Alexander Gemignani to Lead SAINT-EX at Weston Playhouse, 8/25-9/10

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Saint-Ex, a dazzling new musical about the life of author/aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince). The work of author Sean Barry and composer Jenny Giering, Saint-Ex is directed by Kent Nicholson with a cast that includes Broadway veterans Alexander Gemignani, Krysta Rodriguez and Cass Morgan. Thanks to unprecedented support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Fund for New Musicals, the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Community Foundation, and sponsorship from The Vermont Country Store, Saint-Ex will appear on the Weston MainStage from August 25 through September 10, including a week of special daytime matinee performances for area schools.

Winner of the Weston Playhouse's national New Musical Award in 2010, Saint-Ex explores Saint-Exupéry's relationship with his younger brother, his tempestuous marriage to a fiery Latin widow, and the conflict between his career as an aviator and his success as an author. In the 1920s, Saint-Exupéry was a pioneering member of the Aéropostale, the air-mail company that opened delivery from France to Dakar in Western Africa. In open-cockpit planes and without radar or weather reports, these pilots flew over the Pyrenees and the Sahara desert, risking their lives for the mail and for one another. Over protests from his admirers, Saint-Exupéry flew reconnaissance for the U.S. during World War II and was ultimately lost in an ill-fated flight.

The show, which was developed prior to Weston at TheatreWorks Palo Alto, the Sundance Festival and features music by Jenny Giering with the book and lyrics by Sean Barry. The exceptional cast, arguably the greatest collection of Broadway talent ever to grace the Weston stage, includes Alexander Gemignani (Valjean in the Broadway revival of Les Miz,) as Saint-Ex, Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family, Spring Awakening) as Consuelo, Cass Morgan (Memphis) as Maman, Charlie Brady (original cast of South Pacific revival) as Guillaumet, and Stanley Bahorek (Spelling Bee), Haley Bond, Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, Amy Justman (Company), Carl Kimbrough, Omar Lopez-Cepero (American Idiot), and Price Waldman (The Lion King).

Assisting Director Kent Nicholson are Music Director Matt Castle, Choreographer Jennifer Turey, Scenic Designer Tim Mackabee, Lighting Designer Stuart Duke, Costume Designer Kirche Leigh Zeile, Sound Designer Ed Chapman and Production Stage Manager Jess Johnston. Patricia Norcia is Dialect Coach and Orchestrations are by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

"We're thrilled that Weston audiences will be the first to be captivated by this epic story and to hear this lush score in full performance," commented Weston Producing Director Steve Stettler. "It is an honor to bring this remarkable piece to life on our stage, having shared in many steps of its development."

Director Nicholson will discuss the play 30 minutes before curtain on August 25, 26 and 27 (matinee only) and members of the cast will participate in talkbacks following the Sunday matinee performances on August 28 and September 4. A StageNotes performance guide can be found at westonplayhouse.org.

Reservations for Saint-Ex and the popular Act IV Cabaret, which, for this show, features a Broadway piano bar with favorite Weston performer Matt Castle, and dinner at the theatre's Cafe at the Falls may be made at The Playhouse box office, by calling 802-824-5288, or by visiting westonplayhouse.org.

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is a non-profit organization supported in part by funds from the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and an ever-growing family of individuals who believe in the impact that the performing arts can have on its community.

 

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

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