The long-awaited musical Doctor Zhivago has finally announced the cast for its up-and-coming broadway debut. Tam Mutu, a newcomer to the U.S. Broadway stage, will play the title role of Yurii Zhivago in this newest adaptation.
Mutu, known as a West End of London stage actor, has been in Love Never Dies and the upcoming revival of Donmar Warehouse’s City of Angels. He also had a recent role as Javert in Les Miserables.
Doctor Zhivago is based on the 1957 famous, epic, historical romance novel by Boris Pasternak and focuses on romance and upheaval in Russia during World War I. It tells the story of a political idealist who must choose between his devoted wife and mysterious lover. The famous novel was made into a film in 1965 and the original stage adaptation appeared at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, in 2006. After its closing, it was reworked and ran at the Lyric Theater in Sydney, Australia, until 2011.
The current revival also announced other cast members, including Kelli Barrett (Baby It’s You, Wicked) as Lara Guishar, Zhivago’s paramour. Tony-nominated Tom Hewitt (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jesus Christ Superstar) as aristocrat Viktor Komarovsky and Paul Nolan (currently playing Guy in Once as political revolutionary Pasha Antipoy).
Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy), who has directed the two prior adaptations of the novel, will continue his directing role for the New York premiere. The full cast of the show will be announced at a later date, with book by Michael Weller, music by Lucy Simon (The Secret Garden) and lyrics by Michael Korie (Grey Gardens) and Amy Powers.
The Broadway Theater will start showing preview performances March 27. The official opening of the musical is being planned for April 21.
