Olivier Award nominee Tyrone Huntley has been cast in the central role of Wes in the upcoming European debut of Max Vernon's celebrated off-Broadway musical The View UpStairs. Jonathan O'Boyle will direct and Fabian Aloise will choreograph the previously reported production, set to run at London's Soho Theatre beginning on July 18 with an opening night set for July 23.
Huntley received the Evening Standard Emerging Talent Award and an Olivier Award nomination for his turn as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. His more recent credits include Obi in Leave to Remain, Justin Laboy in 21 Chump Street and C.C. White in Dreamgirls. This year Tyrone made his directorial debut with a new production of Ain’t Misbehavin'.
Huntley joins a previously announced slate of stars that includes Andy Mientus as Patrick, Declan Bennett as Dale, John Partridge as Buddy, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Inez and Cedric Neal as Willie. Also featured in the cast are Carly Mercedes Dyer as Henri, Gary Lee as Freddy, Joseph Prouse as Richard and Derek Hagen as Cops/Realtor.
The View UpStairs is set in present day when Wes (Huntley), a young fashion designer, buys an abandoned space, not realizing it had been the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant '70s gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, which, in 1973, was burned down in an arson attack, killing 32 people, and making it the worst attack on the LGBTQ+ community until the 2016 shooting at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
The View UpStairs will play a limited run through August 24.