Jeremy Benton Returning to Off-Broadway's CAGNEY This Week

Cagney, the hit musical about Hollywood's tough guy in tap shoes, welcomes back Broadway's Jeremy Benton (42nd Street, national tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas) to the company beginning Wednesday, January 11th.

Benton returns to the roles of Bob Hope (and others) having taken a temporary leave of absence to star in the national tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas.

Jeremy Benton recently toured the U.S. playing Phil Davis in the national tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Favorite performances include Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street (Broadway, opposite Shirley Jones), Billy Crocker in Anything Goes (national tour, opposite Rachel York), Wally Winston in Animal Crackers (Denver Center) and Kenneth Gibson in Call Me Madam (Lyric Theatre, opposite Beth Leavel).

Benton re-joins Cagney company members Robert Creighton (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes) as the legendary James Cagney, Danette Holden (Broadway's Annie, Shrek the Musical), Josh Walden (Broadway's Ragtime, La Cage aux Folles, A Chorus Line), Ellen Zolezzi(Seussical), and Bruce Sabath (Broadway's Company).

Not even five and half feet tall, James Cagney's oversized talent catapulted him from scrappy Irish kid on the streets of New York to Hollywood legend on "the top of the world." A Vaudeville hoofer turned actor, Cagney made a splash on Broadway before Hollywood called and made him one of the Silver Screen's most iconic tough guys in legendary films including The Public Enemy, The G Men and White Heat. But it was his turn as song and dance man George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy that earned him the Academy Award and forever cemented his place as one of America's most beloved movie legends alongside the likes of Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Stewart and Fred Astaire.

Directed by Bill Castellino (Grumpy Old Men, Jolson), and choreography by Tony Award nominee Joshua Bergasse (On the Town, Gigi), Cagney features a book by Peter Colley (I'll Be Back Before Midnight) and score that blends original music by Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern (Lizzie Borden) with classic George M. Cohan favorites, including "Give My Regards To Broadway," "Grand Old Flag," and Yankee Doodle Dandy."

Cagney features a scenic design by James Morgan, costume design by Martha Bromelmeier, lighting design by Michael Gilliam, sound design by Janie Bullard, projection design by Mark Pirolo, music coordination by Larry Lelli, fight direction by ChristIan Kelly-Sordelet and Rick Sordelet, casting by Carol Hanzel, and general management by Brierpatch Productions.

Cagney is produced by Riki Kane Larimer (Fiddler on the Roof, Tappin' Thru Life, On The Town, Gigi), in association with Jamie deRoy, Sharon Azrieli, Joe Cecala, Barbara Freitag, Joel B. Grossman, Joe Sirola, Mary Cossette, Emily Conner, Leonard Landau, 8350 Productions LLC, and In Fine Company.

Cagney, the Original New York Cast Recording, is currently on the Broadway Records label online and exclusively at The Westside Theatre prior to an in-store release onOctober 14th. The album is produced by Michael Croiter and Matt Perri.