It has just been announced that stars Ana Gasteyer as ("Miss Hannigan") and Megan Hilty ("Lily St. Regis.") have joined the cast of the upcoming Hollywood Bowl production of ANNIE, which will take place Friday, July 27, at 8 pm, Saturday, July 28, at 8 pm, and Sunday, July 29, at 7:30 pm.
Annie will be helmed by Tony Award-nominated director
Michael Arden, conducted by
Todd Ellison, and choreographed by
Eamon Foley. Annie's book is by
Thomas Meehan, music by
Charles Strouse, and lyrics by
Martin Charnin. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The production also stars the previously announced
Lea Salonga as
Grace Farrell.
Best known for her incomparable work on Saturday Night Live,
Ana Gasteyer can currently be seen starring in two critically acclaimed television series: People of Earth on TBS and Lady Dynamite opposite Maria Bamford on Netflix. Her other television credits include The Goldbergs (as drama teacher "Miss Cinoman"), Great News, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Good Wife, Suburgatory, Girls, Law & Order, and two recent live network musicals: as "Principal McGee" in Grease Live!, which debuted to record ratings on Fox, and A Christmas Story as "Mrs. Schwartz" (performing the original song "Market for a Miracle" by
Benj Pasek and
Justin Paul).
On the big screen, Gasteyer has been seen in Mean Girls, What Women Want, The Women, Dick, and in the upcoming Wine Country co-staring with
Amy Poehler,
Maya Rudolph,
Rachel Dratch, Paula Pell,
Emily Spivey, and
Tina Fey. On stage, Gasteyer starred opposite
Jonathan Groff in the Encores! Off-Center production of A New Brain and has triumphed on Broadway with celebrated performances in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Royal Family, The Threepenny Opera, and as "Elphaba" in Wicked (after having originated the role in the Chicago company). She also played "
Fanny Brice" in Funny Girl at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and "Fosca" in
Stephen Sondheim's Passion at the
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Last year, Gasteyer dazzled in her first residency at the famed Café Carlyle in NYC, where she performed an eclectic range of covers and reimagined classics from her favorably reviewed jazz album, I'M HIP.
Megan Hilty is most recognizable for her portrayal of seasoned triple-threat "Ivy Lynn" in NBC's musical drama Smash. She followed up the series with a starring role on the NBC comedy Sean Saves the World. Hilty received critical acclaim for her role of "Brooke Ashton" in the
Roundabout Theater Company's revival of Noises Off. She earned nominations for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Drama League Award and won a
Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actress in a Play.
Her television credits include recurring roles on Girlfriends Guide to Divorce, The Good Wife, Braindead, and Louie, among many others. Hilty regularly performs with orchestras across the country. Her solo show - including her sold-out
Carnegie Hall debut - has received critical acclaim. She has released a live album comprised of songs from her recent concert tour, entitled
Megan Hilty Live at the Café Carlyle and a Christmas album entitled A Merry Little Christmas with
Megan Hilty. A native of Seattle, Hilty moved to New York City after graduating from prestigious
Carnegie Mellon University, and soon made her Broadway debut as Glinda in Wicked. She went on to perform the role in both the national tour and in Los Angeles.
Lea Salonga is a singer and actress who is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards, in the field of musical theater. She was also the first Asian to play "Éponine" in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as "Fantine" in the 2006 revival, in addition to starring in the 10th and 25th Anniversary Concerts, filmed and recorded for PBS. Lea's other Broadway appearances include Flower Drum Song and Allegiance. Lea most recently starred in the acclaimed Broadway revival of Once on This Island.
Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of "Princess Jasmine" from Aladdin and "Fa Mulan" for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the
Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of "Disney Legend" in August of 2011.
As a concert artist Lea has toured the world, performing sold-out concerts in some of the world's most iconic venues, including the Sydney Opera House,
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Singapore's Esplanade, Hong Kong Cultural Center,
Carnegie Hall, and London's O2 Arena.
Director
Michael Arden, who is currently represented on Broadway with his revival of Once on This Island, is a Tony-nominated director for his revival of Spring Awakening. The acclaimed production transferred from Deaf West Theater in Los Angeles to Broadway in fall 2015. He also won the Outer Critics Circle for Outstanding Director of a Musical and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for the production.
Michael made his Broadway debut in Deaf West Theater and the
Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Big River. Other directing credits include My Fair Lady at
Bay Street Theater; Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis
Annenberg Center in Los Angeles, where he is currently the Artist in Residence; LA Ronde for his company, the Forest of Arden; and For the Record:
John Hughes in L.A. and New York City. His production of The Pride opened at the Wallis
Annenberg Center in June 2018.
Other theater credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Times They Are a Changin', Ragtime (Avery Fisher Hall), It's Only Life, Swimming in the Shallows, Ace, Juno, As You Like It, The Winter's Tale, The Secret Garden, Pippin (
Mark Taper Forum), and Aspects of Love at the
Menier Chocolate Factory in London. Michael's film work includes Source Code, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Bride Wars, and So B It. He has also worked extensively in TV, most notably on FX and Fox's Anger Management. Other TV credits include GCB, Nurse Jackie, Royal Pains, Unforgettable, Off the Map, Kings, The Closer, The Forgotten, Bones, The Return of Jezebel James, Cashmere Mafia, Grey's Anatomy, and NUMB3RS. Concert work includes singing with
Barbra Streisand,
Chris Botti, and performances at Feinstein's/54 Below, at the Regency, and
Joe's Pub. Michael is an alum of The Interlochen Arts Academy and The Juilliard School.
Conductor
Todd Ellison has been hailed by The New York Times as one of "Broadway's Electric Conductors." Currently the music supervisor/conductor/arranger of the new Broadway-bound musical Roman Holiday, he is also the composer of the award-winning new musical The Black and White Ball with
Stephen Cole, as well as The Canterville Hotel with
Brendan Cull. He also composed the songs "The Long Way" for
Emily Skinner and "Gettin' Nowhere Fast" for
Guy Haines. He is currently the music supervisor of An American in Paris at the Dominion Theater in London's West End, as well as 42nd Street at the Drury Lane Theater. His Broadway credits include
Michel Legrand's Amour, Monty Python's Spamalot (Tony Award for Best Musical), La Cage aux Folles (Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical), 42nd Street (Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical),
Elton John's Lestat, Annie, The Wild Party, On the Town, Once Upon a Mattress (starring
Sarah Jessica Parker), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (starring
Matthew Broderick), She Loves Me, Taller than a Dwarf, and A Class Act.
Ellison was the music director of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" at the famed Radio City Music Hall for several seasons. As
Marvin Hamlisch's music director, Ellison worked with him on his productions of Ballroom and The Nutty Professor, directed by
Jerry Lewis. He has conducted more than 20 albums, including the Grammy Award-winning cast albums of the shows he conducted. He has accompanied such stars as Beyoncé,
Meryl Streep,
Mike Nichols,
Nicole Kidman,
Barry Manilow,
Jane Lynch,
Bea Arthur,
Bernadette Peters,
Tracey Ullman, and Kelsey Grammar.
Choreographer
Eamon Foley is the Founder and Artistic Director of Grind Arts Company, which creates art at the intersection of live performance and digital media. Broadway performing credits include Gypsy, Assassins, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 13: The Musical, and Everyday Rapture. He recently choreographed Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis
Annenberg Center in Los Angeles, an aerial-dance "Game of Thrones" piece for Broadway Bares, and is currently creating a contemporary ballet in the medium of virtual reality with ModernEpic and Grind Arts. His directing credits include Cyrano, The Last Five Years, Sweeney Todd, Nine, and Hero.
The original Broadway production of Annie opened in 1977, won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and went on to run for nearly six years, as well as yielding countless productions around the world. Since 1990, Annie has been performed in 57 countries/territories and translated into 28 languages. It was made into two top-grossing movies and Rapper Jay-Z's quadruple platinum album "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" won the 1999 Grammy for Best Rap Album.
Charles Strouse, the Tony Award-winning composer of Annie (as well as Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, and of some of the most popular music written for Broadway, film, and television in the last 60 years) turns 90 this June. To mark the occasion, a yearlong celebration of events, including tributes, concerts, revivals and international productions, will take place across the United States and around the world. Strouse's iconic songs - from "Tomorrow" and "Put on a Happy Face" to "Those Were the Days" (theme from All in the Family) - will be heard worldwide, from Abu Dhabi to Congo to Belgium, on television in The Simpsons, and at the Hollywood Bowl with Annie.
Annie, the classic story of a young girl overcoming adversity, features a beloved score filled with hit songs (including "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard Knock Life") and is a delightful experience for the entire family. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Subscriptions and single tickets for performances during the Hollywood Bowl 2018 summer season are available at
hollywoodbowl.com, or via credit card phone order at 323 850 2000, and in person from Saturday May 6 at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office.
For further details or questions, call 323 850 2000 from 10AM - 6PM daily, or visit
hollywoodbowl.com.
The recent history of Broadway musicals at the Hollywood Bowl is nothing short of spectacular, including Mamma Mia! starring
Jennifer Nettles,
Jamie Camil,
Dove Cameron,
Corbin Bleu,
Lea DeLaria, and
Tisha Campbell-Martin, directed and choreographed by
Kathleen Marshall; A Chorus Line starring
Mario Lopez,
Krysta Rodriguez, and
Ross Lynch, directed and choreographed by
Baayork Lee; Spamalot starring
Craig Robinson,
Christian Slater,
Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
Warwick Davis, and
Eric Idle; Hair starring
Kristen Bell,
Hunter Parrish,
Beverly D'Angelo,
Benjamin Walker, and
Amber Riley, directed by
Adam Shankman; Chicago starring
Ashlee Simpson,
Drew Carey,
Lucy Lawless, and
Stephen Moyer, directed by
Brooke Shields; The Producers starring
Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
Rebecca Romijn, and
Dane Cook, directed and choreographed by
Susan Stroman; Hairspray starring
Harvey Fierstein,
Drew Carey,
John Stamos, and
Nick Jonas, directed and choreographed by
Jerry Mitchell; and Rent starring
Vanessa Hudgens,
Nicole Scherzinger, and
Wayne Brady, directed by
Neil Patrick Harris.
About the Hollywood Bowl
One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922 and plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music, offering something for everyone. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz performances. In February 2018, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the 14th year in a row at the 29th Annual Pollstar Awards and was awarded the Top Amphitheater prize at the 2017 Billboard Touring Awards. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer.
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