Photo Flash: First Look at BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, Opening Tonight at Virginia Rep

Virginia Repertory Theatre celebrates the opening of Brighton Beach Memoirs tonight, July 15, at Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover Courthouse Road. The show runs through Sunday, August 28. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

In this coming of age Neil Simon comedy, a Brooklyn teenager searches for identity and grapples with the mundane existence of his Jewish family. A semi-autobiographical portrait, Brighton Beach Memoirs humorously captures Simon's upbringing in 1930's America.

Director, Steve Perigard, is well known in the Richmond area where his work has been seen on the stages of Virginia Rep, Cadence Theatre, Richmond Shakespeare, Firehouse Theatre, Theatre Virginia, SPARC, Theatre VCU, Randolph Macon College, and Collegiate School where he currently serves as the Upper School Director of Theatre. He last directed Steel Magnolias and Last of Red Hot Lovers at Hanover Tavern. Other directing credits include Twelfth Night, Enchanted April, The Laramie Project, The Comedy of Errors and The Pillowman.

Virginia Rep welcomes recent VCU Theatre graduates Tyler Stevens and Trevor Craft in their Virginia Rep debuts in the role of Eugene and Stanley. Returning to the stage at Hanover Tavern is Jill Bari Steinberg, longtime Virginia Rep actor and the recipient of two Phoebe Awards for acting. Steinberg will play the role of Kate Jerome, the family matriarch. She was last seen at Hanover Tavern in On Golden Pond.

Sara Heifetz returns to Virginia Rep in the role of Blanche Morton, Eugene's recently widowed aunt. Recent credits include Body Awareness with 5th Wall Theatre and The House At Pooh Corner and The Velveteen Rabbit with Virginia Rep's Children's Theatre. She is the recipient of last year's RTCC award for Best Supporting Actress in The Human Terrain.

Andrew C. Boothby will play the role of Jack Jerome, Eugene's father. Recent credits include Gypsy, South Pacific and Mame at Virginia Rep.

Also joining the cast: Meg Carnahan, a recent JMU graduate who was featured in Virginia Rep's Gypsy; Molly Nugent, a rising 8th grader at Holman Middle School who has performed with Virginia Rep since the age of ten.

The design team includes longtime Virginia Rep designer Terrie Powers, Virginia Rep's director of costumes, Sue Griffin and lighting designer, Zachary Townsend.

For tickets, contact the box office at 804-282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org.

Tyler Stevens. Photo by Jay Paul.

Left to right: Andrew C. Boothby, Tyler Stevens, Trevor Craft, Meg Carnahan, Molly Nugent (facing away), Sara Heifetz, and Jill Bari Steinberg. Photo by Jay Paul.

Tyler Stevens and Andrew C. Boothby. Photo by Jay Paul.

Jill Bari Steinberg and Sara Heifetz. Photo by Jay Paul.

Trevor Craft and Tyler Stevens. Photo by Jay Paul.

Molly Nugent and Sara Heifetz. Photo by Jay Paul.

Meg Carnahan (Molly Nugent in background). Photo by Jay Paul.

Trevor Craft and Tyler Stevens. Photo by Jay Paul.

Tyler Stevens (Andrew C. Boothby and Trevor Craftin background). Photo by Jay Paul.