Odds & Ends: New York Pops to Honor Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez at Annual Gala & More

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

New York Pops to Honor Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez at Annual Gala
The New York Pops has announced married songwriting duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez as honorees of the company's 37th Birthday Gala. The event will be held at Carnegie Hall on April 27, 2020 at 7:00pm on the Perelman Stage in the Stern Auditorium. The festive concert will feature the couple's iconic works—written with each other, as well as with other collaborators—performed by The New York Pops, under the music direction of Steven Reineke, along with a starry lineup of guest artists to be announced. Together, Robert and Kristen have written music and lyrics for films including Disney's Frozen (for which they won an Oscar and Grammy) and Pixar's Coco (for which they won a second Academy Award). They also penned the Broadway adaptation of Frozen and the upcoming motion picture Frozen 2. Their works with additional collaborators include Broadway's The Book of Mormon and In Transit.

Klea Blackhurst & Stephen Bogardus to Lead Musicals in Mufti's Panama Hattie
Casting is here for York Theatre Company's upcoming "Musicals in Mufti" presentation of the 1940 musical Panama Hattie. Michael Montel will direct the production, scheduled to play 11 performances from October 26 through November 3 at the York Theatre at Saint Peter's Church. Heading the cast will be Klea Blackhurst in the title role, with Tony nominee Stephen Bogardus as Nick Bullett and Simon Jones as Vivian Budd. The cast will also include David Green, Jay Aubrey Jones, Lael Van Keuren, Kylie Kuioka, Garen McRoberts, Casey Shuler, Gordon Stanley, Joe Veale, Zuri Washington and Anita Welch. Panama Hattie follows a brassy nightclub owner who must bid for the approval of her fiancé's family—a task only made more complicated when she discovers a plan to blow up the Panama Canal.

Zachary Noah Piser to Step into Alternate Slot of Dear Evan Hansen
Zachary Noah Piser is joining the cast of Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. The talented stage alum will become the Evan alternate beginning during the matinee on November 27. Piser will replace Michael Lee Brown, who will play his final performance on Saturday afternoon, November 23. Piser's stage credits include a Broadway-debut turn in Wicked and off-Broadway appearances in Sweeney Todd and Mad Libs Live!