A surprising guest is accompanying Sutton Foster to Stars Hollow. Fellow Tony winner—and ex-husband—Christian Borle will join her in the upcoming Netflix revival of Gilmore Girls. Also on board is Tony nominee and Disaster! star Kerry Butler.
The trio, according to Entertainment Weekly, will play three stars of Stars Hollow: The Musical, featured in the third episode of the new season. Fun Home Tony winner Jeanine Tesori will pen the score for the show-within-a-show. Borle and Foster are familiar with singing her work; the two starred in Thoroughly Modern Millie together, and Foster went on to headline Shrek and Violet on Broadway.
Upon the initial announcement of Foster’s involvement, it was speculated that she would reprise her role as Michelle Simms from the ABC Family series Bunheads, which, like Gilmore Girls, was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.
The Tony-winning duo celebrated their wedding in 2006 following their stint in Thoroughly Modern Millie. They separated in 2010, but have continued to sing each other’s praises. “There’s a reason we got divorced, but there’s a reason we got married,” Borle told Broadway.com back in 2012. “She an unbelievable woman. She’s the best.” Borle has also admitted to becoming obsessed with Gilmore Girls while with Foster.
A Tony winner for Something Rotten! and Peter and the Starcatcher, Borle will return to the Broadway stage this fall as Marvin in the revival of Falsettos. He previously appeared on the small screen in NBC’s Smash, The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live!. Butler earned a Tony nomination for her performance in Xanadu; her additional credits include Catch Me If You Can, Hairspray and Rock of Ages.
Borle and Butler are the latest addition who did not appear in the original series. They join fellow newcomers Stacey Oristano—a Bunheads alum—and Mae Whitman, who starred opposite headliner Lauren Graham in Parenthood. Several leading, featured and recurring players from the original series (including Tony winner Kelly Bishop) are slated to return for the Netflix revival, with the notable exception of Melissa McCarthy.