Joining the previously announced Tony Award nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Les Misérables) for the May 9 launch at PH's Mainstage Theater Off-Broadway will be Tony Award nominee John Dossett (Gypsy, Mamma Mia!), Drama Desk Award nominee Julia Murney (The Wild Party, Wicked), Mary Faber (Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky, Avenue Q), Josh Breckenridge (The Ritz), Juliana Ashley Hansen (national tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie), Curtis Holbrook (Xanadu), Van Hughes (Hairspray), Jason Michael Snow (Pirates of Penzance at Goodspeed), Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal), Emily Walton (national tour of A Christmas Carol) and Daniel Zaitchik (Kimberly Akimbo).
One final addition to the cast will be announced in the coming weeks.
Gary Griffin (The Color Purple, Dancing in the Dark) directs the show, which has music and lyrics by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman (The Civilians' Gone Missing) and book and lyrics by two-time Olivier Award nominee John Dempsey (The Witches of Eastwick) and Obie Award winner Rinne Groff (The Ruby Sunrise, Showtime's "Weeds"). The musical is based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture (called "Saved!") written by Brian Dannelly & Michael Urban. Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) choreographs.
Opening is June 3. The limited engagement will continue through June 22 at Playwrights Horizons, 416 W. 42nd Street in Manhattan.
According to Playwrights Horizons, "In Saved, good girl Mary (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and her domineering best friend Hilary Faye (Mary Faber) are starting their senior year at the top of the social food chain at American Eagle Christian High School — that is, until Mary's boyfriend (Aaron Tveit) tells her he thinks he's gay. When Jesus appears in a vision, and Mary heeds his message 'to do everything she can to help him,' her good deeds are met with dire consequences, and Mary is forced to question everything she's ever believed. Through it all, she finds faith in unexpected places and learns what it truly means to be saved." The design team includes three Tony Award winners: scenic designer Scott Pask (The Coast of Utopia, The Pillowman), costume designer Jess Goldstein (The Rivals) and lighting designer Donald Holder (The Lion King) as well as sound design by three-time Drama Desk Award nominee Brian Ronan (Grey Gardens, Spring Awakening).
Orchestrations are by Curtis Moore (The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin), music director is Jesse Vargas and music coordinator is John Miller.
Saved is being produced by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical.
Playwrights Horizons, a resident not-for-profit theatre committed to contemporary writers, has produced new plays (I Am My Own Wife, The Heidi Chronicles, Driving Miss Daisy) as well as groundbreaking musicals (Grey Gardens, James Joyce's The Dead, Floyd Collins, Assassins and Sunday in the Park with George).
The film "Saved!" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. After appearing at several additional film festivals, it opened across the country in a limited release in May 2004, and would go on to play in over 30 countries around the world. The cast included Jena Malone (Mary), Mary-Louise Parker (Lillian), Mandy Moore (Hilary Faye), Macaulay Culkin (Roland) and Martin Donovan (Pastor Skip).
The performance schedule for Saved will be Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2:30 & 8 PM and Sundays at 2:30 & 7:30 PM.
Tickets are currently available to Playwrights Horizons subscribers only. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning April 11.
For more information visit www.playwrightshorizons.org or call (212) 279-4200.
