Christopher Renshaw to Direct CARMENCITA JONES Industry Reading Later This Month

On the 26th March, Drama Desk Winner and Tony Award Nominee Christopher Renshaw (The King and I, Taboo, We Will Rock You) will direct a private industry reading of CARMENCITA JONES at the Roundabout Rehearsal Rooms on 45th Street, New York.

This New Musical is a bilingual re-interpretation of Oscar Hammerstein II and Bizet's Broadway classic, Carmen Jones. CARMENCITA JONES was developed in Havana, Cuba, last year, where it was again directed by Christopher Renshaw, and choreographed by leading Cuban choreographer Roclan Gonzalez Chavez (Kings of Salsa, Ballet Revolución).

Four fully staged workshop performances were presented with enormous success on a wharf in the Old Port in Havana Vieja with an all-Cuban cast.

Bizet's amazing score is arranged by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Alex Lacamoire (Wicked, In the Heights, Hamilton) and Edgar Vero in a range of authentic Cuban styles including Mambo, Danzón, Cha-Cha-Cha, Salsa and Rumba.

Cuban poet and playwright Norge Espinosa Mendoza wrote the Spanish Book and Lyrics for the Havana workshop and has now been joined by Olivier Award-winning book-writer and lyricist Stephen Clark (Martin Guerre) for the New York bilingual reading. Oscar Hammerstein's famous lyrics for the original Broadway musical have been integrated with Espinosa's new Spanish version.

Set in late 1958, CARMENCITA JONES collides the deadly sexuality of Carmen with the passion and turmoil of the Cuban revolution.

Forged in Havana itself, CARMENCITA JONES brings a Cuban authenticity to the Hammerstein original. Indeed the reading is proud to introduce Luna Manzanares, a Cuban actress who created the role in Havana last year.

She is joined by Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Zorro Olivier Award), Janet Dacal (In the Heights Drama Desk Award), Olga Merediz (In the Heights Tony Nomination, Drama Desk Award), Ana Isabelle, Joshua Henry (Scottsboro Boys, Violet Tony Nominations, In the Heights Drama Desk Award), Nicholas Rodriguez, Zachary Infante, Joseph Melendez and Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Rent Tony Award).

Musical Direction is by Kurt Crowley (Hamilton) and casting by Jay Binder and Jack Bowdan.

The reading is produced by Jon Lee, Willem Metz and Christopher Renshaw.