Further casting announced for Broadway-bound Gigi

The Broadway-bound revival production of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's Oscar and Tony Award-winning Gigi has now announced further casting details.

Joining the previously announced Vanessa Hudgens in the title role will be two-time Tony Award-nominee Howard McGillin as Honore Lachaille, Corey Cott as Gaston Lachaille and Steffanie Leigh as Liane d'Exelmans.

Ensemble cast members announced include Cameron Adams, Madeleine Doherty, Hannah Florence, Jenifer Foote, Allison Jantzie, Sam Lips, Ian Paget, James Patterson, Justin Prescott, Manuel Stark, Tanairi Vazquez and Ashley Yeater.

The roles of Madame Alvarez and Aunt Alicia will be announced at a future date.

The creative team behind Gigi has also been announced, and will feature scenic design by Tony winner Derek McLane, costumes by Tony winner Catherine Zuber, lighting by Tony winner Natasha Katz, and sound design by Tony nominee Kai Harada. Hair design is by David Brian Brown. It will also feature musical direction by James Moore, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, vocal and incidental music arrangement by Matt Aument, and dance music arrangements by Sam Davis.

This production is a re-envisioned adaptation by BAFTA Award-winning playwright and Emmy nominee Heidi Thomas and will be directed by Eric D. Schaeffer, with choreography by Joshua Bergasse, and produced by Jenna Segal.

Gigi is set to play a pre-Broadway engagement in the Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The show will officially open on 29 January 2015, following previews from 16 January, and will play a limited engagement through to 12 February 2015, before moving on to the Great White Way later in 2015.

Gigi tells the story of "a free-spirited teenage girl living in Paris at the turn of the century. She is groomed by her family to act as a companion to a bored, but extremely wealthy playboy and the pair eventually fall in love."

Gigi is based on the 1944 novel by Colette and was first adapted for the Broadway stage as a comedy play in 1951 by Anita Loos, with a then unknown Audrey Hepburn as its leading lady. Afterwards, it was picked up by the team of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, following their success with 'My Fair Lady', and adapted for the 1958 movie musical, which went on to win nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The score features tunes such as "Thank Heaven For Little Girls", "I Remember It Well", "The Night They Invented Champagne", and "It's a Bore". Its first outing as a Broadway musical came in November 1973 and won the Tony Award for Best Score in 1974, which included new songs such as "Paris is Paris Again", "I Never Want to Go Home Again", "The Contract", and "In This Wide, Wide World."

Vanessa Hudgens will be making her Broadway debut. She is perhaps best known for her role as Gabriella Montez in Disney's hit franchise "High School Musical". Her other notable film credits include 'Spring Breakers', 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island', 'Thirteen', 'Sucker Punch', 'Bandslam' and 'Thunderbirds'. She also played the role of Mimi in 'RENT' at the Hollywood Bowl.

Howard McGillin earned Tony nominations for Best Actor in a Musical for 'Anything Goes' in 1988 and 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' in 1986. Other Broadway credits include 'The Phantom Of The Opera', 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', 'She Loves Me', 'The Secret Garden', and 'Sunday in the Park with George'. He also appeared on the West End stage in 'Anything Goes' and 'Mack and Mabel'.

Corey Cott is best known for playing the role of Jack Kelly in Disney Theatrical's Broadway musical 'Newsies'.

Steffanie Leigh is best known for playing the title role in Disney Theatrical and Cameron Mackintosh's Broadway production of 'Mary Poppins'. She also played Mary in the National Tour.

- by Tom Millward