Stage-and-screen favorite Rosie O'Donnell is among the newly announced lineup of stars set to lead the Kennedy Center's upcoming staging of The Music Man. O'Donnell will take on the role of Mrs. Paroo in the production set to run from February 6-10, 2019 in the Eisenhower Theater.
O'Donnell told Broadway.com, "I am thrilled to join the cast of The Music Man at the Kennedy Center for the Broadway Center Stage series. Broadway is my first love—I can’t wait! Jessie Mueller and Norm Lewis—perfection! Come see us in February."
In addition to on-stage Broadway turns in Grease, Seussical and Fiddler on the Roof, O'Donnell served as producer on the cult-favorite Boy George musical Taboo. O'Donnell was honored by the Tonys in 2014 with the Isabelle Stevenson Award for her humanitarian work as the founder of the nonprofit arts-education organization Rosie's Theater Kids. She also earned a 1999 Emmy for hosting The 52nd Annual Tonys telecast.
Also new to the cast are Tony nominee John Cariani (The Band’s Visit) as Marcellus Washburn, Tony nominee Veanne Cox (An American in Paris) as Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, Tony nominee David Pittu (Is He Dead?) as Charlie Cowell, Damon Gillespie (Aladdin) as Tommy Djilas, Eloise Kropp (Dames at Sea) as Zaneeta Shinn, Sam Middleton (Les Misérables) as Winthrop Paroo and Emmy Elizabeth Liu-Wang as Amaryllis.
The cast will also include Tessa Grady, Arlo Hill, Todd Horman, Denis Lambert, Liz McCartney, Hayley Podschun, Katerina Papacostas, Blakely Slaybaugh, Jimmy Smagula, Ryan Steele, Daryl Tofa, Diana Vaden and Nicholas Ward.
They join the previously announced Tony nominee Norm Lewis as Harold Hill and Tony winner Jessie Mueller as Marian Paroo.
The Music Man follows traveling salesman Harold Hill (Lewis) as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys' band that he vows to organize, despite the fact that he doesn't know a trombone from a treble clef. The show features a book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson.
The production will be directed by Marc Bruni, choreographed by Chris Bailey and music-directed by James Moore.