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Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 7, 2019

Cheryl Farley
Director of Marketing, Communications, and Patron Services
cfarley@ogunquitplayhouse.org / (207) 646-2402 ext. 215  

Tap Dancing Extravaganza, 42nd Street to Open at the Ogunquit Playhouse

Ogunquit, Maine Come and meet those dancing feet! The ultimate tap-dancing, show-biz musical sensation, 42nd Street celebrates Broadway, Times Square, and the people who make magical musical theatre hits the Ogunquit Playhouse stage June 19 through July 13. The Ogunquit production is staged by Tony Award-nominee Randy Skinner, the creator of the Broadway revival and recent West End production of 42nd Street. The tap-dancing extravaganza stars Broadway’s Rachel York as Dorothy Brock, Steve Blanchard as Julian Marsh, Jessica Wockenfuss as Peggy Sawyer, Con O’Shea-Creal as Billy Lawlor, and features Emmy-Award-Winner Sally Struthers as Maggie Jones. The Ogunquit production of 42nd Street also features the Lawrence Olivier-nominated and Tony-nominated costumes by Roger Kirk along with Douglas Schmidt’s Tony-nominated sets.

The delightful and dazzling show tells the story of aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer who leaves her small town for the big city and soon lands her first job in the ensemble of a glitzy new Broadway show. Mayhem and mirth ensue when just before opening night the leading lady breaks her ankle. Will Peggy be able to step in and become a star? The musical 42nd Street is based on the novel by Bradford Ropes with book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. The score by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics), is chock-full of Broadway standards, including “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me,” “Dames,” “We’re In the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle off to Buffalo” and “Forty-Second Street.”

Tickets are on sale now. Preview performances start at $36 and economy seats start at $51 each. To learn more about becoming a Playhouse member, or to purchase tickets and gift cards, visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org or call the Ogunquit Playhouse Box Office at 207-646-5511

Rachel York returns to the Ogunquit Playhouse as Dorothy Brock, the quintessential Broadway diva. Ms. York last dazzled Playhouse audiences as the Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot. She was most recently seen on Broadway in the musical Head Over Heels, and is best known for her critically acclaimed Broadway performances in City of Angels, Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria (Drama Desk Award) with Dame Julie Andrews, and for her portrayal of Lucille Ball in the CBS TV movie, Lucy. Ms. York has stunned audiences of the stage, screen, and concert halls across the country through her numerous National Tours, regional theatre appearances, concert performances, and TV guest-starring roles.

Two-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner Sally Struthers joins the cast as Maggie Jones. Ms. Struthers is best known for her role as Gloria in the groundbreaking TV series, All in the Family as well as reprising that role in the series spin-off, Gloria. She also appeared on Fox television series 9 to 5, and in recurring roles on the CBS’s Still Standing and the CW network’s Gilmore Girls. Sally Struthers has performed many roles at Ogunquit Playhouse including Punky Olander in Grumpy Old Men the Musical, Evangeline Harcourt in Anything Goes, Duchess Estonia Dalworth in Nice Work If You Can Get It, Mama Morton in Chicago, and Paulette in Legally Blonde.

Broadway veteran, Steve Blanchard stars as the notorious Broadway director Julian Marsh. He is probably best known for his portrayal of Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in both the Broadway production and First National Tour. Other credits include Fred in A Christmas Carol, Lancelot in Camelot with Robert Goulet, Pulitzer in Disney’s Newsies, and Pa in Little House on the Prairie. Joining the cast as the starry-eyed chorus girl, Peggy Sawyer is Jessica Wockenfuss who also performed the role in the North Shore Music Theatre’s 2017 production. Off-Broadway, she has been seen in Hey, Look Me Over!, and Me and My Gal. Her National Tour credits include Jersey Boys, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, The Little Mermaid, and Monty Python's Spamalot. Con O’Shea-Creal will make his Ogunquit Playhouse debut as Billy Lawlor. His Broadway credits include Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Side Show, and he has performed in many­­­ National Tours including Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins as Bert, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas with Randy Skinner, and Something Rotten.

The Ogunquit Playhouse production of 42nd Street includes one of the largest casts to ever hit the theatre’s stage. It features Ryan K. Bailer as Pat Denning, Cliff Bemis as Abner Dillon, Megan McLaughlin as Annie, Kilty Reidy as Bert Barry, and Jake Weinstein as Andy Lee. The ensemble includes Danielle Aliotta, Emily Applebaum, Willie Beaton II, Allison Blanchard, Quinten Patrick Busey, Brittany Cattaruzza, Alex Drost, Liz Friedmann, Patrick Heffernan, Alex John Johnson, Tommy Joscelyn, Trent Kidd, Ryan Koerber, Brianna Latrash, Lily Lewis, Elizabeth McGuire, Andrew Muylle, Melissa Schott, and Kristen Welsh.

Helming the Playhouse production of 42nd Street as Director and Choreographer is Randy Skinner. Mr. Skinner was part of the creative team with the original Broadway and West End productions. Alongside book writer and director, Mark Bramble, he also choreographed the 2001 Broadway revival, 2015 West End revival, and the 2015 National Tour of the show. His choreography of 42nd Street earned him numerous allocades and nominations including an Olivier Award nomination and a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Choreography, a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography, as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Outstanding Choreography. Additionally, Mr. Skinner has received many award nominations over his extensive career including a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Award nomination for Best Choreography for Dames at Sea, a Tony and Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Best Choreography for Lone Star Love. Award-winning director, choreographer and educator Sara Brians joins Mr. Skinner and the creative team as Associate Choreographer. She made her Broadway debut in the 2000 revival of 42nd Street.

Music Director and Conductor of 42nd Street is Jeffrey Campos who has worked on the National Tours of Bullets over BroadwayAnything GoesElfShrek, and Damn Yankees. He has worked on numerous shows at the Ogunquit Playhouse including 2018’s Oklahoma!, and 2017’s Mamma Mia! and Ragtime, for which he was nominated for an IRNE Award for Music Direction.

Original set designs by Douglas Schmidt (Tony nomination) and costume design by Roger Kirk (Lawrence Olivier and Tony nomination) for the 2001 Broadway revival and recent West End production will be showcased on the Playhouse stage. Mr. Schmidt’s scenic design work has been seen extensively on Broadway, as well as in regional theatres, American and international opera houses, arenas, theme parks and television and film in over 250 productions in the last 50 years. His many Broadway credits include the original production of Grease that went on to play a record-breaking 3,388 performances. Mr. Kirk has designed costumes for numerous Broadway and West End shows including King Kong, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The King and I, for which he won multiple prestigious awards including a Tony Award for Best Costume Design.

Lighting Design for 42nd Street is by Richard Latta. Mr. Latta is the resident lighting designer for Ogunquit Playhouse and recently was nominated for an IRNE Award for Best Lighting Design for his work on the 2018 production of An American in Paris. Ed Chapman joins the creative team for 42nd Street as Sound Designer. His credits include the Tony-nominated productions of Ink and Travesties, as well as several National Tours including Disney’s The Little Mermaid, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Producer, and Guys and Dolls. Wig Designer for 42nd Street is Roxanne De Luna. This marks her second wig design for the Ogunquit Playhouse. Her previous creations were seen in Elf the Musical on stage at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH, in 2018. Casting for the Ogunquit Playhouse production of 42nd Street is by Anthony C. Daniel. Production Stage Manager is Karen Parlato.

 

 
 
The cast of 42nd Street at the Ogunquit Playhouse (2019) Photo by Gary Ng.

The cast of 42nd Street at the Ogunquit Playhouse (2019) Photo by Gary Ng.

The cast of 42nd Street at the Ogunquit Playhouse (2019) Photo by Gary Ng.

The cast of 42nd Street at the Ogunquit Playhouse (2019) Photo by Gary Ng.