Regional NewsWaitress’ Drew Gehling Will Star in World Premiere of New Musical DaveThe production, directed by Tina Landau, begins in July at Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater.
By
Andrew Gans
March 27, 2018
Drew Gehling, who originated the role of Dr. Pomatter in the Broadway musical Waitress, will play both President Bill Mitchell and the title role in the world premiere of the new musical Dave.
The musical, based on the Oscar-nominated comedy, will make its premiere July 13–August 19 in Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater.
Dave features a book by three-time Tony winner Thomas Meehan (Annie, Hairspray, The Producers) and Tony nominee Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls, Legally Blonde), music by Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then), and lyrics by Benjamin. Tina Landau, currently represented on Broadway with SpongeBob SquarePants, will direct.
The production will include Bernstein’s incidental music for Lillian Hellman’s adaptation of The Lark, and Menotti’s The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and The Manticore.
Based on the novel and film by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the new musical will reunite Guettel with Tony-winning Light in the Piazza director Bartlett Sher.