From Richard Maltby Jr.

"Ever since creating Ain’t Misbehavin’, based on Fats Waller, I’ve been intrigued by the thought of doing an American version of a Restoration comedy -- since they share the same comic sensibility. I wanted a setting where there was a culturally diverse population –and hit upon New Orleans, well before the Civil War, like 1840, when the Mississippi had just been opened, when businessmen were making fortunes, and acquiring trophy wives who they then neglected, and whose population was a bouillabaisse of French settlers, Southern aristocrats, American adventurers, French Arcadians – the Cajuns -- from Canada, Creoles, mulattos, educated refugees from the revolution in Haiti, and wealthy blacks who actually owned plantations – all brought together in this, the most European city in America -- where the morals were high and the actions ignored them. The play I chose was the raunchiest of all the restoration comedies, The Country Wife, written by William Wycherley, "

 

About the Cast:

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Andréa Burns (Lady Fidget): is a Drama Desk Award winner and earned an Outer Critics Circle nomination for her show-stopping performance as Gloria Fajardo in On Your Feet!. Broadway audiences also know her as Daniela from the original cast of In The Heights. Additional Broadway: The Nance, Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, The Ritz. Off-Broadway: the original cast of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World and Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. Film: Akron. TV: “Blue Bloods”, “Jessica Jones”, “Law & Order: SVU”. Solo CD: A Deeper Shade of Red.

 

Louis Butelli (Quack): NY stage includes: Sleep No More (Punchdrunk), I Am The Wind (59E59), Medée (Carnegie Hall), CYCLOPS: A Rock Opera (47th Street Theater, Ars Nova, also director, co-writer, Pulitzer Prize jury nom), plus work at New Victory, John Jay, Skirball, Classic Stage, Lincoln Center. Regional includes: Folger Theatre (Helen Hayes Award for Henry VIII), American Repertory Theatre, South Coast Rep, Yale Rep, Hartford Stage, etc. TV includes: "The Knick", "Benders", "Law & Order", "Law & Order: CI", "The Unusuals", "All My Children". Co-founder: Psittacus Productions psittacusco.org. Twitter: @louisbutelli

Instagram: lbutelli

 

Bryan Terrel Clark (Horner):  Broadway: Hamilton an American Musical (George Washington). Bryan originated the Grammy nominated role of Marvin Gaye in Motown the Musical, Theater: Fences (Corey) opposite Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, Immediate Family, directed by Phylicia Rashad, Sophisticated Ladies, His Girl Friday. Film: Collateral Beauty. Television: BET’s The New Edition Story. USA’s “Royal Pains” and “House of Payne”, CBS’s “Person of Interest”, “Unforgettable”, and “The Unit”. NBC’s “The Mysteries of Laura”. Education: Yale School of Drama. www.bryanterrellclark.com, Instagram @therealbtc

 

Lilli Cooper (Angel): Upcoming: Spongebob Squarepants, opening on Broadway this fall! Favorites: Spring Awakening (Original Broadway Cast), Wicked (Elphaba), Sundown, Yellow Moon (NYTime's Critic's Pick), Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (ART), The Wildness (Ars Nova), The Threepenny Opera (Atlantic Theater). TV: “Bull” (CBS), “Elementary” (CBS), creator and star of "It’s Not Okay, Cupid” (Glamour.com). Lillicooper.com

Twitter is @lillicooper and instagram is @ lilcoopz

 

Ed Dixon (Jasper Fidget): Broadway: Anything Goes, Mary Poppins; Sunday in the Park with George; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; The Best Man; The Iceman Cometh; Les Miserable; Cyrano; Three Musketeers; King of Schnorrers; No, No, Nanette; and The Scarlet Pimpernal. Author/composer: Georgie, Shylock, Cather County, Richard Cory, Fanny Hill, Whodunit… The Musical, Cloak and Dagger and Secrets of Life on Stage… and Off. WWW.EDDIXON.BIZ

 

Bernard Dotson: Broadway; Finian's Rainbow, (First Gospeleer, Original revival Cast), Chicago, (Billy Flynn), Imaginary Friends, (Leo, Original Cast), Sweet Smell Of Success, (Club Zanzibar Singer, Original Cast), Jesus Christ Superstar, (Original Revival Cast), Ragtime, (Original Cast). This will be the second project that he has worked on with Mr Haak, Mr Maltby, and Mr Shire, having opened Souzatska in Toronto. Gratefull!!! Two is best! @bernarddot

 

John Edwards (Mr. Squeamish): Chicago born/Atlanta raised, John is thrilled to be working with the legendary creative duo, Maltby and Shire. Current member of Michael McElroy and the Broadway Inspirational Voices. Broadway and Other credits include: Jersey Boys, I Am: Anne Hutchinson/Harvey Milk w/ Andrew Lippa and Kristin Chenoweth (Castro Soloist), Hairspray, Dreamgirls (Jimmy Early) Five Guys Named Moe. Peace, Love, and Blessings. @therealjohnedwards

 

Carson Elrod (Sparks): has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, Regionally, and on stage at the Metropolitan Opera. He's also appeared in major motion pictures, television programs, and commercials. Bachelors from KU. Masters from NYU Grad Acting. Full bio and credits at www.carsonelrod.com

 

Kim Exum (Margery Pinchwife): is a Baltimore native and proud VCU alum, who is currently playing Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. Other recent credits include For The Last Time (Off-Broadway), Central Avenue Breakdown (NYMF/DIMF), Seussical the Musical (National Tour), and Bull (CBS).  "An artist's duty is to reflect the times"-Nina Simone. Black Lives Matter. @kim.exum

 

Ann Harada (Mrs. Prudish): played Christmas Eve in the Broadway and West End productions of Avenue Q and stepsister Charlotte in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Other Broadway show include: Madame Thenardier in Les Miserable (revival), 9 to 5, Seussical, and M. Butterfly.  She performed her solo concert in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in 2014. Film: Sisters, Trouble, Youth in Oregon, Admission, Hope Springs, Feel, Happiness. TV includes: “SMASH” ( as Linda, the Stage Manager), “Lipstick Jungle”, “30 Rock”, “Doubt”, “The Good Wife”, “House of Cards”, “Master of None”, “The Jim Gaffigan Show”.

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Sydney James Harcourt (Harcourt): is honored to be part of the creation of this new work with such a legendary team. Broadway credits include Hamilton (Aaron Burr, James Reynolds - OBC), The Lion King (Simba u/s), and Greenday's American Idiot.  A sought after vocalist, he's performed at some of the world's greatest venues including Radio City, Avery Fisher, and Carnegie Hall, at the US Open Finals, and in concert across the globe from Dallas to Sydney to Jakarta. TV: “Gone (2018)”, “Seven Seconds”, “Blue Bloods”, “Younger”, “The Good Wife”, “Law & Order: SVU”. For Z.

 

Jeremy Morse (Dorilant): currently in Waitress (Ensemble, u/s Ogie) on Broadway. Off-Broadway: Bloodsong of Love by Joe Iconis (Lo Cocodrillo, Drama Desk Nom) - Ars Nova. Regional: ART- Waitress (Ogie). Walnut Street/Riverside Theatres- How To Succeed (Finch). Goodspeed: Hello, Dolly! (Barnaby). Paper Mill- Oliver! (Noah Claypole). Performs with Joe Iconis & Family. NYU Steinhardt. jeremymorse.net @jeremycmorse

 

Maria-Christina Oliveras (Lucy): Broadway: Amélie, Machinal, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Off- Broadway: Here Lies Love, Romeo and Juliet, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (The Public); Pretty Filthy (The Civilians); Taylor Mac’s 24 Decade... (St.Ann’s); Zorba (Encores!); Reading Under the Influence (DR2); Night Sky (BPAC); among others. Regional: CTG, Berkeley Rep, Long Wharf, Williamstown, Baltimore Centerstage, Huntington, Denver Center. Selected Film/TV: Manhattan Night, St. Vincent, The Humbling, "Law and Order: SVU", "Nurse Jackie". Education:B.A.-Yale University; M.F.A.-National Theatre Conservatory. @mcoliveras

 

T. Oliver Reid (Pinchwife): has been touring his award winning show, Drop Me Off in Harlem and received MAC Awards for Debut Artist-Male and Male Vocalist, and The Julie Wilson Award.

Broadway: Eleven Broadway Shows! Film and Television: NBC’s “Peter Pan Live!”, Jack and Diane, Girls, “Mercy”, Sex and the City. Toliverreid.com. @Toliverreid

 

LaVon Fisher Wilson (Mrs. Squeamish): is so excited to be a part of The Country Wife cast! Broadway: Chicago, Disney's Newsies, The Color Purple, Lysistrata Jones. Off Broadway: Chix 6! Film/TV: Teen Beach Movie, “Team Toon”, “Nightcap with Jimmy”. Love to Darrell, DJ, Darrien, and DaVonna Wilson, my real dream team! Twitter@lavonfwilson, Facebook & instagram@lavonfisherwilson

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