Tony Award winner Brent Carver (Kiss of the Spider Woman) will play Pilate, Chilina Kennedy will be Mary Magdalene and Paul Nolan will play Jesus. Character actor and Festival favorite Bruce Dow will play Herod. Mike Nadajewski, of 2010's Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, will play Peter. Dow and Nadajewski also appeared together in McAnuff's 2009 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which will play Toronto in December as part of the Mirvish Productions season.
Marcus Nance will play Caiaphas. Lee Siegel has been cast as Simon and Aaron Walpole as Annas.
The musical was the first hit by composer Lloyd Webber and lyricist Rice. It recounts the last days of Jesus — with a rock-opera score. The choreographer for the Stratford production is Lisa Shriver (Broadway's The Farnsworth Invention).
Initial principal casting for the 2011 playbill of the world-renowned festival in Stratford, Ontario, was announced Oct. 7. More casting will be announced at a later date.
The season will also include: Tom McCamus, Victor Ertmanis, Randy Hughson, Chick Reid, Evan Buliung, Chilina Kennedy and Paul Nolan in The Grapes of Wrath directed by Antoni Cimolino.
Tom McCamus, Laura Condlln, Nigel Bennett and Andrew Gillies in The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Frank Galati.
Brian Bedford, Juan Chioran, Sara Topham, Martha Farrell, Steve Ross, Kelli Fox and Ben Carlson in The Misanthrope directed by Bedford.
Sara Topham and Mike Shara in Des McAnuff's production of Twelfth Night.
Ian Lake and Mike Shara in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming directed by Jennifer Tarver.
John Vickery, Peter Donaldson, Claire Lautier, Amanda Lisman, Dion Johnstone and Sean Arbuckle in Titus Andronicus directed by Darko Tresnjak.
Sean Arbuckle, Nigel Bennett, Andrew Gillies, Bethany Jillard, Martha Henry, Peter Donaldson, Yanna McIntosh and Seana McKenna (previously announced for the title role) in Richard III directed by Miles Potter.
Yanna McIntosh, Irene Poole, Chick Reid and Bethany Jillard in John Mighton's new version of The Little Years, commissioned by the Festival.
Oliver Becker and Gareth Potter in Weyni Mengesha's production of Hosanna.
Casting continues for the 2011 season. The 2010 season runs until Nov. 6, now featuring As You Like It; Kiss Me, Kate; Dangerous Liaisons; Evita and Peter Pan.
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