Lewis, Moore, Somers, Soules, et al. Join Grey Gardens Cast

Standby casting has been announced for Grey Gardens, the new Broadway musical that will begin preview performances on October 3 at the Walter Kerr Theatre. The show, which is directed by Michael Greif, will open officially on November 2.

Maureen Moore will be the standby for Christine Ebersole, who plays Edith Bouvier Beale in Act I and Edie Beale in Act II, and Dale Soules will be the standby for Mary Louise Wilson, who plays Edith in Act II. Other standbys will be Megan Lewis (Little Edie), Asa Somers (Joseph Kennedy Jr/Jerry/Gould), Donald Grody (J.V. “Major” Bouvier/Norman Vincent Peale), Abigail Ferencz (Jacqueline Bouvier/Lee Bouvier), and Michael Howell (Brooks).

Moore was Bernadette Peters’ standby for the 2003 revival of Gypsy and played the role of Mama Rose many times during Peters’ illness; her other Broadway credits include Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret, and Amadeus. Soules’ Broadway credits include Hair, The Magic Show, and The Crucible.

In other Grey Gardens news, Ebersole and Wilson will be interviewed by Turner Classic Movies’ host Robert Osborne in conjunction with the channel’s screening of the documentary Grey Gardens at 8pm on Sunday, October 29. The 1975 film by the Maysles Brothers provides the basis for the musical.