Glover played twin brothers in Broadway's Love! Valour! Compassion! (and snagged a Tony for it), and is currently seen as the billionaire Lionel Luthor in TV's "Smallville."
After his shooting schedule, Glover replaces Bob Martin as the salty musical theatre geek known simply as Man in Chair in the Tony Award-winning love letter to musicals. Martin's exit date from the Marquis Theatre has not been announced, but he'll re-create his role in the West End production in May.
Martin won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, sharing the honor with co-librettist Don McKellar. Drowsy's Greg Morrison and Lisa Lambert won the Tony for Best Score.
Although nothing official has been announced, Sutton Foster, who also stars in Drowsy, is expected to exit this spring when her contract expires.
A North American tour of the musical will launch in fall 2007. No casting has been announced. Glover returns to the New York stage, after receiving Drama Desk, Drama League and Lortel Award nominations for his critically acclaimed performance in Jon Robin Baitz's play The Paris Letter for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Glover won a 1995 Tony Award for the dual role of John and James Jeckyll in Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion!, and also re-created his roles in the film version.
Last season, Glover appeared in the world premiere of Terrence McNally's play Some Men at the Philadelphia Theatre Company and received a Barrymore Award nomination. He is a five-time Emmy Award nominee.
The London staging of The Drowsy Chaperone (which will also star Elaine Paige) begins previews on May 14 at the Novello Theatre.
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Directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Casey Nicholaw (Spamalot), The Drowsy Chaperone began Broadway previews April 3, 2006, and opened on Broadway on May 1, 2006.
"To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as 'Man in Chair' drops the needle on his favorite cast album – the 1928 musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone," according to the producers. "From the crackle of his hi-fi, the uproariously funny musical magically bursts to life on stage. We are instantly immersed in the hilarious tale of a glamorous bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with thrills and surprises that take both the cast (literally) and the audience (metaphorically) soaring into the heavens. Man in Chair's infectious love of The Drowsy Chaperone speaks to anyone who has ever been transported by the theatre."
The show is produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Boyett Ostar, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman.
Visit www.drowsychaperone.com.
