Richard Maltby, Jr. & David Shire's WATERFALL Premieres at 5th Avenue Theatre Tonight

The 5th Avenue Theatre presents the sweeping new musical, WATERFALL, featuring Laura Griffith (Broadway: Sweet Smell of Success, The Light in the Piazza), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai pop superstar Bie Sukrit. The production officially opens tonight, October 15.

This epic new Broadway-bound musical love story features a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20. Seattle is the second of two locales where this unique and exciting musical is being developed after completing a popular and critically successful run at the Pasadena Playhouse in June.

WATERFALL marks a groundbreaking collaboration between American and Asian theatrical artists. The musical, based on a contemporary classic Thai novel, Behind the Painting by Sriburapha, features book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Richard Maltby, Jr. (Ain't Misbehavin', Miss Saigon) and music by Oscar winner and two-time Tony Award nominee David Shire (Baby, Big, written in collaboration with Richard Maltby, Jr.). The production will be co-directed by Broadway and Thai theatrical impresario Tak Viravan and Tony Award nominee Dan Knechtges (Xanadu, Lysistrata Jones) with choreography by Knechtges and music direction by John McDaniel. Casting for WATERFALL is by Stewart/Whitley.

WATERFALL is an epic love story set in Bangkok and Tokyo between the turbulent years of 1933 and 1939, as a monarchy falls in Thailand and Japan is on the brink of war. A young Thai student falls in love with the American wife of a Thai diplomat, and the story of their forbidden love parallels history as the new democracy of Siam moves into the vortex of the increasingly pre-World War II Japan. With a gloriously romantic score, WATERFALL is a modern love story of timeless scale.

The creative team also includes Sasavat Busayaband (Scenic Design), Wade Laboissonniere (Costume Design), Ken Billington (Lighting Design), Dan Moses Schreier (Sound Designer), Caite Hevner Kemp (Projection Design) J. Jared Janas (Wig, Hair, and Make-up Design), Jonathan Tunick (Orchestration) and Greg Jarrett (Dance Music Arrangements). The team also includes Kenneth Ferrone (Associate Director), Jessica Hartman (Associate Choreographer), Mark Hartman (Associate Music Director), Christine Peters (Associate Scenic Designer), Lora LaVon(Associate Costume Designer), John Demous (Associate Lighting Design), Joshua D. Reid (Associate Sound Designer) and Lianne Arnold (Associate Projection Designer). Stage management staff includes Andrew Neal(Production Stage Manager), Rachel Bury (Assistant Stage Manager) and Lucy Kennedy (Assistant Stage Manager).

WATERFALL will be produced on Broadway by Scenario Company Ltd. and Jack M. Dalgleish. Foresight Theatrical serves as general managers. Production dates for Broadway will be announced once a theatre has been confirmed.

The full cast of WATERFALL also features Eymard Cabling (National Tour of Miss Saigon and International Tour of The King and I), Jordan De Leon (Drury Lane Theatre's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Kansas City Starlight Theatre's Footloose), Steven Eng (London West End's The King and I, North Shore Music Theatre's Pacific Overtures), Rona Figueroa (Broadway's Miss Saigon and LES MISERABLES), Kimberly Immanuel (Regional credits include Crazy For You and Love's Labour's Lost, the Musical), Rie Hatanaka (Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Faune Dance Troup, Harmonia Opera Company at The Kennedy Center), Lisa Helmi Johanson (Off-Broadway, National and International Tour of Avenue Q), Ryan Kim (regional credits include Sunday in the Park With George), Kenway Kua (Broadway's Wicked and The Frogs), Leon Le (Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Theatre Under The Stars' West Side Story), Celia Mei Rubin (Broadway's Matilda The Musical, London West End's Parade), Colin Miyamoto (National Tours of Beauty and the Beast and How I Became a Pirate), Darryl Semira (Broadway's Mamma Mia! and Bombay Dreams), Riza Takahashi, (The MUNY's The King and I and Thoroughly Modern Millie), and Kay Trinidad(Broadway's The Little Mermaid, Off-Broadway's Bare).

WATERFALL plays now through October 25 at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Avenue, Seattle). For single tickets (starting at $15) and information, visit www.5thavenue.org, call the Box Office at(206) 625-1900 or visit the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in Downtown Seattle. Tickets may also be purchased at (888) 5TH-4TIX. Group ticket buyers (10 or more) may call (888) 625-1418.

*Bie Sukrit and Riza Takahashi are appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association.

Photo Credit: Tracy Martin