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A musical stage adaptation of the hit 1992 Robert Zemeckis film Death Becomes Her will take another step in its development this week when Universal Theatrical Group hosts a private reading in New York City, with a starry cast of Broadway performers, including Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber, taking part.

Based on the 1992 Universal Pictures film written by Martin Donovan and David Koepp, the musical reading will feature Hilty, Simard and Sieber in the roles played in the movie by Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis.

The creative team for the musical includes Marco Pennette (book), Julia Mattison and Noel Carey (music and lyrics), and Christopher Gattelli (direction and choreography).

Additional cast for the reading includes Nicole Scherzinger as Viola Van Horn, Kevin Smith Kirkwood as Zander Medly, and Marissa Rosen, Nikki Kimbrough, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Abigail Stephenson, Evan Harrington, Josh Lamon, Austin Ku and Mike Millan.

Hilty...

More than 25 Los Angeles area theater companies, including the Geffen Playhouse, the Pasadena Playhouse and the Deaf West Theatre, have revoked their memberships in the L.A. Stage Alliance after the nonprofit organization misidentified and mispronounced the name of Asian actress Jully Lee at an awards show earlier this week.

The L.A. Stage Alliance has issued an apology and pledged to undertake “a visible and transparent transformation.”

The incident occurred Tuesday night at the virtual Ovation Awards for local theater productions. Lee’s first name was mispronounced when the nominees for best featured actress were read, and a photo of another Asian actress was shown onscreen.

Lee was nominated for her performance in Jiehae Park’s Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, a co-presentation of East West Players and the Fountain Theatre. The following day, East West Players left the organization, posting an Instagram statement saying, in part, “The mispronouncing...

CBS has named the creative and writing team that will lead the studio’s actors showcase in 2020, formerly known as the CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase. The event, intended to highlight diverse talent, is attended by senior CBS network execs, showrunners and casting directors on CBS series, as well as talent agents and managers.

Returning to direct Showcase, as it is now known, is Stephen Guarino, an actor-writer-director known for “EastSiders” and “I’m Dying Up Here,” while Tess Paras is joining as associate director. Tien Tran, who has appeared on “Easy” and “Hot Date,” will serve as head writer of the writers’ room of 11. Guarino, Paras and Tran are all Showcase alum.

“Showcase is one of my favorite events and one I look forward to year after year,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, CBS’ executive vice president of entertainment diversity, inclusion and communications. “I’m excited for the entertainment community to...

CBS announced on Thursday the 21 performers participating in the 2019 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase. It will begin its run of six shows starting Jan. 15 at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles.

Beginning 14 years ago, the showcase was created to spotlight diverse talent, and it has developed into a hybrid comedy show with live performances and original writing. The showcase is attended by executives, showrunners, and casting directors from CBS and other networks as well as talent agents and managers from across the entertainment industry.

To date, 397 actors have appeared in the showcase, with alumni including Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” fame and Eugene Codero from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Participants of the 2018 showcase have landed roles on “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “Jane the Virgin,” and more.

Stephen Guarino (“I’m Dying Up Here”) returns to direct, Sheila Carrasco (“Jane the Virgin”) serves as head writer and Tess Paras (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) serves as assistant director.

CBS has announced the 21 participants for the 2019 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase. The performers will be seen in six shows beginning January 15 at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles.

The CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase is attended by executives, showrunners and casting directors from CBS and other networks as well as talent agents and managers from across the entertainment industry. Participants of the 2018 showcase have landed roles on Criminal Minds, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Life in Pieces, Hawaii 5-0, American Vandal, Charmed and Jane the Virgin, among others.

Stephen Guarino (I’m Dying Up Here) will return to direct the 2019 showcase with Sheila Carrasco (Jane the Virgin) serving as head writer, Tess Paras (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) serving as assistant director and 11 former showcase alumni making up the showcase’s first writers’ room.

Here are the 2019 participants, along with where they’re from, where they’ve trained and/or credits, and...