For the Boys Stage Musical to Star Michele Ragusa and Timothy Gulan | Playbill

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News For the Boys Stage Musical to Star Michele Ragusa and Timothy Gulan Michele Ragusa and Timothy Gulan will swing down memory lane in For the Boys, the stage musical adaptation of the 1991 World War II-set film, which will debut Aug. 17 at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, IL.

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Michele Ragusa

Ragusa (Young Frankenstein, Urinetown) and Gulan (Blood Brothers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), will play big band singer Dixie Leonard and entertainer Eddie Sparks, respectively. The Twentieth Century Fox film starred Bette Midler and James Caan.

For the Boys charts the relationship of the two performers during the 1940's USO tour. Tony Award nominee Marshall Brickman (Jersey Boys, Addams Family) penned the screenplay to the film along with Neal Jimenez and Lindy Laub.

Aaron Thielen, the co-artistic director of the Marriott Theatre, has adapted the stage production, which incorporates songs from the film, including "PS I Love You," "GI Jive," "Stuff Like That There," "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "What a Wonderful World." New orchestrations will be by David Seigel.

As previously reported, Jeff Award winner Marc Robin will direct and choreograph For the Boys, which will officially open Aug. 26 for a run through Oct. 16.

The cast will also include Anne Gunn as Loretta Brooks, Summer Smart as Margaret, Michael Lindner as Sam Schiff, Bernie Yvon as Wally Fields, Johanna McKenzie Miller as Luanna Trott, Holly Stauder as Gloria, Michael Weber as Art Silver, Melissa Zaremba as Victoria Lee, Katheryn Patton as Evelyn, Rod Thomas as the Band Singer, and Jameson Cooper as Michael. Ensemble members include John Michael Coppola, Alex Goodrich, Karl Hamilton, Andrew Mueller, Brandon Springman, Zachary Keller, Johnny Rabe, Daniel Coonley and Conlan Ledwith.

For the Boys will have music direction by Ryan Nelson, set design by Thomas M. Ryan, costume design by Nancy Missimi, lighting design by Diane Ferry Williams, sound design by Robert E. Gilmartin, projection design by Sage Carter and properties design by Sally Weiss. Patti Garwood will conduct.

According to the Marriott, "For the Boys follows the story of 1940s big-band singer Dixie Leonard and America’s favorite song and dance man, Eddie Sparks. The world was at war and Eddie Sparks was on top. Nobody could out-sing, out-step, or out-charm Eddie, America’s premier entertainer, until Dixie Leonard came along. Together they entertained American troops, in times of war and peace, and the world was their stage. Their act was sensational and their relationship extraordinary. Offstage, they fought their own personal war, but when the nation needed them they were there. For over 30 years, three wars, and hundreds of shows, they did it all 'For the Boys.'"

For tickets phone (847) 634-0200. Visit MarriottTheatre.

 
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