DeGarmo, Young, Ashford and Riabko Among New Cast of Hair on Broadway
By Adam Hetrick 16 Feb 2010
"American Idol" finalists Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young will lead the tribe of the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Hair beginning March 9.
DeGarmo, who most recently appeared in The Toxic Avenger Off-Broadway and the Broadway run of Hairspray, has been cast as Sheila (originally played by Cassie Levy). After starring in the Broadway and national tour of Grease, Young will return to the New York stage as Berger, the role originated by Tony nominee Will Swenson.
The new tribe of Hair will also feature Annaleigh Ashford (Wicked, Legally Blonde) as Jeanie, Jeannette Bayardelle (The Color Purple) as Dionne, Vanessa Ray as Crissy, Kyle Riabko (Spring Awakening) as Claude, Wallace Smith as Hud and Jason Wooten as Woof.
Completing the cast are Justin Badger, Nicholas Belton, Larkin Bogan, Natalie Bradshaw, Catherine Brookman, Briana Carlson-Goodman, Antwayn Hopper, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Rachel Bay Jones, Mykal Kilgore, Josh Lamon, Nicole Lewis, Anastacia McClesky, Paris Remillard, Arbender Robinson, Kate Rockwell, Cailan Rose, Rashidra Scott, Jen Sese, Lawrence Stallings, Terrance Thomas, Emma Zaks and Lee Zarrett.
The new cast of Hair will make their Broadway debut March 9, while members of the original Broadway cast will begin performances in the London production at the Gielgud Theatre on April 1. An official London opening has been set for April 14.
Featuring book and lyrics by the late Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, the Broadway revival of Hair opened on Broadway March 31, 2009, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Diane Paulus earned a Tony nomination for her direction of the revival.
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre is located at 302 West 45th Street. For further information visit HairBroadway.
I'm actually looking forward to this cast. With the exception of Ace Young, they are all very talented. I'm excited to see Riabko and Ashford back on Broadway.
I wasn't particularly attached to the original cast, but from what I know of the replacements, there's nothing that would draw me back to see it again.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never
knowing how
Most of this cast is pretty strong. It's interesting that it seems that they've cast younger; specifically, both Kyle and Diana are 22. Updated On: 2/16/10 at 02:49 PM
Riabko is a great choice for Claude and Bayardelle will sing the **** out of "Aquarius". Aside from that...meh.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
Very interesting casting. Other than Ace I think it will be great. I'm so happy that Vanessa Ray is still Crissy. I love the current cast and am sad to see them go to London but I'm gonna see these guys too. As someone said it does seem like a young cast with Diana,Kyle and Annaleigh in their early 20's.
Don't believe everything that you hear! Only the peeps involved know the truth!
It'll be intresting to see how Annaleigh plays this role. I can already see what Ace will be look and sound like in this role and it doesn't look good. I'm still intrested about what his chemistry with Diana will be like.
i like the cast. annaleigh, kyle, diana, etc are amazing.
4-11-10 Wicked (Oberhausen) ~ 8-7-10 Promises, Promises ~ 8-8-10 Next to Normal ~ 8-12-10 Bway @Bryant Park ~ 8-15-10 Jersey Boys + Sing for the Cure ~ 8-18-10 American Idiot ~ 8-19-10 Wicked Divas (Murney/Mackey) in Saratoga Springs, NY ~ 8-21-10 Next to Normal ~ 8-23-10 Natalie Weiss @Birdland ~ 8-24-10 Wicked ~ 9-4-10 Wicked (Oberhausen)