Emily Padgett Leads World Premiere of Maltby & Shire's WATERFALL, Beginning Tonight in Pasadena

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in welcoming Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit to lead the cast of the world premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20.

Performances at Pasadena Playhouse take place tonight, May 29, through June 28, 2015, followed by a Seattle run October 1-25, 2015.

Waterfall marks a groundbreaking collaboration between American and Asian theatrical artists. The musical, based on a contemporary classic Thai novel, Behind the Painting by Sriburapha, features book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Richard Maltby Jr. (Ain't Misbehavin', Miss Saigon) and music by Oscar winner and two-time Tony Award nominee, David Shire (Baby, Big, written in collaboration with Richard Maltby, Jr.) The production will be directed by Broadway and Thai theatrical impresario Tak Viravan and choreographed by Tony Award-nominee Dan Knechtges (Xanadu, Lysistrata Jones). Casting for Waterfall is by Stewart/Whitley.

"I feel certain that this incredibly gifted cast combined with our acclaimed creative team will result in another thrilling world premiere production on our stage," says 5th Avenue Theatre Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong. "Our collaboration with our partners at the Pasadena Playhouse insures that all of these amazing artists will have the time and resources needed to bring this beautiful and romantic story to its full potential."

Director Tak Viravan of Waterfall, says, "I am so excited and thrilled to be working with this beautiful and talented cast, and I feel blessed to be among this amazing creative team, many of whom I have been idolizing ever since I knew musical theatre. Waterfall has been a wonderful journey, and I'm sure will continue to be so. I hope its beauty will touch everyone who comes to experience it. It is such a beautiful and special world."

Tak Viravan is the leading figure of Thailand's burgeoning theatre scene, where he has directed 14 musicals and plays and has presented many international touring productions. Waterfall is adapted from an earlier musical, Behind the Painting, which Viravan directed in Thailand. He has also been a producer for several Broadway musicals, including the Tony-nominated revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011) and Nice Work If You Can Get It. Viravan is one of the most prominent and influential figures of Thailand's entertainment industry, where he is also known as a television producer/director and for music and artist management.

Emily Padgett (Katherine) was most recently seen in her critically acclaimed performance as Daisy Hilton in the 2014 Broadway revival of Side Show. Her other Broadway credits include Grease (Sandy), Rock Of Ages (Sherrie), and Legally Blonde. Emily originated the role of Alex Owens on the National Tour of Flashdance and appeared in the 25th Anniversary Tour of Cats. She has also appeared on television in the FX series Louie.

Thai superstar Bie Sukrit (Noppon) will make his American stage debut in Waterfall. From his discovery in 2006 on the Thai television talent contest, The Star, Bie has become one of Thailand's most famous and recognizable young talents, starring on stage, screen and television. As a recording artist, his credits include several top-selling albums and sold-out concert tours. Bie created the role of Noppon in the musical Behind the Painting, the earlier version of Waterfall.

Thom Sesma's (Chao-Khun) Broadway credits include the original 1983 Broadway production of La Cage aux Folles, Chu Chem, Nick & Nora, Search and Destroy, Man of La Mancha, and The Times They are A-Changin'. Thom's additional New York credits include the recent Off-Broadway production of Craving for Travel.

J. Elaine Marcos' (Nuan) Broadway credits include The Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity, Wonderful Town, Flower Drum Song, Miss Saigon and A Chorus Line. She also played the role of Lily St. Regis in the recent revival of Annie on Broadway.

The cast of Waterfall also features Celia Mei Rubin as Ensemble (Broadway's Matilda The Musical, London West End's Parade), Colin Miyamoto as Surin/Ensemble (National Tours of Beauty and the Beast and How I Became a Pirate), Darryl Semira as Ensemble (Broadway's Mamma Mia! and Bombay Dreams), Eymard Cabling as Siamese Ambassador/Ensemble (National Tour of Miss Saigon and International Tour of The King and I), Jordan De Leon as Santi/Ensemble (Drury Lane Theatre's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Kansas City Starlight Theatre's Footloose), Kay Trinidad as Ensemble (Broadway's The Little Mermaid, Off-Broadway's Bare), Kenway Kua as Ensemble (Broadway's Wicked and The Frogs), Kimberly Immanuel as Pree/Ensemble (Regional credits include Crazy For You and Love's Labour's Lost, the Musical), Koh Mochizuki as Ensemble (Broadway's Mary Poppins and Aida), Leon Le as Ensemble (Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Theatre Under The Stars' West Side Story), Lisa Helmi Johanson as Kumiko/Ensemble (Off-Broadway, National and International Tour of Avenue Q), Marcus Choi as Japanese Attache/Thai Minister/Ensemble (Broadway's Wicked and Flower Drum Song), Minami Yusui as Ensemble (National Tour of Mary Poppins, Meadow Brook Theatre's Lysistrata Jones), Riza Takahashi as Ensemble (The MUNY's The King and I and Thoroughly Modern Millie), Rona Figueroa as Ensemble (Broadway's Miss Saigon and LES MISERABLES), and Steven Eng as Takamoto/Ensemble (London West End's The King and I, North Shore Music Theatre's Pacific Overtures).

The creative team for Waterfall includes Kenneth Ferrone (Assistant Director), Jessica Hartman (Associate Choreographer), John McDaniel (Music Supervisor/Conductor), Sasavat (Ja) Busayabandh (Scenic Designer), Wade Laboissonniere (Costume Designer), Ken Billington (Lighting Designer), Dan Moses Schreier (Sound Designer) and Caite Hevner Kemp (Projection Designer).

Waterfall is an epic love story set in Bangkok and Tokyo between the turbulent years of 1933 and 1939, as a monarchy falls in Thailand and Japan is on the brink of war. A young Thai student falls in love with the American wife of a Thai diplomat, and the story of their forbidden love parallels history as the new democracy of Siam moves into the vortex of the increasingly anti-American Japan. With a gloriously romantic score, Waterfall is a modern love story of timeless scale.

Waterfall will be produced on Broadway by Scenario Company Ltd. and Jack M. Dalgleish. Foresight Theatrical serves as general managers. Production dates for Broadway will be announced once a theatre has been confirmed.

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