Odds & Ends: Idina Menzel to Lead Redwood Through August, Hugh Jackman Partners with Sonia Friedman and More

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

Idina Menzel Sets Final Performance in Redwood
Tony Award winner Idina Menzel will play her final performance in Redwood at the Nederlander Theatre on August 17. The new Broadway musical, about a woman discovering a life among the trees, is written and directed by Tina Landau with music by Kate Diaz and lyrics by Diaz and Landau. The show began performances January 24, officially opening February 13. In addition to Menzel, the cast features De’Adre Aziza, Michael Park, Zachary Noah Piser and Khaila Wilcoxon.

Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman Launch Theatrical Partnership
Tony-winning producer Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman have launched Together, a new company dedicated to creating live theater that is intimate and accessible. "With director Ian Rickson we wanted to create a company where actors, writers and directors could experiment, explore and take risks, away from the pressures that are often associated with the commercial theater world," said Friedman and Jackman in a statement. "Together is about going back to basics, rediscovering the simple, thrilling essence of live performance."

Joy: A New True Musical Announces Leading Men
Charl Brown, Adam Grupper and Mauricio Martinez will play Dan, Rudy and Tony, respectively, in Joy: A New True Musical off-Broadway this summer. Betsy Wolfe leads the cast as Joy Mangano, inventor of the Miracle Mop, with Jill Abramovitz and Honor Blue Savage playing Joy’s mother Toots and daughter Christie. The show has a book by Tony-winning producer Ken Davenport, music and lyrics by Grammy and Tony Award nominee AnnMarie Milazzo and direction by Lorin Latarro. The production will run for eight weeks from June 21 through August 17 with an official July 20 opening at the Laura Pels Theatre.

Lincoln Center Theater Announces New Executive Team
Incoming LCT Artistic Director Lear deBessonet and Executive Producer Bartlett Sher announced the remaining members of the executive leadership team that will begin their tenures in the 2025-26 season. Maria Manuela Goyanes (currently Artistic Director, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company) has been named Artistic Director of LCT3 and will also take on the role of Producer, while Mike Schleifer (currently Managing Director, Alliance Theatre) will be Lincoln Center Theater’s Managing Director. Goyanes and Schleifer join the newly appointed deBessonet, Sher and Nicole Kastrinos (Producer), alongside Naomi Grabel (Executive Director of Development & Planning), to complete the LCT executive leadership team.

Midori Francis Joins First All-Asian American Production of William Inge's Bus Stop 
Midori Francis (Sex Lives of College Girls, Grey's Anatomy) replaces Dorcas Leung as Cherie in William Inge's Bus Stop at Classic Stage Company. The revival is a co-production from CSC, National Asian American Theatre Company and Transport Group, directed by Transport Group Artistic Director Jack Cummings III. The cast also includes Delphi Borich as Elma, Rajesh Bose as Dr. Lyman, Cindy Cheung as Grace, David Lee Huynh as Will, Michael Hsu Rosen as Bo, David Shih as Carl and Moses Villarama as Virgil. Performances run from May 8 through June 8 with an opening night set for May 18.