The Muny Announces 100th Season Creative Teams

The Muny announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for The Muny’s epic 2018 centennial season, which opens on June 11 with the first production in the world of Jerome Robbins’ Broadway since it’s Tony-award winning Broadway and national tour productions.

“How thrilling to approach our 100th season working with these extraordinary artists,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “We know how excited everyone is by our 100th season, and we’re ready to make the magic.”

JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY
By: James M. Barrie, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Bock, Sammy Cahn, Moose Charlap, Betty Comden, Larry Gelbart, Morton Gould, Adolph Green, Oscar Hammerstein II, Sheldon Harnick, Arthur Laurents, Carolyn Leigh, Stephen Longstreet, Hugh Martin, Jerome Robbins, Richard Rodgers, Burt Shevelove, Stephen Sondheim, Joseph Stein and Jule Styne

CYNTHIA ONRUBIA (Director) has worked on numerous productions for The Kennedy Center Honors, Carnegie Hall and New York City Center Encores!. Broadway: Dame Edna: The Royal Tour (American Theatre League of Producers nomination), Cabaret (2003 Sir Robert Helpmann Award), Little Me, Victor/Victoria, Damn Yankees, The Goodbye Girl, Metro, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Song and Dance, Cats, Got Tu Go Disco, Dancin’, A Chorus Line. Film choreography: Labor Day, Away We Go, Revolutionary Road, Definitely Maybe, Connie and Carla, Big Fish, Analyze That, Chicago (2003 American Choreography Award), Center Stage, The Cradle Will Rock. She received the 1994 American Theatre Roundtable Award for Outstanding Career Performances.

CHRIS BAILEY (Production Supervisor) returns to The Muny after directing and choreographing Newsies last year. Other Muny credits: The Music Man (2016), 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 The Entertainer with Kenneth Branagh and Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory. He was also an associate choreographer for Guys and Dolls, Evita, Once in a Lifetime and Candide. Additional credits include The New Yorkers and 1776 at NY City Center Encores!; and Because of Winn Dixie at Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

MICHAEL HORSLEY (Music Director) is the music supervisor for The Muny. In his 24 years with The Muny, some of the shows he has conducted include Newsies (2017), 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: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, Cinderella, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other regional: 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 voice 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.

THE WIZ
Adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
Book by William F. Brown
Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls
Additional Dialogue by Tina Tippit

DENIS JONES (Director) returns to The Muny, having served as director/choreographer for A Chorus Line, 42nd Street (St. Louis Theater Circle Award), Grease, Spamalot, Chicago and as choreographer for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn and Pirates! Broadway: Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Chita nominations) and Honeymoon in Vegas. Other recent credits: Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical (Dallas Theater Center), Paint Your Wagon (New York City Center Encores!), The Tempest (NY Shakespeare Festival), A Funny Thing Happened… (Two River/Williamstown Theatre Festival), The Sound of Music (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story (NY Signature, Lortel nomination, Callaway finalist), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Goodspeed), Rothschild & Sons (The York), Mary Poppins (Paper Mill) and Crazy for You (DC Signature).

CAMILLE A. BROWN (Choreographer) Broadway: Pal Joey (2018 revival), Once On This Island (2017 revival), A Streetcar Named Desire. Off-Broadway: Fortress of Solitude (Public Theater, Lortel nomination). Regional: ink at The Kennedy Center (2017 world premiere), Bella: An American Tall Tale (AUDELCO Award) and Stagger Lee (Dallas Theater Center), Blood Quilt (Arena Stage), Cabin in the Sky and Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…BOOM! (New York City Center Encores!) starring Lin-Manuel Miranda. Company: Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Awards: Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow, Princess Grace Statue Award, Jacob’s Pillow, Guggenheim Fellowship, Bessie Award, USA Fellow, Doris Duke Artist, TED Fellow. www.camilleabrown.org

DARRYL ARCHIBALD (Music Director) The Color Purple (2015 Broadway revival tour), Motown The Musical (Broadway, national tour), Wicked (Pantages Theater, substitute conductor), Memphis (Broadway tour), Dreamgirls (national tour, associate conductor); Disney’s The Lion King (Broadway tour, vocal coach/assistant conductor), Dear World (Valley Performing Arts Center), Jonathan Dove’s Innocence (Banff Centre and Manhattan Theatre Club); Two By Two, How To Succeed…, The Fantasticks, Once On This Island, Li’l Abner (Reprise), Great Expectations, My Fair Lady, 1776, Camelot, and Forever Plaid (Utah Shakespeare Festival), A Hollywood Holiday Celebration (ABC), The Fountain Show and Christmas Trolley Show (LA’s The Grove).

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
Screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed
Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Inc.

MARC BRUNI (Director) is currently represented on Broadway, on US and UK tours, and in Australia with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Other credits include: Roman Holiday: The Cole Porter Musical (Golden Gate), Trevor (Writers Theatre), The Sound of Music (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Hey, Look Me Over!; Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream, Fanny (New York City Center Encores!), The Explorers Club (Manhattan Theatre Club), Old Jews Telling Jokes (NY/Chicago, Jeff nomination), Other People’s Money (Long Wharf, Capital Critics Circle nomination), Presto Change-O (Barrington Stage), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Paper Mill). He’s delighted to return to The Muny for his eighth show (two Kevin Kline nominations).

ROMMY SANDHU (Choreographer) returns to The Muny, where he served as associate director/choreographer on The Unsinkable Molly Brown (2017). In addition to working with Tony-winner Kathleen Marshall on Bells are Ringing and Applause (both at NYCC), as well as Diner the Musical at Delaware Theatre Company, he served as Tony/Drama Desk-nominee Dick Scanlan’s associate on Little Shop of Horrors. Across the country he’s directed and/or choreographed for Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, Tuacahn, and Geva Theatre Center, among others. In New York, his work has been seen on and off-Broadway at 54 Below, Peace Love and Cupcakes (NYMF 2017), multiple opening numbers for Broadway Cares and How Now Dow Jones (NY Fringe). As a performer he’s appeared on Broadway in Mary Poppins, Bombay Dreams, Oklahoma!; On the Town, Annie Get Your Gun, The Life and Menken/Ahren’s A Christmas Carol. Instagram @Rsand4. Twitter @newrom. www.RommySandhu.com

BEN WHITELEY (Music Director) Muny: A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, My Fair Lady, The Addams Family, Spamalot, Pirates!; The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, Kiss Me, Kate; Oklahoma!; The Music Man, Meet Me in St. Louis, South Pacific. Music director for 1776 at New York 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). Choral direction: Carousel (NY Philharmonic/PBS). Encores!: associate music director and chorus master for 30 productions including Paint Your Wagon and The Most Happy Fella. Other: Paper Mill Playhouse, 5th Avenue Theatre, University of Michigan. Recordings: Allegro, Boardwalk Empire (Grammy Award), Merrily We Roll Along.

JERSEY BOYS
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music by Bob Gaudio
Lyrics by Bob Crewe

JOSH RHODES (Director/Choreographer) directed Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (Old Globe Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Asolo Rep and The Old Globe), Evita (Asolo Rep), Spamalot (5th Avenue Theatre), Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Playhouse Christmas Show (Bucks County Playhouse) and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He also choreographed the Broadway productions of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date and Bright Star. On London’s West End, he choreographed Carousel at the English National Opera and Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson. New York City Center Encores!: Zorba and Big River. Other credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris and Sondheim: The Birthday Concert (PBS), Broadway: Three Generations (Kennedy Center), Young Frankenstein (Muny). Rhodes is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan. 

RICK BERTONE (Music Director) Broadway/national tour (keyboard and/or conductor) credits: Gotta Dance, If/Then, Porgy and Bess, Next to Normal, Spamalot, Avenue Q, Chicago, Mamma Mia!; Disney’s On The Record. Off-Broadway: Avenue Q (music director), Newsical The Musical, Romantic Poetry (Manhattan Theatre Club) and Naked Boys Singing. Select others as music director: Shrek, Tarzan (Muny), The Last Five Years, Little Shop of Horrors (Berkshire Theatre Group) and The Midtown Men. Next up, Rick will be the associate conductor for Jerry Springer: The Opera at New Group. Rick is originally from the Chicagoland area and went to New York University.

ANNIE
Book by Thomas Meehan
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Martin Charnin

JOHN TARTAGLIA (Director) Broadway: Avenue Q (Tony nomination), Beauty and the Beast and Shrek. John created, executive produced and starred in his own Emmy-nominated preschool series Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Jr.) and performed on Sesame Street for 13 seasons. Director: Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk (Princess Cruises, writer/director), The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan and Shrek (Muny), Dinosaur Train Live and Sid the Science Kid Live (national tours), Claudio Quest (New York Musical Theatre Festival, Best of the Fest), Lord Tom (York Theatre), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals), Because of Winn Dixie (Arkansas Repertory), amongst others. John is Kip on Jim Henson’s Word Party, Hank on Julie’s Greenroom (both for Netflix), as well as creator, co-executive producer and star of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles (PBS Kids). Heard every Sunday on Sirius XM on Broadway’s Sunday Funday with John Tartaglia. www.johntartagliaproductions.com

JESSICA HARTMAN (Choreographer) is thrilled to return for The Muny’s 100th after working on All Shook Up (2017), Mamma Mia! (2016), Hairspray (2015) and Seussical (2014). Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (associate choreographer), The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman (assistant choreographer). Off-Broadway/NY credits: Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! (choreographer, New Victory Theatre), Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (associate),Waterfall (associate), and Somewhere in Time (associate). Other choreography credits include: Norwegian Creative Studios/Oceania Cruise Lines (choreographer), Disney Jr. Dance Party (associate show director), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (associate, Theatre Under the Stars), West Side Story (associate, Signature Theatre), and Next to Normal (choreographer, Baltimore Center Stage). Up next: Memphis at Theatre Under the Stars (choreographer). Jessica is the Artistic Director of Broadway Theatre Connection. BFA from Florida State University.

COLIN WELFORD (Music Director) is delighted to be back at The Muny, having conducted Billy Elliot in 2014 and Jesus Christ Superstar in 2017. Colin studied at Oxford University, the Royal College of Music and University of Miami. Currently music director/conductor of Hamilton in Chicago. Past music supervisor/director credits include: The Lion King and Billy Elliot (13 companies of each, worldwide), Wicked, Rent and The Who’s Tommy (5 companies). For the English National Ballet, Colin has conducted productions of Swan Lake, Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet. Colin has also orchestrated for the New York and Boston Pops orchestras. He has conducted recordings ranging from Mahler and Stravinsky (BBC Symphony) to pop and big-band albums, composed two produced musicals and is at work on his first opera.

GYPSY
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

ROB RUGGIERO (Director) is thrilled to be returning for The Muny’s 100^th season. Previous Muny: The Music Man, Oklahoma!; Hello, Dolly!; South Pacific and The King and I. Selected Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, The Little Dog Laughed, Urinetown and Take Me Out. Broadway: High and Looped. Conceived and directed the original musical revue Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations). Recently directed the major “revisal” of Rags, at Goodspeed Musicals, where he also directed highly-successful productions of La Cage aux Folles, Fiddler on the Roof, The Most Happy Fella, Carousel, Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, Big River, 1776 and Show Boat, (West End production 2016). Producing Artistic Director for TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut.

RALPH PERKINS (Choreographer) returns to The Muny after choreographing The Wizard of Oz (2016), Hello, Dolly! (2014); South Pacific (2013) and The King and I (2012). Other credits: Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, Kiss Me, Kate and Urinetown for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; La Cage aux Folles, Camelot and 1776 for Goodspeed Musicals; South Pacific for Paper Mill Playhouse and The Asolo Repertory Theatre, and Sweet Charity for Barrington Stage. Perkins was artistic director and co-founder of The New Works Project in Las Vegas, where he also choreographed EFX at the MGM Grand, Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage and Tournament of Kings. Ralph is currently the director of dance for the theatre division at The Hartt School, University of Hartford in Connecticut.

JAMES MOORE (Music Director) The Muny: The Music Man, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, Hello, Dolly!;  West Side Story, Meet Me in St. Louis and The Producers. Broadway: Miss Saigon, On the Town, Gigi, Follies, South Pacific, Ragtime, Steel Pier and Company. National tours: The Producers, Kiss Me, Kate; Crazy for You, And the World Goes ‘Round. The Kennedy Center: Camelot starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, My Fair Lady starring Jonathan Pryce, Mame starring Christine Baranski. Concerts: National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Santa Barbara Symphony, The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Recordings: On the Town, Follies (Grammy nomination). Upcoming: Titanic (Broadway revival). Moore holds master and bachelor degrees from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
Songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Based on “The Kensington Stories” by Sally Benson and the MGM motion picture “Meet Me in St. Louis”

MARCIA MILGROM DODGE (Director) Muny: The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and The Addams Family. Broadway: Ragtime (2010 Tony nomination). National tours: Curious George, Seussical, Ragtime. NYC: Venus Flytrap, Radio Gals, Closer Than Ever and Romance in Hard Times. Between reimagining revivals and choreographing & directing world premieres regionally and abroad, Dodge is also a wife, a mother, a teacher, an SDC executive board member and a published and produced playwright. For more, visit www.marciamilgromdodge.com

JOSH WALDEN (Choreographer) returns to The Muny after choreographing The Little Mermaid in 2017 and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story in 2015. Directed/choreographed A Chorus Line for Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Theatre Memphis, The Rocky Horror Show for the University of Buffalo, Legally Blonde for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, and the rock opera Fallen Angel for the New York International Fringe Festival. He has also choreographed for Signature Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Doonce Productions, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Gateway Playhouse and Morag Productions for Seabourn Cruise Lines. On Broadway, Josh was the associate director/associate choreographer for the revival 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) is thrilled to be a part of Muny 100! At The Muny he served as music director for All Shook Up, The Little Mermaid (2017), Young Frankenstein (2016), Hairspray (2015), Chicago (2012) and Legally Blonde (2011). Broadway: 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: The Old Globe, Theatre Under the Stars, 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 known as Gotta Dance).

Season tickets go on sale March 5, 2018. Single tickets go on sale May 7, 2018.

Muny gift cards for the 100^th season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation have once again made a leadership gift to continue as the Muny’s 2018 Season Presenting Sponsor. They became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014 and continue that role through 2018.

###

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 100 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.

For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org.