NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Behind the Scenes at the World Premiere Musical Secondhand Lions With Kevin EarleySeattle's 5th Avenue Theatre presents the world-premiere staging of Secondhand Lions, the new musical by Michael Weiner, Alan Zachary and Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes. Cast member Kevin Earley documented the rehearsal process and extended preview period.
By
Matthew Blank
September 30, 2013
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Behind the Scenes at the World Premiere Musical Secondhand Lions With Kevin Earley
Based on the 2003 movie starring Michael Caine and Robert Duval, Secondhand Lions has a book by Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Curtains) and a score by First Date songwriters Weiner and Zachary. The musical will run through Oct. 6.
Scott Schwartz (Batboy, Golda's Balcony, Jane Eyre) directs with choreography by Joshua Bergasse ("Smash"). Tony Award nominees Edelman (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, City of Angels, Into the Woods) and Jacoby (Show Boat, Ragtime, Sweeney Todd) portray the eccentric uncles who are entrusted with their 14-year-old nephew for a summer. Rabe, who made his Broadway debut last season as Ralphie in A Christmas Story, The Musical, playsWalter – the teen central to the tale.
The cast also features Jason Danieley (Candide, Next to Normal), Kevin Earley (Death Takes a Holiday, A Tale of Two Cities), Kendra Kassebaum (Leap of Faith, Wicked), Jenny Powers (Grease, Happiness), Jared Michael Brown (The Pirates of Penzance), Sophia Anne Caruso (Fly, "Smash") and Justin Huertas (Avenue Q).
The ensemble includes Wendi Bergamini, Scott Brateng, Sydney Buckley, Sarah Rose Davis, Nick DeSantis, Eric Esteb, Lori Ann Ferreri, Jenifer Foote, Matthew Posner, Nick Gaswirth, Fawn Ledesma, Ulyber Mangune Harris Milgrim, Ryah Nixon, Deon Ridley, Indeah Thomaier, Grayson Smith and Kennedy Miller.
Secondhand Lions has scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Kai Harada, hair and makeup design by Mary Pyanowski, orchestrations by Alan Lee Silva, dance arrangements by Sam Davis, projection design by Jeff Sugg and fight direction by Rick Sordelet.
According to the 5th Avenue, "Harkening back to a simpler time, when a boy's imagination was all that was needed to turn a regular summer on a Texas farm into the adventure of a lifetime, Secondhand Lions follows the extraordinary tale of Walter, a 14-year-old boy sent to live with his irascible uncles on their Texas farm for the summer. While there, the tall tales his uncles tell him—stories of hidden treasure and beguiling princesses—lead Walter on a magical odyssey through history and the past."