Tony Award nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Hannah Elless (Bright Star), and Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific, The Bridges of Madison County, Scandalous) star in the world-premiere of the musical adaptation of Benny & Joon. Preview performances began September 7 prior to an official opening September 15 at The Old Globe in San Diego.
In the musical, Elless (Bright Star, Godspell, The Other Josh Cohen) plays Joon, a mentally ill, free-spirited young woman who is cared for by her brother Benny, played by Samonsky. Pinkham stars as eccentric comedian Sam, who shares a connection with Joon.
The roles were originated on screen by Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp, and Aidan Quinn, respectively.
Read reviews below. Check back for updates.
San Diego Tribune (James Hebert)
Times of San Diego (Pat Launer)
Benny & Joon has a book by Kirsten Guenther (Little Miss Fix-It, Mrs. Sharp), music by Nolan Gasser, and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein (Broadway’s Little Women). Jack Cummings III, artistic director of Off-Broadway’s Transport Group, directs the musical, which runs through October 22.
The premiere cast also includes Colin Hanlon (Falsettos, In Transit) as Mike, January LaVoy (Enron, Coraline) as Ruthie, Paolo Montalban (Allegiance, Cinderella) as Larry, Natalie Toro (A Tale of Two Cities, Les Misérables) as Dr. Cruz and Mrs. Smail, and Jason SweetTooth Williams (Freaky Friday) as Waldo and Video Store Owner. The cast is completed by Katie Whalley Banville and Jake Millgard.
The creative team includes Scott Rink (choreographer), Dane Laffrey (Scenic and Costume Design), R. Lee Kennedy (lighting design), Kai Harada (sound design), Michael Starobin (orchestrations), J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Howie Cherpakov, CSA (casting), Anjee Nero (production stage manager), and Amanda Salmons (stage manager).
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