Tootsie, starring Santino Fontana, begins performances on Broadway

The Broadway premiere of Tootsie is set for an official opening on April 23, 2019 at the Marquis Theatre.

Tootsie has arrived! The new musical, based on the beloved 1982 movie, begins previews at Broadway's Marquis Theatre in the heart of Times Square tonight, ahead of an official opening on April 23.

Tootsie features a book by Robert Horn (based on the story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart and Columbia Pictures' 1982 Motion Picture), with music & lyrics by Tony Award nominee David Yazbek (who is also currently represented on the Great White Way by the 10-time Tony Award-winning "Best Musical" The Band's Visit).

Synopsis: "Tootsie tells the story of a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until an audacious, desperate stunt lands him the role of a lifetime."

The complete cast of Tootsie includes Tony Award nominee Santino Fontana as Michael Dorsey and alter ego Dorothy Michaels (the dual role made famous on screen by two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman), alongside Lilli Cooper (as Julie Nichols), Sarah Stiles (as Sandy Lester), John Behlmann (as Max Von Horn), Andy Grotelueschen (as Jeff Slater), Julie Halston (as Rita Mallory), Michael McGrath (as Stan Fields), and Reg Rogers (as Ron Carlisle).

Ensemble members include Sissy Bell, Barry Busby, Paula Leggett Chase, Britney Coleman, Leslie Donna Flesner, Jenifer Foote, John Arthur Greene, Drew King, Jeff Kready, Harris Milgrim, Adam Monley, Shina Ann Morris, James Moye, Katerina Papacostas, Diana Vaden and Anthony Wayne.

The stage musical is directed by eight-time Tony Award nominee and Olivier Award winner Scott Ellis, with choreography by Tony Award nominee Denis Jones. The creative team also features musical direction by Andrea Grody, scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Donald Holder, and sound design by Brian Ronan, music supervision by Andrea Grody & Dean Sharenow, vocal arrangements by Andrea Grody, dance arrangements by David Chase, orchestrations by Simon Hale, music coordination by Dean Sharenow, hair & wig design by Paul Huntley, and make-up design by Angelina Avallone.

The world premiere of Tootsie was staged at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre from September 11 through to October 14, 2018, officially opening on September 30. Scott Sanders Productions are acting as lead producer for the Broadway production.

Released in 1982, the movie "Tootsie" became the second-highest-grossing film of the year (behind "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial") and went on to claim a staggering 10 Academy Award nominations. It also won the Golden Globe in the category of "Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy". Alongside Dustin Hoffman, it also starred Jessica Lange (who won an Oscar for her performance), Terri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Charles Durning.

Santino Fontana is perhaps best known for his TV role as Greg Serrano on "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and as the voice of Prince Hans in Disney's animated classic "Frozen". He earned a Tony Award nomination in 2013 for his performance as Topher in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella and won a Drama Desk Award in 2010 for his portrayal of Stanley Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs. His other Broadway credits include the roles of Moss Hart in Act One (2014), Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest (2011), Rodolpho in A View From the Bridge (2009-10), Tony in Billy Elliot - The Musical (2008-9), and his Broadway debut in the 2008 revival of Sunday in the Park with George.

Tootsie Tickets are available now for performances through to December 22, 2019.

^{(Photos by Julieta Cervantes)}