Jay Armstrong Johnson to Star in Newsies at the Muny

The Muny has announced the first round of casting for its 2017 season of summer musicals.

Bryce Ryness (Matilda) will star as Jesus of Nazareth in Jesus Christ Superstar (June 12-18). Joining him in the cast will be Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) as Judas Iscariot, Ciara Renée (Big Fish) as Mary Magdalene, and Ben Davis (Violet) as Pontius Pilate.

Emma Degerstedt (Nickelodeon's Unfabulous, 13) will star as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (June 20-29). The company will also feature Tony nominee Emily Skinner (Side Show) as Ursula and Jerry Dixon (If/Then) as King Triton.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (July 5-11) will feature Jordan Gelber (Sunday in the Park With George) as Pseudolus, Tony nominee John Tartaglia (Avenue Q) as Hysterium, and Ali Ewoldt (Broadway's current Christine in The Phantom of the Opera) as Philia.

Joining the cast of All Shook Up! (July 13-19) are Caroline Bowman (Wicked) as Natalie Haller, Tony nominee Lara Teeter (On Your Toes) as Jim Haller, and Liz Mikel (Friday Night Lights) as Sylvia.

Tony nominee Beth Malone (Fun Home) then reprises her title performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (July 21-27), a role she played at the Denver Center in 2015. The cast will also include Paolo Montalban (ABC's Cinderella, starring Brandy) as Arthur and Whitney Bashor (The Bridges of Madison County) as Julia.

The cast of A Chorus Line (July 29-August 4) includes Bianca Marroquín (Chicago) as Cassie and Megan Sikora (Holiday Inn) as Sheila.

Newsies (August 7-13), which closes out the season, will star Jay Armstrong Johnson (On the Town) as Jack Kelly alongside Tessa Grady (Dames at Sea) as Katherine Plumber and Jeff McCarthy (Urinetown) as Joseph Pulitzer.

For tickets and more information about The Muny's upcoming season, click here.