Broadway-Bound GIGI, Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Opens Tonight in D.C.

The new Broadway production of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's beloved Oscar and Tony Award-winning film and stage musical, Gigi, began its pre-Broadway engagement in the Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 16 and continues through February 12, 2015. Opening night is tonight, January 29, 2015.

The production stars Vanessa Hudgens who will make her Broadway debut as Gigi, Tony Award-winner and two-time Tony Award-nominee Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza, Sister Act, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) as Mamita Alvarez, Corey Cott (Newsies) as Gaston Lachaille, three-time Tony Award-nominee Dee Hoty (The Will Rogers Follies, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, Footloose) as Aunt Alicia, two-time Tony Award-nominee Howard McGillin (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes) as Honoré Lachaille and Steffanie Leigh (Mary Poppins) as Liane d'Exelmans.

Gigi features a new book adaptation by Heidi Thomas (BBC/PBS's "Call the Midwife") and is choreographed by Emmy Award-winner Joshua Bergasse (On the Town, "Smash") and directed by Eric Schaeffer (Follies, Million Dollar Quartet).

The cast also features Cameron Adams, Kathryn Boswell, Max Clayton, Madeleine Doherty, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, Hannah Florence, Alison Jantzie, Brian Ogilvie, Ian Paget, James Patterson, Justin Prescott, Manuel Stark, Tanairi Sade Vazquez, Richard White, Amos Wolff and Ashley Yeater.

Scenic design is by Tony Award-winner Derek McLane, costume design is by five-time Tony Award- winner Catherine Zuber, lighting design is by four-time Tony Award-winner Natasha Katz and sound design is by Tony Award-nominee Kai Harada. Hair design is by David Brian Brown. Musical director is James Moore. Orchestrations are by August Eriksmoen. Vocal and incidental music arrangement is by Matt Aument. Dance music arrangements are by Sam Davis.

Based on the 1944 novel by Colette, Gigi was first adapted for the Broadway stage by Anita Loos in 1951, with an unknown Audrey Hepburn in the title role; then, following their success with My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) adapted the material for the 1958 movie musical, winner of nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, is widely considered the last great MGM movie musical, and is beloved for its wit, charm and sumptuous costume and production design. Gigi includes such numbers as "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," "I Remember It Well" "The Night They Invented Champagne" and the Oscar-winning title song, "Gigi". Gigi also won the Tony Award for Best Score in 1974.

This new adaptation of Gigi will feature all of the songs from the movie, including two songs, "The Parisians" and "Say a Prayer for Me Tonight," that were dropped from the previous stage version. The production also includes four songs written and added to the stage score by Lerner and Loewe in 1973, "Paris is Paris Again," "I Never Want to Go Home Again," "The Contract," and "In This Wide, Wide World."

Tickets for the Kennedy Center engagement are on sale to the general public. Visit www.kennedy-center.org for further details. Gigi will open on Broadway in spring 2015 following the Kennedy Center engagement.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus