George Gershwin
'Music/Lyrics'

George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn on September 26, 1898, and began his musical training when he was 13. At 16, he quit high school to work as a “song plugger” for a music publisher, and soon he was writing songs himself. “Swanee,” as introduced by Al Jolson, brought George his first real fame and led to his writing a succession of 22 musical comedies, most with his older brother, Ira. The Gershwins’ shows include Lady, Be Good!; Oh, Kay!; Strike Up The Band; Girl Crazy; and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Of Thee I Sing. From his early career George had ambitions to compose serious music. These ambitions were realized in some of his masterpieces, among them “Rhapsody In Blue,” “Concerto In F,” “An American In Paris” and “Second Rhapsody.” In the late ’20s George became fascinated by the DuBose Heyward novel Porgy, recognizing it as a perfect vehicle for opera using jazz and blues idioms. George’s folk opera Porgy and Bess opened in Boston on September 30, 1935, and had its Broadway premiere two weeks later. In 1937 George was at the height of his career. In Hollywood, working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies, he collapsed and on July 11 died of a brain tumor. He was not quite 39 years old.

Ira Gershwin
'Music/Lyrics'

Ira Gershwin, the first songwriter to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize, was born in New York City on December 6, 1896. In 1917 The Evening Sun published his first song (“You May Throw All The Rice You Desire But Please, Friends, Throw No Shoes”). Four years later, Ira enjoyed his first major stage success, Two Little Girls in Blue, written with another Broadway newcomer, Vincent Youmans. In 1924 Ira and his brother George created the smash hit Lady, Be Good! and went on to continue their remarkable collaboration through a dozen major stage scores, producing such standards as “Fascinating Rhythm,” “The Man I Love,” “‘S Wonderful,” “Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm,” “But Not For Me” and others far too numerous to mention. During his long career, Ira also enjoyed productive collaborations with such songwriters as Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Kurt Weill, Burton Lane and Jerome Kern, with whom he created his greatest song hit of any one year, “Long Ago And Far Away.” Ira Gershwin died on August 17, 1983, in Beverly Hills, California.

Craig Lucas
'Book'

Craig Lucas is a American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director. He is currently Associate Artistic Director at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle.
Born on April 30, 1951, and abandoned in a car in Atlanta, Lucas was adopted when he was eight months old by a Pennsylvanian couple. His adoptive family was conservative; his father was an FBI agent and his mother was a housewife. He graduated in 1969 from Conestoga High School in Berwyn, PA. In the 1960s and 1970s, Lucas was interested in the political left and discovered an attraction towards men. He recalls that his coming out made it possible for him to develop as a playwright and as a person.
In 1973, Lucas graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and creative writing. His mentor, Anne Sexton, urged him to try his luck in New York. He worked in many day jobs while performing in Broadway musicals including Shenandoah, On the Twentieth Century, and Sweeney Todd (musical).
In 1991, he rewrote his play, Missing Persons, which a friend showed to director Norman Rene. Norman promised to produce the play when finished. This was the beginning of a fifteen-year collaboration. While working on Missing Persons, the two developed a musical revue entitled Marry Me A Little, about two people who live next to each other and never meet yet both sing about the failure to connect with others.
After his early work on romantic comedies, Lucas began to write more serious works about AIDS, including Singing Forest and The Dying Gaul, the latter of which was made into a film that Lucas also directed. Lucas also authored the book for The Light in the Piazza, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination. Lucas also directed classic plays such as Miss Julie and Loot.
His work is unintentionally divided in gay-plays (Blue Window, Longtime Companion) and straight-plays (Reckless, Three Postcards, Prelude to a Kiss). Lucas considers himself able to write about human problems in a global manner.
In 2004, he won the Obie Award for Best American Play for Small Tragedy and the New York Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay for The Secret Lives of Dentists. In 2001, Lucas received an Obie Award for his direction of Harry Kondoleon’s Saved or Destroyed.
Lucas’ other awards include the Excellence in Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the PEN/Laura Pels Mid-Career Achievement Award, the Outer Critics, L.A. Drama Critics, Drama-Logue and LAMBDA Literary Awards; he has also received a Tony Award nomination, and fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations, the National Endowment for the Arts and the PEW Charitable Trust and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Prelude to a Kiss.

Al Blackstone
'Director/Choreographer'

Al is an Emmy-winning director, choreographer, and educator. His passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful drives him to make dances, tell stories, and encourage joyful connection. Born in New Jersey and raised in a dance studio, he has called New York City home for more than a decade. In that time he has danced on Broadway (Wicked the Musical), created emotional work for the stage and screen, thrown dance parties for charity, and introduced hundreds of people to one another. Credits include; six seasons of FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance (2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography), Freddie Falls In Love (Joyce Theater), Happy We’ll Be (Roseland Ballroom), Elephant in the Room (Arts On Site) and Born To Dance (Princess Cruises, with producer Stephen Schwartz). Of the many musicals he has collaborated on over the years some favorites include: The View Upstairs (Off-Broadway), Pippin (Music Theater Wichita), Annie (Axelrod PAC), The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theater), The Last Goodbye (Old Globe), and West Side Story (Maltz Jupiter Theater). Al is the co-founder of MOMEN NYC which hosts unique events for adult dancers to reconnect to their love of movement in a safe and joyful environment and is on the board at Arts On Site, a New York arts organization he believes in deeply. He is thrilled to be telling this beautiful story with these incredible artists here at the glorious Cape Playhouse.

Garrett Taylor
'Music Director'

Garrett is pleased to be returning for his fifth summer at The Cape Playhouse having previously conducted Gypsy (2017), South Pacific (2018) and A Chorus Line (2019). He is known for being a multifaceted performer, pianist, conductor, and orchestrator. Garrett has performed and conducted across Europe, at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Papermill Playhouse, The Fulton Theater, The Engeman, The Gateway, as well as numerous national tours and Broadway shows including over 14 years on the music team of Wicked on Broadway. When residing in New York City, he operates a busy voice studio with many Broadway performers and promising singers. He has worked at NYU, Manhattan School of Music, Marymount, Queens College, and AMDA. www.garrett-taylor.com This one is for Michael.

Dr. Ray Wong
'Assistant Music Director'

Ray has been featured in The New Yorker Magazine, International Pianists Magazine, WQXR Classical Radio, NPR Public Radio, CBC Canadian Broadcasting, PBS Television, among others. As a soloist, he has performed for Queen Sofia of Spain, HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and the late President George HW Bush in venues such as Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall. Ray and his husband Dr. Steven Mann have performed together at The Library of Congress for The Ruth Bader Ginsberg Honors, the runway for Josie Natori’s New York Fashion Show, and on PBS “One Voice”, and “WICKED in Concert.” Their company, Steven Ray Artists have produced performances for HRH Princess Anne, the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the 2022 Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Ray is a graduate of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and The Harvard Graduate School of Education. www.raywong.com

Melissa Hunt
'Associate Choreographer'

Melissa is thrilled to be spending her summer at the Cape with this beautiful show! Most recently, Melissa was traveling the country with the 2nd National Tour of Roald Dahl’s: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a swing. Regional credits include: Anybodys in West Side Story (Weston Playhouse, Wick Theater, Engeman), Velma in West Side Story (Harbor Lights), Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain in Annie (Axelrod). NYC credits include: Hair to Hamilton: Public Theater Gala with Baayork Lee, American Dance Spectacular with Al Blackstone, Born To Dance with Al Blackstone, The Last Bite with Cassie Nordgren (Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain), Adventure to Neverland (Peter Pan), and The Velveteen Rabbit (Boy) with Megan Doyle (TYA at 92Y). Melissa is a graduate of the University at Buffalo, Summa Cum Laude, with a BFA in dance and represented by LDC Artist Representation. Much love to Al for your love and guidance throughout the years.

David Arsenault
'Scenic Designer'

Cape Playhouse: Some Enchanted Evening, Cabaret, The Foreigner, Gypsy, South Pacific, Once, and Noises Off. As as designer and associate, David’s work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally. Recent designs in NYC: #DateMe: An OKCupid Experiment, and A Letter to Harvey Milk. Regional: Ogunquit, Weston, Dorset Theatre Festival, George Street Playhouse, Bay Street Theatre, Kitchen Theatre Company, Geva Theatre, Hangar Theatre, Northern Stage, Gulfshore Playhouse, among others. International: English Theatre Berlin. Broadway Associate includes: Hillary and Clinton, The Color Purple, and King Charles III. Education: BFA – Ithaca College. www.DavidArsenaultDesign.com

DW
'Costume Designer'

DW is happy to be returning to the Cape, having previously designed Murder for Two and Grease, and is thrilled to be able to collaborate with Al Blackstone on An American in Paris. Theatrical work has appeared regionally across the country. NYC design credits include NYMF, NYC FRINGE, Theatre Row, The Mint, Cherry Lane, APAC, Prospect Theatre Company, Gallery Players, The Gym @ Judson Church, etc… Broadway Associate & Assistant Credits include: RACE, Everyday Rapture, The Threepenny Opera, The Apple Tree, The Wedding Singer, and R&H’s Cinderella (2014 Tony for Best Costumes). Styled Gotta Dance! for Broadway.com. Guest stylist for The Skivvies. Resident Designer at the New York Film Academy and The Actor’s Studio Drama School. Co-Founder of The Costume Studio NYC, a non-profit costume shop space. the costumestudionyc.org

Catherine MacDonald
'Lighting Designer'

Catherine is thrilled to be making her Cape Playhouse design debut. Her work includes Off-Broadway’s Of the Woman…, The Woodsman. Al Blackstone’s Annie and Marcos Santana’s Newsies (Axelrod PAC.) And as Associate Lighting Designer: Lifespan of a Fact (Broadway), Little Shop of Horrors, Rock of Ages, Clueless, Notes From the Field (Off-Broadway.) Endless gratitude to Keith, especially for this one, and Jack for being the best road dog.

Jacob Levitin
Sound Designer and Sound Engineer

Jacob has been living and breathing sound and music for as long as he can remember. Most recently, he was the A1 for Islander Off-Broadway (Playhouse 46) and worked on multiple Broadway and touring shows as a music technology specialist with Midiomatic LLC. Jake’s very excited for his first summer at Cape Playhouse! Some of his original music and visual work can be found on Instagram @05_bottlebell.

'Stage Manager'

'Assistant Stage Manager'

Casting

Conductor

Keyboard 1

Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute

Alto Sax, Flute, Clarinet

Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Clarinet

Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Trombone

Violin

Cello

Acoustic Bass

Drums, Percussion

Keys 2