DADDY LONG LEGS Will Have April Run at The Phoenix Theatre Company

The Phoenix Theatre Company will present Daddy Long Legs, an intimate two-person musical about discovery, independence, and a love story that unfolds one letter at a time, running April 1 - May 3, 2026, in the Hormel Theatre.

Based on Jean Webster's beloved 1912 novel, Daddy Long Legs follows Jerusha Abbott, the oldest orphan at the John Grier Home, whose life shifts unexpectedly when an anonymous benefactor offers to fund her college education. Through years of spirited correspondence with the mysterious "Daddy Long Legs," Jerusha discovers her voice, her ambition, and her capacity for love.

Featuring a sweeping, romantic score by Tony Award-nominated composer Paul Gordon and a book by Tony-winning librettist John Caird, the musical blends wit, warmth, and heartfelt emotion in an intimate theatrical experience.

"What really inspires me about this story is Jerusha herself," said the show's Director Chelsea Anderson. "She's a young woman learning about her rights, finding her voice, and claiming an education and an agency for herself at a time when that was a radical idea. Yes, we get the beautiful love story, but equally, she gets to have a backbone. She gets to be an independent thinker with really beautiful philosophical ideas."

Each letter becomes an act of courage in Daddy Long Legs, a musical where a young woman discovers that writing her thoughts is the first step toward writing her future.

"This is a chamber musical," Anderson said. "It's small, just two characters and a small orchestra, but it feels expansive. The script is clever, the language is playful, and the music is gorgeous. I think folks will walk away humming the songs and thinking, 'What a lovely evening at the theatre.'"

The cast features Carmiña Monserrat* as Jerusha Abbott and Liam Boyd* as Jervis Pendleton. Understudies include Jasmyn Gade and Atticus Adair. (*Courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.)