Patti Murin to Star as Emma in Jane Austen’s Emma – A Musical Romantic Comedy

Adam Monley and Will Reynolds Co-Star in the Musical by Tony Award Nominee Paul Gordon

Executive Producer Lou Spisto announced the principle casting for Jane Austen’s Emma – A Musical Romantic Comedy.  The musical, with book, music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon and direction by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun, will star Patti Murin as Emma Woodhouse with Adam Monley as Mr. Knightley and Will Reynolds as Frank Churchill.  The complete cast will be announced at a later date.  Jane Austen’s Emma will run in the Old Globe Theatre Jan. 15 – Feb. 27.  Preview performances run Jan. 15 – Jan. 22. Opening night is Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org <http://www.TheOldGlobe.org> , by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Emma, a beautiful and clever young woman who prides herself on her matchmaking ability, is preoccupied with romance yet is clueless to her own feelings of love.  When she takes on a young friend as her latest project, her well-intentioned efforts misfire, leading to a whirlwind of complications – and ultimately, true love.  Paul Gordon brings Jane Austen’s masterpiece to musical life with songs that are “cleverly woven throughout” and “enhance the story in wonderful ways” (Variety).

Jane Austen’s Emma premiered at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto in September 2007. Gordon’s musical has since had successful regional productions at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.  In 2001, Gordon was nominated for a Tony Award for composing the music and lyrics to the Broadway musical Jane Eyre directed by John Caird and Scott Schwartz.  Daddy Long Legs, also written with John Caird, had its world premiere at Rubicon Theatre Company in the fall of 2009 and has gone on to play TheatreWorks, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Broad Stage in Los Angeles and will receive productions at Northlight Theatre, La Mirada Theatre and Laguna Playhouse.  His other works include Lucky Break, written with Jay Gruska and Seth Friedman, based on the 1976 film The Front, Death: The Musical and Analogue and Vinyl.  Gordon is currently working on Little Miss Scrooge, a contemporary retelling of the Dickens classic.  He has written several number-one pop songs and is the recipient of nine ASCAP Awards.

Patti Murin’s recent credits include Euterpe and Kira understudy in Xanadu (Broadway), Lysistrata Jones in Douglas Carter Beane’s new musical Give It Up! (Dallas Theater Center), Waverly in Next Thing You Know by Josh Salzman and Ryan Cunningham (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Theatre of the Stars), every production of David Zippel’s Princesses (Goodspeed Musicals and 5th Avenue Theatre), Amber in Hairspray (Cape Playhouse) and Nicole in Band Geeks! (Goodspeed Musicals).  Murin originated the role of Sharpay Evans in the premiere professional production of Disney’s High School Musical (Theatre of the Stars, directed by Jeff Calhoun).

Adam Monley was last seen at The Old Globe in Working. He has appeared on Broadway in the original cast of Mamma Mia!  His National Tour credits include Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera and Mark Twain and Voice of Huck in Deaf West’s production of Big River, directed by Jeff Calhoun.  Monley has appeared Off Broadway as Will Plenty in Fanny Hill (York Theatre Company) and Harley in A Gingerbread House (Playwrights Horizon).  His regional credits include Paul in Carnival! (Goodspeed Musicals), Curly in Oklahoma! and Romeo in Romeo and Bernadette (Paper Mill Playhouse) and Henrik in A Little Night Music (North Shore Music Theatre).

Will Reynolds’ credits include the North American Tour of Mamma Mia!, Curly in Oklahoma! and the title role in Candide (Light Opera Works in Chicago), Jean-Michel in La Cage aux Folles (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Frankie in Forever Plaid (Cape Playhouse), Jason in Ordinary Days (Adirondack Theatre Festival) and Gerald in A Woman of No Importance (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre).  Reynolds was nominated for a Connecticut Critics Circle Award as Huck Finn in Big River (Goodspeed Musicals).  His film credits include The Good Shepherd.  As a writer, Reynolds’ musical The Greenwood Tree (with text by William Shakespeare) was featured in the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival and most recently at the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage festival. As well as being a member of the acting company, his rehearsal improvisations became the songs for The Servant of Two Masters at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. Reynolds was selected by ASCAP for the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project and just finished work on a children’s theatre commission.

Jeff Calhoun returns to the Globe where he last co-directed Himself and Nora with Joe Hardy.  He directed the pre-Broadway production of Bonnie & Clyde at Asolo Repertory Theatre following an award-winning run at La Jolla Playhouse (Craig Noel Awards for Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Director of a Musical).  Calhoun directed and choreographed the First National Tour of the stage musical adaptation of the hit Dolly Parton film 9 to 5.  He also directed the world premiere productions and domestic and international tours of Disney’s High School Musical and Disney’s High School Musical 2.  He directed and choreographed the Deaf West Theatre production of Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum and the award-winning Deaf West Theatre production of Big River (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, Best Revival of a Musical; Drama Desk nomination for Best Director of a Musical; Ovation and L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards for Direction and Choreography).  Calhoun was a producer as well as director/choreographer for the Broadway production of Brooklyn the Musical and the director/choreographer of the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease (Tony nomination, Best Choreography).  He co-choreographed the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun (Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical).  His Broadway directing debut was Tommy Tune Tonite!, and his collaboration with Tune led to the 1991 Tony for Best Choreography for The Will Rogers Follies.

Jane Austen’s Emma will run in the Old Globe Theatre Jan. 15 – Feb. 27.  Preview performances run Jan. 15 – Jan. 22. Opening night is Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m. Performance times:  Previews:  Saturday, Jan. 15 at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20 at 8:00 p.m., Friday, Jan. 21 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8:00 p.m.  Regular Performances:  Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m.  There is a Wednesday matinee on Feb. 9 at 2:00 p.m.  Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and under, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

TICKETS to Jane Austen’s Emma can be purchased online by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Ticket prices range from $55 to $94.

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