The York Theatre has completed the company around Donna Vivino for Kilgallen, the new musical mystery about the columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, which begins previews at The Theatre at Saint Jean’s on November 28.
Tanner Callicutt plays JFK and Lana Gordon is Florence Pritchett. Max Cervantes plays Sergio, Dom Scott is Ron Pataky and Jim Newman plays Dick. Two of the company carry several parts each: Dawn Cantwell is the Reporter, Miss Francis, Marcia and Marilyn Monroe, and Rory Max Kaplan covers the Announcer, Pinza and Walter Cronkite. Nathaniel Stampley plays Herb, among other roles.
Libby Winters is in the ensemble and understudies the title role. Valentina Rodriguez, making an Off-Broadway debut, and Matthew Schatz are the female and male understudies.
The credits in the room run wide. Vivino’s include Les Misérables, Wicked and Hell’s Kitchen; Gordon’s, Hadestown and Chicago; Stampley’s, The Color Purple and The Lion King. Cantwell has Wicked and 1776 behind her name, Callicutt Parade and The Great Gatsby, Kaplan A Bronx Tale and Jersey Boys, and Scott Rock of Ages and Million Dollar Quartet. Cervantes comes from the national tour of Pretty Woman and from On Your Feet, Newman from Mamma Mia, Winters from Almost Famous and American Idiot, and Schatz from the national tour of Jersey Boys.
The musical follows Kilgallen, one of the most widely read journalists of her day, through the months after President Kennedy’s assassination, when she grew convinced the public was not being told the whole story and kept digging despite fearing for her safety. Her death in November 1965 has never been explained. Vivino’s casting was announced last week, in our earlier report.
Chuck Strand, whose Broadway rock opera The Lieutenant earned four Tony nominations, wrote the book and music and shares the lyrics with Emily Drossell, a York NEO Artist whose earlier work the company has already produced. George Petersen supplies additional music. Terry Berliner, who led the York’s earlier workshop of the piece, directs the premiere, with choreography by Jennifer Copaken and music direction by Eric Svejcar.
Sets are by Daniel Zimmerman, costumes by Teresa Snider-Stein, lighting by Paul Miller and sound by Peter Brucker, with wigs by Caitlin Molloy. Casting is by Holly Buczek.
Previews begin Saturday, November 28, at 7:30 p.m., and opening night is Thursday, December 3, at 7 p.m. The limited engagement at 150 East 76th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue, closes Sunday, December 27. Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., with no shows on December 24 or 25. The running time is 95 minutes with no intermission.
Tickets are on sale now on the Kilgallen tickets page.
