A host of theatre favorites will take the stage in Poughkeepsie, New York, as part of Vassar and New York Stage and Film’s 34th Powerhouse Season. Among those newly added to the roster are Tony winner Alice Ripley, Tony nominees Raúl Esparza and Deneé Benton, recent Dear Evan Hansen star Noah Galvin, and Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita.
Esparza will star in and serve as creative consultant for the mainstage presentation of The Waves, adapted from the Virginia Woolf novel. The Lisa Peterson-helmed musical, featuring a book by Peterson, a score by David Bucknam, and additional music by Adam Gwon, will also include Ripley, Tony nominee Lauren Worsham, Ken Barnett, Eleasha Gamble, and Douglas Lyons. Performances will run July 19–29.
The workshop of Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater, and Jessie Nelson’s Off-Broadway bound Alice By Heart will star Galvin, Margherita, School of Rock Tony nominee Alex Brightman, Molly Gordon, Megan Masako Haley, Zachary Infante, Gizel Jiménez, J. Quinton Johnson, Heath Saunders, and Don Stephenson. Nelson will direct the musical retelling of the Lewis Carroll story, with performances running July 5–7.
Benton will take part in the Readings Festival #1 as part of the cast of Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey alongside Dahlia Azama, Mahira Kakkar, Susannah Perkins, and Nadine Malouf. Leah C. Gardiner will direct the June 24 presentation.
The Readings Festival will also include: Halley Feiffer in her play The Pain of My Belligerence, directed by Trip Cullman and also featuring Michael Esper, Vanessa Kai, and Amaya Press; Jackie Roberts’ Lick O’ The Knife, directed by Kareem Fahmy and starring Frankie J. Alvarez, Julian Cihi, James Cusati-Moyer, Rocky Vega, and Justin Walker White; and The Hole, written by Sarah Gancher, directed by Danya Taymor, and featuring Betsy Aidem, Brittany Allen, Heidi Armbruster, Marc Bovino, Jacob Faunce, Joel Marsh Garland, and Andy Grotelueschen.
Casting for additional titles will be announced at a later date.
As recently announced, the Powerhouse presentation of Liza Birkenmeier’s Radio Island will feature a cast that includes Tony nominee Pascale Armand and Adina Verson.
