ADDITIONAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR
THE OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING THEATRICAL EVENT
STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW
Rosie Benton as Virginia Creel
Alex Breaux as Dr. Brenner
Nicky Eldridge as Bob Newby
Andrew Hovelson as Principal Newby
Alison Jaye as Joyce Maldonado
T.R. Knight as Victor Creel
Gabrielle Nevaeh as Patty Newby
Burke Swanson as James Hopper, Jr.
Join
Louis McCartney as Henry Creel
FURTHER CASTING WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY 2025.
Performances Begin Friday, March 28, 2025
Officially Opens Tuesday, April 22, 2025
At Broadway's Marquis Theatre
www.StrangerThingsBroadway.com
Visit TUDUM.com to learn more
(New York, NY) Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions announce additional casting for the Broadway production of the Olivier Award-winning, "mega five-star hit" (Sunday Times) STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW. The previously announced Louis McCartney as Henry Creel will be joined by Rosie Benton (Patriots) as Virginia Creel, Alex Breaux ("Stranger Things" Season 5) as Dr. Brenner, Nicky Eldridge (Broadway Debut) as Bob Newby, Andrew Hovelson (Lucky Guy) as Principal Newby, Alison Jaye ("Shameless") as Joyce Maldonado, Emmy Award nominee T.R. Knight ("Grey's Anatomy") as Victor Creel, Emmy Award nominee Gabrielle Nevaeh (Nickelodeon's "That Girl Lay Lay") as Patty Newby and Burke Swanson (Back to the Future: The Musical) as James Hopper, Jr. STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW will begin performances Friday, March 28, 2025 and officially open Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at Broadway's Marquis Theatre (210 West 46th Street).
Further casting will be announced in January 2025.
Based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry, and rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix global phenomenon, STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW is a new play written by Kate Trefry, directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin.
Before the world turned upside down. Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper's car won't start, Bob Newby's sister won't take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn't so easy... and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.
From Netflix and the multi-award-winning Broadway producer Sonia Friedman Productions comes STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW. Winner of two Olivier Awards including Best Entertainment, this landmark production is brought to life by an award-winning creative team including director Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot, The Inheritance, The Hours, The Reader) and co-director Justin Martin (Prima Facie, The Inheritance). With stunning special effects, extraordinary performances, and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this gripping, stand-alone adventure will take you right back to the beginnings of the Stranger Things story.
Tickets are now on sale at www.StrangerThingsBroadway.com and start at $86.
STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW will feature set design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Paul Arditti, original music composition, orchestration, arrangements and supervision by D.J. Walde, illusions design & visual effects by Jamie Harrison & Chris Fisher, video design & visual effects by 59, choreography by Coral Messam, movement direction by Lynne Page, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates, technical director is Gary Beestone for Gary Beestone Associates, casting by Jim Carnahan, UK casting by Jessica Ronane CDG.
Hailed by the Daily Telegraph as "The West End Event of the Year" and the recipient of nineteen 5-star reviews and twelve 4-star reviews, STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW opened in its world premiere production at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End, where it is currently breaking box office records and is now on sale through September 7, 2025. The West End production recently won several awards including two Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment and Best Set Design, the Critics' Circle Awards for Best Set Design and Most Promising Newcomer, and the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play. Click here to see more from the star-studded West End Opening Night.
STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW is produced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions. The Duffer Brothers act as creative producers, with 21 Laps Entertainment as associate producer.
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For more information visit www.StrangerThingsBroadway.com.
To read more about STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW, visit TUDUM.com.
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Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions present
STRANGER THINGS:
THE FIRST SHADOW
By Kate Trefry
Original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne & Kate Trefry
Based on the Netflix Series, Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers
BIOS:
ROSIE BENTON (Virginia Creel). Broadway: Patriots, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Stick Fly, Accent on Youth (MTC), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Roundabout Theatre Company). Off-Broadway: Illyria (Public Theatre) Saturn Returns (Lincoln Center), Row After Row (Women's Project), Temporal Powers, Wife to James Whelan (Mint Theatre). Film: Simple Little Lives, Return, Angels in Stardust. TV: "Law & Order: SVU," "FBI: Most Wanted," "Blacklist," "Bull," "Betty," "Instinct," "Chicago Med," "Person of Interest," "The Good Wife," "Elementary." B.F.A: Syracuse University, M.F.A: NYU Graduate Acting Program.
ALEX BREAUX (Dr. Brenner) is an actor, writer, and director of films. Since graduating from Harvard University and The Juilliard School, Breaux has acted on Broadway opposite Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and David Harbour, been profiled in the New York Times and Esquire Magazine detailing his work as an actor, and named a "Top Breakout Performer" by Time Out Magazine. Breaux will be a series regular in the fifth and final season of "Stranger Things," written/created by Matt and Ross Duffer (Netflix). He recently wrapped post-production on his feature directorial debut, The Reckoning - playing film festivals in 2025. Breaux worked opposite Viggo Mortensen in The Dead Don't Hurt and is currently portraying Wild Bill Hickman in "American Primeval," created/directed by Peter Berg (Netflix, Jan 2025). Breaux is Timothy McVeigh in "Waco: The Aftermath" (Paramount+) and the Grimm Brothers in Season 2 of "Joe Pickett" (Paramount+).
NICKY ELDRIDGE (Bob Newby). It all started when a 6-year-old boy with class clown tendencies crossed paths with the 2010 Wii console hit, Michael Jackson: The Experience. On or off stage, Nicky was always a performer. From a very young age, he was always looking to sing, dance or make people laugh. When he found out that there was this magical thing called "Theatre" and that he could turn his first and only passion into a job? He was hooked. From "Rug Salesman #1" in his 6th grade production of Aladdin to most recently playing "J.D." in a regional production of Heathers, Nicky has found his mark on the stage and is completely ready to take Hawkins High School by storm in his Broadway debut!
ANDREW HOVELSON (Principal Newby) is best known for raising three boys in triple bunk beds in Hell's Kitchen with his beautiful wife. Other credits include - Broadway: Lucky Guy (w/ Tom Hanks), The Father, An Enemy of the People. Select New York Theater: Mother of the Maid (w/ Glenn Close, The Public Theater), Othello, As You Like It (New York Shakespeare Festival), An Ordinary Muslim (New York Theater Workshop), Golden Age (Manhattan Theater Club), Tamburlaine the Great (Theater for a New Audience), Life Sucks! (Wheelhouse), Your Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine (written and directed by Ruben-Santiago Hudson). TV: "FBI," "The Blacklist," "Blue Bloods," "Shades of Blue," "TURN," "The Good Wife," "Mysteries of Laura," "Unforgettable," "ER." Film: Thine Ears Shall Bleed, Stranger in the Dunes, The Magnificent Meyersons. M.F.A. NYU Graduate Acting. Andrew has workshopped over 100 new plays and musicals throughout his career in New York City.
ALISON JAYE (Joyce Maldonado). A native New Yorker, Alison Jaye began her Broadway career as Louise in Stephen Sondheim's revival of Sunday in the Park with George, and later appeared as Jane Banks in Disney's Mary Poppins. She gained recognition as Julia Nicolo in "Shameless" (Season 10) and appeared alongside Sigourney Weaver and Elizabeth Banks in Call Jane. Alison recently starred in ABC's acclaimed new series, "High Potential," led by Kaitlin Olson. She earned a BAFTA nomination for her role as "Alva" in PlayStation's Horizon: Forbidden West. @alisonjaye
T.R. KNIGHT (Victor Creel). Broadway credits include A Life in the Theatre, It's Only A Play, Noises Off and Tartuffe. Off-Broadway credits include The Merchant of Venice, Pocatello, Romeo and Juliet, and Scattergood, for which he received a Drama Desk nomination. Other theater credits include Parade at the Mark Taper and Amadeus at the Guthrie. His television credits include "The Flight Attendant," "Genius: Picasso," "Genius: Einstein," Stephen King's "11.22.63," and "The Comey Rule." He received an Emmy nomination for his work on "Grey's Anatomy." Film credits include 42 and Forge.
LOUIS McCARTNEY (Henry Creel) is best known for his leading role, in his stage debut, as 'Henry Creel' in Stranger Things: The First Shadow in London's West End where he has received tremendous reviews and won awards. Louis got his first break when he was burnt alive by a dragon in "Games of Thrones" (credited role). He was then cast in the BBC television series "Hope Street," as Shay, a cheeky but lovable, returning character. This was followed by the feature film Silent Roar, directed by Johnny Barrington and produced by Chris Young, where Louis was cast in the lead role as Dondo, a young surfer dealing with the grief of his father's death. Next up was William of Orangedale, a coming-of-age comedy set in a council estate in East Belfast, for Hat Trick Productions and Channel 4. Louis is represented by Ollie Azis at Independent Talent Group.
GABRIELLE NEVAEH (Patty Newby) is an actress, producer, and voice-over artist known for her work in television, film, and sports media. She gained recognition as the star of Nickelodeon's "That Girl Lay Lay," making history with the network's first series featuring two Black female leads. The show achieved record-breaking ratings and marked a milestone in representation. Gabrielle also made history as the first woman and first Black woman to call an NFL Wildcard Game on CBS. She's hosted major events like the 2022 Kids' Choice Awards, the Nickelodeon Slime Cup, and "Nick News." As a voice artist, Gabrielle voices Clawdeen Wolf in "Monster High" and stars in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai and Curses for DreamWorks. Her career has earned critical acclaim, including multiple Kids' Choice Award nominations, an Emmy nomination for "Nick News," and a Young Artist Academy Award for "All That."
BURKE SWANSON (James Hopper, Jr.) (he/him) made his Broadway debut months following his graduation from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Taking on the role of 'Jack' in the Roundabout Theater Company's revival of Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo, Burke had the opportunity to work alongside Oscar Winners and Drama League recipients. Next up came the recurring role of 'Brad' in Amazon's first season of Harlem, and most recently you may have caught him traveling the country as everyone's favorite dad, George McFly, in the First National Tour of Back to the Future: The Musical. When he isn't acting, Burke is creating experimental art as part of JMP! Collective, playing D&D / TTRPGs with his friends, doing bad contour drawings in the park, and getting lost with his family in the mountains. Any mountain, as long as there is no cellular connection. Burke is represented Buchwald.
Further casting will be announced in January 2025.
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