COMPLETE CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER CHRISTIAN BORLE AS WILLY WONKA
WILL BE JOINED BY
Tony Winner JOHN RUBINSTEIN as Grandpa Joe EMILY PADGETT as Mrs. Bucket
KATHY FITZGERALD as Mrs. Gloop F. MICHAEL HAYNIE as Augustus Gloop
BEN CRAWFORD as Mr. Salt EMMA PFAEFFLE as Veruca Salt
ALAN H. GREEN as Mr. Beauregard TRISTA DOLLISON as Violet Beauregard
JACKIE HOFFMAN as Mrs. Teavee MICHAEL WARTELLA as Mike Teavee
AND INTRODUCING
JAKE RYAN FLYNN, RYAN FOUST and RYAN SELL as Charlie Bucket
In a cast of 36 that includes
YESENIA AYALA, DARIUS BARNES, COLIN BRADBURY, JARED BRADSHAW, RYAN BRESLIN, KRISTY CATES, MADELEINE DOHERTY, PALOMA GARCIA-LEE, STEPHANIE GIBSON, TALYA GROVES, CORY LINGNER, ELLIOTT MATTOX, MONETTE McKAY, KYLE TAYLOR PARKER, PAUL SLADE SMITH, STEPHEN CARRASCO, KRISTIN PIRO, AMY QUANBECK, MICHAEL WILLIAMS AND MIKEY WINSLOW
PERFORMANCES BEGIN TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017
OPENING NIGHT SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017
AT BROADWAY’S LUNT-FONTANNE THEATRE
A WONKA-SIZED EVERLASTING SHOWSTOPPER
BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL BY ROALD DAHL
(New York, NY) Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Langley Park Productions and Neal Street Productions, the producers of the new musical Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, announced today that two-time Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Willy Wonka) will be joined by a cast of 35 that includes Tony Award winner John Rubinstein as Grandpa Joe (Pippin), Emily Padgett as Mrs. Bucket (Side Show), Kathy Fitzgerald as Mrs. Gloop (9 to 5), F. Michael Haynie as Augustus Gloop (Wicked), Ben Crawford as Mr. Salt (Shrek), Emma Pfaeffle as Veruca Salt (Finding Neverland), Alan H. Green as Mr. Beauregard (School of Rock), Trista Dollison as Violet Beauregard (A Bronx Tale), Jackie Hoffman as Mrs. Teavee (On The Town), Michael Wartella as Mike Teavee (Tuck Everlasting) and introducing Jake Ryan Flynn, Ryan Foust and Ryan Sell making their Broadway debuts as Charlie Bucket, with Yesenia Ayala (Broadway Debut), Darius Barnes (Cinderella), Colin Bradbury (Come Fly Away), Jared Bradshaw (Jersey Boys), Ryan Breslin (Newsies), Kristy Cates (Finding Neverland), Madeleine Doherty (The Producers), Paloma Garcia-Lee (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), Stephanie Gibson (Cinderella), Talya Groves (Motown), Cory Lingner (On The Town), Elliott Mattox (Broadway Debut), Monette McKay (Memphis), Kyle Taylor Parker (Kinky Boots), Paul Slade Smith (Finding Neverland), Stephen Carrasco (Fiddler on the Roof), Kristin Piro (An American In Paris), Amy Quanbeck (Broadway Debut), Michael Williams (On The Town), and Mikey Winslow (On The Town).
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory begins performances Tuesday, March 28, 2017 and officially opens Sunday, April 23, 2017 at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street).
Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features music by Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Grammy and Tony Award winners Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, a book by Artistic Director of Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum theatre David Greig and choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse. The production includes additional songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley from the 1971 Warner Bros. motion picture.
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will feature scenic and costume design by five-time Tony Award nominee Mark Thompson, lighting design by four-time Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman, sound design by Andrew Keister, puppet design by Obie and Drama Desk Award winner Basil Twist, projection design by Jeff Sugg, orchestrations by three-time Tony Award winner Doug Besterman and music direction and supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck. Casting is by Telsey + Company/Rachel Hoffman, CSA.
For more than 50 years, Roald Dahl’s story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has captured imaginations around the world, and now for the first time Broadway audiences are invited to experience Willy Wonka’s delightful and semi-dark chocolate world first-hand. Willy Wonka, world famous inventor of the Everlasting Gobstopper, has just made an astonishing announcement. His marvelous—and mysterious—factory is opening its gates…to a lucky few. That includes young Charlie Bucket, whose life definitely needs sweetening. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerizing, life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of pure imagination. Get ready for chocolate waterfalls, exquisitely nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka’s army of curious Oompa-Loompas.
The Broadway production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (Mark Kaufman), Langley Park Productions (Kevin McCormick) and Neal Street Productions (Sam Mendes, Caro Newling).
The playing schedule for Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is as follows: Monday through Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm. Beginning Tuesday, April 25, 2017, the playing schedule is as follows: Monday and Tuesday at 7pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 6:30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Sunday at 1pm and Saturday at 2pm. Beginning May 31, 2017, Wednesday matinee performances will be at 2pm. Please note: There will be no performances on Wednesday, March 29 at 2pm, Wednesday, April 5 at 2pm, Monday, April 17 at 8pm, Monday, April 24 at 8pm, Monday, May 29 at 7pm, Monday, June 5 at 7pm, and Tuesday, July 4, 2017. There will be added performances on Thursday, April 27 at 7pm, Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 7pm, Thursday, June 8 at 7pm and Thursday, July 6 at 7pm.
Tickets for Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory range from $69 – $160, and are available at www.Ticketmaster.com (877.250.2929).
The Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning London production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes and choreographed by Peter Darling, is one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals and has broken house records at Theatre Royal Drury Lane where it has been seen by over 2.1 million people since it opened in June 2013. Now in its fourth and final year, it currently sits alongside Miss Saigon and 42nd Street in the top three longest-running productions of the last 50 years at the historic venue, one of London’s largest theatres.
ABOUT ROALD DAHL AND HIS LEGACY
Roald Dahl was a spy, ace fighter-pilot, chocolate historian and medical inventor. He was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and many more brilliant stories. He remains the World’s No.1 storyteller. Born in Cardiff of Norwegian descent, Roald Dahl (1916–1990) joined the RAF at the age of 23 and began writing, initially for adults, after being injured in a plane crash during WW2. Sitting in a hut at the bottom of his garden, surrounded by odd bits and pieces such as a suitcase (used as a footrest), his own hipbone (which he’d had replaced) and a heavy ball of metal foil (made from years’ worth of chocolate wrappers), he went on to write some of the world’s best-loved children’s stories. His first children’s story, James and the Giant Peach, published in 1961, was a hit and every subsequent book became a best-seller. Today, his stories are available in 58 languages and, by a conservative estimate, he has sold more than 250 million books. Many of these stories have also been adapted for stage and screen, including the 1971 film classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wes Anderson’s acclaimed Fantastic Mr Fox, and the multi-award winning Matilda The Musical from the RSC with music by Tim Minchin. The latest Roald Dahl story to hit the big screen is Steven Spielberg’s #1 box office blockbuster The BFG. Entitled Roald Dahl 100, 2016 marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl. Celebrations continue around the world, with lots happening in cities across the US, delivering a calendar packed with gloriumptious treats and surprises for everyone. We believe in doing good things. That’s why ten percent of all Roald Dahl income* goes to our charity partners. We have supported causes including: specialist children’s nurses, grants for families in need, and educational outreach programmes. Find out more at roalddahl.com. The Roald Dahl Charitable Trust is a registered UK charity (no. 1119330). * All author payments and royalty income net of third party commissions. www.roalddahl.com
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BIOGRAPHIES
CHRISTIAN BORLE (Willy Wonka) won two Tony Awards for his performances in Something Rotten and Peter and the Starcatcher. In the fall of 2016 he will star in the Lincoln Center production of Falsettos. Other Broadway credits include Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Amour, Footloose, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Off-Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd (PBS’ “Live at Lincoln Center”), Angels in America (Signature Theatre), Elegies: A Song Cycle (Lincoln Center), and On The Town and Little Me for City Center Encores!. Television credits include “The Gilmore Girls,” “Smash,” “Masters of Sex,” “The Good Wife,” “Sofia The First,” Disney Junior’s “Lucky Duck,” “The Sound of Music Live!,” and “Peter Pan Live!” Film work includes The Bounty Hunter, Michael Mann’s Blackhat.
JOHN RUBINSTEIN (Grandpa Joe). Broadway: originated title role in Pippin (1972), Children of a Lesser God (Tony Award & Drama Desk), Caine Mutiny, Ragtime, Hurlyburly, M. Butterfly, Fools, Love Letters, Pippin (2014). Off-B’way/regional: Counsellor-at- Law (Lortel Award), Wicked (L.A.). 30 films; two TV series: “Family,” “Crazy Like A Fox,” 300 TV episodes. Stage and TV director; film composer and conductor; college professor (USC); audiobook narrator; married to Bonnie Burgess; father of Jessica, Michael, Peter, Jacob, and Max.
EMILY PADGETT (Mrs. Bucket). Broadway: Bright Star (Lucy Grant) SideShow (Daisy Hilton) Rock of Ages (Sherrie Christian) Legally Blonde, Grease. Off-Broadway: Sweet Charity directed by Leigh Silverman. Regional: SideShow (La Jolla, San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award) (Kennedy Center, Helen Hayes Nomination) Waterfall (Pasadena Playhouse) White Noise (Royal George Theatre) First National Tour: Grease (Sandy) Flashdance The Musical (Alex Owens) TV: “Louie.”
KATHY FITZGERALD (Mrs. Gloop). Broadway: Wicked (Madame Morrble), 9 to 5 (Roz; Outer Critics Nom. Best Featured Actress), The Producers (Shirley Markowitz), Swinging on a Star (Drama Desk Nom. Best Featured Actress). Off-Broadway: Damn Yankees (Doris) Encores, Disaster! (Shirley) Triad, Donnybrook (Irish Rep.). Regional: Pirates! (Ruth) Muny, Emmet Otter (Ma) Goodspeed, Christmas Carol (Fezziwig) McCarter, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, School for Wives, Search for Signs. National Tour: Wicked (Morrible; Broadway World Award). TV/Film: “Smash”, “Mercy”, “One Life to Life”, “Curb your Enthusiasm”, “The Next Three Days”, Our Idiot Brother and The Producers.
- MICHAEL HAYNIE (Augustus Gloop). Broadway: Wicked, Holler If Ya Hear Me. Off-Broadway:Carrie (MCC),Dogfight (Second Stage) and others. Regional: Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Ogunquit), Found (PTC). TV/Film: Peter Pan LIVE! (NBC), Not Fade Away (Paramount). Thanks Ms, JP, Nicolosi and Co, the (M)orons, &. @fmichaelhaynie
BEN CRAWFORD (Mr. Salt). Broadway: Shrek the Musical (Shrek), Big Fish (Don Price, Ed Bloom u/s), On The Twentieth Century (Bruce Granit, Max Jacobs u/s), Les Miserables (Valjean, Javert u/s). New York/Regional: Jasper in Deadland, 35MM, Irma La Duce, Merrily…, 110 in the Shade, Evita. 35MM, Writing Kevin Taylor, Frozen soundtracks.
EMMA PFAEFFLE (Veruca Salt) graduated from the Conservatory of dance at SUNY Purchase ’12 and continued on to the international tour of West Side Story. She later joined Ballet Hispanico for a season. She was in the original cast of Finding Neverland as “Wendy/Emily” at A.R.T and continued onto Broadway for the full run.
ALAN H. GREEN (Mr. Beauregard). Original Broadway Casts: School of Rock, Sister Act, Play On. 1st National Tours: Spelling Bee, Swing, Smokey Joes Café. Recent Regional: Disney’s Freaky Friday, Broadway Bounty Hunter. International: Miss Saigon. TV: “Peter Pan Live!,” “30 Rock,” “Unforgettable,” “Law and Order SVU,” lots of National Commercials. Rice University Graduate. www.ALANHGREEN.com.
TRISTA DOLLISON (Violet Beauregard). Broadway: A Bronx Tale, Disney’s The Lion King, Avenue Q. NY/Regional: A Bronx Tale (World Premiere) Sister Act (Deloris), Faust (City Center), Dreamgirls (Lorrell). She is a proud member of Broadway Inspirational Voices.Thanks to her husband, family & friends for their loving support. Grateful. Proverbs 18:16.http://www.facebook.com/TristaDollison
JACKIE HOFFMAN (Mrs. Teavee) B’Way: On The Town, The Addams Family, Xanadu and Hairspray (Theatre World Award). Off-B’Way: Once Upon A Mattress, A Chanukah Charol, The Gingerbread House, The Book of Liz (Obie Award), Straightjacket, LCT Festival and One Woman Shoe. Regional: MUNY, Old Globe, Second City (Jeff Award). Films: Birdman, The Sitter, Extra Man, A Dirty Shame, Garden State, Legally Blonde II, Kissing Jessica Stein and Mo’ Money. TV: “ Feud!,” “ Gilmore Girls,” “ Difficult People,” “Elementary,” “Girls,” “New Normal,” “Family Guy,” “The Good Wife,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Raising Hope,” “Melissa & Joey,” “30 Rock,” “Starved,” “Hope & Faith,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Strangers With Candy,” “Dilbert,” “TV Funhouse,” “Conan O’Brien.” CD: Live at Joe’s Pub. www.jackiehoffman.com; Twitter: @jackiehoffman16.
MICHAEL WARTELLA (Mike Teavee). Broadway: Tuck Everlasting, Wicked. Off-Broadway: RENT, The Kid (The New Group), Seussical (Theaterworks/USA), Oliver Twist (TFANA). Regional: Chasing Rainbows (Flat Rock Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House), Midsummer, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Denver Center Theatre Company. Film/TV: “Mysteries of Laura,” Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, Loving Leah.
JAKE RYAN FLYNN (Charlie Bucket) is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut in this dream role. Regional credits: Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliot, Shrek, A Christmas Carol. TV: Ryan in the ABC Pilot “Broad Squad.” National Beautyrest commercial starring alongside, Tom Brady. Special thanks to entire Charlie Creative Team, Telsey and Co, Dwayne Clark, Sharon Carry, Kevin Hill and everyone at NSMT Much love and thanks to Mom, Dad, Joe, Mikey and Patrick.
RYAN FOUST (Charlie Bucket) is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut in the title role of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A native of Tampa, Florida, some of Foust’s favorite regional theater credits include Annie for Kids (Rooster), Beauty and the Beast (Chip), Cinderella Kids (Jaq), Peter Pan (Michael), and Cats (Victor/Bill Bailey). This past November, Ryan competed in the Florida State Junior Thespian District competition where he earned two Superior marks and Critics Choice Awards. Ryan has garnered top academic recognition nationally as a part of the Duke TIP program and enjoys playing soccer and cross fit training when he’s not involved with a show.
RYAN SELL (Charlie Bucket) is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut, and honored to be originating the role of Charlie Bucket! Previously: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Developmental Lab, Mame (Young Patrick starring Leslie Uggams), Peter Pan (Michael Darling), Beauty & the Beast (Chip). Special thanks and gratitude to David Doan/ Mallory Tucker (CESD), Jody Prusan, Telsey & Co. and the entire Charlie team for believing in me and giving me my golden ticket! Love to Mom, Dad, Pop, Gog, Uncle Mike, Megan & Avery.
YESENIA AYALA (Ensemble). Broadway Debut! Off-Broadway: Sweet Charity (The New Group), Trip Of Love (Ipanema Girl). Tour: West Side Story (National/International). Other: BOMBSHELL: In Concert, Radio City Christmas Spectacular (NYC). 2016 Astaire Award Nominee (Off-Broadway). ECU Alum. For my family and Paris.
DARIUS BARNES (Ensemble) Broadway: Memphis, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, R+H’s Cinderella. Off-Broadway: Sweet Charity; TV: NBC “SMASH”, “Conqueror” (Estelle, music video); Regional: A Midsummer Nightʼs Dream (Guthrie), Cabin in the Sky (Encores!); New York City Ballet.
COLIN BRADBURY (Ensemble). NYC: Come Fly Away; Bombshell; Trip of Love; The Jack Cole Project; Radio City Christmas Spectacular; Girl Crazy. TOURS: The Book of Mormon; Come Fly Away; A Chorus Line; White Christmas; 42nd Street. REGIONAL: Ogunquit; Papermill; TUTS; PCLO; Gateway; McCarter.
JARED BRADSHAW (Ensemble). 8 years with Jersey Boys, playing all 10 featured roles in the show, and 3 years with Forbidden Broadway playing everyone else! (cast album). Favorite roles: Last Five Years, The Music Man, Jekyll and Hyde. www.jaredbradshaw.com.
RYAN BRESLIN (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back on Broadway! Broadway: Newsies (OBC Race) The Book of Mormon. TV: “Person of Interest” (CBS). Film: Hail, Caesar! (Coen Brothers). Love to family, friends, mentors, HC, and HCS.
KRISTY CATES (Ensemble). Broadway: Wicked (OBC), Finding Neverland. Chicago: Wicked (Elphaba). Other: Jerry Springer the Opera (Carnegie Hall), Marvelous Wonderettes (Missy), Ragtime (Mother), Boeing Boeing (Gloria). CD of MT @NYFA. Love to Avalon, friends, family, students. For TEAMPKG.
MADELEINE DOHERTY (Ensemble). 6th Broadway show, original casts: The Producers, Christmas Carol, Sister Act, Gigi. 10th Anniversary Les Miserables. 5 National Tours, 2 Off- Broadway, over 50 regional productions, 3 movies, 1 son, 1 grandson. 3 unions.
PALOMA GARCIA-LEE (Ensemble). Broadway: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, On The Town, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Phantom of the Opera. Love & thanks to Paul, my parents, CTG, Rachel, and the splendopulous Charlie team. @palomagarcialee
STEPHANIE GIBSON (Ensemble). Broadway: Cinderella (Gabrielle), Addams Family, Spamalot. Tours: Chorus Line (Judy), Happy Days (LoriBeth). Regional: Into The Woods (TUTS) Cabaret (Cape Playhouse), Young Frankenstein (MUNY), Rocky Horror Show (Bucks County Playhouse). TV/Film: “Up All Night,” “Person of Interest,” The Union.
TALYA GROVES (Ensemble) is overjoyed to be part of this company! It’s a dream come true!! Previously seen in Motown the Musical (Broadway/First National). Proud Pace alum. Many thanks to: creative team, Rachel Hoffman/Telsey+Company, Team Boals, and mama.
CORY LINGNER (Ensemble). Broadway: An American In Paris (Adam u/s), On The Town (Chip/Ozzie u/s); Off-Broadway: Once Upon A Mattress (Jester, Astaire Award nom.); TV: Tony Awards, Macy’s Parade, “SNL.” BFA in Musical Theatre from OU.
ELLIOTT MATTOX (Ensemble). Broadway Debut! Asolo Rep: Guys and Dolls; MUNY: Young Frankenstein, Wizard of Oz, Hello, Dolly!; Cape Playhouse: The Drowsy Chaperone; Lyric Theatre Oklahoma: Spamalot, Bye Bye Birdie; Music Theatre Wichita. B.M., Oklahoma City University.
MONETTE McKAY (Ensemble) OBC debut. Broadway: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Memphis, Mamma Mia! Nat’l Tour: Mamma Mia! TV/Film: HBO’s “The Night Of,” “Law and Order: CI,” “Pimp,” and an upcoming Marvel Netflix series. Co-founder of NYC Artists of Color Collective. www.monettemckay.com
KYLE TAYLOR PARKER (Ensemble) starred as Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway, First National (IRNE), and Canada. Other: Dream Girls (Lyric Theatre), Finnian’s Rainbow (Irish Rep), Chita A Legendary Celebration, In the Heights (Tour), HAIR (ATC). Endless thanks to God, Jeff, Telsey, Professional Artists and WAM. For more follow @ktpway or visit www.kyletaylorparker.com
PAUL SLADE SMITH (Ensemble). Broadway: Finding Neverland (original company: Henshaw/Nana; final company: Charles Frohman/Captain Hook). Tours: Wicked, Phantom. Regional: Steppenwolf, Goodman, American Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare. Playwright: The Outsider, Unnecessary Farce. For Erin and, of course, Charlie.
STEPHEN CARRASCO (Swing). Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof, Kinky Boots, Ghost, Billy Elliot, and White Christmas. BFA Syracuse University. Specials thanks to Rachel, Nikki, and Leefur (the best husband ever!). Follow Stephen on Instagram @StephenCarrasco or at www.stephencarrasco.com.
KRISTIN PIRO (Swing). Kristin LOVES chocolate! Broadway: Catch Me If You Can, Rocky, An American in Paris. Off-Broadway/Tours: Memphis, Flashdance, Saturday Night Fever, Trip of Love. Love as always to my family, CGF, & David
AMY QUANBECK (Swing). Broadway debut! Minnesota native. UCIrvine, BFA Dance Performance. NYC: Then She Fell. National Tours: Wicked (Asst. Dance Captain), Dirty Dancing (Asst. Choreographer/DC), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Clara). Thanks to Jono, family, Telsey, & DDO! AmyQuanbeck.com
MICHAEL WILLIAMS (Swing). South Carolina native thrilled to be a part of this amazing vision! Broadway: On the Town, Wicked, West Side Story. National Tour: Wicked, Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away. Regional: Barrington Stage’s Pirates of Penzance. Unconditional Love and thanks to Mom, Dad, and Mrs. W.
MIKEY WINSLOW (Swing). Bway: On The Town; American Idiot; West Side Story. Nat’l Tour: Wicked. TV/Film: “SNL;” Dirty Dancing. Thanks to TKO, my family and my friends for all their love and support. @mikeywinslow mikeywinslow.com
MARC SHAIMAN (Music/Co-lyricist) wrote the music and, with partner Scott Wittman, co-wrote the lyrics for the musical Hairspray, which won Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical and for which the team was awarded a Tony and Grammy Award for their score. They also collaborated on the Broadway musical Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and, most recently, Best Musical Tony-nominated Catch Me If You Can, for which Marc was also nominated as co-orchestrator. Marc is a five-time Oscar nominee for his work on Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club, Patch Adams, The American President and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Additional film credits include When Harry Met Sally, Beaches, Misery, City Slickers, The Addams Family, A Few Good Men, Sister Act, George of the Jungle and The Bucket List. He is an Emmy Award winner for co-writing Billy Crystal’s Oscar medleys, and has most recently been an Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe nominee for the original songs he co-wrote with Scott Wittman for the television show “Smash.” Additional Grammy and Emmy nominations have resulted from his collaborations with Bette Midler and Harry Connick Jr (with whom he appeared at the Royal Albert Hall). Marc’s Prop 8: The Musical can be seen at FunnyOrDie.com.
SCOTT WITTMAN (Co-lyricist) co-wrote (with Marc Shaiman) the lyrics for the Tony, Grammy and Olivier-winning musical Hairspray. He also served as an executive producer on the hit film starring John Travolta. They teamed up again on Broadway for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which he also directed, and Catch Me If You Can, which received a Tony nomination for Best Musical. For their original songs on NBC’s musical drama “Smash,” Scott and Marc were nominated for an Emmy, Grammy and a Golden Globe Award. On “Smash” they have composed songs for Jennifer Hudson, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters and Liza Minnelli. Their original score for the Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell was released on Sony Records. For Patti LuPone, Scott has created and directed two Broadway shows, three recordings and two sold-out Carnegie Hall concerts. He also directed Patti LuPone in her one-woman show at Donmar Warehouse.
DAVID GREIG (Book). His award-winning work includes The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Tron, National Theatre of Scotland), Midsummer (Traverse, Soho and Tricycle), Dunsinane (RSC at Hampstead and National Theatre of Scotland), Damascus (Traverse and Tricycle), Outlying Islands (Traverse and Royal Court), The American Pilot (RSC), Pyrenees (Paines Plough), The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union (Donmar Warehouse and Paines Plough) and The Architect and Europe (Traverse). Adaptations include Creditors (Donmar Warehouse), The Bacchae (Edinburgh International Festival), Tintin in Tibet (Barbican, Playhouse and UK tour), When the Bulbul Stopped Singing (Traverse), Caligula (Donmar Warehouse) and Peter Pan (National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse and Barbican). Work for children and young people includes The Monster in the Hall (TAG), Yellow Moon (TAG), Gobbo (National Theatre of Scotland) and Dr Korczcak’s Example (TAG).
JACK O’BRIEN (Director) has won 3 Tony Awards for his direction of Hairspray, Henry IV and The Coast of Utopia. His other Broadway credits include It’s Only A Play, Macbeth, The Nance, Dead Accounts, Catch Me If You Can, Impressionism, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nomination), Imaginary Friends, The Invention of Love (Tony nomination and Drama Desk winner), The Full Monty (Tony nomination), More to Love, Getting Away With Murder, The Little Foxes, Damn Yankees, Two Shakespearean Actors (Tony nomination), and Porgy and Bess (Tony nomination). Off-Broadway credits include Pride’s Crossing and Hapgood (Lucille Lortel Award). Other productions include Il Trittico at the Metropolitan Opera, Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, Much Ado About Nothing for The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park, and Love Never Dies and Hairspray (Olivier nomination) in London. Mr. O’Brien was the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre from 1981 till 2007. He has directed six movies for PBS’s “American Playhouse.” His book, Jack Be Nimble, is published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
JOSHUA BERGASSE (Choreographer) won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for NBC’s “Smash.” Joshua’s New York theatre credits include On The Town (Tony nomination); Gigi; Little Me and It’s A Bird..It’s a Plane..It’s Superman! (City Center Encores!); Guys & Dolls and The Sound of Music (Carnegie Hall); and Off-Broadway’s The Bomb-itty of Errors, Captain Louie and Cagney. Additional theater credits include Up Here (La Jolla Playhouse), Fame the Musical (tour); Bull Durham (Alliance Theatre – Suzi Bass Nomination); Nerds (Philadelphia Theatre Company – Barrymore nomination); Secondhand Lions (Fifth Avenue Theatre); West Side Story (Stratford Festival); On The Town, Guys & Dolls, Carousel and The World Goes ‘Round (Barrington Stage). Also for television, Bergasse choreographed for FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” Most recently, Josh choreographed “Sinatra: Voice for a Century” for PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center.
MARK THOMPSON (Set/Costume Design) Designs include: Mamma Mia! (worldwide), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (worldwide), Doctor Dolittle (London), Bombay Dreams (London and Broadway), Art (worldwide), The Children’s Hour (London), The Lady in the Van (London), La Bête (London and Broadway), God of Carnage (London and Broadway) and Funny Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre). For the NT: One Man, Two Guvnors (also West End and Broadway), London Assurance, She Stoops to Conquer, England People Very Nice, What the Butler Saw, The Rose Tattoo, The Madness of George III, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Alchemist, The Duchess of Malfi, Life x 3, Arcadia, Once in a Lifetime, Henry IV Parts I & II and The Wind in the Willows. For the Donmar Warehouse: The Blue Room (also Broadway), Company (also Albery), The Front Page and Uncle Vanya/Twelfth Night (costumes only). For the Royal Court: Tribes, Birthday, Mouth to Mouth, Hysteria, The Kitchen and Six Degrees of Separation. For the Almeida: Rope, Betrayal and Party Time. For the RSC: The Unexpected Man, Measure for Measure, Hamlet, The Wizard of Oz, Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors. Opera includes: The Mikado (Lyric), Macbeth and The Queen of Spades (Met), Peter Grimes (Opera North), Montag aus Licht (La Scala), Hansel and Gretel (Sydney Opera House) and Carmen (L’Opera Comique, Paris). Film includes: costume design for The Madness of King George. Mark is the winner of four Olivier Awards and two Critics’ Circle Awards. He has been nominated for five Tony Awards. Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY was awarded the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Costume.
JAPHY WEIDEMAN (Lighting Design). Broadway: Bright Star, The Visit (Tony Nom), The Nance (Tony Nom), Of Mice and Men (Tony Nom), Airline Highway (Tony Nom), Sylvia, Old Times, The Heidi Chronicles, Macbeth (Drama Desk Nom), Cyrano de Bergerac, and The Snow Geese. Off-Broadway: Lincoln Center Theatre, The Public Theatre, NYTW, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, MTC, MCC, LAByrinth, and The Vineyard. Opera: Don Giovanni, Life is a Dream (Santa Fe Opera), Manchurian Candidate, Doubt (Minnesota Opera). International: West End, Royal Shakespeare Co (Stratford), La Scala (Milan), Nederlands Opera (Amsterdam), Edinburgh International Festival.
BASIL TWIST (Puppet Design) is a third generation puppeteer and the sole American to graduate from the École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mezieres, France. Basil’s work was first spotlighted in New York by “The Jim Henson International Festival of Puppetry” with his award winning The Araneidae Show, followed by the critically praised and multiple award winning Symphonie Fantastique, Petrushka, Master Peter’s Puppet Show, Dogugaeshi, La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco, Behind the Lid and Arias With a Twist. On Broadway he created and staged the puppetry in The Addams Family for which he won a Drama Desk Award and staged the puppetry for the beloved Pee-Wee Herman Show. He has received an Obie, a Drama Desk Award, five UNIMA Awards, two Bessie Awards, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, a Henry Hewes Award, a Guggenheim, a USA Artists fellowship and was most recently awarded a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. He is the director of the Dream Music Puppetry Program at HERE in New York.
DOUG BESTERMAN (Orchestrations) Doug is the recipient of three Tony Awards for his orchestrations for Fosse, Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Producers. Broadway: Aladdin, Rocky, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Bullets Over Broadway, On a Clear Day…, Elf, Sister Act, How to Succeed…, Young Frankenstein, Tarzan, Dracula, Seussical, The Music Man, King David, Big, Damn Yankees and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. International: Rocky (Hamburg), Guys and Dolls (London) and Der Schuh des Manitu (Berlin). Other productions: Flashdance (US tour), Carrie (New York), Roman Holiday (Minneapolis), Calvin Berger (New Jersey), Minsky’s (Los Angeles), An American in Paris (Houston) and the ballets Take Five – More or Less, But Not for Me, Double Feature, and Frankie and Johnny…and Rose for choreographer Susan Stroman. Film and television includes: Nine, The Producers, Chicago, Captain America, Mulan, Anastasia, Pocahontas, Lincoln, Cinderella, Annie, Geppetto, South Pacific, Superstar and Scrubs. Doug has written arrangements for Christine Andreas, Toni Braxton, Beyoncé Knowles, Barry Manilow, Mandy Patinkin, Barbra Streisand and the Boston Pops Orchestra.
WARNER BROS. THEATRE VENTURES (Producer). Continuing Warner Bros.’ mission of presenting the finest entertainment across all media and platforms to global audiences, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (WBThV) is the company’s live stage play division, which develops and produces first-class musicals and other stage productions. With access to Warner Bros.’ vast library of iconic film and television properties, as well as extensive relationships with top theatrical talent, WBThV is well-positioned as a dynamic and resourceful creative entity in the live theater arena. Currently represented by the London production of Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY now in its fourth and final smash years at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, WBThV is also co-producing the Tony and Olivier Award winning Best Play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Broadway. Recently WBThV was represented by the critically acclaimed Broadway production of Oscar-winner William Goldman’s adaptation of Misery directed by Will Frears, starring Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. As part of its ongoing development activities, WBThV is constantly exploring production opportunities, working in various capacities with award-winning theater, film and television producers. The division’s roster of upcoming projects includes dramas, comedies and musicals based on both library titles and original concepts. WBThV has previously been represented on Broadway with the Tony Award-winning musical The Bridges of Madison County as well as the holiday hit Elf, which broke box office records at the Al Hirschfield Theatre during its initial run. The division also co-produced the original musical Secondhand Lions at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre and is readying productions of Dave, 17 Again, Beetlejuice and Dog Day Afternoon for the stage. WBThV also licenses third-party stage rights to the various properties held within the studio’s vast media library, including such productions as Hairspray, The Bodyguard, Top Hat, Singin’ in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, The Color Purple, 42nd Street and Honeymoon in Vegas, Gigi, Doctor Zhivago, as well as the upcoming Diner.
LANGLEY PARK PRODUCTIONS (Producer). Kevin McCormick is President of Langley Park Productions, a studio-based production company at Warner Bros. McCormick recently produced the romantic drama The Lucky One, starring Zac Efron, and the 2011 comedy Arthur, starring Russell Brand and Helen Mirren. He was also a producer on The Gangster Squad, starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Previously, McCormick was President of Production at Warner Bros. Pictures. Assuming that post in January 2008, he had day-to-day oversight of, and responsibility for, Warner Bros. Pictures’ creative team and the movies produced by the company, including such award-winning and critically acclaimed films as Gran Torino; The Dark Knight, which broke box office records worldwide and is currently the third-highest-grossing film of all time, domestically; The Hangover, which is, domestically, the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time; and the worldwide hit Sherlock Holmes. Among the studio’s other films during his tenure were Get Smart, the top-grossing Harry Potter franchise, The Informant!, Watchmen and Terminator Salvation. In addition, he oversaw the division’s London office and reported directly to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. McCormick joined Warner Bros. Pictures in 1999 as Executive Vice President, Production, overseeing such notable films as Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Michael Clayton, Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Matchstick Men, Insomnia, Syriana, and Burton’s Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. McCormick began his career as an executive producer on the film Saturday Night Fever.
NEAL STREET PRODUCTIONS (Producer) was formed in 2003 by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling to produce film, television and theatre, with Nicolas Brown joining as fourth director in the company’s tenth year. In 2015, Neal Street moved under the umbrella of parent company, All3Media. Previously Sam Mendes and Caro Newling established and ran the Donmar Warehouse 1992-2002. Recent theatre includes: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, David Greig, produced with Warner Brothers Theatre Ventures, world premiere Theatre Royal Drury Lane May 2013, opening Broadway April 2017. Also Shrek The Musical by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire produced with DreamWorks Animation Broadway 2008, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 2011, nationwide UK tour 2014-2016. The Bridge Project, a three-year transatlantic venture with the Old Vic/Brooklyn Academy of Music presenting five classic plays for worldwide stages across fifteen international cities, directed by Sam Mendes: The Winter’s Tale/The Cherry Orchard with Simon Russell Beale and Rebecca Hall, The Tempest/As You Like It with Stephen Dillane and Juliet Rylance, and Richard III with Kevin Spacey. 2016/2017: The Painkiller by Sean Foley co-produced with Kenneth Branagh also featuring Rob Brydon, This House by James Graham co-produced with CFT/Headlong/Nimax at The Garrick Theatre. Previous productions include: Three Days of Rain with James McAvoy, The Vertical Hour with Julianne Moore and Bill Nighy, and world/UK premieres of The House of Special Purpose by Heidi Thomas, All About My Mother by Sam Adamson, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Steve Canny and Peepolykus, Days of Wine and Roses new version by Owen McCafferty, Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz and Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire. West End/Broadway transfers include: Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory), South Downs/The Browning Version, Enron (Chichester Festival), Hamlet, Mary Stuart and Red (Donmar Warehouse) and Sunday in the Park with George. Film and television include: Heidi Thomas’ series “Call the Midwife,” John Logan’s series “Penny Dreadful,” Stuart A Life Backwards, Starter for Ten, Things We Lost in the Fire, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, Away We Go, Blood, The Hollow Crown for BBC2 featuring Richard II (dir. Rupert Goold), Henry IV Part 1 & Part 2 (dir. Richard Eyre), Henry V (dir. Thea Sharrock), Henry VI parts 1 and 2 and Richard III (dir. Dominic Cooke) and the forthcoming Britannia written by Jez Butterworth.
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