Curtain Call: Ayo Edebiri Makes Her Broadway Debut, Casting Announced For Tour Of ‘Six’
Melody Butiu
Broadway: Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle are to make their Broadway debuts in the upcoming revival of Proof, the award-winning play from David Auburn. Telling the story of a deceased mathematician whose daughter embarks on a quest to secure posthumous credit for his work, the production is to be directed by Thomas Kail, will star Cheadle as the deceased Robert, and feature Edebiri as his daughter, Catherine. This will be the first Broadway revival for the play, which first premiered back in 2000 and later won a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award. The play will be beginning previews on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with an official opening night set for Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Brandon J. Dirden is to join the cast for the Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, in the role of Pozzo. Dirden will be appearing alongside Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, and Zaynn Arora. Performances will commence from Saturday, September 13, 2025, at the Hudson Theatre, with the opening night set for Sunday, September 28, 2025. The production will run until Sunday, January 4, 2026.
Namir Smallwood is to star as Peter Evans in the Broadway premiere of Bug, alongside Carrie Coon as Agnes White. Having first premiered back in 1996, the play is a psychological thriller set in a seedy Oklahoma motel, with Smallwood playing the role of a mysterious drifter. The play will be showing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, with its official opening set for Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Melody Butiu has joined the cast for the upcoming Broadway production of The Queen of Versailles, reprising her role as Sofia from the 2024 world premiere production. Based on the 2012 documentary, the play will be opening at the St. James Theatre, with previews on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, and an opening night set for Monday, November 10, 2025. Also appearing in the cast will be Yeman Brown, David Aron Damane, Drew Elhamalawy, Cassondra James, Pablo David Laucerica, Travis Murad Leland, and Shea Renne.
Child actors Caleb Beltran, Emma Origenes, Julius-Raymond Weems IV, and McKenzie Sherie Lewis have joined the cast for the Broadway production of The Lion King, with Beltran and Weems playing Young Simba, and Origenes and Lewis playing Young Nala. Appearing from August 2025 onwards, the chid stars join a cast that includes Vincent Jamal Hooper, Pearl Khwezi, Tshidi Manye, L. Steven Taylor, James Brown-Orleans, and Bonita J. Hamilton.
Christiani Pitts is to reprise the role of no-nonsense New Yorker Robin in the Broadway premiere of the musical rom-com Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), after having previously played the role in the North American premiere in Massachusetts earlier this year. Pitts will again be playing opposite to Sam Tutty, performing at the Longacre Theatre in New York on Saturday, November 1, 2025, ahead of an opening set for Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Off-Broadway: Tony award nominee and star of Boop!, Jasmine Amy Rogers is to star as Olive Ostrovsky in the new production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the musical comedy about a spelling competition, written by Rachel Sheinkin and with a score by Tony award winner William Finn. The production will begin previews at New World Stages in New York from Friday, November 7, 2025, until Sunday, February 15, 2025, with an official opening night set for Monday, November 17, 2025. Also appearing in the production will be Matt Manuel, Justin Cooley, Philippe Arroyo, and Leana Rae Concepcion.
Kelly Denice Taylor
Regional: Casting has been announced for the upcoming North American tour of Six, the Tony-award winning retelling of the story of the six wives of Henry VIII. Kelly Denice Taylor, who had previously appeared in the Broadway version of the play, will be reappearing in this latest production as Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour. Starring alongside her will be Emma Elizabeth Smith as the first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Nella Cole as Anne Boleyn, Hailey Alexis Lewis as wife number four, Anna of Cleves, Alizé Cruz as Katherine Howard, and Tasia Jungbauer as the final wife, Catherine Parr. The company will begin performances at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, beginning Thursday, September 25, 2025.
The complete cast has now been announced for the upcoming world premiere of Purple Rain, a new musical based on the film and music by the iconic Prince. Alongside the already announced starring roles of Kris Kollins in the lead role of The Kid and Rachel Webb as Apollonia, the production will also feature Bilaal Avaz, Leon Addison Brown, Jaci Calderon, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Anissa Griego, Jared Howelton, Christina Jones, Emma Lenderman, Gían Pérez, Kondwani Phiri, Antonio Michael Woodard, and Grace Yoo. The production will run from Thursday, October 16, 2025, until Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Hennepin Arts’ State Theatre in Minneapolis, with an opening night set for Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Jasmine Forsberg and Benji Santiago are to star in the upcoming world premiere of Lauren Gunderson and Ari Afsar’s new musical, I & You, a co-production with Olney Theatre Center. Based on Gunderson's play from 2013, about a housebound teenager helping her classmate with a poetry assignment, the musical will be running at the McCarter Theatre Center in New Jersey from Saturday, September 13, 2025, to Sunday, October 12, 2025.
Eva Noblezada
International: Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, star of Romeo and Juliet, is to appear in the upcoming production of The Line of Beauty, a captivating depiction of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain based on the book by Alan Hollinghurst. Adapted by Jack Holden, the play will be running at the Almeida Theatre in London from Tuesday, October 21, 2025, until Saturday, November 29, 2025. Also appearing in the cast will be Doreene Blackstock and Alistair Nwachukwu.
Timi Akinyosade, Tarinn Callender, and Brenda Edwards have joined the cast for the upcoming West End production of Paddington: The Musical. Adapted from Michael Bond's books, the play will be opening at the Savoy Theatre in London on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Eva Noblezada is to take over the role of Sally Bowles in the West End production of Cabaret. The star of Hadestown is to appear in the iconic play from Monday, September 22, 2025, till Saturday, January 24, 2026. Noblezada will be appearing alongside her Hadestown co-star and real-life fiancée Reeve Carney, who appears as the Emcee.
Casting has been announced for the Canadian premiere of The Welkin, a courtroom drama from Lucy Kirkwood set in 1750s England. Bahia Watson is to star as Sally Poppy, a young woman accused of murder who claims to be pregnant to avoid being hangeded. Starring alongside her is Mayko Nguyen as Lizzy, a midwife who attempts to defend Poppy from a jury of 12 matrons. Also appearing in the cast will be Olunike Adeliyi, Ghazal Azarbad, Nadine Bhabha, Brefny Caribou, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Kyra Harper, Annie Luján, and Natasha Mumba. “I was completely floored the first time I read this play,” stated director Weyni Mengesha. “It speaks directly to so many themes I care deeply about—and Lucy Kirkwood’s writing is razor sharp, moving, and hilarious… To direct this powerful, timely story as my final production as artistic director at Soulpepper, alongside one of the most extraordinary ensembles I’ve ever worked with, is an incredible honour.” The production is to run from Thursday, September 4, 2025, to Sunday, October 5, 2025.
Gilbert Kyem Jnr., Melanie La Barrie, and Hugh Quarshie have joined the cast for the UK premiere of Mary Page Marlowe. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play from Tracy Letts is set to run at The Old Vic in London, from Tuesday, September 23, 2025, until Saturday, November 1, 2025. Directed by Matthew Warchus, Mary Page Marlowe follows the life of one woman over 70 years, with the role of Mary performed by five different actors. Also appearing in the cast will be Daniella Arthur-Kennedy, who is to make her professional stage debut.
Industry: Applications are now open for the Broadway Regional Apprenticeship, which aims to provide early-career professionals with hands-on experience in the commercial theater business and in Broadway touring. Organized by Broadway Across America and the Black Theater Coalition, the apprenticeship is now on its fifth year running and will provide successful applicants with 14 weeks of paid, educational opportunities at one of the BAA’s offices in New York, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Louisville, Minneapolis, Ottawa, and Seattle. These opportunities will be running from January to April 2026, with the deadline for applications at 11:59 PM EST, on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. “We are proud to see the continued impact of our partnership with BTC,” stated Lauren Reid, President of the John Gore Organization. “As alumni of the program go on to build meaningful careers across the Broadway industry, not just in New York, but across America. This initiative both prepares the next generation of theater professionals and enriches our industry with fresh perspectives.” Further details on the program and how to apply can be found at Broadway Across America.
