Klea Blackhurst, Brian Cali, Jonathan Kaplan & More Set for TriArts Sharon Playhouse's 25th Anniversary Season

TriArts Sharon Playhouse, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Simpkins and Managing Director Justin Ball, has announced initial casting for its 25th Anniversary Season with the musicals LES MISERABLES, Falsettos, and Disney's The Little Mermaidon the Mainstage. Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and the new musical Nine Wives (by Douglas J. Cohen and Dan Elish) will play Stage 2 in the Bok Gallery. The Youth Theatre will present the Tony-winning Spring Awakening.

Sharon Playhouse's 25th Anniversary kicks off the season with the Tony Award-winning musical LES MISERABLES June 18-29. Featuring book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer,

John Simpkins directs, with choreography by Nathaniel Shaw and music direction by Eric Kang. Making their Sharon debuts are Brian Calì (Encores! The Most Happy Fella, Master Class) as Jean Valjean and Justin Patterson (All Shook Up) as Javert. This international smash-hit may be the most popular musical in the world - seen by over 65 million people on stage and in its Academy Award-winning motion picture incarnation. Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, LES MISERABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score includes the classic songs "I Dreamed a Dream," "On My Own," "Stars," "Bring Him Home," and many more.

William Finn and James Lapine's Falsettos (July 11-20) stars Kyle Barisich (The Phantom of the Opera) as Marvin and Leslie Henstockas Trina (A Christmas Story and The Light in the Piazza national tours). Winner of Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score, the shows tells the tale of Marvin - who leaves his wife and child for another man - and the sometimes hilarious, sometimes disastrous, always heart-filled and human ways they try to celebrate a different kind of family. The New York Times called the show "exhilarating and heartbreaking" - and the original cast was led by Broadway veterans Michael Rupert, Chip Zien, Stephen Bogardus and Barbara Walsh. John Simpkinsdirects, with choreography by Connor Gallagher and music direction by Joshua Zecher- Ross.

Disney's The Little Mermaid (August 13-24) stars Klea Blackhurst (Goodspeed's Hello, Dolly!) as Ursula, Bernard Dotson (Finian's Rainbow, Chicago, Ragtime) as Sebastian and Melody Madarasz as Ariel. In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, a beautiful young mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. The musical was originally adapted from Disney's 1989 film and features lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater; music by Alan Menken; and book by Doug Wright. Jennifer Werner directs and choreographs, with music direction by Eric Kang.

Tony nominee Jonathan Kaplan (Falsettos, The Diary of Anne Frank) and Jamie Ross (42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles) star inTuesdays With Morrie, (July 3-6) by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom, and based on the book by Mitch Albom. Warner Shook (The Kentucky Cycle) directs. The play is an autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished sports journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor who is battling Lou Gehrig's Disease. Based on one the top-selling memoirs of all time, critics have hailed the stage adaptation as more humorous, more shattering, and equally as powerful as its literary counterpart.

James Penca (Fringe Save the Date) and Jason 'SweetTooth' Williams (Bloodsong of Love) star in the new musical Nine Wives (July 24-27), with music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen and book and lyrics by Dan Elish. John Simpkins directs. Based on the novel, "Nine Wives," by Dan Elish, the musical tells the story of Henry Mann, a 32-year-old bachelor who discovers that the love of his life has met someone new and is about to get married. What's worse, he's been invited to her wedding. What follows are Henry's frantic attempts to find a woman he can take as his date.

The annual Youth Theatre production will be the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening August 1-3 on the Mainstage, featuring book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik. Set in 19th Century Germany, the show is a rock musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind's 1891 expressionist play about the trials, tribulations, and exhilaration of the teen years. Jason Brantman and Fiona Santos direct and music direct.

Additional artists in residence for 2014 are Scenic Designers Michael Schweikardt and Caleb Levengood, Lighting Designers Chris Dallos and Jamie Roderick, Costume Designer Michelle Humphrey, and Sound Designer Brad Berridge. The Playhouse also continues its unique partnership with NYU Steinhardt, enabling college students from Universities around the country to earn college credit for their participation in the 2014 Collegiate Company.

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