While you were giving a standing ovation at "Aladdin" after “Friend Like Me," here’s what was happening this week In the Wings
Norm Lewis will make history as the first black lead in “Phantom of the Opera.” It’s only taken 26 years and nearly 11,000 performances, but it’s finally happened. Lewis will make his debut May 12, opposite Sierra Boggess as Christine. This isn’t the first time the two have worked together. Lewis played the King Triton to Boggess’s Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.” [More info]
Fantasia Barrino will return to “After Midnight” later this spring. The Grammy winner will reprise her critically acclaimed performance as “Special Guest Star” in the hit musical from May 13 through June 8. Now that’s something to sing about! [More info]
The new Rockettes’ show “Heart & Lights” has been postponed until next year. The new Radio City show was supposed to start performances this spring, but the show’s producers have said “additional work is needed to deliver the unforgettable experience our customers have come to expect from us.” Guess we’ll have to wait for that 26-foot tall Statue of Liberty puppet they’ve been talking about for so long. [More info]
The four Matildas pick March Madness Brackets. Warren Buffet and Quicken Loans’ recently announced a billion dollar prize for correctly picking the winners of all 63 NCAA men’s basketball tournament games. So The New York Times decided to consult three pundits: a sportswriter with a coin to flip, a mathematician and his students who are using a linear algebra program to make their picks, and the four actresses currently rotating the title role in “Matilda.” Genius. [More info]
If your last name is Jones, “The Realistic Joneses” has a party for you. The new play, starring Toni Collette, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts, and Marisa Tomei, is hosting a contest to meet the Joneses. Those with a last name of Jones can enter to win two tickets to its April 6 opening night and the exclusive after party. You also get roundtrip transportation, provided by Uber. To enter, visit therealisticjoneses.com/sweepstakes. Now, how do you change your last name?
