Marc Kudisch, Elena Shaddow, and More to Lead Deaf West Workshop of Whistle Down the Wind

Deaf West Theatre, PAC NYC, and New York Stage & Film have announced the cast for upcoming public developmental presentations of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind, directed by Tony Award winner Bill Rauch (Cats: The Jellicle Ball).

The presentations will take place as part of New York Stage & Film’s 2026 Summer Season, with performances scheduled for July 31 at 7pm., August 1 at 8pm, and August 2 at 1pm. at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Thirty years after the musical’s world premiere, this new exploration of Whistle Down the Wind remains rooted in the original story’s setting in the American Deep South during the late 1950s while expanding its perspective through the experiences of both deaf and hearing children. The 22-member company brings together deaf, CODA (Child of Deaf Adult), SODA (Sibling of Deaf Adult), and hearing performers. Rauch, who serves as director, is also a SODA and brings a personal connection to the project’s exploration of deaf and hearing communities.

The cast includes Savannah Dahan as Swallow, Marc Kudisch as Boone, Elena Shaddow as Ghost of Swallow’s Mother, Noah Buchholz as the Man, and John McGinty as Preacher.

The company also features Adi Dougherty as Brat, Alston Robbins as Poor Baby, Jared R. Dixon as Ghost of Prison Guard, Rayly Aquino as Edward, Anthony Norman as Amos, Adam Rawlings as Sheriff, Kate Connors as Earl, Mya Rena Hunter as Candy, and Marina Jansen, Romy Kurs, Taylor-Brinae Lane, Josué Martinez, Titilayo Odupolu, Dylan Theon Patterson, Emjay Roa, Alona Robbins, and Pax Stein.

Whistle Down the Wind fis the story of a girl coming to terms with the death of her mother, only to discover a mysterious stranger whom sbe believes is Jesus. It features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Jim Steinman and a book by Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards, and Lloyd Webber. It is based on the novel by Mary Hayley Bell and the subsequent 1961 film adaptation.

The creative team includes music director Jared Stein, ASL choreographer Rosa Lee Timm, associate ASL choreographers Joey Antonio and Jeremy Lee Stone, lighting designer Annie Wiegand, sound designer Owen Meadows, and visual access engineer Chelsea Zalikowski. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Lloyd Webber. Casting is by The Telsey Office, Karyn Casl, CSA, with casting associates: Charlie Hano, CSA and Jimmy Larkin, CSA.