LEAP OF FAITH Begins Previews at the St. James Theatre

LEAP OF FAITH, the new musical based on the motion picture "Leap of Faith," produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation and written by Janus Cercone, begins previews today at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street).

Broadway's LEAP OF FAITH stars four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza as Jonas Nightingale, Jessica Phillips as Marla McGowan, Kendra Kassebaum as Sam Nightingale, Kecia Lewis-Evans as Ida Mae Sturdevant, Leslie Odom, Jr. as Isaiah Sturdevant, Krystal Joy Brown as Ornella Sturdevant and Talon Ackerman as Jake Humes. The production will open on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

The cast also features Hettie Barnhill, Kyle Brenn, Ta'Rea Campbell, Michelle Duffy, Lynorris Evans, Manoly Farrell, Dierdre Friel, Bob Gaynor, Lucia Giannetta, Angela Grovey, Louis Hobson, Tiffany Janene Howard, Grasan Kingsberry, Fletcher McTaggart, Maurice Murphy, Ian Paget, Terita Redd, Eliseo Román, Bryce Ryness, Ann Sanders, C.E. Smith, Danny Stiles, Dennis Stowe, Betsy Struxness, Roberta Wall, and Virginia Ann Woodruff.

Raúl Esparza (Cabaret, Company) stars as Jonas Nightingale, an electrifying performer and rabble-rouser who's planning to take the whole town for a ride. But when a small-town girl stops him in his tracks, this hustler may just discover something to believe in.

Broadway's LEAP OF FAITH is based on the motion picture Leap of Faith, produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation and written by Janus Cercone. Directed by Tony Award nominee Christopher Ashley (Memphis) with choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys), LEAP OF FAITH features a roof-raising new score by eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), a book by Janus Cercone and Tony Award winner Warren Leight (Side Man), lyrics by Grammy winner Glenn Slater (Tangled), and music supervision by Michael Kosarin. The design will feature scenery by Robin Wagner, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Don Holder, sound by John Shivers, wigs & hair design by Paul Huntley, and make up by Angelina Avallone. The music will feature orchestrations by Michael Starobin and Joseph Joubert, vocal & incidental music arrangements by Michael Kosarin, dance music arrangements by Zane Mark, and music direction by Brent-Alan Huffman.

LEAP OF FAITH is produced by Michael Manheim; James D. Stern; Douglas L. Meyer; Marc Routh; Richard Frankel; Tom Viertel; Steven Baruch; Annette Niemtzow; Daryl Roth; Robert G. Bartner; Steven and Shanna Silva; Endgame Entertainment; Patricia Monaco; Debi Coleman; Dancap Productions, Inc.; Steve Kaplan; Relativity Media, LLC; Rich/Caudwell; Center Theatre Group; Jujamcyn Theaters in association with Michael Palitz; Richard J. Stern; Melissa Pinsly/Celine Rosenthal; Independent Presenters Network; Diana Buckhantz; Pamela Cooper; Vera Guerin; Leading Investment Co., Ltd; Christina Papagjika; Victor Syrmis; Semlitz/Glaser Productions; Associate Producers Broadway Across America; Rebecca Falcon.

For tickets and more information, visit www.leapoffaithbroadway.com.