Tony-Winner Katrina Lenk To Lead New Musical Adaptation Of Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD In Concert

On Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025, as a part of Prospect Musicals' IGNITE concert series, the American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Award Winner Emily Xu Hall will present a concert performance of her new musical adaptation of Chekhov's CHERRY ORCHARD, starring Tony Award winner Katrina Lenk.

Lenk won a Grammy, an Emmy, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Dina in the 2017 Broadway production of The Band's Visit. She also pioneered the gender-swapped role of Bobbie in the 2022 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

The musical is a reframing of some elements of Chekhov's play, with a folk, jazz and musical theatre score. The cast will feature Lisa Helmi Johanson (POTUS, Into the Woods national tour), Ari Afsar (Hamilton Chicago, Film: “Wedding Season”, Writer: We Won't Sleep), Sam Balzac (Fifty Million Frenchman at the York, Writer: The Guild The Musical), Jordan Bell (The Wizard of Oz national tour, Kiss Me, Kate at Stratford), McKenna Michael Bisaha (Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile at Pasadena Playhouse, The Lesson), Jenna Rose Husli (Teeth, Sister Act international tour), Dino Nicandros (The Jury, The Cher Show, Film: “The Infiltrators”), and Rick Rea (Writer: After Peter, Kingdom of the Moon).

The show has been developed at NYU Grad Acting Alumni Association's Studio Tisch, American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University, CATWALK residency, Musical Theatre Factory, University of the Arts Polyphone Festival, Page 73 Writers' Group, and SPACE on Ryder Farm (Working Farm).

Daniel Sefik (conductor, Hamilton) will music direct, and Mateo Chavez is music associate. Zachary Longstreet is production consultant, and Zhiwei Ma will produce.

ABOUT THE SHOW

When the sudden drowning of her son destroys life as she knew it, a mother, Lyuba, abandons her family. Years later, she learns that their house is going to be sold and summons the courage to return, where she finds her daughter and stepdaughter, who have had to grow up much too fast in her absence.

Lyuba's daughter Anya is becoming a revolutionary, and the more worldly she becomes, the less inclined she is to do what society would prefer.  Lyuba fights with her stepdaughter Varya, who she thinks is in too deep with a man who reminds her of her traumatic past.

Now that the house has fallen into repossession, will this family of three difficult women be able to heal their grief over the lost boy? Can they hope for a future in this house that has been so full of love? Will they save each other, or will they lose everything?