Bless Your Beautiful Hide! The Muny Announces Complete Cast, Design and Production Team for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

ST. LOUIS (July 23, 2021) – The Muny announced today its complete cast, design and production team for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the third show of the theatre’s 103rd season. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers runs Aug. 12 – 18 and is proudly sponsored by  
U.S. Bank.  

“This is a show that just seems so at home on our stage and under our beautiful trees and starlit sky,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “And who doesn’t love a great love story on a summer night?” 

Joining the previously announced Kendra Kassebaum (Milly Bradon), Edward Watts (Adam Pontipee), Raymond Baynard (Caleb), Leslie Donna Flesner (Dorcas), Shonica Gooden (Sarah), Garett Hawe (Ephraim), Sarah Meahl (Ruth), Harris Milgrim (Benjamin), Mikayla Renfrow (Alice), Carly Blake Sebouhian (Martha), Ryan Steele (Daniel), Brandon L. Whitmore (Gideon) and Kristin Yancy (Liza) is Kyle Coffman (Frank).  

A whistle-worthy ensemble completes this cast, including Matthew Davies, Joel Douglas (Swing), Duane Martin Foster, Anna Gassett (Swing), Michael Hartung, Lynn Humphrey, Kamal Lado, John Peterson, Rich Pisarkiewicz, Emilie Renier, Cooper Stanton, Daryl Tofa, Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva (Swing/Dance Captain), Jerry Vogel and Rebecca Young. The company will also be joined by The Muny Kid and Teen youth ensemble. 

As previously announced, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes with music supervision by Sinai Tabak and music direction by Valerie Gebert. Lee Wilkins will serve as the associate director and choreographer.  

The production team leading Seven Brides for Seven Brothers includes scenic design by Michael Schweikardt, costume design by Amy Clark, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design by John Shivers and David Patridge, video design by Caite Hevner and wig design by Tommy Kurzman. The production stage manager is Larry Smiglewski.  

The Telsey Office is the official casting partner for The Muny.  

KENDRA KASSEBAUM (Milly Bradon) Muny: Guys and Dolls (Miss Adelaide, 2019). On Broadway, Kendra originated the role of Janice in the Tony-nominated production of Come From Away as well as Sam in Leap of Faith. She played Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, in San Francisco and on the first national tour (Helen Hayes nomination). Other New York: The Receptionist(Manhattan Theatre Club) and the Tony Award-winning, Grammy-nominated production of Assassins. Kendra made her Broadway debut in Rent. For Roundabout Theatre, she performed the role of Petra in A Little Night Music, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson. Kassebaum’s regional appearances include Actors Theatre of Louisville, The 5th Avenue Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Ordway, Florida Stage and her hometown St. Louis Muny. Film: The Other Woman (with Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow). 

EDWARD WATTS (Adam Pontipee) is delighted to make his post-pandemic debut at The Muny! Broadway: Robert/David in Scandalous. Other New York: Superman (It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman), El Gallo (The Fantasticks), Joe (The Most Happy Fella) and Steve (Show Boat). Tours: The Book of Mormon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Les Misérables and The Little Mermaid. Selected regional: The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Old Globe), Harold Hill in The Music Man (Goodspeed Musicals), Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday (Guthrie Theater), Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music (Michigan Opera Theatre), Thomas Jefferson in 1776(Goodspeed) and Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing... Forum (Shakespeare Theatre Company, Helen Hayes nomination). Television: NCIS: New Orleans, Quantico, The Sopranos, Rescue Me. Proud member of AEA. EdwardWatts.net. 

RAYMOND BAYNARD (Caleb) is a New Jersey native debuting in his first regional production. He graduated from S.U.N.Y. Purchase with a B.F.A. in Dance. National tours: Disney's The Lion King, Hamilton. Broadway: Hamilton. He will soon be seen in MJ: The Musical, opening on Broadway in February 2022. Raymond is thrilled to be back on the stage. Instagram: @raymondbaynard 

KYLE COFFMAN (Frank) is thrilled to be back at The Muny for the fourth time, having previously been seen in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Newsies and West Side Story. Broadway: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Christopher Lyon, u/s Deputy) West Side Story (A-rab), Newsies (Henry). Regional: Tommy Djilas in The Music Man (Arizona Theatre Company), The Artful Dodger in Oliver (Arena Stage), Ethan Strange in Sex with Strangers (George Street Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company) Film: Desert Heart (Ryan), Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You (Dakin), Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (Ice). @housecoffman 

LESLIE DONNA FLESNER (Dorcas) has performed in eight Broadway shows, including Tootsie, An American in Paris, Honeymoon in Vegas, Cinderella, Chaplin, Follies, Finian’s Rainbow and Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler. Other New York credits include NY City Center Encores! productions of Mack & Mabel, Call Me Madam, Finian’s Rainbow, Fanny and the world premiere of War Paint starring Patti LuPone. TV: Boardwalk Empire, The Knick, The Tony Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Late Show with James Corden. Regionally, Leslie was most recently seen as the deliciously dim-witted Hedy LaRue in Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of How to Succeed…; Leslie is a passionate educator and recently launched an online virtual studio called Broadway Imagined. She is thrilled to be returning to The Muny after last being seen in their production of Chicago. Proud Florida State University alumni! @lesfles 

SHONICA GOODEN (Sarah) is excited to be making her Muny debut, performing in her mother’s beloved hometown! Proud native of Atlanta, GA and 2011 graduate of Point Park University (BFA degree in Dance). Memphis(Felicia, Cape Fear Regional Theatre), Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope (NY City Center Encores!), Sister Act (Deloris, Music Theatre Wichita), Cats(Rumpleteazer, Broadway revival), Hamilton: An American Musical (Broadway), American Dance Machine (Sweet Georgia Brown, Joyce Theater), Matilda(national tour), Piece of My Heart, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella(Broadway), Bring It On: The Musical (Broadway, national tour). TV/Film: Fosse/Verdon, Manifest, Almost Family, Ted 2 and The First Purge. 

GARETT HAWE (Ephraim) is ecstatic to be a part of the Muny magic! Broadway: Mary Poppins, Newsies, Matilda, Carousel. Most recently seen as Ambrose Kemper in the North American Revival Tour of Hello, Dolly! National tours: Wicked, Mary Poppins, The 101 Dalmatians Musical, Oklahoma!. TV: NBC’s Peter Pan Live!; Nurse Jackie, Dancing with the Stars, The Tonight Show. Select regional: Tulsa in Gypsy (Cape Playhouse), Hugo Peabody in Bye Bye Birdie (Sacramento Music Circus), Tommy Djilas in The Music Man(Pioneer Theatre Company), Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse, and numerous productions with North Shore Music Theatre. Garett plays a Jet in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story, in theaters this December. Graduate of the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. @garetthawe 

SARAH MEAHL (Ruth) This is Sarah’s 10th show at The Muny. She played Ruth in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 2011and is excited to be back, this time, with her husband Ed Watts. Broadway: Kiss Me, Kate; Hello, Dolly!; Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour. Off-Broadway: Standard Time (The Duke), The Golden Apple (NY City Center Encores!), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Minskoff Theatre). Pre-Broadway Labs: The Music Man, The Secret Garden, Anastasia, Clueless, The Right Girl. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Broadway Sacramento, Theatre Under The Stars, Theater of the Stars, The Muny, Kansas City Starlight, The Old Globe, Shakespeare Theatre Company and Walnut Street Theatre. TV/Film: Haunting Evidence, Isn’t It Romantic? Graduate of Point Park. sarahmeahl.com @happymeahl 

HARRIS MILGRIM (Benjamin) Broadway: Cats, Tootsie. Numerous Off-Broadway, NY City Center Encores!, national tour, concerts and regional theatres including The Muny, Paper Mill Playhouse, 5th Avenue Theatre, Dallas Theater Center and more. Extended credits and more at harrismilgrim.com. 

MIKAYLA RENFROW (Alice) is overjoyed to be back at The Muny! She has recently graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and is ready to be back in front of audiences. Her most recent credits include Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (The Muny), Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, Rose in The Secret Garden with Connor Gallagher and Eve in Awaited: A Christmas Experience. 

CARLY BLAKE SEBOUHIAN (Martha) is thrilled to be returning to The Muny after having been seen in Mary Poppins and Fiddler on the Roof. On Broadway, Carly has been appearing in The Phantom of the Opera, where she will return when the show reopens in October. Other New York credits include Fiorello! and Brigadoon at NY City Center Encores! as well as the original workshop of An American in Paris. Regionally, she has been seen in Sweet Charity (Pioneer Theatre Company) and The Nutty Professor (Tennessee Performing Arts Center) directed by the legendary Jerry Lewis. TV/Film credits include The Punisher (Netflix), For Life (ABC) and Equal Standard starring Ice-T. @carlyblake419 

RYAN STEELE (Daniel) Broadway: Carousel, Newsies (Astaire nomination), Matilda, West Side Story (Baby John), Billy Elliot and will soon be seen in Once Upon a One More Time. Tour: An American in Paris (Jerry Mulligan). Other stage: The Music Man (Kennedy Center), A Chorus Line and The Wild Party (both for NY City Center Encores!), In Your Arms (The Old Globe), Carousel (Houston Grand Opera). Film/TV: FX’s Fosse/Verdon, Girls5Eva, Ted 2, Five Dances, NBC's Peter Pan Live!; Smash, and most recently, Netflix’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things and Better Nate Than Ever from Disney+. 

BRANDON L. WHITMORE (Gideon) is thrilled to be playing Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at The Muny. Tour: Hello, Dolly! Favorite regional credits: The Muny, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, North Carolina Theatre. BFA in Dance Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. 

KRISTIN YANCY (Liza) is a dancer, actor, singer and creator based in Brooklyn, New York. She is so deeply grateful to be back onstage (live!) and thrilled to be making her Muny debut! Some favorite credits include: The Cher Show (Broadway), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Broadway, u/s Disco Donna), Queen of the Night (off-Broadway, Nadia), The Who’s Tommy (direction and choreography by Josh Rhodes, The Kennedy Center), West Side Story (Guthrie Theater, u/s Anita), Hostage, a film by Ryan Heffington and Bliss, a new musical (world premiere, The 5th Avenue Theatre). Kristin is a producer and co-owner of immersive theatre company MinuteZero. Proud WashU grad! kristinyancy.com 

ABOUT THE SHOW:
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has a book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Gene de Paul and new songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. This fan-favorite is based on the MGM film and “The Sobbin’ Women” by Stephen Vincent Benet. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers features dance music arrangements by Sam Davis.

Based on the Academy Award-winning 1954 film, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is Americana at its finest. With an age-old tale of wooing and winning, the battle of the sexes and some barn-raising dancing, this western rollick features whistle-worthy favorites, including “Bless Your Beautiful Hide” and “Goin’ Courtin’.” With two of the most eminent dance scenes in musical theatre history and seven times the fun, saddle up for an unforgettable joyride through the Oregon frontier. 

New season subscriptions for the 2021 five-show season are still currently available through July 23. Single tickets are available now. Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, online at muny.org or by phone by calling (314) 361-1900 ext. 1550. 

To stay connected virtually and to receive the latest updates, please follow The Muny on their social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Emerson is proud to be The Muny’s 2021 Season Sponsor. 

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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 world-class musicals each year and welcome over 350,000 theatregoers over our summer season. Celebrating 103 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre. 

For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org