Composer Dave Malloy will perform the role of author Herman Melville in upcoming staged excerpts of his new musical adaptation of Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. Slated to have its world premiere later this year at the American Repertory Theater, Moby-Dick re-imagines for a 21st-century America Melville’s 19th-century story of the hunt for an iconic whale.

Excerpts from the new musical, directed by Tony winner Rachel Chavkin, will be presented July 26 and 27 at the American Museum of Natural History in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The July 26 performance will be followed by a Q&A with the cast and creative team. Click here for tickets.

Joining Malloy will be Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde) as Ahab, Nick Choksi (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) as Ishmael, Starr Busby (Octet) as Starbuck, Kalyn West (The Prom) as Stubb, Anna Ishida (Henry VI: Parts 1 & 2 ) as Flask, Andrew Cristi (Pasek and Paul’s A Christmas Story) as Queequeg, Matt Kizer (The River Bridge) as Tashtego, J.D. Mollison (Octet) as Daggoo, Ashkon Davaran (Skittles Commercial: The Musical) as Pip, and Dawn L. Troupe (Brothers ParaNormal) as Mapple.

Or Matias serves as music director and leads an ensemble of musicians, featuring Malloy (piano), Jamie Mohamdein (bass), Hiroyuki Matsura (drums), Alon Bisk (cello), Pinky Weitzman (viola), Curtis Hasselbring (trombone), and Paul Jones (saxophone/flute).

The A.R.T.’s world premiere production of Moby-Dick will begin in December 2019, at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.