CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER’S PRODUCTION OF THE COLOR PURPLE
Milwaukee Repertory Theater announced casting today for The Color Purple, the glorious musical saga which opens Friday, September 26, 2014 and runs from September 23 – November 2, 2014.
The Color Purple will be directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements, who begins his fifth season at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Following last season’s wildly successful production of Ragtime, Clements will reunite with his creative team to bring the hit musical based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to life on the Quadracci Powerhouse stage. This is an unforgettable story of a woman who triumphs over adversity and discovers her own unique voice. Featuring a Grammy-nominated score with jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues music, The Color Purple will be performed with a cast of over 25.
The cast for The Color Purple includes: Allyson Kaye Daniel, the National Tour of The Color Purple, Smokey Joe’s Café (Florida Studio Theatre) and Elf (Pioneer Theatre Company); Zonya Love, Broadway: Celia in The Color Purple, First National Tour and Off-Broadway: Avenue Q and Blues in the Night (Milwaukee Rep); and Broadway veteran Nathaniel Stampley, Broadway: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, The Color Purple and The Lion King, West End: The Lion King and National Tour: Ragtime.
Making their Milwaukee Rep debuts are: Gilbert L. Bailey II, Broadway: The Book of Morman, Scottsboro Boys(Center Theatre Group) and Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical (Madison Square Garden), National Tour: The Book of Morman; Darryl Reuben Hall, Broadway and National Tour: Godspell, Broadway:Cinderella and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Lincoln Center); he is also the founder of Stage Aurora Theatrical Co.; Vanessa A. Jones-DuBose, Broadway: The Lion King and Caroline, or Change, TV: House of Cards, Unforgettable, Smash, Gossip Girl and What Would You Do?; Christina Acosta Robinson, My Fair Lady and The Unfortunates (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Girl Shakes Loose Her Skin (New Dramatists) and Caroline, or Change (Syracuse Stage); Alexis J. Rogers, Jeff Award Winner for her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Porchlight Music Theatre), Smokey Joe’s Café (New Theatre Restaurant) and Crowns andAin’t Misbehavin’ (Goodman Theatre); Leonard E. Sullivan, National Tours: Hairspray and Disney’s High School Musical; European
tours: A Chorus Line, Smokey Joe’s Café and And The World Goes ‘Round; and Stephanie Umoh, Broadway:Ragtime revival; Falling for Eve (The York), Pal Joey (Arkansas Repertory Theatre) and Johnny Baseball (A.R.T.)
Returning to Milwaukee Repertory Theater are: Melody Betts, A Christmas Carol and Ragtime (Milwaukee Rep),Ragtime, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boys from Syracuse and Seussical The Musical (Drury Lane Theatre);Jonathan Butler–Duplessis, From My Hometown, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Death of a Salesman and Cabaret(Milwaukee Rep); Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Ragtime and Blues in the Night (Milwaukee Rep), Eclectic Society andMy Way (Walnut Street Theatre), Pericles (Georgia Shakespeare) and Avenue X, Rent and Little Shop of Horrors(11th Hour Theatre Company); Jessie Hooker, Ragtime (Milwaukee Rep), Footloose (Pittsburgh’s CLO), Sistas the Musical (Off-Broadway) and Company (Geva Theatre); Malkia Stampley, Taming of the Shrew (Manhattan Shakespeare Project), The Talented Tenth (Congo Square Theatre), Intimate Apparel, Sueño and A Christmas Carol (Milwaukee Rep); and Bethany Thomas, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Ragtime (Milwaukee Rep), South Pacific(Marriott Theatre-Lincolnshire/Jeff Award winner), Hairspray (Drury Lane Theatre), Hair (Paramount Theatre) and Porgy and Bess (Court Theatre).
The cast for The Color Purple in Alphabetical Order:
Gilbert L. Bailey II – Harpo
Melody Betts – Darlene
Izayah Briggs – Ensemble
Jonathan Butler-Duplessis – Chief/Ensemble
Carl Clemons-Hopkins – Preacher/Guard/Buster
Allyson Kaye Daniel – Church Soloist
India Gurley – Ensemble
Darryl Reuben Hall – Ol’ Mister/Pa
Taurean Hogan – Ensemble
Jessie Hooker – Squeak
Vanessa A. Jones-Dubose – Jarene
Jennifer Latimore – Ensemble
Zonya Love – Celie
Zuri McGowan – Young Nettie
Chantae Miller – Young Celie
Nya – Ensemble
Esther O’Brien – Ensemble
Maya O’Day-Biddle – Ensemble
Christina Acosta Robinson – Shug Avery
Alexis J. Rogers – Ensemble
Malkia Stampley – Daisy/Ensemble
Nathaniel Stampley – Mister
Braylen Stevens – Young Harpo/Young Adam/Ensemble
Leonard E. Sullivan – Ensemble
Bethany Thomas – Sophia
Stephanie Umoh – Nettie
Vallea E. Woodbury – Doris
Dan Kazemi – Musical Director/Musician
The Color Purple will feature a small live orchestra.
2014/15 Artistic Intern Ensemble Members featured in The Color Purple include: India Gurley, Turean Hogan,Jennifer Latimore and Vallea E. Woodbury.
The children’s cast for The Color Purple includes: Izayah Briggs, Nya, Esther O’Brien, Maya O’Day-Biddle, Zuri McGowan, Chantae Miller and Braylen Stevens, A Raisin in the Sun (Milwaukee Repertory Theater).
The Creative Team for The Color Purple includes: Artistic Director/Director, Mark Clements; Music Director, Dan Kazemi±; Scenic Designer, Todd Edward Ivins±; Costume Designer, Alexander B. Tecoma; Lighting Designer,Thomas C. Hase; Sound Designer, Barry G. Funderburg; Music Supervisor, John Tanner±; Choreographer, Amy Hall Garner; Dialect Coach, Jill Walmsley Zager; Casting Director, Stephanie Clapper Casting; Fight Director,Jamie Cheatham; Assistant Director, Philip Muehe; Stage Manager, Sarah Hoffmann and Assistant Stage Manager, Jennifer Lynn Anderson.
± Rep Associate Artist
To learn more about the cast and creative team for The Color Purple, please visit: www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
Single tickets for all The Color Purple performances are now on sale and can be purchased online atwww.MilwaukeeRep.com, by phone at 414-224-9490 or in person at The Rep’s Ticket Office at 108 E. Wells Street. Ticket prices start at $30.00.
Subscription prices for the 2014/15 Season range from $99 – $499. Packages available are the Ultimate 11-play package which includes the entire season spanning all three of The Rep’s performance spaces; Quadracci Powerhouse/Stackner 9-play package; Quadracci Powerhouse/Stiemke Studio 7-play package; Quadracci Powerhouse 5-play package; Stackner Cabaret 4-Play package as well as a Create Your Own Season package and Flex Passes. For additional information on subscription offerings, please contact The Rep’s Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater is a nationally-recognized company that presents compelling dramas, powerful classics, award-winning contemporary works, full-scale musicals, housed in its three unique performance venues – the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret. The Rep also produces an annual production of A Christmas Carol at the beautiful and historic Pabst Theater. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Managing Director Chad Bauman, The Rep is committed to creating plays that are meaningful and relevant to the society we live in – plays that are challenging, visceral and engage the community through the issues they explore, demonstrating how a theater deeply rooted in its locality can also enjoy a richly influential and resonant national voice.