Beth Leavel, Paulo Szot, Richard Kind, Taylor Louderman Will Be Part of 2026 Muny Summer Season

The Missouri venue will feature Hairspray, South Pacific, Meet Me in St. Louis, Ain't Too Proud, and more.

April 06, 2026 By Andrew Gans

Beth Leavel, Paulo Szot, Richard Kind, and Taylor Louderman

Four Broadway favorites will be part of the Muny's 108th season in Forest Park, Missouri: Tony winners Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Paulo Szot (South Pacific) and Tony nominees Richard Kind (The Big Knife) and Taylor Louderman (Mean Girls) are all scheduled to lead productions during the 2026 summer season at the outdoor theatre.

Kind, who will be making his Muny debut, will play Edna Turnblad in the season-opening production of Hairspray (June 15-21), which will be directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn with choreography by Jesse Robb and music direction by conductor Evan Roider.

Louderman, a native of Bourbon, Missouri, will play Ensign Nellie Forbush in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific (July 6-12). Szot, who made his Muny debut last summer in Evita, will star opposite as Emile de Becque, the role that won the actor his Tony in 2008. The classic musical will be directed by William Carlos Angulo with choreography by Karla Puno Garcia and music direction by conductor Roberto Sinha.

And longtime Muny favorite Leavel will return after eight years to play Katie Connelly in Meet Me in St. Louis (August 6-13). The family favorite musical will have direction by Maggie Burrows, choreography by Sarah Meahl, and music direction by conductor Paul Byssainthe Jr.

The upcoming season will also include Shrek the Musical (June 25-July 2), Disney's Newsies (July 16-22), Ain't Too Proud (July 27-August 2), and Something Rotten! (August 17-23). Additional casting for the various productions will be announced at a later date. The Telsey Office is the official casting partner of The Muny.

“Bringing together new and old friends is at the heart of what makes The Muny so special, and we’re thrilled to welcome these four incredible artists to our stage,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson in a statement. “I can’t wait for our audience to see who else is meeting us in St. Louis this summer.”

Click here for more information about the upcoming season.