Never Gonna Dance, which features tunes from the Jerome Kern songbook, will begin a limited engagement Feb. 18 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, CA. Presented by Musical Theatre West and directed by Larry Raben, the musical will play through March 5. Lee Martino will choreograph with musical direction by Darryl Archibald.
Harris will be joined onstage by David Engel as Lucky, Tami Tappan Damiano as Penny and Henry Polic II as Alfred J. Morganthal. The company also includes Chip Abbott, Shell Bauman, Seth Belliston, Danial Brown, Sascha Childers, Penny Collins, Deborah Fauerbach, Joshua Finkel, Karla Franko, Kristyn Green, James Gruessing, Kim Mikesell, John Moschitta, Jr., Robert Pieranunzi, Aaron Pomeroy, Kate Roth, Daniel Smith, John J. Todd, Yvette Tucker and Kim Van Biene.
The design team for Never Gonna Dance comprises Joe Yakovetic (set designer), Julie Ferrin (sound designer) and Thomas G. Marquez (costume designer).
The musical, according to press notes, “begins its tale with John ‘Lucky’ Garnett, a professional dancer, coming to New York in order to prove his worth to his fiancee's father by attempting to earn $25,000 by any means except dancing. Inspired by the energy and rhythms of the city, he of course can't keep still, and goes on to dance his way through hilarious adventures with his fine new romance, the dance teacher, Penny Carroll.” Among the Kern classics heard in the show are “Pick Yourself Up,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “A Fine Romance,” “Never Gonna Dance,” “I Won't Dance,” “I'm Old Fashioned,” “Dearly Beloved” and “Who?”
Harriet Harris, who has most recently been seen on the hit ABC series "Desperate Housewives," received Tony and Drama Desk awards for her performance as Mrs. Meers in the Tony-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has also been seen on the New York stage in The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Crucible, Man and Superman, Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Jeffrey and Bella, Belle of Byelorussia. Harris received Drama Desk nominations for her work in Jeffrey and Bella and has appeared on screen in "It's All Relative," "Memento," "Nurse Betty," "Romeo and Juliet," "Quiz Show," "Six Feet Under," "Frasier" and "The Beast. She will also be seen this spring in the Kennedy Center’s production of Jerry Herman’s Mame. The Richard and Karen Performing Arts Center is located at 6200 Atherton Street in Long Beach, CA. Tickets, priced $25-$50, are available by calling (562) 856-1999, ext. 4 or by visiting www.musical.org.
