The musical, also titled Rain, will have its world premiere at Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA, with previews beginning March 24, and an opening night set for April 1.
The previously announced Eden Espinosa (Wicked, Brooklyn, Rent) will play the central role of Sadie Thompson. She will be joined by Marie-France Arcilla as Noi Noi (Princess in The Orphan of Zhao at American Conservatory Theater and La Jolla Playhouse, co-star on “Gossip Girl,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Cashmere Mafia”), Elizabeth A. Davis as Anna Davidson (Tony Award nominee for Once, plus Allegro and Caucasian Chalk Circle at Classic Stage Company), Jeremy Davis as Jo (In Your Arms at the Globe, Broadway’s The Last Ship, Annie and Ghost The Musical), Betsy Morgan as Louisa MacPhail (LaChiusa’s First Daughter Suite as Tricia Nixon and Susan Ford, Broadway’s Les Misérables and A Little Night Music), Rusty Ross as Kiwi (Globe’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, original Globe cast and on Broadway), Mike Sears as Quartermaster and Hopper (When It Comes and Othello at the Globe, Bonnie & Clyde at La Jolla Playhouse), Tally Sessions as Alec MacPhail (Broadway’s School of Rock, Big Fish and The House of Blue Leaves, Globe’s Robin and the 7 Hoods) and Jared Zirilli as Alfred Davidson (Lysistrata Jones on Broadway, We Will Rock You and Wicked first national tours, co-star on “Blue Bloods”).
LaChiusa's collaborator on the project is librettist Sybille Pearson, who partnered with him on the Off-Broadway musical Giant.
Old Globe artistic director Barry Edelstein will make his musical theatre debut with the production. The creative team also includes Patrick McCollum (movement), J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Bruce Coughlin (orchestrations), Mark Wendland (scenic design), Katherine Roth (costume design), Russell H. Champa (lighting design), Ken Travis (sound design), Telsey + Company/Andrew Femenella CSA and Patrick Goodwin CSA (casting), and James Latus (production stage manager).
The story has been adapted to stage and film several times, perhaps most famously in 1928 with Gloria Swanson as Sadie, a former prostitute who tries to start life anew on a South Pacific island, only to cross paths with two men, an army sergeant and a missionary, who roil her new life. The prolific LaChiusa has been nominated for Tony Awards five times. His musicals include Marie Christine, The Wild Party, Hello Again, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, The Petrified Prince, See What I Wanna See, Little Fish, Bernarda Alba, First Lady Suite, Queen of the Mist and the recent First Daughter Suite.
Pearson's playwriting career includes the book to the 1983 musical Baby.
Tickets are currently available only to Old Globe subscribers. They will go on sale to the general public Feb. 19 by phone at (619) 234-5623 or on the web, theoldglobe.org.
