CHRISTMAS EVE IN DIKANKA Cast Announced At Gallery Players Overtures Festival

Casting has been announced for CHRISTMAS EVE IN DIKANKA, a new musical by Kit Goldstein Grant, at Gallery Players Overtures Festival on December 13 & 14, 2024.

It’s Christmas Eve in Dikanka, and a blacksmith must find fancy shoes like those worn by the Czarina in the next few hours or lose the heart of his lady love.  But when the Devil comes to town, will he give up his soul for a sole?  And what will he do about his mother, who is a promiscuous witch?  No really, an actual witch.  This loosely adapted take on Nikolai Gogol’s story sets the show in a meta-theatrical universe which combines a Ukrainian 19th century absurdist tone and a modern sensibility, plus a lotta slapstick.

The cast features Juan Calix, Emily Esposito, Christopher Michaels*, David Perlman*, Bailey Seeker, Ellen White*.  The production is directed by Joey Murray, with music direction by Joseph K. Ivan, and stage management by Jo Calhoun.  Produced by Tony-award winning producer Judith Manocherian (Once On This Island, The Prom), and associate produced and assistant directed by Alexa Powell. Book, Music and Lyrics are by Kit Goldstein Grant.

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association.  Equity Approved Showcase.

Cast

Juan Calix (Vakula) - Juan is excited to be working on this piece! He was recently seen in Cumberland Theatre’s production of Nevermore (Jock Allan). He had the pleasure of playing Pablo (Curtis u/s) in the International Asian Tour of Sister Act. He also appeared as Curtis in Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s production of Sister Act. Other regional credits: Sunday In The Park With George (Soldier/Alex), Fun Home (Bruce), The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), With Bells On! (Natasha), and Shooting Star (Butch O’Neal/Martin Lords). On film Juan was recently seen in Vanishing Shore, Street Behavior, and Rabets. He’s a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. 

Emily Esposito (Stage Directions / Understudy) - Emily is thrilled to be part of a new work. Past Credits include Something Rotten (Bea), A Bronx Tale (Rosina), National Tour; Fame The Musical (Miss Bell), On Your Feet (Riverside Theater, Gateway Playhouse, Engeman Theater. Off Broadway credits Never Ending Line, and Medicine the Musical directed by the one and only Joey Murray. She is also the owner of a wedding dance business, Anyone Can Dance.

Christopher Michaels (Narrator) - NYC: The Christians (Ensemble), The Wrong Box (Porter), The Nose (Chief Crookakoff); Regional: Love! Valour! Compassion! (Buzz), Beauty & The Beast (LeFou), My Fair Lady (Karpathy/Quartet), Thrill Me (Nathan Leopold), The Boys in the Band (Emory), Damn Yankees (Rocky). Voiceover: NPR/Planet Money’s Micro-Face (Escheater) and Bite-Sized Broadway (Various). Member of AEA/SDC.

David Perlman (Devil) - Broadway: Baby It’s You! Off-Broadway: Yank! (York Theatre), Amerike - The Golden Land (National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene). Tours/regional: Fiddler on the Roof (The Muny, Goodspeed, PCLO, Arena Stage), Hair (European tour), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (national tour).  TV:  30 Rock, Law and Order, Mysteries of Laura, The Blacklist.  David is a professional wedding photographer.

Bailey Seeker (Oksana) - Off-Broadway/Select Regional Credits: Swingtime Canteen (Jo, Cherry Lane Theatre), Oliver! (Nancy), Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice), Boeing Boeing (Gretchen), and Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife).

Ellen White (Solokha) is overjoyed to be joining the cast of Christmas Eve In Dikanka! Recent credits include industry readings of All Star: The Best Broadway Musical as well as a new musical based on Felicity Day’s web series The Guild.  Other Off-Broadway credits include Alice in Alice’s (OOTB Theatrics), Songs For A New World (OOTB Theatrics), Katzelmacher USA (The Cell) and The Crucible. Thanks to TikTok, Ellen is an enthusiastic miniature cow lover, knows way too much about raccoons and if she was on the Bachelor, her job title would be Dog Enthusiast. Thanks to Joey and Kit and the entire production team at Dikanka and Gallery Players for bringing her on!

Creative Team:

Joey Murray (Director) is a New York City based stage and creative director whose work has been seen internationally and on major stages throughout the United States. His extensive experience in arts leadership spans across multiple genres of the entertainment industry, including theatre, concert tours, music videos, event production, artistic and creative direction. His work as a theatre director includes numerous productions Off-Broadway and at the New York Musical Festival (NYMF), including Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space at Signature Theatre and ’68: A New American Musical on Theatre Row. Selected regional and touring credits include Hair (50th Anniversary Production) and Cabaret at Pentangle Arts Center; Godspell at Grange Theatre; The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Fordham University; regional tour and Queens Theatre premiere production of Polkadots the Musical; Holidays at the Hard Rock! featuring renowned Broadway and recording artist Linda Eder at the Hard Rock Arena. He served as Associate Director for the Broadway bound production of CAN-CAN at Paper Mill Playhouse and as Artistic Director for The Broadway Dolls, an award-winning concert experience featuring the most in-demand women on Broadway. Former Artistic Director at Jenny Wiley Theatre, where he cast and directed over a dozen productions, including: Disney’s Tarzan; Footloose; 9 to 5; Oliver!; and The Robber Bridegroom. In New York, he has directed and developed numerous plays and musicals at New York Musical Festival (NYMF), New York Int’l Fringe Festival, New York Theatre Barn, Here Arts Center, Joe’s Pub and provided the book for the off-Broadway rock musical The Hole (Theatre at St. Clements).  He is a frequent guest speaker, lecturer and coach in New York City and at universities throughout the nation. Murray is a graduate of Catholic University and studied playwriting and directing at New York University and The Barrow Group, respectively. SDC associate. www.joeymurraycreative.com

Joseph Ivan (Music Director) is an MFA candidate at Penn State in Theatre Music Direction. Past credits include Music Assistant for Sunset Blvd., Elf (Broadway). MD for Sophia and the Bee-Man (Workshop), Falsettos, Tarrytown (PSU), Spring Awakening, Heathers (CASA), 21 Chump St., American Idiot (Miami University), All Shook Up, Zombie Prom, Babes in Arms (Stagedoor Manor). Associate MD for Urinetown, Into the Woods, Rent (PSU). He’ll be returning to PSU in the spring for his thesis production of How to Succeed… as Music Director.

Jo Calhoun (Stage Manager) - They are a Manhattan based actor and techy. They currently work as the Logistics Coordinator at Theater Now New York and as a Technical Assistant at their alumnus school The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). They are extremely passionate about new works. @Jo_Calhoun_

Judith Manocherian (Producer) - Broadway: SWEPT AWAY, THE WIZ, PICTURES FROM HOME, THE GREAT SOCIETY, THE PROM (Drama Desk), THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT and ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (Tony).  Off Broadway: N/A, FERN HILL and SMART BLONDE. Film: COAST, A CALL TO SPY and NO ONE CALLED AHEAD (Amazon Prime). Podcast: BITE SIZED BROADWAY/Spotify.

Alexa Powell (Associate Producer / Assistant Director) - Alexa is a theatre artist passionate about arts accessibility, community, and stories of queer joy. Alexa’s primary focus is theatrical producing, directing, and admin with a healthy dose of graphic design. Highlights include AD/Co-Producer on BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN at the Chain Theatre, graphic design for SAPPHEST: NYC’S PREMIERE SAPPHIC PLAY FEST, and she will be directing a new play: “CHRISTINE OR DARK PHANTOM…” in the coming year! @alexapcreates | alexapowell.net

Kit Goldstein Grant (Book, Music, Lyrics) - Kit wrote the musical MICRO-FACE for NPR podcast PLANET MONEY, and her musicals have been seen in South Africa (THE NOSE) and at various venues in NYC including Theater Row (THE GIANT HOAX).  Five of her musicals for young audiences have toured schools with the Schenectady Theatre for Children, including IT’S RAINING TAMALES!, which is published by YouthPLAYS.  Kit has studied at Juilliard, the BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, and holds a M.M. in Composition from Brooklyn College.  She is also a teaching artist, working with New York City Children’s Theater and the Metropolitan Opera and with her own company, Paper Kite Arts. Kit is a member of ASCAP, the Dramatists Guild, Composers Collective, and Theatre Now New York's Musical Writers Lab - www.tnny.org.  www.kitgoldstein.com

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