Starry, Starry Night: Full Cast of LaChiusa & Strand's Highest Yellow, a Tale of van Gogh, Announced
By Kenneth Jones
22 Sep 2004
The full cast of the new Michael John LaChiusa-John Strand musical, The Highest Yellow, has been announced by Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.
Joining the already-announced Marc Kudisch (as Vincent van Gogh), Jason Danieley (as Dr. Felix Rey) and Judy Kuhn (as prostitute Rachel) will be Donna Migliaccio, Stephen Gregory Smith, R. Scott Thompson and Harry A. Winter.
Signature artistic director Eric Schaeffer directs the staging, Oct. 26-Dec. 12. The show has been on Signature's radar for several seasons; it's billed as the "highly anticipated premiere."
Music and lyrics are by five-time Tony nominee LaChiusa (Marie Christine, The Wild Party, Hello Again, First Lady Suite, R Shomon), with a libretto by John Strand.
"In December 1888, a young French intern in Arles admitted a patient suffering from delirium and a self inflicted knife wound," according to production notes. "Dr. Felix Rey was convinced he could cure this unusual patient, a Dutch painter named Vincent van Gogh, of his 'nervous condition.' Set to an intensely beautiful score, this is the story of a provincial doctor's discovery of art and prostitution, and his unexpected encounter with madness versus genius, love versus obsession, and what we ultimately give up in order to hold on to what we
find most precious."
Kudisch was the creepy carnival barker of Broadway's recent Assassins and created the role of Tom in Off-Broadway's The Thing About Men. He played Jackie in The Public Theater's staging of LaChiusa's The Wild Party. .
Danieley played the title optimist in Candide in the most recent Broadway revival (directed by Hal Prince) and as the one of the guys who "let it go" in Broadway's The Full Monty.
Judy Kuhn is the three-time Tony Award nominee, of Broadway's She Loves Me, Chess and Les Misérables.
Kuhn will play the female lead/love interest, a prostitute named Rachel who is a muse and obsession for both van Gogh (she's the woman he presented his ear to) and for the doctor treating him.
Schaeffer directed Broadway's Putting It Together.
For more information about Signature, the lauded resident Equity company, visit www.signature-theatre.org.
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