ART/WNY Announces Casts of AMERICAN IDIOT, THE UNDERPANTS & More

A great week of general auditions and callbacks for the 2016-17 season with 60+ talented individuals attending the two-night and three days of callbacks seeking to fill roles for all four ART/WNY productions. Maura Nolan, director for Halley Fieffer's HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND THEN KILL THEM, Jeffrey Coyle, director for Steve Martin's THE UNDERPANTS, Matthew LaChiusa, director for A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE and alongside Billy Horn, musical director for AMERICAN IDIOT, had the difficult decision to chose from all those who attended. Once the dust settled, two of the four shows have been fully cast with the other two in the process of finalizing cast lists.

The September 2016 production of AMERICAN IDIOT features a cast of 10 including Christopher Teal who has been tapped to play the rebel-without-a-clue 'Johnny' aka 'Jesus of Suburbia', Billy Horn will double-up as musical director and the iconoclastic-bombastic 'Saint Jimmy', Nate Miller will make his ART debut as the underachieving, bong-hitter 'Will' with Jordan Levin, also making his ART debut as the idealistic favorite son, 'Tunny'. Sara Kow-Falcone (seen in ART's BBAJ) will make her company return as the uber-gutter punk 'Whatshername', the talented Carolyn Lanson also returns to the company's stage as the estranged 'Heather' with Rosemarie Lorenti as the 'Extraordinary Girl' and, in an ART debut, Melissa Levin adds her talented voice to the production.

Director for the sharp-edged HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND THEN KILL THEM, Maura Nolan (picture left/center with stage manager Kate Parker) has officially listed her cast list for the production. Making her ART debut is Sue McCormick as 'Sam' with the second half of the sister team featuring Melissa Levin (fresh from AMERICAN IDIOT) as 'Ada', and their new friend 'Dorrie' played by Mara Morris (last seen in ART's THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES as 'Bunny Flingus').

Jeffrey Coyle made efficient use of his callbacks and announced the cast-list for Steve Martin's adaptation of the 1910 German farce DIE HOSE. Candice Kogut returns to ART (HELLO AGAIN) as the flashing 'Louise Markes' having to answer to her esteemed husband 'Theo Markes' played by ART alumni (and company fav) David Mitchell. THE UNDERPANTS also features an assortment of characters including the enamored (read: horny) team of 'Frank Versati' played by ART debuting Ben Caldwell, and 'Benjamin Cohen', played by ART alumni Rich Kraemer. Pam Mangus will also make her return to the ART stage as the upstairs neighbor 'Gertrude Deuter' and rounding off the cast as 'Klinglehoff' is Michael Starzinski (also a company fav).

The final show of the 2016-17 season, Martin McDonagh's A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE, has two of the four parts filled as Thomas LaChiusa will return to the ART stage (HELLO AGAIN; THE CRUCIBLE) in the role of the one-handed 'Carmichael' with Andrew Kottler, making his ART debut, as the hotel front-desk guy/hotel manager, Mervyn. The roles of Marilyn and Toby will be determined within the next week pending confirmation and scheduling.

Overall, tremendous amount of talent that came through the 330 Theater doors and made the decision to cast extremely difficult for all directors. American Repertory Theater of WNY wants to thank all for coming in and sharing their talents for both the general auditions and callbacks.

The company is also proud to note that several individuals who came to the general auditions found themselves cast in 2016-17 season productions. This achievement reflects the company willingness to take risks on unknown or unproven talent and cast these individuals in substantial roles.

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