Initial Cast Set For Revival of THE BAKER'S WIFE at the Menier Chocolate Factory; Lucie Jones, Clive Rowe, and More!

The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced initial casting for The Baker's Wife – with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Joseph Stein. Gordon Greenberg directs Bobbie Chambers (Niece), Mark Extance (The Teacher), Josefina Gabrielle (Denise), Jack Gardner (Philippe), Hana Ichijo (Niece), Lucie Jones (Genevieve) Michael Matus (The Marquis), Robyn Rose (Niece), Clive Rowe (The Baker), David Seadon-Young (Antoine), Matthew Seadon-Young (Priest), and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Dominique).

This renews the Menier Chocolate Factory's collaboration with Schwartz, following their production of Pippin in 2011. The production opens on 17 July, with previews from 6 July, and runs until 14 September.

Tickets are on sale to the Menier mailing list from today; with public booking opening tomorrow. Full casting will be announced shortly.

Director: Gordon Greenberg; Designer: Paul Farnsworth; Lighting Designer: Paul Anderson; Choreography: Matt Cole; Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator: Stuart Morley;

Musical Director: Dustin Conrad

The arrival of a new Baker and his younger wife turns a provincial French village upside down in this cult classic musical from the legendary Stephen Schwartz (composer of Godspell, Wicked, Pippin) and Joseph Stein (writer of Fiddler On The Roof).

Based on the film La Femme du Boulanger by Marcel Pagnol and Jean Giono, The Baker's Wife is filled with some of Schwartz's most ravishingly beautiful music, and will immerse the audience into world of Gallic charm in this first major UK revival since its West End première.

Directed by Gordon Greenberg (who previously directed Barnum at the Chocolate Factory), with choreography by Matt Cole (Olivier award winner for Newsies) and designs by Paul Farnworth, this brand new production plays for a limited 10-week season from 6 July.

Biographies

Bobbie Chambers plays a Niece. Her theatre work includes Newsies (Wembley Park Theatre), Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens (King's Head Theatre), Jack and the Beanstalk (Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury), South Pacific (Chichester Festival Theatre), Ordinary Days (Theatre Café), and Let's Face the Music (Royal Albert Hall).

Mark Extance plays The Teacher. His theatre credits include The Motive and Cue, London Assurance (National Theatre), Don Juan in Soho, Yes, Prime Minister (West End), The Mirror and the Light (RSC), Copenhagen, Old Times (Theatre Royal Bath), The Mullah of Downing Street (The Theatre Chipping Norton), The Box of Delights (Wilton's Music Hall), Correspondence (The Old Red Lion), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Squerryes Court), Play of Thrones (Union Theatre), Marriage (Belgrade Theatre Coventry), The School for Scandal, Dr Faustus (Greenwich Theatre), Pygmalion (The Old Vic) And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie Theatre Company), Uncle Vanya (ETT), Waiting for Godot, You Never Can Tell (Peter Hall Company at Theatre Royal Bath and West End), and Venice Preserv'd (Arcola Theatre).

Josefina Gabrielle returns to the Chocolate Factory to play Denise – she previously appeared in Merrily We Roll Along (also the Harold Pinter Theatre; Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical), Two Into One and Sweet Charity (also Theatre Royal Haymarket; Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical). Her other theatre credits include 42nd Street (Sadler's Wells, Toronto), Farewell Mister Haffman (Theatre Royal Bath), Les Misérables (Sondheim Theatre), Chicago (Phoenix and Adelphi Theatres), The Box of Delights (Wilton's Music Hall), A Little Night Music (The Watermill Theatre), Stepping Out (Vaudeville Theatre), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), The King and I (UK tour), Me and My Girl, A Chorus Line (Sheffield Theatres), Hello Dolly! (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre), Tonight at 8.30 (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Witches of Eastwick (Prince of Wales Theatre), Oklahoma! (National Theatre and Gershwin Theatre), The Goodbye Girl (Albery Theatre) and Carousel (National Theatre). Her television work includes Miranda, Heartbeat – as semi-regular Debbie Black, Totally Frank, Born and Bred, Auf Weidersehen Pet, and Sunburn.

Jack Gardner plays Philippe. His theatre work First Encounters – Romeo & Juliet, Faith (RSC), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre), and Peter Pan Christmas in Neverland (Wembley Arena and Birmingham NEC). His television work includes Ball and Boe Christmas Special; and for film, One Punch.

Hana Ichijo plays a Niece. Her theatre credits include The Sound of Music (Chichester Festival Theatre), George Takei's Allegiance (Charing Cross Theatre), Anyone Can Whistle (Southwark Playhouse), and Little Women (Park Theatre).

Lucie Jones plays Genevieve. Her theatre work includes Pippin (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), 13 Going On 30 (BAC), Les Misérables (Sondheim Theatre), Wicked (Victoria Apollo Theatre), Treason (Cadogan Hall), Waitress (Adelphi Theatre, UK tour), A Christmas Carol (Dominion Theatre), Title of Show (London Coliseum), Girlfriends (LMTO), Legally Blonde (Curve, UK tour), Rent (St James Theatre, Uk tour), The Wedding Singer (UK tour), Ghost (Asian tour), American Psycho (Almeida Theatre), We Will Rock You (international tour), and The Prodigals (Edinburgh Festival). Her television work includes Sarah-Jane Adventures.

Michael Matus plays The Marquis. His theatre credits include Twelfth Night (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), 42nd Street (UK tour), Aspects of Love (Lyric Theatre), Hex (National Theatre), Singing In The Rain (Sadlers Wells and UK tour), La Cage aux Folles (Park Theatre), The Astonishing Time of Timothy Cratchit (Hope Mill Theatre), Richard III (Headlong), King Lear (Duke of York's Theatre), Broken Glass (Watford Palace), The Wizard of Oz (Sheffield Theatres), The Frogs, The Return on the Soldier (Jermyn Street Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher (Royal Theatre Northampton), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse Theatre), Lend Me a Tenor (Gielgud Theatre and Theatre Royal, Plymouth), ‘Tis Pity She's a Whore (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Oklamoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Imagine This (New London Theatre). His television work includes Suspect, The Lazarus Project, Invasion, Shakespeare and Hathaway, The Split, Endeavour, A Prince Among Men, Then, A Perfect World, and This is Dom Joly.

Robyn Rose plays a Niece. Her theatre work includes Tammy Faye The Musical (Almeida Theatre), Hairspray (London Coliseum),and The Book of Mormon (Prince Edward Theatre); and for film, Wonka.

Clive Rowe plays The Baker. His theatre work includes The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre), Celebrating Sondheim (Chichester Festival Theatre), A Christmas Carol (The Old Vic), Sister Act (Dominion Theatre, Eventim Apollo, UK tour – Olivier Award nomination for Beat Supporting Actor in a Musical),  Blues in the Night (Kiln Theatre), The Wind in The Willows (UK tour), Guys and Dolls (Royal Albert Hall), Me and My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre), Jack and the Beanstalk (Wimbledon Theatre), The Hothouse (Trafalgar Studios), The Ladykillers (West End and UK tour), Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre and The Old Vic), No Naughty Bits (Hampstead Theatre), The Wiz (Birmingham Rep/West Yorkshire Playhouse), Company (Donmar Warehouse), The Fantasticks (Duchess Theatre); Twelfth Night, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Trolius and Cressida (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Chicago (Adelphi Theatre), As You Like It (Wyndham's Theatre), Simply Heavenly (Young Vic and Trafalgar Studio); and for The National Theatre, The Light Princess,  Carousel, Fuente Ovejuna, Caroline or Change, The Villains' Opera, Money, Candide, Peter Pan, Guys and Dolls, Trackers (Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Guys and Dolls and Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance in Carousel). Rowe has returned to the Hackney Empire on numerous occasions to play The Dame in their Christmas pantomime for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for Mother Goose. For television, his work includes The Canterville Ghost, Will, So Awkward, Evermoor, The Kennedys, The Fun Police, All the Small Things, Doctor Who, Networked, Bloodrights, Say it with Music, American Voices, Paper Mask, After the War, Snakes and Ladders and Entertaining Angels Aware; and for film, Beauty and the Beast, Manderlay and Crime Strike.

David Seadon-Young returns to the Menier to play Antoine – he previously appeared in Assassins and Aspects of Love. His theatre work includes Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady (BBC Proms/Royal Albert Hall), The Man of La Mancha (Coliseum), An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre), Ghost (UK tour and Australia), A Damsel in Distress (Chichester Festival Theatre); Mamma Mia! (international tour), Jack and The Beanstalk (Hackney Empire), Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Gone With the Wind (New London Theatre); and for film, Les Misérables.

Matthew Seadon-Young plays Priest. His theatre work includes Rockets and Blue Lights (Royal Exchange and National Theatre), Death of a Salesman (Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre), Company (Gielgud Theatre), Assassins (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Big Fish (The Other Palace), Beautiful (Aldwych Theatre), Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace), Sweeney Todd (Coliseum), Urinetown: The Musical (The Other Palace and Apollo Theatre), The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal Bath), She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre) and Les Misérables (Queen's Theatre); and for film, Les Misérables and Pride.

Joaquin Pedro Valdes returns to the Menier to play Dominique – he previously appeared in Pacific Overtures. His other theatre work includes Death Note (London Palladium), Then, Now & Next (Southwark Playhouse), Killing the Cat (Riverside Studios), The Lion King (UK and Ireland tour), Heathers the Musical (The Other Palace), Vanara the Legend (Hackney Empire), Miss Saigon, The King and I (UK and International tour), Fanny and Stella the Musical (The Garden Theatre), Matilda, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Red and The Last 5 Years (Manila Metropolitan Theatre).

Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the current West End and Broadway hit Wicked – which is due to be released as a two-part feature film; and has also contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Rags and Children of Eden. He collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the English texts for Bernstein's Mass, and wrote the title song for the play and film Butterflies are Free. For children, he has written songs for two musicals, Captain Louie and My Son Pinocchio. He has also worked in film, collaborating with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney's Enchanted as well as the animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and writing the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. His first opera, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, was produced at Opera Santa Barbara and New York City Opera. Schwartz has been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His many accolade include three Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards.

Joseph Stein won the Tony Award and Drama Critics Circle Award for Fiddler on the Roof. His other musicals include Zorba (Tony nomination, Drama Critics Circle Award); Rags (Tony nomination), Take Me Along (Tony nomination), Juno, Irene (starring Debbie Reynolds), The King of Hearts, All About Us, and So Long, 174th Street. He also co-authored, with Alan Jay Lerner, Carmelina; and with Will Glickman, Mr. Wonderful, The Body Beautiful and Plain and Fancy. His plays are Enter Laughing, Before the Dawn, and Mrs. Gibbons' Boys. He wrote the screenplays of Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof, for which he won the Screen Writers Guild Award. In 2008, he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Gordon Greenberg returns to the Menier Chocolate Factory to direct, having previously directed Barnum. HIs current directing/writing projects include The Heart of Rock and Roll (which opened recently on Broadway to critical acclaim)  the hit Off-Broadway show Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors (director & co-writer with Steve Rosen; New World Stages & podcast starring John Stamos, Laura Benanti, & Annaleigh Ashford), a new musical about Picasso (director & co-writer with Stephen Schwartz & Caridad Svich), the NBC television series Most Talkative (co-executive producer/writer),  Crime and Punishment, A Comedy (director & co-writer with Steve Rosen; The Old Globe, San Diego), Single White Female (A.T.G.), The Wedding Banquet (Ang Lee, Hua Musicals, Taiwan), Ghost Tour, The Play, and the new comedy podcast series Rolling Calls starring Julie Halston & Richard Kind (co-writer with Steve Rosen). He co-wrote and directed the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (Studio 54 for Roundabout Theatre Company and Universal Pictures Stage Productions) and directed  Guys And Dolls (Chichester Festival Theatre/Savoy Theatre/Phoenix Theatre), Working (59 E 59 in New York – also adapted), Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well… (Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Award nominations – also adapted), Johnny Baseball (Williamstown), Tangled (Disney), Blue Sky Boys (Capital Rep), Luck Be A Lady  (Asolo), Pirates! Or Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd (co-creator; Huntington/Paper Mill/Goodspeed/MUNY), Band Geeks! (also co-writer; Goodspeed), The Baker's Wife (Paper Mill/Goodspeed), 1776 (Paper Mill), Floyd Collins (Signature), Yentl (Asolo) and Half A Sixpence (Goodspeed).

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