George Abud, Leenya Rideout, and More to Star in August Rush: The Musical

Casting has been announced for August Rush: The Musical, making its world premiere at the Paramount Theatre April 24-June 2, with opening night set for Friday, May 3.

Jack McCarthy and Huxley Westemeier will double in the title role of August Rush. They will be joined by George Abud (The Band's Visit), John Hickok (Parade), Leenya Rideout (War Horse), and Sydney Shepherd (First Date), all of whom will also play their own instruments live onstage. The ensemble will include Marta Bagratuni, Alex Bender, Matt Deitchman, Ginna Doyle, Brad Giovanine, Lizzie Hagstedt, Jessie Linden, Troy Valjean Rucker, Doug Smith, and Katrina Yaukey.

The musical will feature music by Mark Mancina, who scored the original film; lyrics by Mancina and Glen Berger (Spider-Man Turn off the Dark, Underneath the Lintel); and book by Berger, with orchestrations and additional music by David Metzger. John Doyle (Company, The Color Purple) will direct.

August Rush is described as follows: "It's love at first sight when a young concert cellist meets a gallivanting rock star. Their romance is quickly torn apart by circumstance, but not before producing a son that neither parent knows is alive. Eleven years later, now a musical prodigy, their son desperately searches for his birth parents in a thrilling adventure through New York City."