Casting for the 61st Music Circus season has been completed. After auditioning performers in New York, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale has finalized The Acting Company for the seven-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, including The Producers, Oliver!, Anything Goes, Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun, I Do! I Do! and Miss Saigon.
Tickets available for all productions through the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office. For more information on shows and how to purchase tickets, visit www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.
The Producers: July 12 - 17
The season will open with the Music Circus premiere of "THE PRODUCERS" starring Tony Award-winner Gary Beach, Bob Amaral and Matt Loehr. Beach returns to the Wells Fargo Pavilion as Roger De Bris, the character he originated on Broadway and in the 2005 film version with Matthew Broderick. Last year, he appeared at Music Circus as King Arthur in Monty Python's "Spamalot" and the year before as Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls." Amaral will play Broadway producer Max Bialystock. He was last seen by Sacramento audiences in the Broadway Sacramento productions of "The Producers," "The Lion King," "Triumph of Love" and at Music Circus in "Anything Goes." Loehr, previously seen at Music Circus as Jimmy Smith in "Thoroughly Modern Millie", will play anxious accountant Leo Bloom. Bill Nolte returns to Music Circus as Franz Liebkind, a part he played on Broadway. Michael Paternostro, seen last year as Eddie in "Funny Girl," will play Carmen Ghia, and Sarah Cornell will play Ulla, a part she has played on Broadway and in Canada. The production will be directed by CMT Artistic Director Glenn Casale with Dan Mojica choreographing.
Oliver!: July 19 - 24
"OLIVER!" stars Ron Wisniski as Fagin and Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as Nancy. Wisniski is familiar to Music Circus audiences, having appeared in Monty Python's "Spamalot," "Oklahoma!," "Funny Girl," "Hairspray," "My Fair Lady," "Annie," "Les Miserables," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Beauty and the Beast." Donovan holds the distinction of being the first actor to have played the roles of both Cosette and Fantine in "Les Miserables" on Broadway. She last appeared at Music Circus as Grizabella in "Cats." The production will be directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford who directed last summer's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."
Anything Goes: July 26 - 31
"ANYTHING GOES" continues the season with Music Circus favorites Vicki Lewis as Reno Sweeney and John Scherer as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. She is best known for her role in the television comedy "Newsradio" as well as Broadway performances in "Chicago" and "Damn Yankees." Lewis' previous Music Circus roles include Fanny Brice in last summer's "Funny Girl," Baker's Wife in "Into the Woods" and Mama Rose in "Gypsy." Scherer was seen last year as Sir Robin in Monty Python's "Spamalot" and Andre Thibault in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and has previously been seen in Music Circus productions of "1776" and "Hairspray." Joining these two Music Circus favorites will be Broadway veteran David Elder as Billy Crocker and Jason Graae as Moonface Martin. Elder has performed in the Broadway productions of "42nd Street," "Curtains," "Kiss Me Kate," and "Once Upon a Mattress," among others. Graae has starred on Broadway in "A Grand Night For Singing" and "Falsettos", among others, and was also the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun for Lucky Charms cereal. The production will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award-nominee and last summer's director of "Oklahoma!" Marcia Milgrom Dodge.
