(Highland Park, IL) Additional casting has been announced for Musically Human Theatre’s production of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical Passion, according to David Norwood, the company’s producing artistic director and director of Passion.
As previously announced, Kelli Harrington – a two-time Jeff Award winner as leading actress in a musical for The Light in the Piazza and Aspects of Love, both for Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre – will play Fosca, the gravely ill and deeply troubled woman who has a romantic obsession with a handsome military officer in a remote 19th Century Italian garrison. Playing the officer Giorgio will be Matthew Keffer. Keffer was a Jeff Award winner as Leading Actor in a musical for Bailiwick Chicago’s The Wild Party and has won over many fans for his roles in musicals like Side Show and Sondheim on Sondheim for Porchlight. Laura McClain, a three-time Jeff Award nominee who has earned raves for her roles in musicals including The Adding Machine (Hypocrites), Titanic (Griffin) and The Full Monty (Kokandy), will play Giorgio’s married lover Clara.
Also joining the cast are Patrick Byrnes (Colonel Ricci), Stephen Boyer (Lieutenant Torasso), Jeff Meyer (Augenti/The Mistress), Kenneth Singleton (Lieutenant Barri/The Mother) and Tommy William Thurston (Sergeant Lombardi). Additional casting will be announced soon. Jeff Award-winner Aaron Benham is Music Director for Passion. The design team includes Arnel Sancianco (scenic design), Virginia Varland (costume design), Kristof Janezic (lighting design) and Mary-Catherine Mikalayunas (Stage Management).
Passion will open for the press on Saturday, October 29 at 7 pm, following preview performances Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28. Performances are in the Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park. The production will run through November 27, 2016. Curtain times will be 7 pm Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 pm Sundays. There is no performance Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, and there will be an additional matinee Thanksgiving weekend on Saturday, November 26 at 3 pm. All tickets are $40.00.
Musically Human Theatre (MHT), a professional not-for-profit company focusing on musical theatre, moved to the Chicago area from New York City this year. Its inaugural Highland Park season, in addition to Passion, will include intimate new productions of Next to Normal and Cabaret.
MHT has signed a Tier-N Chicago Area Contract (CAT) with Actors’ Equity and will employ up to two Equity performers per show.
Single ticket and season subscriptions are now on sale at www.musicallyhuman.org.
LISTING INFORMATION:
PASSION
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by David Norwood
Music Direction by Aaron Benham
Previews October 27, 28 at 7:00 pm
Opens: Saturday, October 29 at 7:00pm
Runs through November 27, 2016
Thurs-Sat at 7pm, Sun at 3pm. No performance Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24. Matinee Saturday, November 26 at 3 pm.
Performances at Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park, IL
All tickets – $40.00. Tickets are available at www.musicallyhuman.com or by phone at 866-811-4111.
A handsome army captain, assigned to a remote outpost far from his married lover, finds himself pursued by a mysterious woman with a dangerous obsession. Intimate, raw, erotic and dark, Passion explores universal yet often unspoken truths. This remarkable work is considered by many to be Sondheim’s deepest and most powerful evening of music theatre.
Rush tickets are sold 30 minutes prior to every performance on a first-come, first-served basis, limit one seat per ID. Subject to availability.
ABOUT MUSICALLY HUMAN
Founded in New York and reborn in Highland Park, Musically Human Theatre’s mission is to re-imagine music theatre works that awaken our social conscience, focusing on the strength of actors and musicians, and engaging audiences in uniquely intimate theatrical experiences.
ABOUT DAVID NORWOOD
David Norwood is a 2014 New York Innovative Theatre Award and AUDELCO Award nominee for Best Choreography for Salome: Da Voodoo Princess of Nawlins. His other recent work includes The Remembrance Project: Trail of Tears, The Little Rock Nine Project, The Remembrance Project: Darfur, The Remembrance Project: Rwanda, Next to Normal, Night of the Living Dead the Musical, Nevermore, [title of show], Promises, Promises and Ragtime. He has also directed works by Lorraine Hansberry, Tony Kushner, David Mamet and George C. Wolfe. Norwood studied at Point Park University, The Ailey School and the Joffrey Ballet School. He has danced with Graham II, performed with Broadway legend, Carol Channing and has worked with many esteemed artists such as Milton Meyers, Sidra Bell, Ron K. Brown among others. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).
For more information on Musically Human Theatre, please visit ww.musicallyhuman.org or call 847.461.9622.
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