Breaking News: Beth Leavel, Bryan Batt, Heather Headley & More Sign on for The Muny's 2015 Season!

The Muny announced today several principal cast members for the seven shows in its spectacular 97th season, which opens on June 15 with My Fair Lady. Full casts and companies will be announced throughout May.

"We are thrilled and honored that so many extraordinary and talented artists will be here for our 97th season" said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. "Muny casting director Megan Larche Dominick and all of our directors have done a superb job creating companies that will make these productions electrifying. In the words of Eliza Doolittle, 'Just you wait!' "

Some of the principals in the 2015 season are:

My Fair Lady (June 15 - June 21)

Sponsored by Ameren

ANTHONY ANDREWS (Henry Higgins) received worldwide recognition for his portrayal of the doomed Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited for which he won the BAFTA and the Golden Globe® and received an Emmy® nomination for best actor. He made his West End theatre debut in Alan Bennett's Forty Years On. Theatre credits include spells with the New Shakespeare Company, including Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Royal National Theatre productions of Coming in to Land; Dragon Variations at the Duke of York's Theatre; One of Us; Vertigo andGhosts. West End: The Woman In White, My Fair Lady. Select Television credits include Jewels (Golden Globe®nomination), A Beast with Two Backs, The Fortunes of Nigel, London Assurance, French without Tears, Superstition,The Pallisers, Upstairs Downstairs, The Duchess of Duke Street, Danger UXB, The Law Lord, Heartstones, Z for Zacharia, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (ACE Award nomination), Sparkling Cyanide, David Copperfield,Love in a Cold Climate and Cambridge Spies. His films include The King's Speech (SAG Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture), Operation Daybreak, A War of Children, Ivanhoe, The Scarlet Pimpernel,QB VII, Suspicion, Under the Volcano, The Holcroft Covenant, Hannah's War, The Lighthorsemen, Second Victory andMothertime.

ALEXANDRA SILBER (Eliza Doolittle) is a 2014 Grammy® nominee for West Side Story with the San Francisco Symphony. The Detroit native made her Broadway debut in Master Class and has become a familiar presence in NY theatre in Hello, Again, She Loves Me, and Arlington at the Vineyard Theatre, for which she received an Outer Critics Circle nomination recognizing her bravura performance. On London's West End she starred in The Woman In White, Fiddler on The Roof and Carousel (JulieJordan), which she triumphantly reprised in LA. Television credits include The Mysteries of Laura; all the Law & Orders series; Kiss Me, Kate (BBC); and the Grammys. Alexandra has appeared in concerts with the San Francisco and Detroit Symphonies, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor and the London Proms.

MICHAEL MCCORMICK (Alfred P. Doolittle) Muny: LES MISERABLES (Thenardier). Broadway: Chaplin, Elf, Curtains,Grinch/Stole Christmas, The Pajama Game, Kiss Me, Kate, 1776, Marie Christine, Kiss of the Spider Woman, La Bete. Off-Broadway: Fly By Night, A Man of No Importance, among others. TV: Gotham, Elementary, House of Cards, The Good Wife, Orange is the New Black. Michael has recorded 18 original Broadway and Off-Broadway cast albums. Michael made his Broadway debut in Oliver! in 1965.

My Fair Lady is directed by Marc Bruni, choreographed by Chris Bailey and music directed by Ben Whiteley. Scenic design is by Tim Mackabee, with costume design by Amy Clark, lighting design by John Lasiter, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney and video design by Nathan Scheuer. Wig design is by Leah Loukas and the production stage manager is Nevin Hedley.

Hairspray (June 23 - June 30)

Sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors

BRYAN BATT (Edna Turnblad) is a native New Orleanian, actor, designer, fundraiser and civic activist. He has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards® for his portrayal of Salvatore Romano on AMC's critically-acclaimed, Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and Peabody® award-winning dramatic series, Mad Men. Broadway leading role credits include the 2005 revival of La Cage aux Folles, Beauty and the Beast, Seussical the Musical, Sunset Boulevard, Saturday Night Fever, The Scarlett Pimpernel, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express and Cats. Bryan can be seen in the recent films 12 Years a Slave, Parkland and The Last of Robin Hood.

RYANN REDMOND (Tracy Turnblad) is making her Muny debut! Broadway: If/Then, Bring It On: The Musical (Bridget); National Tour: Bring It On: The Musical (Bridget). Regional: Alliance Theatre. NYU - CAP 21.

CHRISTOPHER J. HANKE (Corny Collins) is most noted for starring as Bud Frump in the revival of How to Succeed...Other Broadway credits: Rent (Mark), Cry-Baby (Baldwin), and In My Life (J.T.). He received rave reviews in the one-man show Buyer and Cellar. Additionally, Hanke played Tommy Boatwright in director George C. Wolfe's Tony Award-winning production of The Normal Heart and starred in the Public Theater's Hair for Shakespeare in the Park. Television: Christopher guest starred on The Client List, Major Crimes and Brothers and Sisters and recurred in the final season of HBO's Big Love. He played series regular Ryan Abbott in CBS's Three Rivers.

LIZ MIKEL (Motormouth Maybelle) is ecstatic to be returning to The Muny! She is known for portraying Corrina "Mama Smash" Williams on NBC Series Friday Night Lights. Her Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts as Heitaira in Lysistrata Jones received rave reviews. Liz originated the role of Sister Ro in the world premiere of Eve Ensler's comedy, O.P.C.at American Repertory Theater. She is a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company at Dallas Theater Center. Additional television roles include Prison Break and Past Life, and Maggie on Sordid Lives: The Series. Film credits include The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, Straight A's, Bending The Rules, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins and James Brown Biopic Get On Up! Liz is a recipient of the 2015 Lunt Fontanne Fellowship.

Hairspray is directed and choreographed by Dan Knechtges and music directed by Charlie Alterman. Scenic design is by Robert Mark Morgan, with costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting design by Rob Denton, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney and video design by Matthew Young. Wig design is by Leah Loukas and the production stage manager is Lynda Lavin.

Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (July 6 - July 12)

Sponsored by Edward Jones

PATTI MURIN (Linda Mason) Patti originated the role of Linda Mason in Holiday Inn at the Goodspeed Opera House. Previous Muny appearances include The Little Mermaid (Ariel) and Chicago (Roxie Hart). Broadway/National Tour:Lysistrata Jones (Lysistrata), Wicked (Glinda), Xanadu (Euterpe). Other favorite credits include Lady, Be Good! for Encores! (Susie Trevor), Fly by Night at Playwrights Horizons (Daphne), Love's Labour's Lost for Shakespeare in the Park (Princess), and the title role in Emma at the Old Globe. BFA Syracuse University.

COLIN DONNELL (Jim Hardy) Broadway: Violet, Anything Goes (Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Astaire nominations) and Jersey Boys. Other NY credits: Follies, Merrily We Roll Along, Lady, Be Good! (NY City Center) Love's Labour's Lost (Shakespeare in the Park), Meet Me in St. Louis (Irish Rep). Last seen at The Muny in High School Musical andFiddler On The Roof. Tours: Wicked and Mamma Mia. TV/Film: Arrow, The Affair, Every Secret Thing, Person of Interest and Mysteries of Laura.

NOAH RACEY (Ted Hanover) Noah created the role of Ted Hanover in the world premiere of Holiday Inn at the Goodspeed Opera House. Broadway: Curtains, Never Gonna Dance, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Follies. Off Broadway:Ernest In Love (Irish Rep); Syncopation (York Theatre). Seen at The Muny in West Side Story and Crazy For You. Wrote, choreographed and starred in - Noah Racey's Pulse (world premiere Asolo Repertory Theatre, directed by Jeff Calhoun).

NANCY OPEL (Louise Badger) Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas (Drama Desk nom.), Cinderella, Memphis, Gypsy(w/Patti Lupone/Arthur Laurents), Fiddler on the Roof, Urinetown (Tony nomination), Triumph of Love, Anything Goes,Sunday in the Park with George, Evita and others. Off-Broadway: The Toxic Avenger (Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics, Lortel nominations), My Deah (Obie Award), Polish Joke (Drama Desk, Lortel nominations), Mere Mortals,All in the Timing and others. Regional: Hair (Magic Theatre), On the Town (Barrington Stage), Hello, Dolly! (Ford's Theatre, Washington DC), Paradise Found (London). National Tour: The Drowsy Chaperone. TV: The Big C, all the Law & Order series, and others. Nancy is a singing & acting coach in New York City.

Holiday Inn is directed by Gordon Greenberg, choreographed by Denis Jones and music directed by James Moore. Scenic design is by Tim Mackabee, with costume design by Alejo Vietti, lighting design by Rob Denton, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney, and video design by Nathan Scheuer. Wig design is by Leah Loukas and the production stage manager is Monica Dickhens.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (July 13 - July 19)

Sponsored by Missouri Lottery

ANDY CHRISTOPHER (Buddy Holly) is making his Muny debut. Five years ago, he picked up a guitar for the first time and was taught to play by Buddy Holly's nephew, Eddy Weir, and West End musical director, John Banister. National Tour: Buddy! (Buddy). Regional: Maine State Music Theatre, The Fulton Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse, West Virginia Public Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, Ogunquit Playhouse.

JOHN SCHERER (Hipockets Duncan) John Scherer has appeared on Broadway in LoveMusik, directed by the legendary Harold Prince and as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard opposite Betty Buckley. He starred in the Broadway and film versions of Andrew Lloyd Webber's By Jeeves, written and directed by Sir Alan Ayckbourn. Other NY credits include The Most Happy Fella (NYC Opera) and the all-star Actors Fund benefit of Funny Girl. His regional credits include the Kennedy Center, Goodman Theater, Arena Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, St Louis Rep and many others. Film and television credits include Spinning Into Butter, The Shield, Crossing Jordan, Law & Order, Titus andGuiding Light.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, choreographed by Josh Walden and music directed by Michael Horsley. Scenic design is by Robert Mark Morgan, with costume design by Tracy Christensen, lighting design by Nathan Scheuer, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney and video design by Matthew Young. Wig design is by John Metzner and the production stage manager is Nevin Hedley..

Into the Woods (July 21 - July 27)

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank

HEATHER HEADLEY (Witch) Tony® and Grammy® Award winner Heather Headley considers her multi-faceted career a blessing. In 1997, Heather won the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of The Lion King. While still in The Lion King, Heather was asked to audition for the title role in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, for which she won the Tony®Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She also received the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. In 2009, her album, "Audience of One" won the Grammy® Award for best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. In 2012 Heather received an Olivier® Award nomination for her portrayal of Rachel Marron in the West End production of The Bodyguard.

ERIN DILLY (Baker's Wife) Broadway: A Christmas Story, Nice Work..., Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Tony® and OCC nominations), Into the Woods, The Boys from Syracuse, Follies. Off-Broadway: Babes In Arms (Encores!), Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight. Regional/National Tours: Mary Poppins, In the Mood, Leading Ladies, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast, Martin Guerre (Helen Hayes nomination). TV: Boardwalk Empire, The Mysteries of Laura, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl, Nurse Jackie, all 3 Law & Orders. Film: Julie and Julia, Too Big to Fail, Everyday People, The Diary of Preston Plummer.

KEN PAGE (Narrator) New York, Paris and London audiences have enjoyed Ken in such shows as the Original Broadway Casts of Cats (Old Deuteronomy, DVD), Ain't Misbehavin' (Drama Desk Award), Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely, Theatre World Award), as well as Children of Eden, The Wiz, Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Wizard of Oz and My One and Only among many others. His film roles include The Nightmare Before Christmas (V.O. Oogie Boogie),Dreamgirls (Max Washington), and Torch Song Trilogy (Murray), etc. His writing/ directing work Cafe Chanson earned four St. Louis Theater Circle Award nominations and his new writing/directing production Sublime Intimacy will be seen this winter here in St. Louis.

ANDREW SAMONSKY (Cinderella's Prince / Wolf) recently played Phoebus in the American premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Paper Mill and La Jolla Playhouse. Broadway: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Neville),Scandalous (Kenneth Ormisten, original cast recording), and South Pacific (Lt. Cable, including the Live From Lincoln Center PBS broadcast). Off-Broadway: Queen of the Mist as Frank Russell (Drama Desk Award nomination, original cast recording) and Encores! productions of Fiorello! and Merrily We Roll Along. Original productions of Somewhere in Time (Richard, Portland Center Stage), Tales of the City (Beauchamp, ACT), Little Miss Sunshine (Joshua, La Jolla Playhouse), and Disney's On the Record (original cast recording). He's a soloist with symphonies across the country. TV/Film: Elementary, Guiding Light and upcoming Lyric Suite.

RYAN SILVERMAN (Rapunzel's Prince) Ryan recently received his 2nd Drama Desk nomination for his starring role in the Broadway production of Sideshow. He previously received Drama Desk and Drama League nominations for his role as Giorgio in CSC's production of Passion. Ryan's additional Broadway credits include Billy Flynn in Chicago and as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera (including Las Vegas). Ryan starred as Lancelot in Camelot at The Kennedy Center and has also been featured in Music in the Air (Karl) at Encores!; Cry-Baby (Cry Baby u/s) on Broadway and The Most Happy Fella (Al) at New York City Opera. Orchestras: Philadelphia, NY Pops, Seattle, Indianapolis, Fort Worth, Detroit, Edmonton, Vancouver, Philly Pops.

Into the Woods is directed by Gary Griffin, choreographed by Chris Bailey and music directed by Brad Haak. Scenic design is by Michael Schweikardt, with costume design by Andrea Lauer, lighting design by Rob Denton, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney, and video design by Matthew Young. Wig design is by Leah Loukas and the production stage manager is Monica Dickhens.

Disney's Beauty and The Beast (July 29 - August 7)

Sponsored by Emerson

KATE ROCKWELL (Belle) is so thrilled to return to The Muny after playing Jane in last year's Tarzan! She has starred in several Broadway musicals, including Rock of Ages (Sherrie), Bring It On: The Musical (Skylar), Legally Blonde(Margot) and Hair. She has toured with three National tours, and was a finalist on NBC's Grease: You're the One That I Want. On film, she appeared in Sex and the City: The Movie as Young Samantha. Her solo concert, Broadway Baby of the 80s premiered in NYC in 2015.

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ (Beast) Broadway: Tarzan. Off-Broadway: Toxic Avenger, Almost Heaven, Collette Collage, Bajour. Tours: Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Hair. Muny: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Richie Valens), Tarzan(Tarzan), Beauty and the Beast '10 (Gaston). Regional: Mother Courage and Her Children, Oklahoma! (Helen Hayes Award), My Fair Lady, The Light in the Piazza at Arena Stage; The Ten Commandments at the Kodak Theatre; Mothers & Sons, Master Class, LES MISERABLES (ACoT Award) at ZACH Theatre; Camelot at Two River Theatre. Film: Sex in the City II (also soundtrack) Television: Nick Chavez One Life to Live (GLAAD Award), Madam Secretary. Artistic Director: Broadway Dreams Foundation.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast is directed by Matt Lenz, choreographed by Vince Pesce and music directed by Ben Whiteley. Scenic design is by Robert Mark Morgan, with costume design by Robin L. McGee, lighting design by Nathan Scheuer, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney, and video design by Matthew Young. Wig design is by John Metzner and the production stage manager is Matt Lacey.

Oklahoma! (August 10 - August 16)

Sponsored by U.S. Bank and U.S. Bank Foundation

BEN DAVIS (Curly) was last seen at The Muny as Emile de Becque in the 2013 production of South Pacific. He recently starred in the BBC Proms production of Kiss Me, Kate as Fred/Petruchio. Broadway credits include Violet (Preacher), A Little Night Music (Mr. Lindquist, u/s Carl Magnus, Fredrik), LES MISERABLES (Javert & Enjolras), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon), Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme (Marcello, 2003 Tony® Honor) Lincoln Center American Songbook Series, Kurt Weill's Knickerbocker Holiday (Brom Broeck) opposite Kelli O'Hara and Victor Garber, Westchester Philharmonic w/Kelli O'Hara, LA Philharmonic. Film/TV: Papageno in Mozart's The Magic Flute directed by Kenneth Branagh.

CHRISTINE CORNISH SMITH (Laurey) makes herMuny debut. A Texas native, she started her artistic career as a principal dancer with the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet. National Tour: Reuben's Wife in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, directed by Andy Blankenbuehler. Regional: Oklahoma! (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Guys and Dolls (Goodspeed Opera House), Holiday Pops 2013/2014 (Fort Wayne Philharmonic), and Fiorello (Lyric Stage). Education: BFA, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Miss Smith was also a finalist in the Kurt Weill Foundation's 2015 Lotte Lenya Competition.

ALEXANDER GEMIGNANI (Jud Fry) Broadway: Violet, Chicago, LES MISERABLES (Drama League nomination),Sweeney Todd (Drama Desk nomination), Assassins (Theatre World Award), The People In The Picture, Sunday in the Park With George. Off-Broadway: Road Show (Drama League nomination), Headstrong and Avenue Q. Favorite Regional: The Three Sisters, The Boys From Syracuse and Saint-Ex. Concerts: Sondheim! The Birthday Concert with The N.Y. Philharmonic, The N.Y. Pops, and The L.A. Philharmonic. TV/Film: Homeland, The Good Wife, Empire State,Passion (Live from Lincoln Center), South Pacific (Great Performances), The Producers. Member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and a graduate of the University of Michigan.

BETH LEAVEL (Aunt Eller) 11 Broadway shows, including The Drowsy Chaperone (Tony®, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, LA Drama Critics Awards), Baby It's You! (Tony®, Drama Desk, Outer Critics nominations), Elf, Mamma Mia!, Young Frankenstein, 42nd Street (Revival), Crazy For You, The Civil War, Hal Prince's Show Boat, 42nd Street (Original Broadway). Numerous cast recordings, Off-Broadway shows, 54 Below solo cabaret show, Regional Theatre. Proud cast member of the web series Submissions Only. Also, Law & Order and the final episode of ER! Ms. Leavel received her MFA from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Oklahoma! is directed by Rob Ruggiero, choreographed by Susan Stroman, restaged by Ginger Thatcher and music directed by Kevin Stites. Scenic design is by Michael Schweikardt, with costume design by Amy Clark, lighting design by John Lasiter, sound design by John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney, and video design by Rob Denton. Wig design is by John Metzner and the production stage manager is Monica Dickhens.

The Muny's mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition. As the nation's largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce 7 world-class musicals each year and welcome over 350,000 theatregoers over our 9-week season. Now celebrating 97 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premiere institutions in musical theatre. For more information about The Muny visit muny.org.

World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation have once again made a leadership gift to continue as the Muny's 2015 Season Presenting Sponsor. They became the first overall season sponsor in the 97-year history of The Muny in 2014 and will now continue in that role through 2015.

Southwest Airlines® is the Official Airline of The Muny.

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