Shirley Jones, Patrick Cassidy, Adrienne Barbeau and More Set for Music Circus' 2012 Summer Season

After auditioning performers in New York City, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale has announced casting for the 62nd Music Circus season, including celebrated stage and screen stars as well as audience favorites from previous Music Circus seasons. The five-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion includes Grease, Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof and Crazy for You.

Casting highlights include Shirley Jones, who will play Mrs. Paroo, and her son Patrick Cassidy, who will play Harold Hill in The Music Man. After making her Broadway debut as Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Adrienne Barbeau will play Golde in the Music Circus production of that beloved musical. Vicki Lewis returns to Music Circus for her fifth consecutive year to play Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Tickets for all 2012 Music Circus productions are on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street, by phone at (916) 557-1999, or online at Tickets.com. Tickets start at $30. Season tickets are still available at a 20 percent savings off single ticket prices by calling (916) 557-1999.

CAST HIGHLIGHTS:

Grease: June 26 – July 1

Director: Glenn Casale
Choreographer: Patti Colombo
Music Director: Michael Rice

Playing Sandy in this nostalgic trip to Rydell High in 1959 is Kirsten Scott, who has appeared on Broadway in the recent revival of Follies and Hairspray. Danny will be played by Brandon Albright, who starred in the recent production of The Buddy Holly Story, directed by Glenn Casale. Playing Betty Rizzo will be 2009 Laurence Olivier Award-winner Lesli Margherita, who was last at Music Circus in the 2010 production of Spamalot. Playing Kenickie will be Michael D. Jablonski, whose Broadway and touring credits include Book of Mormon, West Side Story and Saturday Night Fever. Robert J. Townsend, who will play Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel, has appeared in the touring productions of Mamma Mia!, Camelot and Grease. Beth Malone, who starred in the 2011 Music Circus production of Annie Get Your Gun, and originated the role of June Carter Cash in the Broadway production of Ring Of Fire, will play Marty. Playing Sonny LaTierri will be Joe Abraham, whose Broadway credits include The Little Mermaid and Hairspray.

Melissa WolfKlain, who starred in California Musical Theater Productions of Suds, A Grand Night for Singing and Forbidden Broadway at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret, will play Jan. Keven Quillon, who performed in Shrek The Musical and Grease, both on Broadway and on tour, will play Roger. Frenchy will be played by Melissa Fahn, whose credits include Wicked on Broadway and on tour, as well as the 2011 Music Circus production of Anything Goes. John Pinto, Jr., who will play Doody, was in The Lincoln Center national tour of South Pacific. Jill Townsend, who performed in the 2011 Music Circus production of Annie Get Your Gun, will play Patty Simcox. Eugene Florczyk will be played by Jeff Skowron, whose Broadway credits include The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and High Society. Cynthia Ferrer, whose Music Circus credits include the 2011 production of Oliver! and the 2010 production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, will play Miss Lynch. Cha-Cha DiGregorio will be played by Dana Solimando, whose Broadway credits include Swing!, Peter Pan and Cats.

Disney's The Little Mermaid: July 10 – 22

Director: Glenn Casale
Choreographer: John MacInnis
Music Director: Craig Barna

In this Disney family favorite Ursula will be played by stage and screen star Vicki Lewis, who starred in the hit TV shows NewsRadio and How I Met Your Mother and in Chicago and Damn Yankees on Broadway, and who was last at Music Circus in the 2011 production of Anything Goes. Eric Kunze, who performed on Broadway in Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Damn Yankees, and who was last seen at Music Circus in the 2011 production of Miss Saigon, will play Prince Eric. Playing Ariel will be Jessica Grové, whose Broadway credits include Les Miserables, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Sunday in the Park with George. Flounder will be played by Henry Hodges, who performed on Broadway in Mary Poppins, Macbeth and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Playing King Triton will be Merwin Foard, whose Broadway credits include The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family, Sweeny Todd and La Cage Aux Folles.

Kevin Smith Kirkwood, whose Broadway and touring credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Godspell and Grease, will play Sebastian. Grimsby will be played by Ron Wisniski, who has appeared in a dozen Music Circus productions, including Oliver! in 2011, as well as the national tours of Beauty and the Beast and Annie. Playing Scuttle will be Jack Doyle, whose Broadway and touring credits include Young Frankenstein, The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast and Crazy for You. Rounding out the production are Flotsam, who will be played by Scott Leiendecker, and Jetsam, who will be played by Ben Roseberry.

The Music Man: July 31 – August 5

Director: Glenn Casale
Choreographer: Dan Mojica
Music Director: Dennis Castellano

Playing Harold Hill in this iconic musical will be Patrick Cassidy, whose Broadway credits include Annie Get Your Gun and 42nd Street, in which he starred with his mother, stage and screen star Shirley Jones. And playing Mrs. Paroo will be Shirley Jones, who starred in the classic films The Music Man, Oklahoma! and Carousel, as well as the popular TV series The Partridge Family. Playing Marian Paroo will be Brandi Burkhardt, whose Broadway credits include Mamma Mia! and A Tale Of Two Cities, and who has played a variety of film and television roles. Kevin Cooney, whose Broadway and touring credits include Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, M. Butterfly and Big River, will play Mayor Shinn. Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn will be played by Paula Leggett Chase, whose Broadway credits include Bye Bye Birdie, Pajama Game and Kiss Me, Kate. Bradley Benjamin, whose Broadway and touring credits include Oklahoma! and Thoroughly Modern Millie, will play Zaneeta Shinn. Tommy Djilas will be played by Michael McGurk, whose Broadway credits include The Wedding Singer and The Music Man. Marcellus Washburn will be played by Jason Graae, who has performed on Broadway in A Grand Night For Singing, Falsettos and Stardust.

Fiddler on the Roof: August 14 – 19

Director: Glenn Casale
Choreographer: Bob Richard
Music Director: Jeff Rizzo

Playing Golde in this all-time classic will be stage and screen star Adrienne Barbeau, who made her Broadway debut as Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and originated the role of Rizzo in the Broadway production of Grease. Playing Tevye will be Bob Amaral, who has performed on Broadway in Guys & Dolls and The Lion King and in the 2011 Music Circus production of The Producers. Yente will be played by Helen Geller, who has performed in multiple Music Circus productions, most recently Funny Girl in 2010. Lazar Wolf will be played by Ron Wisniski, who has appeared in a dozen Music Circus productions, including Oliver! in 2011, as well as the national tours of Beauty and the Beast and Annie. Fiddler on the Roof will also feature Sacramento actors Michael Stevenson as Mordcha and Blair Leatherwood as Rabbi.

Crazy For You: August 28 – September 2

Director: James Brennan
Choreographer: Deanna Dys
Music Director: Dennis Castellano

Playing Bobby Child in this musical filled with Gershwin favorites will be Noah Racey, who has performed on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Follies and Never Gonna Dance. Playing Polly Baker will be Anne Horak, whose Broadway and touring credits include Young Frankenstein and White Christmas. Aaron Serotsky, who played in August: Osage County on Broadway and in the 2011 Music Circus production of Oliver!, will play Lank Hawkins. Elisa Van Duyne, whose Broadway credits include Finian's Rainbow, 110 In The Shade and Beauty and the Beast, will play Irene Roth. Matthew Shepard, whose Broadway credits include Wonderful Town, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Beauty and the Beast, will play Bela Zangler. Mother will be played by Broadway veteran Alix Korey, whose Broadway credits include All Shook Up, 45 Seconds from Broadway and Chicago.

FULL CASTS:

GREASE

Danny Zuko: Brandon Albright
Sandy Dumbrowski: Kirsten Scott
Betty Rizzo: Lesli Margherita
Kenickie: Michael D. Jablonski
Vince Fontaine / Teen Angel: Robert Townsend
Marty: Beth Malone
Sonny LaTierri: Joe Abraham
Jan: Melissa WolfKlain
Roger: Keven Quillon
Frenchy: Melissa Fahn
Doody: John Pinto Jr.
Patty Simcox: Jill Townsend
Eugene Florczyk: Jeff Skowron
Miss Lynch: Cynthia Ferrer
Cha-Cha DiGregorio: Dana Solimando

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Ariel: Jessica Grové
Flounder: Henry Hodges
King Triton: Merwin Foard
Sebastian: Kevin Smith Kirkwood
Prince Eric: Eric Kunze
Grimsby: Ron Wisniski
Scuttle: Jack Doyle
Flotsam: Scott Leiendecker
Jetsam: Ben Roseberry
Ursula: Vicki Lewis
Male Ensemble (Chef Louis): Eric Gunhus
Male Ensemble: Ivory McKay
Male Ensemble: John B. Williford
Male Ensemble: Luke Hawkins
Male Ensemble: Michael D. Jablonski
Male Ensemble: Jeff Kuhr
Male Ensemble: Michael McGurk
Female Ensemble: Bradley Benjamin
Female Ensemble: Jenny Florkowski
Female Ensemble: Lisa Rohinsky
Female Ensemble: Robin Masella
Female Ensemble: Alexa Glover
Female Ensemble: Kim Arnett
Female Ensemble: Kristen J. Smith

THE MUSIC MAN

Harold Hill: Patrick Cassidy
Marian Paroo: Brandi Burkhardt
Mrs. Paroo: Shirley Jones
Mayor Shinn: Kevin Cooney
Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn: Paula Leggett Chase
Zaneeta Shinn: Bradley Benjamin
Tommy Djilas: Michael McGurk
Marcellus Washburn: Jason Graae
Charlie Cowell: Ron Wisniski
Alma Hix: Jennie Scott
Maud Dunlop: Eydie Alyson
Ethel Toffelmier: Diane Vincent
Ewart Dunlop: Jack Doyle
Oliver Hix: Michael Dotson
Jacey Squires: J.D. Daw
Olin Britt: Joseph Torello
Winthrop Paroo: Carter Thomas
Amaryllis: Monique Ward Lonergan
Gracie Shinn: Noa Solorio
Male Ensemble: Eric Gunhus
Male Ensemble: Scott Leiendecker
Male Ensemble: John B. Williford
Male Ensemble: Luke Hawkins
Male Ensemble: Michael D. Jablonski
Male Ensemble: Jeff Kuhr
Female Ensemble: Jenny Florkowski
Female Ensemble: Lisa Rohinsky
Female Ensemble: Robin Masella
Female Ensemble: Alexa Glover
Female Ensemble: Kim Arnett
Female Ensemble: Kristen J. Smith

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Tevye: Bob Amaral
Golde: Adrienne Barbeau
Yente: Helen Geller
Lazar Wolf: Ron Wisniski
Tzeitel: Lauren T. Mack
Motel: Allen E. Read
Hodel: Leah Horowitz
Perchik: Jordan Bondurant
Chava: Kristen J. Smith
Fyedka: Will Taylor
Mordcha: Michael Stevenson
Mendel: Scott Leiendecker
Rabbi: Blair Leatherwood
Constable: Aaron Serotsky
Shprintze: Bella Bagatelos
Bielke: Noa Solorio
Yashiva Boy: Salem Macias
Yashiva Boy: Ben Ainley-Zoll
Russian Military: Andrew J. Perez
Russian Military: Joseph Lewis
Russian Military: Ryan Blanning
Russian Military: Benjamin Gibson
Male Ensemble: Eric Gunhus
Male Ensemble: John B. Williford
Male Ensemble: Luke Hawkins
Male Ensemble: Michael D. Jablonski
Male Ensemble: Jeff Kuhr
Male Ensemble: Michael McGurk
Female Ensemble: Bradley Benjamin
Female Ensemble: Jenny Florkowski
Female Ensemble: Lisa Rohinsky
Female Ensemble: Robin Masella
Female Ensemble: Alexa Glover
Female Ensemble: Kim Arnett

CRAZY FOR YOU

Bobby Child: Noah Racey
Polly Baker: Anne Horak
Lank Hawkins: Aaron Serotsky
Irene Roth: Elisa Van Duyne
Bela Zangler: Matthew Shepard
Mother: Alix Korey
Tess: Kim Arnett
Patsy: Bradley Benjamin
Eugene Fodor: David Ruprecht
Patricia Fodor: Lucinda Hitchcock Cone
Everett Baker: Paul Keith
Male Ensemble: Eric Gunhus
Male Ensemble: Scott Leiendecker
Male Ensemble: John B. Williford
Male Ensemble: Luke Hawkins
Male Ensemble: Michael D. Jablonski
Male Ensemble: Jeff Kuhr
Male Ensemble: Michael McGurk
Female Ensemble: Jenny Florkowski
Female Ensemble: Lisa Rohinsky
Female Ensemble: Robin Masella
Female Ensemble: Alexa Glover
Female Ensemble: Kristen J. Smith

 

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