New Ahrens and Flaherty Musical Knoxville Begins Previews April 15 at Asolo Repertory Theatre

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Regional News New Ahrens and Flaherty Musical Knoxville Begins Previews April 15 at Asolo Repertory Theatre

Helmed by Ragtime and Seussical director Frank Galati, the musical stars Jason Danieley as Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist James Agee.

By Raven Brunner

April 15, 2022

Jason Danieley and the cast of Knoxville Ian Johnston

The world premiere production of Ahrens and Flaherty's Knoxville begins previews April 15 ahead of its April 23 opening night at Florida's Asolo Repertory Theatre. The show will run through May 11.

The new musical features a book by Frank Galati, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens . The trio previously collaborated on the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime which earned Galati a Tony Award-nomination and a Drama Desk Award-nomination for Best Director; and Seussical.

Knoxville is based on James Agee’s Pulitzer Prize Award-winning autobiographical novel A Death in the Family. The story chronicles Agee's struggle to write about the gripping loss of his father and its effect on his and his mother's life.

Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Frank Galati

The musical stars Broadway favorites Jason Danieley, Hannah Elless, and Paul Alexander Nolan as novelist James Agee, Mary Follet, and Jay Follett, respectively.

The cast is rounded out by Ellen Harvey as Hannah Lynch, Nathan Salstone as Andrew Lynch, Sarah Aili as Sally Follet, Natalie Venetia Belcon as Jessie, Dwelvan David as The Ferryman/Doctor Dekalb, Jack Casey as Rufus Follet, Barbara Marineau as Catherine, William Parry as Joel, Abigail Stephenson as Victoria, Joel Waggoner as Ralph Follet, and Scott Wakefield as Man at the Scene. Understudies include Jaden Boyd, Willa Carpenter, Alan Chandler, Sade Crosby, Ian Johnston, Patricia M. Lawrence, and Sharon Pearlman.

Directed by Galati, the creative team features Robert Perdziola as scenic and costume designer, Donald Holder as lighting designer, and Tom Murray as music supervisor.

Assistant stage manager is Matthew Brooks; orchestrator is Bruch Coughlin; hair, wig and makeup designer is Michelle Hart; sound designer is Garth Helm; music director is Caleb Hoyer; electronic music designer is Hiro Iida; assistant music director is Matthew R. Meckes; associate choreographer is Trina Mills; choreographer is Josh Rhodes; assistant director is Celine Rosenthal; cultural compentancy coordinator is DeWanda Smith Soeder; and music preparation by Charlie Savage. Nia Sciarretta serves as the production stage manager.

More more information, visit AsoloRep.org.