LaChiusa's RAIN, Starring Eden Espinosa, Jared Zirilli and More, Begins Tonight at The Old Globe

The Old Globe welcomes Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, making his musical directing debut with RAIN, a sumptuous world premiere musical by one of the most significant teams working in theatre today: composer and lyricist Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party, Giant) and book writer Sybille Pearson (Giant). Based on the short story by Somerset Maugham, RAIN will play tonight, March 24, through May 1, 2016 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the stars in character, plus the full company, below!

Somerset Maugham's classic story "RAIN" was adapted as a movie three times, his iconic character Sadie Thompson played successively by Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, and Rita Hayworth. Now a brand-new musical comes to the Globe from Tony Award nominees Michael John LaChiusa and Sybille Pearson. The year is 1924, the setting a boarding hotel on the island of Western Samoa, where a missionary, a doctor, and their wives are scandalized by Sadie's arrival, particularly when they learn what she does for a living. But the missionary has secrets of his own, and when he tries to shut down Sadie's business and save her soul, more heats up than the South Pacific sun. Artistic Director Barry Edelstein makes his musical theatre debut with this gorgeous and powerful new work that reveals the explosive nature of repressed desire.

The cast includes Marie-France Arcilla as Noi Noi (Princess in The Orphan of Zhao at American Conservatory Theater and La Jolla Playhouse, co-star on "Gossip Girl," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Cashmere Mafia"), Elizabeth A. Davis as Anna Davidson (Tony Award nominee for Once, Allegro and Caucasian Chalk Circle at Classic Stage Company),Jeremy Davis as Jo (In Your Arms at the Globe, Broadway's The Last Ship, Annie, and Ghost The Musical), Eden Espinosa as Sadie Thompson (Broadway's Brooklyn, Wicked, and Rent), Betsy Morgan as Louisa MacPhail (LaChiusa's First Daughter Suite as Tricia Nixon and Susan Ford, Broadway's LES MISERABLES and A Little Night Music), Rusty Ross as Kiwi (Globe's The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! original Globe cast and on Broadway), Mike Sears as Quartermaster and Hopper (When It Comes and Othello at the Globe, Bonnie & Clyde at La Jolla Playhouse),Tally Sessions as Alec MacPhail (Broadway's School of Rock, Big Fish, and The House of Blue Leaves, Globe's Robin and the 7 Hoods), and Jared Zirilli as Alfred Davidson (Lysistrata Jones on Broadway, We Will Rock You and Wicked first national tours, co-star on "Blue Bloods").

The creative team includes Patrick McCollum (Movement), J. Oconer Navarro (Music Director), Bruce Coughlin(Orchestrations), Mark Wendland (Scenic Design), Katherine Roth (Costume Design), Russell H. Champa (Lighting Design), Ken Travis (Sound Design), Telsey + Company/Andrew Femenella CSA and Patrick Goodwin CSA(Casting), and James Latus (Production Stage Manager).

TICKETS to RAIN start at $36 and can purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Photo Credit: Jim Cox