Theater News

Encores! Off-Center Reveals Upcoming Season, Featuring Santino Fontana and Skylar Astin

Artistic director Jeanine Tesori announces the show that will accompany Elizabeth Swados’ ”Runaways”.

Santino Fontana and Skylar Astin are set to appear in Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater as part of the upcoming season of  New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center.
Santino Fontana and Skylar Astin are set to appear in Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater as part of the upcoming season of New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center.

Tony winner Jeanine Tesori has announced plans for the upcoming season of New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center, her fourth and last as artistic director, according to The New York Times. The series presents rarely revived off-Broadway musicals.

The season's first offering will be a previously announced production of Elizabeth Swados' Runaways (July 6-July 9), directed by Sam Pinkleton and choreographed by Ani Taj, both of whom were students of Swados' at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. The work was inspired by interviews that Swados conducted with real-life runaways. It premiered at the Public Theater on February 21, 1978, before moving to Broadway's Plymouth Theater that spring.

Following Runaways will be Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (July 27-July 30), an early collaboration of Little Shop of Horrors scribes Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Broadway's Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) will direct. The show's cast is set to include Santino Fontana (Cinderella) and Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect).

The season will also include a one-night concert on July 16 featuring Broadway stars Sutton Foster (Violet), Jonathan Groff (Hamilton), and more.