The new season at The Little Theatre on the campus of Central Methodist University will kick off next month with a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Carousel. Directed by Dr. Mark Kelty with music direction by Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan, the show will run from October 14-17.
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s second collaboration (after the successful Oklahoma!) cemented their reputation for soaring music and a riveting storyline. The time is 1873. The place, a small New England fishing village. Billy Bigelow, the handsome and swaggering barker for Mrs. Mullin’s carousel, meets Julie Jordan, a lovely young working girl at the nearby mill, when Julie and her friend Carrie Pipperidge come to the amusement park. Billy and Julie fall in love and are soon married, but not happily ever after. Their struggles, in contrast to the agitated bliss of Carrie and her Mr. Snow, carry forward into the afterlife and back.
The Little Theatre cast will be led by Dalton Myler (Lebanon/music) as Billy, Emily Gann (Lake Saint Louis/music education) as Julie, Hailey Sage (Fayette/music) as Carrie, Rob Brown (Saint Peters/music) as Enoch, Amanda Schrivener (Kearney/marine biology) as Mrs. Mullins, Kona Asi (Waynesville/music as Nettie, and Cole Nowlin (Centralia/theatre arts) as Jigger.
Members of the ensemble with assigned parts include Ben Pilger (Festus/music) as David Bascombe, Connor Rich (Saint Joseph/music education) as Captain, Arielle Prince (Pevely/music) as Louise, Paul Reinert (Park Hills/music) as Enoch Jr., Anna Geurkink (Perryville/music education) as Starkeeper and Dr. Seldon, Anthony Funke (Springfield/computer science) as Brother Joshua, Elana Dodson (Bland/theatre arts and music) as 2nd Heavenly Friend, and Kennedy Walker (Boonville/music ministry) as Principal.
Also in the ensemble are sopranos Addy Gabriel (Agency/music education), Cocone Matsuzawa (Tokyo, Japan/music), and Samantha Cox (St. Louis/theatre arts); altos Sarah King (El Dorado Springs/English), Katelyn Bailey (Garden City/theatre arts), and Layla Beyer (Slater/psychology); and tenors Tres Hampton (Dexter/political science), Grady Baker (Boonville/pre-education and music education), Jackson Strain (Shelbyville/pre-nursing), and Rowan Collom (Benton/marine biology).
Harley Dohrman (Slater/pre-education and elementary education) will serve as the show’s assistant director and stage manager, while Kara McQuerrey (Plattsburg/religion and church leadership) and Maggie Eyberg (St. Louis/theatre arts) will be the assistant stage managers and prop managers.
Other crew members in various roles will include Poppy Garner (St. Charles/theatre arts), Anthony Funke (Springfield/computer science), Kayla Wainscott (Butler/theatre arts), Dale Dowse (Urich/business), Noel Rilea (Overland/history), Annalise Jordan (Brinktown/biology), Myah Salas (Harlingen, Texas/communication studies), Eric Lotz (Imperial/marine biology), Loni Watts (Louisiana/psychology), Tabitha Ott (Arnold/theatre arts), Alex Sauer (Blackwater/pre-education and English), and Jesus Pena (Brownsville, Texas/criminal justice).
For CMU main stage productions, tickets are $8 for general admission, $5 CMU faculty and staff, CMU students free with ID. Check with the box office at 660-248-6281 for details. Links to livestreams of the show will be available at a later date.