Goodspeed's IRVING BERLIN'S HOLIDAY INN World Premiere Begins Tonight

It's time to celebrate! Goodspeed Musicals welcomes a top-notch cast for its brand new, world premiere musical, Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn. The much-anticipated production will run from tonight, September 19 through November 30. Official Press Opening will be October 15, 2014.

Happy holidays! Check into the tuneful world-premiere musical about a Connecticut farmhouse transformed into a jubilant nightspot -- but only on holidays. From Valentine's Day to the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving to Christmas, expect a cornucopia of hit songs by Irving Berlin in a dance-dizzy romance based on the classic film that first starred Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. Raise a glass of cheer to "Happy Holiday," "Easter Parade," "Be Careful, It's My Heart" and more of the world's greatest show tunes.

Holiday Inn features music by Irving Berlin and a new book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge. Greenberg has directed numerous Goodspeed productions both at the Goodspeed Opera House and The Norma Terris Theatre including the new musical Band Geeks! for which he also co-wrote the book. Chad Hodge created several television series including NBC's The Playboy Club and the upcoming FOX series Wayward Pines.

Holiday Inn, based on the Academy Award-winning film, is produced in association with Universal Stage Productions and by arrangement with The Irving Berlin Music Company. Universal Stage Productions is the live theatre division of the world-famous motion picture studio which has produced such Broadway hits as Wicked, Billy Elliot, Bring It On, the recent award-winning revival of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess and many more.

Leading the cast will be Noah Racey as Ted Hanover. Mr. Racey returns to Goodspeed where he previously starred in Where's Charley? and went on to choreograph the 2010 production of Annie Get Your Gun. His Broadway credits include Curtains, Never Gonna Dance, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Follies. Jim Hardy will be played by Tally Sessions. Lila Dixon will be played by Hayley Podschun who appeared in Broadway's Chaplin, Anything Goes, Pal Joey, Sunday in the Park with George, Hairspray, and The Sound of Music. Linda Mason will be played by Patti Murin whose Broadway credits include Xanadu and the title role in Lysistrata Jones. At Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre, Ms. Murin appeared in Band Geeks! and Princesses.

Susan Mosher, of Broadway's Hairspray, will play Louise. Danny Reed will be played by Danny Rutigliano who was seen in last season's The Fabulous Lipitones at Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre. Mr. Rutigliano's Broadway credits include Born Yesterday, Billy Elliot, The Lion King, and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public. Charlie Winslow will be played by Noah Marlowe who appeared in Broadway's Act I and Mary Poppins and Goodspeed's LMNOP at The Norma Terris Theatre.

The ensemble includes Alissa Alter (Goodspeed's 42nd Street), Abby Church (Broadway's How to Succeed... and Irving Berlin's White Christmas), Darien Crago, Caley Crawford, Jeremiah Ginn, Juliane Godfrey (Goodspeed's Good News! and The Great American Mousical), Laura Harrison, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Charles MacEachern (Goodspeed's Hello, Dolly!), Karl Skyler Urban, and John T. Wolfe (Goodspeed's Mame). The swings are Sarah Fagan and Darrell T. Joe. Connecticut native Spencer Stanley will understudy the role of Charlie Winslow.

Holiday Inn will be directed by Gordon Greenberg, whose Goodspeed credits include Happy Days and The Pirates of Penzance at the Goodspeed Opera House; The Fabulous Lipitones, Band Geeks! and The Baker's Wife at The Norma Terris Theatre. In New York, Mr. Greenberg directed the Drama Desk Award winning production of Studs Terkel's Working. Holiday Inn will be choreographed by Denis Jones who is slated to choreograph the upcoming Broadway musical Honeymoon in Vegas. For Goodspeed, Jones choreographed The Norma Terris Theatre production of Band Geeks! He served as Associate Choreographer for Broadway's Legally Blonde and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Tony-nominated Anna Louizos will be the Scenic Designer. Her numerous Broadway credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, In The Heights, and Curtains. Ms. Louizos' designs for Goodspeed include LMNOP, Radio Girl, Band Geeks!, Jim Hensen's Emmet Otter, and Me & My Girl. Costumes will be designed by Alejo Vietti whose designs can now be seen on Broadway in the Tony-nominated Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. Other Broadway credits include Associate Costume Design for Jersey Boys, Good Vibrations, and Enchanted April among others. For Goodspeed, Mr. Vietti has designed Fiddler on the Roof, Carousel, Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, Big River, 1776 and Meet John Doe at The Norma Terris Theatre. Lighting Design will be by Tony Award-winner Jeff Croiter. Among Croiter's many Broadway credits are Mothers and Sons, Soul Doctor, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Newsies. His Goodspeed credits include The Fabulous Lipitones, Radio Girl, Band Geeks!, Happy Days, Pirates of Penzance, Pippin, and more. Sound Design will be by Jay Hilton who is in his 29th season at Goodspeed.

The Music Director for Holiday Inn will be Michael O'Flaherty, who is in his 23rd season as Goodspeed's Resident Music Director. William J. Thomas will be Assistant Music Director. Orchestrations will be provided by Dan DeLange, who has created the orchestrations for numerous Goodspeed productions. Casting for Holiday Inn is by Paul Hardt of SH Entertainment.

Holiday Inn is produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.

Holiday Inn will run today, September 19 through November 30, 2014 [Official Press Opening is October 15, 2014]. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). The Thanksgiving week schedule will be 11/24 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., 11/28 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., 11/29 at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and 11/30 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or on-line at goodspeed.org. For show highlights, exclusive photos, special events and more visit us at goodspeed.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter @goodspeedmusicl, and YouTube.

Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, the first regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards for outstanding achievement, produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., and additional musicals at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. In 2014, Goodspeed celebrates 30 years of developing new musicals at The Norma Terris Theatre. In addition to the two theatres and production facilities, Goodspeed maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. Goodspeed gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Endowment for the Arts; Updike Kelly & Spellacy, P.C.; Liberty Bank; Connecticut Light and Power; Sennheiser; Amica Insurance; Comcast; Essex Meadows; United, the Official Airline Sponsor; and Hoffman Audi, the Official Auto Sponsor of Goodspeed Musicals. Goodspeed is supported in part by the Department of Economic and Community Development with support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.