Max Crumm, Elena Ricardo, Klea Blackhurst, and More to Lead THE NUTTY PROFESSOR at Ogunquit Playhouse

Ogunquit Playhouse has announced casting for the musical adaptation of the beloved film comedy The Nutty Professor (July 1 - August 3), featuring the final score from Pulitzer Prize, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner Marvin Hamlisch.

The cast will feature Max Crumm (Broadway: Grease, Disaster!) as Julius Kelp / Buddy Love, Elena Ricardo (Broadway: Mamma Mia!; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Stella Purdy, Klea Blackhurst (Ogunquit's A Very Brady Musical, Ragtime) as Miss Lemon, Mel Johnson Jr (Broadway: The Lion King; Kiss Me, Kate) as Harrington Winslow, and Jeff McCarthy (Broadway: Side Show, Urinetown) as Dr. Warfield.

Rounding out the ensemble cast are Parker Aimone, Alyssa Carol, Jillian Hope Ferguson, Joseph Harrington, Fernell Hogan, Corinne Munsch, Chase Peacock, Larkin Reilly, Ethan Rogers, Vanessa Sierra, Kyra Louise Smith, Jordan Stephens, Jake Urban, Jerome Vivona, and Blake Zelesnikar.

The Nutty Professor, a new musical adapted from the classic 1963 Jerry Lewis film, brings us the nerdy Professor Julius Kelp and his transformation into the suave and sophisticated Buddy Love. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 gothic novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the comedic film joined the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 2004 and became one of AFI's 100 Funniest Films of all-time (2000).

In 2009, the Jerry Lewis film script was adapted as a musical comedy by writer Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and composer Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line). Now The Nutty Professor has been given new life by Ogunquit Playhouse's New Works Program, featuring book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, direction by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), and choreography by Joann Hunter (School of Rock).

The Nutty Professor features orchestrations by Larry Hochman, music supervision and vocal arrangements by Todd Ellison, music direction by Matt Deitchman, scenic design by Wilson Chin and Riw Rakkulchon, lighting design by Cory Pattak, costume design by Mara Blumenfeld, sound design by Kevin Heard, and wig design by Roxanne De Luna. The production stage manager is Christopher Zaccardi, and the assistant stage manager is Abigail Zaccari.

After a wildly successful outdoor season in 2021, Ogunquit has moved back inside its historic Playhouse for the 90th Anniversary season, with four mainstage productions, two world premieres, and three new Arts Academy productions.

The regional theater premiere of the Tony Award-winning bio musical straight from Broadway, The Cher Show (now - June 25), kicks off the 2022 season. Following The Nutty Professor (Jul 1-Aug 6) is the world premiere of BD Wong and Wayne Barker's Mr. Holland's Opus (Aug 12-Sep 17), then a new take on the classic '80s murder-mystery farce Clue (Sep 22-Oct 30). Meanwhile, the Playhouse Arts Academy is offering up three new-to-Ogunquit productions of Disney's Moana Jr (Jul 16-17), Disney's Descendants: The Musical (Jul 30-31), and Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach (Aug 27-28).

Mainstage performances run Wednesdays and Thursdays (2:00p, 8:00p), Fridays (8:00p), Saturdays (2:00p, 8:00p), Sundays (2:00p), with occasional Tuesday and Sunday evenings. Arts Academy performances run select Saturdays (10:00a, 1:00p) and Sundays (10:00a). Visit ogunquitplayhouse.org/2022-season for the full season schedule.

Tickets are available for purchase online at tickets.ogunquitplayhouse.org, by phone Monday-Friday (10a-4p ET) at 207.646.5511, and in-person at the Playhouse Box Office Window (10 Main St, Ogunquit, ME 03907) beginning Monday, May 9. For more information, visit ogunquitplayhouse.org.