More casting has just been announced for the new musical Opening Night which will star Sheridan Smith at the Gielgud Theatre from 6 March until 27 July 2024. The new musical is based on John Cassavetes’ 1977 film which follows a theatre company's preparations to stage a major new play on Broadway. But drama ignites behind the scenes when their leading lady: an alcoholic actress who is concerned about aging and haunted by the ghost of one of her deceased fans which forces everybody to deliver the performance of their lives. Joining Sheridan as Myrtle will be Hadley Fraser as Manny, Shira Haas as Nancy, Nicola Hughes as Sarah, Amy Lennox as Dorothy and John Marquez as David. with further casting to be announced.
Hadley Fraser’s many West End credits include most recently The Lehman Trilogy at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, City of Angels at the Garrick and Donmar Theatres, Young Frankenstein, also at the Garrick Theatre and Javert in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre. Hadley starred at Raoul in the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and Grantaire in the 25th Anniversary of Les Misérables at the O2. On Broadway he created the role of Tiernan in The Pirate Queen.
Shira Haas garnered international critical acclaim for her role in the Netflix series Unorthodox, for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series and was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, becoming the first Israeli to be nominated for an acting Primetime Emmy Award. Shira won the Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best International Actress for her performance in the film Asia. Additional credits include this year's Netflix series Bodies, the international hit series Shtisel, and Niki Caro's film The Zookeeper's Wife. Shira will next star in Marvel’s fourth Captain America film, Captain America: New World Order. Opening Night will mark Shira’s West End debut.
Nicola Hughes is a double Olivier Award nominee for Best Actress in a Musical for her starring roles in Fosse at the Prince of Wales Theatre and Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre. Her other West End credits include Velma Kelly in Chicago and Lola in Damn Yankees, both at the Adelphi Theatre and The Acid Queen in the original London company of Tommy at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Other theatre credits include Simply Heavenly at the Young Vic and Trafalgar Studios, Allelujah! at The Bridge Theatre, Caroline or Change at Chichester Festival Theatre and Shug Avery in the original London company of The Color Purple at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Nicola most recently appeared at The Witch in Into the Woods at the Theatre Royal Bath, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Performance at this year’s UK Theatre Awards.
Amy Lennox recently starred as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. She received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Lauren in the West End production of Kinky Boots. Her other credits include Ellie in the London premiere of the David Bowie and Enda Walsh musical Lazarus. She was in the original West End cast of the musical Legally Blonde and created the role of Doralee in the original UK production of 9 to 5 The Musical.
John Marquez recently played Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion at the Old Vic. He has also appeared at the Old Vic in The American Clock and Flea in her Ear. His many other theatre credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre, Privates on Parade at the Noël Coward Theatre, Ragtime at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, The Taming of the Shrew for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Anniversary at the Garrick Theatre and The Emperor Jones, Market Boy and Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads, all at the National Theatre. John is best known to TV audiences as PC Joseph Penhale in the hit ITV series Doc Martin.
