Douglas Sills Joins DAVE the Musical at Arena Stage

BroadwayWorld has learned Douglas Sills will play Chief of Staff Bob Alexander in the new musical DAVE, premiering at Arena Stage this summer!

Douglas Sills has starred on Broadway in War Paint, Little Shop of Horrors and The Scarlet Pimpernel, for which he received a Tony and Drama Desk nomination for his performance. On the New York stage, Douglas appeared in Hey, Look Me Over; Lady Be Good; Music in the Air; and Carnival (Encores!); and Moonlight & Magnolias (MTC). He toured the country starring in The Addams Family, The Secret Garden and Into the Woods, played numerous leading roles for California Shakespeare Festival and appeared regionally at La Jolla, Long Wharf, Westport Theatre, the Kennedy Center, South Coast Repertory and Reprise LA. TV credits include Chicago Justice, CSI, The Closer, Numb3rs, Will & Grace, and feature film credits include Erotic Fire of the Unattainable and Deuce Bigelow: European Gigolo.

By three-time Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan (Annie, Hairspray, The Producers), two-time Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls, Legally Blonde) and Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then), DAVE is inspired by the Academy Award-nominated American political comedy film. The world-premiere engagement is produced by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, The Donners' Company and Larger Than Life. Under the direction of Tony Award nominee Tina Landau, and with choreography by Tony Award nominee Sam Pinkleton and music direction by Rob Berman, DAVE runs July 13-August 19, 2018 in the Kreeger Theater.

As previously announced, Drew Gehling (Broadway's Waitress) will play both President Bill Mitchell and the title role of DAVE. Gehling is joined by Mamie Parris (Broadway's Cats, School of Rock) as First Lady Ellen Mitchell, Josh Breckenridge (Broadway's Come From Away), Rachel Flynn (Off-Broadway's Heathers the Musical), Bryonha Marie Parham (Broadway's Prince of Broadway) and Jonathan Rayson (Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors).

Rounding out the company are Jenny Ashman (Kansas City Repertory's Evita), Jared Bradshaw (Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Dana Costello (Jekyll and Hyde national tour), Trista Dollison (Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Sherri L. Edelen (Arena Stage's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), Kevin R. Free (The Neo-Futurists' Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind), Erin Quill (Broadway's Avenue Q), Jamison Scott (Broadway's Motown the Musical) and Vishal Vaidya (Broadway's Groundhog Day).

The creative team for DAVE also includes scenic design by Tony Award nominee Dane Laffrey; costume design by two-time Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James; lighting design by five-time Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman; sound design by Tony Award nominee Walter Trarbach; projection design by Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini; and casting by Telsey + Company/Patrick Goodwin, CSA.

From a Tony and Pulitzer Prize award-winning creative team comes the world-premiere musical comedy DAVE, adapted from the Oscar-nominated film. DAVE tells the story of high school teacher (and presidential lookalike) DAVE Kovic, who is hired by the Secret Service as a stand-in for the Commander-in-Chief. When the President falls ill under less than "presidential" circumstances, DAVE is thrust into the Oval Office to avoid a national scandal, and must find a way to gain the trust and love of the American people ... and the First Lady.

TICKETS: Tickets for DAVE are $40-$90, subject to change and based on availability, plus applicable fees. For information on savings programs such as Pay-Your-Age tickets, student discounts, Southwest Nights and Hero's Discounts, visit arenastage.org/shows-tickets/single-tickets/savings-programs/.

Tickets may be purchased online at arenastage.org, by phone at 202-488-3300 or at the Sales Office at 1101 Sixth St., SW, D.C.