Casting Announced For Stages St Louis 2018 Season

STAGES St. Louis is proud to announce casting for its 32nd Season:
I DO! I DO!, MAMMA MIA!, OKLAHOMA!, and its Family Theatre Series production of MADAGASCAR - A Musical Adventure. Artistic Director, Michael Hamilton sums up this season as a celebration of "connection, commitment, and community through an examination of friendship and love." All subscription and single tickets are on sale now. The 2018 Season is proudly sponsored by Artistic Sponsor, the Berges Family Foundation, and Design Sponsor, Judy & Jerry Kent.

The two-character musical, I DO! I DO! (June 1 - July 1) explores 50 years in a marriage and features two separate rotating casts of long-time STAGES favorites, Steve Isom and Corinne Melançon and David Schmittou and Kari Ely. Ely and Isom are each performing in their 50th STAGES production, and collectively, Isom, Melançon, Schmittou, and Ely have performed in over 100 STAGES productions. Isom has been a familiar face on the STAGES stage since 1994, most recently seen last year in STAGES blockbuster hit, SOUTH PACIFIC. Melançon appeared last season as Violet in STAGES production of 9 TO 5 and carries a long list of Broadway credits as well as performances at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. Kari Ely is entering her 26th STAGES season and joins long-time friend, New York Actor, David Schmittou who celebrates his 17th Season at STAGES. The four actors have a long history with STAGES audiences and have twice appeared together in STAGES productions of HIGH SOCIETY (2000) and THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (2015).

Starring in MAMMA MIA! (July 20 - August 19) are three New York powerhouses, Corinne Melançon as Donna Sheridan, Dana Winkle as Tanya, and
Dan'yelle Williamson as Rosie. Melançon's Broadway credits include 11 years in MAMMA MIA! (playing the roles of Donna, Tanya, and Rosie), KISS ME KATE, BIG, MY FAIR LADY, and ME & MY GIRL. Winkle returns to St. Louis after appearing at STAGES as Kitty in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE and at the Fabulous Fox in the National Tour of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. Dan'yelle Williamson was last seen as Deloris Van Cartier in the STAGES production of SISTER ACT. Williamson's Broadway credits include MEMPHIS, SCANDALOUS, and ROCKY. Summerisa Bell Stevens, seen last season as Doralee Rhodes in the STAGES production of 9 TO 5, will join the ladies as Sophie Sheridan. Also returning as the 3 men who may possibly be Sophie's father are Steve Isom, David Schmittou, and STAGES newcomer Gregg Goodbrod whose Broadway and National Tour credits include THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and 9 TO 5.

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of its opening in 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! (September 7 - October 7) brings together a star-studded cast led by New York actors Blake Price as Curly and Sarah Ellis as Laurey. Joining them are three local actors familiar to STAGES audiences, Zoe Vonder Haar as Aunt Eller, David Sajewich as Jud Fry, and John Flack as Andrew Carnes. Making their STAGES debuts, both Price and Ellis were recently seen in the National Tours of the Tony-Award winning
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER which recently played St. Louis. David Sajewich returns to STAGES where he was seen last summer in SOUTH PACIFIC and in the 2015 production of THE FULL MONTY. Rounding out the cast are longtime STAGES favorites John Flack and Zoe Vonder Haar who collectively have appeared in over 70 STAGES productions and began their relationship with STAGES in 1990 and 1987 respectively.

The STAGES Family Theatre Series returns to the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood with MADAGASCAR - A Musical Adventure (June 19 - July 1) and features New York actors Erik Keiser as Alex the Lion, Jordan De Leon as Marty the Zebra,
Claire Manship as Gloria the Hippo, and Daniel Moser as Melman the Giraffe. Both Erik Keiser and Claire Manship return to STAGES where they were seen together in the 2016 production of IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU. Other past STAGES credits for Keiser include THE FULL MONTY, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and Disney's THE ARISTOCATS. Making their STAGES debuts are Jordan De Leon and Daniel Moser whose combined regional credits include work at The MUNY, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Kansas City Starlight Theatre, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Single tickets to STAGES 2018 Season are on sale now and prices range from $25 - $63. Subscriptions are still available and begin at just $111. All STAGES Mainstage productions perform in the intimate 377-seat Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road in St. Louis, MO 63122. Each Mainstage production will run for a total of five weeks with matinee and evening performances Tuesday through Sundays. The Family Theatre Series performances will run for two weeks in the month of June at the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood, MO.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 314.821.2407 or visit StagesStLouis.org

About STAGES St. Louis

STAGES St. Louis is the region's foremost not-for-profit company committed to preserving and advancing the art form of Musical Theatre through excellence in performance and education. In 2018, STAGES celebrates its 32nd year of producing Broadway-quality theatre, presenting 140 performances from June through October to nearly 50,000 patrons.

STAGES St. Louis is grateful for the support of the Regional Arts Commission, and has been funded in part by the Arts & Education Council. In addition, financial assistance has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council.

New York Casting is done by Scott Wojcik and Gayle Seay of Wojcik/Seay Casting.

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