Odds & Ends: Daveed Diggs to Play Frederick Douglass in Ethan Hawke's New Miniseries & More

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

Daveed Diggs to Play Frederick Douglass in Ethan Hawke's New Miniseries
A pair of Broadway stars are teaming up for a new small-screen project. Daveed Diggs, a Tony winner for playing Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton, will portray American social reformer Frederick Douglass in the Showtime miniseries Good Lord Bird, written and exec-produced by Tony nominee Ethan Hawke, who will co-star as John Brown, according to TVLine. Based on James McBride's bestselling novel, the eight-part series will chronicle the connection between abolitionist Brown (Hawke) and a slave known as Onion (played by Joshua Johnson-Lionel). The series will debut in February 2020.

Mandy Patinkin to Launch 30-City Concert Tour
Mandy Patinkin, the Tony-winning original star of Evita, has announced a new concert tour, set to begin on October 30 at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Titled Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Diaries, the concert will see Patinkin offering his own spin on Broadway and classic American tunes, along with selections from his newest digital recordings. In addition to his Tony-winning turn in Evita, Patinkin's extensive Broadway career has also included originating the title role in Sunday in the Park with George, as well as turns in The Secret Garden, Falsettos, The Wild Party and the solo engagements Mandy Patinkin in Concert and Celebrating Sondheim. His screenwork includes an Emmy win for Chicago Hope, three Emmy noms for Homeland and a Golden Globe nom for Yentl.

Check Out Jonathan Cake & the Cast of Shakespeare in the Park's Coriolanus in Action
Performances are underway for the Public Theater's new staging of Shakespeare's dark drama Coriolanus, being produced as part of the free Shakespeare in the Park season at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Stage-and-screen star Jonathan Cake takes on the title role in the production, which opens tonight for a limited run through August 11. The Public has just released footage from the play, which also features three-time Tony nominee Kate Burton as Volumnia and Louis Cancelmi as Tullus Aufidius. Give a watch below and make plans now to experience the free staging of this stirring work in person.