The production, directed by Evan Weinstein, will feature two new Herman songs as well as extensive rewrites of the musical's book by Mark Bramble. Tour will officially open Nov. 5 and will play through Dec. 4.
Jason Graae will head the cast as Jacobowsky, and he will be joined onstage by Tami Tappan Damiano as Marianne and John Ganun as the Colonel. The company will also feature Cynthia Beckert, Robyn Cohen, Michael Dotson, Gordon Goodman, Marsha Kramer, Peter Musante and John Racca.
About the upcoming mounting of The Grand Tour, Colony Artistic Director Barbara Beckley said in a statement, "It is unreal to me that we are in the unbelievably wonderful position to bring our subscribers and audiences a world premiere revision of a Jerry Herman musical. Jerry and Mark refer to The Grand Tour as 'the show we loved and lost,' and they’re both so excited to be revisiting this amazing piece of work. To have their input and launch it on our stage is a dream come true for any theatre."
The Grand Tour, according to production notes, is "a race against time across the Nazi-occupied French countryside. To escape, a humble young Jew fleeing for his life must suddenly join forces with an anti-Semitic Polish officer smuggling secret papers to England." With a score by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, The Grand Tour originally played Broadway's Palace Theatre Dec. 27, 1978-March 4, 1979. The company featured Joel Grey and Florence Lacey.
The design team for The Grand Tour includes Bradley Kaye (set design), Jeffrey Schoenberg (costume design), Drew Dalzell (sound design) and Don Guy (lighting design). Jason Graae starred on Broadway in A Grand Night for Singing, Falsettos, Stardust and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, and appeared in the Hollywood Bowl concert version of The Music Man as Marcellus Washburn. His Off-Broadway credits include roles in Forever Plaid; Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh; Olympus On My Mind; and All in the Timing. Graae also starred in the Reprise! concerts of Of Thee I Sing!, Anything Goes and The Boys from Syracuse.
For tickets, call the Colony Theatre box office at (818) 558-7000, ext. 15. Visit www.colonytheatre.org for more information.
