Additional Casting Announced for TUCK EVERLASTING at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley brings an enchanted bestseller to life for the holidays with the regional premiere of Tuck Everlasting. Set in the 1890s, free-spirited Winnie Foster searches for adventure, finding the Tucks, a close-knit family that has discovered the secret to everlasting life. Winnie faces the choice of a lifetime: return to everyday life, or join the Tucks on their infinite, irreversible voyage through time. Directed by TheatreWorks Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, Tuck Everlasting will be presented November 28 - December 30 (press opening: December 1) at Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. For tickets ($40-$100) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

Featuring a rousing score with music by Chris Miller and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and a wealth of warm-hearted humor in Claudia Shear and Tim Federle's charming book, this whimsical Broadway musical offers families a magical holiday treat. This production also marks something of a homecoming for Miller and Tysen, who created songs for Tuck Everlasting while in residence at the 2010 TheatreWorks' Writers' Retreat, and developed and presented their earlier musical The Burnt Part Boys at TheatreWorks' 2006 New Works Festival.

Based on the bestselling novel by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting has been adapted into a 2002 Disney film and a 1981 One Pass media film. The musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting made its World Premiere at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre in 2015, where it won the Suzi Bass Award for "Outstanding Musical Production." Its 2016 Broadway debut was nominated for a Tony Award, as well as the Outer Critics Circle Award for "Outstanding Musical" and Drama League Award for "Outstanding Production of a Musical." The New York Times called it "Rapturous, warm-spirited and touching," while Associated Press declared, "The music is magical. Long may it live." Variety said, "This is an intimate family story of love, loss and the purpose and power of storytelling in the American folk tradition of Twain and Wilder."

TheatreWorks has assembled a stellar cast for this production, featuring Natalie Schroeder and Katie Maupin who make their TheatreWorks debuts sharing the part of Winnie Foster. One of 12 performers to be selected to sing the national anthem for the U.S. Open, Schroeder has also performed at Lincoln Center in the Broadway Dreams NYC Showcase and at Berkeley Playhouse. Maupin has starred in productions at 42nd Street Moon and Hillbarn Theatre.

Eddie Grey makes his TheatreWorks debut as Jesse Tuck, an immortal teenager who befriends Winnie when they meet at a stream in the woods near his family's home. Grey has appeared in the original Australian casts of The Book of Mormon, Legally Blonde, and Spring Awakening. His performance through Asia and Australia as Boq in Wicked won him the Broadwayworld.com Philippines People's Choice Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Jonathan Rhys Williams plays Angus Tuck, Jesse's father. Returning to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, where he was nominated for SF Bay Area Critics Circle Awards in Triumph of Love and Violet and seen in Charley's Aunt (as Charley), Floyd Collins, and Under Milkwood, Rhys Williams has also performed at San Jose Stage Company and won the SF Bay Area Critics Circle Award for his performance in The Homecoming at Aurora Theatre Company. Kristine Reese plays Mae Tuck, Jesse's mother. Seen in leading roles in the national tours of Pippin, Finding Neverland, and Wicked, as well as in the Broadway company of Les Miserables, Reese has also performed regionally at The Muny, and with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Indianapolis Pops Orchestra. Travis Leland plays Miles Tuck, Jesse's brother. Returning to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where he was seen as Frank Churchill in Emma, Leland has performed at The Geffen Playhouse and the Wallis Annenberg, as well as originating the role of Kristoff in Frozen at the Hyperion at Disney's California Adventure, directed by Liesl Tommy.

Gene Sullivan, who has performed with TheatreWorks many times over the past 20 years, will return to portray The Man in the Yellow Suit, a carnival worker in pursuit of the Tuck family. Seen as Detective Fix in last season's Around the World in 80 Days, Sullivan has also been seen at TheatreWorks in Cyrano, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 33 Variations, Violet, and Once on This Island. Sullivan is also a resident playwright for the San Francisco Mime Troupe and has performed with the Denver Center Theatre Company, American Conservatory Theater, Marin Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre Company, Magic Theatre, among others. Marissa Rudd and GIANA GAMBARDELLA play carnival workers in The Man in the Yellow Suit's troupe. Seen in TheatreWorks's New Works Festival, Rudd makes her main stage TheatreWorks debut. She has also performed at Berkeley Playhouse and in the Ground Floor at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Gambardella also makes her TheatreWorks debut-she has performed onstage at Berkeley Playhouse, Center Repertory Company, and Woodminster Summer Musicals.

Colin Thompson returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley as Constable Joe, the policeman sent to find Winnie by her parents. Seen in TheatreWorks's The Light in the Piazza and All My Sons, Thompson has also performed at American Conservatory Theater, Portland Center Stage, San Jose Stage Company, 42nd Street Moon and in Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Ground Floor. He can be seen in Sony Pictures's Blue Jasmine (directed by Woody Allen) and in NBC Universal's Trauma (directed by Jeffrey Reiner). Returning to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley after playing Aaron in the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz's The Prince of Egypt and performing in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's New Works Festival, David Crane plays Hugo, Constable Joe's son. Crane has also performed regionally at Mountain Play of Marin and Sacramento Theatre Company, and in several Buzzfeed Motion Pictures videos.

Teressa Foss plays Betsy Foster, Winnie's mother. Returning to the TheatreWorks Silicon Valley stage where she was seen as Anna in Rags, Foss has also performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Cabrillo Stage, Opera San Jose, and San Jose Lyric Theatre. Lucinda Hitchcock Sullivan plays Nana, Winnie's grandmother. Returning to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where she was seen in Outside Mullingar, Ragtime and Cabaret, Cone has also performed at American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and others.

Photo by Kevin Berne

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