Next to Normal's Louis Hobson to Present Industry Reading of Finishing Arthur Danby

Louis Hobson, original cast member of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal, along with his producing partner Jake Groshong, will present an industry reading of composer David Austin's newest musical, Finishing Arthur Danby, on Sunday, August 3 in New York City.

The private reading will star Kevin Kern (The Bridges of Madison County), Sara Jean Ford (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Victoria Huston-Elem (The Addams Family), Zachary Prince (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever), Drew Gehling (Jersey Boys), Katie Thompson (Giant), Lee Zarrett (Hair), Lizzie Klemperer (A Christmas Story the Musical), Nick Gaswirth (A Christmas Story the Musical), Jeff Caldwell, Dayna Grayber, Marcus D'Angelo (Matilda The Musical), and Angelo McDonough. The music team is helmed by Rachael Ziering and Associate Music Director Joel DeCandio.

Austin is best known for scoring the stage adaptation of the film Beaches, which had its world premiere at Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage earlier this year. He collaborates with Timothy Wilson, with whom he cowrote the book for Finishing Arthur Danby, which tells the contemporary story of Arthur, an odd and mysterious novelist who hasn't walked out the front door of his family bookstore in decades. On the eve of his 40th birthday, we meet Arthur as he desperately tries to finish writing his epic novel about Allana Reilly and the small and strange Irish village of Bell Hollow. In one night, the mystery of Arthur's past is unraveled by both his fictitious creation, Allana, and his neighbor and only friend, Hannah Dupree.