BoHo Theatre Announces Cast of 110 in the Shade

BoHo Theatre brings its 2018 season to a close with the classic musical romance 110 IN THE SHADE with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones (the songwriting team of THE FANTASTICKS and I DO! I DO!), and book by N. Richard Nash, based on his play THE RAINMAKER. The production marks the final show for director Peter Marston Sullivan as BoHo Theatre's Artistic Director, a position he has held since 2010. For BoHo, Sullivan has also directed such hits as DOGFIGHT, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, FLOYD COLLINS, and BIG RIVER. 110 IN THE SHADE will be choreographed by Aubrey Adams (Jeff Award winner for BoHo's URINETOWN) with music direction by Ellen K. Morris (NEXT TO NORMAL, DOGFIGHT).

In a drought-stricken farming and ranching community somewhere in the American Southwest during the Depression, independent-minded farm woman Lizzie Curry fears remaining unmarried for the rest of her life. BoHo's Lizzie will be Neala Barron, who earned raves earlier this year for her leading performance as Mary Flynn in Porchlight's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG and is also remembered for her work as Daisy in THE ADDING MACHINE with The Hypocrites. Lizzie's best prospect for romance is Sheriff File, to be played by Denzel Tsopnang, a Jeff Award nominee this year for his Coalhouse Walker, Jr., in Griffin's RAGTIME. Tsopnang also gained attention for his portrayal of Mr. Bones in Porchlight's THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS. Cast as Bill Starbuck, the stranger who comes to town promising to end both the rain drought and Lizzie's romantic drought, is Tommy Thurston, who appeared as The Professor in Pride Films and Plays' YANK! and played Edward Bloom in Big Noise Theatre's 2017 production of BIG FISH.

Sullivan's cast also includes Peter Robel (Jeff nominated for BoHo's I AM MY OWN WIFE) as Lizzie's father H.C. Curry; Billy Dawson (Maximillian in Music Theater Works' CANDIDE) as older brother Noah; and Christopher Ratliff (FOREVER PLAID at Theater at the Center) as younger brother Jimmy. Mariah Copeland, who appeared in EVER IN THE GLADES at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, will be Jimmy's love interest Snookie. Also in the cast are Laz Estrada, Dan Gold, Parker Guidry, Max Kramer, Elissa Newcorn, Emily Senkowsky, and Sana Selemon.

The production team for 110 IN THE SHADE will be Meg Love (Producer), Patrick Ham (Scenic Design), G. Max Maxin (Lighting Design), Theresa Hamm (Costume Design), Anthony Churchill (Sound Design), Emily Boyd (Properties Design), Lindsay Brown (Production Manager), Dalton Long (Stage Manager).

110 IN THE SHADE will open to the press on Saturday, November 3 at 8 pm., following previews from Sunday, October 28 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets will be on sale beginning October 1 at www.BoHoTheatre.com.

Photo: Back row: Peter Robel (HC), Tommy Thurston (Starbuck), Denzel Tsopnang (File), Mariah Copeland (Snookie), Christopher Ratliff (Jimmy)
Front Row: Neala Barron (Lizzie), Billy Dawson (Noah)
Photo by Nathanael Filbert Photography