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Water for Elephants has set its closing date on Broadway and will take its last bow on Dec. 8.

The stage adaptation of the book was nominated for a Tony for best musical alongside Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, Suffs and The Outsiders, which took home the prize. It also received nods for best book of a musical, scenic design of a musical, costume design of a musical, lighting design of a musical best direction of a musical and best choreography.

The story follows an older man reflecting on his younger adventures when he jumped a moving train unsure of where the road would take him after losing what mattered most to him. Along the way, he found a new home with the crew of a traveling circus, as well as a life and love beyond what he ever could’ve imagined.

The musical marked the book’s second adaptation, following a 2011 movie of the same name,...

Water For Elephants, the Jessica Stone-directed musical adaptation of the bestselling Sara Gruen romantic novel, will play its final performance at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre on Sunday, December 8, having played 301 regular performances and 25 previews since February.

Though one of the better reviewed musicals of the spring 2024 season, the show didn’t quite attain the must-see status of some other spring arrivals like The Outsiders, Stereophonic, Hell’s Kitchen, The Great Gatsby or Cabaret. Still, the musical, which originally starred Grant Gustin, held its own, sometimes topping $1 million in weekly grosses, or coming close.

The figures have been slipping in recent weeks through, with Gustin ending his limited run to be replaced by Kyle Selig.

The most recent box office figures – for the week ending September 29 – were at the lower end of the Broadway roster, with just 62% of seats filled at the Imperial.

Several newcomers will join the dramatic ensemble of HBO’s The Gilded Age once season 3 hits the small screen. The third season of Julian Fellowes’ period series is set in the late 1800s is currently in production.

Both Carrie Coon and Christine Baranski have received Emmy nominations for their performances in season 2, and the show was renewed shortly after the December finale launched.

Read on for everything we know about the development of season 3 of The Gilded Age.

When will Season 3 of The Gilded Age come out?

According to promotional footage for multiple Max series, the aim for season 3 of The Gilded Age is to be released sometime in 2025.

Is The Gilded Age Season 3 in production?

Yes, the next installment is underway, as Baranski hinted at in a recent interview with Deadline. The show shoots in Brooklyn.

Who is in the cast of The Gilded Age Season 3?

Leading ladies Baranski,...

The Gilded Age season 3 adds eight new actors to its ensemble. Actors include Bill Camp, Merritt Wever, Andrea Martin, and Leslie Uggams playing pivotal roles. The upcoming season delves into the immense economic and social change of the American Gilded Age.

The Gilded Age season 3 adds even more award-winning names to its illustrious ensemble. After a mixed debut, the historical drama created by Julian Fellows broke through with The Gilded Age season 2. Helped by an already impressive cast that includes the likes of Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski, and Carrie Coon, the current Emmy contender has signed up more award-winning performers ahead of its anticipated return in 2025.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that The Gilded Age season 3 is adding eight new actors. They include Emmy-nominated The Night Of actor Bill Camp, who was recently seen as Raymond in the Apple TV+ legal thriller Presumed Innocent, in addition to two-time Emmy winner Merritt...

The Gilded Age is bringing in a host of new faces for its third season.

The HBO drama from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has added eight actors to its ensemble for season three, which is in production. Bill Camp, Merritt Wever, Leslie Uggams, LisaGay Hamilton, Paul Alexander Nolan, Hattie Morahan, Andrea Martin and Jessica Frances Dukes will have roles in the coming season alongside fellow newcomers Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Victoria Clark and Jordan Donica.

Camp (Presumed Innocent, HBO’s The Outsider) will play Jp Morgan, the famed financier who finds himself at odds with George Russell (Morgan Spector) over the future of the railroad industry. Emmy winner Wever (Unbelievable) plays Monica O’Brien, Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) estranged sister.

Uggams (Roots, Deadpool) will play Mrs. Ernestine Brown, Elizabeth Kirkland’s (Rashad) friend and part of the elite Black community in Newport, Rhode Island. Hamilton (The Dropout, Winning...

The Gilded Age is expanding its ensemble.

Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent) and Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), along with Leslie Uggams (Roots) and Lisagay Hamilton (Winning Time) are joining the HBO drama that’s currently in production on its third season.

Camp will play Jp Morgan, who finds himself at odds with George Russell (Morgan Spector) over the future of the railroad industry. Wever will play Monica O’ Brien, the estranged sister of Bertha (Carrie Coon).

Uggams will take over as Mrs. Ernestine Brown, a friend of Elizabeth Kirkland and a member of the Black elite community in Newport. Hamilton will play Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the famed Black suffragist who inspires Peggy (Denée Benton) to become involved in her cause, in spite of the dissenting opinions of those around her.

Other new cast members include Andrea Martin (Evil) as Madame Dashkova, a medium who claims to be able to commune...

“The Gilded Age” has added Bill Camp, Merritt Wever, Andrea Martin and Leslie Uggams to its Season 3 cast, HBO announced Monday.

Camp, Wever, Martin and Uggams will join the drama series alongside fellow new additions LisaGay Hamilton, Paul Alexander Nolan (Broadway’s “Water for Elephants”), Hattie Morahan and Jessica Frances Dukes.

Camp will play the infamous investment banker Jp Morgan, who finds himself at odds with George Russell (Morgan Spector), while Wever joins as Monica O’Brien, the estranged sister of Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) and Martin plays Madame Dashkova, a medium who claims to be able to commune with the dead.

Uggams is set to portray Mrs. Ernestine Brown, Elizabeth Kirkland’s friend and a member of the Black elite community in Newport, and Hamilton plays Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the famed Black suffragist who inspires Peggy (Denée Benton) to become involved in her cause, while Morahan plays Lady Sarah Vere,...

HBO’s The Gilded Age just added some major names to its Season 3 cast: Bill Camp, Andrea Martin and Merritt Wever have officially joined the historical drama’s upcoming run, the cabler announced Monday.

Camp (Presumed Innocent) will star as Jp Morgan, the world-famous investment banker who finds himself at odds with George Russell (Morgan Spector) over the future of the railroad industry. Martin (Evil) will play Madame Dashkova, a medium who claims to be able to commune with the dead. Wever (Unbelievable) will take on Monica O’Brien, Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) estranged sister who appears at a crucial time for the family.

“The Gilded Age” Season 3 has added eight actors to it cast, Variety has learned.

Bill Camp, Merritt Wever, Leslie Uggams, LisaGay Hamilton, Paul Alexander Nolan, Hattie Morahan, Andrea Martin, and Jessica Frances Dukes have all been cast in the third season of the HBO period drama.

Full character descriptions can be found below.

The new additions will appear alongside the returning cast that includes Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, and Blake Ritson.

Camp is repped by Innovative Artists and Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell and Vassallo. Wever is repped by Innovative Artists and Viking Entertainment. Uggams is repped by Brs/Gage Talent Agency. Hamilton is repped by Greenlight Management and Innovative Artists. Nolan is repped by Schachter Entertainment and Gersh. Morahan is repped by Authentic Talent and Literary Management and United Agents. Martin is repped by Innovative Artists. Dukes is repped by Schachter Entertainment,...

Grant Gustin, TV’s star of The Flash, will play the final performance of his well-received limited run in the Broadway musical Water For Elephants on Sunday, September 1, producers announced today.

Gustin, who also appeared in Glee, plays the character Jacob Jankowski in the musical, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus.

Replacement casting will be announced at a later date.

The musical, with a book by Rick Elice adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel, is directed by Jessica Stone, and features a score by PigPen Theatre Co.

In addition to Gustin, who made his Broadway debut in the show, the feature cast for Water For Elephants also includes Isabelle McCalla, Gregg Edelman, Paul Alexander Nolan, Stan Brown, Joe De Paul, Sara Gettelfinger, and Wade McCollum.

Water For Elephants...

Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. In the hours after the announcement of the nominees for the 77th annual awards, we reflect on the omissions that stung the most, the long-shot picks we were most proud of predicting and discuss the early state of the Best Musical race.

Sam Eckmann: David, I have spent the morning pouring over the 2024 Tony nominations and switching between delight and disbelief when I look at the surprises and omissions in this lineup. It’s safe to say that this was by far the most packed and competitive season we have covered together, so while I didn’t get a perfect score with my predictions, I was more than happy with my performance. While there is much to cheer in these nominations, I can’t help but feel sad for many people.

In a Broadway season bursting at the seams with new musicals, plays and revivals – 36 productions opened during the 2023-2024 eligibility window – it is not a surprise that the 60 Tony Awards nominators caught theatre aficionados off guard with some of their choices.

The biggest surprise of the morning was the overperformance of new musical “Water for Elephants.” Our users only expected it to earn one nomination, but it ultimately ended up with seven, tying “Merrily We Roll Along” and beating out musicals such as “Suffs.” Its unexpected bids include the top category of Best Musical, director Jessica Stone, book and choreography. The one bid we thought it would land for featured actor Paul Alexander Nolan didn’t actually come to fruition. Speaking of surprise director noms, Michael Greif – who worked on three musicals this season – broke through for “Hell’s Kitchen.” He ranked ninth in our combined odds.

See Tony Awards nominations: ‘Stereophonic’ reaps record 13 bids,...

With 36 productions eligible for this year’s Tony Awards, there were plenty of names missing when nominations were announced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry on Tuesday morning. Among the most surprising 2024 Tony nominations snubs was “Patriots.” Peter Morgan‘s history play about Russia earned three Olivier Award nominations last year, including Best New Play, Actor (Tom Hollander) and Featured Actor (Will Keen). In New York, it only scored one for Michael Stuhlbarg, who took over the role played by Hollander in the UK; Keen, who reprises his role as Vladimir Putin, did not score a nomination in a category stuffed with “Stereophonic” performers.

The revival of “The Who’s Tommy” also significantly underperformed. Gold Derby users predicted it would land three nominations for Best Musical Revival, Best Actor for Ali Louis Bourzgui and Best Choreographer for Lorin Latarro, but it only earned one bid in the top revival category.

A new musical, a musical revival and a new play with music will dominate the 2024 Tony Awards nominations, according to our official odds in 17 of the 26 categories. The latest revival of the classic John Kander and Fred Ebb musical “Cabaret,” fresh off a smash run on the West End, and the new musical “Hell’s Kitchen” that is loosely based on the life of Alicia Keys and her music will both net at least seven nominations. New works “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Here Lies Love” and “Suffs” and the starry revival of Stephen Sondheim‘s notorious flop “Merrily We Roll Along” will also earn substantial nominations tallies.

Playwright David Adjmi‘s “Stereophonic” will lead this year’s crop of plays and play revivals with at least five nominations. Right behind are five other works – two new shows and three revivals – that will all tie at least four nominations apiece,...

The 2023-2024 Broadway season that kicked off last June with the opening of “Grey House” featured 36 productions of new and revived musicals and plays. This staggeringly crowded year – especially this spring with its 19 openings in March and April alone – means that the nominations for the 77th Tony Awards will likely be as unpredictable as ever, so review our official racetrack odds in the top 17 of 26 categories. The nominations will be announced on the morning of April 30 by Tony winners Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Take Me Out”) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Hamilton”).

These official odds for the 77th Tonys are derived from the predictions of our Experts, Editors, Top 24 Users, All-Star Top 24 and all our Users, who make up the largest and often savviest bloc of predictors.

Below, see our 2024 Tony Awards predictions in 17 of the 26 categories. Make or edit your predictions before the nominations are unveiled on April 30.

Musicals

Best Musical...

“My dream had always been to originate something and it’s really fun to just kind of make it my own,” says Grant Gustin of starring in a Broadway musical. That aspiration is now a reality as he leads the stage adaptation of “Water for Elephants” at the Imperial Theatre. The actor has amassed legions of fans who know him as the titular superhero in “The Flash,” but this latest demanding role marks Gustin’s return to his stage roots. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Gustin portrays Jacob Jankowski in “Water for Elephants,” who falls in with a traveling circus after hopping aboard their train. He is hired as the troupe’s veterinarian and soon begins to fall for the equestrian performer Marlena (Isabelle McCalla). The pair become closer as they train a brand new routine with an elephant, provoking a jealous rage from Marlena’s husband August (Paul Alexander Nolan...

The nominations for the 77th Tony Awards will be announced in less than three weeks, but the lay of the land is ever changing because seven more musicals and musical revivals will open between now and the eligibility cutoff. As these remaining shows have started preview performances, our savvy users have been updating their choices for the most likely nominees in 10 of the 15 musical categories. See below for a breakdown of how our official odds have changed in the top categories since our last predictions center update on March 21, according to the 1,200 readers currently making their picks. Scroll to the bottom of the article for a tally of nominations by show in 10 of the 15 musical categories.

Up

“Cabaret” — This immersive revival of the classic John Kander and Fred Ebb musical has been leading our odds for the most nominations of any musical revival of the year. It has now added...

Water for Elephants, an extravagant circus-meets-musical, premiered at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. This production, a collaboration between Rick Elice, who wrote the book, and PigPen Theatre Co., which was responsible for the score, marks the impressive Broadway debut.

Adapted from Sara Gruen‘s novel, Water for Elephants follows the story of Jacob Jankowski (played by Gregg Edelman), a retired veterinarian drawn to the circus. As the crew dismantles the set, Jacob lingers, and quizzical workers discover that he found his purpose at the circus after he fled his final exams at Cornell.

Grant Gustin portrays the younger Jacob, who, amid the Great Depression, hops aboard a train with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The Benzinis faced financial ruin in 1929, and their new owner, August Rachinger (Paul Alexander Nolan), is yet to redefine the circus’s identity. Initially, August contemplates whether or not to throw Jacob off the train,...

Grant Gustin is officially a Broadway star!

The 34-year-old The Flash and Glee actor celebrated the opening night of his new musical Water for Elephants on Thursday (March 21) at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.

Grant was joined on the red carpet by his co-stars Isabelle McCalla, Gregg Edelman, Paul Alexander Nolan, Joe De Paul, Sara Gettelfinger, Stan Brown, and Wade McCollum.

Grant is playing the role of Jacob Jankowski in the stage adaptation of the beloved novel by Sara Gruen. Robert Pattinson played the role in the film adaptation back in 2011.

Here’s the synopsis: After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes...

I thought I was safe to boldly pronounce my initial 2024 Tony Awards predictions, but then Sufjan Stevens appeared to stomp all over them. As David Buchanan and I convened to discuss where we thought the musical nominations were headed this season, news broke that Off-Broadway’s dreamy dance show “Illinoise” will transfer to the St. James Theatre just in time to compete at this year’s ceremony. The show, based on Stevens’ seminal album, has thrown our Tony predictions into disarray. Watch our full video slugfest above.

“Illinoise” marks the 15th new musical of the 2023-2024 season. That’s more new tuners than any Broadway season since 1975-1976. Theatergoers this year are indeed spoiled with a glut of new shows, but predicting the coveted Best Musical category has become a titanic task.

See 2024 Tony Awards nominations predictions: Big tallies for musicals ‘Lempicka,’ ‘The Notebook,’ ‘Cabaret’ …

David believes “Illinoise” will be...

In the two weeks since Gold Derby launched the 2024 Tony Awards nominations predictions center, over 600 users have made their preliminary picks for which shows, performers and creatives will land coveted nominations. This season, 20 musicals and musical revivals will compete for only a handful of slots in each category, making this one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory. Scroll to the bottom of the article for a tally of nominations by show in 10 of the 15 musical categories based on our current combined odds.

In the top category of Best Musical, our savvy users predict three shows are out front: “Suffs,” with music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, “The Notebook,” with score by Ingrid Michaelson and “Here Lies Love,” featuring a score by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. Rounding out our current top five are “Days of Wine and Roses” by Tony-winning composer Adam Guettel and the incoming “Lempicka,” directed by Tony winner Rachel Chavkin.

Grant Gustin is making his Broadway debut in the new musical Water for Elephants and the first photos have been released!

The 34-year-old actor, who is currently expecting his second child, is playing the role of Jacob Jankowski in the stage adaptation of the beloved novel by Sara Gruen. Robert Pattinson played the role in the film adaptation back in 2011.

Here’s the synopsis: After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.

Also starring in the musical are Isabelle McCalla, Gregg Edelman, and Paul Alexander Nolan.

Water for Elephants...

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington will return to the London stage in the upcoming production of Jeremy O. Harris’ acclaimed and controversial Slave Play.

Despite the star casting, Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris assures audiences that Harington’s presence will not be a “distraction.”

In an interview with London’s The Guardian, Harris said Harington was emphatic that the ensemble piece not be turned into “the Jon Snow experience” (a reference to Harington’s character on Thrones).

“Kit was saying ‘I don’t want this to be Kit Harington in Slave Play, this is an ensemble play and I’m not even the lead,’” Harris told the newspaper. “He knows the weight his name carries and how that could become a distraction, if we allowed it to be.”

Harington will play the role of Jim, originated on Broadway by Paul Alexander Nolan. The character is involved in a troublesome interracial,...

Grant Gustin, longtime star of the CW’s The Flash, will make his Broadway debut in the new musical Water for Elephants, producers announced today.

Gustin, who also appeared in the TV series Glee, will portray main character Jacob Jankowski in a cast that also includes Isabelle McCalla, Gregg Edelman (City of Angels), Paul Alexander Nolan (Slave Play), Stan Brown (Homicide: Life on the Street), Joe De Paul (Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion), Sara Gettelfinger (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and Wade McCollum (Wicked).

Watch Gustin and McCalla perform the song “Wild” from Water for Elephants in the newly released video above.

The musical, based on the Sara Gruen 2006 novel that was made into a 2011 film that starred Robert Pattinson in the Jacob role, begins previews on Saturday, February 24, at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. Opening night is Thursday, March 21.

Water For Elephants features a book by Rick Elice and a score by PigPen Theatre Company (The Tale of Despereaux). Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo) directs.

Alliance Theatre production of ‘Water for Elephants’

The casting was announced today by producers Peter Schneider, Jennifer Costello, Grove Entertainment, Frank Marshall, Isaac Robert Hurwitz, and Seth A. Goldstein. Additional casting to be announced soon.

The synopsis: “After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life – and love – beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.”

Gustin’s stage credits include a touring production of West Side Story. He joined the cast of Glee in the musical series’ third season, portraying Sebastian Smythe, the lead of Dalton Academy’s singing group the Warblers. Film credits include Krystal and Affluenza. He’s played The Flash‘s Barry Allen since the series debut in 2014 and continued through its final episode in May of this year. He also made several crossover appearances on Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.

McCalla is currently starring as Maizy in Shucked on Broadway, and she originated the role of Alyssa Greene in The Prom and played Princess Jasmine in Aladdin both on Broadway and the North American Tour. She originated the role of Marlena in the world premiere of Water for Elephants at the Alliance Theatre this past summer.

The new Broadway production of Parade starring Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond has completed casting, with rehearsals beginning today for the February 21 preview.

Platt and Diamond will lead a 33-person cast that features Alex Joseph Grayson as ‘Jim Conley,’ Sean Allan Krill as ‘Governor Slaton,’ Howard McGillin as ‘Old Soldier/Judge Roan,’ and Paul Alexander Nolan as ‘Hugh Dorsey.’ They will be joined by Jay Armstrong Johnson as ‘Britt Craig,’ Kelli Barrett as ‘Mrs. Phagan,’ Courtnee Carter as ‘Angela,’ Eddie Cooper as ‘Newt Lee,’ Erin Rose Doyle as ‘Mary Phagan,’ Manoel Felciano as ‘Tom Watson,’ Danielle Lee Greaves as ‘Minnie McKnight,’ Douglas Lyons as ‘Riley,’ and Jake Pedersen as ‘Frankie Epps.’

The cast is completed by Florrie Bagel as ‘Nurse,’ Stacie Bono as ‘Sally Slaton,’ Max Chernin as ‘Mr. Turner,’ Emily Rose DeMartino as ‘Essie & Others,’ Christopher Gurr as ‘Luther Rosser/Mr. Peavy,’ Beth Kirkpatrick as ‘Nina Formby,’ Ashlyn Maddox as ‘Monteen & Others,...

Slave Play, the incendiary Jeremy O. Harris play that went rejected by Tony Award voters Sunday night two years after dazzling critics and helping start theater’s conversation about race, will return to Broadway for a limited engagement this fall.

Harris made the surprise announcement at a post-Tony party for his play last night.

Slave Play was nominated for 12 Tonys – the most nominations ever for a single play – but won zero, losing the Best Play award to The Inheritance. All five of Slave Play’s acting nominees lost to cast members of other shows.

Perhaps expecting a better Tony showing, Harris and his producers held off on announcing the return engagement until awards night. Slave Play will begin performances Tuesday, Nov. 23, at Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre, with an official opening night of Thursday, Dec. 2. The strictly limited eight-week engagement will run through Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022.

Returning with the show will...

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the second time during the 2019-2020 Broadway season to discuss eligibility of eleven productions for the 2020 American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards.

The productions considered were: “The Great Society,” “Slave Play,” “Linda Vista,” “The Rose Tattoo,” “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” “The Sound Inside,” “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical,” “The Inheritance,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Jagged Little Pill” and “My Name is Lucy Barton.”

The following determinations were made:

David Weiner (lighting designer) and Victoria Sagady (projection designer) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Lighting Design of a Play category for their work on “The Great Society.”

Joaquina Kalukango will be considered eligible in the Lead Actress in a Play category for her performance in “Slave Play.”

Ian Barford will be considered eligible in the Lead Actor in a Play category for his performance in “Linda Vista.”

Marisa Tomei...

Based on The Who's 1969 concept album of the same name, Tommy tells the story of a young man who, despite having lost the faculties of speech, sight and hearing, becomes a pinball virtuoso - and the centre of a celebrity cult. In a new production helmed by its original Tony Award-winning director, Des McAnuff who co-wrote the show with The Who's Pete Townshend, the explosive rock opera features such unforgettable hits as 'Pinball Wizard,' 'See Me, Feel Me,' 'Acid Queen' and 'We're Not Gonna Take It.'The production features Robert Markus as Tommy, Jewelle Blackman as the Gypsy, Kira Guloien as Mrs. Walker, Jeremy Kushnier as Captain Walker, Paul Nolan as Cousin Kevin and Steve Ross as Uncle Ernie. BroadwayWorld brings you photos of the cast in action below...