STAGE TUBE: Behind-the-Scenes Look at Walnut Street Theatre's LOVE STORY

Walnut Street Theatre opened its landmark 204th season with the American premiere of Erich Segal's LOVE STORY, the musical. With direction and musical staging by Annabel Bolton, this emotionally charged production is a delicate story of life and love and opens tonight on September 12th and runs through October 21st on the WST Mainstage.

BroadwayWorld takes you behind-the-scenes in the video.

Inspired by Erich Segal's best-selling iconic novel of the same name, and one of the most romantic films of all time, this life-affirming musical will have audiences remembering the first time they fell in love. When Oliver Barrett IV wanders into a library in search of a book, he discovers Jenny Cavilleri. They came from different worlds. He was a Harvard man, she was Radcliffe. He was rich, she was poor. But they fell in love. This is their story.

Love Story, the musical marks Annabel Bolton's directorial debut at the Walnut. Having worked on the original production, Bolton commented "This very emotional story lends itself so well to being a musical and particularly with Howard Goodall's brilliant and evocative score. I am delighted to be directing it here with this great production team at the Walnut. It is an American story after all!"

The cast includes Walnut debuts by Alexandra Silber, Will Reynolds, Charles Pistone and Jane Labanz. Silber has performed lead roles on stages in London's West End (Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White, Fiddler on the Roof, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel), as well as The Kennedy Center and Broadway (Terrence McNally's Master Class). Silber joins the cast as Jenny Cavilleri playing opposite Reynolds as Oliver Barrett IV. Reynolds' credits include the North American Tour of Mamma Mia!, A Room with a View at The Old Globe and Big River at Goodspeed Opera House. Charles Pistone (Phil Cavilleri) has been seen in the Broadway revival of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella (Cast Album), the Broadway production of Saturday Night Fever, Kiss of the Spiderwoman (London and New York productions), the First National Company of Les Miserables. Labanz (Alison) has appeared both on Broadway and in National Tours with productions including Anything Goes; Cats; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; 42nd Street; Bye, Bye Birdie; Easter Parade and Dr. Dolittle. Love Story, the musical welcomes back Walnut veteran Paul L. Nolan playing Oliver Barrett III. Nolan was last seen as Major Metcalf in the Walnut's best-selling play, The Mousetrap.

The ensemble includes Pierce Cravens, Lisa Marie Gargione, Sarah Gliko, Charles Hagerty, Danielle Herbert, John Jarboe and Scott Langdon.

LOVE STORY, the musical runs at the Walnut September 4 through October 21. This production is sponsored by Stradley Ronon. Media Sponsors are B101 and NBC 10. For tickets and information, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787. Tickets are also available online 24/7 by visiting www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.

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