Tony winner Jim Dale takes on all the characters (and books) of the Harry Potter universe in the Penguin Random House audio books—but he's not the only stage favorite to shoulder the challenge of bringing to life your favorite books. Here are 10 more stage stars who also recreated written worlds for your listening pleasure.
Brian D’Arcy James reads The Ferguson Rifle
The Tony nominated actor reads Louis L’Amour’s 1973 Western about a man heading West to escape his problems and not turning back. Traveling with the titular gun, Ronan Chantry discovers the dangers and wonders of leaving home behind.
Viola Davis reads Corduroy Takes a Bow
The Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winner lends her voice to this charming childrens book, about the beloved stuffed bear and his first trip to the theatre.
Victor Garber reads A Place Called Freedom
Fresh from a run as Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!, Garber reads Ken Follett’s work of historical fiction, which follows a coal miner from Scotland who travels to London in search of a better life. From London to the new Colony of Virginia, Mack McAsh searches for freedom and his truth.
Tom Hollander reads A Legacy of Spies
Hollander, recently Tony-nominated for his starring turn in the revival of Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, brings his talents to this recent installment in the George Smiley series—John Le Carré’s first in over 25 years, and one in which the choices made by members of the British Secret Service during the Cold War have contemporary consequences.
Audra McDonald reads Small Great Things
Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald narrates Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things, following an African-American delivery nurse named Ruth Jefferson who finds herself in the center of a court case. Charged with racial tensions and told from the perspective of multiple characters, the novel is an intriguing and timely look at race relations in modern-day America.
Joe Mantegna reads Robert B. Parker’s Old Black Magic
Mantegna has a long history with the works of Parker (whose acclaimed Spenser series is continued by Ace Atkins). In Old Black Magic, a long-ago museum heist bursts into the modern day when paint chips from a stolen painting are delivered to a Boston journalist and Spenser is inspired by a $5 million reward to solve the case.
Jefferson Mays reads The Short Reign Of Pippin IV: A Fabrication
John Steinbeck’s only political satire—about the imagined court of Pippin IV during the French revolution—is brought to hilarious and biting life by Tony winner Mays, who knows a thing or two about crafting multiple distinctive characters within a single setting.
Lin-Manuel Miranda & Karen Olivo read The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao
The duo from In The Heights brings you Junot Diaz’s beloved novel. A mix of magical realism concerning a family curse and the painful reality of growing up overweight in New Jersey, the work is a sweeping amalgam of trials, pitfalls, and successes.
Rory O’Malley reads How To Survive A Plague
The inside story of how scientists and activists tamed AIDS, How To Survive A Plague is the true story of how grassroots activists called for change and did it themselves. O’Malley (The Book of Mormon) brings this compelling narrative to life, revitalizing a crucial moment in our national history.
Leslie Odom Jr. reads Like No Other
The original Aaron Burr in Hamilton brings to vivid life Una LaMarche’s novel about a forbidden cross-cultural relationship. Following two teens from different communities in the same neighborhood who fall in love, the book is a look into Romeo and Juliet-esque relationships in modern day affected by religious and cultural barriers.
