Odds and Ends: Tony Winner Robert Sean Leonard in Celebrity Autobiography, a Bronze Statue of James Earl Jones and More

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

Saturday Night Poets Society
Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard is joining the rotating cast of Celebrity Autobiography, stepping in from June 1-7. Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live's Mikey Day will make his Broadway debut in the show, jumping in from June 4-6. Celebrity Autobiography features stars reading other stars’ autobiographies. It plays the Shubert Theatre through August 16.

Bronzed and Beautiful
On June 16, the Shubert Organization will unveil a bronze statue of the late, great James Earl Jones, honoring the actor’s enduring contributions to Broadway and American culture. The permanent installation will stand in the lobby of the James Earl Jones Theatre, renamed in 2022, where Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958. Jones won two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play, for The Great White Hope and Fences. He received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017. Commissioned by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, the project was made possible through support from Black Theatre United and the Shubert Organization. The bust was created by sculptor Littleton Alston.

Good Old Reliable Nathan
The world could always use more Nathan Lane. Documentarian Matthew Miele will release a feature documentary of the life, career and theatrical legacy of the three-time Tony winner, according to Deadline. The film will follow Lane’s work focusing on his Tony-nominated portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. The film will include interviews with Matthew Broderick, Tony Kushner, Jean Smart, George C. Wolfe, Ann Roth, Mel Brooks, Mike Birbiglia and Lane’s Death of a Salesman co-star Laurie Metcalf. Additional participants and production details on the Lane project will be announced in the coming months.

Gattelli Cinderelli
Seventy years after the television premiere, starring Julie Andrews, and 30 years after the remake, starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, a new touring production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella will launch in fall 2027. The North American tour will be directed and choreographed by Tony winner Christopher Gattelli, who is currently nominated for two 2026 Tony Awards for Schmigadoon! Additional creative team members, casting and tour route will be announced at a later date.

Be Who You Are for Your Pride
Happy Pride Month! GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics announced the group’s fourth annual Dorian Theater Awards on June 1. Voted on by GALECA’s theater wing, the awards recognize excellence on Broadway and off-Broadway in productions that range in subject matter, including but not limited to LGBTQ+ stories. Winners of the five main production categories included Outstanding Broadway Musical Schmigadoon!,  Outstanding Broadway Play The Balusters, Outstanding Broadway Musical Revival Ragtime, Outstanding Broadway Play Revival Death of a Salesman and Outstanding LGBTQ Broadway Production The Rocky Horror Show. Joshua Henry, John Lithgow, Layton Williams and Alden Ehrenreich were awarded in the Broadway performance categories, while Ragtime's ensemble was celebrated as a whole. The Rescues were awarded Outstanding Original Score for The Lost Boys, and Cinco Paul's Schmigadoon! won Outstanding Book. he Balusters was also recognized for its Outstanding Script. The Lost Boys won Outstanding Design, encompassing its set, lighting and sound. The Broadway Showstopper Award, given to a standout production number or scene, went to Emma Sofia's performance of “Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat” in Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Also winning big for Cats were costume designer Qween Jean and performer Junior LaBeija, who were crowned the LGBTQ Theater Artist of the Season and LGBTQ Theater Trailblazer, respectively. 

P.S.
Step into the world of Galileo with an official trailer narrated by famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The musical, starring Raúl Esparza, begins performances on Broadway this fall.