Huntington Theatre Company to Open Stephen Sondheim's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE This Fall

The Huntington Theatre Company will open its 2016-2017 season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George, Stephen Sondheim's stunning masterpiece about love, inspiration, and "the art of making art." Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (A Little Night Music) will direct. Performances will run September 9 - October 16, 2016 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. Tickets are now on sale to the general public.

One of the most acclaimed musicals ever, Sunday in the Park with George features a glorious score, including the songs "Finishing the Hat," "Putting it Together," and "Move On," with a book by James Lapine, choreography by Daniel Pelzig (A Little Night Music and Candide at the Huntington), and music direction by Eric Stern (music director for Marty and conductor for A Little Night Music at the Huntington).

Sunday in the Park with George was inspired by Georges Seurat's painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Act one is set in 1884 and explores how the painting comes to life. The second act jumps forward 100 years and follows George's great-grandson's search for inspiration and what it means to create art in a contemporary world. Sunday in the Park with George is a transcendent love story that connects the past to the future through the lens of art and creation. The New York Times calls Sunday in the Park with George, "An audacious and touching work with a lovely, wildly inventive score."

"Sunday in the Park with George is a Sondheim masterpiece. And personally, working on a musical about artistic creation is dizzying and profound," says Artistic Director Peter DuBois. "Introducing Boston audiences to rising stars Adam Chanler-Berat and Jenni Barber is a thrill for me, as well as reuniting the world-class team of designers - and much of the fabulous Boston talent - from A Little Night Music. This production is the perfect celebration of staying in our long-term home on Huntington Avenue, and kicks off the season by celebrating the art of creation."

The Huntington Theatre Company is committed to a long-term project of staging all 15 musicals for which Sondheim wrote both the music and the lyrics. Sunday in the Park with George is the second musical to be staged in the series, following last fall's smash hit production of A Little Night Music. "Like our commitment to August Wilson and producing all of the plays in his Century Cycle, the Huntington is thrilled to take a deep dive into Sondheim's body of work. Sondheim is the great musical theatre genius of a generation, and producing and presenting his work on the Huntington's stages will provide a tremendous and remarkable experience for Boston audiences."

Sunday in the Park with George features a live orchestra of 11 musicians and an award-winning cast of Boston favorites and first-rate musical theatre artists. Adam Chanler-Berat plays the contemplative George. Mr. Chanler-Berat most recently originated the title role in Peter and the Starcatcher on Broadway. Previously he originated the role of Henry in the Broadway musical Next to Normal. George's longtime mistress and model Dot is played by Jenni Barber. Ms. Barber made her Broadway debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and recently played the role of Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked.

George's successful artist friend Jules is played by Josh Breckenridge (The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway) and Aimee Doherty (A Little Night Music at the Huntington and Into the Woods at Lyric Stage Company) plays Jules' wife Yvonne. Other cast members include local favorite Bobbie Steinbach (A Little Night Music, Dead End, and The Corn is Green at the Huntington) as Old Lady. Her nurse is played by Amy Barker (A Little Night Music at the Huntington and [title of show] at SpeakEasy Stage Company). Jules and Yvonne's coachman Franz is played by Patrick Varner (A Little Night Music at the Huntington), Todd A. Horman (The Last Ship on Broadway) plays the boatman, Nick Sulfaro (A Little Night Music at the Huntington and Camelot at New Repertory Theatre) plays Louis, Morgan Kirner (A Little Night Music at the Huntington and The Little Mermaid at Theatre by the Sea) plays Celeste 1, Sarah Oakes Muirhead (A Little Night Music at the Huntington) plays Celeste 2, Melody Butiu (Doctor Zhivago A New Musical on Broadway) plays Frieda, Drew O'Shanick (A Little Night Music at the Huntington) plays Soldier, and Jordan McLaughlin (Kissless with New York Musical Festival) is the swing. Complete casting will be announced soon.

Sunday in the Park with George features scenic design by Derek McLane (A Little Night Music at the Huntington and Beautiful on Broadway, 2013 and 2014 Oscars), costumes by Robert Morgan (A Little Night Music, The Seagull, The Corn is Green, and She Loves Me at the Huntington), lighting design by Christopher Akerlind (All My Sons at the Huntington and Waitress on Broadway), sound design by Jon Weston (A Little Night Music at the Huntington and An American in Paris on Broadway), and projection design by Zachary Borovay (The Colored Museum at the Huntington). Production stage manager is Emily McMullen and stage manager is Kevin Schlagle.

Stephen Sondheim (Composer and Lyricist) is an American musical theatre legend and Pulitzer Prize and multiple Tony Award winner. He wrote the music and lyrics for Road Show, Passion, Assassins, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Pacific Overtures, The Frogs, A Little Night Music, Follies, Company, Anyone Can Whistle, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story, Gypsy, Do I Hear a Waltz?, and additional lyrics for Candide. Anthologies of his work include Side by Side by Sondheim, Marry Me a Little, You're Gonna Love Tomorrow, Putting It Together, and Sondheim on Sondheim. He composed the film scores of Stavisky and Reds, songs for Dick Tracy, and the television production Evening Primrose. His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: Finishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hat. In 2010 the Broadway theatre formerly known as Henry Miller's Theatre was renamed in his honor.

Peter DuBois (Director) is in his ninth season as Artistic Director at the Huntington where his directing credits include Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music; the world premieres of Gina Gionfriddo's Can You Forgive Her?, Lydia R. Diamond's Smart People, Evan M. Wiener's Captors, Stephen Karam's Sons of the Prophet (2012 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Bob Glaudini's Vengeance is the Lord's, and David Grimm's The Miracle at Naples; the regional premieres of A. Rey Pamatmat's after all the terrible the things I do, Stephen Belber's The Power of Duff, and Gina Gionfriddo's Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss. His West End/London credits include Rapture, Blister, Burn (Hampstead Theatre), All New People with Zach Braff (Duke of York's Theatre), and Becky Shaw (Almeida Theatre). His New York credits include The Power of Duff with Greg Kinnear (New York Stage and Film/Powerhouse Theater); the premiere of Rapture, Blister, Burn (Playwrights Horizons, 2013 Pulitzer Prize Finalist); Sons of the Prophet (Roundabout Theatre Company, 2012 Pulitzer Prize Finalist); Modern Terrorism, Becky Shaw, Trust with Sutton Foster, All New People, and Lips Together, Teeth Apart (Second Stage Theatre); Measure for Pleasure, Richard III with Peter Dinklage, Mom, How Did You Meet the Beatles?, and Biro (The Public Theater/NYSF); Jack Goes Boating with Philip Seymour Hoffman and The View From 151st Street (LAByrinth Theater Company/The Public Theater), and the upcoming production of Can You Forgive Her? at the Vineyard Theatre. Regional US and UK credits include productions at American Conservatory Theater, Trinity Repertory Company, Humana Festival of New Plays, Manchester Opera House, and King's Theater Glasgow. Before arriving at the Huntington, he served for five years as associate producer and resident director at The Public Theater, preceded by five years as artistic director of the Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska. Prior to his work at Perseverance, Mr. DuBois lived and worked in the Czech Republic where he co-founded Asylum, a multi-national squat theatre in Prague. His productions have been on the annual top ten lists of The New York Times, Time Out, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Newsday, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, The Evening Standard, and Improper Bostonian, and he received an Honorable Mention for 2013 Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe Magazine.

Daniel Pelzig (Choreographer) returns to the Huntington having worked on A Little Night Music, Candide, Private Lives, Company, HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, and A Christmas Carol. His most recent credits include choreographer for Guys and Dolls at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Carousel at Glimmerglass Festival, The Figaro Plays at the McCarter Theatre, and director/choreographer of Die Fledermaus at Houston Grand Opera and Romeo et Juliette at Kentucky Opera. On Broadway he choreographed 33 Variations (starring Jane Fonda) and A Year with Frog and Toad. His Off Broadway productions include Valhalla (New York Theatre Workshop), The New Moon (City Center Encores!), Regrets Only and Newyorkers (Manhattan Theatre Club), and Privates on Parade (Roundabout Theatre Company). His many Boston credits include resident guest artist for the dance division of The Boston Conservatory, stage director of The Bartered Bride for Opera Boston, Don Giovanni and La Clemenza di Tito for Boston University Opera Institute, and four years as resident choreographer for Boston Ballet. Other recent credits include The Winter's Tale (Guthrie Theater), My Fair Lady (Shaw Festival/Arena Stage), and Into the Woods (Alliance Theatre). He received his degree in cellular biology from Columbia University.

Eric Stern (Musical Director) is a Broadway veteran, having conducted, arranged and/or supervised 20 Broadway shows, including Shrek, Xanadu, Follies, Parade, Candide, The Will Rogers Follies, and Rags. He was the music director for Marty and the conductor for A Little Night Music at the Huntington. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Barbara Cook, Dawn Upshaw, Audra McDonald, Mandy Patinkin, Elaine Stritch and Betty Buckley, and has conducted many of the world's top orchestras. Four years ago Eric and his family moved to Boston where he teaching conducting at Berklee College of Music.

Adam Chanler-Berat (George) was recently in the world premiere of Amélie at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. On Broadway, Mr. Chanler-Berat originated Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher. He also originated the role of Henry in Next to Normal on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well. Off Broadway credits include The Fortress of Solitude (The Public Theater/NYSF, Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Best Actor), Fly by Night (Playwrights Horizons), and My Favorite Year (York Theatre Company). On film, he can be seen opposite Vince Vaughn in Delivery Man. He starred in the web series "It Could Be Worse," and his recent television credits include "Elementary," "Veep," and "The Good Wife," as well as a role in the new CBS series "Doubt."

Jenni Barber (Dot) has appeared on Broadway in Wicked (Glinda), The Nance, Annie, The Performers, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. New York and regional credits include Presto Change-O (Barrington Stage Company), Private Lives (Hartford Stage), As You Like It and The Tempest (The Bridge Project, dir. by Sam Mendes), From Up Here (Manhattan Theatre Club), and Paint Your Wagon at Encores!. Her television credits include Aziz Ansari's "Master of None," "Elementary," "Smash," "Law & Order: SVU," and "The Electric Company."

The Huntington's 2016-2017 Season is sponsored through the generosity of Carol G. Deane, Sheryl and Gerard Cohen, and J. David Wimberly. The Production Sponsors for Sunday in the Park with George are Betsy and David Epstein.

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