Southpaw Entertainment and CJ E&M are producing a new stage musical based on the Academy Award-nominated film of the same name, August Rush, which starred Robin Williams. The workshop will be a developmental lab presentation in December 2014, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle (Sweeney Todd), with choreography by Sam Pinkelton (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812), musical direction by Kimberly Grigsby (Here Lies Love, Spring Awakening), and orchestrations and musical arrangements by Dave Metzger (The Lion King).
The show features a book and lyrics by Glen Berger (Underneath the Lintel; SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark) and music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winner Mark Mancina (The Lion King; Tarzan; the upcoming Pixar epic Moana), who also composed the Grammy-nominated score for the original film.
The cast of the December presentation will include Ethan Khusidman (Soul Doctor, Chaplin) as August Rush, Joe Carroll (Once, Cinderella) as Louis, Sydney Shepherd (First Date) as Lyla, Terrence Mann (Pippin) as Wizard, Mark Jacoby (Elf, Sweeney Todd) as Thomas, DeAndre Sevon (The Scottsboro Boys) as Arthur X, Will Connolly (Once) as Marshall, Grace Capeless (Matilda) as Hope, Isabel Keating (It’s Only A Play, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark) as Mrs. Gordon, Lisa Helmi Johanson (Avenue Q) as Lizzie, Alexander Gemignani (Violet, Sweeney Todd) as Richard Jeffries, and an ensemble that will feature Brandon Ellie, Lulu Fall, Nkrumah Gatling, Nathan Koci, Shaina Taub, and Elisa Winter.
August Rush tells the hypnotic tale of a musically gifted orphan who runs away from his New York City foster home in search of his birth parents. On his journey, he’s taken under the wing of a street Maestro named Wizard (a role created on film by Robin Williams), who discovers his musical genius, names him “August Rush,” and devises a plan to profit from his talent. All the while, unbeknownst to August, his parents are searching for him too.
The inherently musical August Rush and its platinum selling soundtrack have long been praised for their original and unique interweaving of score and song, with the film’s original anthem “Raise It Up” garnering an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song at the 2008 Academy Awards.
The closed industry presentations of August Rush will take place on December 9 and 10, 2014 at Gibney Dance Studios. Foresight Theatrical serves as General Manager.
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Source: Press Release
Musical Theatre Magazine 