LaChiusa's First Ladies Will Give A Preview At Dress Circle Before London Premiere

Full casting for the upcoming London production of the musical, First Lady Suite, has been announced by Take Note Theatre. This unique piece of theatre from the pen of composer/librettist/lyricist Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party, Marie Christine, Little Fish, Giant) is unusual in that almost all of its characters are women. This gives an added air of excitement to the casting of a host of West End artists who will be playing some of the most famous First Ladies of the United States in a musical which provides an imaginative and irreverent look behind the scenes of the White House and the women who lived within its walls.

The company includes: Abi Finley (Finalist of BBC TV's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Blondel, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Betwixt, Fame), Robine Landi (State Fair), Claire Machin (High School Musical, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, Les Miserables), Alex McNamara (We Will Rock You), Poppy Tierney (Witches Of Eastwick, Mary Poppins, Aspects Of Love), Annabelle Williams (Jerry Springer The Opera, Caroline Or Change) and Virginie Gilchrist. The production will be directed by Rania Jumaily, with musical direction by Candida Caldicot.

Audiences will be offered a sneak preview of this brand new production of LaChiusa's highly acclaimed 1993 musical when the cast will appear and perform highlights from the show at a launch event in Dress Circle, Monmouth Street on Sunday 20 September 2009, 1pm-2pm.

First Lady Suite will make its London premiere on 29 September 2009 (press night: 1 October 2009) at the award-winning Union Theatre in Southwark, a venue noted for its previous successes with musicals. The show will be produced by Take Note Theatre, a company which - under the supervision of artistic director Luke Sheppard - is passionately committed to bringing new, vibrant and edgy musical theatre to audiences in the UK.