The new musical began previews at the midtown venue May 30 prior to an official opening June 13. At the time of closing, the production played 14 previews and 157 performances.
“We are extremely proud of this show and are profoundly grateful to our audiences for embracing Desperate Measures and making us feel at home at New World Stages,” said producers Pat Flicker Addiss, Mary Cossette, and Willette Klausner in an earlier joint statement. “This show has been a labor of love for the cast, crew and production team and we look forward to focusing on the future life of Desperate Measures in cities throughout America.”
In the comedic musical, inspired by Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and set in the early 1890s, Johnny must put his fate into the hands of a colorful cast of characters, including a wily sheriff, an eccentric priest, an authoritarian governor, a saloon girl gone good, and a nun out of the habit, as they all struggle to decide Johnny's fate.
New to the company is Sarah Parnicky (Show Boat at Houston Grand Opera) as Susanna/Sister Mary Jo. Also in the cast: Celia Hottenstein, CJ Eldred, and William Thomas Evans.
The production is directed by Bill Castellino.
The musical has music by David Friedman and a book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg.
The production also features scenic design by James Morgan, costume design by Nicole Wee, lighting design by Paul Miller, and sound design by Julian Evans. David Hancock Turner serves as musical director. Casting is by Carol Hanzel, and the production stage manager is CJ LaRoche.
Desperate Measures is the recipient of Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Music (Friedman) and Outstanding Lyrics (Kellogg), the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical, and the Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical.
