The Toxic Avenger: Jonathan Root joins cast

Jonathan Root has joined the cast of the Off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger, featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You�re Perfect, Now Change) & music by David Bryan (Bon Jovi), with direction by John Rando. The show was recently named the �Best New Off-Broadway Musical� by the Outer Critics Circle.

Root, making his Off-Broadway debut, has assumed the role of 'White Dude,' replacing original cast member Matthew Saldivar.

Root joins cast members Celina Carvajal (Sarah), Nick Cordero, *Nicholas Rodriguez and Nancy Opel (Mayor).
*Nicholas Rodriguez is currently standing in for Demond Green who returns to the show on 19 Jul 2009.

The Toxic Avenger opened at New World Stages / Stage 1 on 6 Apr 2009, following previews from 18 Mar 2009, and as recently extended its booking period through to 21 Feb 2010.

The musical opened to mostly good reviews: "dopey, intermittently funny show" (NY Times); "There's a new green monster in town, and his show is hilarious." (New York Post); "Loud, gross and lovable" (Bloomberg); "delivers a riotously good time" (Back Stage); "it manages to thoroughly entertain ." (Variety)

Toxic Avenger: Set in the mythical town of Tromaville, Exit 13B off the New Jersey Turnpike. An aspiring earth scientist, Melvin Ferd the Third, is determined to clean up the town�s burgeoning toxic waste, until he is tossed into a vat of radioactive goo and emerges as a seven-foot mutant freak and New Jersey�s first superhero. Armed with superhuman strength and a heart as big as Newark, he�s out to save New Jersey, end global warming and woo Sarah, the prettiest, blindest librarian in town.

Based on the classic 1985 cult film by Lloyd Kaufman, Toxic Avenger premiered this fall at Jersey's George Street Playhouse, where the show became the biggest grossing musical in the theatre�s 34 year history.