Odds and Ends: Jeremy Jordan Honors Jean Smart, Alex Newell Revisits Once on This Island & More

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

Mama Will Reprise!

Tony winner Alex Newell made their Broadway debut as Asaka in the 2017 revival of Once on This Island and will be returning to the role for a one-night concert staging of the musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The cast also includes Jamael Westman as Daniel Beauxhomme, Casey Al-Shaqsy as Andrea Deveraux, Waylon Jacobs as Armand Beauxhomme, Ako Mitchell as Tonton Julian and Wendy Mae Brown as Mama Euralie. Newell, who is currently playing Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago on Broadway, previously performed at Drury Lane in a 50th anniversary concert staging of Pippin. The concert will be directed by Annabel Mutale-Reed. London audiences can see Newell and company “Tell the Story” on February 8, 2026.

Jeremy Jordan Gives Jean Smart Her Flowers

This past year, Jean Smart continued her award-winning run as comedy queen Deborah Vance on HBO Max’s Hacks and returned to Broadway in the one-woman show Call Me Izzy. Smart has another accomplishment on the horizon, as she has been selected to receive The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre at Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2026 gala. The event will take place March 9, 2026 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. Jeremy Jordan, who is currently starring in The Great Gatsby on Broadway, will perform a special concert for gala-goers. All proceeds will go toward Roundabout’s many programs, including their education and community partnerships.

Another Round of Coyote Ugly on the West End

Call the fire marshall! A musical adaptation of the 2000 cult classic Coyote Ugly is premiering on the West End in 2027. Jerry Mitchell, the Tony winning director-choreographer behind Kinky Boots and Legally Blonde will helm the production. Screenwriter Gina Wendkos is working with Olivier winner Vikki Stone to adapt her screenplay for the stage. The show will include the film’s original music by Grammy winner Diane Warren, as well as some new material from the prolific songwriter. Based on a GQ article by Elizabeth Gilbert that detailed her experience working at the titular establishment, Coyote Ugly follows a winsome musician from New Jersey who stumbles into a rowdy bartending gig. The cast and creative team have yet to be announced.

Pardon Our French

Alexandre Dumas’ sweeping classic The Count of Monte Cristo is becoming a musical. Set in post-Napoleonic France, Monte Cristo tells the epic story of a man who escapes prison, rises to wealth and courts revenge. The stage adaptation will feature music by Stephen Weiner, with Tony nominee Peter Kellogg penning the book and lyrics. The star-studded cast includes Tony winner Karen Ziemba, Tony nominee Norm Lewis, Sierra Boggess, Adam Jacobs, James Judy, Stephanie Jae Park, Danny Rutigliano, Eliseo Román and Daniel Yearwood. Monte Cristo will play a limited engagement off-Broadway at the York Theatre with performances beginning March 12, 2026. After opening night on March 19, the show will run through April 5. Helen Hayes nominee Peter Flynn is attached to direct.

The Billie Holiday Theatre Celebrates Caribbean Artistry

The Billie Holiday Theatre is launching “Caribbean Calling: Roots & Resurgence," a theater festival celebrating Caribbean artistry on stage. Obie winner Heather Alicia Simms and Drama Desk nominee Patrice Johnson Chevannes have curated a series of staged readings, which include selections by Mustapha Matura, Derek Walcott and Alwin Bully. The evening will also include a panel discussion among creative leaders in the theater industry moderated by producer-director Kamilah Forbes. Founded in 1971, the Brooklyn-based theater company helped launch the careers of Samuel L. Jackson, Debbie Allen and Tichina Arnold, among others. “Caribbean Calling: Roots & Resurgence" will take place on December 13 from 5–9 p.m.

An Afterlife for Pushing Daisies

The quirky comedy series Pushing Daisies was axed after two seasons, but it might have another shot at life. The show’s creator, Bryan Fuller, expressed interest in a third season while promoting his horror feature The Dust Bunny. Speaking to The Mary Sue, Fuller said, “We have a season three pitch, and the entire cast wants to come back, and we’re hoping we get to return to them. We just have to find somebody who wants to make it.” Lee Pace led the cast as Ned, a pie-maker who has the ability to bring people back from the dead with the touch of his hand. Broadway’s very own Kristin Chenoweth co-starred as Olive Snooks, Ned’s lovesick coworker, for which she won an Emmy. Ellen Greene, who originated the role of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, played Ned’s eccentric aunt. Both actresses performed musical numbers throughout the show.