Encores! Mack & Mabel, starring Douglas Sills (War Paint) and Alexandra Socha (Head Over Heels), is set to begin performances at New York City February 19. The presentation of the 1974 musical is scheduled to run through February 23.
Mack & Mabel tells the story of silent film director Mack Sennett (Sills), who pioneers the art of film comedy, and falls in love with his major discovery and star, Mabel Normand (Socha). The musical features a score by Jerry Herman, and a book by Michael Stewart.
Joining the duo will be Tony nominee Lilli Cooper (Tootsie) as Lottie Ames, Major Attaway (Aladdin) as Fatty Arbuckle, Tony nominee Michael Berresse (The Cher Show) as William Desmond Taylor, Ben Fankhauser (Newsies) as Frank Wyman, Jordan Gelber (Elf) as Mr. Kessel, Evan Kasprzak (Newsies) as Freddy, Raymond J. Lee (Soft Power) as Andy, Kevin Ligon (Hello, Dolly!) as Eddie, Allen Lewis Rickman (Relatively Speaking) as Mr. Bauman, and Janet Noh as Ella.
Rounding out the company are Alex Julian Aquilino, Matt Bauman, Maria Briggs, Julian R. Decker, Sara Esty, Paige Faure, Haley Fish, Leslie Donna Flesner, Garett Hawe, Leah Horowitz, Matt Moisey, Madison Stratton, Diana Vaden, Jacob Keith Watson, Kristen Beth Williams, Darius Wright, Joy Woods, and Richard Riaz Yoder.
Josh Rhodes directs and choreographs the Encores! production, which includes Stewart's sister Francine Pascal’s revisions. Music director Rob Berman will direct conduct the Encores! Orchestra.
Sills and Socha are no strangers to Mack & Mabel—and performing it at Encores!—having appeared in the organization’s musical revue Hey, Look Me Over!, in which they headlined scenes from the musical about the star-crossed film director and his muse.
Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner's Love Life will follow in the new season, with performances running March 18–22. Tony-winning actor Victoria Clark directs the presentation, which has recently tapped Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Shuffle Along...) and Tony nominee Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!) to star as Sam and Susan Cooper. JoAnn M. Hunter will choreograph.
Rounding out the season is a more recent title: Thoroughly Modern Millie (May 6–10). Mean Girls Tony nominee Ashley Park takes on the title role as part of a new series in which artists work with shows' authors to explore their work through a contemporary lens. Joining Encores! resident director Lear deBessonet and creative consultant Lauren Yee on the team is Tony-nominated choreographer Camille A. Brown.
