All-Chicago Cast Set for PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Drury Lane Theatre
Drury Lane has announced the cast and creative team for the regional premiere of the Tony-nominated Peter and the Starcatcher, directed by Jeff Award-winner and Drury Lane Artistic Director William Osetek. Hailed as "astonishing" (The New Yorker) and "an absurdly funny fantastical journey," (Entertainment Weekly), Peter and the Starcatcher answers the question of how Peter Pan became "The Boy Who Never Grew Up." Complete with an all-Chicago cast, a company of twelve actors portray over one hundred characters throughout this captivating coming-of-age tale of one of literature's most beloved stories. Peter and the Starcatcher, with a book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and based on the 2004 play by Rick Elice, runs August 27 - October 18, 2015. Opening Night is set for Thursday, September 3 at 8pm.
"I am thrilled to work with such an exceptionally talented cast and creative team to bring the whimsical, imaginative world of Peter and the Starcatcher to life on the Drury Lane stage," said Osetek. "With a band that sits on stage, an intricate but minimalistic set and colorful costumes, we hope to create an intimate atmosphere behind the real story of the beloved Peter Pan." Osetek brings together an all-star cast, featuring Caleb Donahoe as "Boy" (making his Chicago and Drury Lane debut), Emma Rosenthal as "Molly Aster" (West Side Story and Les Miserables at Drury Lane; Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre), Matt Mueller as "Black Stache" (Julius Caesar and Taming of the Shrew at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Aaron Kirby as "Prentiss" (Good People and American Clock at RedTwist), Zack Colonna as "Ted" (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Drury Lane; The Sound of Music at Lyric Opera), Andrew Mueller as "Fighting Prawn" (Rent at Paramount Theatre; Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure at Chicago Children's Theatre), John Keating as "Mrs. Bumbrake" (First Date at Royal George Cabaret), Rod Thomas as "Lord Aster" (Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre; Next to Normal and Hairspray at Drury Lane), Rhett Guter as "Slank" and "Hawking Clam" (Billy Elliot and West Side Story at Drury Lane; Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre), Brandon Springman as "Captain Scott" (Billy Elliot, Singin' in the Rain, and The Sound of Music at Drury Lane), Jake Klinkhammer as "Alf" (Cats at Marriott Theatre), and Jeff Dumas as "Smee" (Young Frankenstein, The 39 Steps and Carousel at Drury Lane; National Tour of Monty Python's Spamalot). The creative team includes music direction by Ben Johnson (Next to Normal, Singin' in the Rain, Camelot at Drury Lane), choreography by Rhett Guter (West Side Story at Drury Lane; Anything Goes and The Music Man at Utah Shakespeare Festival), scenic design by Scott Davis (West Side Story and Les Miserables at Drury Lane; Iphigenia at Aulis at Court Theatre), costume design by Sally Dolembo (Next to Normal at Drury Lane; Martyr at Steep Theatre), lighting design by Diana Ferry Williams (Three Days of Rain at Portland Center Stage; Cabaret at Marriott Theatre) and sound design by Ray Nardelli (over 20 productions at Drury Lane). Tickets for Peter and the Starcatcher are on sale now and available by calling the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visiting DruryLane.com. The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($40), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($40) and 8 p.m. ($50), Fridays at 8 p.m. ($55), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($55), and 8:30 p.m. ($55), and Sundays at 2 p.m. ($55), and 6 p.m. ($50). Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $40 for matinees. Dinner and show packages are also available. For more information on Peter and the Starcatcher and the rest of the 2015-2016 theatrical season at Drury Lane, please visit DruryLane.com.