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West Side Story Film - Rachel Zegler - 03/20 - NIKO TAVERNISE/TWENTIETH CENTURY STUDIOS

Odds & Ends: West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler Tapped for Live-Action Snow White

June 22nd, 2021 | By Lindsey Sullivan

Here’s a quick roundup of stories you might have missed recently.

West Side Story Star Rachel Zegler Could Play Snow White
Singing “Someday My Prince Will Come” will be no sweat for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story star! Deadline reports that Rachel Zegler, who plays Maria in the West Side Story remake scheduled for release on December 10, has been tapped to play Snow White in Disney’s live-action version of the classic. Marc Webb directs the film with Marc Platt producing. Dear Evan Hansen duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul will write new songs for the movie. Production is scheduled to begin next year.

Corbin Bleu (Photo: Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com)
 

Corbin Bleu to Host 2021 Jimmy Awards
Broadway alum and former Broadway.com vlogger Corbin Bleu, who was last seen on Broadway in Kiss Me, Kate, will host the 2021 Jimmy Awards. The show, which is scheduled to be streamed on July 15 at 7:30 PM ET, will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances and will culminate with two students presented with a Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor awards with a total of 20 awards and scholarships available to participants. All coaching, rehearsals and activities will take place online. “Corbin Bleu is an awe-inspiring performer who can do it all. There’s no doubt that many of our nominees discovered musical theater though his memorable performance in the High School Musical franchise. We’re thrilled that he will be hosting this year’s Jimmy Awards show,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League, in a statement. “After the challenging year that we’ve faced, arts education is more important than ever, and we’re proud that the Jimmy Awards can provide an opportunity for these talented future theater professionals to shine and for fans to discover the stars of the future.”

Broadway Bares: Twerk From Home Raises $349,434 (And Counting!)
Broadway Bares: Twerk From Home premiered on June 20 as a striptacular benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. It featured appearances from stage faves like Harvey Fierstein, Peppermint, Robyn Hurder, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Jelani Remy and more. The virtual show, directed by Tony winner and Bares creator Jerry Mitchell and co-directed by Laya Barak and Nick Kenkel, featured 14 original numbers. The annual event has raised more than $21 million for BC/EFA since 1992. Broadway Bares: Twerk From Home has already raised $349,434 for the organization, but the full show is still available to watch here. Donations are encouraged.

Nikki M. James (Photo: Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com)
 

Nikki M. James & More Join Williamstown Theatre Festival Season
More stars are heading to Williamstown Theatre Festival, which, as previously announced, will welcome back live audiences. The Festival will now run through August 15, adding an additional week to both the world premiere musical Row and Michael Arden’s immersive Alien/Nation. The season will kick off on July 6 with Outside on Main: Nine Solo Plays by Black Playwrights, which will run through July 25. Guest curated by Slave Play‘s Tony-nominated director Robert O’Hara, this series of three shows celebrates Black artists and their voices through theatrical storytelling. The cast will include Brian D. Coats, Rosalyn Coleman, Cindy De La Cruz, Antwayn Hopper, Naomi Lorrain, Sharina Martin, Ronald Peet, Portia, and Ashley C. Turner. Joining Lucille Lortel Award winner Grace McLean in Row will be Micaela Diamond, Jeannette Bayardelle, Lisa Brescia, Andy Grotelueschen, Nehal Joshi, John McGinty, Zachary Noah Piser, Horace V. Rogers and Jennifer Sánchez. The cast of Alien/Nation will include Tony winner Nikki M. James, Yeman Brown, Andrei Chagas, Maxwell Dunham, Leigh-Ann Esty, Sara Esty, Chantelle Good, Christopher Hampton Grant, Eriko Jimbo, Matthew Alexander Johnson, Jesse Kovarsky, Renni Magee, Jodi McFadden, Emilio Ramos, Shea Renne, Lauren Yalango-Grant, Julian Abelskamp, Oluwatobiloba Adeyemo, Tim Creavin, Cody Hayman, Austin Phillips, Kallie Pong, Jaime Lee Rodney, Marissa Ruben, Jessica Natalie Smith, Tyqaun Malik White, Ontaria Kim Wilson and Bekah Zornosa.

Glenn Close Joins Apple TV+ Thriller Tehran
Three-time Tony winner Glenn Close has joined the cast of Tehran, according to Deadline. Close will be a series regular on the show’s second season, playing the role of Marjan Montazeri, a British woman living in Tehran. The first season told the story of Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), a young Mossad agent undercover on a secret mission in the heart of Tehran. Filming will begin soon in Greece.

 

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