Wicked's Lindsay Mendez and More Set for Broadway's Nerds
(© Matthew Murphy)
Tony nominee Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Bryan Fenkart (Memphis) will star as tech pioneers Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in the upcoming Broadway production of the new musical Nerds. Directed by Casey Hushion, the show will begin previews March 31 at the Longacre Theatre, with opening night set for April 21.
Nerds explores the rise and rivalry of Jobs and Gates. Joining O'Malley and Fenkart are Broadway vets Patti Murin (Holiday Inn) as Sally, Lindsay Mendez (Dogfight) as Myrtle, Rob Morrison (Avenue Q) as PAul Allen, Benny Elledge (Chicago) as Steve Wozniak, and Kevin Pariseau (Legally Blonde) as Tom Watson. The ensemble will be made up of Tracee Beazer, Pierce Cassedy, Luther Creek, Joshua Franklin, Katie Lee Hill, Raymond J. Lee, and Bethany Moore.
Nerds features choreography by Joshua Bergasse, scenic design by Lee Savage, projection design by Daniel Brodie, costume design by Jennifer Caprio, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, orchestrations by Adam Blau, musical direction by Matt Doebler, and musical supervision/arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo.
Nerds features a book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner, with a score by Hal Goldberg. It had its premiere at the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival, before playing a 2007 run at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, where it received Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Original Music and Outstanding New Play. It ran in 2013 at North Carolina Theatre and played a return engagement at Philadelphia Theater Company. Along with technology titans Jobs and Gates, the character list also includes Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen.
The production is expected to feature "most progressive technology seen on Broadway, including: on-stage holograms; projection mapping; and an enhanced theatergoing experience through app integrations that allow users to interact with the set and other audience members, choose the show’s ending, and more special features soon to be announced."
