Jake Shears, who fronted the successful band Scissor Sisters, will make his theatrical debut in the revival of Martin Sherman’s groundbreaking drama Bent at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
The singer will star alongside a just-announced cast that includes Hugo Armstrong, Ray Baker, Tom Berklund, Matthew Carlson, Brionne Davis, Wyatt Fenner, Patrick Heusinger, Charlie Hofheimer, Andy Mientus, Brian Slaten and Jonathan B. Wright. Directed by Moises Kaufman, Bent previews begin July 15 with opening night scheduled for July 26. The play will run through Aug. 23.
Shears will play Greta in the play, which centers on the journey of a group of gay men trying to survive in Nazi Germany. He won’t ignore his musical background entirely though: Shears will also write the music for his character’s song, penned by Sherman, titled “Streets of Berlin.”
The Taper staging will mark the first major American revival of Sherman’s work since the 1979 Broadway debut, which starred Richard Gere and was received with a Tony Award nomination for best play. Bent had its world premiere in London a few months prior where it starred Ian McKellan.
Shears’ IMDB profile lists a pair of bit acting parts, and Bent will serve not only as his stage debut but as his major acting debut. In a statement, Shears said: “Getting cast in Bent thrills the hell out of me.”
The out gay singer performed with Scissor Sisters until the band announced in 2012 that they were going on an indefinite hiatus.
