Alex Brightman Wants to Star in Martin McDonagh's THE PILLOWMAN

During a recent panel at Emerald City Comic Con, Broadway alum Alex Brightman and writer and actor Brandon Rogers revealed some of their dream Broadway roles. Both performers appear in Hazbin Hotel, the animated musical series that features a large ensemble of Broadway veterans. 

“There’s a play by Martin McDonagh called The Pillowman that I love,” said Brightman, adding, "It’s one of the only times I’ve ever been….petrified in a live performance. I didn’t realize you could feel that way.”

The actor went on to explain the plot of the show, which follows a writer whose gruesome stories seem to become manifest in his local community. “It kind of plays on that whole idea of belief over fact, and I’m obsessed with that kind of stuff. It was on Broadway at some point, I saw it 7 times. I would play any of the 4 characters in it. It’s a fabulous thing." The show premiered on Broadway in 2005, featuring a cast that included Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum.

Rogers, who is known for his web series Helluva Boss, revealed that he wants to play Sweeney Todd. "I love a character that just kills a lot of f*cking people," adding that he also loves the set: "It’s like a playground for actors." He also shared that he would "kill to play Beetlejuice," which Brightman, who received a Tony nomination for his portrayal, loves. “You would be a killer Beetlejuice. I never really thought about that until you just said it, but you would,” he told Rogers. Find out how to watch the full Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss panel here.

Created by Vivienne Medrano, Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie (Erika Henningsen), the princess of Hell, as she pursues her seemingly impossible goal of rehabilitating demons to peacefully reduce overpopulation in her kingdom. After a yearly extermination imposed by angels, she opens a hotel in the hopes that patrons will be "checking out" into Heaven. The 8 episode series is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Alex Brightman is a writer and two-time Tony-nominated actor who has been seen on Broadway in School of Rock, Matilda, Big Fish, Wicked, Glory Days, and Beetlejuice. He recently appeared as Josh Skinner in the world premiere production of Schmigadoon! at the Kennedy Center.