Jo Ellen Perlman, Mike Cefalo, Paolo Montalban & More to Star in WHITE ROSE: THE MUSICAL Off-Broadway

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Based on the true story of young people bravely standing up to injustice, White Rose: The Musical will get its Off-Broadway debut with a limited 12-week run beginning January 17. The new musical will open on January 25, 2024, at Theatre Row's Theatre Three (410 West 42nd Street). 

White Rose: The Musical is a powerful new musical that follows the inspiring story of a courageous group of university students who stood up to Hitler. Set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, the musical follows Sophie and Hans Scholl and a group of young activists as they create and distribute leaflets challenging Hitler's propaganda. Through its dynamic and hopeful portrayal, the musical vividly captures the unwavering spirit of youthful resistance against oppression, making for a compelling and heartwarming theatrical experience.

“The White Rose students were the privileged few who benefited from unjust laws and discrimination. Yet they were the ones who ultimately stood up for those who no longer had a voice. They chose to use their privilege for good, risking everything. My hope is that this musical inspires those struggling to find their own way to take action where they see injustice.” 

Initial casting for White Rose: The Musical includes Jo Ellen Pellman (Netflix "The Prom") as Sophie Scholl, Mike Cefalo (Broadway: New York, New York) as Hans Scholl, Kennedy Kanagawa (Broadway: Into the Woods) as Christoph Probst. Laura Sky Herman (National Tour: Hello, Dolly!) as Lila Ramdohr, Paolo Montalban (Broadway: Funny Girl, Pacific Overtures) as Prof. Kurt Huber, Sam Gravitte (Broadway: Wicked) as Frederick Fischer, Cole Thompson (Broadway: Into the Woods) as Willi Graff, with Ellis Gage (International: Next To Normal) and Dani Apple (NY: The Sorceress). Full cast to be announced soon.

White Rose has a book & lyrics by Brian Belding, music by Natalie Brice, direction by WILL NUNZIATA, music direction and arrangements by Sheela Ramesh, and movement direction by Jordan Ryder. The design team includes James Noone (set), Sophia Choi (costumes), Alan C. Edwards (lighting), Elisabeth Weidner (sound), and Charlie Rosen (orchestrations)

The production stage manager is Ellie Handel, casting by Eisenberg/Beans Casting, production management by Intuitive Production Management, general management by LDK Productions LLC, Ken Davenport is the Executive Consultant. The Executive Producer is Lisa Dozier Shacket. This production is being presented in association with NewYorkRep.

   

White Rose will perform Tuesday – Thursday at 7 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm; and Sunday at 2 pm & 6:30 pm; Tickets are $35-$85. For tickets and more information, please visit WhiteRoseTheMusical.com.

BRIAN BELDING

(Book and Lyrics) San Francisco and NYC-based playwright and lyricist Brian Belding combined his love of musical theatre and resistance movements to create White Rose: The Musical. After successful industry presentations in May 2022 and October 2022, the musical is being developed in NYC with a Broadway creative and production team. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Belding taught high school history in the San Francisco Bay Area for twenty years before becoming a full-time writer for the theatre.

NATALIE BRICE

(Composer) is a musician with the tenacity to bring original works to life. She recently music directed the new musical Happily Even After, with performances in California and a run at Don't Tell Mama NYC. In 2020, Natalie music directed Hell on Earth, a new musical performed at 54 Below featuring Laurie Metcalf and Anthony Rosenthal. She was the music director and pianist on Asher Child, an original musical in California. She wrote, composed, and co-directed the musical film Go With Me in 2019. For White Rose: The Musical, she is committed to musically encapsulating the camaraderie, youth, adrenaline, celebration, and heart of the resistance group.

WILL NUNZIATA

(Director) is a NYC-based award-winning director, writer, and creator of theatre, concerts, television, and film. Film: The Old Guitarist (Writer, Director). Awards: London Movie Awards (Best Short Film, Best Director), New York Movie Awards (Best First Time Director of a Short), Paris Film Awards (Best First Time Director of a Short). Screenplay: Lillith (Winner of Best Original Screenplay, 2023 Hollywood Blood Horror Festival). Theatre: Figaro: A New Musical (Director, Co-Book Writer - West End 2024), White Rose: The Musical (Director - Off-Broadway 2024), An Entirely Ordinary Town: A New Musical (Director), Poupelle of Chimney Town: The Musical (Co-Director), Faygele: A New Play (Director), The Betty Kiss: A New Dark Comedy (Director), Little Black Book: A New Musical (Co-Creator). Miss Peggy Lee (Director, Writer, Co-Conceiver) starring Tony Award winner Cady Huffman. Award: Broadway World Best Director. NYC: Our Guy Cy: The Songs of Cy Coleman starring Tony Award winners Randy Graff, Cady Huffman, Judy Kaye, and Lillias White (Director, Conceiver). Over Here! starring Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte (Director, Adapter). Will is a proud graduate of Boston College and a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Union. For more, please visit www.WillNunziata.com and @willnunzofficial on Instagram.

Sheela Ramesh

(Music Director and arranger) is a music director, arranger, and composer with a passion for stories and sounds that have traditionally been marginalized, and a mission to use art as a force for social justice. Professional highlights include Broadway (Six, Moulin Rouge, Almost Famous); Off-Broadway (Merrily We Roll Along at New York Theatre Workshop, Vanities at The York Theatre Company, Millennials Are Killing Musicals); TV (NBC's Annie Live!); concert (Jessica Vosk, My Golden Age, Carnegie Hall); regional theater (Group!, a Passage Theatre world premiere); and works in development (The Karate Kid, Bliss, Center Theatre Group's A Transparent Musical, Lincoln Center Theater's The Lunchbox, Fiasco Theater's Diamond Alice, Jeanette: The Musical, and more). Sheela received undergraduate and graduate degrees in vocal performance at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music and the Royal College of Music. She also holds degrees in psychology/cognitive science (BS, Carnegie Mellon; MSc, University College London) and law (JD, Yale Law School), and has spent her nonmusical professional life working to ensure that youth who've experienced trauma have opportunities to thrive. sheelarameshmusic.com.

JORDAN RYDER

(Movement Director) is a choreographer, movement director, and dancer. She is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts where she holds a BFA in Dance and a double minor in Sociology and Entertainment Business. Jordan is the Artistic Director of RyderDance, a contemporary dance company, where her work has been presented at notable venues across the tri-state area, Atlanta, and Chicago, and has reached a global audience virtually. Most recently, Jordan choreographed and directed her first sold-out RyderDance season and is the choreographer for Singfeld! A Musical About Nothing!, an Off-Broadway production that is currently running at the Jerry Orbach Theater. Choreographic commissions include Eryc Taylor Dance Company, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Rogue Wave Dance | Fall for Fall Dance Festival, Bromance Web Series, Melange Dance Company, and One Day Dance, among others. @ryderdance | ryderdance.com

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