Ahrens & Flaherty's LITTLE DANCER Closes Today at the Kennedy Center

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents the world premiere musical production Little Dancer in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater through today, November 30, 2014. The musical features book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Lynn Ahrens, music by Tony Award winner Stephen Flaherty, and direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman.

Casting includes four-time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines as Edgar Degas, three-time Tony Award nomineeRebecca Luker as Adult Marie van Goethem, and New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck as Young Marie van Goethem. Additional casting includes Polly Baird, Wendi Bergamini, Lauren Blackman, Sophia Anne Caruso,Janet Dickinson, Juliet Doherty, Nina Goldman, Kyle Harris, Sean Martin Hingston, Jolina Javier, Michael X. Martin,Michael McCormick, Dulcie Pham, James A. Pierce III, Jenny Powers, Katelyn Prominski, Michele Ragusa, John Riddle, Amy Ruggiero, Joseph J. Simeone, Justin Urso, Lyrica Woodruff, and Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba.

Part fact, part fiction, and set in the harsh backstage world of the Paris Opera Ballet, Little Dancer is inspired by the young ballerina who posed for Edgar Degas and became, inadvertently, the most famous dancer in the world. Torn by her family's poverty, her debt to the artist and the lure of wealthy men, Marie struggles to keep her place in the ballet corps-a girl on the verge of womanhood, caught between the conflicting demands of life and art.

The creative team includes set design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Kai Harada, music supervision by David Loud, dance arrangements by Sam Davis, orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Larry Hochman, wig and hair design by Paul Huntley, and projection design byBenjamin Pearcy. Shawn Gough will conduct the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik