FRANK LOESSER (Music and Lyrics) One of America’s great composer/lyricists, Frank Loesser began his songwriting career during the Depression as a lyricist, contributing songs to Broadway revues and nightclub acts. His work with composer Irving Actman in the 1936 revue The Illustrator’s Show led to a songwriting contract in Hollywood, where he spent the next eleven years working with such composers as Burton Lane, Jule Styne, Arthur Schwartz, and Hoagy Carmichael. Some of his film songs from that period include “Two Sleepy People,” “Jingle Jangle Jingle” and “I Don’t Want To Walk Without You.” The first song for which Loesser wrote both words and music was “Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition,” written during his World War II service. His Hollywood work after the war included the hit songs “Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year,” “A Slow Boat To China,” and the 1949 Oscar-winning song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” In 1948 Loesser was approached by fledgling Broadway producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin to write music and lyrics to George Abbott’s libretto for an adaptation of the classic Brandon Thomas play Charley’s Aunt. The new musical, which starred Ray Bolger, was called Where’s Charley? and was a hit. This led to Loesser’s next show, the hugely influential and successful Guys and Dolls in 1950, also produced by Feuer and Martin, with a script by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling. In 1956 Loesser wrote the libretto, music, and lyrics for his next show, The Most Happy Fella, adapted from Sidney Howard’s play, They Knew What They Wanted. This impressive score contains over 30 musical numbers and makes extensive use of operatic techniques and forms, including recitative, arias, duets, trios, and choral numbers. In 1960 he provided the score and was co-librettist for Greenwillow. In 1961, Loesserwrote the score for the Pulitzer Prize-winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. His last show, Pleasures and Palaces, closed in 1965 during out-of-town try-outs.
ABE BURROWS (Book) After studying to be a doctor and an accountant, Abe Burrows had a career in sales before becoming a successful radio script writer and writer/performer of musical parody numbers. His first Broadway libretto was Guys and Dolls, co-written with Jo Swerling, with a score by Frank Loesser. Among the musicals for which he provided librettos are Make A Wish, Can-Can, and Silk Stockings (both with scores by Cole Porter), Say, Darling, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (which he also directed; score by Frank Loesser). His non-musical plays include Cactus Flower (wrote and directed) and Forty Carats (directed).
JO SWERLING (Book) Born in Russia in 1897, Jo Swerling was a playwright, screenwriter, and vaudeville sketch writer. Mr. Swerling’s long career began as a reporter and feature writer in New York and Chicago.
MARC BRUNI (Director) returns to the Kennedy Center after directing The Music Man, How to Succeed.., and 50 Years of Broadway. He directed the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, in the West End, US/UK Tours, and in Australia, winning the Helpmann and Green Room Awards for Best Direction of a Musical. Other directing credits include: Trevor (Disney+, Off Bway—Stage 42), The Nutty Professor (Ogunquit), The Explorers Club (Manhattan Theater Club), The Tale of Despereaux (w/PigPen Theatre Co.—Old Globe, Berkeley Rep), Old Jews Telling Jokes (Westside Theatre and Royal George—Jeff Award nom for Direction), Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream, and Fanny for NY City Center Encores!, Roman Holiday: The Cole Porter Musical (Golden Gate), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric Opera, Aspen), A Killer Party, and 7 shows for the St. Louis MUNY. Graduate of Dartmouth College.
DENIS JONES (Choreographer) is a two-time Tony Award nominated choreographer and his work has been seen on Broadway in Tootsie, Holiday Inn and Honeymoon in Vegas. Recent credits also include: Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz (Paper Mill Playhouse), Hello Dolly! (Marriott Theater), The Sound of Music (Aspen Music Festival), Chicago (The Muny), Eurydice (Metropolitan Opera), A Chorus Line (Signature Theater) Call Me Madam and Paint Your Wagon (NY City Center ENCORES!), How To Succeed… (Kennedy Center), The Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage), The Music Man (Goodman Theatre), The Tempest (Shakespeare in the Park), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Goodspeed Opera House).
KEVIN STITES (Music Director) is thrilled to be making his Broadway Center Stage debut with Guys and Dolls. He recently conducted the world premiere of Mr. Holland’s Opus at the Ogunquit Playhouse, as well as conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for an all Sondheim concert at the Ravinia Festival. Music Director/Conductor at the Hollywood Bowl: Into The Woods, The Producers, Guys and Dolls, and Les Misérables. Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus: tributes to Lerner and Loewe, Porter, Gershwin, Bernstein, and Sondheim. For Manhattan Concert productions he conducted Broadway Classics in Concert at Carnegie Hall, as well as Crazy for You and Titanic at David Geffen Hall. He conducted the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall with Brian Stokes Mitchell, several Symphonic Concerts with Kristin Chenoweth (LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl), and the mono-opera Falling Man by Kenneth Fuchs at the 911 Museum Memorial. Broadway credits: On The 20th Century (Revival), South Pacific (Lincoln Center Theater), A Tale of Two Cities, The Color Purple (Original Music Supervision/Incidental Music), Titanic (Original Musical Supervisor/Music Director), Sunset Boulevard, Les Misérables (2006 revival), The Threepenny Opera (Roundabout Revival), Fiddler on the Roof (2003), Nine (Revival), Oklahoma! (Nunn/Stroman), On The Town, and Nine to Five (Additional Musical Arrangements).
PAUL TATE DEPOO III (Scenic and Projection Design) is a scenic, projection, and production designer based in New York. He most recently designed the production for Usher’s Las Vegas residency and Turandot, the world’s largest opera in Vienna, Austria. dePoo was the scenic and projection designer for the Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series including 50 Years of Broadway, The Music Man, The Who’s Tommy, Footloose, and Next to Normal. In 2020, he received the Helen Hayes award for ‘Outstanding Scenic Design’ for his production of Grand Hotel at Signature Theatre where he also designed Titanic, A Little Night Music, Blackbeard, and Crazy for You. During 2020, dePoo served as the Creative Director for The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels In America, benefitting amfAR’s Fund to Fight COVID-19 which was listed as The New York Times’s top production of the year. This fall, he will lead as the production designer for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Opening Ceremonies. www.pauldepoo.com
MARA BLUMENFELD (Costume Design) is thrilled to make her Kennedy Center debut. Elsewhere in D.C., she has designed The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (currently running), Candide, and Pericles at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Metamorphoses and The Arabian Nights at Arena Stage. New York credits include Metamorphoses (Circle in the Square, Second Stage), Trevor (Stage 42), The Glorious Ones (Lincoln Center), Homebody/Kabul and Galileo Galilei (BAM), Measure for Measure (NYSF/Public) and Mary Zimmerman’s productions of Rusalka, Lucia di Lammermoor and La Sonnambula for the Metropolitan Opera. Based in Chicago, she has designed numerous productions for The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Lookingglass Theatre Company, where she is an ensemble member. Her work has been seen internationally in the UK, France, Italy, Japan, and Australia. She is the recipient of the Michael Merritt Award, four Jeff Awards (Chicago), and has been nominated for the Drama Desk and Olivier Awards. Website: marablumenfeld.com.
CORY PATTAK (Lighting Design) Kennedy Center: 50 Years of Broadway, Next to Normal, Footloose, In the Heights, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man. NYC: The Lucky Star, Final Follies, Stalking the Bogeyman, Revolution in the Elbow, Handle with Care, Skippyjon Jones, Unlocked. Regional: Weston Playhouse, Old Globe, Portland Stage, Goodspeed, KC Rep, Everyman, Philadelphia Theatre Comp, Asolo Rep, Tuacahn, Olney, Alabama Shakespeare, Ogunquit Playhouse. In the Heights in Puerto Rico, shows for Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises. National Tour of Flashdance. International: Sunset Boulevard, Singin in the Rain (Brazil). Bway Associate: Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher. Creator of “in 1: the podcast,” featuring interviews with theatrical designers. www. corypattak.com. IG: @corypattak
KAI HARADA (Sound Design) Broadway: Mister Saturday Night, Head Over Heels, The Band’s Visit (Tony, Drama Desk Awards), Amélie, Sunday in the Park with George, Allegiance, Gigi, Fun Home, On the Town, First Date, Follies, Million Dollar Quartet. Other: The Karate Kid, Bedwetter, Soft Power, Little Dancer, shows at City Center and the Kennedy Center.
HALEY PARCHER (Sound Design) is a Seattle-based freelance sound designer and sound engineer. Her most recent designs include Beauty and the Beast (5th Avenue Theatre), Mamma Mia (Village Theatre), and the new musical How Can I Love You at Cave B Estate Winery. Past associate design credits with Broadway Center Stage at the Kennedy Center include Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man, Tommy, and Next to Normal. Love to Brent and her family.
TOM WATSON (Hair and Wig Design) Originally from N. Ireland headed the wig/makeup department at the Metropolitan Opera for 17 years. He has designed more than 100 Broadway productions. Wicked, Rock of Ages, The King & I, Fiddler on the Roof, Oslo, Falsettos, The Little Foxes, Junk, My Fair Lady, King Kong, All My Sons Great Society and Plaza Suite.
JZ CASTING (Casting) Geoff Josselson, CSA and Katja Zarolinski, CSA are New York-based casting directors, handling productions for theater, film and television. Theatre work includes Broadway, off-Broadway and regional productions at Alley Theatre, Arena Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Cape Playhouse, Denver Center, The Irish Repertory Theatre, Merrimack Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Round House Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Studio Theatre, Theaterworks Hartford, Weston Playhouse and Woolly Mammoth Theatre. For more information, please visit www.jz-casting.com.
ERIC JORDAN YOUNG (Associate Director) is a Producer, Director, Choreographer, Entertainer, Playwright and Songwriter with TV, Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional, National Tour, and Commercial credits. Direction: Rock of Ages Hollywood (Assoc.), BAZ (Resident), This Is Christmas (Dir/Choreo), Renegades (Dir), Drag Supper Club (Dir/Choreo), NCL Footloose (Assoc.), NCL What the World Needs Now (Dir/ Choreo), NCL Rock of Ages (Assoc.). Eric is on the theater faculty at Long Island University. Enjoy! @ ejyshakin / ericjordanyoung.com
BARRY BUSBY (Associate Choreographer) Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas, Holiday Inn, Sunset Boulevard starring Glenn Close, and Tootsie. Regional: MUNY, Goodspeed, Papermill Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, DTC, TUTS, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and many more! In 2014 and ’16 he was featured on the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and can be seen in the 73rd annual Tony Awards! Barry is co- founder of BROADWAY IMAGINED, a virtual studio bringing Broadway caliber classes to the homes of dancers and fans of musical theater. Follow them @broadwayimagined and sign up for classes at www.broadwayimagined.com.
GREG JARRETT (Associate Music Director) Broadway: Gigi, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Dames at Sea, Side Show, Fun Home, The Nance. Off- Broadway: Assassins, Pacific Overtures, The Cradle Will Rock, Passion, The Beast In The Jungle, Red Eye Of Love, Death Takes A Holiday, Anything Can Happen In The Theatre, Timon of Athens. Encores! Off-Center: Promenade and others. Regional: August Rush. Cast Albums: Assassins, Anything Can Happen..., Beast In The Jungle, Gigi, Red Eye Of Love, Side Show, Side Show: Added Attractions. Education: The University of Michigan.
MATTHEW LACEY (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to The Kennedy Center. Broadway Center Stage: The Music Man. Broadway/Tour: MJ The Musical, Tootsie (Chicago & Bway), SpongeBob SquarePants, Sunset Boulevard, Waitress, An American In Paris, On the Twentieth Century, Motown The Musical, Ghost The Musical, Flashdance (tour), Relatively Speaking, Arcadia, La Bête, A Little Night Music, Chicago, Swing! and Urinetown. Off Broadway: Stomp, Mnemonic, Johnny Guitar, World of Mirth, Pete ‘n’ Keely. Regional/Dance: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, St. Louis Muny, Kansas City Starlight and American Ballet Theatre. Graduate of The Sargent Conservatory at Webster University.
REBECCA AZENBERG (Assistant Stage Manager) Graduate of LaGuardia High School, School of American Ballet & Columbia University. Dance/Film: Pennsylvania Ballet, Black Swan & Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake. Performed at the Edinburgh Festival, the Kennedy Center & New York City Center. Management: 1st National Tours of Wicked & Waitress; Broadway productions of Chicago, Waitress & Mr. Saturday Night.
ALEXANDER PIERCE (Assistant Stage Manager) National Tours: Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary Tour, RENT, Mamma Mia!. Regional: Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company and Ogunquit Playhouse. Graduate of Emerson College.
MUSIC THEATER INTERNATIONAL (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community, and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior™ shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
BROADWAY CENTER STAGE (Jeffrey Finn, Artistic Director & Executive Producer) is a theater initiative launched in 2017 showcasing beloved musicals exclusively created and produced for the Kennedy Center. The mission of the series is to collaborate with the best artists and creative teams direct from Broadway to offer unique programming that can only be seen at the Kennedy Center. The inaugural season featured sold-out productions of Chess starring Karen Olivo, Ramin Karimloo, Raul Esperanza, and Ruthie Ann Miles; In the Heights starring Anthony Ramos, Ana Villafañe and Vanessa Hudgens; and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Skylar Astin and Betsy Wolfe. BCS shows have been hailed by The Washington Post as “a premiere addition to the arts center’s programming and a magnet for top Broadway talent.” Other productions include: Little Shop of Horrors starring Megan Hilty and Josh Radnor; The Music Man starring Norm Lewis and Jessie Mueller; and The Who’s Tommy starring Casey Cott, Christian Borle, and Mandy Gonzalez; starring J. Quinton Johnson; and Next to Normal starring Rachel Bay Jones and Brandon Victor Dixon. The current season features Guys and Dolls starring James Monroe Iglehart, Jessie Mueller, Steven Pasquale, and Phillipa Soo; Sunset Boulevard starring Stephanie J. Block; and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Broadway Center Stage initially presented semi-staged concert musicals, but with the growing success of the series, the shows are now produced as fully staged musicals which proudly feature the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.