The full cast for Harvey Weinstein’s musical Finding Neverland has been announced. A previous announcement cast Matthew Morrison and Kelsey Grammer in the lead roles.
The cast includes Morrison as J.M. Barrie, Grammer as Charles Frohman, Laura Michelle Kelly as Sylvia Llewlyn Davies and Carolee Carmello as Madame Du Maurier. Also featured are Teal Wicks, Alex Dreier, Aidan Gemme, Jackson DeMott Hill, Noah Hinsdale, Sawyer Nunes, Chris Richards and Hayden Signoretti, with an ensemble made up of Courtney Balan, Dana Costello, Colin Cunliffe, Rory Donovan, Chris Dwan, Kevin Kern, Josh Lamon, Melanie Moore, Mary Page Nance, Fred Odgaard, Emma Pfaeffle, Jonathan Ritter, Tyley Ross, Julius Anthony Rubio, Paul Slade Smith, Ron Todorowski, Jaime Verazin and Jessica Vosk.
Finding Neverland is being directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus and will be Weistein’s Broadway debut as producer. The score is by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy with a book by James Graham.
Finding Neverland will explore the friendship of playwright J.M. Barrie's and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, a widowed mother whose four boys inspired the beloved Peter Pan stories. It is based on the 2004 film of the same title, which itself was based on Allan Knee's play, The Man Who Was Peter Pan. The show played a 2014 tryout run at American Repertory Theater.
Besides the cast announcement, the show has had its share of media coverage after a very public split between Weinstein and the press agent for Finding Neverland, Rick Miramontez. A disagreement between the two about the press coverage for the play cause heated argument that traveled through the media at lightning speed, causing Miramontez to leave the show for good.
However, despite all the drama, it seems as if that play is on track, with rehearsals beginning earlier in the week. Previews begin on March 15 with the show officially opening on April 15.
