BY MARGARET HALL
Originally published on playbill.com.
Kyle Selig, who created the role of Aaron Samuels in Broadway’s Mean Girls and also played Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, steps into the role of Jacob Jankowski in the Tony-nominated musical beginning September 3 at the Imperial Theatre. Selig succeeds Grant Gustin, who played his final performance September 1.
The new musical officially opened at the Imperial March 21, where the production began previews February 24. Read the reviews here. Based on Sara Gruen‘s acclaimed novel, the musical features a book by Rick Elice (Peter and the Starcatcher) and music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. (The Tale of Despereaux). Tony nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo) directs.
READ: How Water for Elephants Brought the Circus to Broadway
Along with Selig, the current Broadway company Isabelle McCalla (Shucked) as Marlena, Gregg Edelman (City of Angels) as Mr. Jankowski, Paul Alexander Nolan (Parade) as August, Stan Brown (Homicide: Life in the Streets) as Camel, Philippe Aymard as Walter, Sara Gettelfinger (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Barbara, and Wade McCollum (Wicked) as Wade.
VIDEO: Watch ‘The Road Don’t Make You Young’ From Broadway’s Water for Elephants
The work tells the story of a man who runs away from his life, only to find himself caught up in a traveling circus. This stage musical follows a 2011 film adaptation of the novel starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz.
