Liz Callaway, Santino Fontana, Kyle Dean Massey, et al. Join Casts of NAMT Shows

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) has announced updated casting for the eight musicals that have been selected to be part of the 23rd Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 at New World Stages. Limited seating will be available to the public.

Will Reynolds, Courtney Stokes and Derrick Trumbly will join the previously reported stars Kate Wetherhead and Brynn O’Malley in Bernice Bobs Her Hair, based on the classic short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The work is written by Julia Jordan and Adam Gwon. Joe Calarco directs and Andy Einhorn is music director. The cast will also include Steven Booth, Josh Breckenridge, Olli Haaskivi, Olivia Oguma, and Casey Tuma.

Joe Iconis’ Bloodsong of Love will be directed by John Simpkins and have music direction by Brian Usifer. Heath Calvert will join cast members Rebecca Naomi Jones, Carrie Cimma, Jeremy Morse, Lance Rubin, and Jason ‘Sweet Tooth’ Williams.

Scott Schwartz will direct Deni Girl, which has music by Michael Koonman and book and lyrics by Christopher Dimond. This show, which is about a young girl’s battle with a life-threatening illness, will feature Kate Shindle, Rozi Baker, and River Alexander, along with the newly added Chris Hoch.

Shannon Antalon, Kerry Butler, Alex Brightman, Erin Davie, Chris Hoch, Eliseo Roman, William Ryall, and Kate Shindle will comprise the cast of The Dogs of Pripyat, which has music by Aron Accurso, lyrics by Jill Abramovitz, and a book by Abramovitz and Leah Napolin. Peter Flynn will direct this show, which is based on the true story of the dogs left behind in Pripyat after the Chernobyl meltdown in Russia in 1986.

Kyle Dean Massey, Joanna Glushak, Ken Cavett, Spencer Moses, and Dan Sharkey join the already announced Anika Larsen for Peter Mills and Cara Reichel’s Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge. The show transplants J.M. Synge’s classic Irish comedy The Playboy of the Western World to 1930s Appalachia. It will be directed by Gordon Greenberg, with music direction by Eli Zoller. The show also features musician/actors from the original production – Matthew Dure, Michael Rosengarten, Dennis Michael Keefe, and Melody Berger.

Stephen Bogardus, Santino Fontana, Rachel Stern, Will Erat, and Vasthy Mompoint will join Haley Bond Patterson, Charlie Brady, and Ken Triwush in notes to MariAnne. Featuring book, music and lyrics by David Rossmer & Dan Lipton, the musical will be directed by Jeremy Dobrish with music direction by Chris Fenwick.

Stephanie Umoh will join Phoebe Strole, Emma Hunton, Emily Walton, Robi Hager, Krystina Alabado, and Ally Bonino in Pregnancy Pact, a pop-rock musical inspired by the 2008 Time magazine article about a group of teens who made a pact to become single mothers together. The show is written by Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald. Mark Brokaw directs the production, and Rich Silverstein is music director.

Steve Cosson will direct WATT?!?, with book and lyrics by David Javerbaum and music by Brendan Millburn. The show, which revisits the heroic true story of James Watt, Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior and his policies, which included opening millions of acres of federal land for exploitation. Liz Callaway and Ken Marks will star, along with Trent Armand Kendall, Emily Rossell, and Pearl Sun.

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