Theater News

Bohon, Borle, Cumpsty, Kritzer, Martin, Yazbeck, et al. Set for On the Town

Christian Borle
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
Christian Borle
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)

Full casting has been announced for City Center Encores! presentation of the 1944 musical On the Town, by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, November 19-23. The show is part of a citywide celebration of Bernstein’s 90th birthday. John Rando will direct, with music direction by Todd Ellison and choreography by Warren Carlyle.

Set in wartime 1944, the musical chronicles the adventures of three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City. Their fabulous day-long journey is spurred by a search for sailor Gabey’s dream girl, “Miss Turnstiles.” Along the way, each sailor falls in love with a woman, and with New York City itself.

The cast will feature Justin Bohon (Chip), Christian Borle (Ozzie), Michael Cumpsty (Pitkin W. Bridgework), Jessica Lee Goldyn (Ivy), Leslie Kritzer (Hildy Esterhazy), Andrea Martin (Madame P. Dilly), Julyana Soelistyo (Lucy Schmeeler), Jennifer Laura Thompson (Claire DeLoone), and Tony Yazbeck (Gabey), with Lawrence Alexander, Andrea Beasom, Kristine Bendul, Tanya Birl, Angie Canuel, John Carroll, Rachel Coloff, Michael Cusumano, Susan Derry, Emilee Dupre, Autumn Hurlbert, Ryan Jackson, Mary MacLeod, Monica L. Patton, Adam Perry, Steve Schepis, Geno Segers, Charlie Sutton, Kevin Vortmann, Price Waldman, J.D. Webster, and Ashley Yeater.

The creative team will include John Lee Beatty (set), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes),
Clifton Taylor (lighting), and Tom Morse (sound).

Rando won the Tony Award for directing Urinetown and also directed the recent Encores! production of Damn Yankees. Carlyle is currently represented on Broadway as director and choreographer of A Tale of Two Cities and choreographed the Encores! productions of Juno and Stairway to Paradise.

The Encores! series will continue with Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Music in the Air, which will run February 5-8, which has not been seen in its original form since its premiere Broadway engagement at the Alvin Theatre in 1932. Set in Bavaria and Munich, it tells of an aging rural music teacher, his naively charming daughter and their misadventures trying to break into the cynical, world-weary theatre scene in the big city.

Up next will be the classic Finian’s Rainbow, scheduled to run March 26-29, the story of the Irishman Finian McLonergan, his daughter Sharon, a stolen pot of gold, and a leprechaun. Songs include “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,” “When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love,” and “If This Isn’t Love.”

For tickets and information, call 212-582-122 or visit www.nycitycenter.org.

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On The Town

Closed: November 23, 2008