The Toxic Avenger: American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo plays Sarah

American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo assumes the role of 'Sarah,' the sexy, blind librarian from 21 Aug 2009 in the Off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger - named the �Best New Off-Broadway Musical� by the Outer Critics Circle.

DeGarmo gained overnight fame as a runner-up on the third season of 'American Idol.' The exposure opened the door for DeGarmo's first radio single 'Dreams,' from her full-length RCA label debut 'Blue Skies,' which claimed the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. DeGarmo has also appeared on the Great White Way, starring as 'Penny Pingleton' in Broadway�s 'Hairspray' and as 'Brooklyn' in the first national tour of 'Brooklyn: The Musical.' She also starred as 'Dorothy' in the first national tour of 'OZ, The Musical' and in 'Back to Bacharach' and 'David' at the Music Box at Fonda in Los Angeles.

The Toxic Avenger now features Nancy Opel (Mayor), Diana DeGarmo (Sarah), Nick Cordero, Nicholas Rodriguez and Jonathan Root (White Dude)

Featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You�re Perfect, Now Change) & music by David Bryan (Bon Jovi), with direction by John Rando, The Toxic Avenger opened at New World Stages / Stage 1 on 6 Apr 2009, following previews from 18 Mar, and is selling tickets through to 13 Sep 2009.

The musical opened to mostly good reviews: ""dopey, intermittently funny show" (NY Times); "There's a new green monster in town, and his show is hilarious." (New York Post); "Loud, gross and lovable" (Bloomberg); "delivers a riotously good time" (Back Stage); "it manages to thoroughly entertain ." (Variety)

Toxic Avenger: Set in the mythical town of Tromaville, Exit 13B off the New Jersey Turnpike. An aspiring earth scientist, Melvin Ferd the Third, is determined to clean up the town�s burgeoning toxic waste, until he is tossed into a vat of radioactive goo and emerges as a seven-foot mutant freak and New Jersey�s first superhero. Armed with superhuman strength and a heart as big as Newark, he�s out to save New Jersey, end global warming and woo Sarah, the prettiest, blindest librarian in town.

Based on the classic 1985 cult film by Lloyd Kaufman, Toxic Avenger premiered this fall at Jersey's George Street Playhouse, where the show became the biggest grossing musical in the theatre�s 34 year history.