Jai Rodriguez, Anika Larsen and More Set For Digital Cast Reunion Of ZANNA, DON'T!

The reunion takes place on Wednesday, October 14th at 6:00 p.m. EDT.

By: Oct. 12, 2020
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Jai Rodriguez, Anika Larsen and More Set For Digital Cast Reunion Of ZANNA, DON'T!

After an absence of over seventeen years, the gang from Heartsville High are getting back together for one night only, when the cast of the Off-Broadway cult musical favorite Zanna, Don't! gathers digitally for an hour of chat, catch-up and questions from fans. The online reunion will take place during new works development organization Live & In Color's weekly online talk show Be Our Guest on Wednesday, October 14th at 6:00 p.m. EDT.

Set in a parallel universe where being gay is the norm and heterosexuality is taboo, Zanna, Don't! is the musical fairy tale of local matchmaker Zanna who brings together happy couples in the fictional idyllic Midwest American town of Heartsville. Heterophobia rears its head when an opposite sex couple discover their feelings for each. Eventually tolerance wins hearts and minds and all live happily ever after. The show, which starred a pre-Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Jai Rodriguez was a hit with critics and audiences and earned an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Musical, four Drama Desk Award nominations and three Lucille Lortel Award nominations.

"Zanna, Don't! was one of the most important pieces of theater I've ever been privileged to be a part of," said Broadway and television star Jai Rodriguez who originated the title role. "People stop me everywhere to tell me how much they love the cast recording and how the show impacted their life. I can't wait to reunite with this dynamic cast." Set to join Rodriguez on the Zoom call are former castmates Tony Award-nominee Anika Larsen (Beautiful), Enrico Rodriguez (Rent), Shelley Thomas-Harts (Shades of Blue), Jared Zeus (Soma), Amanda Ryan Paige (... Charlie Brown), Robb Sapp (Shrek) and Darius Nichols (Hair).

"Zanna, Don't! was ahead of its time with themes it dared to explore," says Live & In Color's founder and artistic director Devanand Janki, who won a Lucille Lortel Award for his choreography of the musical. "It turned our world upside down and imagined an alternate universe where everyone was gay... or almost everyone. I am so excited to reunite with this extraordinary group of eight talented actors who truly embody what diversity in a cast means."

Live & In Color's weekly interactive online chat series Be Our Guest can be viewed live every Wednesday at 6:00 EDT on the group's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Live & In Color develops new work for the stage that promotes and celebrates diversity. Emphasizing non-traditional casting, multi-ethnic participants, and bold theatricality, LAIC offers unique development opportunities for new plays and musicals that encourage dialogue among artists from a variety of cultures.

To learn more about Live & In Color, visit www.theatreincolor.org



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