Village Theatre opens its 2012-2013 with Big River. This
Tony Award winning musical
is unique among the Broadway musical cannon for its powerful Bluegrass/Country score. The music and lyrics for Big River are by legendary chart topping country singer-songwriter
Roger Miller. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.
Big River is based on
Mark Twain’s classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Fearful of Pap’s drunken rage, Huck fakes his own death and hightails it to the river to help his friend Jim escape slavery. On their adventures through the South the duo encounters kings, thieves and angry mobs.
The music director for Big River is Tim Symons. The cast features Broadway star (RENT, Scottsboro Boys) and TV actor (NBCs GRIMM)
Rodney Hicks as Jim as well as newcomer Randy Scholz (Spelling Bee at SSR and The Odyssey at Taproot) as Huck Finn. Other cast members include:
Richard Gray (The King),
Greg McCormick Allen (The Duke), David Anthony Lewis (Pap), Taylor Niemeyer (Mary Jane),
John David Scott (
Tom Sawyer), Stacie Pinkney Calkins (Alice), Ben Wynant (Jo Harper), Matt Wade (Simon),
Cheryl Massey-Peters (Widow Douglas),
Jayne Muirhead (
Miss Watson), Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako (Alice’s Daughter), and
John Patrick Lowrie (
Mark Twain).
The ensemble players include: Indeah Thomaier,
Ekello Harrid Jr., Marq Johnson,
BoJohn Diciple,
Gabriel Corey, Josh Krupke,
Lindsey Larson, and
Jessica Low.Big River is directed by Steve Tomkins and Tim Symons is the music director. Daniel Cruz is the
choreographer with
Scott Fyfe as the scenic designer. Lighting Design is by
Tom Sturge, Costume Design is by
Melanie Taylor Burgess, Prop Master is Monique Walker, Sound Design is by Brent Warwick and Sarah Dale Lewis is the Stage Manager.