Elizabeth A. Davis, Robert Cuccioli Will Join John Turturro & More in Encores! ZORBA!

John Turturro will star in the title role of Zorba, joined by Adam Chanler-Berat , Robert Cuccioli, Elizabeth A. Davis, Santino Fontana, Marin Mazzie, Robert Montano, Carlos Valdes and Zoë Wanamaker in Zorba!, running for seven performances, May 6 - 10, 2015. Zorba! will be directed by Walter Bobbie (Chicago) and choreographed by Josh Rhodes (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) with musical direction by Rob Berman. Zorba! is the final production of New York City Center's 2015 Encores! season.

The Zorba! cast includes Adam Chanler-Berat (Peter and the Starcatcher), Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll and Hyde), Elizabeth A. Davis (Once), Santino Fontana (Act One), Marin Mazzie (Bullets Over Broadway),Robert Montano (Fabulation), John Turturro (Quiz Show), Carlos Valdes (The Flash) and Zoë Wanamaker (Electra) with Enrique Acevedo, Yusef Bulos, Laura D'Andre, Sean Ewing, Richard Gatta, Evangelia Kingsley, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Vanessa Lemonides, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Michelle Peterson, David Scott Purdy, Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva, Matthew Rossoff, Rommy Sandhu, Gavriel Savit, Allysa Shorte, Evan D. Siegel, Joseph J. Simeone, Alex Syiek, Nicholas Ward and James Zannelli.

Zorba! is Joseph Stein, John Kander and Fred Ebb's galvanic re-imagining of Nikos Kazantzakis's best-selling tale of Zorba (John Turturro), a larger than life Greek jack-of-all-trades who "lives every day as if it will be his last" and his friendship with Nikos (Santino Fontana), a young American student. Life becomes complicated when the men become involved with two women: Zorba with the aging innkeeper Madame Hortense (Zoë Wanamaker) and Nikos with a beautiful widow (Elizabeth A. Davis). Commenting on the story is a Greek chorus-like group, led by The Leader (Marin Mazzie), who begins the play by explaining exactly what "Life Is."

Zorba! has a book by Joseph Stein, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was adapted from Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. The original production starred Herschel Bernardi and

Maria Karnilova and was directed by Harold Prince. It opened at the Imperial Theater on November 16, 1968 and ran for 305 performances. Songs include "Life Is" and "Only Love."

New York City Center gratefully acknowledges the Encores! Season Sponsors, Stacey and Eric Mindich, Nathalie and Pablo Salame, The Shubert Foundation, and the Stephanie and Fred Shuman Fund for Encores!. Support for Zorba! is provided by Chobani and Roz and Jerry Meyer.

New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city since 1943. It was Manhattan's first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center's Principal Dance Company, as well as Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as "one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York." In summer 2013, City Center launched Encores! Off-Center, a new series featuring landmark musicals filtered through the lens of today's most innovative artists.

Dance has been integral to the theater's mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival, remain central to City Center's identity. Vital partnerships with arts organizations including Jazz at Lincoln Center and London's Sadler's Wells Theatre enhance City Center's programmatic offerings. City Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to New York City students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In Schools and the Young People's Dance Series. Special workshops cater to families, seniors and other groups, while events such as the Fall for Dance DanceTalk series offer learning opportunities to the general public. In October 2011, City Center completed an extensive renovation project to revitalize and modernize its historic theater.

Zorba! runs 7 performances, May 6 - 10, 2015 according to the following schedule: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8 pm, and Sunday and 2 and 7 pm. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased at the New York City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues), through CityTix at 212-581-1212, or online at www.NYCityCenter.org.

Photo by Walter McBride