The Muny Announces Principal Cast for Season 106 Finale, ‘Anything Goes’

ST. LOUIS — Jeanna de Waal, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Kevin Chamberlin, George Abud, Kimberly Immanuel, Adrianna Hicks, Ann Harada, Lara Teeter, Eric Jordan Young, Danny Gardner, Spencer Jones and Joe Capstick will star in the Muny production of Anything Goes, which runs Aug. 19-25 on the James S. McDonnell Stage in Forest Park.

The show’s creative team is led by Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge, with Choreographer Jared Grimes and Music Director Ben Whiteley. Anything Goes is proudly presented by Commerce Bank and Commerce Trust Co.

“What a joy to bring this brilliant musical back to the Muny stage,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “Anything Goes is a celebration of Cole Porter’s genius, and this delicious cast will make sure it’s a season finale you won’t forget.”

JEANNA DE WAAL (Reno Sweeney) Muny: Mary Poppins. Jeanna originated and received a Drama Desk nomination for the title role in Diana The Musical on Broadway and Netflix. Other Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd (star-cast standby), Kinky Boots (Lauren) and American Idiot (Heather). Off-Broadway, Jeanna co-starred in two-hander Orwell in America (59E59 Theaters) and Carrie (Chris Hargensen, MCC). Other credits include Waitress (Dawn) and Finding Neverland (Mary Barrie), both directed by Diane Paulus (American Repertory Theater), We Will Rock You (London’s West End) and the national tour of Wicked (Glinda).

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON (Billy Crocker) Muny: Newsies (Jack Kelly), 42nd Street (Billy Lawlor), Hello, Dolly! (Barnaby), Pirates! or Gilbert & Sullivan Plunder’d (Frederic). Broadway: Parade (Britt Craig), The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul), On the Town (Chip), Hands on a Hardbody (Greg Wilhote), Catch Me If You Can, Hair. Off-Broadway/New York: Parade (City Center), To My Girls (2ST), Scotland, PA (Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel nominations, Outer Critics Circle Award honoree), Darling Grenadine (Roundabout), A Chorus Line (City Center), Candide (NYCO), Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic, filmed for PBS), Babes in Toyland (MasterVoices at Carnegie Hall), The Most Happy Fella (NY City Center Encores!), Terrence McNally’s Fire and Air (CSC), The Mad Ones, Working (Drama Desk Award, Prospect Theater Company), Wild Animals You Should Know (MCC), 35mm: A Musical Exhibition. Concerts: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, San Francisco Symphony, Omaha Symphony. TV/film: Quantico (Will Olsen), Sex and the City 2, Law & Order: SVU.

KEVIN CHAMBERLIN (Moonface Martin) Broadway: Claudia Shear’s Dirty Blonde, Seussical the Musical and The Addams Family (all earning Tony nominations), Amos Hart in Chicago, the revival of Terrance McNally’s The Ritz opposite Rosie Perez, the Wizard in Wicked, My Favorite Year, Abe Lincoln in Illinois and Triumph of Love. Kevin recently won the Helen Hayes Award in Guys and Dolls at Kennedy Center. Film: Die Hard With a Vengeance, In and Out, Suspect Zero, Taking Woodstock (directed by Ang Lee), Lucky Number Slevin, The Road to Perdition (directed by Sam Mendes), Christmas With the Kranks, Trick, The Prom (co-starring Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman). TV: Duster (Max), Outer Range, The Really Loud Family, Grace and Frankie, Modern Family, Heroes, CSI: New York, Frasier, Nip/Tuck, Without A Trace, Law & Order: SVU, Jessie.

GEORGE ABUD (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh) Muny: 1776. Broadway: Marinetti in Lempicka, directed by Rachel Chavkin (OBC recording); The Band’s Visit, starring Katrina Lenk and Tony Shalhoub (Daytime Emmy Award, OBC recording); The Visit, starring Chita Rivera and Roger Rees (OBC recording). Off-Broadway: The Beautiful Lady, directed by Anne Bogart (La MaMa); Nerd Face in Emojiland (Drama Desk nomination, OOBC recording, The Duke on 42nd); The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, alongside Raúl Esparza; Nathan The Wise, opposite F. Murray Abraham; Ibsen’s Peer Gynt; Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Allegro, directed by John Doyle (Classic Stage Company); Cornelia Street, opposite Norbert Leo Butz; The Band’s Visit, directed by David Cromer (Atlantic Theater Company); Lolita, My Love, opposite Robert Sella (York Theatre Company). Regional: Richard Nixon in The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, directed by Christopher Ashley (La Jolla Playhouse, Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical).

KIMBERLY IMMANUEL (Hope Harcourt) Broadway: Back to the Future (Swing, OBC). National tours: Wicked (Nessarose), Hadestown (Dance captain, swing, u/s Eurydice, Fates), White Christmas (Ensemble). Off-Broadway: Pacific Overtures, The Fantasticks, Heartbreak House. Select regional: Godspell (Berkshire Theatre Group), 42nd Street (Drury Lane Theatre, The Ordway, BWW Dancer of the Decade Award), Singin’ in the Rain (La Mirada Theatre, Ovation Award Nomination), Chasing Rainbows (Paper Mill Playhouse), Waterfall (Pasadena Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre). BFA, NYU.

ADRIANNA HICKS (Erma) Broadway: Some Like It Hot (Sugar), Six (Aragon), The Color Purple revival (swing), Disney’s Aladdin (Fortune Teller). Tour/regional: Six (Aragon), The Color Purple (Celie), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Grease (Rizzo), The  Wiz (Dorothy), Ragtime (Sarah) International: Sister Act (Germany), Dirty Dancing (Germany). Grammy Award winner (principal vocalist, Best Musical Theater Album) for Some Like It Hot.

ANN HARADA (Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt) has appeared at The Muny in High School Musical, 42nd Street, Mamma Mia!, Gypsy, Matilda and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. She was first known for Avenue Q (Christmas Eve) on Broadway and in London’s West End. Other Broadway: Into the Woods, Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Les Misérables, 9 to 5: The Musical, Seussical, M. Butterfly. Recent off-Broadway: The Welkin, Dear World, Fairycakes, Emojiland, I Married an Angel, Pacific Overtures, Brooklynite. Regional: world premiere of Babbitt (La Jolla Playhouse). TV: Schmigadoon! (Florence Menlove/Madam Frau), Smash (Linda, the stage manager), Blue Eye Samurai (Mama), Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Matsuye), Alma’s Way (Rose, the park worker), Blue Bloods (IAB Lt. Sloan), The Jim Gaffigan Show, Indoor Boys.

LARA TEETER (Elisha J. Whitney) Muny: Singin’ In the Rain (Don Lockwood), Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Oklahoma! (Will Parker), Hairspray (Wilbur Turnblad), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere), The Little Mermaid (Scuttle). Broadway: On Your Toes (Junior Dolan), Seven Brides for Seven Bothers (Caleb), Happy New Year (Vixon), Pirates of Penzance (Dance Captain, Swing). National tours: Oklahoma! (Will Parker), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Caleb), Singin’ in the Rain (Don Lockwood), Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow). Professor, head of musical theatre at Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts.

ERIC JORDAN YOUNG (Captain) Muny: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Cogsworth, 2023), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Jacob/Potiphar, 2022). Broadway: Ragtime (1998), Ragtime (2009), The Look of Love, Chicago, Seussical the Musical (Wick #1, original cast). Off-Broadway/regional: Neighbors, Dessa Rose, Little Fish, Sideshow (Helen Hayes Award), Ragtime, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sammy & Me. National tours: Chicago, Ragtime, Dreamgirls. Las Vegas: Cocktail Cabaret, Rock of Ages, Vegas the Show, Shakin’, Chicago, Starlight Express.

DANNY GARDNER (Ship’s Purser) Broadway: A Christmas Carol, Flying Over Sunset, Dames at Sea. Off-Broadway: The Opposite of Love (NewYorkRep), Cheek to Cheek (York Theater), Lady, Be Good! (City Center Encores!), The New York Summer Spectacular starring the Rockettes (Radio City), Time Step (New Victory Theater), Neurosis The Musical (DR2), Lyrics & Lyricists (92nd Street Y). National tours: White Christmas, 42nd Street, Here to Stay: The Gershwin Experience. Regional: Dial M for Murder (Geva Theater Center & Dallas Theater Center), Crazy For You (Signature Theater), Singin’ in the Rain (Marriott Lincolnshire), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Gentleman’s Guide … (The Engeman Theater), The Music Man (Asolo Repertory Theater), Mary Poppins (Theater Under the Stars), Between the Lines (Kansas City Rep), Show Boat (Goodspeed Opera House).

SPENCER JONES (Spit) The Muny: The King and I, Spamalot, Shrek the Musical, South Pacific, Tarzan, Seussical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, The Music Man, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Matilda, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, On Your Feet!, Chicago, Camelot, Sweeney Todd, Legally Blonde The Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Chess, Rent. Broadway: Uncle Vanya. National tour: The King and I. 

JOE CAPSTICK (Dippy) Select regional credits include 42nd Street (Drury Lane Theatre, Riverside Theatre), Holiday Inn (Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre), Funny Girl and White Christmas (MSMT), South Pacific (Fulton Theatre), Newsies (Paramount Theatre), The Drowsy Chaperone (George, Peninsula Players Theatre) and Kiss Me, Kate (Bill Calhoun, Skylight Music Theatre).

Additional casting and other members of the creative team for Anything Goes will be announced later. The Telsey Office is the official casting partner of The Muny.

The Muny artistic staff includes Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson, Associate Artistic Director Michael Baxter, Production Manager Tracy Utzmyers and Music Supervisor Michael Horsley.

The hilarious musical comedy Anything Goes — music and lyrics by Cole Porter — debuted nearly 90 years ago and was produced at The Muny in 1999, 1982, 1972, 1960 and 1940. In this tap-dancing romp on the high seas, two unlikely pairs on the S.S. American set sail for true love and a boatload of comedic chaos. Unforgettable songs include “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top” and the showstopping title tune, “Anything Goes.” Come aboard for some good old-fashioned fun!

Performances of Anything Goes begin at 8:15 p.m. nightly, Aug. 19-25. Single-performance tickets and season tickets are on sale at muny.org, by calling (314) 361-1900 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park.

Season 106 at The Muny also includes Les Misérables (June 17-23), Dreamgirls (June 27-July 3), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (July 8-16), Fiddler on the Roof (July 19-25), Waitress (July 30-Aug. 5) and In the Heights (Aug. 9-15).

To learn more about the Muny production of Anything Goes and the show’s history, visit muny.org/show/anything-goes.

For actor headshots, show logos, video and other assets, visit the Muny Press Room at muny.org/press.

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 oldest, largest outdoor musical theatre, we welcome more than 350,000 theatregoers each summer for seven world-class productions. Now celebrating 106 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre. For more information, visit muny.org.