Denis Jones, Tina Landau, Kristin Hanggi, Hunter Foster and More to Helm 2017 Shows at Goodspeed Musicals

Two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals has assembled six exciting teams - three led by prominent women directors - to helm the diverse productions planned this season: a tap-happy musical comedy, a beloved classic, a completely reinvented musical from some of the finest creative minds in musical theatre, two bold new musicals, and a holiday show for all ages. Single Tickets for all 2017 shows go on public sale February 19 at 10:00 a.m.

The first of three productions planned for The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. is Thoroughly Modern Millie, a Tony-winning musical comedy set in Jazz Age New York City, which will run from April 21 - July 2. The production will be directed and choreographed by Denis Jones who choreographed the Goodspeed and Broadway productions of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn. Other recent credits include the Broadway production of Honeymoon in Vegas, The Tempest for Shakespeare in the Park, Paint Your Wagon at City Center Encores!, Disaster! at St Luke's, The Sound of Music at Lyric Opera in Chicago, the recent productions of Chicago and Grease at The MUNY, and Signature Theater's Piece of My Heart for which Denis garnered a Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Choreographer and was named SDC Callaway Finalist for Best Choreography. Thoroughly Modern Millie will be sponsored by Chester Village West, The Shops at Mohegan Sun and Webster Bank.

Next up at The Goodspeed will be the first-ever Goodspeed production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic Oklahoma!, which will run from July 14 - September 23 . Oklahoma! will be directed by Jenn Thompson and choreographed by Katie Spelman. MS. Thompson returns to Goodspeed after directing last summer's hit production of Bye Bye Birdie. From 2011-2015 Thompson served as Co-Artistic Director for New York's TACT/The Actors Company Theatre. Off-Broadway she directed the critically-acclaimed revival of Beth Henley's Abundance, winning the 2015 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival of a Play, and directed the first NYC revival of Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers at The Actors Company Theatre. As a performer MS. Thompson's credits include the cast of the original Broadway production of Annie. Choreographer Katie Spellman's New York credits include Associate Movement Director for the Broadway and First National Tour of Once, Associate Choreographer for Broadway's American Psycho, What's It All About? at New York Theatre Workshop, andBrooklynite at Vineyard Theatre. In London she served as Associate Director for Close To You (West End) and What's It All About? at Menier Chocolate Factory. Oklahoma! will be sponsored by Liberty Bank; Eversource; and Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C.

This fall at The Goodspeed, Rags, a sweeping story of America's immigrant past from the songwriters of Annie and Wicked, will run from October 6 - December 10. This reimagined musical will be directed by Rob Ruggiero. Rags marks Ruggiero's tenth production for Goodspeed. Favorites include 1776, Carousel, The Most Happy Fella, Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage Aux Folles and a new adaptation of Show Boat. Joining him as choreographer will be Parker Esse -- a five-time Helen Hayes Best Choreography nominee and recipient of the Award for Arena Stage's Oklahoma!. Mr. Esse directed and choreographed Crazy For You and West Side Story at the Finger Lakes Music Theatre Festival. Additional choreography credits include Arena Stage productions of Carousel, Oliver!, Smokey Joe's Café, The Music Man, The Light In the Piazza, The Mystery of Irma Vep; and the Goodspeed productions of A Wonderful Life, Fiddler on the Roof, The Most Happy Fella, and Carousel. Rags will be sponsored by Amica Insurance.

Nearby at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., the breathtaking, funny, bittersweet musical Deathless will run June 2 - July 2. Deathless will be directed by Tina Landau who most recently directed and co-conceived The Spongebob Musical which received rave reviews in Chicago. Landau's New York credits include the Broadway productions of Bells Are Ringing and Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts; In the Red and Brown Water and Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes at The Public; Wig Out! and Dream True (also lyrics/book) at Vineyard Theatre; Playwrights Horizons' Floyd Collins (also book writer); and Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas for New York Theatre Workshop.

This summer Darling Grenadine, a new tuner that mixes the whimsy of MGM musicals and the bittersweet surprise of romantic comedies, will run August 18 - September 17. Darling Grenadine will be directed by Kristin Hanggi who is best known for directing and developing the international smash-hit Rock of Ages, which received five Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. Hanggi developed and directed the acclaimed pop opera bare which has had over 100 productions all over the world. Other past stage productions include the Atlantic Theater's Pirate La Dee Da (Alliance Award); the initial production that launched the Pussycat Dolls, Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy with stars Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra, and special guests Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Murphy, Nikka Costa, and Charlize Theron; and And the Curtain Rises at the Signature Theater, winner of the New York Fringe Festival for Best Play. Choreography for Darling Grenadine will be by Chase Brock whose Broadway credits include SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off The Dark and Sam Gold's Broadway revival of Picnic at Roundabout Theatre Company. Additional theater projects include Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's Alice By Heart for MCC Theater lab, Matt Sax and Eric Rosen's hip-hop musical Venice for The Public Theater, Sam Gold's hit revival of The Cradle Will Rock for Encores! Off-Center and Lear deBessonet and Todd Almond's The Tempest for The Public Theater in Central Park.

Closing out the season will be A Connecticut Christmas Carol, a new adaptation of the Dickens holiday classic spiced with the flavor of the Nutmeg State, which will run November 17 - December 24 directed by Hunter Foster. Foster currently serves as an Artistic Associate at the Bucks County Playhouse where he has directed productions of Company, Ain't Misbehavin', The Buddy Holly Story, National Pastime, The Rocky Horror Show and Summer of '42. Other directing credits include Cabaret, My Fair Lady (Cape Playhouse); Grease (North Carolina Theatre); Spamalot (Casa Manana); and Million Dollar Quartet for the Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse and Westchester Broadway Theatre. The production will be choreographed byLisa Shriver whose Broadway credits include the 2012 Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Des McAnuff; Ring of Fire; The Story of My Life; and The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin. She is also credited as an assistant choreographer on over ten other Broadway productions including The Producers, Titanic and Oklahoma. Lisa has been fortunate to work with other such visionary directors as James Lapine, Richard Maltby, Jr., Roger Rees and Tony Walton. In additional to choreographing the Goodspeed productions of The 60s Project and Where's Charley?, she has choreographed at The Public, The La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, The McCarter Theatre, Signature Theatre, Westport Playhouse and New York Theatre Workshop, among many others.

Beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 19, 2016, single tickets may be purchased by visiting The Goodspeed Box Office, open seven days a week at 6 Main Street, East Haddam, Conn.; by calling 860.873.8668; or on-line at goodspeed.org. Special ticket packages are still available: see three shows at The Goodspeed OR The Terris Theatre for only $108 or see all six shows for just $216. Contact the Box Office for details. Ticket cost may vary by performance; call for current pricing. All prices are subject to change.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAMS:

Chase Brock (Choreographer: DARLING GRENADINE) Called "prolific" in both The New Yorker and The New York Times, Brock is a choreographer working in theater, modern dance, ballet, opera, television and video games. Current projects include Michael John La Chiusa's First Daughter Suite (The Public Theater, dir. Kirsten Sanderson); Randy Blair, Tim Drucker and Matt Berger's Gigantic (Vineyard Theatre, dir. Scott Schwartz) and Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's Alice By Heart (MCC Theater lab, dir. Lear deBessonet). Dance Magazine proclaimed summer 2013 "The Chase Brock Summer" in recognition of Brock's choreography for Matt Sax and Eric Rosen's hip-hop musical Venice for The Public Theater, Sam Gold's hit revival of The Cradle Will Rock for Encores! Off-Center and Lear deBessonet and Todd Almond's The Tempest for The Public Theater in Central Park featuring a cast of over 200 including professional actors, Mexican folk dancers, senior citizens, Taiko drummers, hip-hop dancers, domestic workers, a brass band, formerly incarcerated people, taxi workers, a gospel choir and a bubble artist. Brock serves as Artistic Director of the Brooklyn-based contemporary Dance Company The Chase Brock Experience. His Broadway choreography includes SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off The Dark (dir. Julie Taymor) and Sam Gold's Broadway revival of Picnic (Roundabout Theatre Company). Off-Broadway choreography includes The Blue Flower (Second Stage, 2012 Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography); Tamar of the River (Prospect Theatre Company, dir. Daniel Goldstein, 2014 Joe A. Callaway Award finalist for Choreography); Kwame Kwei-Armah's production of Much Ado About Nothing for The Public Theater's Mobile Shakespeare Unit; Lear deBessonet and Todd Almond's musical adaptation of The Winter's Tale with a cast of 200 for The Public Theater's Public Works program; Irma La Douce (dir. John Doyle) and Lost in the Stars (dir. Gary Griffin) for City Center Encores!; and The Mysteries (The Flea Theater, dir. Ed Iskandar), a 7-hour, 50-play event retelling climactic episodes from the Bible. Regional choreography includes Sara Bareilles's Waitress (American Repertory Theater, dir. Diane Paulus), Disney's new stage adaptation of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (La Jolla Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse, dir. Scott Schwartz), Twelfth Night (The Old Globe, dir. Rebecca Taichman) and Joe Iconis's Be More Chill (Two River Theater, dir. Stephen Brackett). Television choreography includes "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO), "Late Show with David Letterman" (CBS) and "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NBC). Brock made his Broadway debut at 16 in Susan Stroman's revival of The Music Man and is a proud alumnus of Robert Wilson's Watermill Center, Ann Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project and Spark Camp at Harvard. Brock is the subject of the documentary 'Chasing Dance' by filmmakers Mathieu Mazza, Tracy Mazza and Stephanie Slewka, which aired on Maine Public Broadcasting Network and was nominated for a New England Emmy Award in 2014. www.chasebrock.com

Parker Esse (Choreographer: RAGS) Parker choreographed Stephen Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis' world-premiere A Bed and A Chair: A New York Love Affair (New York City Center's Encores!) and is a five-time Helen Hayes Best Choreography nominee, receiving the award for Arena Stage's Oklahoma!. Mr. Esse directed and choreographed Crazy For You and West Side Story (Finger Lakes Music Theatre Festival). Additional choreography credits include Carousel, Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof, Smokey Joe's Café, The Music Man, The Light In the Piazza, The Mystery of Irma Vep and Christmas Carol 1941 (Arena Stage); A Wonderful Life, Fiddler on the Roof, The Most Happy Fella and Carousel (Goodspeed Musicals); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Ogunquit Playhouse); West Side Story (Signature Theatre); Bells Are Ringing and Little Shop of Horrors (Berkshire Theatre Group); Sweet Charity and Guys and Dolls (Canada's Shaw Festival). Associate choreographer for Broadway's Finian's Rainbow and A Tale of Two Cities and featured performer in Fosse. Upcoming projects include Me and My Girl (Shaw Festival) and Oklahoma! (Glimmerglass). Parker is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The Broadway Master Class Series. www.broadwaymcs.com

Hunter Foster (Director: A CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS CAROL) Hunter is an Artistic Associate at the Bucks County Playhouse where he has directed Company, Ain't Misbehavin', The Buddy Holly Story, National Pastime, The Rocky Horror Show (2013, 2014 and 2016), Summer of '42 and It's a Wonderful Life. Other directing credits include Cabaret, My Fair Lady (Cape Playhouse); Grease(North Carolina Theatre); Spamalot (Casa Manana); and has directed productions of the Million Dollar Quartet for the Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse and Westchester Broadway Theatre. This spring he will direct an adaptation of the movie Clue for Bucks County Playhouse. As a book writer he has written the book to the musical, Jasper in Deadland, which played at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle in spring 2015 following its world premiere at Prospect Theater Company in NYC. Hunter also wrote the book to Summer of '42 which was developed at Goodspeed's Terris Theatre before its Off-Broadway run which opened at the Variety Arts Theatre in New York City and was nominated for an Outer Critic Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical. Other recent book writing credits include The Circus in Winter (Goodspeed Musicals), Clyde and Bonnie: A Folktale (New York Musical Theatre Festival, Aurora Theatre), The Hollow (Signature Theatre) and Blue Ridge Sky. As an actor, he has appeared on Broadway in The Bridges of Madison County, Hands on a Hardbody, Million Dollar Quartet, The Producers, Little Shop of Horrors (Tony nomination), Urinetown, LES MISERABLES,Footloose, Grease and King David. Hunter is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BFA in Musical Theatre).

Kristin Hanggi (Director: DARLING GRENADINE) is best-known for directing and developing the international smash-hit Rock of Ages, which received five Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. She has directed numerous productions of Rock of Ages, including Broadway, the West End, Australia, Toronto, Las Vegas and two National Tours. Ms. Hanggi's other stage productions include developing and directing the acclaimed pop opera bare, which ran to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles and off-Broadway. bare brought Ms. Hanggi numerous accolades including the Ovation Award for Best Musical, LA Weekly Award for Best Musical and the Robby Award for Best Director. bare has gone on to have over 100 productions all over the world.Also a film director, Kristin recently directed Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, an adaption of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's popular novel of the same name, starring Victoria Justice. She made her feature directorial debut in 2013 with the indie Grantham & Rose starring Jake T. Austin and Marla Gibbs. For television, Ms. Hanggi adapted and directed the hit book series "Dear Dumb Diary" into a musical movie, under Executive Producer Jerry Zucker for Walden Media. Other past stage productions include the Atlantic Theater's Pirate La Dee Da (Alliance Award); the initial production that launched the Pussycat Dolls, Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy with stars Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra, and special guests Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Murphy, Nikka Costa, and Charlize Theron; and And the Curtain Rises at the Signature Theater; the winner of the New York Fringe Festival for best play, Catch the Fish by Jonathan Caren; Brian Crano's 12th Premise (LA Times Critic Pick); the Los Angeles premiere of Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi (Ticketholder Awards for Best Production and Best Director; Robby Award for Best Director of a Play); andTimothy McNeil's Crane, Mississippi (LA Times Critic's Choice, BackStage West Critic's Pick.) Ms. Hanggi graduated with her Masters from USC after receiving her Bachelors from UCLA in Theater. In June of 2013, Kristin returned to her alma mater to receive the UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television Distinguished Alumni Award. Kristin has a love of music and has directed multiple music videos. She also has a passion for connecting artists with holistic tools to develop and sustain their careers; she teaches ongoing workshops in both New York and Los Angeles. To learn more about all of her work, visit www.kristinhanggi.com

Denis Jones (Director and Choreographer: THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE) has been associated with many of the most prominent theatrical venues in America. His recent credits include The Tempest (Shakespeare in the Park); Honeymoon in Vegas (Broadway); Paint Your Wagon (City Center Encores!); Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (The Goodspeed and Broadway); Piece of My Heart (Signature, NY) where Denis garnered a Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Choreographer and SDC Callaway Finalist for Best Choreography; Disaster! (St Luke's); The Sound of Music (Lyric Opera, Chicago); Chicago, Grease (The MUNY); Johnny Baseball, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, She Loves Me (Williamstown Theater Festival); Elf (5th Ave, Seattle); Pirates!(Huntington Theater); POP! (Yale Rep); Coraline (MCC); Some Lovers (Old Globe, San Diego); Post Office (Center Theater Group); and Popesicle (Joe's Pub). Also The Kennedy Center Honors,Oprah's Surprise Spectacular, Rosie Live and Sex and the City 2. Upcoming projects include Moonshine: That Hee-Haw Musical (Dallas Theater Center).

Tina Landau (Director: DEATHLESS) is a writer and director and an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where her directing credits include The Wheel, Head of Passes, Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, Superior Donuts, The Tempest, The Time of Your Life (also at Seattle Rep, American Conservatory Theater), The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cherry Orchard, Space (also writer, Mark Taper Forum and NY Public Theater) and Charles Mee's Berlin Circle and Time to Burn. She most recently directed and co-conceived The Spongebob Musical, which received rave reviews in Chicago. New York credits include Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes (The Public); Wig Out! (Vineyard Theatre); In the Red and Brown Water (The Public); Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas (New York Theatre Workshop); Bill Irwin/David Shiner's Old Hats, Mee's Big Love and Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature Theatre Company); Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts (Broadway); Bells Are Ringing (Broadway); Floyd Collins (also book writer, Playwrights Horizons); Dream True (also lyrics/book writer, Vineyard Theatre). Regional credits include Beauty (also writer, La Jolla Playhouse), Antony and Cleopatra (Harford Stage), A Midsummer Night's Dream (McCarter Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse). Tina teaches regularly and has co-authored, with Anne Bogart, The Viewpoints Book.

Rob Ruggerio (Director: RAGS) is a freelance professional director whose work has earned him national recognition for both plays and musicals. Ruggiero will be returning to Goodspeed Musicals this fall to direct his 10th Goodspeed production. He previously directed highly successful productions of 1776, Big River, Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun, Carousel, The Most Happy Fella, Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage aux Folles and a new adaptation of Show Boat. This new version is now being licensed by the R&H Organization, and has had a recent production in London's West End directed by Daniel Evans. In 2015, Ruggiero had the opportunity to direct a Greek production of Fiddler on the Roof in Athens, Greece. Ruggiero's Broadway credits include HIGH (starring Kathleen Turner) and Looped(starring Valerie Harper in a Tony-nominated performance). Both productions toured nationally. He conceived and directed the original musical revue entitled Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn. The Off-Broadway production received nominations for both the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award. In 2008 an original cast recording was released and the London premiere was produced at the New Players Theater. Ruggiero made his Off-Broadway debut with All Under Heaven, which also stared Valerie Harper. This production toured regionally and had a critically-acclaimed run in Los Angeles. In 2005, Ruggiero conceived and directed the world premiere musical portrait of Ella Fitzgerald entitled Ella (starring Tina Fabrique). A popular and critical success, Ella has been seen at over 24 regional theaters from 2005-2010 before beginning a National Tour in the Fall of 2010. His work has been recognized with numerous awards including multiple Kevin Kline Awards, Broadway Works Awards, Joseph Jefferson Awards, and Connecticut Critic Circle Awards. His work has been seen at major regional theaters around the country, including Actor's Theater of Louisville, The Asolo Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Barrington Stage Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, The Muny, Northlight Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and San Jose Repertory Theatre, among others. He has been affiliated with TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut since 1993 and has been the Producing Artistic Director since 2012. At TheaterWorks he has directed well over 50 productions and been the driving force behind the development new work. Most recently Ruggiero directed a premiere production of Relativity starring Richard Dreyfuss.

Lisa Shriver (Choreographer: A CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS CAROL) Lisa recently choreographed the London premiere of Fiasco Theatre Company's Into the Woods at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Into the Woods was previously presented off-Broadway through the Roundabout Theatre, earning the 2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival. In addition, Lisa earned a Lucille Lortel nomination for Best Choreography. Her Broadway credits include the 2012 Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar directed by Des McAnuff, Ring of Fire, The Story of My Life and The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin. She is also credited as an assistant choreographer on over ten other Broadway productions including The Producers, Titanic and Oklahoma!. Regional work includes several productions at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival including Caesar and Cleopatra and The Tempest (both with Christopher Plummer), The Scottish Play, and Jesus Christ Superstar, all directed by Des McAnuff. In addition to Mr. McAnuff, she has been fortunate to work with other such visionary directors as James Lapine, Richard Maltby, Jr., Roger Rees and Tony Walton. She has choreographed at The Public, The La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, The McCarter Theatre, Signature Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Westport Playhouse and New York Theatre Workshop. Lisa choreographed Phish'sNew Year's Eve concert at Madison Square Garden for three years in a row. She has also directed and choreographed several shows for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Recently she choreographed the revisions of two existing shows for Disney Cruise Line. In addition to her theatre work, Lisa Shriver has worked extensively in film and TV. Her choreography credits include the Oscar winning film, A Beautiful Mind, the critically acclaimed HBO film, Hysterical Blindness, starring Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis; and the motion-capture film A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey and directed byRobert Zemeckis. She was also the Assistant Choreographer on Mr. Zemeckis' The Polar Express, Mixed Nuts with Steve Martin and the dance cult hit Center Stage. She choreographed the Netflix presentation of "A Very Murray Christmas" starring Bill Murray, George Clooney and Miley Cyrus (directed by Sofia Coppola), the Season 3 Finale of "Broad City" and an upcoming episode of "The Detour" on TBS. Lisa holds a BA in History and a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. She is a member of SDC and Canadian Equity.

Katie Spelman (Choreographer: OKLAHOMA!) is excited to be making her Goodspeed debut. Spellman's New York credits include Once (Broadway and First National Tour, Associate Movement Director), American Psycho (Broadway, Associate Choreographer), What's It All About? (New York Theatre Workshop, Associate Director), and Brooklynite (Vineyard Theatre, Associate Choreographer). In London she served as Associate Director for Close To You (West End) and What's It All About? (Menier Chocolate Factory). Her Chicago credits include Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure (Lookingglass Theatre); American Idiot, Adding Machine, Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and Into the Woods (The Hypocrites); James Joyce's The Dead, The Secret Garden (Court Theatre); Oklahoma!, RENT, In The Heights, Hair (Paramount Theatre); Juno (TimeLine Theatre Company); Theories of the Sun, Idomeneus (Sideshow Theatre Company); Bellboys, Bears and Baggage (Redmoon Theater); Down and Derby (The New Colony); CPS Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Fly Honey Show (The Inconvenience); and Cabaret; 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Who's Tommy (Northwestern University). She has also assisted and performed with Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Drury Lane Theatre and Marriott Theatre.

Jenn Thompson (Director: OKLAHOMA!) Thompson's work has been seen in NYC and across the country. Her recent production of Women Without Men for Off-Broadway's Mint Theatre Company has garnered 2016 Lortel and Off-Broadway Alliance Award nominations for Outstanding Revival as well as 5 Drama Desk Award nominations including Outstanding Director and Revival.Jenn served as Co-Artistic Director of Off-Broadway's TACT/The Actors Company Theatre from 2011 to 2015, where her credits included Abundance (in its first NYC staging in 25 years- and garnering the Off-Broadway Alliance's award for Best Revival), Natural Affection (in its first staging in 50 years), Lost in Yonkers (2012 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Revival of a Play, with revisions approved by Mr. Simon himself); The Memorandum; The Late Christopher Bean, Bedroom Farce, The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (The New York Times - Year in Theater: Top 10 of 2008), Ladies in Retirement, My 3 Angels, Rain and Kind Lady. Other NYC directing credits include Pratfalls (NYC Premiere, Abingdon), the world-premiere musical Seeing Stars (NYMF), Badge(Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), The Brilliance Of Bernstein (American Musicals Project) and Big Doolie (FringeNYC). She has developed work at MCC, Primary Stages, The Mint Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, York Theatre Company, Abingdon Theatre Company, The Bridge Theatre and Rattlestick, among others. Regional credits include Bye Bye Birdie (The Goodspeed), The Call(TheaterWorks Hartford), Angel Street (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Lost in Yonkers (Barrington Stage Company), Peter and the Starcatcher (Pioneer Theatre Company and Victoria Theatre Association), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Denver Center Theatre), Grounded (City Theatre), Abundance (Hartford Stage - multiple Connecticut Critics Circle nominations including Outstanding Director and Play); The Philadelphia Story (Pioneer Theatre Company), The Syringa Tree (Portland Stage Company), All in the Timing, Noises Off, Barefoot in the Park and Boeing Boeing (Dorset Theatre Festival - where she is a Resident Director), as well as 19 seasons with Connecticut's award-winning River Rep at the Ivoryton Playhouse where she served as Producing Director working on over 50 productions including directing Damn Yankees, The Heiress, Dinner with Friends and The Foreigner. Jenn was a 2012 finalist for the SDC's Joe A. Callaway Award, for excellence in New York City directing.

MORE ABOUT GOODSPEED'S 2017 PRODUCTIONS:

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE April 21 - July 2 at THE GOODSPEED

In 1922 New York, all the modern girls are sporting bobbed hair and heightened hemlines! Newcomer Millie is no exception, jumping headlong into a makeover and a dizzy plan to marry rich - until she falls for a penniless charmer. Her jazz-kissed adventures are crowded with a flurry of flappers, a runaway heiress, a nefarious landlady and more. A mix of madcap mistaken identity, high-spirited show tunes and tap-happy dance has more kick than bootleg gin in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical. Thoroughly Modern Mille features Book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan, New Music by Jeanine Tesori, and New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan. Based on the original story and screenplay by Richard Morris for Universal Pictures Film.

DEATHLESS June 2 - July 2 at THE TERRIS THEATRE

The Serling family is taking its annual road trip to Niagara Falls, but this time they're saying goodbye to mom. Along the way, memories of past trips, old wounds and family secrets are navigated in a not-too-distant future where no one dies of disease. For daughter Hayley, the journey means facing the big questions of life and death. Travel with unforgettable characters on the brink of discovering that living forever may not be as wonderful as it sounds. A funny, bittersweet, breathtaking new musical you simply must see. Deathless features Book, Music and Lyrics by Zack Zadek

Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! July 14 - September 23 at THE GOODSPEED

The Rodgers & Hammerstein classic that changed American musicals forever dawns at Goodspeed for the very first time. Cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey are taking their sweet time falling in love. Can these stubborn romantics admit their feelings before it's too late? Passion, laughter and high-kicking choreography blossom in a land where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. A legendary score - including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and the rousing title tune - will put you in a brand new state!Oklahoma! features music by Richard Rodgers and Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" by Lynn Riggs. Original Dances by Agnes deMille.

DARLING GRENADINE August 18 - September 17 at THE TERRIS THEATRE

Meet fun-loving jingle composer Harry. In modern Manhattan, his charmed life with girlfriend Louise, brother Paul and beloved Labrador Retriever (also Paul!) sparkles with the fizz of romantic comedies and the whimsy of MGM musicals. But will it all go flat when reality interrupts Harry's tenderly orchestrated fantasia? A rich contemporary score explores the friction between romance and reality, bitter and sweet, high and low. Raise a glass to a musical serving something magical, moving and boldly new. Darling Grenadine features Book, Music & Lyrics by Daniel Zaitchik.

RAGS October 6 - December 10 at THE GOODSPEED

Welcome to the new world! Fresh from Ellis Island, a young mother and her son search for lost family and a sense of home as the 20th century beckons. The streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side may not be paved with gold, but they echo with the music of opportunity, optimism and hope. A ravishing score by the songwriters of Wicked and Annie colors a sweeping saga of America's immigrant past. Celebrate our rich roots in Goodspeed's new adaptation of a neglected masterpiece of the musical theatre. Rags features Book by Joseph Stein, Music byCharles Strouse, Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and New Adaptation by David Thompson,

A CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS CAROL November 17 - December 24 at THE TERRIS THEATRE

Some of the most beloved storytellers in Connecticut history come alive for a yuletide gathering you won't forget. Famed actor and local legend William Gillette leaves his castle on the Connecticut River to adapt Dickens' holiday classic in the 1920s. Local heroes Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe and P.T. Barnum make spirited appearances opposite Gillette's Scrooge in a highly theatrical twist on a family favorite. Custom-made for Goodspeed with all original music, here's a tuneful, heartfelt confection spiced with enough Nutmeg State flavor to sweeten your season. A Connecticut Christmas Carol features Book by L J Fecho, and Music and Lyrics by Michael O'Flaherty, Goodspeed's Resident Music Director for over 25 years.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Michael Gennaro, Goodspeed Musicals is dedicated to the preservation, development and advancement of musical theatre and is the first theatre in the nation to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement). Goodspeed produces three musicals each season at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride