As previously announced, the July 20 performance will boast Tony Award winner George Hearn in the role of Tony with two-time Grammy winner Sylvia McNair as Rosabella and Rod Gilfry as Joe.
The threesome will be joined onstage by Alexander Aguilar (Dancer), Cheryl Avery (Cleo), Zach Bandler (Clem), Scott Calcagno (Ensemble), Michèle Cason (Ensemble & Waitress), Michael Cicetti (Al), Michael Deleget (Ensemble), Nikkieli DeMone (Ensemble & Postman), Devin DeSantis (Jake), Lara Filip (Ensemble), Don Forston (Ciccio), David Girolmo (Doctor), Cory Goodrich (Ensemble), Karl Hamilton (Pasquale), Dennis Kelly (Ensemble, Cashier, Priest), Ian Liberto (Dancer), Rob Lindley (Ensemble), Tammy Mader (Ensemble), Johanna McKenzie Miller (Ensemble), Peter Mohawk (Giuseppe), Abby Mueller (Ensemble), Buddy Reeder (Dancer), Lisa Rumbauskas (Country Girl), Laura Scheinbaum (Dancer), Stephen Schellhardt (Herman), Paula Scrofano (Marie), Nathaniel Shaw (Country Boy), Lauren Weisman (Dancer) and Melissa Zaremba (Dancer).
Marc Robin will direct and choreograph the 8 PM evening, which will also feature the Ravinia Festival Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel.
Ravinia president and CEO Welz Kauffman will host a pre-concert talk with Loesser's wife, Jo Sullivan, at 7:15 PM in the Pavilion.
The Most Happy Fella, features book, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and is based on Sidney Howard's "They Knew What They Wanted." The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1956, features such tunes as "Standing on the Corner," "Joey, Joey, Joey," "Big D," "Somebody, Somewhere" and "My Heart Is So Full of You." The musical concerns "an aging vineyard owner named Tony [who] courts a pretty young waitress, Rosabella, through the mail and wins her over with a marriage proposal with a picture enclosed. Afraid of rejection, though, he has sent a picture of his handsome foreman. Rosabella discovers the ruse, but true love brings about a most happy ending." The Ravinia Festival is located in Highland Park, IL, at 418 Sheridan Road. For more information visit www.ravinia.org.
