Odds & Ends: Viola Davis to Play Michelle Obama in Showtime Series & More

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

Viola Davis Tapped to Play Michelle Obama in First Ladies Series
According to Deadline, two-time Tony winner, Oscar winner and Emmy winner Viola Davis will portray Michelle Obama in First Ladies, a one-hour White House drama in development for Showtime that she will also executive produce. Penned by Aaron Cooley, the drama series is set in the East Wing of the White House, where many of history’s biggest decisions have been influenced by America’s first ladies. The first season will shed a light on both the personal and political lives of Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. We can’t wait to hear more casting news for this!

Mike Birbiglia's The New One to Launch Four-City Tour
Comedian Mike Birbiglia is getting ready to share his acclaimed solo show The New One with audiences in Washington, D.C., Charlotte, North Carolina, Saint Paul, Minnesota and Los Angeles. The four-city tour will kick off at the National Theatre playing September 24–29 and end at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre on November 24. The New One played at Broadway's Cort Theatre from fall 2018 through early 2019, following a sold-out run off-Broadway in summer 2018. The show is written and performed by Birbiglia, features additional writing by Jennifer Hope Stein and direction by Seth Barrish.

Jeff Applegate Replaces Claybourne Elder in Off-Broadway's Caesar and Cleopatra
Jeff Applegate has replaced the previously announced Claybourne Elder in the role of Rufio in the off-Broadway revival of Caesar and Cleopatra at Theatre Row. Elder exits the production due to a scheduling conflict. Applegate's stage credits include the national tours of Mamma Mia! and Cheers: Live on Stage. The previously reported production is directed by David Staller and is still set to open on September 24.

Tonya Pinkins, Arielle Jacobs and More to Appear in Angela Sclafani's Passion Project at Green Room 42
Stage stars Tonya Pinkins, Arielle Jacobs, Lexi Lawson and Grace McLean and more are set to appear in the world premiere of Angela Slafani's Passion Project: Love Songs from Women to Their Work. The one-night only event will happen on Monday, September 23, at 9:30pm at The Green Room 42. With an original score by Sclafani, Passion Project features 12 unsung women from history singing to their greatest loves; the object of their careers. Mary Birnbaum will direct the night with music direction, arrangements and orchestration by Macy Schmidt. Click here for tickets and more information.

After Midnight, Dies at 59
Isabel Toledo, the Tony-nominated costume designer of After Midnight, passed away on August 26 in New York City after battling breast cancer. She was 59. After Midnight producer Scott Sanders, confirmed the news saying, "Isabel Toledo’s work on After Midnight was nothing short of astonishing and I hoped it would be the first of many theatrical collaborations. Alas, she left us too early, but her impact on the art form can not be diminished. She made the world a more beautiful, elegant place, and her legacy lives on." Known outside of Broadway for creating Michelle Obama's 2009 inaugural parade dress, the Cuban-American designer's work was heralded for its construction, diversity and style. She first attended the Fashion Institute of Technology before transferring to Parsons School of Design. She eventually left school in 1979 before graduation to pursue an internship for Diana Vreeland at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is survived by her husband artist Ruben Toledo and her sisters Mary Santos and Anna Bertha Izquierdo. Take a look at some of Toledo's costume designs for After Midnight below.