By Lynn Venhaus

As shiny as a disco ball and as bouncy as a 1970s dance party, “Sister Act” overflows with heart and soul to end the Muny’s 105th season on a high note, the cherry on top of a sensational summer.

The upbeat Alan Menken score may not be as familiar as his Disney animation renaissance classics, but you’ll be humming a happy tune and leaving the Forest Park amphitheater giddily grinning with a spring in your step.

For this adaptation of the 1992 feel-good hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, composer Menken teamed up with lyricist Glenn Slater, who is known for “School of Rock,” “A Bronx Tale,” and the animated feature musical “Tangled.” All the songs are originals, no songs used in the movie are featured.

The screen-to-stage musical comedy made its debut in Pasadena in 2006, moved on to London’s West End starring Patina Miller in 2009, and opened on Broadway in 2011 with Miller in the lead role. It earned five Tony Award nominations, including best musical, book, and original score (losing those three to “The Book of Mormon”).

“Take Me to Heaven,” “Raise Your Voices” and “Spread the Love” are quite satisfying super-sized soul sister anthems.

.James T. Lane as Eddie Souther. Photo by Phillip Hamer

And the more intimate solos tug at the heartstrings – especially “I Haven’t Got a Prayer” by angelic-voiced Mamie Parris as Mother Superior and “I Could Be That Guy” by James T. Lane, touching as ‘Sweaty’ Eddie, both well-liked Muny veterans.

But it’s a star-making performance by wheelchair-user Meredith Aleigha Wells as postulant (pre-novice) Sister Mary Robert in her show-stopping “The Life I Never Led” that’s the most memorable moment.

The book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, two-time Emmy Award winners for “Cheers,” with additional material by Douglas Carter Beane, takes the movie screenplay by Joseph Henry and transfers the place from Reno and San Francisco to Philadelphia and the time to 1977-1978 from the movie’s contemporary (1992) setting, but keeps the story basically the same.

A lounge singer witnesses an informant executed by her thug boyfriend, then police hide her in a convent for witness protection until she can testify, where undercover as Sister Mary Clarence, she takes over a rough-sounding choir and transforms it into a vocal powerhouse.

She tussles with the Mother Superior while winning over the other nuns. Suddenly, their vivacious music numbers start attracting churchgoers, filling the pews, and becoming a local sensation. And she’s stayin’ alive (I couldn’t resist).

Bryonha Marie, Mamie Parris. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

A mash-up of a police procedural with a sitcom-y vibe (think that ‘70s chestnut “Barney Miller”), the plot’s routine, but the passion of the performers isn’t. They dive into Funkytown with glee.

What made the movie so fun – transforming Motown songs from romantic love to spiritual love by a cloistered convent choir – becomes contagious crowd-pleasing disco/R&B/gospel confections on the vast outdoor stage, including an exuberant “Sunday Morning Fever” – complete with gyrating altar boys and the nuns shaking their groove thing.

The City of Brotherly Love – and cheesesteaks — adds further meaning because of its “Philadelphia Sound,” popularized in the late ‘60s and ‘70s that laid the soul music foundations for disco, with funk influences, jazzier melodies, and lush arrangements.

Music Director Michael Horsley integrated the electric rhythms with such pizzazz, elevating the sweeping strings section (5 violinists, 2 viola/violinists, 2 cellos and 1 harp) along with the fabulous rich sound of 4 woodwinds, 3 keyboards, 2 trumpets, 2 French horns, 2 trombones, and 1 tuba, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion.

Bryonha Marie winningly plays Deloris Van Cartier with panache, sassy posing as a nun and silky in delivering such various sounds as “Fabulous, Baby!” and the poignant “Sister Act.” Memorable as the Mother Abbess in the Muny’s 2021 “The Sound of Music,” she plays a very different nun this time around. Deloris turns the beat around, inspires female empowerment, and makes their numbers into dance-floor type celebrations.

Michelle Burdette Elmore, Thom Sesma, Kaitlyn Maise, and Katie Geraghty. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Katie Geraghty, breakout scene-stealer as a Little Red replacement in the acclaimed “Into the Woods” Broadway revival last year, is an ebullient Sister Mary Patrick, her naivete and chirpy personality a delight.

The supporting players brim with brio – especially the goofy trio of goons: Rob Colletti as Jack Black-like Joey, Brandon Espinoza as Pablo, and Darron Hayes as dim TJ in “Lady in the Long Black Dress” and with the imposing villain Curtis Jackson, played by a formidable Alan H. Green, who was memorable as the Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese in last year’s “The Karate Kid-The Musical” premiere at Stages St. Louis. Just listen to those words of “When I Find My Baby”!

Thom Sesma, as Monsignor O’Hara, is very funny as he watches his church go from impending closure to standing room only —  and can bust a move as well.

The nuns are luminous, with Madeleine Dougherty, Rebecca Young and Michelle Burdette Elmore noteworthy as Sisters Mary Lazarus, Mary Martin-of-Tours and Mary Theresa respectively.

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Director-choreographer Denis Jones’ trademark pep-in-the-step is present. When I see his name in the credits, I know he will endear with his crisp and snappy style, having earned St. Louis Theater Circle Awards for directing and choreographing “Chicago” (2021) and for his eye-popping work in “42nd Street” (2015) and “A Chorus Line” (2017), among others.

Besides the inherent comedy in nun-focused musicals as amusing entertainment, Jones has emphasized that cheerful bond like the 1979 disco anthem “We Are Family” throughout the show.

In elaborate costume designer Leon Dobkowski’s capable hands, the costumes are a time-capsule of Studio 54, conveying progression from standard nun garb to ultra-glam sequined habits, and the fantasy dancers are wildly adorned in sparkly attire, silver lame and over-the-top styles seen on Elton John and David Bowie. There’s also the garish fashions of that ’70s era, with eyesore checks and plaids and the god-awful polyester.

Wig designer Kelley Jordan has supplied appropriate big hair for the secular singers, dancers, and hitmen.

Meredith Aleigha Wells as Sister Mary Robert. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Scenic Designer Edward E. Haynes Jr., who had so much fun with the flamboyant sets last year for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” applies a heavy layer of kitsch – vintage Naugahyde! – on nightclub, neighborhood bar, and Eddie’s apartment while being ingenious on the open church design for the turntable.

Video designer Kevan Loney carries that retro flair onto the screens while lighting designer Shelby Loera  effectively illuminated the moods.

The Muny premiere follows the regional premiere by Stages St. Louis in 2016, and the first national tour came to the Fox Theatre in 2013.

Laugh-out-loud funny throughout, this lighthearted romp gets the crowd on their feet with a rousing curtain call. Oh, what a jubilant late-summer night it was, complete with fireworks.

And “Sister Act” defines the faith, hope, and love St. Louisans have for this cultural institution and generational tradition.

And just like that, the Muny’s wonderful, celebrated summer comes to a dandy grand finale.

iDarron Hayes, Rob Colletti, Brandon Espinoza and Alan H. Green. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Reflections on the Muny’s championship season of 2023

As the days lose their light and autumn looms, it’s time to rejoice, to revel in the communion that 11,000 people can share watching shining stars on stage, and to marvel at the never-ending joyful noise a St. Louis summer yields.

This has been a season marked not only by the major spectacle we have come to expect on the largest outdoor stage in the country, but also a seven-show arc of uncommon grace – a genuine depth of feeling in each well-executed production.

From premieres “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Sister Act” bracketing a standout season that featured technically proficient creative teams mastering that elusive Muny magic and superior quality talent delivering the special moments we’ll remember deep in December: The transformative power of music – through musical theater – is the reason we flock to The Muny year after year.

In every performance, there was a palpable sense of yearning – a future Hall of Fame talent finding her voice, outsiders opening their hearts in a timeless fairy tale classic, of high-stakes gamesmanship and personal cost in a political arena, star-crossed lovers clinging to a dream, unearthing your worth and wish fulfillment in a flower shop, discovering love and nurturing friendship in a bleak place, and using your gifts to foster community.

Believe. Longing. Belonging. Overcoming. All were themes this summer, and you could feel the Muny audience lean in, the risks worth the rewards. We all shared something very special, this 105th year – it felt different. We could dream again, after coming out of the dark — all the drama of a public health emergency, global pandemic in pre-vaccine times, and the isolation that went with it.

And it sure was fun to be together. God willing, see you next year for 106.

Brady Foley, Bryonha Marie, Gordon Semeatu, Collin J. Bradley. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny presents “Sister Act” Aug. 14-20 at 8:15 p.m. at the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For tickets or more information, visit www.muny.org.

By Lynn Venhaus

What was that?

A stunning showcase featuring some of the most passionate voices ever on a St. Louis stage, “Chess” is a love triangle, dramatic duel, a singular experience – and an extraordinary achievement for The Muny and its loyal audience.

For those not familiar with the show, either in concert or as musical theater, you are not alone. Those in-the-know cool kids had often waxed rhapsodic about the rock-symphonic score – and now we know why.

The 1986 rarely seen/performed pop opera, with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, and lyrics by Tim Rice (“Jesus Christ, Superstar” and “Evita”), concerns a clash of world powers at an international chess tournament.

Set during the highly charged ‘80s political atmosphere of the Cold War, the mind games between rivals Soviet Union and the United States escalate. Tensions are high, and so are the stakes. And then a fight develops over a woman that further complicates matters.

Most people know “Chess” only for its catchy pop hit, “One Night in Bangkok,” which was an MTV staple and now heard on classic radio stations (and fun fact, sung by Murray Head, the original Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar.”) Its checkered history has become grist to the backstage mill, especially concerning the troubled book.

Principal characters of “Chess” Photo by Philip Hamer

Initially a concept album in 1984, it opened as a theatrical piece in London two years later to much acclaim, and ran for three years. With an altered book, moved to Broadway in 1988, where it flopped (ran only for two months). A revival was staged in London’s West End in 2018, and now the Muny is doing what has been described as “mostly the London version” after other revisions over the years.

It is risky to bring something so different and uncommon to St. Louis audiences and mount it on the 102-foot-wide outdoor stage, where generations have delighted in the civic traditions and traditional productions for 105 years.

That, in itself, is a challenge, and the amount of care to create a compelling piece was evident in the collaboration between director and choreographer Josh Rhodes, music director Jason DeBord and the design dream team of Edward E. Haynes Jr. (scenic), Emily Rebholz (costumes), Rob Denton (lighting) and Alex Basco Koch (video).

Because this introduction was handled in such a spellbinding way, we all won. I still don’t know any more about chess than when I took my seat, but that’s OK. That’s not the point. And you don’t need to know anything either to marvel at the stylized look, the silky vocals, and the creative team’s bold choices.

This is not your mom’s “South Pacific” or even Andersson-Ulvaeus’ “Mamma Mia!” And from the reaction of the crowd, people were fine with that. The audience seemed genuinely excited to see something new to them, and they leaned in, responding with ovations that swelled more with each musical number.

Photo by Phillip Hamer

All around me, people were rapt – captivated by the political intrigue, the global playing field, the thorny romance – in other words, epic gamesmanship. When the boom opened to reveal an expansive, inventive set design, people applauded, and it grew from there.

The complex storyline isn’t the easiest to follow, and sometimes, the context is lost because of the ‘80s being the state of play. If you don’t understand the root of the hostilities, then it can appear to have a whiff of pretention.. (If you think about it, does mirror the decade!). It’s very helpful to read a synopsis ahead of time.

But what made this production something special were the leads – gifted with world-class talent, their powerful vocals soared into the night sky, and they hit the emotional beats to make the action matter.

John Riddle, a Muny veteran recently seen as Raoul in “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, is sensational as the Russian grandmaster Anatoly Sergievsky. Among his many moments, he induced chills in the one-act finale solo, “Anthem,” giving his head vs. heart country dilemma depth.

When he falls in love with the Hungarian-born Florence, the remarkable Jessica Vosk reaches new heights. She wowed as Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway and as the Narrator in The Muny’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” last year and has an exceptional voice.

John Riddle as Anatoly Sergievsky. Photo by Phillip Hamer

Their duet, “You and I” is simply gorgeous, and along with Jarrod Spector, as the flashy American grandmaster Frederick Trumper, their “Mountain Duet” is when the games really begin.

Vosk also wows in an intense “Nobody’s Side” with the ensemble, and in the conflicted “Heaven Help My Heart.”

In his second show this summer, Spector is quickly becoming a fan favorite. He was last seen in the season opener “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” as Barry Mann, for which he was nominated for a Tony. He is well-cast as the brash, arrogant American whose cockiness and hot temper provoke controversy, and delivers a strong “One Night in Bangkok” ensemble number as well as his solo, “Pity the Child.”

Speaking of fan favorites, Tony nominee Taylor Louderman, who grew up in Bourbon, Mo., and has graced the Muny stage multiple times throughout her young life, isn’t seen until the second act. She plays the pivotal role of Anatoly’s wife, Svetlana, and history has its eyes on her. Looking fabulous in a beautiful white dress, she owns the stage in “Someone Else’s Story,” and is heartbreaking, along with Vosk, in “I Know Him So Well.”

Experienced Muny performer Phillip Johnson Richardson as The Arbiter (president of the International Chess Federation) is a formidable presence while Rodney Hicks, as Freddie’s financial administrator/secret CIA agent Walter De Courcey, and Tally Sessions, as part of Anatoly’s team and a KGB agent Alexander Molokov, stir up trouble and orchestrate double-crosses.

At Thursday night’s performance, unruffled associate music director Michael Horsley smoothly conducted the orchestra with a firm hand.

The design team’s concepts are striking, giving the show a certain look and attitude. Edward E. Haynes Jr., who won a St. Louis Theater Circle Award for his Gaslight Square inspired set of “Smokey Joe’s Café,” has created eye-catching geometric grids and continues a checkerboard theme throughout the pomp and circumstance of the European and Asian settings (Merano, Italy, and Bangkok, Thailand specifically).Video designer Alex Basco Koch’s work is integral here, with multimedia incorporated into the presentation.

With its dramatically operatic arc, moments of levity are few, but plunging back into ‘80s fashions is fun, especially spotting power suits and shoulder pads. Costume designer Emily Rebholz has made members of the ensemble look like they stepped out of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” music video, with their belted black mini dresses adorned with white collars.

Taylor Louderman, center. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

It was a smart move for The Muny to partner with the Saint Louis Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame for this presentation – after all, St. Louis was the site of the first official world championship in 1886 and home to many devotees. (Stop by their Central West End location for free exhibits and tours).

Although the characters are fictional, supposedly the American is loosely based on champ Bobby Fischer while the Russian is a composite of Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karnov. Book writer and lyricist Tim Rice had a Cold War musical for awhile on his radar, fascinated by the 1972 “Match of the Century” between Fischer and Boris Spassky, and that adds context too.

For those who remember the Cold War, “Chess” taps into the two world powers trying to manipulate to gain the upper hand, and in the Reagan years, when the U.S.’s strong anti-communist agenda swelled after the Iran Hostage Crisis and other international trouble spots.

Sixty years after I learned to ‘duck and cover’ during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russia is a constant thorn in the U.S. side and is at war with Ukraine. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

As a commentary on strategizing geopolitics and propaganda, “Chess” is interesting, but as a bittersweet love story, has more emotional heft. Already in the record books as the largest production of a “Chess” revival, the chief pleasure in The Muny’s grand, inspired staging is the powerhouse vocals.

In sports terms that we can all identify with, The Muny knocked it out of the park, giving us a dandy night to remember.

The ensemble of “Chess.” Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny presents the musical “Chess” July 5-11 at 8:15 p.m. on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

Photos by Phillip Hamer

“One Night in Bangkok.” Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny announced today that Ben DavisCarmen Cusack and Robert Cuccioliwill star in the musical thriller, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, July 16-22, 2022.

The Muny Premiere is directed by Rob Ruggiero, with musical staging by associate director Jessica Hartman, music direction by James Moore and Michael Horsley serving as associate music director. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is proudly sponsored by Missouri Lottery.

“These extraordinary artists in these iconic roles will be thrilling,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “I cannot wait to see them our Muny premiere of this musical masterpiece.”

Ben Davis

BEN DAVIS (Sweeney Todd) Muny: 1776Guys and DollsJesus Christ SuperstarOklahoma!; Spamalot and South Pacific.

Tony Honor (Ensemble) for his work in Baz Luhrmann’s Broadway production of La Bohème (Marcello).

NYC: Lady in the Dark (NY City Center Encores!), Call Me Madam opposite Carmen Cusack, Dear Evan Hansen, Violet, A Little Night Music, Les Misérables and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

National tour: The Sound of Music and Spamalot. Other favorites include Kiss Me, Kate for the BBC at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Kurt Weill’s Knickerbocker Holiday opposite Kelli O’Hara and Victor Garber at Lincoln Center (recorded live) and in concert opposite Ms. O’Hara with Ted Sperling.

TV/Film: NBC’s Annie Live!Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVUWoman in the Window, Boogie, The Magic Flute (directed by Kenneth Branagh), A Hand of Bridge, Blue Bloods, 30 Rock and Numb3rs.

Concerts: Philly Pops, RTÉ Orchestra, Tanglewood, Caramoor and many others.

Davis has been nominated for three St. Louis Theater Circle Awards — for “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma” and “Jesus Christ, Superstar.” at the Muny.

Carmen Cusack

CARMEN CUSACK (Mrs. Lovett) Broadway: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star (Tony Award nomination), Flying Over Sunset (Clare Boothe Luce).

Streaming/Film: Facebook series, Sorry For Your Loss (recurring opposite Janet McTeer and Elizabeth Olsen), TriStar’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (opposite Tom Hanks).

Cusack studied opera at the University of North Texas, which gave her its first honorary baccalaureate degree in 2018

ROBERT CUCCIOLI (Judge Turpin) Muny: 42nd Street. Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde (Tony Award nomination, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, FANY and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards), Les Misérables and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Some favorite off-Broadway credits include A Touch of the Poet, The White Devil, Caesar and Cleopatra (Caesar), And the World Goes ‘Round (Outer Critics Circle Award), Rothschild & Sons (London’s Offie nomination), Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and White Guy on The Bus.

Robert Cuccioli

Robert has performed at such notable regional theatres as The Guthrie, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Lorenzaccio, Helen Hayes nomination), McCarter Theatre Center, George Street Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre (1776, Helen Hayes nomination).

Television: The Sinner, Elementary, White Collar, Sliders, Baywatch, Guiding Light. Film: Celebrity, The Stranger, The Rest of Us, Impossible Monsters, Columbus on Trial.

About the show:
The Broadway legend and American musical masterpiece makes its Muny debut. Set in 19th century London, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has captivated audiences around the world with its murderous melodies and a haunting tale of love, revenge and hilarious mayhem.

Considered to be one of composer Stephen Sondheim’s greatest showpieces, this eight-time Tony Award-winning musical offers both thrills and laughs and is guaranteed to be an unforgettable night at The Muny.
 
The Telsey Office is the official casting partner for The Muny. Full casting will be announced at a later date.

The Muny’s 2022 Season includes Chicago (June 13-19), Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot (June 22-28), Disney and Cameron Macintosh’s Mary Poppins (July 5-13), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (July 16-22), Legally Blonde, The Musical (July 25-31), The Color Purple (August 3-9) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (August 12-18).

Season tickets are currently on sale. Single tickets will be available beginning May 23. Muny gift cards for the 104th season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900

The Muny announced Tuesday the directors, choreographers and music directors for its 2019 season, which opens on June 10 with Guys and Dolls.
“We head into our second century with the first phase of our new stage, and a renewed sense of passion and commitment to our audiences, artists and community,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “I’m so thrilled to announce these brilliantly talented colleagues who will create this season. They are already hard at work, ready to make this season just as historic and memorable as our 100th.”
GUYS AND DOLLS
June 10 – 16
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
GORDON GREENBERG (Director) co-wrote and directed the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn for Roundabout, Universal and PBS Great Performances. Recent work includes Barnum (London), Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe), the acclaimed West End revival of Guys and Dolls, nominated for six Olivier Awards (Savoy Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Chichester, UK and international tour), the Drama Desk Award-winning NYC revivals of Working and Jacques Brel, the stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney, and writing TV musicals for Disney and Nickelodeon. Muny: Meet Me In St. Louis (revised book), Jesus Christ Superstar, Holiday Inn, West Side Story, Pirates! Upcoming: The Secret of My Success (Universal), Mystic Pizza (MGM), Dracula (Maltz). He attended Stanford University and NYU and is a member of SDC, WGA and the Dramatists Guild.

LORIN LATARRO (Choreographer) Broadway: Waitress, Les Liasions Dangereuses, Waiting for Godot. Curious Incident of the Dog… and American Idiot (Associate). Additional choreography: La Traviata (The Met), Chess (Kennedy Center), Twelfth Night (The Delacorte), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street(BAM), Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe), Assassins, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Encores!), Between The Lines (KC Rep), Queen of The Night (Drama Desk Award), Kiss Me, Kate (Barrington); The Best Is Yet To Come (59E59, Drama Desk Award). Director: Taste of Things to Come (Chicago). Lorin performed in 12 Broadway shows and danced for Tharp, Momix, Graham. Juilliard graduate. Upcoming: Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), SuperHero (Second Stage), Waitress and Home Street Home (West End).
BRAD HAAK (Music Director/Conductor) Muny: A Funny Thing…Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods, South Pacific, The King and I and Gypsy. Broadway: An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, Lestat and Il Divo – A Musical Affair. National tours: The Lion King, Miss Saigon. Music supervision and orchestrations:Daddy Long Legs (Off-Broadway, London, Tokyo, Seoul and 19 US productions) and John Caird’s A Knight’s Tale (Tokyo, 2018). International: Sousatzka (Toronto), An American in Paris (Paris), Honk! (Singapore and Philippines); Jane Eyre (Tokyo). Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Sunday in the Park with George and Follies (Jeff Award for music direction), Children of Eden (Kennedy Center). Orchestrations for New York and Boston Pops, National Symphony, L.A. Philharmonic.
KINKY BOOTS
June 19 – 25
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the Miramax motion picture of the same name, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
DB BONDS (Director) is thrilled to be making his directorial debut at The Muny after appearing as Emmett in Legally Blonde in 2011. DB is the associate director of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman on Broadway. He also served as the associate director of Kinky Boots worldwide with productions in England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and Korea. As an actor, he appeared in Broadway and national touring productions of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Legally Blonde and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
RUSTY MOWERY (Choreographer) is thrilled to be back at the magical Muny after serving as choreographer for The Muny productions of Legally Blonde and Hairspray. He is currently the Associate Choreographer of Pretty Woman on Broadway and the Associate Choreographer of Kinky Boots for Broadway, both U.S. national tours, England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Korea and Japan tours. Proud SDC member. As an actor, Rusty appeared on Broadway in Cats, Ragtime, Hairspray, Seussical and Legally Blonde.
RYAN FIELDING GARRETT (Music Director/Conductor) NYC/national tour: Kinky Boots, Jasper in Deadland, The Man in the Ceiling, Hamilton, Mary Poppins, Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic), Wicked, Big River (Encores!), Finding Neverland, The Three Little Pigs. Regional: Next to Normal (Weston Playhouse), Little Miss Scrooge (Rubicon Theatre), Passing Strange, [title of show], Chess (Playhouse Square), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare). NYC orchestration credits include Darling, A Night Like This. Graduate of Baldwin Wallace University.
JERRY MITCHELL (Original Broadway Direction and Choreography) Tony Award winner for Best Choreography: La Cage aux Folles (revival) and Kinky Boots (also nominated as Director). Broadway: Pretty Woman (Director/Choreographer) and the Gloria Estefan musical On Your Feet! (Director). Other recent work includes the pre-Broadway productions of Half Time (Chicago and Paper Mill Playhouse) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (West End, Olivier nomination for Choreography). In the 35 preceding years, Jerry has been involved with over 50 Broadway, West End and touring productions, including as choreographer of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Full Monty (Tony nomination), The Rocky Horror Show, Hairspray (Tony nomination and NBC telecast), Gypsy, Never Gonna Dance (Tony nomination), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nomination), La Cage aux Folles, Legally Blonde (Tony nomination), Catch Me If You Can and Kinky Boots.
1776
June 27 – July 3
Book by Peter Stone
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards
ROB RUGGIERO (Director) is thrilled to be returning for The Muny’s 101st season. Last year, he directed Gypsy, as well as past productions of The Music Man, Oklahoma!; Hello, Dolly!; South Pacific and The King and I. He has also directed many award-winning productions at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, including Follies, Sunday in the Park with George and a recent production of Evita. Broadway: High and Looped. Off-Broadway he conceived and directed Make Me a Song (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations). Rob also recently directed Oliver!, his 11th collaboration with Goodspeed Musicals, with whom he also adapted and directed a new production of Show Boat. He is the Producing Artistic Director for TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut.
JAMES MOORE (Music Director/Conductor) The Muny: Gypsy, The Music Man, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, Hello, Dolly!; West Side Story, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Producers. Broadway: Miss Saigon, On the Town, Gigi, Follies, South Pacific, Ragtime, Steel Pier, Company. National tours: The Producers, Kiss Me, Kate; Crazy for You, And the World Goes ‘Round. The Kennedy Center: Camelot starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, My Fair Lady starring Jonathan Pryce, Mame starring Christine Baranski. Concerts: National Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Santa Barbara Symphony. Mr. Moore serves as the music supervisor for the United States touring productions of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon. Upcoming: Titanic (Broadway revival). Education: Master and Bachelor degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
July 8 – 16
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
MARCIA MILGROM DODGE (Director) is a Tony and Drama Desk nominated director & choreographer. The Muny: Meet Me In St. Louis (100th Season!), The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, The Buddy Holly Story, The Addams Family. Broadway: Ragtime, High Society. National tours: Ragtime, Curious George,Seussical, Cookin’. New York: Venus Flytrap, Radio Gals, Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever (original production) and William Finn’s Romance in Hard Times. TV/Video: Sesame Street and Elmo‘s Wild West. Upcoming: Deathtrap (Cape Playhouse), Mary Poppins (Drury Lane) and a new Buddy (Cincinnati Playhouse). Between reimagining revivals and directing & choreographing world premieres regionally and abroad, Dodge is also a wife, a mother, a teacher, an SDC Executive Board Member and a published and produced playwright.
JOSH WALDEN (Choreographer) returns to The Muny after choreographing Meet Me In St Louis (2018), The Little Mermaid (2017) and The Buddy Holly Story (2015). He directed/ choreographed A Chorus Line for Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Theatre Memphis, The Rocky Horror Show for University of Buffalo, Legally Blonde for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and the rock opera Fallen Angel in the New York International Fringe Festival. Josh has also choreographed for Des Moines Metro Opera, Signature Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Doonce Productions, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Gateway Playhouse and Morag Productions for Seabourn Cruise Lines. On Broadway, he was the associate director/associate choreographer for the revival of Ragtime. As a performer, Josh was in the Broadway revivals of 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, A Chorus Line and Ragtime.
GREG ANTHONY RASSEN (Music Director/Conductor) Drama Desk winner and Tony nominee for Bandstand. Other Broadway credits include: An American in Paris, Bullets Over Broadway, The Little Mermaid, The Book of Mormon, R&H’s Cinderella, A Chorus Line (revival). Arranger/ orchestrator: Jerry Springer: The Opera (New Group); Between the Lines (Kansas City Rep.), The Beast in the Jungle (Vineyard). Commissions include: New York Pops, Boston Pops, Philly Pops, Indianapolis Pops; Leslie Odom, Jr., Ashley Brown, Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Jordan, Norm Lewis, Darren Criss, Liz Callaway, Julia Murney, André Previn, John Williams. TV: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Live with Kelly & Michael, The View. M.M. degree from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. www.greganthonymusic.com
FOOTLOOSE
July 18 – 24
Music by Tom Snow
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Stage Adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford
Additional Music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman
CHRISTIAN BORLE (Director) is a two-time Tony Award winner and has starred in a myriad of roles both on stage and screen. His turn as Shakespeare in Something Rotten! garnered him both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as well as a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. Other Broadway: Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Amour, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Falsettos and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Film: Blackhat, Bounty Hunter. TV: Masters of Sex, Lifesaver, The Good Wife, Smash and NBC’s TheSound of Music Live! Most recently, Christian made his directorial debut with the off-Broadway production of Popcorn Falls at The Davenport Theatre.
JESSICA HARTMAN (Choreographer) is thrilled to return for The Muny’s 101st after choreographing Annie(2018), All Shook Up (2017), Mamma Mia! (2016); Hairspray (2015/Co-Choreographer) and Seussical (2014/Associate). Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (Associate Choreographer), The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman (Assistant Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! (Choreographer, New Victory Theatre). Other credits include: Memphis (Choreographer, TUTS), Norwegian Creative Studios/Oceania Cruise Lines (Choreographer), Disney Jr. Dance Party (Associate Show Director/ Choreographer, Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Associate), How to Succeed… (Associate, TUTS), West Side Story (Associate, Signature Theatre), Next to Normal (Choreographer, BaltimoreCenter Stage). Up next: Mamma Mia! at TUTS (Choreographer) and a new musical for The Kennedy Center. Jessica is the Artistic Director of Broadway Theatre Connection.
ANDREW GRAHAM (Music Director/Conductor) New York: The Book of Mormon, Wicked and Avenue Q. Las Vegas: Spamalot, Avenue Q. National tours: Wicked, Avenue Q, Pippin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seussical, The Music Man, Footloose. European tours: Hair and Grease. Regional: world premiere of Disney’s Freaky Friday at Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Play House and Alley Theatre. Muny: Aida, Annie and Footloose. Beauty and the Beast and the world premiere of Disney’s When You Wish at Tuacahn Center for the Arts. He holds degrees from both Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and Trinity College of Music in London.
LERNER & LOEWE’S PAINT YOUR WAGON
July 27 – August 2
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Revised Book by Jon Marans
Produced in Association with On the Wagon Productions and Garmar Ventures
JOSH RHODES (Director/Choreographer) directed Grand Hotel (NY City Center Encores!), Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (Old Globe Theatre), Jersey Boys (The Muny), Guys and Dolls (Asolo Rep/Old Globe), Evita(Asolo Rep), Spamalot (5th Avenue Theatre), Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Playhouse Christmas Show (Bucks County Playhouse) and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He alsochoreographed the Broadway productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date and Bright Star. On London’s West End, he choreographed Carousel at the English National Opera and Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson. Other choreography credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris and Sondheim: The Birthday Concert (PBS), Young Frankenstein (Muny) and the current U.K. tour ofDoctor Dolittle. Rhodes is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
BEN WHITELEY (Music Director/Conductor) Muny: Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, My Fair Lady, The Addams Family, Spamalot, Pirates!; The Sound of Music (twice), Beauty and the Beast (thrice), Kiss Me, Kate; Oklahoma!; The Music Man, Meet Me In St. Louis, South Pacific. Music director for 1776 at NY City Center Encores! Broadway/national tours: A Christmas Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot, The Full Monty, Cats (conducted final original Broadway performance), Grand Hotel, Falsettos, Big. Carnegie Hall: Sail Away (with Elaine Stritch). Choral direction: Carousel (NY Philharmonic/PBS), My Fair Lady (NY Philharmonic). Encores!: associate music director and chorus master for over 30 productions. Other: St. Louis Symphony, Paper Mill Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre, University of Michigan. Recordings: Allegro, Boardwalk Empire (Grammy Award),Paint Your Wagon.
MATILDA
August 5 – 11
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Based on Matilda by Roald Dahl
JOHN TARTAGLIA (Director) Director: Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk (Princess Cruises, writer/director), Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan and Shrek (Muny), Claudio Quest (NY Musical Festival, Best of the Fest), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals) and many more. Broadway: Avenue Q (Tony nomination), Beauty and the Beast and Shrek. Muny: Aladdin (The Genie), Seussical (The Cat in the Hat), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hysterium, St. Louis Theater Circle Award). Film/TV: The Happytime Murders (STX Films), Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Jr., Emmy nomination), Sesame Street (PBS Kids), Jim Henson’s Word Party and Julie’s Greenroom (both on Netflix), creator, co-executive producer and star of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles (PBS Kids, Emmy nomination).
CHRIS BAILEY (Choreographer) Gettin’ The Band Back Together (Broadway), Jerry Springer: The Opera(New Group, 2018 Chita Rivera Award nomination); The New Yorkers and 1776 (NY City Center Encores!), The Entertainer with Kenneth Branagh (West End), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Because of Winn Dixie (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), 2013 Tony Awards (CBS), Muny: Jerome Robbins Broadway(production supervisor), Newsies (St. Louis Theater Circle Award), The Music Man, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, Tarzan, West Side Story and Thoroughly Modern Millie. 2013-2015 Academy Awards (Assistant Choreographer). Film: Cinderella, Ted 2, A Million Ways to Die in the West and Beyond the Sea. Chris was also the movement director for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Cyrano De Bergerac on Broadway.
MICHAEL HORSLEY (Music Director/Conductor) is The Muny’s music supervisor. 25 Muny seasons include: Jerome Robbins Broadway, Mamma Mia!; The Buddy Holly Story, Grease, Mary Poppins, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Godspell, White Christmas, Damn Yankees, Sleeping Beauty, Singin’ in the Rain, and many more. National tours: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, Cinderella, White Christmas and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other regional: Into the Woods (Theatrezone), Roman Holiday (Guthrie Theater), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Music Theatre Wichita), Fiddler on the Roof (AMT San Jose), A Chorus Line (Pioneer Theatre Company), The Full Monty(North Carolina Theatre). Voice director: Christmas Concert Series for the Detroit, National and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras. He is the music director for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
The 2019 season schedule is: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Matilda (August 5 – 11).
World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.
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The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals each year and welcome over 400,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season. Celebrating 101 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.
For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’s
Muny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’sMuny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org