Zach Braff Makes Broadway Debut in ‘Bullets Over Broadway’

Emmy Award-nominee Zach Braff will make his Broadway debut next year in the upcoming musical adaptation of “Bullets Over Broadway.” The new show will take place at the St. James Theater, with previews beginning March 11, 2014 and opening night following on April 10.

Others members of the newly announced cast are Vincent Pastore, Brooks Ashmanskas, Betsy Wolfe, Lenny Wolpe and Warner Purcell. The total ensemble will contain 29 actors.

Susan Stroman will direct and choreograph the production. She has won five Tony Awards throughout her career, most recently in 2011 for best direction and best choreography for her work on “The Producers.” She also won Tonys for “Crazy For You,” “Show Boat” and “Contact.”

The musical is based around Braff’s character of David Shayne, a struggling playwright that finally gets his big break when a wealth gangster wants to produce his play “God of Our Fathers” on Broadway. However, the mobster insists on casting a talentless leading lady, creating conflict for all involved. The music from the film will consist primarily of existing songs from the 1920s, when the musical is set.

Braff is best known for his work on the television show “Scrubs,” as well as for writing, directing and starring in the 2004 movie “Garden State.” He has appeared Off Broadway in the play “Trust” and also wrote the play “All New People,” which premiered at the Second Stage Theatre in 2011.

The role of Shayne was played by John Cusack in the original 1994 movie by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath, and the movie also starred Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly. Allen also wrote the book for the musical. The new movie will be the famed writer-director’s first foray into Broadway since 2011’s “Relatively Speaking.” He is also well known for his many films, including “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan.”