NC Stage's BRAVE NEW WORLD: THE MUSICAL, Starring Justin Matthew Sargent, Begins Tonight

Asheville, N.C. - North Carolina Stage Company (NC Stage) welcomes Broadway's Justin Matthew Sargent as the lead for its world premiere of BRAVE NEW WORLD: THE MUSICAL.

Justin Matthew Sargent (Broadway: Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, Rock of Ages) leads a cast that includes Robby Haltiwanger (National Tour: Ghost: The Musical), Marissa O'Donnell (Broadway: Shrek The Musical), Jason Edward Cook (Off-Broadway: Drop Dead Perfect) and Robin Skye (Broadway: Parade, Off-Broadway: Southern Comfort).

They are joined by Tyler McKenzie, Billy Steeves, Kaylor Otwell, Blake Logan, Alice Eacho, Maria Buchanan, Marthaluz Valez, and Sean Michael Jaenicke.

In BRAVE NEW WORLD: THE MUSICAL, World Controller Thomas Mond (Justin Matthew Sargent) must maintain order when two of his genetically superior citizens, Lenina and Bernard (Marissa O'Donnell and Jason Edward Cook) leave their chemically engineered utopia to explore a savage reservation. The two return with a mysterious savage, John (Robby Haltiwanger), and his even more mysterious mother, Linda (Robin Skye), in tow. Unbeknownst to them, the very existence of John and Linda will rock the foundations of Controller Mond's World State.

NC Stage has the unique opportunity to present BRAVE NEW WORLD: THE MUSICAL for its Asheville audiences and play a key role in the journey of a musical being developed for future commercial productions. Brave New World has a book by Ben Andron (Off Broadway: White's Lies, Broken Snow, Breaking Bobby Stone); music by Jonnie Rockwell (Off-Broadway: The Anthem) and Grammy and Emmy Award winner John McDaniel (Broadway music director and supervisor credits include Bonnie & Clyde, Catch Me If You Can, Brooklyn); and lyrics by Tony nominee Bill Russell (Broadway: Side Show; Off-Broadway and West End: Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens; Pageant).

The artistic team includes director Thomas Caruso (Southern Comfort at NYC's Public Theatre, Dynamo: Seeing Is Believing in the West End, national tours of Matilda and Ghost), original choreography by Ryan Kasprzak (Off Broadway: Southern Comfort; So You Think You Can Dance), and musical direction by Brad Simmons (Broadway: Lysistrata Jones, Mr & Mrs Fitch). Joining this creative team will be a crew of local designers including Andrew Manion (set), CJ Barnwell (lights), George Martinat (costumes), Matthew M. Nielson (sound), Jessica Tandy Kammerud (props), and Aaron Price (assistant to music department).

Brave New World plays North Carolina Stage Company, 15 Stage Lane in downtown Asheville, NC, tonight, May 11th, through June 5th, 2016. Performances: Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets are available by calling 828-239-0263 or visiting ncstage.org.