The Signature Theatre production of 110 in the Shade — Jan. 21-March 2, 2003 — will feature two new songs from composers Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones.
Schmidt and Jones have written "The Way a Man Gets Got" and "Evenin' Star" for the Signature production, which will star Jacquelyn Piro as Lizzie Curry and the previously announced Matt Bogart as Starbuck. "The Way a Man Gets Got" will be performed by Lizzie and the Curry family, and "Evenin' Star" is a solo for Starbuck.
Theatre veteran Jonathan Tunick has created new orchestrations for the staging, which will be directed by Signature's artistic director Eric Schaeffer. About his cast and creative team, Schaeffer said in a statement, "We’ve got a conflagration of talent here. Harvey and Tom are truly legendary, and to have them extend their glorious score for us is a dream come true. To bring Jonathan Tunick into the mix means that we have three of the greatest names in Broadway musical history right here at Signature Theatre. And then for me to get a chance to work with Jacqui Piro again, and to work with Matt Bogart for the first time . . . what could be better?"
The remainder of the 110 in the Shade cast includes A.K. Brink as Snookie, James Moye as File, Thomas Adrian Simpson as Noah Curry, Stephen Gregory Lee Smith as Jim Curry, Harry A. Winter as H.C. Curry with an ensemble led by Chrystyna Dail, Ilona Dulaski, Joe Peck and R. Scott Thompson. The creative comprises Karma Camp (choreography), Jon Kalbfleish (musical direction), Eric Grims (set design), Jonathan Blandin (lighting design), Michele Reisch (costume design), Christie Kelly (hair and wig design), Tony Angelini (sound design), Elsie Jones (property design), Sara Melinda (fight choreography) and Ronnie Gunderson (production stage manager).
Jacquelyn Piro recently played Fantine in the Broadway company of Les Misérables, and her other Broadway credits include Miss Saigon and the City Center Encores! mounting of Sweet Adeline. She also played Betty Schaeffer opposite Petula Clark in the national tour of Sunset Boulevard. This past summer, Matt Bogart was seen as Paul in the Kennedy Center production of Stephen Sondheim's Company. The actor-singer has starred on Broadway in Aida, The Civil War, Miss Saigon and Smokey Joe's Cafe. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music, Bogart has appeared in regional productions of Carousel and Side Show, and he recently released his debut solo recording, "Simple Songs," on the Jay Records label. Piro and Bogart worked together previously in the first national tour of Big. The original production of 110 in the Shade — produced by David Merrick — opened at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre on Oct. 24, 1963. The musical, based on N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker, played 330 performances before closing on Aug. 9, 1964. Directed by Joseph Anthony with choreography by Agnes De Mille, the cast included Stephen Douglass, Robert Horton, Inga Swenson, George Church, Will Geer, Steve Roland, Scooter Teague and Lesley Warren.
The Signature Theatre is located at 3806 South Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington, VA. Tickets for the production, priced between $20 and $38, are available by calling (800) 955-5566 or (703) 218-6500. Visit www.sig-online.org for more information.
