Two Gentlemen of Verona Ensemble Completes Cast

By: Aug. 09, 2005
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With the casting of its ensemble, all the ladies and gents are in place for the upcoming Shakespeare in the Park production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the musical version of the classic Shakespeare comedy that will run from August 16th through September 11th.

Tracee Beazer, Bridget Berger, John Cariani, Kate Chapman, Christine Digiallonardo, Shakiem Evans, Ruben Flores, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Danielle Lee Greaves, Joanne Javien, Mel Johnson Jr., Raymond J. Lee, DeQuina Moore, Maurice Murphy, Richard Ruiz, Stacey Sargeant, Don Stephenson, Amber Stone, Will Swenson, JD Webster and Noah Weisberg will comprise the ensemble of the musical, which puts a modern spin (and a rock score) on the play. They join the previously-announced Rosario Dawson (Rent film, Sin City) as Julia, Norm Lewis (Side Show, A New Brain) as Valentine, David Costabile (Caroline, or Change, Titanic) as Launce, Oscar Isaac (When It's Cocktail Time in Cuba) as Proteus, Paolo Montalban (Pacific Overtures) as Eglamour and Megan Lawrence (Urinetown) as Lucetta. 

The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which boasts a book by John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves) and Mel Shapiro, lyrics by Guare and music by Galt MacDermot, will be directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall (Wonderful Town, Kiss Me, Kate). This staging, which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Public Theatre, will "reimagine" rather than reproduce the original Tony-winning production.

As produced by Joseph Papp, the musical transferred the action from Milan and Verona to New York City and Puerto Rico, and starred Raul Julia, Jonelle Allen and Clifton Davis (Stockard Channing and Jeff Goldblum also had parts in the show). At first, Papp's faith in the show was shaky, but he proceeded to retool the musical and it opened at the St. James Theatre on December 1st, 1971 to run for 613 performances. Nominated for Best Original Score, it won Best Book of a Musical for Guare and the Best Musical Tony, famously beating out Follies that year.

 Tickets to The Two Gentlemen of Verona are free, and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
 

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