Road Show
March 13
May 4, 2014
Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare
music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
book by John Weidman
directed by Gary Griffin
Production Sponsor
Highly recommended! Fierce, funny, and heartbreaking… a revelation
Chicago Sun-Times
The Play
On the heels of his widely acclaimed Gypsy earlier this season, Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin returns to the genius of Stephen Sondheim with Road Show. Get-rich-quick schemes fuel this freewheeling musical adventure of two gifted, mismatched, endearing charmers: brothers Addison and Wilson Mizner—one a dutiful entrepreneur, the other a hotshot opportunist. The two men’s pursuit of the American Dream spans forty years—from the Alaskan Gold Rush to the Florida real estate boom in the 1930s. With great depth and musicality, this exceptional ensemble of actor-musicians invokes the spirit of resilience and reinvention that shaped our American roots.
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A Scholar's Perspective
Sondheim’s fascination with the Mizner brothers, which he describes as a “mild, if sporadic, obsession,” contains its own saga.
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Video: Sondheim at Chicago Shakespeare
Director Gary Griffin and Hedy Weiss discuss Gypsy and Road Show with the music directors of each show.
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Open Door Programs
This free series of audience enrichment programs offers introductory and in-depth studies of ideas embodied in the play.
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The Players
Creative Team
Stephen Sondheim Music and Lyrics
John Weidman Book
Gary Griffin Director
Scott Davis Scenic Designer
Mara Blumenfeld Costume Designer
Greg Hofmann Lighting Designer
Ray Nardelli Sound Designer
Michael Mahler Music Director
Melissa Veal Wig and Make-up Designer
Cast
Larry Adams Papa Mizner, Ensemble
McKinley Carter Myra Yerkes, Eva Stotesbury, Ensemble
Matt Deitchman Piano, Ensemble
Jim DeSelm Stanley Ketchel, Servant, Winthrop Tippet, Ensemble
Anne Gunn Mama Mizner, Mrs. Cosden, Ethel Mudd, Ensemble
Derek Hasenstab Prospector, The Businessman, Paul Armstrong, Real Estate Agent, Edward Stotesbury, Ensemble
Robert Lenzi Jockey, Hollis Bessemer, Ensemble
Regina Leslie Sophie Wanamaker, Boca Girl, Ensemble
Michael Aaron Lindner Addison Mizner
Jake Mahler Mr. Cosden, Excited Man, Ensemble
Andrew Rothenberg Wilson Mizner
Bri Sudia Mrs. Trumbauer, Mary Monahan, Ensemble