Conductor John McGlinn, known for his studio recordings of vintage Broadway musicals, has reassembled the three principals from his acclaimed 1992 recording of Brigadoon for a live production at New York City Opera: Rebecca Luker as Fiona, Brent Barrett as Tommy Albright and Judy Kaye as Meg.
The production begins rehearsals today, Oct. 15, and runs for 14 performances Nov. 13-24. Gerald Freedman will direct. Desmond Heeley is designing sets and costumes. The production will recreate Agnes de Mille's original choreography.
Luker was nominated for a Tony Award in Show Boat, and played the lead in the San Diego production of the musical Time and Again. Barrett played the Baron on the Grand Hotel cast album. Kaye originated the role of Carlotta in Broadway's Phantom of the Opera, for which she won the Best Featured Actress Tony Award.
The production features dancers Robert La Fosse (a Tony nominee for Jerome Robbins' Broadway; Leslie Brown (Oscar nominee for The Turning Point; and Elizabeth Ferrell, principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.
McGlinn's recordings include Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, Annie Get Your Gun, Sitting Pretty, all for EMI. Brigadoon is the 1947 Lerner & Loewe musical about a pair of American travelers in Scotland who stumble upon a magical town that appears on Earth but one day each century. The score includes "Almost Like Being in Love," "Come To Me, Bend To Me," "The Heather on the Hill" and "From This Day On."
The City Opera production will also feature two TV stars: George Hall from cable TV's "Remember WENN," will play Mr. Lundy. Sean Donnellan from the Food Network's "How To Boil Water" will play Jeff.
City Opera, which has produced a Broadway musical as part of its repertoire since the 1980s (including Sweeney Todd, 110 in the Shade and The Most Happy Fella) previously produced Brigadoon in 1986 and 1991.
City Opera performs at New York State Theatre in Lincoln Center. Show times are 8 PM Tue.-Sat; 1:30 PM Sat., Sun. and Nov. 20.
For tickets: (212) 307-4100 or (212) 870-5570.
-- By Robert Viagas
