Mermaid's Creighton Will Be Cagney! in World Premiere Musical at Florida Stage | Playbill

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News Mermaid's Creighton Will Be Cagney! in World Premiere Musical at Florida Stage Robert Creighton, the song-and-dance character actor seen as Chef Louis in Broadway's The Little Mermaid, will play actor James Cagney in the world-premiere musical Cagney! for Florida Stage, March 21-May 3.

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Robert Creighton

Creighton, whose other credits include Broadway's Laughing Room Only with Jackie Mason, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Timon in The Lion King (Toronto/Los Angeles) and Damn Yankees for Encores! Summer Stars, is on leave from Disney's The Little Mermaid to do Cagney!, for which the busy artist also penned songs.

Music and lyrics are by Creighton and musical director Christopher McGovern.

Bill Castellino directs Peter Colley's musical, which boasts new numbers plus classics by George M. Cohan. The Cagney! cast will also feature Darrin Baker (Broadway's Tarzan, Wonderful Town [with Brooke Shields], Laughing Room Only, Footloose, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sunset Boulevard) as Jack Warner, plus Joel Newsome (Broadway's The Producers), Brian Ogilvie (Altar Boyz), Tina Stafford (Florida Studio Theatre's Jacques Brel…) and Ellen Zolezzi (Off-Broadway's Seussical).

According to Florida Stage, "Cagney! tells the story of one of the most iconic and beloved figures in American film and stage history. Cagney came from the mean streets of New York City. An accomplished hoofer, he worked in the dance halls and cabarets of the city, going on to become the cinema's quintessential tough guy, a political and social activist and one of the country's most beloved song and dance men."

Opening is March 27 in Manalapan, FL, in the Palm Beach area. Playwright Colley has had his plays and musicals produced in 25 countries, 48 of the 50 States in the U.S., and every province in Canada. He has received many awards including a 2000 Humanitas Prize nomination for screenwriting, a semi-finalist for the 2006 and 2007 Eugene O'Neill Awards. Cagney! received a 2008 Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award.

McGovern's new musical A Visit to Roswell was read at last season's Florida Stage 1st Stage Festival. He also co-conceived (with Lynnette Barkley) and wrote the book/original songs/arrangements for the Florida Stage hit Backwards in High Heels. He wrote the libretto and score for Lizzie Borden, seen regionally.

The creative team includes Mark Pirolo (scenic design), Jim Fulton (lighting design), Erin Amico (costume design) and Matt Kelly (sound design).

For tickets and more information call (561) 585-3433 or (800) 514-3837 (outside of Palm Beach County), or visit www.floridastage.org.

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Florida Stage, devoted to world premieres and regional premiere, bills itself as the only professional theatre in the Southeast producing exclusively new and emerging plays.

 
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