Sandy Duncan departs Finding Neverland early

After debuting in Broadway's Finding Neverland this past Friday at the Lunt-Fontanne Theate, three-time Tony nominee and former star of Broadway's 'Peter Pan' Sandy Duncan has already had to leave the production due to "family obligations." She was scheduled to play a limited engagement in the role of Madame du Maurier through to 27 March 2016. Producers have assured that Ms Duncan will return to the role, when she is able.

Replacement casting will be announced shortly.

The principal cast currently include Tony Yazbeck (J.M. Barrie), Laura Michelle Kelly (Sylvia Llewelyn Davis), Kelsey Grammer (Charles Frohman), Teal Wicks (Mary Barrie), and Christian Michael Camporin, Alex Dreier, Jackson Demott Hill, Jack McCarthy, Christopher Paul Richards and Eli Tokash (The Llewelyn Davis Boys).

Finding Neverland, directed by Diane Paulus, began previews on 15 March 2015 at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, before an official opening on 15 April, and is currently booking through to 3 July 2016.

Finding Neverland features a book by Olivier Award nominee James Graham, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Elliot Kennedy and Gary Barlow, UK songwriter and member of popgroup 'Take That.'

Synopsis: "When a playwright meets a widow and her four boys in Kensington Gardens, he embarks on a friendship that inspires one of the most beloved stories of all time. Based on the Miramax film written by David Magee, Finding Neverland follows the real-life relationship between the Llewelyn Davies family and James Matthew Barrie as he writes the revolutionary 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. This new musical explores the power of imagination to open up new worlds, and the pressures put upon those worlds by the prospect of growing up."

The creative team behind Finding Neverland features choreography by Mia Michaels, scenic design by Tony Award winner Scott Pask, lighting by Phillip S. Rosenberg, costumes by Suttirat Larlarb, and sound design by Tony nominee Jonathan Deans.

The pre-Broadway engagement of Finding Neverland, which starred Jeremy Jordan as J.M. Barrie, concluded on 28 September 2014, after 75 sold-out performances at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was the highest attended and highest grossing production in A.R.T.'s 34-year history.

Sandy Duncan earned Tony nominations for Best Actress in a Musical in 1980 for 'Peter Pan' and in 1971 for 'The Boy Friend.' She also earned a Tony nod for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1969 for 'Canterbury Tales.' Her other Broadway credits include 'Chicago,' 'My One And Only,' and 'Love Is a Time of Day.' On screen she earned Golden Globe nominations for "Star Spangled Girl" and "The Million Dollar Duck" in 1972, along with Emmy nominations for "Roots" (1977) and "Funny Face" (1972). She is also well known for her recurring TV role of Sandy Hogan in "Valerie," which she played from 1987 to 1991.

- by Tom Millward