Joy Woods, Jordan Tyson & More Join Audra McDonald in GYPSY

Do something special, and you might just land on Broadway! BroadwayWorld has just learned that joining Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald and Tony Award Winner Danny Burstein in GYPSY are Joy Woods as “Louise,” Jordan Tyson as “June,” Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita as “Tessie Tura,” Lili Thomas as “Miss Mazeppa,” and Mylinda Hull as “Miss Electra.” Full casting will be announced shortly.

Directed by the legendary six-time Tony Award-winning Director George C. Wolfe, GYPSY is suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee. The musical features a book by Tony Award Winner Arthur Laurents, music by Tony and Academy Award Winner Jule Styne, and lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize Winner Stephen Sondheim, choreography by four-time Tony Award nominated Camille A. Brown, music direction and supervision by Andy Einhorn, and additional orchestrations and arrangements by Tony Award winner Daryl Waters. 

GYPSY has scenic design by four-time Tony Award winner Santo Loquasto, costume design by four-time Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by nine-time Tony Award winner Jules Fisher + three-time Tony Award winner Peggy Eisenhauer, sound design by Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer, hair and wig design by Academy Award winner Mia Neal, makeup design by Michael Clifton, casting by Jordan Thaler CSA/Heidi Griffiths CSA, and production stage management by Rick Steiger.

GYPSY performances will begin Thursday, November 21, 2024, at Broadway’s newly renovated Majestic Theatre and the show will officially open on Thursday, December 19, 2024.  

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Joy Woods (Louise) can currently be seen starring as Middle Allie in The Notebook on Broadway. Woods originated the role at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and received The Joseph Jefferson Award for Performer in a Supporting Role – Musical for her performance. Previously, Woods made her Broadway debut as Catherine Parr in Six: The Musical. In 2023, Woods starred as Martha Mills in the Off-Broadway revival of I Can Get it For You Wholesale. The production won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Revival of a Musical. Woods made her Off-Broadway debut in 2019, originating the role of Chiffon in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. She then returned to the show in 2023 as Audrey. Woods resides in New York and graduated from the AMDA College of the Performing Arts.

Jordan Tyson (June) made her Broadway debut in The Notebook. Other Theatre credits include: Bulrusher (McCarter/Berkeley Rep), Into the Woods (PCLO), The Notebook (Chicago Shakespeare), Lempicka (La Jolla Playhouse), Streets of New York (Irish Repertory), Folk Wandering (ART/NY), I And You (Weston Playhouse). Television: “The Chair” (Netflix/recurring Guest Star). Film: Vampires vs. the Bronx (Netflix). Readings: Hearts Beat Loud (MCC), Learned Ladies. 2017 Audelco Rising Star Award, 2018 YesBroadway 40 Under 40. Debut EP coming soon. www.jordantyson.com

Lesli Margherita (Tessie Tura) won the Laurence Olivier Award for her West End debut in Zorro The Musical and originated the roles of Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda The Musical and Mona Kent in Dames at Sea on Broadway. Off-Broadway she received Drama Desk, Lortel, and Outer Critics nominations for Who’s Holiday, Emojiland, and A Scythe of Time. Television credits include recurring and guest starring roles on “NCIS Hawaii” “Minx”, “Fairly OddParents”, “The Rookie”, “The Crew”, “Raven’s Home”, “Homeland", "Instinct", "Seven Seconds", and “Transparent”. Currently on film in “The Many Saints of Newark” and “Opening Night”. Lesli's voice can also be heard on several animated films and shows on Paramount+, Disney, FOX and Nickelodeon. Select regional credits include leading roles in Nine, Damn Yankees, Guys and Dolls, Flamingo Kid, Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Kiss Me Kate, Man Of La Mancha, Little Shop Of Horrors, and Spamalot. Her album Rule Your Kingdom, is out now from Broadway Records. @QueenLesli | leslimargherita.com

Lili Thomas (Miss Mazeppa) made history last year on Broadway as the first Asian American Mama Morton in Chicago. 1st Nat’l tour: Dear Evan Hansen as Cynthia Murphy. Off Broadway: We’re Gonna Die (Second Stage), Only Human, The Hello Girls (Prospect/Cast Album/Kennedy Center). Soloist at Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center), Disney Millenium Symphonies with the NY Philharmonic, Kennedy Center (Eisenhower, Terrace, and Millenium stages), Symphony Space. Select Regional: PLCO, Berkeley Rep, Milwaukee Rep, and most recently, Knoxville with Ahrens & Flaherty. NYU/Tisch BFA. Thanks to the best reps at DGRW, Ellie, and my family! For Dad & Bill, thank you for the embouchure. @thelilithomas

Mylinda Hull (Miss Electra / Miss Cratchitt) has been part of New York theatre for over 25 years.  After making her Broadway debut as Anytime Annie in the Tony Award-winning revival of 42nd Street (OBC), she continued on Broadway to play opposite such luminaries as Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity (OBC), Jonathan Pryce in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Nathan Lane in The Nance (OBC), and Billy Crystal in Mr. Saturday Night (OBC). She played Lola opposite Jerry Lewis in the National Tour of Damn Yankees. Off-Broadway she recently played Mona Bland in the Jason Robert Brown, Jonathan Marc Sherman and Daisy Prince helmed musical The Connector at MCC.  Mylinda was also a part of the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman musical Road Show at The Public Theatre directed by John Doyle, and the long-running crowd pleaser I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at The Westside Theatre.  At the popular New York City Center Encores! series she has played principal roles in five productions and can be heard on three of their Original Cast Recordings; Face The Music, The New Yorkers and Merrily We Roll Along with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Her many regional credits include Murder On The Orient Express at The Old Globe, Dancing At Lughnasa at Two River and her IRNE Award-winning performance as Miss Adelaide in Guys And Dolls at North Shore Music Theatre.  On the small screen, Mylinda played the burlesque stripper Pauline who meets a young Bob Fosse in “Fosse/Verdon” Episode 5 and appeared in “The Big C” with Laura Linney, as well as Season 1 and 2 of “Inside Amy Schumer.”  Mylinda lives in Brooklyn with husband, their two teenaged children and two dogs named Ry and Soda.  Gypsy will be her 7th Broadway show and she is thrilled to be a part of the company.