Scott D. Miller has announced a change in casting for the special concert presentation of CHESS, the hit Broadway and London musical, on December 8, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Richland Performing Arts Center, on the campus of Richland High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Gregg Goodbrod will be playing the role of Freddie Trumper instead of the previously announced
Bart Shatto.
"Bart called me in regards to an unforeseen upcoming conflict," explained director
Scott Logsdon. "We hate to lose Bart but these things happen. A conflict in regard to another big project of his popped up so we agreed he needed to be able to honor it. Luckily for us, the fantastic
Gregg Goodbrod was free and is joining us. He's played Freddie before and has also worked with both Kathy and Kris. While he didn't grow up near Johnstown, he is from Pennsylvania and we are thrilled to welcome him to this event."
Gregg was an original cast member of the Tony-Award winning Best Musical THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and worked with
Dolly Parton when he originated the role of Joe in the national company of the musical 9 to 5. Gregg appeared on television in the broadcast of SOUTH PACIFIC starring
Reba McEntire. Other New York appearances include TENDERLOIN with Encores!, TIME & AGAIN at Manhattan Theatre Club and SCROOGE at the Lamb's Theatre. Regionally Gregg has been seen as Freddie in CHESS in Denver and as Radames in AIDA, ValJean and Marius in LES MISERABLES, Chris in MISS SAIGON, Jesus in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and Joe Gillis in SUNSET BOULEVARD and worked at such theatres as the Fulton Opera House,
La Jolla Playhouse,
Paper Mill Playhouse, The Ogunquit Playhouse and the
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, among others. He's originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Also scheduled to star in CHESS will be Broadway vets
Kathy Voytko (THE PIRATE QUEEN) as Florence,
Scott Logsdon (the original LES MISERABLES) as Anatoly,
Kris Koop Ouellette (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) as Svetlana. All three are former residents of the Johnstown area.
The performance is being done as a fundraiser for the Richland Theatre Booster's Kiersten Robertson scholarship fund. CHESS will star Broadway performers originally from the Johnstown area as well as other performers from the area and beyond. Current students and members of the Richland High School Choir and Richland Performing Arts Center Club will comprise the seventy plus person chorus. The show will be performed with a professional twenty piece orchestra.
Other cast members include
Michael L. Marra (Broadway's LES MISERABLES, 1st National Tour of JEKYLL & HYDE) as Molokov and Buck Dietz (THE SOUND OF MUSIC tour with
Marie Osmond) as The Arbiter,
Scott D. Miller as Walter, Michael Misko as Gregor Vassy, Sarah Bell as Young Florence and Nathan Magee as Leonid Vigand.
The ensemble will feature the current Pennsylvania Maple Queen Ranita Bowers and former Pennsylvania Maple Queen Mary (McClure) Mauzy as well as Kevin Bean, Jayme Brooks, Adam Bukosky, Nathan Cook, Josh Devett, Kelly Devett, Jara Dorsey-Lash, Emily Felton, Carrie Law, Mari Grace Lingenfelter, Chris Pickering, Jacob St. Clair, Tiffany Stanley and Katie Strong. Kim Rauch will make a cameo appearance as the Mayor of Merano.
Dancers in the cast include Harris Estep, Kennedy Hess and Brett Wyar as the Chess Game dancers and Sadie Carney, Hannah Fleck, Kennedy Hess, Kayla Leventry, Tori Smith, Gillian Snow and Marissa Williams as the Arbiter and Bangkok dancers.
The concert is produced by Kim Rauch and
Scott D. Miller. It will feature stage direction by
Scott Logsdon; choreography by Jackie Willnecker; musical direction by Jerrod Cannistraci and choral direction by Kim Rauch; sound design by Ben Easler, and lighting design by William Sievers.
The Richland Theatre Booster's Kiersten Robertson Scholarship was established in memory of the Richland student who was killed in an automobile accident in 2011 during the run of Richland's production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.
CHESS is an award-winning musical with music by
Benny Andersson and
Bjorn Ulvaeus, the "BB" of the iconic pop sensation ABBA and has lyrics by legendary Academy Award, Tony Award and Emmy Award winner
Tim Rice, the lyricist of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA, JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, AIDA and the Disney classics THE LION KING and ALADDIN.
The performance will take place one day only Sunday, December 8, 2013 at 2:00 pm, at Richland Performing Arts Center, on the campus of Richland High School. Tickets for CHESS are Regular $24, seniors (+62) $22, Gold Card $20, Student $15, Limited View Seating $10 and are on sale. For information, directions, and to charge tickets call 814-269-0300. Tickets are also on sale online at
www.richlandpac.com. Individuals requesting accommodations for disabilities should contact info@richlandpac.com.
