Photo Flash: First Look at Sasha Cooke, Morris Robinson and More in Houston Grand Opera's SHOW BOAT

Houston Grand Opera presents SHOW BOAT, which opened January 18. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

The Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein musical will be directed by Francesca Zambello in a co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Washington National Opera. Houston Grand Opera artistic director and music director Patrick Summers is set to conduct.

Lara Teeter will join Sasha Cooke as "Magnolia Hawks", Joseph Kaiser as "Gaylord Ravenal", Melody Moore as "Julie LaVerne", Morris Robinson as "Joe", Marietta Simpson as "Queenie" and Cheryl Parrish as "Parthy Ann Hawks". Lynn Wyatt will also play "Lady on the Levee".

The creative team also features choreographer Michele Lynch, set designer Peter J. Davison, costume designer Paul Tazewell, lighting designer Mark McCullough and chorus master Richard Bado.

Show Boat follows the theatrical family of The Cotton Blossom as it sails the Mississippi providing musical entertainment at towns along the river. A magical score and epic story make Show Boat a seminal work of the musical theater with a uniquely American accent. Houston Grand Opera's 1982 production made it to Broadway in 1983, directed by Michael Kahn and conducted by John DeMain.

For more about Show Boat at Houston Grand Opera, visit www.houstongrandopera.org.

Photos Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera. All Photos by Felix Sanchez

Sasha Cooke and Company

The Cast

The Cast

Marietta Simpson, Morris Robinson, Sasha Cooke and Melody Moore

Morris Robinson

Sasha Cooke and Joseph Kaiser