Video: Max Clayton & Ari Groover Rehearse 'Now You Has Jazz' From Ogunquit's HIGH SOCIETY

Ogunquit Playhouse has released new footage from rehearsals for High Society, the Matt Lenz-directed musical with Cole Porter’s timeless tunes. At Uncle Willie's pre-wedding party, Dex (Max Clayton) and Cholly (Ari Groover) bring the guests and servants to their feet for a rousing rendition of Cole Porter's "Now You Has Jazz." The production runs July 24 thru August 23 in Ogunquit, Maine. 

Also led by Robyn Hurder and Andrew Durand, the cast of 22 features 12 performers returning to the Ogunquit Playhouse stage. The cast will also feature Sydney Morton (OP’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame) as Liz Imbrie, Charlie Franklin (Broadway’s Floyd Collins) as George Kittredge, Sara Gettelfinger (Broadway’s Water for Elephants, OP’s The Cher Show, Witches of Eastwick) as Margaret Lord,  Mike McGowan (OP’s A Little Night Music) as Seth Lord, and Bryan Batt (Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast, TV’s “Mad Men”) as Uncle Willie.

The ensemble will feature Joshua Burrage (Broadway’s Boop! The Musical), Jaclyn De Nicola (Radio City Christmas Spectacular), ZaKeyia Lacey (The Muny’s Dreamgirls), Christian Probst (OP’s Singin’ in the Rain), Troy Vajean Rucker (OP’s Mr. Holland’s Opus),  Harrison Asher Smith (Tuachan’s A Christmas Carol), Corinne Sweeney (Theatre By The Sea’s The Sound of Music), Jesse Swimm (OP’s Mystic Pizza), Rachel Tata (Jean’s Playhouses’ Into the Woods), Charlotte Van Ledtje (OP’s Disney’s Frozen) as Dinah Lord, Alysia Vastardis, and Jessica Wockenfuss (OP’s 42nd Street), and Katrina Yaukey (OP’s Cabaret).

High Society features music and lyrics by Cole Porter, a book by Arthur Kopit, and additional lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, with a new book adaptation by B.T. McNicholl, based on Philip Barry’s classic play The Philadelphia Story and the Turner Entertainment Co. motion picture High Society starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.

High Society will feature choreography by Jeffry Denman, Greg Jarrett is the music supervisor/orchestrator, Sam Davis is the music consultant. Music direction by Nicholas Connors, scenic design by Alexander Dodge, costume design by Tracy Christensen, lighting design by Richard Latta, sound design by Haley Parcher, and wig/hair & make-up design by Roxanne De Luna. Devin Day is the production stage manager. Anthony Daniel is the associate director, Liza Piccoli is the associate choreographer, Kyra Teboe is the associate music director, and Clayton Dombach is the assistant scenic designer. Kelly Merritt and Emily Katherine are the assistant stage managers. Casting by ARC.

"Let's Misbehave!"  High Society, the Cole Porter musical comedy, pops with champagne fizz, sizzles with tap dancing, and brims with mad cap mayhem! Set to Porter's iconic tunes, the story follows socialite Tracy Lord on the eve of her wedding. Her still-smitten ex-husband, C.K. Dexter Haven, shows up, as does a magazine reporter covering the event—who also falls for Tracy. She soon finds herself in a delightful romantic dilemma, forced to choose among her admirers.

Assisted listening devices are available free of charge at Patron Services before every performance. Open Captioning for deaf and hard of hearing guests will be projected on monitors flanking the stage from August 13-17. ASL Interpreted performances will be held on August 20 at 8pm and August 23 at 2pm.