Dratch and Hiller Added to Encores! Charlie Brown; Gershwin Show Swaps In
Rachel Dratch and Jeff Hiller have joined the cast of Encores! You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, playing Patty and Schroeder respectively. The production begins performances on February 3, 2027, and runs through February 14. Additionally, the Gershwin musical Let 'Em Eat Cake will replace Hallelujah, Baby! in the 2027 Encores! season.
Dratch, a Tony nominee for The Rocky Horror Show, and Hiller, an Emmy winner for Somebody Somewhere, complete the ensemble for the Encores! staging, which is directed by Tony winner Sam Pinkleton. The production will open the 2027 series with a two-week run in February.
The season change swaps in Let 'Em Eat Cake, a 1933 Gershwin farce about a defeated president who contests his election loss, featuring a baseball game and fashion-driven revolt. Directed by Zack Winokur with Opera Philadelphia, it runs March 17–28. Hallelujah, Baby! was postponed to allow additional creative development time.
This casting news could broaden the Encores! audience by attracting fans of Dratch's comedy work and Hiller's television performances, potentially boosting ticket sales for the February run. The season swap may also signal how producing organizations balance audience appeal with artistic readiness, as postponing Hallelujah, Baby! suggests a commitment to quality over schedule. Theatergoers interested in classic musicals could benefit from the Gershwin rarity, while those anticipating the postponed show may need to adjust their plans.