A Storybook Spectacle! Muny Announces Complete Cast, Design and Production Team for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

The Muny announced today its complete cast, design and production team for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the fourth show of its second century, July 8 – 16. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is proudly sponsored by Edward Jones.

“Enchantment is demanded, and enchantment there will be,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “This will be The Muny premiere of this recent Broadway edition of Cinderella, and this is an exciting company of artists to create real Muny magic.”

Joining the previously announced Mikaela Bennett (Ella), Jason Gotay (Prince Topher) and Ashley Brown (Marie) are Alison Fraser (Madame), John Scherer (Sebastian), Stephanie Gibson (Gabrielle), Jen Cody (Charlotte), Chad Burris (Jean-Michel) and Victor Ryan Robertson (Lord Pinkleton). A spellbinding ensemble completes this cast, including Akilah Ayanna, Jack Brewer, Jordan De Leon, Emma Gassett, Samantha Gershman, Jeff Gorti, Katie Griffith, Juan Guillen, Julie Hanson, Michael Hartung, Joshua K.A. Johnson, Kamal Lado, Amanda LaMotte, Commodore C. Primous III, Payton Evelyn Pritchett, Mikayla Renfrow, Cooper Stanton and April Strelinger. The company will also be joined by the Muny Kid and Teen youth ensemble.

As previously announced, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and choreographed by Josh Walden with music direction by Greg Anthony Rassen.

The production team leading Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella includes scenic design by Paige Hathaway, costume design by Robin L. McGee, lighting design by Rob Denton, sound design by John Shivers and David Patridge, video design by Nathan W. Scheuer, wig design by Kaitlyn A. Adams. Production stage manager is Nancy Pittelman. Casting is by Telsey + Company.

MIKAELA BENNETT (Ella) Muny debut! Mikaela is a graduate of The Juilliard School and a celebrated singer, actress and concert artist. In 2019, Bennett was honored with a Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. On stage, she made her professional debut as Penelope in The Golden Apple at NY City Center Encores! In May 2019, Mikaela made her debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Maria in West Side Story. Mikaela originated the role of Norma in Scanlan and Dean’s new musical Renascence in New York City and originated the title role in Acquanetta a new opera by Michael Gordon at the Prototype Festival. In concert: BBC Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra, New York Philharmonic under Leonard Slatkin, Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas. She has also appeared as a soloist at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

JASON GOTAY (Prince Topher) is thrilled to be returning for his fourth summer at The Muny after previously appearing in The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric), Mamma Mia! (Sky) and Into the Woods (Jack). Broadway: Bring It On: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (Peter Parker/Spider-Man). NYC: Call Me Madam (NY City Center Encores!), Renascence (Transport Group). TV: NBC’S Peter Pan Live! (Tootles/Lost Boy). World premieres of Stephen Schwartz’s The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s Freaky Friday (Original Cast Recording), A Bronx Tale. He has also performed with the LA Philharmonic, Signature Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Theater Under The Stars, and North Carolina Theatre, among others. @jasongotay

ASHLEY BROWN (Marie) Muny: Crazy for You, Cinderella, Side by Side by Sondheim, Annie, Guys and Dolls, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Sound of Music. Brown originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations. Brown has also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour where she garnered a Garland Award for Best Performance in a Musical. Other Broadway: Belle (Beauty and The Beast). She starred in Jack O’Brien’s national tour of The Sound of Music and in both Oklahoma! and Show Boat at Chicago’s Lyric Opera. Brown has performed with countless top orchestras including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Fort Worth Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, etc. Her PBS special, Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible received a PBS Telly Award. TV credits: NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!

ALISON FRASER (Madame) Muny debut! Two-time Tony nominee for The Secret Garden (Martha) and Romance/Romance (Josephine). Other Broadway: Tartuffe: Born Again (Dorine), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Helena) and Gypsy (Tessie Tura). Off-Broadway: Squeamish (Sharon), First Daughter Suite (Nancy/Betty), March of the Falsettos (Trina), In Trousers, The Divine Sister (Sr. Walburga), The School for Lies (Arsinoè), Up Against It (Miss Drumgoole). 2018 Callaway Award for Best Actress in a Classical Play portraying Lady Utterword in Heartbreak House. World premiere: Tennessee Williams’ In Masks Outrageous and Austere. NY premiere: Terrence McNally’s Dedication, or the Stuff of Dreams. Film/TV: Happy!; Gotham, Happyish, High Maintenance,  Between the Lions, Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch, The Thing About My Folks, In the Blood, Family Games, Commentary, Socks & Bonds, Blowtorch and The Sound of Silence (upcoming).

JOHN SCHERER (Sebastian) has previously appeared at The Muny in Annie, Young Frankenstein, The Buddy Holly Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot and Mame. Broadway: LoveMusik, By Jeeves and Sunset Boulevard. Off Broadway: Dames at Sea, Olympus On My Mind. Other New York: The Most Happy Fella (New York City Opera), Out Of This World (NY City Center Encores!) and A Tribute to Comden and Green (Carnegie Hall). National tours: 42nd Street, Cats, Mame and White Christmas. He recently appeared in the critically acclaimed revival of The Drowsy Chaperone at the Goodspeed Opera House. Other regional: Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse and many others. Film/TV: Spinning into Butter, The Shield, Crossing Jordan, Titus and Law & Order (SVU and CI). He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

STEPHANIE GIBSON (Gabrielle) is thrilled to be returning to The Muny for her 12th show, having most recently played Inga in Young Frankenstein. Broadway: Cinderella (Gabrielle), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Cherry Sunday), The Addams Family, Spamalot. National tours: A Chorus Line (Judy), Happy Days (Lori Beth). TV/Film: Happy! (Pixley), Person of Interest, Up All Night, The Union, You Must Be Joking, The Audition, All My Children, Guiding Light. New York/Regional: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Maggie, Baltimore Center Stage), Into the Woods (Bakers Wife, TUTS), Cabaret (Sally Bowles, Cape Playhouse), Matilda (Mrs. Wormwood, Drury Lane), Glitter Goblets & Gatos (Original one-woman show at Feinsteins/54 Below), Show Boat (concert adaptation world premiere, Ellie, Bucks County Playhouse), Anyone Can Whistle (NY City Center Encores!), Empire (Frankie Peterson, La Mirada), The Rocky Horror Show (Janet, Bucks County Playhouse) Web: Dates, Mates and Clean Slates. CCM graduate. StephanieGibson.org

JEN CODY (Charlotte) Last seen at The Muny in Gyspy as Tessie Tura. Other Muny roles include: Young Frankenstein (Elizabeth), The Addams Family (Grandma), Hello, Dolly! (Kevin Kline Award); The Pajama Game and Peter Pan. Broadway: A Christmas Story, Shrek, The Pajama Game, Taboo, Urinetown, Seussical, Beauty and The Beast (Silly Girl), Grease (Cha Cha) and Cats (Rumpleteaser). Off-Broadway: Cleopatra, The Wild Party (Mae) and Henry and Mudge (Drama League nomination). TV/Film: the voice of Charlotte La Bouff in Disney’s The Princess and The Frog (Annie Award), Lucky Stiff, Khumba, Instinct, Bull, Blue Bloods, Law & Order, Shrek, Unforgettable, American Dad, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Phineas and Ferb, P. King Duckling, Winx Club, Robot and Monster. She is also proud to be the second Vice President of Actor’s Equity Association.

CHAD BURRIS (Jean-Michel) is excited to be making his Muny debut with this magical company! National tour: The Book of Mormon. Regional credits: Cleveland Play House, Cape Playhouse and Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

VICTOR RYAN ROBERTSON (Lord Pinkleton) American tenor Victor Ryan Robertson offers a versatile singing ability and style allowing him to cross seamlessly between genres. From opera repertoire to pop music, and everything in between, Robertson has delighted international audiences to critical acclaim. Recently, Robertson made his Broadway début in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, performed as Zoogy in Carly Simon’s ambitious contemporary work Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera (original cast recording) at Nashville Opera and was featured on the small screen in a commercial for Bank of America. This season, Robertson also performs as Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Sarasota Opera and Gulf Coast Symphony and as Benny Paret/Benny Paret Jr. in Champion with Opera de Montreal.

Link for more information: muny.org/cinderella.

About the show:
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and an original book by Oscar Hammerstein II.

A magical evening awaits, but we mustn’t be late! This Rodgers and Hammerstein treasure began as one of the most-watched television programs in history and was finally produced on Broadway in 2013, receiving nine Tony Award nominations. With winsome charm and irresistible fantasy, the score features shoe-in favorites, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “The Prince is Giving a Ball” and “Ten Minutes Ago.” “It’s Possible” this timeless tale will have your heart soaring and prove, once and for all, dreams really can come true.

The seven shows in the 2019 Muny season are: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (August 5 – 11). For more information, visit muny.org.

Season tickets, single tickets and Muny gift cards for the 101st season are available online and at The Muny Box Office. MetroTix is the only official online point-of-purchase vendor for The Muny. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

For updates and information regarding The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign, please click here.

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The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals each year and welcome over 400,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season. Celebrating 101 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.

For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org

For more information about The Missouri History Museum’s

Muny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org