Felicia Curry, Nancy Robinette & More to Star in DEATH ON THE NILE at Arena Stage

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater revealed the cast and creative team for Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Adapted for the stage by two-time Tony Award nominee Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy For You), this thrilling new take on Agatha Christie’s jaw-dropping classic will premiere November 23 - December 29, 2024, in the Kreeger Theater, helmed by Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif in her Arena Stage directorial debut. Press Night will be held on Thursday, December 5 at 8 p.m.
 
Death on the Nile follows Hercule Poirot, a renowned Belgian detective, who finds himself embroiled in lies and longing while on a luxurious cruise down the Nile River. The tranquil journey takes a sinister turn when a murder is committed among the passengers, throwing the idyllic setting into disarray. With a keen eye for detail and a sharp mind, Poirot takes it upon himself to uncover the truth and expose the perpetrator before they can strike again. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Poirot navigates the treacherous waters of deception and intrigue to solve the gripping mystery at hand.
 
“I could not be more thrilled to mark my Arena Stage directorial debut with Ken Ludwig’s glamorous adaptation of Agatha Christie's iconic tale,” said Sharif. “Audiences are in for a mesmerizing journey down the Nile, filled with breathtaking twists and turns, as we join detective Hercule Poirot in his investigation into the profound desires and pervasive corruption lurking beneath the gilded veneer of this luxury liner.”
 
“Mysteries, much like comedies, do something very specific,” said Ludwig. “They throw in threads of plot twists where you're not quite sure what’s going to happen next or how it’s going to end, but the puzzle pieces ultimately come together in a way that I think is very reassuring to us all. Right now there's a big renaissance in mysteries, especially Agatha Christie mysteries. We're living through such turbulent times, that we enjoy a sense of reassurance that everything is going to be alright in the end, and I think that's why the world gravitates toward these kind of productions.”
 
"I am thrilled beyond words to be here,” continued Ludwig. “I love Arena Stage. This is my fourth world premiere here and it is a great privilege to reunite with Hana on another Agatha Christie phenomenon.”
 
Returning to Arena Stage are cast members Felicia Curry (Broadway’s In the Woods, Arena’s POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive) as Annabelle Pennington, Eric Hissom (The 39 Steps National Tour, Arena’s JQA) as Sir Septimus Troy, Nancy Robinette (Broadway’s Prayer for the French Republic, Arena’s The Heiress) as Salomé Otterbourne, and Sumié Yotsukura (Signature Theatre’s Soft Power, Arena’s Unknown Soldier) as Rosalie Otterbourne.
 
Making their Arena Stage debuts in Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile are Olivia Cygan (Broadway’s Doubt) as Linnet Ridgeway, Armando Durán (Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Julius Caesar) as Hercule Poirot, Katie Kleiger (Off-Broadway’s Ring Twice for Miranda) as Jacqueline de Bellefort, Jamil A.C. Mangan (St. Louis Rep’s Murder on the Orient Express) as Colonel Race, Ryan Michael Neely (STC’s Much Ado About Nothing) as Ramses Praed, Robert Santon (Broadway’s Ink) as Atticus Praed, and Travis Van Winkle (Stella Adler Theatre’s Cat On a Hot Tin Roof) as Simon Doyle.
 
In addition to director Hana S. Sharif, the creative team includes two-time Tony-nominated set designer Alexander Dodge (Broadway’s A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder), Costume Designer Karen Perry (Broadway’s Lackawanna Blues), Tony-winning lighting designer Kenneth Posner (Broadway’s The Coast of Utopia), sound designers and composers Charles Coes (Broadway’s To Kill a Mockingbird) and Nathan A. Roberts (Off-Broadway’s Golden Shield), projection designer Brittany Bland (Off-Broadway’s Cats: The Jellicle Ball), hair & wig designer LaShawn Melton (Arena’s The Other Americans), fight director Rick Sordelet (Broadway’s Take Me Out), dialect and vocal coach Lisa Nathans (Arena’s Catch Me If You Can), stage manager Christi B. Spann (Arena’s Tempestuous Elements), and assistant stage manager Dayne Sundman (Arena’s Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches). New York casting is by Caparelliotis Casting / David Caparelliotis and Joseph Gery. DC casting is by Raiyon Hunter.
 

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