Odds & Ends: Jeanna de Waal & Corbin Bleu to Lead Mary Poppins at The Muny

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

Jeanna de Waal & More Cast in Muny's Mary Poppins
This casting is practically perfect! Jeanna de Waal, most recently seen on Broadway in Diana, will lead The Muny's production of Mary Poppins alongside Corbin Bleu. Directed by John Tartaglia, the staging will also star Andréa Burns as Winifred Banks, Nehal Joshi as George Banks and Darlesia Cearcy as Bird Woman/Miss Andrew. Additional casting will be announced later. The production is scheduled to run at the St. Louis venue from July 5 through July 13.

Krysta Rodriguez to Lead CBS Comedy Pilot Sober Companion
Broadway's Krysta Rodriguez has been tapped to lead the CBS comedy pilot Sober Companion opposite Lauren Lapkus, Deadline reports. The pilot comes from Jane the Virgin creator and executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman and CBS Studios and was written by Gracie Glassmeyer and David Rosenthal from a story they co-wrote with Urman. The story centers on Eliza (Rodriguez), an alcoholic who owns a bookstore/bar with her uncle in New Orleans. She is forced to get her life together when the court appoints her an exhaustingly upbeat sober companion, Shelley (Lapkus), with whom she has to live 24/7. Recently cast in the romantic comedy Out of Order, Rodriguez has also appeared on Netflix's Halston as Liza Minnelli and is known for her performances in Broadway's The Addams Family, Spring Awakening, First Date, In the Heights and more.

Tony Winner Rae Allen Dead at 95
Rae Allen, who won a 1971 Tony Award for her performance in And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, has died at the age of 95,according to  Deadline. Born in Brooklyn on July 3, 1926, she went on to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947. Allen made her Broadway debut in Where's Charley? one year later. Her numerous Broadway credits include Tony-nominated turns in the original Broadway production of Damn Yankees and Traveller Without Luggage. She moved into television and film in 1958, recreating her stage role in the film adaptation of Damn Yankees. On screen, she was known for roles on The Sopranos, Seinfeld, All In the Family and more. She is survived by her nieces Laura and Betty Cosgrove as well as her adopted family, friends April Webster and Lisa Ann Gold.

Ragtime Original Broadway Cast Recording Available on Vinyl for First Time
It's been almost 25 years since Ragtime first arrived on Broadway, and now the original cast recording is finally available on vinyl. Distributed by Sony Music's Masterworks Broadway, the limited edition LP set comes in 180-Gram red, white and blue vinyl with a 20-page booklet. Featuring the music of Stephen Flaherty and lyrics of Lynn Ahrens, Ragtime's original cast features Tony winners Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Judy Kaye as well as Tony nominees Peter Friedman and Mark Jacoby along with Lea Michele. The late Marin Mazzie, who earned a Tony nomination for her performance as Mother, was awarded a posthumous Special Tony Award in 2019. Check out the video below announcing the limited edition vinyl, and click here to get one!

IT'S HERE - Ragtime on vinyl! :star:️

*We are aware of the difference between a Cast Recording and a Soundtrack, as well as two misattributed artist names. We still think you will be happy to experience this tremendous work.

Order your limited edition vinyl:https://t.co/Ts9dsmw3rf pic.twitter.com/m1FXjMrJuI

— Masterworks Broadway (@SonyBroadway) April 5, 2022