Full casting of the upcoming Broadway jukebox musical "The Heart of Rock and Roll" has been announced, which will be led by Corey Cott, known for his performance in "Newsies, and McKenzie Kurtz, who also starred in "Wicked," Playbill reports.
The Huey Lewis and The News-inspired production will start holding previews in New York's James Earl Jones Theatre on March 29. As for its actual opening night, it will be held on April 22.
Broadway Musical Inspired by the Music of Huey Lewis and The News
The Broadway production's book is written by Jonathan Abrams and features a cavalcade of Huey Lewis' greatest hits, including "Hip to Be Square," "Power of Love," "Do You Believe in Love," "If This Is It," "I Want a New Drug," "It's Alright," "Heart and Soul," "Doing It All for My Baby," "Stuck with You," and of course, "The Heart of Rock and Roll."
Cott and Kurtz will respectively play the roles of "Bobby" and "Cassandra," and joining them in the ensemble cast are Josh Breckenridge, from "Come From Away;" F. Michael Haynie, from "Wicked;" and Zoe Jensen, from "Six," among others.
Tyler Mitchell writes the story alongside Abrams with direction from Gordon Greenberg, who has been involved with the public development of the project since the beginning.
Brian Usifer will be in charge of all things musical, including arrangements and orchestrations, complemented by choreography from Lorin Latarro.
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About 'The Heart of Rock and Roll' Production
The narrative itself follows a Chicagoan named "Bobby" who is part of a not-so-successful musical band, eventually forcing him to return to Corporate America to make a livelihood, There, he meets Cassandra, his boss who shares the same plights of tossing out "passion" for "career."
During their time together, the two eventually realize what they truly want to do in life after "Bobby" gets another chance at success within the music industry and "Cassandra" gets a shot for the CEO position.
"The casting process has so far been the most thrilling part of creating this show," said Lewis in a statement to Broadway World.
"It's all just words and notes on a page until an actor gives it life. I am so grateful that this incredible company, made up of some of the world's most talented stage performers, will be telling our story and singing our songs," he continued.
