Beth Leavel to Join Alliance Theatre's TUCK EVERLASTING World Premiere as 'Ma Tuck' Mid-Run

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Beth Leavel will be joining Alliance Theatre's world premiere musical Tuck Everlasting as 'Ma Tuck', beginning February 6 and continuing through the 22nd, when original star Carolee Carmello leaves to join Broadway's production of Finding Neverland.

Leavel has starred on Broadway in Elf, Baby It's You!, Young Frankenstein, The Drowsy Chaperone (for which she won a Tony and a Drama Desk in 2006), Mamma Mia!, 42nd Street, The Civil War, Show Boat and Crazy For You.

Based on the beloved best-selling novel by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is an exhilarating story about everlasting love, never-ending life, and discovering what it means to truly feel alive.

TUCK EVERLASTING will be brought to life on stage in a wholly original production, featuring a book by Tony Award nominee Claudia Shear (Dirty Blonde), music by Chris Miller (The Burnt Part Boys), lyrics by Nathan Tysen (The Burnt Part Boys), and direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, The Drowsy Chaperone, Spamalot).

Leading the cast in the role of Winnie Foster, a young girl who stumbles upon a family with a fabulous secret, is ten-year-old Atlanta based actor Sarah Charles Lewis. Lewis has been performing in and around Atlanta since the age of five, most recently as the title character in Atlanta Lyric Theatre's production of Annie. Also in the cast are Tony Award Nominee Carolee Carmello (Scandalous, Parade) as Ma Tuck (followed by Beth Leavel in the role from 2/6-22), Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Newsies The Musical) as Jesse Tuck, Robert Lenzi (South Pacific) as Miles Tuck, Tony Award Nominee Terrence Mann (Pippin, Beauty and the Beast) as the Man in the Yellow Suit, and Michael Park (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Pa Tuck. The cast also features Bill Buell (Cyrano de Bergerac) as Constable Joe, Michael Wartella (Wicked) as Hugo, Shannon Eubanks (Regional: The Savannah Disputation) as Nana, and Liza Jaine (Regional: Mary Poppins) as Betsy Foster.

Additional members of the Tuck Everlasting creative team include Set Designer Walt Spangler (A Christmas Story The Musical), Tony Award winning Costume Designer Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots, Follies), Tony Award winning Lighting Designer Kenneth Posner (Kinky Boots, Pippin), and Tony Award winning Sound Designer Brian Ronan (Beautiful The Carole King Musical, The Book of Mormon).

Performances for Tuck Everlasting are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:30 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, January 21 - February 22, 2015. There will be no 2:30 pm performance on Jan. 24. There will be no 7:30 pm performance on Feb. 1. Opening Night is Wednesday, February 4, at 7:30 pm.

Tickets start at $25 and are available at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office in person or by calling 404.733.5000. Tickets are also available online at www.alliancetheatre.org/tuckeverlasing. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404.733.4690. Discounted rates are also available for members of the military, seniors, and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, at the corner of Peachtree and 15th Street.