Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed.
John Stamos will step in as Herod in the Hollywood Bowl production of Jesus Christ Superstar, replacing Josh Gad, who recently tested positive for COVID-19. Stamos wrote on Instagram: "Well… this weekend just got Biblical. I’m stepping in as King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at the @HollywoodBowl, starring the brilliant @cynthiaerivo." He continued, "This is an honor. A dream. And also a little insane because… I just stepped off a plane from @thebeachboys tour in Spain and have less than 24 hours to pull this off. Wish me luck. And let’s rock the Bowl." The cast features Cynthia Erivo (Jesus), Adam Lambert (Judas), Phillipa Soo (Mary), Raúl Esparza (Pontius Pilate) and Milo Manheim (Peter). Performances run from August 1-3.
Dear Everything, described as "a musical uprising for the Earth," is coming to three U.S. cities this fall: Miami Beach, Florida; Los Angeles, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah. Written by Tony Award winner V (formerly Eve Ensler), Dear Everything addresses the climate crisis, telling "an urgent story driven by galvanizing and emotional pop and folk music." The cast features Crystal Monee Hall, YDE, Paravi, Luke Ferrari, Michael Williams, Brittany Campbell, Javier Muñoz and Terence Archie. Diane Paulus directs. Music is by Grammy nominee Justin Tranter, Caroline Pennell and Eren Cannata, with lyrics by Tranter, Pennell and V, additional contributions by Tony Award winner Idina Menzel and orchestrations by Daniel Crean. Dear Everything, formerly known as WILD, premiered as a concert production at American Repertory Theater in 2021. Click here for more information.
Robert Wilson, avant-garde theater director, playwright and visual artist, died on July 31 at his home in Water Mill, New York following a brief illness. He was 83. His death was confirmed by Chris Green, the executor of his estate and the president of the Robert Wilson Arts Foundation. Wilson was best known for his collaboration with composer Philip Glass on the 1976 opera Einstein on the Beach. His work was seen on Broadway once in 1975 in the brief run of the musical A Letter for Queen Victoria, for which he penned the book while also directing and performing in the production.
London stage veteran John Leader will star in the upcoming Royal Shakespeare Company production of The BFG, a stage adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's novel. Adapted by Tom Wells, the production is a collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Roald Dahl Story Company. The story was previously adapted for a 2016 film, directed by Steven Spielberg. Performances will run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon for a 10-week run from November 25 through January 31, 2026, before transferring to Chichester Festival Theatre from March 9 through April 11, 2026.