Andrew Samonsky, Hannah Elless, and Bryce Pinkham Set for Benny & Joon
(© David Gordon)
The Old Globe Theatre has announced the complete cast and creative team for the world premiere musical Benny & Joon, featuring a book by Kirsten Guenther, music by Nolan Gasser, and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. The production will run September 7-October 22 with an opening night on September 15.
Based on the beloved 1993 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture written by Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil, Benny & Joon is directed by Jack Cummings III, artistic director of New York's Transport Group. The plot is described as follows: "As Joon's sole caretaker, auto mechanic Benny makes sure his eccentric sister lives a comfortable, safe, and predictable life. But when Sam shows up, his off-kilter take on the world — full of classic films, Buster Keaton, and an oddball approach to domestic life — turns everything upside down."
The cast features Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific) as Benny, Hannah Elless (Bright Star) as Joon, and Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder) as Sam, along with Colin Hanlon (In Transit) as Mike, January LaVoy (Enron) as Ruthie, Paolo Montalban (ABC's Cinderella) as Larry, Natalie Toro (Les Misérables) as Dr. Cruz and Mrs. Smail, and Jason SweetTooth Williams (Freaky Friday) as Waldo and Video Store Owner. Completing the cast as understudies are San Diego local Katie Whalley Banville and Jake Millgard.
The creative team includes Scott Rink (choreographer), Dane Laffrey (scenic and costume design), R. Lee Kennedy (lighting design), Kai Harada (sound design), Michael Starobin (orchestrations), and J. Oconer Navarro (music director).
