Lifespan of a Fact, King Kong and The Prom. Wasser is survived by his sisters Rosalie Quinn (Paul) and Carolyn Ikuta, along with nine nieces and nephews.

Lucas Hnath's The Thin Place to Make New York Premiere with Playwrights Horizons
Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons has announced The Thin Place, a new work penned by Tony nominee Lucas Hnath (Hillary and Clinton), set to make its New York premiere as part of the company's 2019-2020 season. Les Waters will direct the play, which centers on a woman named Linda who is able to communicate with the dead. The play is slated to begin performances in November 2019. Also on Playwrights Horizons' docket is Unknown Soldier, the final musical of the late composer Michael Friedman (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), featuring a book and lyrics by Daniel Goldstein (Godspell) and direction by Trip Cullman (Choir Boy). In the musical, Ellen Rabinowitz discovers a mysterious photograph of an anonymous soldier when cleaning out her grandmother's home, which leads her to unearth the secrets buried in her family's past. The musical will begin performances in February 2020.

Sweeney Todd-Inspired Podcast Starring Daphne Rubin-Vega Is Small Screen-Bound
Daphne Rubin-Vega will continue to attend the tale. The two-time Tony nominee, recently announced to appear in the In the Heights film, is slated to serve as consulting producer on a TV series adaptation of Aaron Mark's The Horror of Dolores Roach, a podcast inspired by his one-woman Sweeney Todd-inspired play, both of which starred Rubin-Vega. Deadline reports that Mark will serve as writer, director and exec producer. Additional details are to come.

Ann Reinking & Ben Vereen Will Host 2019 Chita Rivera Awards
Tony-winning Fosse dancers Ann Reinking (Chicago) and Ben Vereen (Pippin) have been selected as emcees of the 3rd Annual Chita Rivera Awards. The previously announced ceremony, honoring the best in dance, will be held at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on May 19 at 7:30pm. As recently reported, Tony-nominated choreographer Graciela Daniele will receive this year's Lifetime Achievement Award and Flody Suarez, Jeffrey Seller and Cher will be honored with the Ambassador for the Arts Award. Nominations in competitive categories will be announced on April 26. Look back at last year's winners here.