Jennifer Hudson, Bob Martin, [title of show] Cast Join Whorehouse Benefit

Jennifer Hudson and Bob Martin — along with Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Susan Blackwell, the cast of the Off-Broadway hit [title of show] — will participate in The Actors’ Fund of America’s staged concert presentation of the 1978 musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, to take place at 7:30pm on Monday, October 16 at the August Wilson Theatre. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Seth Rudetsky will be the event’s artistic producer and musical director, as he has been for all of the organization’s previous concert performances of Broadway musicals. Mark S. Hoebee will direct the show, which will have choreography by Denis Jones, set design by Paul Weimer, costume design by Michael Growler, and lighting design by Jeff Croiter.

As previously reported, the benefit will feature Harry Groener as the Governor, Andrea McArdle as Doatsy Mae, Felicia Finley as Angel, Mary Faber as Shy, and Richard Kind as Senator Wingwoah. Also set to appear are Constantine Maroulis (as an Aggie soloist), Michelle Kittrell, Amber Efe, J. Elaine Marcos, Rachelle Rak, Christina Norrup, Angie Schworer, Joyce Chittick, Jen Cody, Dennis Stowe, Bret Shuford, Jeff Lewis, Jason Patrick Sands, Will Taylor, and Justin Greer.

Hudson, who will play Jewel, has the role of Effie in the upcoming film version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. A one-time contestant on American Idol, she appeared in The Actors’ Fund benefit concert of Hair in 2004. Martin, who will play Melvin P. Thorpe, currently stars as Man in Chair in Broadway’s The Drowsy Chaperone. He received a Tony Award for co-authoring that show and a nomination for his performance. The [title of show] cast will play the Melvin P. Thorpe Singers.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas has a score by Carol Hall and a book by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson. The original Broadway production, directed by Tommy Tune and starring Carlin Glynn and Henderson Forsythe, ran for nearly 1,600 performances.

For more information on the October 16 benefit, visit www.actorsfund.org.