Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa have been added to the cast of the new Broadway musical Xanadu, which begins previews on May 23 at the Helen Hayes Theatre. The production, starring Kerry Butler and Tony Roberts and directed by Christopher Ashley, is set to open on June 26.
Testa has been cast as Melpomeny, the evil muse of tragedy. Hoffman will play Calliope, the muse of epic.
Douglas Carter Beane has provided the book and the score, featuring all of the hits from the feature film including top 20 hits "Magic", "Xanadu," "Party All Over the World" and "I'm Alive." The musical's score was written by John Farrar and Jeff Lynne. Dan Knechtges is set to choreograph.
Testa's Broadway credits include Chicago, 42nd Street, Marie Christine, On the Town, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and The Rink. Her off-Broadway credits include See What I Wanna See and A New Brain. Hoffman played the role of Prudy Pingleton in Broadway's Hairspray and has received great acclaim for her own one woman shows, including Jackie with a Z, which she recently performed at Joe's Pub. Coincidentally, Hoffman created the role of a wisecracking Jewish maid in the Manhattan Theatre Club's recent production of Paul Rudnick's Regrets Only and was replaced by Testa when she left the production for medical reasons.