Watch the Encores! Orchestra Rehearse The Wild Party's 'Welcome to My Party'

Watch the Encores! Orchestra Rehearse The Wild Party's 'Welcome to My Party'

Daryl Waters is the guest music director and conductor for the limited run of the Michael John LaChiusa musical.

March 06, 2026 By Andrew Gans, Logan Culwell-Block

Rehearsals are underway for the New York City Center Encores! staging of Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party, set to play the Manhattan venue March 18-29. Watch Daryl Waters, the guest music director for the limited engagement, conduct the Encores! Orchestra as the musicians rehearse "Welcome to My Party" from the LaChiusa score.

In the video above, Waters says, "What Michael John has actually done is created a score that encompasses the exuberant, wild period of the Roaring ‘20s. It's hot, and it's sexy."

As previously announced, Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP!) and Adrienne Warren (The Last Five Years) will lead the company as Queenie and Kate, respectively, alongside Tonya Pinkins, an alum of the musical's original Broadway cast, as Dolores Montoya; Joseph A. Byrd as Phil D’Armano, Claybourne Elder as Jackie, Evan Tyrone Martin as Eddie Mackrel, Jelani Alladin (Frozen) as Black, Wesley J. Barnes as Oscar D’Armano, Jordan Donica (Camelot) as Burrs, KJ Hippensteel as Gold, Andrew Kober as Goldberg, Lesli Margherita (Gypsy) as Mae, Betsy Morgan (Masquerade) as Sally, Meghan Murphy as Miss Madelaine True, and Maya Rowe as Nadine. Standbys Curtis Bannister and Kyrie Courter will round out the company. Casting is by The Telsey Office.

Adapted from Joseph Moncure March's poem of the same name by LaChiusa and original director George C. Wolfe, The Wild Party centers on a prohibition-era New York City house party being thrown by Queenie and Burrs as their relationship falls apart, an evening that becomes something of a rager thanks to a bathtub full of gin, ample cocaine, and a tragic orgy.

The musical premiered on Broadway in 2000 via Off-Broadway's Public Theater, earning seven Tony Award nominations the same year, including for Best Musical. In an apparent coincidence, the work premiered shortly after the world premiere of a separate musical adaptation of the same source material featuring a book, music, and lyrics by Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family). That work played Off-Broadway via Manhattan Theatre Club.

Lili-Anne Brown is directing the Encores! staging, and Katie Spelman will choreograph, with guest music director Waters at the baton. The production will feature choreography by Katie Spelman, scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Justin Townsend, sound design by Alex Neumann, and hair and wig design by Tom Watson.

The production is being presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

Visit NYCityCenter.org.