'Tootsie' musical to play in Chicago before opening on Broadway

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend alum Santino Fontana has signed on to star in a stage musical version of the 1982 comedy film Tootsie, which featured Dustin Hoffman in the lead role.

Scott Sanders Productions said Wednesday the world premiere of the show will play a pre-Broadway engagement this fall at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. It is scheduled to begin performances in New York in the spring of 2019.

The musical "tells the story of a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until an audacious, desperate stunt lands him the role of a lifetime," a news release noted.

Additional casting and creative team members for Tootsie are expected to be announced at a later date.

Fontana's Broadway credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Billy Elliot, Sunday in the Park with George, and Brighton Beach Memoirs.