Wake Up With BWW 2/7: GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY Begins Previews, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

We'd like to wish a happy first preview to Girl From The North Country, which officially begins performances tonight, February 7, on Broadway!

Broadway Backwards has found its 2020 lineup! The one-night-only event will include performances by Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, Tony nominee Jenn Colella, Tony nominee Ariana DeBose, Tony winner André De Shields, Patti Murin, Elizabeth Stanley, and more!

Mean Girls on Broadway recently revealed that Olivia Kaufmann will be taking over the role of Janis! Kaufmann will be stepping into the role beginning March 10th.

Read more about these and other top stories below!

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1) Jeremy Jordan Responds To Criticism That He's "Too Hot" To Play Seymour In LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Look out, look out, look out! With Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan slated to join the Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour, Slate is criticizing the production's casting of actors who are seen as 'too hot' to take on the iconic role. Now, Jeremy Jordan himself has taken to social media to respond to the criticism, posting a series of photos to show a different side of himself. Check them all out!. (more...)

2) VIDEO: Olivia Rodrigo Performs 'All I Want' From HSMTMTS on LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN
by Stage Tube

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star Olivia Rodrigo was a guest on Thursday's episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan where she performed 'All I Want,' a song she wrote for the show.. (more...)

3) Olivia Kaufmann Will Be Taking Over as Janis in MEAN GIRLS

Mean Girls on Broadway posted on Twitter today that Olivia Kaufmann will be taking over the role of Janis!. (more...)

4) Laura Benanti, André De Shields, Jenn Colella, Elizabeth Stanley and More Set For BROADWAY BACKWARDS

Celebrated Tony Award winners, emerging stars and beloved Broadway favorites are among the first to join the lineup for this year's Broadway Backwards on March 16, 2020.. (more...)

5) Shelby Acosta, Karl Skyler Urban and More Join EMOJILAND; New Cast Members Announced

Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) today announced that Shelby Acosta and Karl Skyler Urban have joined the cast of Emojiland as understudies, along with Geena Quintos who has joined the company as a swing. . (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

Girl From The North Country begins previews on Broadway tonight, February 7!

Girl from the North Country begins performances at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) with the opening night set for Thursday, March 5.

Celebrated playwright Conor McPherson boldly reimagines the songs of the legendary Bob Dylan in Girl from the North Country - the soaring masterwork about the dreams we keep close, the people we hold dear, and the place we call home.

Girl from the North Country is set at a guesthouse at the crossroads of the nation. Wanderers at a turning point in their lives. Each one is driven by a dream - some for work, some for love, all for hope. They each have a song to sing, and once they do, their lives will change forever.

BWW Exclusive: The Theatre Podcast With Alan Seales Chats with Tam Mutu of MOULIN ROUGE!

After trying not to audition for the role, he found a new home playing one of Broadway's most alluring bad boys. This episode is part of the February podcast takeover from Moulin Rouge, the Musical!

What we're watching: Check Out New Video of Broadway-Aimed AMERICANO! at Phoenix Theatre Company

The Broadway-aimed musical Americano!, inspired by the life of DREAMer and community organizer Tony Valdovinos will run from January 29 - February 23 at Phoenix, Arizona's The Phoenix Theatre Company.

Americano! features Sean Ewing (Broadway's West Side Story, Amazing Grace) as Tony Valdovinos, leading a company including Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda, Maria Amorocho, Edgar Lopez, Alyssa Gomez, Joseph Cannon, Justin Figueroa, Michael Scott, Sonia Rodriguez Wood, Anson Romney, Chris Eriksen, Joseph Cavasos, Matravius Avent, Jessie Jo Pauley, Shani Barrett, Nicholas Flores, Ricco Machado-Torres, Lucas Coatney, Anne-Lise Koyabe, Tarnim Bybee, Cole Newburg, Elyssa Blonder and Aidan Lutton.

Social Butterfly: Twitter Comes to Lynn Nottage's Rescue At Lincoln Center

Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage was saved by the Twitterverse this afternoon after tweeting that she was trapped in the bathroom at Lincoln Center!

Thankfully, Lincoln Center saw the tweet and came to her rescue.

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!