Harriet Harris Cast in CA Premiere of Never Gonnna Dance
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 28, 2006
Harris will play Mabel Pritt--the role originated by Karen Ziemba--in the show, which weaves in the songs of Jerome Kern (and his various lyricists) to tell its story. Never Gonna Dance will be directed by Larry Raben and feature choreography by Lee Martino and musical direction by Darryl Archibald. It will be headlined by David Engel as Lucky and Tami Tappan Damiano as Penny, while Henry Polic II, Chip Abbott, Shell Bauman, Seth Belliston, Danial Brown, Sascha Childers, Penny Collins, Debortah Fauerbach, Joshua Finkel, Karla Franko, Kristyn Green, James Gruessing, Kim Mikesell, John Moschitta, Jr., Robert Pieranunzi, Aaron Pomeroy, Kate Roth, Daniel Smith, John J. Todd, Yvette Tucker and Kim Van Biene will also be featured in the cast.
Never Gonna Dance "begins its tale with John 'Lucky' Garnett, a professional dancer, coming to New York in order to prove his worth to his fiancee's father by attempting to earn $25,000 by any means except dancing. Inspired by the energy and rhythms of the city, he of course can't keep still, and goes on to dance his way through hilarious adventures with his fine new romance, the dance teacher, Penny Carroll," according to press notes. The show was based on the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie musical Swing Time.
The title song, "A Fine Romance," "I Won't Dance," "Who" and "Pick Yourself Up" and "The Way You Look Tonight" are among the songs included in Never Gonna Dance, which also features a book by Jeffrey Hatcher. The musical opened on Broadway on December 4th, 2003 and ran for 84 performances at the Broadhurst Theatre with Nancy Lemenager, Noah Racey, Ziemba, Peter Bartlett and Ron Orbach among its performers.
Harris will next be seen in the Kennedy Center's production of Mame, which will open this summer. Harris, who has become familiar to TV audiences through her work on "Desperate Housewives," received a Tony Award for her performance as the sinister Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie. She was previously seen on Broadway in The Man Who Came to Dinner and Four Baboons Adoring the Sun. Other New York theatre credits include The Crucible, Hamlet, Macbeth, Jeffrey and Bella, Belle of Byelorussia; she was Drama Desk Award-nominated for the latter two shows. TV and film work includes "It's All Relative," "Six Feet Under," "Frasier," Memento, Nurse Betty and Quiz Show.
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