Cast Complete for Pasadena's Twist, Starring Cleavant Derricks, Tamyra Gray and Alaman Diadhiou | Playbill

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News Cast Complete for Pasadena's Twist, Starring Cleavant Derricks, Tamyra Gray and Alaman Diadhiou Tony Award winner Cleavant Derricks and young actor Alaman Diadhiou will join "American Idol" finalist Tamyra Gray in the musical Twist, directed by Golden Globe winner Debbie Allen, which will begin performances June 14 at the Pasadena Playhouse.

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Cleavant Derricks

Derricks (Dreamgirls) will play Crazah Chesterfield, with the previously announced Gray (Rent, Bombay Dreams) as Della. Diadhiou, who originated the title role in the Alliance Theatre production of Twist in Atlanta last September, will reprise his performance for the Pasadena run. Coco Monroe will appear in the role during select performances.

Allen directs and choreographs the musical based on the Charles Dickens classic "Oliver Twist"; the musical has a book by William F. Brown (who authored the Tony-nominated book of The Wiz) and Tina Tippit and a score by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Tena Clark and Gary Prim. Twist will officially open June 26 for a run through July 17 at the Pasadena Playhouse.

The cast will also include Paul Aguirre (Potlatch), Cliff Bemis (Mr. Prudhomme), Joshua Bolden as (Pistol), Diane Delano (Ms. Cotton), Chad Doreck as (Lucius Thatcher), Kyle Garvin (Skillet), Ava Gaudet (Angela), Jared Grimes (Roosevelt), Matthew Johnson (Boston), Chase Maxwell (Yancy) and Carla Renata (Naomi/Mrs. Beaudreux).

The ensemble includes Chantel Heath, Holly Hyman, Olivia-Diane Joseph, Vivian Nixon, Malaiyka Reid, Terrance Spencer, Dougie Styles and Armando Yearwood.

Tamyra Grey
The children's ensemble features Nickolas Eibler, John Fisher, Joshua Horton, Wayne Mackins, Micah Patterson, Julianna Rigoglioso, Issac Spector and Dempsey Tonks. Twist will have scenic design by Todd Rosenthal, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Peter Fitzgerald, orchestrations by Harold Wheeler, with musical direction and vocal arrangements by Jim Vukovich.

"I can hardly sleep at night thinking about rehearsals and the work that we will do to realize the vision of this new telling of the Dickens classic 'Oliver Twist,' now set in New Orleans," Allen said in a statement. "Born and raised in Texas and Louisiana, I know the sounds and smells and tastes of the people. The rich cultural fusion from the swamp to the French Quarter provides a dynamic tapestry upon which we will weave a story that takes place in 1918-1929, but is still so relevant today. Twist is the story of a boy lost in a river of racial hatred, greed and deceit, who is found on a road to hope, love and family, with a lot of great singing and dancing along the way."

Allen directed the Broadway and London revivals of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. A Tony nominee for her performances in the revivals of Sweet Charity and West Side Story, Allen won a Golden Globe and two Emmys for her role on "Fame."

For tickets phone (626) 356-7529 or visit PasadenaPlayhouse.

 
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