Gleason, Arcelus, Powers and Sapp Cast in Lincoln Center Theater's Happiness

By Adam Hetrick
December 29, 2008

Tony winner Joanna Gleason, Sebastian Arcelus, Jenny Powers and Robb Sapp will be among the cast of the new Susan Stroman-directed musical Happiness, which will bow Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater's Mitzi E. Newhouse in February 2009.

Happiness will play a 14-week engagement at the Newhouse beginning Feb. 27, 2009. According to an LCT newsletter, initial casting for the production also includes Ana Maria Andricain, Fred Applegate, Holly Ann Butler, Miguel Cervantes, Patrick Cummings, Janet Dickinson, Alan Green, Samantha Maza, James Moye, Alessa Neeck, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Eric Santagata, Alexander Scheitinger, Lina Silver, Phyllis Somerville, Pearl Sun, Idara Victor and Matt Wall.

Complete casting is expected shortly.

The Tony-nominated Grey Gardens songwriting team of Michael Korie and Scott Frankel penned the score to the new musical that reunites Contact book writer John Weidman and director/choreographer Susan Stroman.

According to the Lincoln Center Theater newsletter, "Happiness unfolds the stories of a dozen or so New Yorkers stuck in the morning rush of a stalled subway car and required by the spectral trainman to recall and re-enact the happiest moment in their lives before they can continue their travels... and travails. Happiness celebrates those fleeting moments in everyday lives – typically unanticipated, largely overlooked, always ephemeral - that upon reflection become peoples fondest memories."

The design team includes Thomas Lynch (set design), William Ivey Long (costume design), Donald Holder (lighting design) and Scott Lehrer (sound design).

For further information visit www.lct.org.