Odds & Ends: Dear Evan Hansen's Roman Banks to Join High School Musical: The Musical: The Series & More

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

Dear Evan Hansen's Roman Banks to Join High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Multi-talented actor Roman Banks, a former Evan cover in Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen, has booked a role in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, according to TVLine. Banks will recur in season two of the show as Howie, a "hyper-smart, adorkable high school junior who works at Big Red's family's pizza shop." The role of Howie is named for Howard Ashman, the late legendary lyricist of Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and more. Banks, who was the first actor of color to play the role of Evan in Dear Evan Hansen, will be joined in the Disney+ series by fellow newcomer Olivia Rose Keegan (Days of Our Lives).

The Prom & More Upcoming Films Pause Production
Moviegoers will have to wait a little longer to go to prom. Ryan Murphy's star-packed film adaptation of the Tony-nommed musical The Prom has stopped production due to concerns over COVID-19, according to Deadline. The previously reported movie musical, which will star Meryl Streep, Jo Ellen Pellman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Nicole Kidman, Ariana De Bose, Kerry Washington and Kevin Chamberlin, is still expected to resume production at a later date. In related news, National Geographic's Genius: Aretha, starring Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin, has also halted filming, while production on Disney films has been suspended, including the live-action Little Mermaid remake and the Josh Gad-led Honey, I Shrunk the Kids prequel Shrunk.

Sarah Lancashire, Bebe Neuwirth, Jefferson Mays & More Stage Stars Set for HBO Max Pilot Julia
A slew of stage actors have been cast in Julia, a new HBO Max drama pilot about the life of chef and TV personality Julia Child, according to Deadline. Heading the cast will be Olivier nominee Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child; she'll be joined by Tony winners Bebe Neuwirth and Jefferson Mays, Tony and Olivier nominee Tom Hollander and Broadway alums Brittany Bradford and Fran Kranz, along with Emmy nominee Isabella Rossellini. The series will explore "an evolving time in American history—the emergence of a new social institution called public television, feminism and the women's movement, the nature of celebrity and America's cultural growth."

BC/EFA Cancels Annual Broadway Backwards Fundraiser
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has announced that the 2020 edition of its annual concert Broadway Backwards has been canceled as a precautionary measure due to COVID-19. Tony nominee Jenn Colella was slated to host the "evening where gender doesn't matter but love does" on March 16 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The event will return next year.

London Debut of Vanya & Sonia Is Postponed
The London premiere staging of Christopher Durang's Tony-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike has been postponed. Originally scheduled to start performances on March 21 at the Charing Cross Theatre, the production will now be rescheduled to later in the year due to COVID-19. The production was slated to star two-time Olivier-winning actress Janie Dee as Masha, the role originated on Broadway by Sigourney Weaver.