Tony Award-nominee Michael Arden has just concluded a weeklong research and development session led by Broadway and television star Tituss Burgess, Tony Award-winners Steve Kazee and Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Tony Award-nominee Valarie Pettiford (Fosse), in advance of a new production of the Stephen Sondheim masterwork Merrily We Roll Along, set to hit the stage of the Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts November 22, 2016 through December 18, 2016. Casting for the fall production will be announced at a later date. Check out photos from the session below!
"I'm so excited to be partnering with The Wallis and
Cody Lassen again to bring one of my favorite musicals to life," Arden said. "Just about a year ago, we were in the same rehearsal hall working on Spring Awakening, and to be back in that same room with these incredible actors and creatives felt like a homecoming."
"The Wallis is both a performing arts center, with stages to share performances with audiences, and a collaborative resource for artists to nurture and develop new ideas, projects and possible productions," said Paul Crewes, The Wallis' new Artistic Director. "We were thrilled to support Michael's development of our co-production of Merrily We Roll Along, which will be our second theater production of the new season."
The research and development cast also included: Adam Von Almen,
Bryan Dobson,
Max Ehrich,
Annie Funke, LaRece Hawkins,
Ginifer King,
Jeffrey Landman,
Charlotte Maltby,
Peter Porte,
Scarlett Strallen and
Luke Youngblood. The creative team included
Eamon Foley (Choreographer),
Adam Wachter (Music Director),
Blake Silver (Associate Director), Jacob Yates (Accompanist), Beth Lipari (Casting Director) and
Lora K. Powell (Production Stage Manager).
Michael Arden, who brilliantly reimagined The Wallis' production of Spring Awakening with
Deaf West Theatre that received rave reviews on Broadway and earned him Tony, Drama Desk and New York Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, directs Merrily We Roll Along, the rarely staged
Stephen Sondheim (Into the Wood, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story) musical that travels backwards in time to navigate the bumpy history between three friends-Franklin, Charlie and Mary-who begin their careers in show business together. The powerful and moving story, based on the Kaufman and Hart play, features some of Sondheim's most beautiful songs including "Good Thing Going," "Old Friends," "Our Time" and "Not a Day Goes By." The musical will be produced by The Wallis and
Cody Lassen with co-producer Aaron Sanko.
Arden was recently named the institution's first ever Artist-in-Residence for the 2016/17 season. He will direct two new productions: Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along and
Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride, continue to develop new work and conduct a Master Class. The Pride, a gorgeously-drawn drama alternating between two very distinct time periods and sets of characters whose fate is written by their eras, is set to hit the stage of the Lovelace Studio Theater at The Wallis June 6 through 30, 2017.
Photos by Casey Kringlen
