CONTACT: Patty Onagan / 818-464-3706 or ponagan@aol.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PASADENA PLAYHOUSE
ANNOUNCES PRINCIPAL CASTING FOR
“DANGEROUS BEAUTY”
JAMES SNYDER, BRYCE RYNESS, LAILA ROBINS, MICHAEL RUPERT,
MEGAN McGINNIS, JOHN ANTONY AND MORGAN WEED
JOIN JENNY POWERS IN THE NEW MUSICAL BY
BOOK WRITER JEANNINE DOMINY,
LYRICIST AMANDA McBROOM AND COMPOSER MICHELE BROURMAN
TONY AWARD-NOMINEE SHERYL KALLER DIRECTS
PERFORMANCES BEGIN FEBRUARY 1, 2011
WITH THE OFFICIAL PRESS OPENING ON FEBRUARY 13, 2011
PASADENA, CA (November 23, 2010) – Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic
Director and Stephen Eich, Executive Director) announced principal casting for the new
musical DANGEROUS BEAUTY by Jeannine Dominy (book), Amanda McBroom
(lyrics) and Michele Brourman (music). Joining the principal cast, with previously
announced lead actress Jenny Powers (Broadway’s Grease) as Veronica Franco, are
James Snyder (Drama League Award-nominee for Broadway’s Crybaby) as Marco,
Bryce Ryness (Drama Desk Award-nominee for Broadway’s Tony Award-winning
revival of Hair) as Maffio, Laila Robins (Broadway’s Heartbreak House) as Paola,
Michael Rupert (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Sweet Charity) as Domenico, Megan
McGinnis (Ovation Award-nominee for the Rubicon Theatre’s Daddy Long Legs) as
Beatrice, John Antony (Broadway’s Passion) as Pietro and Morgan Weed (Second Stage
Theatre’s Next to Normal) as Giulia. Tony Award-nominee Sheryl Kaller directs the
world premiere, which begins performances on February 1, 2011 with the official press
opening on February 13, 2011 at Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Avenue).
"It is tremendously exciting to have brought together such an incredibly talented acting
company for our production of this new musical. Our gifted director, Sheryl, was
searching for performers with versatility, character, emotional depth, and musical
expertise during the casting process, and she has brought together a cast that embodies all
of these attributes. I know that they will bring genuine theatrical vitality to this already
vibrant project," said Sheldon Epps, Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director.
Page 2 / Pasadena Playhouse Announces Principal Casting for DANGEROUS BEAUTY
James Snyder will portray Veronica’s love and Venice’s golden boy, Marco. He has
appeared on the stage and screen, from starring in John Waters’s Crybaby at the La Jolla
Playhouse and on Broadway (which earned him a Drama League Award nomination) to
guest starring on television shows such as “Drop Dead Diva” and “CSI.” Additional stage
credits include Marius in Fanny at NY City Center, Broadway: Three Generations at The
Kennedy Center, the Los Angeles and Las Vegas productions of Rock Of Ages, Happy
Days, The Fantasticks, Sneaux, among others. He also played Luke Skywalker in the
critically acclaimed Star Wars Trilogy in 30 Minutes in Los Angeles, Paris and Scotland.
Film credits include An American in China, Anderson’s Cross, Shuttle, She’s The Man
and Pretty Persuasion, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Playing Maffio, Veronica’s rival and nemesis, is Bryce Ryness, whose Broadway credits
include the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair (Woof, Drama Desk Award
Nomination) and Legally Blonde (Aaron, Emmett u/s). His Off-Broadway credits are
Hair (Delacorte, Public), the NY premiere of See Rock City... (Jess/Cutter) and Crossing
Brooklyn (Transport Group). Bryce’s regional theatre credits in Los Angeles include
Floyd Collins (Floyd, Ovation Award Nomination), Leap Of Faith (Dude, Jonas u/s). He
has appeared as Roger in the national tour of Rent.
Laila Robins, who will portray Veronica Franco’s mother Paola, was seen on Broadway
in Heartbreak House, the Tony-nominated play Frozen (Lucille Lortel Nomination), The
Herbal Bed and The Real Thing. Off-Broadway credits include That Hopey Changey
Thing, The Great War, Antony and Cleopatra, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sore
Throats (Lucille Lortel nomination), Tiny Alice, Mrs. Klein (for the national tour of Mrs.
Klein she received a Joseph Jefferson Award and a Helen Hayes Nomination), The
Merchant Of Venice (Calloway Award), The Extra Man, Bloody Poetry and The Film
Society.
Michael Rupert plays the distinguished poet Domenico. Rupert has appeared on
Broadway in Ragtime, Falsettos (Tony Award Nominee), City of Angels, Mail, Sweet
Charity (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Shakespeare’s Cabaret, Pippin and The Happy
Time (Tony Award Nomination, Theatre World Award, Variety Critics’ Poll Award).
Off-Broadway credits include Ancient History, Putting It Together, March of the
Falsettos, Festival, Fragile and Handle with Care. As a composer, he wrote 3 Guys
Naked From The Waist Down (Drama Desk Nomination), Mail (World Premiere at
Pasadena Playhouse) and Streets of America.
Megan McGinnis portrays Veronica Franco’s dear friend Beatrice. Megan returns to
Dangerous Beauty after originating the role of Beatrice at New York Stage and Film. She
most recently garnered an Ovation Award Nomination and Indy Award for her portrayal
of Jerusha Abbott in Daddy Long Legs at the Rubicon Theatre. Broadway credits
include Eponine in the revival of Les Miserables, Beth March in Little Women, Belle
in Beauty and the Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Parade and The Diary of Anne
Frank.
Page 3 / Pasadena Playhouse Announces Principal Casting for DANGEROUS BEAUTY
Portraying Pietro, the powerful Senator and father of Marco and Beatrice, is John
Antony. John’s Broadway and National Tour credits include: Irving Berlin’s White
Christmas Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, Dirty Dancing, 42nd Street, High School
Musical, Titanic, Sunset Boulevard, Annie Get Your Gun, Pal Joey and Encores! Off
Broadway and Regional credits include: Hurricane Mata Hari, Notes to Marianne,
Prairie (with Patrick Swayze and Melissa Gilbert), Chicago (New Hampshire Best Actor
Award 2005), Aida, Footloose, Funny Girl, Chess, Songs From The Tall Grass, Sweet
Charity, The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg and Annie. Film and Television: Nothing In
Common (with Tom Hanks & Jackie Gleason); Night Eyes, The Producers, among
others.
Morgan Weed plays Giulia, the woman betrothed to Marco. Morgan recently appeared in
Venice at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Her Off-Broadway credits include Saved at
Playwrights Horizons and Next to Normal at Second Stage Theater. Chicago Theatre
credits include: Bowery Boys, Little Women, Grease, The Wild Party, and others. She
was in the workshop productions of Venice; Porn, The Musical; American Idiot by Green
Day; Dangerous Beauty; among others.
DANGEROUS BEAUTY, based on a true story, tells the tumultuous tale of Veronica
Franco, a celebrated courtesan/poet of 16th century Venice. Forced to become a
courtesan when her family fortune is lost, preventing her from marrying the man she
loves, Veronica ultimately embraces the courtesan life because it affords her
extraordinary education and access. It is not long before she is the most influential
woman in the cultural and political life of her beloved city. As Veronica's star rises,
however, Venice is ravaged by war, plague, and the Inquisition. When Veronica finds
herself on trial for witchcraft, she realizes that only her personal integrity can save
her. DANGEROUS BEAUTY is adapted from the New Regency screenplay The Honest
Courtesan written by Jeannine Dominy, released as the film Dangerous Beauty and
inspired by the scholarly book The Honest Courtesan by USC Professor Margaret
Rosenthal.
Joining the creative team with Kaller are Benoit-Swan Pouffer, choreography (Artistic
Director of the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theatre); Fred Lassen, music director (Broadway’s South Pacific); Bruce Coughlin,
orchestrations (Tony Award-winner The Light in the Piazza); AnnMarie Milazzo, vocal
design (Broadway’s Spring Awakening and Next to Normal); Ben Butler, additional
orchestrations (Sony Classics’ Heights); Tom Buderwitz, scenic design (Pasadena
Playhouse’s Mauritius); Soyon An, costume design (Two-time Emmy Award-winner for
Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance”); Russell Champa, lighting design (Broadway’s
God Said, “Ha!”); Jon Weston, sound design (Broadway’s The Color Purple); Brian
Danner, fight director (Furious Theatre Company’s Boom); Howie Cherpakov, casting
(Broadway’s Next Fall); Amy Lieberman, casting (Reprise’s How to Succeed…); and Joe
Witt, production stage management (The Pee-wee Herman Show).
DANGEROUS BEAUTY was selected for the 2004 West Coast ASCAP Workshop. In
2005, it was read at the Rubicon Theatre and had a workshop production at Vassar
Page 4 / Pasadena Playhouse Announces Principal Casting for DANGEROUS BEAUTY
College’s New York Stage and Film Powerhouse Theatre Season. In 2006, the
production was part of the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s Festival of New
Musicals and in 2007 it was chosen to be part of Northwestern University’s American
Musical Theatre Project.
DANGEROUS BEAUTY will play at the Pasadena Playhouse from February 1 – 27,
2011 with the official press opening on February 13, 2011. Pasadena Playhouse is
located at 39 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena. The performance schedule is
Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at
2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The ticket price range is from $49.00 - $69.00. Rush tickets are
available for $15.00 one hour prior to the performance time and are subject to
availability. Rush tickets must be purchased at the Pasadena Playhouse Box Office.
Tickets are available by calling the Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-7529 or by visiting
the Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, Monday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
during non-performance dates and Tuesday- Sunday from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on
performance dates. The box office is closed on holidays. Tickets are available 24 hours
online at www.Pasadenaplayhouse.org. Group Sales (15 or more) are available by
calling 626-921-1159. For additional information visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org.
Full bios for the principal cast and creative team are available by request.
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For additional information visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org