GRIM Will Make World Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Playhouse has announced the cast and creative team for its world-premiere musical GRIM, book by Joey Orton and Brad Silnutzer, music and lyrics by Petro AP, Scott Hoying, Joey Orton and Brad Silnutzer, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and directed by Sammi Cannold, beginning October 27 in the Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre. 

The cast features: Dana Costello as Tammy, Jeremy Davis as Norman, Jennifer Fouché as Death of Love, Akshara Gunda as Diana, Mateo Lizcano as Josh, Paolo Montalban as Grim and Julio Rey as Mort, along with Aaron J. Albano, Valentine d’Arabian, Alex Gibson, Kendyl Ito, Patricia Jewel, Sean Harrison Jones, Zachary Daniel Jones, Samantha Littleford, Jaygee Macapugay, Fredric Rodriguez Odgaard, Jonathan Sangster, Bella Serrano, Jazz Washington; and Swings: Travante S. Baker, Lili Froehlich, Austyn Myers and Nio Russell.

The creative team includes Ted Arthur, Music Supervisor/Music Director; John Clancy, Orchestrator; Cian McCarthy, Arranger; Jason Sherwood, Scenic Designer; Paloma Young, Costume Designer; Amanda Zieve, Lighting Designer; Connor Wang, Sound Designer; Krystal Balleza and Will Vicari, Wig, Hair & Makeup Design; Whitley Theatrical, Benton Whitley, CSA and Peter Dunn, Hannah Reinert, Casting; Mary Cynthia McGowan, Associate Director; Kamille Upshaw-Darrington, Associate Choreographer; Matthew Kurtis Lutz, Stage Manager; and Alexa Burn and Jack Ganguly, Assistant Stage Managers.

GRIM is an irreverent, hilarious and heartbreaking world-premiere musical that celebrates life…and death. After 300,000 years collecting souls, the Grim Reaper is retiring, and his daughter Diana must pass a simple test to take over. That is, until she unexpectedly falls for dorky human Josh, and the beautiful chaos of humanity, planet Earth…and the DMV. If she loves life, can Diana be in charge of ending it? Led by director Sammi Cannold (How to Dance in Ohio), the accomplished creative team includes musical comedy trailblazers Joey Orton and Brad Silnutzer, with songwriters Petro AP (Reneé Rapp, One Direction) and Scott Hoying (Pentatonix) and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton). With GRIM’s infectious score, delightfully cheeky humor, and piercing insights, expect to laugh, cry, and be deeply moved.

“GRIM is anything but. It’s an explosion of hilarity, cheekiness and pathos,” said La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Jessica Stone. “With a dynamo creative team and company of performers, it explores legacy, ambition and mortality through Diana, the Grim Reaper’s daughter – who is trying to decide whether or not to join the family business.”

Petro AP is a Greek-American songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer based in Los Angeles. He spends most of his time in the studio writing and producing pop music, but has always kept one foot in theater. Petro produced much of Reneé Rapp’s debut album, Snow Angel, including breakout hit “Pretty Girls.” He worked with One Direction, singing background vocals and engineering their global hit “Best Song Ever.” His collaboration with Grace Enger began with her very first release, “The Neighborhood,” and has continued throughout her career. He has written original songs for Looney Tunes, performed by Tweety and Sylvester the Cat, both of whom were lovely to work with. Among his other credits are Enrique Iglesias, Dillon Francis, Martin Solveig, KYLE, Cash Cash, Julia Michaels, and Alexander 23, whom he has also toured with as a musician. He’s currently co-writing and producing albums with Madeline The Person and Avery Cochrane. Petro wrote the music and lyrics and provided orchestrations for The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody. The show has played sold-out runs in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Just like GRIM, it is about family.

Scott Hoying is a three-time GRAMMY Award–winning, EMMY Award–winning, and Tony Award–nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger from Arlington, Texas. While studying music at USC, he founded the a cappella group Pentatonix, which has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has worked on a wide range of projects, from Disney Parks nighttime spectaculars to the Super Bowl to Netflix original films and is currently developing an original miniseries. He recently competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. He and his husband, Mark, are co-producers of the Broadway musical Titanique, write children's books together, including the USA TODAY bestseller How Lucky Am I?, and recently released a children's album, Little Birdie's Big Symphony, via Republic Records. GRIM is his musical theater writing debut. Most of all, Scott is proud to be Mark's husband and a dad to his beautiful daughter, Birdie.

Joey Orton is a songwriter, music producer, and librettist based out of Los Angeles. His professional music career started when Taylor Swift tweeted out a song he wrote, “New Obsession,” calling it a “song to make your life more awesome.” Since then, Joey has written songs featuring FRANKIE (RCA Records), Scott Hoying (RCA Records), and Marc E Bassy (Universal Republic), among others, which have amassed tens of millions of streams across platforms. The music video for Joey’s song “Ghost,” peaked at #4 on iTunes behind only Cardi B, Taylor Swift, and Childish Gambino. Joey’s commercial music credits include ad campaigns for the NBA, Life 360, Chevrolet, Britney Spears’ “Fantasy Twist” fragrance, and Cisco. He is the co-creator of The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody, which runs monthly at the Dynasty Typewriter and has sold out every show since its inception. The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody was praised by feminist author Roxanne Gay, and was lauded on the Joe Rogan Podcast, a sign that it can unite a divided America. Outside of music and musicals, Joey holds a degree in Neuroscience, has taught Salsa dancing in downtown LA and abroad, and has at least three great Shark Tank ideas no one will listen to.

Brad Silnutzer is a stand-up comedian, writer, producer, and director based in Los Angeles, but proudly from New Jersey. He’s been named one of Just For Laughs’ “New Faces of Comedy”, one of Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch,” and a “Comedian to Watch,” by more than one now-defunct comedy publication. He has a "Don't Tell Comedy" special on YouTube and can be seen doing standup on Comedy Central, Hulu, and shockingly on Disney+. Brad has written for comedians/hosts such as Joel McHale, Nikki Glaser, Daniel Tosh, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Nick Cannon, Jenny McCarthy, Penn and Teller, and David Dobrik. He has produced all sorts of reality shows from ABC’s The Bachelor, to Max/CW’s FBoy Island, to E!’s House of Villains, to The Masked Singer. Recently, he directed a series of comedy specials that have garnered over three billion views across platforms. Currently, Brad’s musical The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody is enjoying a string of sold-out performances in LA. Before making the jump to entertainment, Brad was a writer for Japan Times in Tokyo, a facilitator at Phillips Academy Andover, and a sailing instructor on Catalina Island. As a child, Brad was the Ovaltine Boy, but retired from acting after consuming far too much of the chocolate milk.

Andy Blankenbuehler is a proud recipient of the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors for his work on the musical Hamilton. He is a three-time Tony Award winner for his choreography in the musicals Bandstand, In The Heights and Hamilton, for which he also received London’s Olivier Award. Other Broadway credits include Bring It On, 9 To 5, The People In The Picture, The Apple Tree, Annie, and the revival of CATS. Mr. Blankenbuehler made his writing debut with the Off-Broadway musical Only Gold (MCC). Upcoming projects include Broadway’s first revival of Kiss of the Spiderwoman, as well as the new musicals The Warriors (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and The Princess Bride. Mr. Blankenbuehler served as choreographer for the Universal/Working Title feature film Cats, starring Taylor Swift and Judy Dench among others. On television, Mr. Blankenbuehler co-produced and choreographed the Emmy-winning limited series Fosse/Verdon (FX). Other work includes the Lionsgate/ABC remake of Dirty Dancing, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, The Sopranos, MTV, Sesame Street featuring Janelle Monae, as well as many commercials including John Travolta performing Greased Lighting as Santa (Capital One). He has staged concert work for both Elton John and Bette Midler, as well as the 2022 Met Gala featuring Leslie Odom Jr. and Lenny Kravitz. He is very proud to have staged two ballets which have been performed around the world (Remember Our Song and Never Alone). As a performer, Mr. Blankenbuehler has danced on Broadway in Fosse, Contact, Man of La Mancha, Saturday Night Fever, Steel Pier, Big and Guys and Dolls. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Blankenbuehler resides in New York City, with his wife Elly and two children, Luca and Sofia. Mr. Blankenbuehler is a proud recipient of both the Drama Desk and Dance Magazine Awards for his achievement in the theatre.

Sammi Cannold is a Broadway, television, and live events director who is one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, one of Variety's 10 Broadway Stars to Watch, one of Town & Country's Creative Aristocracy, and a Drama Desk Award winner. Most recently, she served as the Creative Coordinator on the 2026 Olympic Opening Ceremony, show directed an internationally broadcast ceremony for the FIFA World Cup, made her episodic debut helming Episode 2204 of Grey's Anatomy, and was named a member of the Disney Entertainment Television Directing Program as well as a Sundance Writers Intensive Fellow. In theater and opera, she has directed over 15 full-scale productions on Broadway, at the Kennedy Center (in the before times), at Lincoln Center, and beyond. Additional: A.R.T. Artistic Fellow, member of Cirque du Soleil's Creative Cognoscenti, Sundance Institute Theater Fellow, and work for CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and Apple TV+. B. A., Stanford University; M.A., Harvard University. sammicannold.com. @sammi.cannold