Ben Jacoby and Brent Thiessen Join Beaches Broadway Musical

The musical based on Dart's novel (also the source material of the 1988 film of the same name) will debut on Broadway before embarking on a national tour.

February 12, 2026 By Margaret Hall

Broadway's upcoming Beaches musical, set to begin March 27 ahead of an April 22 opening night at Broadway's Majestic Theatre, has revealed additional casting! The Broadway run will continue through September 6.

Co-directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart, the production will star the previously announced Jessica Vosk (Hell's Kitchen, Wicked) and Kelli Barrett (Parade), both reprising the roles they created in the production's world premiere at Canada's Theatre Calgary last year.

They will be joined by Ben Jacoby (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and Brent Thiessen (Thoroughly Modern Millie), with Jacoby playing Michael Barron and Others opposite Barrett, and Thiessen reprising his role from Theatre Calgary for his Broadway debut as John Perry and Others opposite Vosk.

As previously announced, the musical based on Dart's novel (also the source material of the 1988 film of the same name) will debut on Broadway before embarking on a national tour.

Also back from that run will be co-directors Price (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill) and Cowart. Further casting, by The TRC Company's Peter Van Dam, is to be announced.

Released in 1985, Dart's novel tracks a lifelong friendship between the mild-mannered Bertie and larger-than-life Cee Cee. The book became a famous tear jerker of a feature film in 1988, with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey co-starring. Idina Menzel and Nia Long also starred in a 2017 made-for-television remake for Lifetime. The Beaches musical has been in development for more than a decade. It was first staged in 2014 at Signature Theater in Arlington, Virginia, starring Mara Davi and Alysha Umphress; that production was directed by Eric Schaeffer and featured a different composer (David Austin).

The upcoming Broadway version features a book by Dart and Thom Thomas, music by Stoller, and lyrics by Dart. The Broadway staging will also feature choreography by Jennifer Rias (A Doll's House), music supervision by Joseph Thalken, orchestrations by Charlie Rosen (Moulin Rouge!), scenic design by James Noone (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill), costume design by Tracy Christensen (Sunset Boulevard), lighting design by Ken Billington (Chicago), sound design by Kai Harada (Merrily We Roll Along), projection design by David Bengali (Water for Elephants), and wig, hair, and make-up design by J. Jared Janas (Buena Vista Social Club). Thomas Recktenwald will serve as production stage manager, and Alchemy Production Group will general manage.