The Muny Announces 2017 Season Creative Teams

ST. LOUIS – The Muny announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for The Muny’s 2017 Season, which opens on June 12 with Jesus Christ Superstar.

“Our 2017 season feels so electric,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “Each of these teams is set to create productions that will leap from the stage into our audiences’ hearts. I’m honored to be working with them.”

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

GORDON GREENBERG (Director) recently co-wrote and directed the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn for Roundabout and Universal Stage Productions. For The Muny he has directed Holiday Inn (2015), West Side Story (2013) and Pirates! (2012). His acclaimed West End revival of Guys And Dolls was nominated for six Olivier Awards and recently finished an extended run at the Savoy and then the Phoenix Theatre in London (starring Rebel Wilson). He directed the Drama Desk Award winning revised production of Working (adapted with with Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda) at 59E59, Broadway In Chicago and the Old Globe. Other credits include the acclaimed New York revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well… (Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Award noms), Johnny Baseball for Williamstown Theatre Festival, the new stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney, Rags for Roundabout (workshop), Stars of David for Daryl Roth Productions, Pirates! Or Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder’d (Paper Mill, Goodspeed, The Muny, Huntington), Band Geeks! (Goodspeed),The Baker's Wife (Goodspeed, Paper Mill), 1776 (Paper Mill), Floyd Collins (Signature), and the Disney Fantasy Christening with Neil Patrick Harris & Jerry Seinfeld. Current projects include co-writing Emerald City Music Hall, an original movie musical for Nickelodeon Television and Scramble Band, an original movie musical for the Disney Channel, co writing and directing The Secret of My Success for Universal Pictures Stage Productions, directing a new musical for Huey Lewis, and co-writing Port-Au-Prince, a NYSCA commission for The New Group, with Kirsten Childs. As an actor, he has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and on television. He attended Stanford University and NYU and is a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, The Writers Guild of America, and The Dramatists Guild.

JON RUA (Choreographer) returns to The Muny, where he has choreographed Aida (2016). He’s been seen on Broadway in: Hamilton (Hamilton understudy, Charles Lee/Ensemble), Hands on a Hardbody (Jesus Pena), In the Heights (Sonny and Graffiti Pete). Off-Broadway: Hamilton, Kung Fu, Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Damn Yankees (Encores!). Regional: Old Globe’s Somewhere (Alejandro-Craig Noel Leading Actor nomination), Bring It On: The Musical; La Jolla’s Hardbody, Muny’s West Side Story. Film: Fall to Rise, The Things We Do They Don’t Understand. TV: Blue Bloods, Law & Order. Digital: Mas Mejor Primos, Inc. Dancer for ‪Mariah Carey, ‪Phish, Don Omar, Soulja Boy, Target, BillBoard, Puma, Reebok, IBM, Panasonic. Choreography includes ‪Phish, ‪Jackson Harris, SpongeBob The Musical (creative consultant), ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap, NBA, NYMF 2016 Freedom Riders, Broadway Bares, Capezio A.C.E. Awards. He’s assisted Tony award-winners Andy lankenbuehler, Christopher Gattelli and Olivier award-winner Sergio Trujillo. Jon’s work has been influential to Broadway’s Hamilton, On Your Feet, Bring It On: The Musical;Hands on a Hardbody, In the Heights and NYCC’s The Wiz. Instagram @jonrua1, Twitter @jonrua, www.JonRua.com #TheGrit #JonRua

COLIN WELFORD (Music Director) He studied at Oxford University, Royal College of Music, University of Miami and Columbia College, in conducting and film composition. Music supervisor: The Lion King (13 companies worldwide), The Who’s Tommy (Europe and UK). Music Director: Wicked, Billy Elliot, The English National Ballet. A familiar musical presence in London’s West End and on Broadway, Colin also orchestrates for the New York and Boston Pops orchestras, and has recorded extensively as a conductor; from Mahler and Stravinsky with BBC Symphony Orchestra to pop and big-band albums. Original Musical: Strings Attached (music and additional lyrics).

Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Book by Doug Wright

MARCIA MILGROM DODGE (Director) Her celebrated work on revivals, new musicals & plays has been seen throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, South Korea, Denmark and the Middle East. The Muny: Young Frankenstein, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and The Addams Family. Broadway: The acclaimed Kennedy Center production of Ragtime (2010 Tony Award nomination and the Helen Hayes Award). New York/Tours: Curious George & Seussical (TheatreworksUSA), Ragtime (Phoenix Ent.), Cookin’ (Minetta Lane), Venus Flytrap (Active Theater), Radio Gals (Houseman), Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever (original production) and William Finn's  Romance In Hard Times (The Public). Regional: Drury Lane, Pioneer Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Center Stage, St. Louis Rep, Denver Center, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Glimmerglass Festival, Bay Street Theatre, Music Circus, Goodman Theatre, Lyric Stage, Goodspeed, Huntington Theatre and Arena Stage. Abroad: The Nanta Theatre (Seoul, S. Korea); Fredericia Teater (Denmark); Royal Opera House (Muskat, Oman) and the Wintergardens Theatre (Blackpool, England). Dodge's work has won the Carbonell, Los Angeles Drama Critics, Backstage Garland, Dora Mavor, Outer Critics Circle and Daytime Emmy Awards and she has been nominated for the Astaire, Drama Desk, Drama League, Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Lortel and Edgar Awards.  She is also a teacher, a wife, a mother, a proud executive board member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society and a published and produced playwright. For more, visit: www.marciamilgromdodge.com

JOSH WALDEN (Choreographer) Returns to The Muny after choreographing The Buddy Holly Story in 2015. Directed/choreographed The Rocky Horror Show for The University of Buffalo, Legally Blonde for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, A Chorus Line for Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Theatre Memphis, and the rock opera Fallen Angel in the New York International Fringe Festival. He has also choreographed for Signature Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, DOONCE Productions, Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Gateway Playhouse and Morag Productions for the Seabourn Sun Cruise Ship. On Broadway, Josh was the associate director/associate choreographer for the rival of Ragtime. As a performer, he has been in Broadway revivals of 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, A Chorus Line and Ragtime.

CHARLIE ALTERMAN (Music Director) returns to The Muny where he served as music director for the productions of Young Frankenstein (2016), Hairspray (2015),Chicago (2012) and Legally Blonde (2011). Broadway music director credits include Pippin, Godspell,Next to Normal, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (music director/actor) and Legally Blonde (associate conductor). Tours: Next to Normal (music supervisor) and Grease (US/Asia). Off-Broadway favorites: Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver and Silence!: The Musical. Regional includes: The Old Globe, TUTS, La Jolla Playhouse, Arena Stage, Trinity Rep, Huntington Theatre and nine seasons with the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Concert appearances include shows with Brooke Shields, Frankie Avalon, Emily Skinner, Dana Reeve, Billy Porter, Carol Woods and Ken Page. Upcoming: Half Time, previously seen in Chicago as Gotta Dance.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

GARY GRIFFIN (Director) has directed The Muny’s productions of Fiddler on the Roof (2016), Into the Woods (2015), Mary Poppins (2013) and Aladdin (2012). On Broadway, he directed Honeymoon in Vegas, The Apple Tree and The Color Purple. Gary is associate artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where he has directed King Charles III, Gypsy, Road Show,Sunday in the Park with George, Follies, Amadeus, Passion and Pacific Overtures. Gary directed West Side Story, Evita, Antony and Cleopatra and A Little Night Music for the Stratford Festival of Canada. Recent credits include, Hands to God at Victory Gardens Theater, Moonshine at Dallas Theater Center, Road Show at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, and Parade at Avery Fisher Hall. He has received 10 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Direction and the Artistic Excellence Award from the League of Chicago Theaters.

ALEX SANCHEZ (Choreographer) Choreographed The Muny’s productions of Fiddler on the Roof (2016), Mary Poppins (2013), Aladdin (2012) andThe Little Mermaid (2011). New York credits: Red Eye of Love (Amas Musical Theatre/ Dicapo Theater, Joseph Callaway Award), Far from Heaven (Playwrights Horizon), Fiorello!, Where’s Charley? (New York City Center Encores!) and Giant (Public Theater, Lucille Lortel Award nomination). Regional credits: Directed Evita (Marriott Theatre) and the national tour In The Mood (Bud Forrest production). Choreographed Wonderful Town (The Goodman Theater), West Side Story (PaperMill Playhouse), Guys and Dolls  (Goodspeed Opera House, Connecticut Critic Circle Award nomination), Far from Heaven (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Roman Holiday  (Guthrie Theater), 42^nd Street (Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Broadway World Toronto 2012 Award), Giant (Dallas Theater Center), Follies (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Broadway World Chicago 2011 Award, Jeff Award nomination), On the Town (Marriott Theatre, Jeff Award nomination), A Little Night Music (Berkshire Theatre Group), Camelot (Glimmerglass Opera), The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast (Alabama Shakespeare Festival) and Mary Poppins (Kansas City Starlight/Marriott Theatre).

BRAD HAAK (Music Director) Muny: Fiddler on the Roof (2016), Into the Woods (2015), South Pacific (2013), The King and I (2012) andGypsy (2006). Broadway: Music director for An American in Paris, Disney’s Mary Poppins, Elton John’s Lestat, also Il Divo - A Musical Affair. First national tour of Disney’s The Lion King. Music direction and orchestrations for Daddy Long Legs, most recently off-Broadway as well as in London, Tokyo, Seoul and 17 US productions. International Sousatzka (Toronto) An American in Paris (Paris), Honk! (Singapore and Philippines), Jane Eyre (Tokyo). Other collaborations with director Gary Griffin include Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Follies (Jeff Award for music direction) Sunday in the Park with George (Jeff nomination) Orchestrations for New York and Boston Pops, National Symphony and L.A. Philharmonic. Graduate of Northwestern University and a native of Chicago.

ALL SHOOK UP
Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley
Book by Joe Dipietro

DAN KNECHTGES (Director) Muny: Mamma Mia! (2016), Hairspray (2015) and Seussical (2014). Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (Direction and Choreography), Xanadu (directed by Chris Ashley, Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), Sondheim on Sondheim, 110 in The Shade (starring Audra McDonald) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (directed by James Lapine). Off-Broadway includes:Clinton the Musical, Tail! Spin!, My Favorite Year, Lysistrata Jones, Merrily We Roll Along for Encores!, Vanities and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Second Stage (Lucille Lortel nomination). Additionally: First Date (Blumnethal Charlotte, NC), How To Succeed (TUTS), Me & My Girl (Maltz Jupiter), Saturday Night Fever (Drury Lane Chicago),Waterfall (Pasadena Playhouse/The 5th Avenue Theatre), Give It Up! (Dallas Theater Center), Vanities (TheatreWorks Palo Alto), Guys and Dolls (Playhouse Square Center), Elf (Pioneer Theatre), Boys from Syracuse (Centerstage Baltimore), Godspell (Paper Mill Playhouse). Film and TV choreography: Todd Solondz’s movies Dark Horse and Palindromes, Fatboy Slim’s music video It’s a Wonderful Night, White Collar and the 2011 TVLand Awards. BFA in musical theatre, Otterbein College.

JESSICA HARTMAN (Choreographer) is absolutely thrilled to return to The Muny after working on Mamma Mia! (2016), Hairspray (2015) and Seussical (2014). On Broadway, she served as the associate choreographer for Lysistrata Jones and was the assistant choreographer, dance captain and swing forThe Boy From Oz, starring Hugh Jackman. Off- Broadway/NY credits: Waterfall (Associate), Somewhere in Time (Associate), Showtune (Assistant Director/ Choreographer), Citizen Ruth (Associate), Break Out in Song (Director/Choreographer). Other choreography credits include Elephant and Piggie: We Are In A Play (Kennedy Center/national tour and upcoming at The New Victory in NYC); How to Succeed (Associate/TUTS), West Side Story and Beaches (Associate/Signature Theatre), Next to Normal (Choreographer/Centerstage), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Assistant/Arena Stage), Carousel (Assistant/Goodspeed) and new shows for NCL and Carnival Cruise Lines. Jessica is the Artistic Director of Broadway Theatre Connection. BFA from FSU. Gratitude to Mike, Megan, my parents, Jason and my girl, Em.

CHARLIE ALTERMAN (Music Director) returns to The Muny where he served as music director for the productions of Young Frankenstein (2016), Hairspray (2015),Chicago (2012) and Legally Blonde (2011). Broadway music director credits include Pippin, Godspell,Next to Normal, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (music director/actor) and Legally Blonde (associate conductor). Tours: Next to Normal (music supervisor) and Grease (US/Asia). Off-Broadway favorites: Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver and Silence!: The Musical. Regional includes: The Old Globe, TUTS, La Jolla Playhouse, Arena Stage, Trinity Rep, Huntington Theatre and nine seasons with the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Concert appearances include shows with Brooke Shields, Frankie Avalon, Emily Skinner, Dana Reeve, Billy Porter, Carol Woods and Ken Page. Upcoming: Half Time, previously seen in Chicago as Gotta Dance.

THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN
Lyrics and Music by Meredith Willson
Additional Lyrics and Book by Dick Scanlan
Based on the Original Book by Richard Morris

KATHLEEN MARSHALL (Director/Choreographer) Broadway credits include In Transit, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Anything Goes, The Pajama Game,Wonderful Town, Living on Love, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Follies, Seussical, Kiss Me, Kate; 1776 and Swinging on a Star. Off-Broadway and regional: Two Gentlemen of Verona (NYSF),Saturday Night (Second Stage), Love’s Labor’s Lost (Old Globe), My Paris (Long Wharf), Ever After (Paper Mill),Diner (Signature Theatre), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Denver Center Theatre). City Center Encores!: The Band Wagon, I’m Getting My Act Together…, Bells Are Ringing, Carnival and Babes in Arms; Artistic Director for four seasons. Film: My Week with Marilyn (choreographer). TV: Once Upon a Mattress, The Music Man (Emmy nomination) and 2 Broke Girls. She has received three Tony Awards (out of nine nominations), three Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Astaire Award, the George Abbott Award, the Smith College Medal (her alma mater) and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for the Arts. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

MICHAEL RAFTER (Music Adaptation, Music Director, Vocal and Incidental Arrangements) Music Director/Arranger/Pianist for Sutton Foster. Music Director/ Supervisor: Violet (starring Sutton Foster), Everyday Rapture,Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sunset Boulevard, The Sound of Music, The King & I, Gypsy, Swing, The Buddy Holly Story. Arranger: Swing and Sweet Charity. Associate Music Supervisor: Jersey Boys. TV: Gypsy (Emmy award, music direction), Broadway’s Best on Bravo (w/Trisha Yearwood, Kevin Bacon, Mandy Moore, Cyndi Lauper, Darius Rucker). Recordings: Wish with Sutton Foster,Sutton Foster, Live at The Carlyle. Movies: Arthur (additional scoring, arrangements), Music And Lyrics, Did You Hear About The Morgans? (vocal, instrumental producer).
Proud father of Siena Rafter, Brown University class of 2020.

A CHORUS LINE
Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Edward Kleban

DENIS JONES (Director/Choreographer) returns to The Muny having served as director/choreographer for 42^nd Street (2016), Grease (2014), Spamalot (2013) and Chicago (2012), and as the choreographer of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (2015) and Pirates! (2012). Recent choreography credits include Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (Broadway), Moonshine: That Hee-Haw Musical (Dallas Theatre Center); Forum (Two River), The Tempest (New York Shakespeare Festival), Honeymoon in Vegas (Broadway), Paint Your Wagon (NY City Center Encores!), Luck Be a Lady (Asolo Rep), The Sound of Music (Lyric Opera, Chicago), Damn Yankees (Paper Mill Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre), Elf (5th Avenue), Forum, Johnny Baseball, She Loves Me (Williamstown Theatre Festival) and national tours of My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha and Damn Yankees. Denis also directed and choreographed the off-Broadway production of Piece of My Heart.

BEN WHITELEY (Music Director) Muny: 42nd Street (2016), My Fair Lady (2015), The Addams Family (2014), Spamalot  (2013), Pirates! (2012), The Sound of Music (2005, 2010), Beauty and the Beast (2005, 2010, 2015), Kiss Me, Kate (2011) ; Oklahoma! (2007), The Music Man (2004), Meet Me in St. Louis (2004), South Pacific (2003). Music director for 1776 at City Center Encores!. Broadway/national tours: A Christmas Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot, The Full Monty, Cats (conducted final original Broadway performance), Grand Hotel, Falsettos, Big. Carnegie Hall: Sail Away (with Elaine Stritch), Carnegie Hall Salutes Comden and Green. Choral Direction: Carousel (NY Philharmonic/PBS.) City Center Encores!: associate music director and chorus master for 29 productions including Paint Your Wagon, The Most Happy Fella. Other: Paper Mill Playhouse, 5th Avenue Theatre, University of Michigan. Recordings: Allegro, Boardwalk Empire (Grammy Award), Merrily We Roll Along.

NEWSIES
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Jack FeldmanBook by Harvey Fierstein

CHRIS BAILEY (Director/Choreographer) returns to The Muny after choreographing Into the Woods (2015), My Fair Lady (2015), Tarzan (2014), West Side Story (2013) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (2012). Chris also choreographed the historic opening number of the 2013 Tony Awards and served as assistant choreographer for the 2013 and 2014 Academy Awards. Chris was the associate choreographer for the Broadway revival of Evita, the Broadway productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Cry-Baby and Promises, Promises. In London’s West End, Chris choreographed Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory and was an associate choreographer for Guys and Dolls,Evita, Once in a Lifetime and Candide. Tour credits as choreographer include Evita, The Wedding Singer (US), Guys and Dolls (UK, Australia) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK). Chris was also the movement director for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Cyrano De Bergerac on Broadway.

MICHAEL HORSLEY (Music Director) is the music supervisor for The Muny. In his 23 years with The Muny, some of the shows he has conducted include Mamma Mia (2016), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (2015); Grease (2014), Mary Poppins (2013), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat and Thoroughly Modern Millie (2012), 42nd Street (1996, 2009), Godspell, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (2000, 2006), Damn Yankees (1998, 2010), Sleeping Beauty, Singin’ in the Rain and many more. National tours include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, Cinderella, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other regional theatre credits: Roman Holiday (Guthrie Theater), On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Music Theatre Wichita), Fiddler on the Roof (AMT San Jose), A Chorus Line (Pioneer Theatre Company), The Full Monty (North Carolina Theatre). He has also vocal directed the Christmas Concert Series for the Detroit Symphony, National Symphony and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras. He is on staff as music director for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Season tickets go on sale March 6, 2017. Single tickets go on sale May 8, 2017.

World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation have once again made a leadership gift to continue as the Muny’s 2017 Season Presenting Sponsor. They became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014 and will continue in that role through 2017.

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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 350,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season. Now celebrating 99 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.