Desperately Seeking Susan - full casting announced
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
JOINING Emma Williams and Kelly Price in the cast of Desperately Seeking Susan, which opens at the Novello Theatre on November 15, 2007 (previews from October 16), will be Mark McGee (Jay), Jonathan Wrather (Gary), Alec Newman (Des) and Leanne Best (Leslie).
McGee’s previous West End musical credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Starlight Express and Whistle Down the Wind. Wrather is probably best known as Coronation Street‘s Joe Carter.
Newman’s credits include The Soldiers’ Fortune, Andorra and Plenty (theatre); and Dune and Frankenstein (screen). And Best’s recent theatre credits include Unprotected, The Flint Street Nativity and Popcorn.
The cast of Desperately Seeking Susan will also include Lucy Banfield, Matthew Boulton, Chloe Campbell, Matt Flint, Alex Gaumond, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Kaisa Hammarlund, Paul Hazel, Christine Holman, Steven Houghton, Toussaint Meghie, Twinnie-Lee Moore, Steven Serlin, Chris Piper, Laura Scott, Lincoln Stone and Gemma Whitelam.
Previously Posted: The world premiere of Desperately Seeking Susan, a new musical set to the greatest hits of Blondie, will open at the Novello Theatre on November 15, 2007 (previews from October 16).
Roberta, a bored suburban New Jersey housewife, spots a personal ad in the paper entitled Desperately Seeking Susan and heads to New York in search of the mystery writer. When Susan sells her jacket, Roberta buys it, little knowing that the mob is looking for its previous owner…
Desperately Seeking Susan includes the eighties hits Hanging on the Telephone, The Tide Is High, Heart of Glass, Call Me, Rapture and One Way or Another, as well as a new song Moment of Truth which has been specially written for the new production by Blondie’s Deborah Harry.
Emma Williams and Kelly Price will lead the cast as Susan and Roberta respectively, the roles made famous by Madonna and Rosanna Arquette in MGM’s 1985 film of the same name.
Williams’ stage credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in which she made her debut as the original Truly Scrumptious, Bat Boy, A Model Girl, Promises, Promises and, only last week, Sweeney Todd at the Royal Festival Hall.
Price won the role of Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre after appearing in the dual roles of Martha and waitress in the show’s original cast. She has also appeared in Mamma Mia!.
Desperately Seeking Susan will be directed by Angus Jackson whose credits include Elmina’s Kitchen and Fix Up, as well as Carousel, The Father and The Waltz of the Toreadors at Chichester Festival Theatre where he’s an associate director.
The new production was written and conceived by American writer, actor and director Peter Michael Marino. Choreography is by fellow American Andy Blankenbuehler, with set and costumes by Tim Hatley. The show is presented in the West End by Susan Gallin, Ron Kastner, Matk Rubinstein and Old Vic Productions.