Casting updates: Death Note (London), Here Lies Love (Broadway), Moulin Rouge (Broadway), Lizzie (Hartford), Mean Girls (US tour), Mrs Doubtfire (US tour)

The English-language premiere of the Frank Wildhorn, Jack Murphy, Ivan Menchell musical Death Note plays three performances in concert at the London Palladium August 21-22 2023, before transferring to the Lyric Theatre. The cast includes Adam Pascal, Aimie Atkinson, Rachel Clare Chan, Christian Ray Marbella, Frances Mayli McCann, Dean John-Wilson, and Joaquin Pedro Valdes.

Filipino actress Vina Morales will be making her Broadway debut in Here Lies Love on Broadway as Aurora Aquino for a limited guest engagement from Friday, 22 September 2023 to Sunday 22 October. Morales steps into the role after Lea Salonga, who gave her final performance as Aurora on 19 August. Reanne Acasio steps back in as the full-time “Aurora Aquino” in the interim.

In related news, Here Lies Love is offering free childcare services for the Saturday, September 23nd 3:30pm matinee performance, as well as three other matinee performance dates yet to be announced. Anyone who purchases a ticket for the September 23rd matinee is eligible to sign up for free childcare just a few blocks from the theatre. The initiative is offered in partnership with Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL), Broadway Babysitters, and Open Jar Studios,

The cast for the TheaterWorks Hartford Connecticut production of Lizzie, the Lizzie Borden musical will include Sydney Shepherd as Lizzie Borden, Kim Onah as Alice Russell, Nora Schell as Bridget Sullivan, and Lili Thomas as Emma Borden. The musical will run September 29—October 22 2023.

Telling the story of 19th century axe murderer Lizzie Borden, Lizzie has a book and score by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt. (So it should not be confused with the two other Lizzie Borden musicals, one by Jack Beeson and the other by Christopher McGovern.)

Gabe Martínez will make his Broadway debut as Santiago on 10 Oct 2023. Martínez will come to Broadway’s “Moulin Rouge!” direct from the musical’s first national tour. Ricky Rojas, who originated the role, will play his final performance at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 10 September. Before Martinez joins the company, Santiago will be played by understudies Alexander Gil Cruz and Ricardo A. Zayas.

Casting is complete for the North American tour of Mean Girls, adapted from Tina Fey's 2004 film. The company will be led by Natalie Shaw as Cady Heron, Maya Petropoulos as Regina George, Kristen Amanda Smith as Gretchen Wieners, MaryRose Brendel as Karen Smith, Alexys Morera as Janis Sarkisian, Ethan Jih-Cook as Damian Hubbard, Kristen Seggio as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George, Joseph Torres as Aaron Samuels, Shawn Mathews as Kevin G, and Justin Phillips as Mr. Duvall. The ensemble will feature Megan Arseneau, Thalia Atallah, Darius Aushay, Lucas Hallauer, Mikey Corey Hassel, Tyler Jung, Reagan Kennedy, Joi D. McCoy, Oshie Mellon, Victoria Mesa, Brandon Moreno, Jonah Nash, Justin O’Brien, Mikaela Rada, Emily Ann Stys, and Ryan Vogt.

The non-Equity tour will open 26 September 2023 at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York, before playing the Kimmel Cultural Campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and various cities across North America.

Rob McClure, as previously reported, will reprise his Tony-nominated performance in the title role of Mrs. Doubtfire for the musical's national tour, launching from Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York, in September 2023.

McClure, who created the role for the musical's 2021 Broadway premiere, will be joined by Maggie Lakis as Miranda Hillard plus the newly announced Giselle Gutierrez as Lydia Hillard, Aaron Kaburick as Frank Hillard, Nik Alexander as Andre Mayem, Leo Roberts as Stuart Dunmire, Romelda Teron Benjamin as Wanda Sellner, Cody Sawyer Braverman and Axel Bernard Rimmele as Christopher Hillard, and Emerson Mae Chan and Kennedy Alexandra Pitney as Natalie Hillard.

The ensemble will include David Hibbard, Alex Branton, Jonathan Hoover, Sheila Jones, Julie Kavanagh, Jodi Kimura, Marquez Linder, Alex Ringler, Bianca Rivera-Irions, Lannie Rubio, Neil Starkenberg, Joey Stone, Gina Ward, Lauryn Withnell, and Julia Yameen.

Along with McClure, Kaburick, Hibbard, and Kimura were also members of the Broadway company.