HADESTOWN's Damon Daunno Will Star in Jason Craig & Dave Malloy's BEARDO Off-Broadway

Pipeline Theatre Company has announced that Damon Daunno (Hadestown, Broadway's Brief Encounter) joins the cast of Beardo as the title character.

Beardo, with book and lyrics by Jason Craig (Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage), music by Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), and direction by Ellie Heyman (The Traveling Imaginary), will take place at St. John's Lutheran Church (155 Milton Street, Brooklyn - G Train, Greenpoint Stop). Beardo will begin previews on February 3, 2017, and officially open on February 12, 2017, playing a limited engagement through February 26, 2017.

Daunno*, who was last seen playing "Orpheus" in Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin's Hadestown at New York Theatre Workshop, will star alongside the previously announced cast of Alex Highsmith (Angels in America) as "Tsarista," Liz Leimkuhler (If You Wanna See the Devil) as "Shack Sister," Brian Bock (Three Sisters) as "Yusapoof," Pipeline ensemble member Willy Appleman (Clown Bar) as "Tsar," Rolls Andre (CANT) as "Shack Man," Shaye Troha (Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage) as "Shack Woman," and Ben Langhorst (The Pirate La Dee Da) as "Person of the Court." Daunno replaces Kenyon Phillips (The Life And Death of Kenyon Phillips), who was originally announced to play the role of "Beardo."

Beardo is a Russian indie rock musical from the outrageous minds that brought us Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Beardo explores the mad inner workings of Rasputin, the infamous mystic who sexed his way to the fall of the Russian monarchy. Join Pipeline Theatre Company this February and catapult through the mysterious ascent of one of the most peculiar and seductive figures in modern history.

For its New York premiere, Pipeline Theatre Company is collaborating with authors Craig and Malloy on revising Beardo, including a brand new character and additional music, creating a never-before-seen experience this February.

Beardo will be staged at St John's Lutheran Church, a fully operational church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where the production will make full use of the building's high-arched ceilings, breathtaking staiNed Glass windows, fully-functioning pipe organ, and paint slowly curling off the walls.

Beardo will feature music direction by Ian Axness (Clown Bar), set design by Carolyn Mraz (The Hatmaker's Wife), costume design by Katja Andreiev (The Caucasian Chalk Circle), lighting design by Mary Ellen Stebbins (LongYarn), sound design by Dan Moses Schreier (Broadway's A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder) and Joshua Reid (Broadway's American Psycho, Associate Sound Design), props design by Jess Adams (Broadway's Long Day's Journey Into Night), choreography by the Kuperman Brothers (The Light Princess), and production stage management by Kristy Bodall (Clown Bar).

The band for Beardo is conductor Sam Kulik (guitar), Blake Allen (viola), Ezra Gale (bass), Sarah Haines (violin), SeRena Miller (cello), and Hajnal Pivnick (violin).

Beardo received its world premiere with The Shotgun Players at The Ashby Stage, Berkeley, CA (Patrick Dooley, Artistic Director) in March, 2011.

Tickets can be purchased at www.pipelinetheatre.org/tickets. Tickets range from $25 to $60. Beardo will be performed Tuesday through Sunday. All shows are at 8PM.

Pipeline Theatre Company (Artistic Director, Ari Schrier; Producing Director, Natalie Gershtein) believes that an unbridled imagination is a force of magic with the power to provoke a more courageous and compassionate world. Our company thrives on adventure and believes no story is worth telling without a little risk. We love our villains as much as our heroes, especially in those puzzling moments when we can't quite tell them apart. Above all, we aim to leave you with stories that stick somewhere in your heart, your brain, or your guts. Pipeline's most recent productions, THE GRAY MAN, CLOWN BAR, and BYUIOO, are examples of how Pipeline goes big to create fully immersive, spectacular, one-­of-a-kind events. CLOWN BAR by Adam Szymkowicz was named a New York Times Critics' Pick and completely sold out its extended run at The Box. Reviewers called it "a perfect storm of ridiculousness," "unabashedly silly but also shrewd," and added "the team responsible... should be hired by everyone for everything all the time immediately." Of Andrew Farmer's THE GRAY MAN, The NY Times said "... so ambitious... the production values are exceptional... if you see a lot of theater, you'll admire all the chances it takes." Of BYUIOO, by Pipeline ensemble member Nate Weida, reviewers asserted, "BYUIOO is a truly unique musical experience... Featuring a rousing score... brilliant direction... BYUIOO shows a theatre company at the top of its game." For more information, visit pipelinetheatre.org.

*The Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

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