'Rumors,' 'Aladdin' and more theater buzz

The play "Rumors"

The deal Neil Simon's 1988 farce "Rumors" got a recent industry reading, featuring Matthew Broderick, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Laura Benanti, Jan Maxwell and Julie White, reported Playbill.com. Organized by producer Jeffrey Finn, the reading is being considered a first step toward an eventual Broadway revival that could surface as soon as late in this season.

Who Lilla Crawford

The play "Into the Woods"

The deal Lilla Crawford, who starred in the Broadway revival of "Annie" up until just a few weeks ago, will play Little Red in the forthcoming film version of the Sondheim musical "Into the Woods," already in production. Sophia Grace Brownlee, 10, of Internet video fame, has departed the role.

The musical "The Sound of Music"

The deal Additional casting has been revealed for NBC's live holiday-time broadcast of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music." Joining Carrie Underwood (Maria) and Stephen Moyer (Captain Von Trapp) will be Audra McDonald (Mother Abbess), Christian Borle (Max Dettweiler) and Laura Benanti (Elsa Schrader). Benanti played Maria in a 1990s Broadway revival of the musical.

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Who Justin Matthew Sargent

The play "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"

The deal Justin Matthew Sargent will take on the role of Peter Parker in Broadway's "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark." Reeve Carney, who had been with the show since 2010, played his final performance as Peter Parker on Sept. 15. The casting of Sargent, who was an alternate in the role, was announced by the producers at curtain call that same day. In a statement, they described Sargent as "one of Broadway's great rockers."

The Musical "Aladdin"

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The deal Disney Theatrical has announced the entire cast of its upcoming Broadway production of "Aladdin." It will include many who already appeared in a Seattle production of the musical, also helmed by director Casey Nicholaw, including Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Courtney Reed (Jasmine), James Monroe Iglehart (Genie) and Jonathan Freeman (Jafar). Freeman provided the voice of Jafar in the original film version. The production, which is in rehearsals, will play Toronto and then begin previews on Broadway in February.