Silence! the Musical Cast, with Kandel, Harris, Howard

Silence! the Musical, the unauthorized parody of The Silence of the Lambs that will be presented as part of the ninth annual New York International Fringe Festival, has been fully cast. The show will run from August 12th through August 28th.

Tony-nominee Paul Kandel (The Who's Tommy, Shockheaded Peter) has been assigned the grisly role of cannibal Hannibal Lecter, while Jenn Harris (Lucille Lortel Award winner for Modern Orthodox) has won the coveted role of his adversary Clarice Starling. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee's Lisa Howard has been cast as abductee Catherine Martin.

The cast will also feature Stephen Bienskie as Buffalo Bill, Deirdre Goodwin as Ardelia Mapp, Howard Kaye as Jack Crawford, Harry Bouvy as asylum warden Dr. Chilton, and Jeff Hiller as Sgt. Pembry. Casting was by Susan W. Lovell, director of last year's Fringe hit Dog Sees God.

Composed by brothers Jon and Al Kaplan and directed and choreographed by multiple Lortel Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Altar Boyz, Bat Boy: the Musical), the musical gleefully spoofs the 1991 Oscar-winning film. In the Silence! the Musical, the action "is narrated by a Greek chorus of lambs, and everyone breaks out into cheerful showtunes about the most horrific of subjects."

The production's design team will feature 2005 Tony Award winning Set Designer Scott Pask (The Pillowman), Sound Designer Simon Matthews (Altar Boyz), Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter (Actor's Fund Concert of Hair ), and Costume Designer David Kaley (NEWSical).

Jon and Al Kaplan, two brothers struggling to break into Los Angeles' competitive film composing industry, wrote Silence! The Musical as a labor of love in 2003. At first a diversion, the songs made their way online. Aided by enthusiastic word of mouth and a mention on Entertainment Weekly's Must List, the music has acquired a strong cult following. The FringeNYC production marks the first time the piece will receive a production of any kind.

Photo by Ben Strothmann.