The musical by Andrew Gerle (music and co-book) and Eddie Sugarman (lyrics and co-book), with additional story by Matt August, "tells the tale of a Depression-era reporter who pumps new life into a dying newspaper with a hoax that ignites a national frenzy to save 'John Doe' from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge," according to Goodspeed. "Scrambling to keep the stunt going, she recruits a washed up ballplayer to play the part. But how far will she go to keep up the scam of the century?"

Meet John Doe will run at The Norma Terris Theatre, Goodspeed's home for fully produced workshops of new works, in Chester, CT, to Dec. 3. The production is presented in partnership with Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC, which will welcome it as a full production (ready for the critics) in 2007.

Michael Baron directs, with musical staging by Karma Camp. The music director is Albin Konopka.

Meet John Doe is produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.

Meet John Doe features David Andrew Anderson, Joel Blum as the Colonel, Keegan Michael Brown as Beany, Ronald L. Brown, Donna Lynne Champlin as reporter Ann Mitchell, Rachel Clark, Monique French, Victoria Huston-Elem, Aaron Lee Lambert, Nicole Mangi, James Moye as John Doe, Guy Paul as Connell, Mark Sanders, Patrick Ryan Sullivan as DB Norton, Melanie Vaughan and Jaron Vesely. The creative team also includes Alejo Vietti (costume design) and Court Watson (set design).

The 1941 Frank Capra film starred Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper.

Tickets are $41, available through the Goodspeed box office at (860) 873-8668. Visit www.goodspeed.org.

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Meet John Doe, the musical, was first seen in a full production at The New York Musical Theatre Festival.