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Pamela's First Musical

Book by Wendy Wasserstein & Christopher Durang
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by David Zippel
Directed & Choreographed by Graciela Daniele

With a combined total of more than 20 Tony Award nominations and 6 wins, the team behind Pamela’s First Musical is bringing the theatrical event of the season to Two River Theater!

It’s Pamela’s birthday and, to celebrate, her eccentric and fabulous Aunt Louise is taking her to the big city to experience her very first Broadway musical! Join us as we launch our 25th Anniversary season in the best way we know how, with the spectacular, splendiferous world of musical theater!

WATCH

Official Trailer

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Musical theatre lovers and many more will be delighted by this dazzling, enthralling production

BROADWAY WORLD

 

A family entertainment that’s genuinely ‘fun for all ages

ASBURY PARK PRESS

 

Allow yourself to be perfectly delighted by this gem of a production

OUT IN JERSEY

 

If anyone ever doubts that New Jersey is home to great theatre, just point them to the world premiere of ‘Pamela’s First Musical’ at Two River Theater

DISCOVER JERSEY ARTS CULTURE VULTURE / NJ STAGE

 

A sparkly world-premiere production with an accomplished cast

TRICITY NEWS

Got a kid or two you’d like to break into the world of theater? ‘Pamela’s First Musical’ at Two River Theater is just the ticket.

THE STAR LEDGER

MEET THE ARTISTS

THE CAST

Sarah McKinley Austin

Sarah McKinley Austin (Pamela) is honored to be a part of this new musical! National Tours: Matilda the Musical (Matilda), Once (Ivanka). Regional: Les Misérables (Young Cosette). Love and gratitude to Nancy Carson, Jeannine Rowden, teachers, friends and family. Instagram: @sarahmckinleyaustin and www.sarahmckinleyaustin.com

Wesley J. Barnes

Wesley J. Barnes (Daniel/Jules Gels/Linzer Torte/Others) is thrilled to be a part of the PFM premiere! As an LA native, he received a BA in theatre performance/musical theatre from Concordia University Irvine (2015). As a member of the Kennedy Tap Co. he has performed for the NAACP Image Awards, PBS Holiday Spectacular, Michael Jackson’s 45th Birthday Party, and other events and tours. He has toured as a featured performer in Magic of the Dance in both Germany and Taiwan. Favorite credits include: Newsies, The Scottsboro Boys, Godspell, In the Heights, Choir Boy, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, The World According to Snoopy, Songs for a New World, Reckless, The Drowsy Chaperone. Much love to family and friends, along with Ann Steel Agency. Follow Wes on Instagram @Mistahwes and like his Facebook page! Jer 29:11 Wesleyjbarnes.com

Jeanine Bruen

Jeanine Bruen (Ensemble) is a New York-based actress and singer who recently played the lead role of Christine in the New York premiere of Vox Lumiere’s Phantom of the Opera. Jeanine has made her mark in the cabaret world, performing frequently at 54 Below, Town Hall, and the Metropolitan Room. She was featured as a “Broadway Rising Star” at Town Hall in 2016. Education: Wagner College’s Honors Program (B.A. Theatre Performance), The Barrow Group. Endless gratitude to Two River, our entire cast, crew, and creative team, Aaron Sandler, SirenSong Entertainment, Tara Rubin Casting. All my love to Mom, Dad, Jul and Gen. Keep up with Jeanine at jeaninebruen.com.

Andréa Burns

Andréa Burns (Mary Ethel Bernadette) is a Drama Desk Award winner and earned an Outer Critics Circle nomination for her show-stopping performance as Gloria Fajardo in On Your Feet!. Broadway audiences also know her as Daniela from the original cast of In the Heights. Also on Broadway: The Nance, Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, The Ritz. Off-Broadway: the original casts of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World and Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. Film: Akron. TV: Blue Bloods, Kevin Can Wait, Jessica Jones, Law & Order: SVU, The Electric Company, Rescue Me, and Mindhunter. Andréa’s solo album, A Deeper Shade of Red, is available at psclassics.com

Mary Callanan

Mary Callanan (Tiny La Tuna/Messenger/Gladys/Others) Two River Theater: Debut. Mary most recently played Jean Ann Ryan in last season’s Bandstand. Previously, Mary played Marge in the 1st National Tour of The Bridges of Madison County. Broadway: Mamma Mia! (Rosie – final company), Annie (Mrs. Pugh/Miss Hannigan understudy). Tours: Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music, Big the Musical, and Damn Yankees. Regional: Gypsy, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,  Mame, Les Miz, Falsettos, Follies, Bat Boy, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Chicago, and Violet. Proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.marycallanan.com

Carolee Carmello

Carolee Carmello (Aunt Louise) has appeared in 14 Broadway musicals and is a three-time Tony nominee. She recently completed a year-long run as Mrs. Lovett in the critically acclaimed Sweeney Todd at New York’s Barrow Street Theatre. She was seen as Mae Tuck in Tuck Everlasting and as Mrs. du Maurier in Finding Neverland (earning a Drama Desk nomination). Carolee received both a Tony nomination and Drama Desk nomination for her portrayal of Aimee Semple McPherson in Scandalous. Broadway audiences also saw her as Mother Superior in Sister Act, as Alice Beineke in The Addams Family (Drama Desk nomination and Outer Critics Circle nomination), as Donna in Mamma Mia!, as Gabrielle in Lestat (Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), as Ms. Pennywise in Urinetown, as Kate in Kiss Me, Kate, as Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, as Lucille Frank in Parade (Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award), as Abigail Adams in 1776, as Cordelia in Falsettos, and as Oolie in City of Angels. Other Off-Broadway credits include: john and jen, Das Barbecü, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Hello Again (Obie Award), A Class Act, The Vagina Monologues, and Elegies. Carolee’s screen credits include The Deuce, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Good Fight, Madam Secretary, Smash, Law & Order: SVU, Frasier, Ed, and Remember W.E.N.N. (SAG Award nomination). Her concert appearances have taken her across America and Europe, including engagements at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and Carnegie Hall.

Nick Cearley

Nick Cearley (Robert/Harrison Roy/Others) is one-half of the critically acclaimed “undie”-rock comedy duo known as The Skivvies (theskivviesnyc.com), co-created with Lauren Molina. Mr. Cearley’s Off-Broadway credits include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pageant: The Musical (original cast album on Jay Records, Drama Desk nomination) and Sex Tips…. He has also appeared in the Broadway/First National Tour of All Shook Up (dir. Chris Ashley). Mr. Cearley’s most recent and fave regional credits include eight (!) regional premieres of the acclaimed one-person play Buyer & Cellar, An Act of God (B Street Theatre/Sacramento), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (co-pro with Portland Center Stage and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), and Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show directed by Hunter Foster at Bucks County Playhouse. His extensive regional credits also include runs at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bay Street Theater, Huntington Theatre Company, American Stage Theatre Company, Luna Stage, Diversionary Stage, TheatreWorks, New York Stage and Film, City Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Rubicon Theatre Company, Nantucket Theatre Workshop, and A.C.T. of San Francisco. He was also recently named on the OUT100 list as one of the most compelling and influential LGBT actors of the year. Instagram/Twitter: @clearlycearley @theskivviesnyc. www.nickcearley.com, www.theskivviesnyc.com

Erica Dorfler

Erica Dorfler (Lyndell/Betty Songheim/Countess) is making her Two River debut. She was most recently seen in the revival of Carmen Jones at Classic Stage Company. Broadway: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812The Book of MormonMemphisBaby It’s You!Scandalous. Off-Broadway: Avenue Q (New World Stages), Forbidden Broadway (Davenport Theatre), Silk Stockings (York Theatre). Regional/NYC: The Way of the World (Folger Theatre, dir. Theresa Rebeck), This (Barrington Stage), Here’s Hoover (Abrons Arts Center, dir. Alex Timbers), West Side Story with the L.A. Philharmonic (Hollywood Bowl), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (ART). Television: The Family. Many thanks to Tony Cloer of Blue Ridge Entertainment and Tara Rubin Casting. For Brian. ericadorfler.com

Hillary Fisher

Hillary Fisher (Jessica/Heidi Lee Lee/Others) is so excited to be a part of this fantastic show! NY/Regional credits include: The Last Five Years (The National Black Theatre), Rent (Mac-Haydn Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Fulton Opera House). Proud Pace MT17. Thanks to Buchwald, Tara Rubin’s office and much love to Graciela Daniele. Instagram: @no.chillary

David Garrison

David Garrison (Bernie S. Gerry) is best known as Steve Rhoades on the long-running comedy series Married With Children. His Broadway credits include A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (Tony Award nomination, DramaLogue Award), Wicked (Carbonell Award), The Visit, Titanic, Torch Song Trilogy, The Pirates of Penzance, Bells Are Ringing, and the Encores! productions of Strike Up the Band and Little Me. He made his Broadway debut working with Graciela Daniele and Christopher Durang on A History of the American Film. His Off-Broadway credits include I Do! I Do! (Drama Desk Award nomination), Dead Poets Society, Middletown, New Jerusalem, It’s Only a Play, Kid Victory, By the Way Meet Vera Stark, The Torch-Bearers, Geniuses, and Silence! The Musical. He received a Helen Hayes Award for Merrily We Roll Along (Arena Stage), and played the Devil in the world premiere of Randy Newman’s Faust (La Jolla/Goodman). His opera credits include Die Fledermaus at Santa Fe Opera and Candide at Glimmerglass. He has had recurring roles on The West Wing, The Practice and Law & Order, as well as guest starring on many shows, including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; The Good Wife; 30 Rock; NYPD Blue; Everybody Loves Raymond; Murphy Brown; Murder, She Wrote; Judging Amy; and LA Law. For PBS Great Performances, he was featured in On the Town with the London Symphony Orchestra and Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall.

Jacobi Hall

Jacobi Hall (Nick/Billy Ivey Zippers/Butler/Others) is delighted to be making his debut with Two River Theater. Favorite credits include The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), In the Heights (Benny), Hairspray (Seaweed), Tarzan (Kerchak). A focused multi-talented artist, Hall is determined on breaking into show business and leaving a mark on the arts and entertainment industry forever. Endless gratitude to family, Luedtke LLC, casting, and Ms. Graciela Daniele. IG: @Jacobihallll

Howard McGillin

Howard McGillin (Kevin/Nathan Hines Kline) is best known for his record-setting performance in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera. His Broadway credits also include Gigi, The Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden, Anything Goes (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), The Mystery of Edwin Drood, choreographed by Graciela Daniele (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, a Theatre World Award), and Sunday in the Park with George. On London’s West End, he starred in Mack and Mabel and Anything Goes. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his New York theatrical debut in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of La Bohème opposite Linda Ronstadt. He starred in the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman musical Bounce directed by Harold Prince at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where he was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. Regional credits include Grey Gardens and My Fair Lady at Bay Street, Damn Yankees at Paper Mill, The 39 Steps and It Shoulda Been You at George Street, and It’s A Wonderful Life at Irish Rep. He appeared recently opposite Charles Busch in The Confession of Lily Dare. He has sung on concert stages around the world—from Carnegie Hall to the Israel Philharmonic Hall in Tel Aviv to Tokyo, in New York’s famed Cafe Carlyle, 54 Below, Feinstein’s at the Regency, and the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room. Recent TV includes The Good Wife and Elementary. Howard has narrated numerous episodes of Nature for PBS, and recorded numerous audio books in addition to providing voices for the animated feature films South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and The Swan Princess. His solo CD Howard McGillin: Where Time Stands Still.

Michael Mulheren

Michael Mulheren (Hal Hitner) Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee for Kiss Me, Kate. Broadway: Bright Star, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Looped, The Farnsworth Invention, Deuce, La Cage aux Folles, The Boy from Oz, Titanic, On the Waterfront. Off-Broadway: Miss You Like Hell (The Public Theater), Captains Courageous (Manhattan Theatre Club), Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons), The Cocoanuts (American Place Theatre), and The Fantasticks (Sullivan Street Playhouse). More than 50 plays and musicals at such regional theaters as Goodspeed, Westport Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse. Television: recurring roles on Daredevil, Salem, Person of Interest, Rescue Me, Royal Pains, Law & Order, Gotham, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods. Films by such directors as Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Richard Donner. Love always to Amanda, Conor and Fiona.

Elizabeth Ritacco

Elizabeth Ritacco (Ensemble) is ecstatic to be making her Two River Theater debut! A Toms River native, Elizabeth’s most recent accomplishments include High School Musical (Axelrod PAC), Be More Chill (Exit 82 Theatre Co.) and Ghost (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse). Other credits include In the Heights (Axelrod PAC), Fiddler on the Roof (Surflight Theatre), and Heathers the Musical (Exit 82 Theatre Co.). She is so grateful to her family and friends for being the ultimate support system, and is even more so to the creative team for sharing their energy and wisdom with her! @sillylizzles

Blake Zolfo

Blake Zolfo (Thomas/Cy Songheim/Friedrich/Others) is so grateful to be working at such a beautiful theater with this dream creative team. Theater: Kid Victory (Vineyard Theatre – Chita Rivera nomination for Outstanding Male Dancer), Sexyback (American Repertory Theater), and The Lightning Thief (National Tour). TV/Film: Madam Secretary and Body of Chris (Alfred P. Weisman Award). Proud Boston Conservatory alum and proud member of Actors’ Equity. Co-founder and Director of Production for the multimedia production company, Iris Productions. Thanks first to God and then to my family and my Loo.

THE MUSICIANS

Drums

Perry Cavari
Perry Cavari

Perry Cavari was born and raised in New Jersey, and now lives with his wife Maria and daughter Emily. His versatility has kept him as one of the top players on the New York music scene. Perry’s Broadway credits include: A Bronx Tale; Something Rotten; Promises, Promises; Big Fish; Bullets Over Broadway; Elf; Leap of Faith; Young Frankenstein ;The Drowsy Chaperone; Fosse; Oklahoma!; The Producers; Victor/Victoria; and Grand Hotel, to name a few. His movie credits include: Hail Caesar, My Week with Marilyn, The Producers, as well as the Chicago movie soundtrack for which he composed and performed “A Tap Dance” which featured Richard Gere. He is currently recording Norm Lewis’s latest CD as well as doing his live performances.

Bass

Jeff Dingler
Jeff Dingler

Jeff Dingler (Bass) is a bassist who has worked as a professional both domestically and abroad. He has toured with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and has played with numerous jazz artists across the US, Africa, Europe, and Japan. The recent two years Jeff has served as professor of bass and jazz studies at Mekane Yesus University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His most recent album of original compositions, In Transit, has received critical acclaim in the US, Europe, and Africa.

Reeds 2

Tessa Dolce
Tessa Dolce

Tessa Dolce is a freelance Multiple Woodwind Specialist based in the New York/ Metropolitan area. Tessa received her MA degree in Multiple Woodwind Performance from Montclair State University in New Jersey. A student of Chad Smith and Harry Searing, Tessa has been a member of the orchestra for the New Jersey State Theater’s Joseph and Spring Lake Theater’s production of The Producers. While at MSU, Tessa was orchestra manager for Greg Dlugos and a pit orchestra member for West Side Story, Carousel, Three Penny Opera, The Producers, Anything Goes, 42nd Street, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Tessa has been a member of the orchestra for productions presented by Vanguard Theater Company, CAST Theater Productions, GB Productions, and The Old Library Theater in Fair Lawn. She also plays with the Mark Heter Concert Band, George Krauss Concert Band, the Garden State Symphonic Band and Central Jersey Wind Ensemble.

Trumpet

Jeff Kievit
Jeff Kievit

Jeff Kievit (Trumpet) “A career of dreams coming true.” Recordings, tours and live performances with many of music’s most popular groups, from yesterday’s Bee Gees to today’s Panic at the Disco, he has worked with artists ranging from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles to Sting and Lady Gaga. Jeff’s career is as diverse as it gets, from performed as soloist for Handel’s Messiah at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, to arranging, producing and recording music for the Super Bowl. That diversity includes performing for concerts, Broadway shows, and many appearances on The Kennedy Center Honors TV show. Other credits include recording CDs, TV themes, movies, and commercials for TV and radio; producing CDs; music supervising for CBS’s The Young and the Restless; and music directing for the legendary jazz great Chuck Mangione and a TV special for Vanessa Williams. Jeff’s been a vital part of the formula for success with numerous Broadway shows and is thrilled to be back under the direction of his longtime friend Greg Dlugos with Pamela’s First Musical.

Music Preparation, Reeds 1

Michael Mahadeen
Michael Mahadeen

Michael Mahadeen, a conductor, educator, composer, and performer, can regularly be found on the music teams of various professional, community, and educational theater organizations, and serves on the faculty of several NJ schools/universities.  Recent Broadway/NYC credits include: On the 20th Century (Roundabout), Crazy for You (MCP), The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Hadestown (NYTW), Sweeney Todd (Barrow), and Show Boat (NY Phil).  Michael has had music performed by the Czech Radio Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Colonial Symphony, and is known internationally for his scores to video games in the Wing Commander series.  Additionally, he has orchestrated solo concerts for Jarrod Spector, Kelli Barrett, and Eric Petersen, among others.  A graduate of Montclair State University and recipient of the NJ Distinguished Student Teacher Award, Michael currently studies at the New York Conducting Studio under Dr. Gary Fagin. His music is published by Bandworks Publications.

Keyboard 2

Ian Miller
Ian Miller

Ian Miller is a music director, pianist, singer and composer originally from St. Louis, MO. Currently based in New York City, Ian is on faculty at the Nightingale-Bamford School, is a performer with the Story Pirates, and is the music director of “AHRC on Broadway,” a musical theater program for adults with intellectual disabilities. He holds a degree in music from Yale University, and is a former Whiffenpoof. www.musicianmiller.com

Trombone

Clint Sharman
Clint Sharman

Clint Sharman has performed in dozens of Broadway shows, including most recently A Bronx Tale, Honeymoon in Vegas serving on trombone, euphonium and tuba. Career has included, among many others, performing with Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Bee Gees, and the Boston Pops and Philadelphia Pops Orchestra. Also extensive work in television, jingles, albums and film. 

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Playwright

Wendy Wasserstein
Wendy Wasserstein

Wendy Wasserstein was the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Play for her landmark 1989 drama The Heidi Chronicles, which Two River Theater produced as the second play of its 1994/95 debut season at Monmouth University. The Heidi Chronicles also won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize; the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards; and earned a grant from The Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays. For The Sisters Rosensweig she received the 1993 Outer Critics Circle Award, a Tony Award nomination, and the William Inge Award for Distinguished Achievement in American Theatre. Her other plays include Uncommon Women and Others, Isn’t It Romantic, An American Daughter and Old Money;  a musical, Miami (with Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman); and Waiting for Philip Glass, which was included in The Acting Company’s Love’s Fire. Third was produced at Lincoln Center Theater in the fall of 2005, just months before her untimely death on January 30, 2006 at the age of 55, after a bout with lymphoma. Her screenplays include The Object of My Affection, which starred Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. For PBS Great Performances she wrote Kiss, Kiss Darling; Drive, She Said; and adaptations of John Cheever’s The Sorrows of Gin and her own Uncommon Women and Others. She adapted The Heidi Chronicles for TNT (1996 Emmy Award nomination for Best Television Movie) and An American Daughter for Lifetime Television. Her adaptation of The Nutcracker was performed at the American Ballet Theatre at the Met, and her adaptation of The Merry Widow premiered at San Francisco Opera. She was the librettist for the original opera Festival of Regrets: Central Park, which had runs at Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera. Wasserstein wrote Pamela’s First Musical, a children’s book, which she adapted with Cy Coleman into a musical that premiered in 2006. Her other books include the essay collections Shiksa Goddess and Bachelor Girls, and a novel, Elements of Style. She contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York Woman, and Harper’s Bazaar, among many other publications. She was the recipient of an NEA Grant, Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. She served on the Council of the Dramatists Guild; taught at Columbia University, New York University, Juilliard School, and Princeton University; and held an Honorary Doctorate from Mount Holyoke College. Wasserstein was born in Brooklyn and raised in Manhattan. She was a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the Yale School of Drama.

Christopher Durang
Christopher Durang

Christopher Durang graduated from Harvard and Yale School of Drama. His plays include A History of the American Film (Tony® nomination); The Actor’s Nightmare; Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Obie Award); Beyond Therapy; Baby with the Bathwater; The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Obie Award, Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award); Laughing Wild; Durang/Durang (an evening of six plays); Betty’s Summer Vacation (Obie Award); Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge; Adrift in Macao, Book and Lyrics by Durang, Music by Peter Melnick; and Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them. Miss Witherspoon was a double premiere at McCarter and Playwrights Horizons (2005, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize); McCarter and Lincoln Center Theater jointly produced Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, winning the 2013 Tony Award® for Best Play, and five other awards. His latest play is Turning Off the Morning News, a commission from Emily Mann at the McCarter Theatre. http://www.christopherdurang.com

Composer

Cy Coleman
Cy Coleman

Cy Coleman (1929-2004) was born in New York City. A child prodigy, he gave piano recitals between the ages of six and nine, and trained in piano composition and orchestration at New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts and NY College of Music. Despite early success in the classical and jazz genres, Coleman decided to build a career in popular music. He collaborated with Joe A McCarthy on the classics Why Try to Change Me Now, The Riviera and I’m Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life. Coleman’s most successful early partnership was with Carolyn Leigh. The pair wrote many pop hits including Witchcraft, made famous by Frank Sinatra, and The Best Is Yet to Come. Coleman’s winning streak as a Broadway composer began when the team of Coleman/Leigh collaborated on the musical Wildcat (1960), which marked the Broadway debut of comedienne Lucille Ball, followed by Little Me, with book by Neil Simon. In 1964, Coleman began collaborating with Dorothy Fields. Their first project was the Broadway smash Sweet Charity, again with book by Neil Simon, featuring the showstoppers Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now. The pair then worked on the 1973 Broadway show Seesaw before their partnership was cut short by Fields’ death in 1974. Coleman remained prolific throughout the 1970s and 1980s composing the score for I Love My Wife (1977), with lyrics by Michael Stewart, and On the Twentieth Century (1978), with Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 1980, Coleman served as producer and composer for Barnum, introducing theatergoers to Jim Dale and Glenn Close. He also collaborated on Welcome to the Club (1988), with A.E. Hotchner, and City of Angels (1989), with David Zippel with book by Larry Gelbart. The 1990s brought two more hit Cy Coleman musicals to Broadway: The Will Rogers Follies (1991), again with Comden and Green, and The Life (1997), with lyricist Ira Gasman. Coleman’s film scores include Father Goose, The Art of Love, Garbo Talks and Family Business. His numerous awards include Grammys (three wins, 13 nominations), Tonys (three wins, 11 nominations), Emmys (three wins, five nominations), Oscar (one nomination for Sweet Charity), Songwriters’ Hall of Fame inductee, Johnny Mercer Award (Songwriters’ Hall of Fame) and the Richard Rodgers’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in American Musical Theatre (ASCAP).

Lyricist

David Zippel
David Zippel

David Zippel is a lyricist and director. He has won the Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, two Grammy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. He is one of a handful of contemporary lyricists to have achieved success on Broadway, in Hollywood and in the pop music world. Musicals: City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White, Just So, Princesses, Going Hollywood, Pamela’s First Musical. Films: Disney’s Hercules, Disney’s Mulan, The Swan Princesses, The Wedding Planner. His songs appear on over 25 million CDs and have been sung by: Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Barbara Cook, Michael Bolton, Ricky Martin, Cleo Laine, Nancy LaMott, Sarah Brightman, Mel Tormé and Barbra Streisand. David worked with Liza Minnelli to write Liza’s at the Palace, which won the 2009 Tony Award and was recorded for PBS. David conceived and directed Princesses at Goodspeed Musicals and The 5th Avenue Theatre. David conceived and directed The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman, which premiered at the Rubicon Theatre and for which he won a 2010 “INDY” award for his direction and a 2012 Drama Desk Award for Best Musical Revue. He conceived and directed They’re Playing His Songs: The Music of Marvin Hamlisch. David is one of the lead producers of Gerard Alessandrini’s smash spoof SPAMILTON: An American Parody, currently in London and soon to cross America. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is delighted not to practice law.

Director/ Choreographer

Graciela Daniele
Graciela Daniele

Graciela Daniele has directed on Broadway, at Lincoln Center and The Public Theater, and at regional theaters and has earned 10 Tony Award nominations and six Drama Desk nominations. Her Broadway director/choreographic credits include Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Annie Get Your Gun, Marie Christine, Once on This Island, Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Dangerous Game. She has musical staged/choreographed such shows as Ragtime (Astaire, Ovation [L.A.], NAACP, and Callaway Awards), The Goodbye Girl, Zorba with Anthony Quinn, The Rink starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She choreographed the New York Shakespeare Festival production of The Pirates of Penzance on Broadway, Los Angeles and London, the motion picture of Pirates, and three Woody Allen films including Mighty Aphrodite, for which she won the 1996 Fosse Award, and Everyone Say I Love You, for which she won the 1997 Fosse Award. Ms. Daniele directed and choreographed A New Brain, which enjoyed an extended run in the summer of 1998 at Lincoln Center Theater. She is a recipient of the 1998 “Mr. Abbot” Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Director/Choreographer. Ms. Daniele directed and choreographed Michael John LaChuisa’s Little Fish (Second Stage) and Bernarda Alba (Lincoln Center Theater) along with the Lincoln Center Theater production of William Finn’s Elegies: A Song Cycle. Most recently, she has choreographed The Visit on Broadway and the world premiere of Sousatzka at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto.

Music Supervisor and Arrangements

Kevin Stites
Kevin Stites

Kevin Stites recently conducted the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Lerner and Loewe tribute) and an all-star Broadway evening with a 400-voice choir and the New York Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall for Manhattan Concert Productions, and has completed his fourth season as Music Director for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. He conducted the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall with Brian Stokes Mitchell, several Symphonic Concerts with Kristin Chenoweth (LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl), and Do You Hear the People Sing with the Oklahoma City and Hartford Symphony Orchestras. He was Music Director for MCP’S concert presentations of Crazy for You and Titanic (David Geffen Hall) as well as conducting the mono-opera Falling Man by Kenneth Fuchs at the 911 Museum Memorial.  Kevin was Music Director of Grey Gardens with Betty Buckley and Rachel York in Los Angeles. He is Music Director/Pianist for Deborah Voigt’s Voigt Lessons. Guest Conductor: Grant Park Symphony (Sondheim, Bernstein, Gershwin, Loesser, and Porter tributes), Hollywood Bowl’s The Producers, Guys and Dolls, and Les Misérables. Broadway:  On the 20th Century (revival), South Pacific (Lincoln Center Theater), A Tale of Two Cities, The Color Purple (Music Supervision/Incidental Music), Titanic (Original Musical Supervisor/Music Director), Sunset Boulevard, Les Misérables (2006 revival), The Threepenny Opera (Roundabout revival), Fiddler on the Roof (2003), Nine (Revival), Oklahoma! (Nunn/Stroman), On the Town, Nine to Five (Additional Musical Arrangements). Tours: Little House on the Prairie, The Color Purple, Martin Guerre, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Titanic. Film/Television: Rosie Live!, Reefer Madness, Letterman, Rosie, several Tony Awards telecasts, two Il Volo specials for PBS. Future projects include:  Broadway revival of Crazy for You, Maltby and Shire’s Take Flight, and the further development of Austin’s Pride. He earned his Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in Music from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and studied under the tutelage of Professor Kenneth Drake and Professor Emeritus John Wustman. He was awarded the Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship in 1979/80.

Music Director and Keyboard 1

Gregory J. Dlugos
Gregory J. Dlugos

Gregory J. Dlugos has, since moving to NYC, worked as Music Director, Conductor, Associate Conductor, Pianist, Composer, Arranger and Orchestrator for many Broadway Shows and Tours, and at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to work with such personalities as Chita Rivera, Antonio Banderas, Sutton Foster, Andrea Martin, Betty Buckley, Jerome Robbins, Peter Gennaro, Michael Kidd, Hal Prince, Mel Brooks, Kander & Ebb and Pat Benatar. His Broadway credits include Barnum, Phantom of the Opera, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Sunset Boulevard, Chicago, Fosse, Jekyll and Hyde, Nine and Young Frankenstein. Since 2012 Gregory has been Music Supervisor of the Musical Theater Department at Montclair State University where he has conducted numerous productions, most recently, Anything Goes  at the Alexander Kasser Theater. He recently returned from the Shanghai Institute for Visual Arts where he was Music Director for the first Chinese production of A Chorus Line.

Orchestrator

Charlie Rosen
Charlie Rosen

Charlie Rosen is a composer, performer, arranger, orchestrator, music director, and producer. Recent Broadway credits include Be More Chill (Music Sup/Orchestrations), Moulin Rouge (Horn Arrangements), Prince of Broadway (Orchestrations), American Psycho (Assoc MD/Keys), The Visit (Guitar/Zither), Honeymoon in Vegas (Orchestrations), Cyrano de Bergerac (Composer), One Man, Two Guvnors (Music Director, Bass), 13 The Musical (Guitars, Bass, Keys), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Assoc. MD, Bass). Off-Broadway/Regional/Other: Moulin Rouge (Orchestrations), The Colonial Theatre; Bounty Hunter (Orchestrations), Barrington Stage; The Boston Pops (Arranger); A Legendary Romance (MD/Orch.), Williamstown Theatre Festival; Miss You Like Hell (Orchestrations) and misc. Shakespeare in the Park, The Public Theater; Pamela’s First Musical (Orchestrations) and Be More Chill (MD/Orch.), Two River Theater; The Black Suits (MD/Orch.), Center Theatre Group; Unauthorized…Samantha Brown, Goodspeed; Bonfire Night, NYSF; Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Big Band (in residency at 54 Below); Chita Rivera: A Legendary Celebration (Orchestrations), August Wilson. TV/Film: The President Show (Composer), Comedy Central; Maya and Marty (MD/Composer/Arranger), NBC; Best Time Ever w/NPH (Orchestrations and Track Production), NBC; High Maintenance (Addl Music) HBO. ASCAP, Local 802, Equity, Berklee, WME. www.charlierosen.com, @CRosenMusic

Scenic Designer

David Gallo
David Gallo

David Gallo has designed over 30 Broadway productions, including Memphis, The Drowsy Chaperone (Tony Award: Best Scenic Design), Gem of the Ocean, The Mountaintop, reasons to be pretty, Xanadu, and Thoroughly Modern. For Two River Theater, he designed School for Wives. He creates innovative scenic and media design for television, concerts, and events. He is production designer for Sesame Street, his Blue Man Group work has been seen by millions, he is creative director for Phish’s New Year’s Eve extravaganzas, and the Illusionarium he created for Norwegian Cruise Line was a pioneer in immersive entertainment venues. His work for Stage Entertainment, Disney, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and others is seen daily in a dozen cities worldwide. The Smithsonian Institution and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both own samples of his work. davidgallo.com

Viveca Gardiner
Viveca Gardiner

Viveca Gardiner expanded into theatrical set design after decades in the circus industry as a performer, teacher, writer, director, and producer. She has collaborated with David Gallo on multiple productions and live events, and she is the line producer for the Phish New Year’s Eve “gag” that he directs at Madison Square Garden.

Costume Designer

Gabriel Berry
Gabriel Berry

Gabriel Berry specializes in collaboration on new work. Notable productions include the world premieres of the works of Maria Irene Fornes, Richard Foreman, Charles Ludlam, Samuel Beckett, Philip Glass, John Guare, Christopher Durang, Mabou Mines, Peter Sellars, John Adams, Tito Puente, Yoshiko Chuma, Lucinda Childs, Ethyl Eichelberger, Nick Jones, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Osvaldo Golijov, Meredith Monk, and Ellen Stewart. Awards include Obies, Bessies and a silver medal from the Prague Quadrennial for her contribution to experimental theater. She previously designed Dancing at Lughnasa, Pericles and Absurd Person Singular at Two River Theater.

Lighting Designer

David Lander
David Lander

David Lander Two River Theater: Carry It On written and performed by Maureen McGovern. Broadway: The Heiress with Jessica Chastain and Dan Stevens, The Lyons with Linda Lavin, Master Class with Tyne Daly, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams (Drama Desk Award; Tony and Outer Critics nominations), 33 Variations with Jane Fonda (Tony and Outer Critics nominations), I Am My Own Wife (Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations) among others. Off-Bway: Atlantic Theatre, The Public Theater, MTC, Roundabout Theatre, Signature Theatre, The Vineyard Theatre among others. Regional: Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, among others. International Theatre and Opera: Dublin, Delhi, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo among others.

Sound Designer

Drew Levy
Drew Levy

Drew Levy (he/him) (Sound Design) Broadway: A Strange Loop (Tony nom.), Oklahoma! (Tony nom., Drama Desk nom.), Honeymoon in Vegas (Drama Desk nom.), Chaplin (Drama Desk Award), The Winslow Boy, The Importance of Being Earnest, Present Laughter. West End: A Strange Loop, Oklahoma! (Olivier nom.). Off-Broadway: Judgment Day (Park Avenue Armory), Oklahoma! (St. Ann’s), Cleopatra, One Day the Musical, The Weir, Why Torture is Wrong…, Emergence-See!, Rainbow Kiss, Dutchman (AUDELCO Viv nom.). Regional: The Old Globe, Heartbreak Hotel (Chicago), ART, Williamstown, Huntington, Westport Country Playhouse, Two River Theater, McCarter Theater, Arena Stage, Long Wharf. Other: Reconfiguration: An Evening with Other Lives at BAM; Drama Desk Awards 2014 & 2015; Metropolitan Opera 125th Anniversary Gala; annual holiday installations for Saks 5th Avenue, Cartier, and others.

Other

Tom Watson
Tom Watson

Tom Watson is head of the wig and makeup department at the Metropolitan Opera. He has designed wigs for more than 55 Broadway productions. Current and recent Broadway designs include Annie, The Big Knife, The Assembled Parties, An Enemy of the People, Picnic, A Christmas Story, Harvey, Million Dollar Quartet, Rock of Ages, Wicked, How to Succeed…, The Addams Family, Promises, Promises, South Pacific, Sondheim on Sondheim, A View from the Bridge, and Sunday in the Park with George.

Casting

Tara Rubin Casting
Tara Rubin Casting

Tara Rubin Casting Selected Broadway: King Kong (upcoming), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Indecent, Bandstand, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Les Misérables, The Heiress, The Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys. Off-Broadway: Smokey Joe’s Café; Jersey Boys; Here Lies Love; Love, Loss, and What I Wore  Selected Regional: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep. www.tararubincasting.com

Associate Choreographer

Madeleine Kelly
Madeleine Kelly

Madeleine Kelly, born in Rhode Island, has performed as a dancer on Broadway, television, and feature films. Her Choreography and Associate Choreographer credits include The Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City, Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, My Favorite Broadway with Julie Andrews, numerous shows for Lincoln Center, Broadway’s Taboo, Pal Joey, Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life, The Visit. Recent credits include Sousatzka in Toronto staring Victoria Clark, Montego Glover and Judy Kaye, and Chita & Tune: Just in Time with Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune.

Assistant Stage Manager

James Steele
James Steele

James Steele is thrilled to be working at Two River Theater on this fantastic production. Broadway: Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Roundabout); One Man, Two Guvnors. Tour: Small Mouth Sounds. Off-Broadway: Small Mouth Sounds (Signature), By the Water (MTC), Pageant (SAS), Tail! Spin!, …The Great Comet of 1812 (Ars Nova/Kazino), My Name Is Asher Lev (Westside Theatre), An Iliad (NYTW), The Tribute Artist (Primary Stages), The Divine Sister (DRTM). Thanks to Grazie, Maddie, Lori, Jackie and Joaquin, love to Mom and Gram.

Production Stage Manager

Lori M. Doyle
Lori M. Doyle

Lori M. Doyle is stage managing her first production with Two River Theater, and she’s pleased and honored to be a part of this company. She comes directly to Red Bank from the Contemporary American Theater Festival, where she helmed the Marinoff Theater and two new plays performing in Rep. Other 2018 credits include Skeleton Crew at Baltimore Center Stage. Broadway: The Visit, You Can’t Take It With You, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (revival), Fela!, Jane Eyre: The Musical, 1776, Say Goodnight Gracie, and 11 Mainstage productions and numerous Gala events for Roundabout Theatre Company. Regional: 10 summer seasons (two plays in rep each season) at Contemporary American Theater Festival, multiple productions at Baltimore’s Center Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Off-Broadway: 2econd Stage Theatre Company, RTC @ The Laura Pels, New York Shakespeare Festival, Lamb’s Theatre Company, Circle Rep, and American Jewish Theatre. Additional: 82+ corporate and special events with 32 different production companies.

PHOTOS

Dates and tickets

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