Victoria Clark And More Set For Village Theatre's 18th Annual Festival Of New Musicals

With one week left until The 18th Annual Festival of New Musicals, Village Theatre is excited to announce this summer's casting and creative teams! Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza) will direct Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Gu?nter, a hilarious family adventure of what happens after Hansel and Gretl escape.

Village Theatre's new artistic director Jerry Dixon (If/Then, Once on this Island) will direct the kick-off show Elysium: An American Fable, the moving story of a family dying under the weight of their own secrets; and associate artistic director Brandon Ivie (Jasper in Deadland) will direct The Passage, a coming-of-age mystery about a boy battling a monster holding his father captive. Joining them will be music directors Jason Hart (American Psycho), Rona Siddiqui (Bella: An American Tall Tale), R.J. Tancioco (Here Lies Love), and resident music director Tim Symons (Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion), among others.

Village Theatre is also thrilled that three out of the five directors for this year are women. In addition to Victoria Clark, the theatre is honored to welcome back Kathryn Van Meter (Into the Woods at Village Theatre) to direct The Homefront and Sheila Daniels (Gregory Award Nominee for Lydia) who will take on Teddy and Max.

The casts will include Broadway veterans Anne Allgood (Carousel, The Sound of Music), Kevin Vortmann (A Little Night Music), Billie Wildrick (Scandalous), Greg Stone (Oklahoma!, Les Misérables), and Joshua Carter (Once), as well as Seattle stars Alexandria Henderson (Gregory winner, Dreamgirls), Justin Huertas (Gregory winner, Lizard Boy), Arika Matoba (Into the Woods at Village Theatre), Taylor Niemeyer (Newsies at Village Theatre), Chris Ensweiler (Wedding Band at Intiman), Allison Standley (Gregory nominee, My Fair Lady at Village Theatre), Eliza Palasz (Mamma Mia! at The 5th Avenue), Greg McCormick Allen (Mary Poppins at Village Theatre), Eric Polani Jensen (Into the Woods, Les Misérables at Village Theatre), Rafael Molina (Into the Woods, ZM at Village Theatre), and Jen Taylor (voice of Cortana in Halo).

Village Theatre's 18th Annual Festival of New Musicals runs August 10-12 and is open to members and industry professionals only. For more information on how to become a member visit: villagetheatre.org/Issaquah/vo-memberships.php.

Full cast and creative teams are listed below:

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ELYSIUM: AN AMERICAN FABEL
Music by Ben Chavez
Book & Lyrics by Yianni Papadimos

Directed by Jerry Dixon
Music Directed by Tim Symons

Elysium is the story of an Ohio family dying under the weight of its own secrets. When Katie returns to her childhood home for her father's funeral, she reunites with Tabby, the sister she hasn't seen in years. Their reunion was supposed to be a peaceful one filled with memory and mourning - however, a terrible storm brings the arrival of an unexpected guest. As the whiskey pours, questions about a brother and father unconditionally loved by a town are finally answered.

Jasmine Jean Sim.................................Katie Harmon
Taylor Niemeyer..................................Tabby Harmon
Kody Bringman.....................................Nick Harmon
Greg Stone............................................Hank Harmon
Rafael Molina.......................................Corin Dorner
Sarah Russell.........................................Margot Gibson
Becca Orts..............................................Lucy Bank
Justin Huertas........................................Joe Rupp

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THE PASSAGE
By David Darrow

Directed by Brandon Ivie

Music Directed by Rona Siddiqui

Albert, a sixth grader, has a monster living in his basement. When it captures his father, he enlists his brave new friend, Cassie, to embark on an epic journey into the depths of his home. The Passage is a coming-of-age story about two children confronting a reality stranger than anything they could imagine.

Alexander Penkov..........................................Albert Grissom
Jen Taylor........................................................Mom
Chris Ensweiler...............................................Dad
Mikayla Sanchez.............................................Cassie
Eric Polani Jensen...........................................Narrator/The Coatman
Candice Donehoo...........................................Ensemble
Danny Kam......................................................Ensemble
Allison Standley..............................................Ensemble
Joseph Tancioco.............................................Ensemble

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TEDDY & MAX
Book & Lyrics by Brian Crawley
Music by Zoe Sarnak
Directed by Sheila Daniels
Music Directed by Jason Hart

Teddy and Max are two young sisters from Queens who form a singing duo in the late 60s. Joining the vanguard of the era's singer-songwriters, they question everything - from their given names (Theodora and Maxine) to the roles others expect them to play. Teddy & Max examines the decisions female performers were able to make for themselves in that era - sometimes a little ahead of women in other professions - how the culture supported and obstructed them, and of course how their decisions look to us through the frame of feminism today.

Chelsea LeValley...........................................Teddy
Eliza Palasz.....................................................Max
Joshua Carter.................................................Joel
Patrick Rooney..............................................Colin
Iris Elton.........................................................Josie
Patrick Shelton..............................................Bruce

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HANSEL & GRETL & HEIDI & GU?NTER
Book by Hannah Kohl
Lyrics by Daniel Mate?
Music by Will Aronson
Directed by Victoria Clark

Music Directed by Michael Nutting

Gretl - yes, that Gretl - is now a single mom living in modern day Chicago, still suffering the post-traumatic stress of her fairytale childhood. She can't resist stuffing her kids' pockets full of pebbles, spraying them with deer musk to hide their human scent from witches, and imposing a strict no-sugar policy. Her tragically modern kids, Heidi and Gu?nter, are fed up, and dream of the impossible: a normal childhood. But when long lost Uncle Hansel shows up at their doorstep, they are plunged into an unexpected adventure that brings the family together in a hilarious and touching tumble of past and present.

Arika Matoba.................................Heidi Meyerhausen
Ben Wynant...................................Gu?nter Meyerhausen
Anne Allgood..................................Gretl Meyerhausen
Kevin Vortmann.............................Hansel
Greg McCormick Allen..................Forest Hermit
Ivan N. Venktrom...........................Krimelda
Mikko Juan......................................Kevin Chambers
Jalá Harper.......................................Jenny/Briggita
Rheanna Atendido..........................Julie/Olga
Coulson Bingham............................Brian/Klaus
John Coons.......................................Kevin's Dad/Mr. Devoort/Mrs. McPhee
Sarah Bordenet................................J&J's Mom/Mrs. Mendrechuck/Mrs. O'Malley
Matthew Posner..............................J&J's Dad/Mr. O'Malley/Principle Wayersk

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THE HOMEFRONT
Book by Jenny Stafford
Music & Lyrics by Sam Salmond
Directed by Kathryn Van Meter
Music Directed by R.J. Tancioco

The Homefront is a rock musical about female factory workers at the end of World War II. As soon as the war was won, the women were fired in order to make room for the men returning home. This is the story of one woman's journey at the earliest stages of a feminist revolution in the American workforce, as she fights to get the women hired back at the factory - while balancing her relationship with her husband, a returning war veteran. What happens when our progressive ideals meet reality? What are we willing to give up-and who are we willing to overlook-in order to get what we want?

Hannah Schuerman............................................Ruth
Alexandria J. Henderson....................................Leslie
Billie Wildrick.......................................................Betty
Porscha Shaw.......................................................Maya
Emily Brooks.........................................................Margaret
Elena Joyner.........................................................Doris
Cobey Mandarino................................................Foreman/Ensemble
Kyle Nicholas Anderson......................................James
Brenna Wagner...................................................Factory Worker
Mallory King........................................................Factory Worker
Cherisse Martinelli.............................................Factory Worker

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About Village Theatre's Village Originals Program
The Village Originals program of readings, workshops, and developmental productions represents one of the strongest commitments to new musicals in the nation, developing such musicals as Pulitzer Prize-winner Next to Normal, Tony Award-winner Million Dollar Quartet, Drama Desk Award-winner Cupid & Psyche, Stephen Schwartz's Snapshots, and the Drama Desk Award-nominated It Shoulda Been You, After the Fair, and Making Tracks. Village Theatre is one of the few resident theatres to provide regular opportunities at every step of musical development, from first table reading to full-scale premiere production. Each season, new works are included as part of Village Theatre's five-show Mainstage lineup alongside the classics. Anchored by The Annual Festival of New Musicals and the Beta Series, the Village Originals program is dedicated to the continued growth and evolution of musical theatre, and a determination that the form will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.

About Village Theatre
Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, WA, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining, quality productions since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended theatres, with approximately 20,000 Subscribers and 220,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having supported the creation of over 160 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its Youth Education and Outreach programs, KIDSTAGE and Pied Piper, serving over 58,000 young people and their families annually.

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