Global Roundup 2/21 - BE MORE CHILL in the UK, HAMILTON in LA and More!

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature Be More Chill in London, Hamilton in LA and More!

Check out our top news and features from around the BroadwayWorld below! Want more great global content? Check out our "Around The World" section!

Top Stories

Jamael Westman, Nicholas Christopher,
Taylor Iman Jones and More to Lead the Los Angeles Engagement of HAMILTON: Producer Jeffrey Seller has announced that Jamael Westman and Nicholas Christopher will lead the Los Angeles engagement of HAMILTON as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, respectively. Taylor Iman Jones will
also join as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds.
(Read more)

Carrie Hope Fletcher Will Lead Andrew Lloyd Webber's New Production of CINDERELLA in the West End: Carrie Hope Fletcher will play Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's highly anticipated new production at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, with performances confirmed to begin on Friday 28 August (Press Night: Wednesday 23 September).
(Read more)

Arena Stage Announces 2020/21 Season; Corbin Bleu in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, and More!: Arena Stage has announced its 2020/21 Season, which is set to include five world premieres, four plays and three musicals, including a Corbin Bleu-led Catch Me If You Can.
(Read more)

Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel Will Extend Performances In WAITRESS: Waitress audiences have an additional chance to see 2020 Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles and Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor Gavin Creel as new performance dates have been added following a rapturous critical and public reception at the Adelphi Theatre. Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics for Waitress, is making her West End debut in the lead role of Jenna with Gavin Creel as Dr Pomatter having previously performed together on the Broadway run. They will be extending for a further two weeks, now appearing through to 21 March 2020.
(Read more)

Top Reviews

UK / West End: Contributor Cindy Marcolina reviews BE MORE CHILL at The Other Palace, writing, "It's safe to say that Be More Chill's journey to the major stages has been decidedly unconventional. After its New Jersey commission in 2015 and the subsequent limited run and cast recording release, fans started to spread the word thanks to the power of the internet. Some considerable award nominations and wins after, Joe Iconis (music and lyrics) and Joe Tracz's (book) musical based on Ned Vizzini's eponymous novel has landed in London at The Other Palace, beating all odds."

UK / West End: Contributor Marianka Swain reviews THE VISIT at The National Theatre, writing "Three years after the National's enthralling revival of Tony Kushner's Angels in America, the playwright returns with his new adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's tragicomic 1956 parable a?' which has also been turned into an Ingrid Bergman-starring film and a Kander and Ebb musical. Though not quite rivalling Angels' running time, it's certainly another epic; the first preview exceeded four hours, and it's now a still-hefty three hours and 35 minutes, with two intervals. Does it entirely justify it? The short answer is no - especially since there are too many scenes without Lesley Manville's avenging angel, by far the highlight of the production.

Norway: Contributor Christian Ranke reviews CHESS at Folketeatret, writing "Just like in the game of Chess it is a big move to give this musical another try due to its uneven track record on stage. In this brand new production of CHESS many of the chess pieces finally falls into place, A lot of it due to of a simplified plot which is character driven and where the music is in the center of attention."

Seattle: Contributor Jay Irwin reviews BLISS at the 5th Avenue Theatre, writing "Dear Readers, you may recall that several years ago there was a new musical that came through town, about Princesses (even called that), that many consider, including myself, to be one of the worst things they've ever seen. But as bad as it was, it had three things going for it. First, there was a story built around a Father's love for his daughter. Second, there was a hunky boy-band type, who may have creeped many out with his utterly rapey song "Just Say Yes", but he was still pretty. And third, and most importantly, the show featured one truly great song that spotlighted the quirkier and subordinate "Princesses" of the bunch. Cut to 2020 and enter the 5th Avenue Theatre's latest new musical venture, "Bliss" that, while having no real connection to that other one, blissfully and coincidentally contains those three elements and runs with them, while tossing the rest of that dreadful show into the infernos of musical theater hell (along with the likes of "Flashdance" and "Love Never Dies"). And while "Bliss" may still have some work to do to make it truly shine (which we'll get to in a minute), it's still a delightfully fun romp into the woods with some Princess archetypes who aren't the norm but should be."

Editor Spotlight

Jay Irwin

Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Jay has been a theater geek for years. He attends as many shows as he can around the country and loves taking in new exciting works.

Jay is also an actor in the local Seattle scene. Follow me on Twitter @SeattleBdwyGeek. . You can also check me out in my web series "The Gamers: The Shadow Menace" available on Amazon Prime.

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