Hunter Foster, Jay Armstrong Johnson, and More Set for PIRATES! at the Muny

The Muny has announced principal casting for the sixth show of its 94th season, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd), July 30 - August 5, directed by Gordon Greenberg and choreographed by Denis Jones. Conceived by Gordon Greenburg, Nell Benjamin and John McDaniel, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd) features lyrics by W.S. Gilbert, and music by Arthur Sullivan. Revised book and lyrics are by Nell Benjamin, and music supervision, new arrangements and orchestrations are by John McDaniel.

Hunter Foster makes his Muny debut as the Pirate King. Joining him is Broadway veteran Ed Dixon as General Stanley, and Kathy Fitzgerald as Ruth. Rounding out the cast are Alan Mingo Jr. as The Sergeant, Analisa Leaming as Mabel, and Jay Armstrong Johnston as Frederic.,P> "We're thrilled to bring this hilarious new adaptation to The Muny," said Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. "Gordon, Nell and John have given Gilbert & Sullivan's classic a delicious new sheen, and we've got a dream cast. We're proud to be a part of the development of this exciting new show."

The Muny's production features original scenic design by Rob Bissinger, adapted for The Muny by Steve Gilliam. Sound design is by Jason Krueger, lighting design by Seth Jackson, and costume designs by David Woolard and Robin McGee. Ben Whiteley serves as the musical director, and the production stage manager is Harold Goldfadden.

Hunter Foster (Pirate King) Broadway: Million Dollar Quartet, The Producers, Little Shop of Horrors (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic nominations), Urinetown (Outer Critic nomination), Les Misérables, Grease, Footloose and King David. Off-Broadway: Happiness (Drama Desk nomination), Ordinary Days, Frankenstein, Dust, Modern Orthodox, Urinetown (Lucille Lortel nomination). Regional: Little Miss Sunshine (La Jolla), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes nomination), The Government Inspector, Martin Guerre (Guthrie), Mister Roberts (Kennedy Center), Children of Eden (Paper Mill), Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, Boeing Boeing (Cape Playhouse). National Tours: Cats, Martin Guerre, The Producers. As a writer, he wrote the librettos for the musicals Summer of '42, Bonnie & Clyde: a Folktale and The Hollow. Hunter is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Ed Dixon (General Stanley) has been featured on Broadway in Anything Goes; MARY POPPINS; SUNDAY IN THE Park with George; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Gore Vidal's The Best Man; The Iceman Cometh; The Scarlet Pimpernel; Les Misérables; Cyrano; The Three Musketeers; King of Schnorrers; No, No, Nanette and Bernstein's Mass. Drama Desk nomination for Shylock, which he adapted and composed, and Helen Hayes award for Max in Sunset Boulevard. Ed is the author/composer of Cather County (Leon Rabin award), Richard Cory (NYMF Festival and Audience Prize), Fanny Hill (Drama Desk nomination), Whodunit…The Musical and Cloak and Dagger. www.eddixon.biz

Kathy Fitzgerald (Ruth) Kathy has most recently come from the Broadway company of Wicked, where she played the role of Madame Morrible. Other Broadway credits include: Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 (Roz), Outer Critics nomination, original company of Mel Brooks's The Producers (Shirley Markowitz), Swinging on a Star, Drama Desk nomination. Off-Broadway: Damn Yankee's (Doris) at Encores!, with Sean Hayes; Secrets Every Smart Traveler…; Disaster, with radio host Seth Rudetsky. Regional: A Christmas Carol; All in the Timing, Cincinnati Playhouse; Emmet Otter, Goodspeed; Nite Club Confidential with Scott Bakula; Quilters; School for Wives and Minor Demons with The Arizona Theater Company; Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sedona Shakespeare; The Kathy and Mo Show; The Search for Signs... TV/Film: Curb Your Enthusiasm; Mercy; One Life to Live; The Next Three Days, with Russell Crow; Our Idiot Brother, with Paul Rudd; The Producers and Comedy Central's The Gregory Brothers.

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