Joe Cassidy and Constantine Maroulis to Lead Gopnik & Shire's New Musical 'THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOM' at Long Wharf Theatre
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 21, 2017
Long Wharf Theatre, under the director of Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein and Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, presents the world premiere of The Most Beautiful Room in New York, a new musical with book and lyrics by Adam Gopnik and music by David Shire, directed by Edelstein.
The production will take place from May 3 through May 28, 2017 on the Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Schenck III Theatre. Tickets start at $29.
The cast includes Krystina Alabado (Anna), Anastasia Barzee (Claire), Joe Cassidy (David), Darlesia Cearcy (Phoebe), Ryan Duncan (Gio), Danielle Ferland (Gloria), Anne Horak (Natasha/Franca), Tyler Jones (Bix), Constantine Maroulis (Sergio), Mark Nelson (Carlo), Sawyer Niehaus (Kate), Allan Washington (Irwin/Gabe).
The creative team includes John Carrafa (choreographer), John McDaniel (music supervisor and director), Michael Yeargan (set design), Jess Goldstein (costume design), Chris Akerlund (lighting design), Keith Caggiano (sound design), Calleri Casting (casting), and Linda Marvel (production stage manager).
David Kaplan (Cassidy) is a chef's chef, making beautiful, simple food of uncompromising quality in his lovely Union Square restaurant. But in the crowded, cutthroat and expensive Manhattan food scene, is that enough to survive and compete with the next big thing? Enter Sergio (Maroulis), an old friend, rival, and possible savior. This hotshot celebrity chef has offered David the opportunity to makeover his restaurant. Will David sacrifice his pride to save his beloved restaurant?
"We realized as we worked on it, is a musical about someone - like Curly with his Oklahoma morning and his fringed surrey, or Tevye with his town and his traditions, to cite the highest parallels - who is fighting to keep what he loves but, before the evening is over, will have to learn to love it in a new way," Gopnik wrote. "While our show is about tables and the communion they bring, it is even more about a family's fight to keep intact their home, which they believe is the most beautiful room in New York - and it is also about a man who has to learn a broader idea of beauty than the one he's been fighting for for most of his life. David Kaplan, our hero, learns to change and adjust and see past his one restaurant- room to the beautiful growth of his wife and children into their maturity."
For more information about Long Wharf Theatre, or to purchase tickets, visit longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Anna
Krystina most recently starred opposite Daphne Rubin-Vega in the world premiere musical Miss You Like Hell at La Jolla Playhouse. Broadway: American Psycho (OBC, Vanden), Green Day's American Idiot. 1st National Tours: Evita (Mistress), American Idiot and Spring Awakening (dir. Michael Mayer). Off-Broadway/Regional: David Bowie's Lazarus (NYTW), Camp Wanatachi (La MaMa), Pregnancy Pact (Weston Playhouse). TV/Film: "First Reformed," "Tyrant" (FX). Special thanks to Gordon, Adam, and David for the support all these years and love to Terry and David, Erin and everyone at ?CESD, my family, and my fiancé!? @krystinaalabado
Claire
Anastasia Barzee has starred on Broadway in Jekyll&Hyde, Miss Saigon, Urinetown, Henry IV parts one and two and Golden Boy (for Encores). She originated the role of Betty Haynes in the stage musicAl White Christmas and can be heard on the best-selling cast album. On the West End, she created the role of Josephine in the musical Napoleon at the Shaftsbury Theatre. Favorite regional work includes Darko Tresnjak directed Kiss Me Kate at Hartford Stage, Des McAnuff directed Palm Beach at La Jolla, and The Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration's Merrily We Roll Along directed by Christopher Ashley. Audiences may also know Anastasia from her extensive work in television and film including her role as Agent Olivia Dylan on the Sci-fi fan favorite "Beauty&The Beast," as well as recurring and guest starring roles on "The Affair," "Madam Secretary," "Blue Bloods," "Elementary," "Younger," "The Blacklist," "White Collar," "The Mysteries of Laura," "Made In Jersey," "666 Park," "Golden Boy," "Law&Order: SVU" and others. Barzee is currently shooting a recurring role on the Netflix series "Seven Seconds." Films include Doug Liman's Fair Game opposite Sean Penn and the upcoming Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk directed by Eric Stoltz and Those Who Wander. She recorded a critically acclaimed solo album, The Dimming of The Day, of eclectic contemporary standards on Ghostlight Records. @AnastasiaBarzee
David
Joe is delighted to be making his debut at Long Wharf Theatre, as well as continuing his streak of shows set in restaurants. On Broadway, he most recently played Cal in Waitress. Other Broadway credits: If/Then, Catch Me If You Can, Next To Normal, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1776, Show Boat, Les
Miserables, and A Christmas Carol at MSG. TV: "Blue Bloods," "Elementary," "Law & Order," and "Submissions Only." Regionally, Joe's worked at The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, American Repertory Theater, Denver Center, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Co., San Jose Rep, Arizona Theatre Company, TheaterWorks (CA), Asolo Repertory Theater, Ford's Theatre, Theaterworks (CT), TUTS, Village Theatre, North Carolina Theater, Casa Manana, NYSF, and The O'Neill Music Theatre Conference. He's been a concert soloist with symphonies coast to coast across the US and Canada. Please follow him on Twitter: @joecassidynyc, and visit www.joecassidy.net. I love you, Ashley!
Phoebe
Broadway: Nettie in The Color Purple, Sarah in Ragtime (Helen Hayes Nomination), and The Goodbye Girl. She appeared as an original cast member and U/S to Audra Mc Donald and performed as Lottie Gee in the amazing Broadway musical Shuffle Along. Darlesia was recently seen in "Elementary" on CBS, other television credits include "Law and Order: SVU," Ms. Berg in "Rescue me," "Nurse Jackie," NBC's "Mercy" as Adrienne Mercer and she will guest star as Congresswoman Simone Murphy on season five of "House of Cards." Film: Sharla in The Challenger and Rush. She was recognized for her performance in The Book of Mormon by the Grammy Foundation. She sang on MTV's "Most Wanted," VH1, "Top of the Pops" in London, and was nominated for a Viva Award for her single release Everlasting.
Gio
Broadway: Shrek. Off-Broadway: Liberty, Altar Boyz (Drama League nom.), Soul Doctor, The Yellow Brick Road, It Must Be Him, The Fifth Column, theAtrainplays. Tour: Man of La Mancha. Regional: Gettin' the Band Back Together (George Street, NJ), Shrek (5th Avenue, WA), Side Show (Signature, VA), A Christmas Carol and 1776 (Ford's, D.C.), Hair (Studio, D.C.), tick...tick, BOOM! (ATF, NY), Striking 12 (Good Theater, ME). Film/TV: "He's With Me," "Blue Bloods," "FreakMe," In Stereo, I Don't Believe in That, Shrek the Musical, January, Standby. Thank you GJ!
Gloria
Broadway: All My Sons, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Crucible and A Little Hotel on the Side (National Actors Theatre), A Little Night Music (City Opera), Into the Woods (original cast, Theatre World Award and Drama Desk nomination), Sunday in the Park with George. Off-Broadway: includes New Girl in Town (Irish Rep), She Stoops to Conquer (Irish Rep), Engaged (Theatre for a New Audience), Tartuffe (New York Shakespeare Festival), How I Learned to Drive. Regional includes Baker's Wife in Into the Woods (Baltimore Center Stage and Westport Country Playhouse), The School for Husbands (Westport), McCarter Theater, Actor's Theatre of Louisville and the Huntington. Film: Diane (2018 release), Sam the Man (Gary Winick, dir.), Mighty Aphrodite (Woody Allen, dir.) and Radio Days (Woody Allen, dir.) Television: "The OA" (Netflix), "Jessica Jones" (Netflix, recurring), Estelle in HBO's "The Normal Heart," "The Good Wife," "Law and Order: SVU," "Rescue Me."
Natasha/Franca
Anne is thrilled to be back at Long Wharf Theatre where she performed in My Paris last season as May Milton. Broadway: Chicago (Roxie), White Christmas. National tour: Young Frankenstein (Inga). NY: Patsy in Crazy for You (Manhattan Concert Productions at Lincoln Center), Music in the Air (City Center Encores!). Regional: Gretchen in Boeing-Boeing, Bambi Bernét in Curtains (both at Paper Mill Playhouse), Carol Heathrow in Diner (Delaware Theatre Company), April in COMPANY (Bucks County Playhouse), Shelby in Steel Magnolias (North Carolina Theatre), Polly Baker in Crazy for You (Sacramento Music Circus), Hope in Anything Goes (Taipei National Theatre), Billie Bendix in Nice Work if You Can Get It (Music Theatre of Wichita). Television: "Forever," "Royal Pains," "A Gifted Man," "Eye Candy," and "Law & Order: SVU." BFA, University of Michigan.
Bix
Most Recent: Jack in Into The Woods (w/ Emily Skinner at TUTS). Theatre: The Book of Mormon (First National Tour), The Last Smoker In America (Off-Broadway), Big River (Huck Finn), Parade (Frankie Epps), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), All's Well That Ends Well (Bertram). Upcoming: Crutchie in Newsies (Connecticut Repertory Theatre). Film/TV: "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO). Graduate of the University of Michigan. Big thank you to the team, Calleri Casting, TKO, Mom, Dad & Jordan.
Sergio
Long Wharf Theatre debut. Broadway: Rock of Ages (Best Actor Tony Nominee, Drama League Nominee, Broadway.com Star of the year), Jekyll & Hyde (Drama League Nominee), The Wedding Singer, (Best Musical Tony Nominee), Spring Awakening (Producer, Best Revival Tony Nominee, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC Nominee), RENT (Roger in tour cast dir. Michael Grief). Off Broadway/Regional: Friend Art (Second Stage, NYT Critic's pick ), Rock of Ages, Jaques Brel, Jesus Christ Superstar (upcoming as Judas, The Muny), The Toxic Avenger (The Alley, dir. John Rando), God of Vengeance (Williamstown, dir. Gordon Edelstein). TV: "Mozart in the Jungle," "Law & Order: SVU," "Law & Order," "Unforgettable," "American Idol," "Dancing with the Stars," "America' Got Talent," "The Tonight Show," "Conan," "The Today Show," "Band of Merry Makers," "Psychosis" (upcoming series as Executive Producer/Actor). Recordings: Constantine, Killer Queen, American Idol Showstoppers (RIAA certified Gold) Songwriter, NEW Singles on Spotify & iTunes; All About You, Here I Come, She's Just Rock N' Roll. Training: The Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music, Williamstown Theatre Festival. For tour info and social media kindly visit ConstantineMaroulis.com
Carlo
Long Wharf Theater: My Name Is Asher Lev (directed by Gordon Edelstein), Underneath the Lintel (Connecticut Critics' Circle Award), A Doll's House, Arms and the Man, Abstract Expression. New York: My Name is Asher Lev (Lortel Award nomination); Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Obie Award); The Invention of Love (Lincoln Center); The Winter's Tale directed by Sam Mendes (BAM and world tour); Timon of Athens (The Public Theater). National Tour: Herr Schultz in Cabaret (Roundabout Theater Company, 2016). Regional: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Hartford Stage); Tartuffe (Westport Country Playhouse); Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (The Shakespeare Theater). Television: "The Good Wife," "Unforgettable," "Spin City," "Law & Order." Mark teaches theater at Princeton University.
SAWYER NIEHAUS
Kate
Long Wharf Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: Fun Home (The Public Theater). Upcoming film and TV: Wonderstruck, The Greatest Showman, "Seven Seconds." On television, Sawyer is the voice of Mittens and Mopsy on Nick Jr.'s "Peter Rabbit." Workshops and readings: The Greatest Showman, Iowa, Table. Sawyer is a student at the Spence School in NYC.
Irwin/Gabe
Off-Broadway: A Man's A Man (Classic Stage Company). Regional: The SpongeBob Musical (Oriental Theatre). Training: University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Book & Lyrics
Adam Gopnik has been writing for The New Yorker since 1986. During his tenure at the magazine, he has written fiction, humor, book reviews, profiles, and reporting from abroad. His books, ranging from essay collections about Paris and food to children's novels, include Paris to the Moon (2000), The King in the Window (2005), Through the Children's Gate: A Home in New York (2006), Angels and Ages: A Short Book About Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life (2009), The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food (2011), and Winter: Five Windows on the Season (2011). Gopnik lives in New York.
Composer
An Oscar and Grammy winner and multiple Tony and Emmy nominee, Shire has composed prolifically for the theater, films, television and recordings. Broadway: Baby (Tony nominations, Best Score, Musical), Big (Tony nomination, Best Score). Off-Broadway: Starting Here, Starting Now (Grammy nomination), Closer Than Ever (Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Score, Musical), Take Flight (McCarter Theatre), Sousatzka, currently having a pre-Broadway tryout run in Toronto. Film scores include Norma Rae (Academy Award), The Conversation, All the President's Men, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Zodiac, Saturday Night Fever (two Grammys). Numerous television scores have garnered five Emmy nominations. Songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, Maureen McGovern, Melissa Manchester, Jennifer Warnes, John Pizzerelli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Liz Callaway, Nancy Lamont, many others. His "With You I'm Born Again" was an international hit single for Billy Preston and Syreeta. He and his wife Didi Conn are developing a children's animated musical series for Amazon.
Director
Mr. Edelstein is in his fifteenth season as Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre. Earlier this year, he directed the world premiere of Napoli, Brooklyn, Endgame starring Brian Dennehy and Reg E. Cathey, and the world premiere of Steve Martin's Meteor Shower, a hit both at Long Wharf Theatre and The Old Globe, where it set box office records. His other recent Long Wharf Theatre credits include Disgraced, The Second Mrs. Wilson, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Our Town, The Last Five Years, The Shadow of the Hummingbird, The Underpants, Ride the Tiger, Curse of the Starving Class, Satchmo at the Waldorf (which transferred Off-Broadway), My Name is Asher Lev (which also transferred Off-Broadway, winning an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway play), Shirley Valentine, and his own adaptations of A Doll's House and Uncle Vanya. His acclaimed Long Wharf Theatre production of The Glass Menagerie played the Roundabout and the Mark Taper Forum and was the recipient of the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival. He has a continued artistic association with Athol Fugard, directing the world premieres of The Shadow of the Hummingbird, Have You Seen Us?, and Coming Home as well as the East Coast premiere of The Train Driver. Gordon has also directed Audra McDonald in A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Broadway production of Fugard's The Road to Mecca for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Among Mr. Edelstein's countless plays and workshops for Long Wharf Theatre include Julia Cho's BFE, The Day the Bronx Died, A Dance Lesson, and The Times, as well as The Blue Album, We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!, A New War, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Anna Christie, The Front Page, and Mourning Becomes Electra. As a director of an extremely diverse body of work, he has garnered three Connecticut Critics Circle Awards and under his artistic leadership, Long Wharf Theatre has received 17 additional Connecticut Critics Circle Awards, including six best actor or actress awards in plays that he directed. He is also the recipient of the organization's Tom Killen Award, given annually to an individual who has made an indelible impact on the Connecticut theatrical landscape.
Choreographer
Broadway: Good Vibrations (Director/Choreographer), Urinetown (2 Tony nom., Obie, Dora, Lortel Awards), Into the Woods, Dance of the Vampires, Dirty Blonde, Love! Valour!, Compassion!. Film: Rebel in the Rye (upcoming), The Polar Express (Media Choreography Award), Something Barrowed (World Dance Award), The Thomas Crown Affair, The Other Guys, If I Stay. Television: "The Knick," "Master of None," "Transparent," "Empire," "Nashville" (Director/Choreographer), "Z: The beginning of Everything," "The Blacklist," "Elementary," "Blue Bloods." Director/Choreographer of the circus, Cirque Berzerk.
Music Supervisor and Director
John is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning Music Director, Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator and Producer and is an Artistic Director at the Tony Award winning O'Neill Theater Center. Broadway: Bonnie and Clyde (Drama Desk Nomination, Best Orchestrations), Catch Me If You Can, Brooklyn (Producer and Orchestrator), Annie Get Your Gun (Grammy Award), Taboo, Chicago, Grease, Patti LuPone on Broadway and Company - the Original Cast at Lincoln Center. TV: "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" (Emmy Awards). John has collaborated with Cab Calloway, Shirley MacLaine, George Burns, Joel Grey, Carol Burnett, Betty Buckley, Bette Midler and has guest conducted at 15 Symphony Orchestras across America.
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