In the first significant cast change in Bombay Dreams, Tamyra Gray, who shot into the limelight with television's American Idol, will play the lead beginning November 9.
Her arrival should give a boost to the show that has been packing the 1,750-seat Broadway Theater just about 52 percent in the past two months.
The show opened on April 29 and for the first three months, drew about 70 percent of the capacity in one of New York's biggest theatres.
According to the theatre magazine Playbill, Gray, who placed fourth in the hit television singing competition in 2002, will assume the role of Priya, replacing Anisha Nagarajan.
Earlier there was speculation that the struggling show was planning to cast Janet Jackson, replacing the show's most popular attraction, Ayesha Dharker.
Gray's album The Dreamer released in May, featuring songs she had written or co-written. It brought her wide attention.
She will be in the show for 12 weeks.
Apparently, the producers of Bombay Dreams are following the strategy of the recently closed hit musical Aida which boosted its attendance by getting a popular television star on a three or four month contact, replacing her by a new star.
"We have no reservations about open casting, letting non-Asians play the key roles in the show," director Steven Pimlott had told rediff.com before the show opened on Broadway in April. "But first we must give due recognition to the talented Indian artists here and Canada."
Though Bombay Dreams has been drawing about 8,000 spectators, more than many other older shows and the new shows including the Nathan Lane led Frogs, its weekly gross hovering between $450,000 to $500,000 needed a strong boost.
The show, which has grossed $16.5 million and seen 190 performances, has to earn at least $35 million to recoup its $14 million investment. It is among the most expensive shows on Broadway; only one or two shows such as Wicked cost a million dollars more.
'I have been an admirer of Tamyra Gray from the start,' composer A R Rahman said in a statement, adding that he was 'thrilled' she has joined the Bombay Dreams cast. 'She's going to be wonderful.'
