George Abud, Victor E. Chan, Eden Espinosa, Amber Iman & More to Star in LEMPICKA at La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Playhouse has announced the cast and creative team for its 2022/2023 season opener: Lempicka, book, lyrics and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly, and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Broadway's Hadestown), running June 14 - July 24 (press opening: June 25). Tickets to Lempicka are currently available through a subscription purchase. Single tickets will go on sale May 12 at LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

The cast features George Abud as "Marinetti," Victor E. Chan as "Baron," Eden Espinosa (Broadway's Wicked) as "Tamara de Lempicka," Amber Iman (Broadway's Soul Doctor) as "Rafaela" (through July 10); Natalie Joy Johnson as "Suzy Solidor," Jacquelyn Ritz as "Baroness," Andrew Samonsky (Playhouse's The Hunchback of Notre Dame) as "Tadeusz Lempicki" and Jordan Tyson as "Kizette," along with ensemble members Leanne Antonio, Lauren Blackman, Leovina Charles, Milena J. Comeau, Michael Louis Cusimano, Alexa Jane Lowis, David Merino, Luke P. Monday, Devin L. Roberts, Ximone Rose (who will portray the role of "Rafaela" July 12 - 24); Morgan Nicholas Scott, Joey Taranto and Mariand Torres.

The creative team includes Riccardo Hernandez, Scenic Designer; Anita Yavich, Costume Designer; Bradley King, Lighting Designer; Justin Stasiw, Sound Designer; Peter Nigrini, Projection Designer; Remy Kurs, Music Supervisor; Cian McCarthy, Orchestrator; Peter Duchan, Script Consultant; Telsey + Company - Craig Burns CSA and Jacole Kitchen, Casting; and Cody Renard Richard, Stage Manager.

Amid the violence of the Russian Revolution, a young painter named Tamara de Lempicka and her aristocrat husband are forced to abandon their luxurious lifestyle and flee to the dubious safety of Paris. Relying on raw talent and relentless ambition, Tamara claws her way from penniless refugee to in-demand portraitist, earning a place among Parisian high society. Her world is upended once again when she meets Rafaela, a free spirit from the city slums, who introduces Tamara to a new world of decadence and passion. Torn between her new muse and her husband, and fighting to leave her mark on an ever-changing world, Tamara must discover the depths of her own strength to survive. Spanning decades of political turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come. The world premiere of Lempicka was originally produced in July 2018 by the Williamstown Theatre Festival; Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director.

"After a long pandemic pause, it is an honor to mount this stunning new musical at the Playhouse. Lempicka tells the story of a woman who defiantly sets her own course amid the political turmoil and cultural repression of 1920s Europe, and I cannot wait to see this stellar company share her fascinating journey on our stage," said Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse.

La Jolla Playhouse is a place where artists and audiences come together to create what's new and next in the American theatre, from Tony Award-winning productions, to imaginative programs for young audiences, to interactive experiences outside our theatre walls. Founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, the Playhouse is currently led by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, and Managing Director Debby Buchholz. The Playhouse is internationally renowned for the development of new plays and musicals, including mounting 108 world premieres, commissioning 60 new works, and sending 33 productions to Broadway - including the hit musical Come From Away - garnering a total of 38 Tony Awards, as well as the 1993 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.