Theater News

Alliance Theatre Announces Complete Cast for Twist, Directed and Choreographed by Debbie Allen

Debbie Allen
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Debbie Allen
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN

The Alliance Theatre has announced casting for Twist, to run September 1 – October 3. Debbie Allen will direct and choreograph the production, which have musical direction by James Sampliner.

With a book by William F. Brown and a score by Tena Clark and Gary Prim, the musical resets Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist in New Orleans in 1928, where, against a backdrop of the Roaring 20s, an orphan in search of home finds family in unexpected places.

The cast will feature Paul Aguirre (Potlatch/Ensemble), E. Wade Benson (Mr. Prudhomme), Alaman Diadhiou (Twist0, Duane Asanté Ervin (Pistol), Kyle Garvin (Skillet/Ensemble), Jared Grimes (Roosevelt/Ensemble), Shawna M. Hamic (Miss Cotton/Ensemble), Matthew Johnson (Boston), Olivia-Diane Joseph (Della), Tracy Kennedy (Crazah Chesterfield), Aijia Lise (Angela/Ensemble), Pat McRoberts (Lucius Thatcher), and Melissa Lola Youngblood (Naomi/Ensemble).

The adult ensemble will consist of John Fisher, Chantel Heath, Jamie Katz, Rikki McKinney, Malaiyka Reid, Brett Sturgis, and Dougie Styles, and Zaire Adams, Trey Best, Sabrina Cmelak, Nikolas Eibler, Michael George, Beau Harmon, Chandler Kinney, Chase Maxwell, and Madison Minniti will be featured in the children’s ensemble.

The creative team will include Todd Rosenthal (scenic design), Emilio Sosa (costume design), Rick Belzer (lighting design), Peter Fitzgerald (sound design), and Harold Wheeler (orchestrations.