Will & Grace favorite Debra Messing has joined the cast of the upcoming Netflix film adaptation of 13: The Musical. The Emmy winner, Deadline reports, will play the mother of central character Evan Goldman; the character is technically an addition to the script, with the role remaining offstage in the original stage version.
As previously reported, the Netflix movie, based on the musical by composer Jason Robert Brown and book writers Dan Elish and Robert Horn, has already assembled its ensemble of young stars, including Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, JD McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne.
Brown and Horn return to adapt the show for the screen, with Tamra Davis directing. No word yet on a release timeline.
Messing will also embrace her theatre roots next year with the Broadway bow of Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles. The Roundabout production, delayed due to the pandemic, is expected to open April 10, 2022.
