Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere of Jason Robert Brown and Taylor Mac's new musical Midnight in the Garden of Evil, based on John Berendt's 1994 non-fiction book. Previews are set to begin at Chicago's Goodman Theatre June 25, with performances continuing through August 4 in the Albert Theatre. Opening night will be July 8. Rob Ashford is directing, and Tanya Birl is choreographing.
Step into the rehearsal room with the show's cast and creative team in the gallery below.
The cast is led by Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee, who made history as the first non-binary actor to win a Tony Award, as The Lady Chablis; Tony nominee Tom Hewitt as Jim Williams; and Olivier nominee Sierra Boggess as Emma Dawes.
Sierra Bogess
Tanya Birl-Torres and Jōvan Dansberry
Company of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Austin Colby and Tom Hewitt
Andre Malcolm, Maya Bowles, Shanel Bailey, DeMarius R. Copes, Brianna Buckley, Rory Shirley and Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Kayla Shipman and Jason Michael Evans
Rob Ashford and Tanya Birl-Torres
Tom Hewitt
Calvin L. Cooper, Rory Shirley, Andre Malcolm, Kayla Kennedy, J. Harrison Ghee, Sean Donovan, Kayla Shipman, DeMarius R. Copes, Chistopher Kelley and Daryn Whitney
Tanya Birl-Torres, Jake DiMaggio Lopez, Sierra Boggess, Justin Rivers and Brianna Buckley
Austin Colby and Bailee Endebrock
J. Harrison Ghee
J. Harrison Ghee and Shanel Bailey
Tom Hewitt, McKinley Carter, Mary Ernster, Kayla Shipman, Jessica Molaskey and Bailee Endebrock
The company also includes Lance Roberts (The Best Man) as Bobby Lewis, Austin Colby (The Great Gatsby) as Danny Hansford, Bailee Endebrock (Parade) as Corrine Strong, Shanel Bailey (The Book of Mormon) as Lavella Cole, Jessica Molaskey (Sunday in the Park with George) as Alma Knox Carter, Brianna Buckley (the ripple, the wave that carried me home) as Minerva, Mary Ernster (War Paint) as Serena Barnes/Dawn Avery, McKinley Carter (Turn of the Century) as Vera Strong, Maya Bowles (The Wiz) as Stacey Brown, DeMarius Copes (Some Like It Hot) as Jeremiah Jones, Sean Donovan as Luther Driggers, Jason Michael Evans (Anastasia tour) as Colonel Atwood/Burt, Christopher Kelley as Bubbles/Gregory, Andre Terrell Malcolm (Hamilton tour) as Josiah Domingo, Aaron James McKenzie (A Beautiful Noise) as Jethro Myles, Wes Olivier as Jack the One-Eyed Jill, Kayla Marie Shipman as Millicent/Mary, and Rory Shirley as Stefanie Davis.
Swings include Calvin L. Cooper, Daryn Whitney Harrell, Kayla Kennedy, Jake DiMaggio Lopez, and Justin Thomas Rivers.
The New York Times best seller tracks an antiques dealer through four trials for murdering a male prostitute in Savannah, Georgia. The story is modeled on the real-life shooting of Daniel Lewis Hansford. The work won the 1995 Boeke Prize and was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction. A film adaptation was released in 1997 starring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey.
The forthcoming musical will also have sets by Tony and Olivier winner Christopher Oram, costumes by Tony nominee Toni-Leslie James, lighting by Tony and Olivier winner Neil Austin, and sound design by Jon Weston. Saori Yokoo is production stage manager. Casting is by Lauren Port and The Telsey Office's Patrick Goodwin.
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