Laura Michelle Kelly, Chip Zien, Debra Jo Rupp Join Line-Up for Barrington Stage's 2018 Season!

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in the Berkshires (Pittsfield, MA) under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, has just announced initial casting for the 2018 Season.

The 2018 Season at BSC will begin with Typhoid Mary, starring Miles G. Jackson (BSC's Tribes) as "Father Michael McKuen," Tasha Lawrence (Lincoln Center Theater's Pipeline) as "Mary Mallon," Kevin O'Rourke (BSC's Gaslight; Broadway's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as "Dr. William Mills," and Keri Safran (BSC's 10x10 New Play Festival) as "Dr. Ann Saltzer." Formerly titled A Plague of Angels and revised for BSC, Typhoid Mary is written by Mark St. Germain (Freud's Last Session) and directed by Matthew Penn ("Law & Order"). Performances begin May 23, with opening night set for May 27, and for a run through June 16.

The World Premiere of The Royal Family of Broadway will star Arnie Burton (Broadway's Machinal) as "Bert," Kathy Fitzgerald (Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as "Kitty Dean," Alan H. Green (BSC's Broadway Bounty Hunter; Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as "Gil," Tony Award winner Harriet Harris (BSC's Sweeney Todd; Broadway's Thoroughly Modern Millie) as "Fanny," Oliver Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly (West End's Mary Poppins) as "Julie," Hayley Podschun (Broadway's Hello, Dolly) as "Gwen," AJ Shively (Broadway's Bright Star) as "Perry," Tony Award nominee Will Swenson (BSC's The Pirates of Penzance; Broadway's Waitress) as "Tony," and Chip Zien (Broadway's It Shoulda Been You, Falsettos) as "Oscar."

The ensemble will include Holly Ann Butler, Michelle Carter, Tim Fuchs, Tyler Johnson-Campion, Tyler Matthew Roberts, and Jake Vacanti. The Royal Family of Broadway will feature a book by Tony Award winner Rachel Sheinkin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee); music and lyrics by Tony Award winner William Finn (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Falsettos, Artistic Producer of BSC's Musical Theatre Lab); is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Edna Ferber and an original adaptation by Richard Greenberg; choreographed by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse (BSC's The Pirates of Penzance, "So You Think You Can Dance"); and directed by Tony Award winner John Rando (Broadway's On The Town, Urinetown). The Royal Family of Broadway begins previews June 7, opens June 13, and closes on July 7.

The cast of The Cake will include Nemuna Ceesay ("Broad City") as "Macy," Douglas Rees (BSC's 10x10 Play Festival; Peccadillo Theatre Company'sThe Show-Off) as "Tim," Ovation Award winner Debra Jo Rupp (BSC's All the Way) as "Della," and Virginia Vale (South Coast Rep's A Doll's House, Part 2) as "Jen." The Cake is written by Bekah Brunstetter (writer/producer of NBC's "This Is Us") and directed by Jennifer Chambers (Echo Theatre's The Cake). Performances begin June 21, with opening night set for June 24, and is set to run through July 15.

Starring in a production of A Doll's House, Part 2 will be Ashley Bufkin (Shakespeare's Globe's Julius Caesar) as "Emmy," Tony Award winnerShuler Hensley (Broadway's Young Frankenstein) as "Torvald," Obie Award winner Laila Robins ("Deception") as "Nora," and Mary Stout(Broadway's Jane Eyre) as "Anne Marie." Written by Obie Award winner Lucas Hnath (The Christians, Red Speedo) and directed by Helen Hayes Award winner Joe Calarco (BSC's Ragtime, The Burnt Part Boys), A Doll's House, Part 2 will begin performances July 12 and open July 15, for a run through July 28.

The 2018 Barrington season will also include West Side Story, based on conception by Jerome Robbins, with a book by Arthur Laurents, music byLeonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Choreographed by Robert La Fosse, and directed by Julianne Boyd (BSC's Company, American Son), West Side Story will be presented in celebration of the 100th birthdays of Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins. West Side Story was originally produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince by Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens. West Side Story starts previews August 3 and opens August 8 for a run through September 1.

The season will continue with the World Premiere of The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh (Charles Francis Chan Jr's Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery), directed by Ralph Peña (Ma-Yi Theater Company's Microcrisis), and presented in a co-production with the Ma-Yi Theater Company. The Chinese Lady begins previews July 20, with an opening set for July 25, and will run through August 11. The World Premiere of Well-Intentioned White Peopleby emerging playwright Rachel Lynett, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene (Triad Stage's A Raisin in the Sun), begins previews on August 16, officially opens on August 22, and will run through September 8. The 2018 Season will conclude with The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams,directed by Julianne Boyd. The Glass Menagerie begins previews October 3, opens October 7 and runs through October 21.

The 2018 Youth Theatre Production, presented at the Berkshire Museum (39 South Street) in Pittsfield, MA, will be Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, featuring lyrics and music by Oscar and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen) and a book byTimothy Allen McDonald (The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley). Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach is based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, will be choreographed by Steven Dean Moore (Lost Nation Theater's Urinetown) and directed by Sarah Jane Schostack(Lost Nation Theater's Urinetown). Performances begin July 25 for a run through August 12.

Additional casting and creative team for all productions will be announced shortly.

Performance schedules for all productions are available by visiting www.barringtonstageco.org.

Both single tickets and 2018 season passes are now on sale and available at www.barringtonstageco.org or by calling 413-236-8888 or visiting the Mainstage box office (30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201). Tickets range from $25 to $69.

Chip Zien photo by Jennifer Broski