THE OLD GLOBE Announces the Cast and Creatives for
the WORLD PREMIERE of ALMOST FAMOUS,
A New Musical with Book and Lyrics by Academy Award Winner and
San Diego Native CAMERON CROWE, Based on His Iconic Film;
with Music and Lyrics by Pulitzer Prize and Two-Time
Tony Award Winner TOM KITT,
Directed by Tony Award Nominee JEREMY HERRIN

Performances Run SEPTEMBER 13 – OCTOBER 20, 2019;
Single Tickets Go On Sale FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 at 12:00 Noon

PHOTO EDITORS: Almost Famous key art and headshots are available by clicking here.

SAN DIEGO (August 1, 2019)—The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for Almost Famous, a world-premiere musical with book and lyrics by Academy Award winner and San Diego native Cameron Crowe (films Jerry Maguire, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything…), based on his iconic film. Almost Famous is directed by Tony Award nominee Jeremy Herrin (Noises Off, Wolf Hall, National Theatre Live’s All My Sons), and features songs that span the range from classic hits to new songs, with original music and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, American Idiot, SpongeBob SquarePants). Almost Famous is presented by special arrangement with Lia Vollack, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, and John Johnson, and will run September 13 – October 20, 2019 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, with opening night on September 27. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 2, 2019, beginning at 12:00 noon. Single tickets start at $50.00. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

The cast includes Matt Bittner as Larry Fellows (Broadway’s Present Laughter and School of Rock, Up Here at La Jolla Playhouse), Chad Burris as Vic Nunez (The Book of Mormon national tours), Gerard Canonico as Dick Roswell (Broadway’s Be More Chill, Groundhog Day, American Idiot, Spring Awakening), Julia Cassandra as Estrella (Mamma Mia! farewell tour), Rob Colletti as Lester Bangs (Broadway’s The Book of Mormon, School of Rock national tour), Brandon Contreras as Silent Ed Vallencourt (City Center Encores! Road Show, Off Broadway’s Jerry Springer: The Opera), Colin Donnell as Russell Hammond (Broadway’s Anything Goes, Jersey Boys, Follies, and Meet Me in St. Louis, “Arrow,” “Chicago Med”), Drew Gehling as Jeff Bebe (Broadway’s Waitress, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Jersey Boys), Sam Gravitte as Dennis Hope (Broadway’s Wicked), Van Hughes as David Felton (Broadway’s Deaf West Spring Awakening, American Idiot), Katie Ladner as Sapphire (Broadway’s Wicked, Sunset Boulevard), Anika Larsen as Elaine Miller (Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Avenue Q, All Shook Up), Storm Lever as Polexia (Duckling Donna in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway and at La Jolla Playhouse), Casey Likes as William Miller (2019 Jimmy Awards finalist, film Everything Must Go, “American Blackout”), Solea Pfeiffer as Penny Lane (Hamilton national tour, Camelot concert at Lincoln Center Theater, Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl), Emily Schultheis as Anita Miller (Wicked and Bat Out of Hell national tours), Daniel Sovich as Darryl (Off Broadway’s Downtown Race Riot), Libby Winters as Leslie (Broadway’s American Idiot), and Matthew C. Yee as Ben Fong-Torres (Cambodian Rock Band, Vietgone); and swings Danny Lindgren and Alisa Melendez.

The multiple award-winning design team, with a combined 11 Tony Awards and 32 Tony nominations, includes scenic designer Derek McLane (Tony and San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Awards for 33 Variations, multiple Emmy, Drama Desk, and Lortel Awards, two Obie Awards for Sustained Achievement); costume designer David Zinn (two Tony Awards, for The Humans and SpongeBob SquarePants); lighting designer Natasha Katz (Springsteen on Broadway, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, All My Sons, Burn This, The Prom, Frozen; six Tony Awards, for Long Day’s Journey Into Night, An American in Paris, The Glass Menagerie, Once, The Coast of Utopia, and Aida); sound designer Peter Hylenski (Grammy, Olivier, seven-time Tony Award nominee, including for Beetlejuice and King Kong in 2019), Tom Kitt (Orchestrations and Arrangements; Next to Normal received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and two Tony Awards), Bryan Perri (Music Director), Daniel Green (Associate Music Director), AnnMarie Milazzo (Vocal Designer; Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, If/Then, and Finding Neverland), Campbell Young Associates (Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design; King Lear, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Waverly Gallery), and production stage manager Anjee Nero. Lorin Latarro (Globe’s The Heart of Rock & Roll, Broadway and West End’s Waitress) was previously announced as choreographer.

It’s all happening… San Diego, 1973. Led Zeppelin is king, Richard Nixon is President, and idealistic 15-year-old William Miller is an aspiring music journalist. When Rolling Stone magazine hires him to go on the road with an up-and-coming band, William is thrust into the rock-and-roll circus, where his love of music, his longing for friendship, and his integrity as a writer collide. Written by Academy Award winner Cameron Crowe based on his iconic film, Almost Famous is about a young man finding his place in the world and the indelible characters he meets along the way. This joyous world premiere is a celebration of community and the power of music.

“Everyone at the Globe is hugely excited to welcome an uncommonly gifted company to Balboa Park for what we know will be the musical theatre event of the season,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Cameron Crowe, Tom Kitt, and Jeremy Herrin have assembled a group of actors blessed with extraordinary talent and incendiary energy, and together they will transform a beloved movie—which is also, of course, a local San Diego tale—into an unforgettable new work for the American stage. I am proud to have Almost Famous at this theatre, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with our audiences.”

Cameron Crowe (Book and Lyrics) covered music and culture as a journalist for such publications as Rolling Stone, Playboy, The New York Times, Newsweek,and Los Angeles Times. His first book, the nonfiction study of a year in the life of a California high school, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, became a best seller, and his subsequent screenplay was nominated for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium by the Writers Guild of America. His other film credits include Jerry Maguire, nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. That year, Crowe also received a nomination from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, and received the PEN Literary Award for Screenplay. He next penned Conversations with Wilder, a heralded collection of interviews with the legendary director Billy Wilder. The book was published by Knopf in November 1999. (Wilder, with tongue firmly in cheek, declared it “the best book I’ve ever read.”) Almost Famous, released in September 2000, was the culmination of a 10-year journey to put Crowe’s experiences working for Rolling Stone on film. It received four Golden Globe Awards and four Academy Award nominations. It received two Golden Globes (Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Kate Hudson), and Crowe was awarded the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. His other credits include such films as Say Anything…,Vanilla Sky, Elizabethtown,and We Bought a Zoo. His documentary work includes Elton John’s The Union and Pearl Jam Twenty. Crowe’s most recent work was producing the documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name, which debuted at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Tom Kitt (Music and Lyrics, Orchestrations and Arrangements), received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as two Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations for Next to Normal. He is also the composer of If/Then, High Fidelity, Bring It On: The Musical (co-composer with Lin-Manuel Miranda), Superhero (Second Stage Theater), Disney’s Freaky Friday (stage production and Disney Channel Original Movie), Dave (Arena Stage), and The Winter’s Tale, All’s Well That Ends Well,and Cymbeline (The Public Theater’s New York Shakespeare Festival). As a music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator, his credits include SpongeBob SquarePants, Head Over Heels, Jagged Little Pill, Grease Live!,“Rise”(NBC), and American Idiot. He received an Emmy Award as co-writer (with Miranda) for the 2013 Tony Award opening number, “Bigger!” As a musical director, conductor, arranger, and orchestrator, his credits include the Pitch Perfect films,2CELLOS featuring Lang Lang (“Live and Let Die”),“The Kennedy Center Honors,” 13, Everyday Rapture, Laugh Whore,Deaf West Theatre’s Pippin, and These Paper Bullets.

Jeremy Herrin (Director) is Artistic Director of Headlong, where his credits include This House (National Theatre, West End, U.K. tour), Labour of Love (West End), People, Places & Things (National Theatre, West End, U.K. tour, New York), The House They Grew Up In (Chichester Festival Theatre), Common (National Theatre), Junkyard (Bristol Old Vic, Theatr Clwyd, Rose Theatre Kingston), Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (international tour), The Absence of War (U.K. tour), and The Nether (Royal Court Theatre, West End). His other theatre work includes Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies (Royal Shakespeare Company, West End, Broadway), That Face (Royal Court Theatre, West End), Tusk Tusk, No Quarter, Hero and Kin, The Heretic, The Priory, and The Vertical Hour (Royal Court Theatre), The Plough and the Stars (National Theatre), The Moderate Soprano (Hampstead Theatre), The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe), and Uncle Vanya (Chichester Festival Theatre).

Almost Famous at The Old Globe is supported in part through a gift from Production Sponsors Terry Atkinson and Kathy Taylor, Peter Cooper and Erik Matwijkow, Elaine and Dave Darwin, HM Electronics, Inc., Darlene Marcos Shiley, Viasat, and Sheryl and Harvey White; as well as Artist Sponsors Ellise and Michael Coit (for Colin Donnell, who plays Russell Hammond), Arlene and Richard Esgate (for Solea Pfeiffer, who plays Penny Lane), and Mandell Weiss Charitable Trust (for composer, lyricist, orchestrator, and arranger Tom Kitt). Financial support is provided by The City of San Diego.

Additional events taking place during the run of Almost Famous include:

VICKI AND CARL ZEIGER INSIGHTS SEMINAR: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
This series provides an opportunity to closely connect with productions both onstage and backstage. A panel selected from the artistic company of each show (playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and/or technicians) engages patrons in an informal and illuminating presentation of ideas and insights to enhance the theatregoing experience. Reception at 5:00 p.m. FREE; no reservations necessary.

OPEN CAPTION PERFORMANCE: Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Open captioning is live text displayed simultaneously with the performance and does not require the user to have any special equipment for viewing the text. Please contact our Ticket Services Department at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623) or Tickets@TheOldGlobe.org to purchase tickets within view of the captioning screen. Tickets for the open-caption performance go on sale Friday, August 2 at 12:00 noon and are subject to availability. Support for open captioning is provided in part by Theatre Development Fund (TDF). This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

POST-SHOW FORUMS: Tuesdays, October 1 and 8, 2019 and Wednesday, October 9, 2019.
Join us after the show for an informal and enlightening question-and-answer session with cast, crew, and/or Globe staff members. Get the inside story on creating a character and putting together a professional production. FREE for ticketholders of that evening’s performance.

SUBJECT MATTERS: Saturday, October 5, 2019 following the matinee performance.
Explore the ideas and issues raised by a production through brief, illuminating post-show discussions with local experts, such as scientists, artists, historians and scholars. Subject Matters will ignite discussion, bring the play's concerns into sharp focus, and encourage you to think beyond the stage! FREE; no reservations necessary.

TICKETS are currently available by subscription only and will go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 2, 2019, beginning at 12:00 noon.  Single tickets start at $50.00. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and under, seniors, military members, and groups of 10 or more.

PERFORMANCES begin on September 13 and continue through October 20, 2019 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run September 13–26. Opening night is Friday, September 27 at 8:00 p.m. Regular performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. There will be no matinee or evening performances on Saturday, September 21; additional matinee performances on Sunday, September 22 and Wednesday, October 9; and no matinee performance on Saturday, October 12.

LOCATION and PARKING INFORMATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. Through a special arrangement with the San Diego Zoo, Old Globe evening ticket-holders have the opportunity to pre-purchase valet parking in the Zoo’s employee parking structure. With a drop-off point just a short walk to the Globe, theatregoers may purchase fast, easy, convenient valet parking for just $14 per vehicle per evening. Pre-paid only, available only by phone through the Old Globe Box Office. Call (619) 234-5623 or visit www.theoldglobe.org/plan-your-visit/directions--parking/valet-parking. The Balboa Park valet is also available during weekend performances, located in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden. For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org.

There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Guests may be dropped off in front of the Mingei International Museum. There is a 10-minute zone at The Old Globe, used only for daytime deliveries, ticket purchases, and handicapped access dropoff. For directions and up-to-date information, please visit www.theoldglobe.org/plan-your-visit/directions--parking/detailed-directions.

PLEASE NOTE: To look up online or GPS directions to The Old Globe, please do not use the Delivery Address above. For GPS users, please click here for the map coordinates, and here for written directions to The Old Globe and nearby parking in Balboa Park.

CALENDAR: The Tale of Despereaux (7/6–8/11), Steve Martin’s The Underpants (7/27–9/8), Romeo and Juliet (8/11–9/15), Almost Famous (9/13–10/20), AXIS: Mexican Independence Day Celebration (9/14), Noura (9/20–10/20), 2019 Globe Gala (9/21), Globe for All Tour: The Winter’s Tale (10/29–11/17), M.F.A.: Twelfth Night (11/2–10), AXIS: Day of the Dead (11/3), Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (11/3–12/29), Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show (11/23–12/24), August Wilson’s Jitney (1/18/2020-2/23), Hurricane Diane (2/8–3/8), Little Women (3/14–4/19), Faceless (3/28–4/26), The Gardens of Anuncia (5/8–6/14), What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (5/28–6/28).

PHOTO EDITORS: Digital images of The Old Globe’s productions are available at www.theoldglobe.org/press-room.

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional not-for-profit regional theatres. Now in its 85th year, the Globe is San Diego’s flagship performing arts institution, and it serves a vibrant community with theatre as a public good. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 16 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages, including its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Its nationally prominent Arts Engagement Department provides an array of participatory programs that make theatre matter to more people in neighborhoods throughout the region. Humanities programs at the Globe and around the city broaden the community’s understanding of theatre art in all its forms. The Globe also boasts a range of new play development programs with professional and community-based writers, as well as the renowned The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Numerous world premieres—such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Bright Star, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!—have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

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CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES

Matt Bittner (Larry Fellows) Almost Famous is Matt’s first project with The Old Globe. Other select credits include Present Laughter (Broadway), School of Rock (Broadway & national tour), Up Here (La Jolla Playhouse), Much Ado About Nothing (The Public), All Is Calm (Hudson Valley Shakespeare), As You Like It (Two River Theater), Be A Good Little Widow (The Wild Project), The Pillowman (Thingamajig), and guest appearances on “The Good Fight” and “Madam Secretary.” Matt is also a sound designer and composer. mattbittner.com.

Chad Burris (Vic Nunez) is so excited to be making his Old Globe debut. National Tour: The Book of Mormon (first and second national). Regional credits: The Muny, Cleveland Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, and Arkansas Repertory Theatre. He is also an accomplished writer and producer, having created the critically- acclaimed web series, City Boyz. Represented by HCKR and Authentic Management.

Gerard Canonico (Dick Roswell) Favorite Broadway: original Broadway casts of Be More Chill (Rich), Groundhog Day (Fred), Spring Awakening (ensemble/Moritz replacement), American Idiot. Off Broadway: Bare (New World Stages), Dear Evan Hansen (2nd Stage Theater), Brooklynite (The Vineyard Theater), The Talls (2nd Stage Uptown Theater). Regional: Be More Chill (Two River Theater). Feature films: Stuck, Not Fade Away (director David Chase), Boy Wonder. Gerard also freelances as a musician on a variety of instruments and projects. Most notably he fronts and plays guitar in the touring tribute band to Blink-182 known as The Dude Ranch. Instagram- @GerardCanonicoOfficial

Julia Cassandra (Estrella) is stoked to be making her Old Globe debut and to be performing in her home state of California. Recent credits include the Farewell Tour of Mamma Mia!, Anna in Frozen on the Disney Wonder, and the world premiere of Loch Ness: A New Musical. @julia_cassandra

Rob Colletti (Lester Bangs) recently originated the leading role of Dewey Finn in the first national Broadway tour of School of Rock to critical acclaim. Broadway: The Book of Mormon. National tour: School of Rock (Scenie Award - Best Actor in a Touring Production), The Book of Mormon. Regional: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (The New Theatre), The Original Grease (American Theatre Company, 2011 Jeff Award - Best Musical), Blithe Spirit and Talk Radio (Allen Theatre), Of Mice and Men (New Studio), various revues (The Second City). Workshops: Almost Famous, The Great Carbuncle (BMI New York). Film/TV: The upcoming Soprano’s prequel “The Many Saints of Newark” (New Line/Warner Bros.), “Just Roll With It” (ABC/ Disney), “WTF: World Thumbwrestling Federation”. Training: B.A. in Acting - Columbia College Chicago, The Second City. Rob was also a nominee for the Kennedy Center National Irene Ryan Award for Best Actor. Instagram: @rob.colletti

Brandon Contreras (Silent Ed Vallencourt) is thrilled to continue this journey with Almost Famous at The Old Globe this season. TV: “Mr. Robot” (USA), 2018 NCBUniversal Upfronts. New York: Road Show (New York City Center Encores!), Almost Famous (developmental lab), Jerry Springer: The Opera (The New Group), The Connector (NYTW), Our Lady of 121st Street (Off Broadway), The Secret Garden (developmental lab) and Our Town (Actor’s Fund), The Hamilton Mixtape (The Public). Tour: In the Heights (first national). Regional: Drury Lane Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group, Portland Center Stage, Pioneer Theatre Co. Fulton Theatre and Artists Repertory Theatre.  B.F.A. from Pace University. www.BrandonAContreras.com - Follow: @OhHey_Brandon

Colin Donnell (Russell Hammond) is a performer for both stage and screen. He is well known for his starring television roles of Connor Rhodes on “Chicago Med” and its sister series “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Fire”; Tommy Merlyn on “Arrow”; and Scotty Lockhart on “The Affair.” His other television credits include “The Mysteries of Laura,” “Person of Interest,” “Unforgettable,” and “Pan Am,” and he appeared in the films Sell By and Every Secret Thing. Donnell has appeared on Broadway in Violet, Anything Goes (Drama Desk Award nomination), and Jersey Boys, as well as the national tour of Wicked. He was seen Off Broadway in Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Public Theater), Meet Me in St. Louis (Irish Repertory Theatre), and Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver (Promenade Theatre), plus regional productions across the country.

Drew Gehling (Jeff Bebe) Broadway: Waitress (Grammy-nominated Cast Album), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Jersey Boys. Regional: Dave (Helen Hayes nomination), Roman Holiday, The Scarlet Pimpernel (Lincoln Center Concert), Waitress, Johnny Baseball (A.R.T.); Billy & Ray (Vineyard Theatre); A Minister’s Wife, I Believe (LCT); Anne of Green Gables (Off Broadway). Development: The Secret Garden (upcoming), American Psycho, The Searchers, Big Fish, Sunset Boulevard. TV/film: “Instinct,” “The Code,” “Dietland,” “The Good Fight,” “Succession,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Elementary,” “30 Rock,” “Smash,” Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (HBO), The Indoor Boys, Stomach People, Desert Guests, “Daily Show,” “Live from Lincoln Center.” Academically, Drew has co-authored a paper about Professional Singers along with several faculty members at the NYU Voice Center. He is an alumnus of both Carnegie Mellon and Columbia Universities and is thrilled to be working with this incredible team of friends both old and new.

Sam Gravitte (Dennis Hope) is thrilled to be making his Old Globe debut. Broadway: Wicked. Touring/Regional: Wicked, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (ACT), various concerts. BA Princeton University. @samgravitte

Van Hughes (David Felton) Broadway credits include Deaf West's Spring Awakening, Green Day's American Idiot, 9 to 5, and Hairspray. Off Broadway he starred in Son of a Gun (Beckett) and Saved (Playwrights Horizons). Regionally Van starred in When We're Gone (Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City), A Little More Alive (Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Barrington Stage Company), and Rocky Horror Picture Show (Bucks County Playhouse).  His film credits include Sex and The City: The Movie and SATC 2, Tenure, and Rachel Getting Married. On TV he guest-starred in “Royal Pains,” “Chibila” on Nick Jr., “Law & Order: SVU” & “Criminal Intent,” “Six Degrees,” “As the World Turns,” “One Life to Live.”  As a composer, Van has scored the films Sequence Break and Space Clown, and he co-authored the musical Burn All Night (ART) with Andy Mientus and the Brooklyn band Teen Commandments. He has a B.A. in Theatre from Fordham University, NYC.

Katie Ladner (Sapphire) is thrilled to make her Old Globe debut with this wonderful show. She was recently seen on Broadway in Wicked and made her debut in the Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard. Off Broadway credits include the original cast of Heathers: The Musical (OCR) and Gigantic! Regional credits include the original casts of Disney’s Freaky Friday (OCR) and Be More Chill (OCR). Proud Belmont Alum. KatieLadner.com Instagram/Twitter: @ktladner

Anika Larsen (Elaine Miller) has performed on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Avenue Q, Xanadu, All Shook Up and Rent. Off-Broadway, she was in Zanna, Don’t!, Myths and Hymns, Closer Than Ever, Miracle Brothers, How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes, Disaster!, and Unbroken Circle.  Anika wrote and performed in a musical called Shafrika, The White Girl about her childhood growing up in Cambridge, MA with nine brothers and sisters from different races and countries. She released an album of lullabies for all ages called Sing You to Sleep. Anika majored in theater at Yale University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. www.anikalarsen.biz

Storm Lever (Polexia) performed on Broadway in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Duckling Donna/Mimi). Off Broadway: The Wringer (Dorothy). Regional: Freaky Friday at the Signature Theater, (Savannah) La Jolla Playhouse, Alley Theater, and Cleveland Playhouse (Ensemble). Emotional Creature at the Berkeley Rep (u/s). B.F.A. at the University of Michigan (musical theater department). @stormieweather

Casey Likes (William Miller) is honored to be a part of this absolutely amazing show and cast. He has been performing on stage, TV, and film since he was 3. 2019 ASU HSMTA Winner, 2019 National High School Musical Theatre Award (Jimmy Award) Finalist. Regional: A Christmas Carol. Film: Everything Must Go. TV: “American Blackout.” @justcaseylikes

Danny Lindgren (Swing) was most recently seen as Charlie Cowell in The Music Man at The Goodspeed Opera House. He has appeared in workshops and readings including Stephen Schwartz and Charles Strouse’s musical Rags, and Tim Rice and Stuart Brayson’s musical From Here to Eternity. His regional credits include Chasing Rainbows, Damn Yankees, Rags, The Most Happy Fella (Goodspeed), Candide (The Kennedy Center), A Christmas Carol (McCarter), Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls (Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival), Addams Family (Ogunquit), Candide (LA Opera), South Pacific (Gateway), Camelot (Glimmerglass Festival), and The Flying Dutchman (Hawaii Opera Theater). He received his BFA in Musical Theater at Ithaca College. Instagram: @Danny_Lindgren, DannyLindgren.com

Alisa Melendez (Swing) is a San Diego native and current senior at Pace University where she’ll be receiving a BFA in Musical Theatre (class of 2020).

Solea Pfeiffer (Penny Lane) most recently starred in the critically-acclaimed run of Encores! Off-Center’s production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World. Prior to that, she starred as Eliza in the West Coast premiere of Hamilton. Solea’s first job out of college was Maria in the LA Philharmonic/Gustavo Dudamel Hollywood Bowl production of West Side Story. She later reprised the role in Steven Reineke’s National Symphony Orchestra production at the Kennedy Center. On television, Solea recurs on “The Good Fight” and appeared in one of the final episodes of “Scandal.”

Emily Schultheis (Anita Miller) is so humbled to be making her debut at The Old Globe with this incredible show and company. Other favorite credits include: National tours: Wicked (Elphaba standby), Bat Out of Hell original cast (Raven). Regional: Island Song (world premiere), Some Lovers (world premiere, Steven Sater/Burt Bacharach). TV: “God Friended Me” (CBS). Indiana University. @em_schultheis

Daniel Sovich (Darryl), born and raised in Cleveland, OH, is an NYU class of 2018 graduate making his regional theater debut here at the Old Globe. Previous professional credits include Jay114 in the Off Broadway production of Downtown Race Riot and featured roles in CBS’ “The Code” and “Blue Bloods.”

Libby Winters (Leslie) is thrilled to return to Old Globe. On Broadway, Libby starred as Extraordinary Girl in Green Day's American Idiot and was part of the original Broadway cast. She starred as Sophie in the Las Vegas company of Mamma Mia. Off Broadway, she played Olympia in Big Love at the Signature Theater and originated the role of Eva in White Noise at the NYMF. Regionally, she starred in Jen Silverman's All The Roads Home at Cincinnati Playhouse, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's Bright Star at the Old Globe and American Idiot at Berkeley Rep. Television credits include Escape at Dannemora (Showtime), Billions (Showtime), Olive Kittredge (HBO),”Smash” (NBC) and “Champs” (ABC/Dreamworks). Films include Light Years, My Man is a Loser, Casual Encounters and Dreaming American. Her band LAKES has played numerous venues around NYC and LA. Their debut EP Just to Feel the Feeling is available on all streaming platforms.

Matthew C. Yee (Ben Fong-Torres) Theatre credits include Cambodian Rock Band at Victory Gardens Theatre, Vietgone at Writers Theatre, Twelfth Night at Writers Theatre, Once at Paramount Theatre, Treasure Island at Berkeley Rep, and The Wheel at Steppenwolf Theatre. Television credits include “Empire,” “Chicago Fire,” and “Chicago Justice.”

Lorin Latarro (Choreography) choreographed The Heart of Rock & Roll at The Old Globe last year. She choreographed Broadway and West End’s Waitress, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Waiting for Godot with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, and she was Associate Choreographer on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and American Idiot. Her additional choreography credits include La Traviata (The Metropolitan Opera), Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout Theatre Company), Chess (The Kennedy Center), Twelfth Night (The Public Theater’s Public Works), Superhero (Second Stage Theater), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street and Peter and the Wolf (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Assassins, Fanny, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (City Center Encores!), Queen of the Night, As You Like It with director Michael Mayer (Tokyo), A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre Center), Kiss Me, Kate (Barrington Stage Company), and The Best Is Yet to Come (59E59 Theaters). Latarro has also directed A Taste of Things to Come (Broadway Playhouse) and #DateMe (Westside Theatre). She has performed in 12 Broadway shows and danced for Twyla Tharp, MOMIX, and Martha Graham. Latarro is also a Bucks County Playhouse Artistic Associate and a graduate of The Juilliard School. Upcoming she will choreograph The Outsiders for Goodman Theatre.

Derek McLane (Scenic Design) has designed over 350 productions on Broadway, Off Broadway, internationally, regionally, and on television. He was last at The Old Globe with The Heart of Rock & Roll and In Your Arms. His Broadway credits include Moulin Rouge! The Musical, American Son, Burn This, The Price, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Fully Committed, Noises Off, Gigi, Anything Goes, Ragtime, 33 Variations, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Heiress, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Follies, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Million Dollar Quartet, The Pajama Game, and I Am My Own Wife. His Off Broadway credits include If I Forget, Love Love Love, The Night of the Iguana, Sweet Charity, Buried Child, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Spoils, Into the Woods, Ruined, Macbeth, and Hurlyburly. McLane’s television credits include the Academy Awards (2013–2018) and the live NBC musicals The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Wiz, and Hairspray. He has received Tony, Emmy, Obie, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Art Directors Guild Awards. He is on the board of directors at The New Group and Fiasco Theater and has been a mentor for Theatre Development Fund’s Open Doors program for the past 17 years.

David Zinn (Costume Design) recently designed the scenery and costumes for the Broadway productions of Choir Boy, The Boys in the Band, SpongeBob SquarePants (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Fun Home (Tony nomination), Amelie, and The Last Ship. He designed scenery for The Waverly Gallery, Torch Song, Present Laughter, and The Humans (Tony Award), and costumes for A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Tony nomination) and Airline Highway (Tony nomination). Off Broadway he has designed sets and costumes for Hamlet and Fun Home (The Public Theater); Othello (New York Theatre Workshop); and The Flick, Kin, and Circle Mirror Transformation, all with director Sam Gold (Playwrights Horizons). Regionally he recently designed scenery for Ms. Blakk for President (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Diana (La Jolla Playhouse), and Seascape (American Conservatory Theater).

Natasha Katz (Lighting Design)has designed extensively for theatre, opera, dance, concerts, and permanent lighting installations around the world. She is a six-time Tony Award winner whose recent Broadway credits include Springsteen on Broadway; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; All My Sons; Burn This; The Prom; Frozen; Hello, Dolly!; Long Day’s Journey into Night; the revival of Cats; School of Rock; An American in Paris; Aladdin; Skylight; The Glass Menagerie; and Once. Her recent dance credits include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale, and Tryst (The Royal Ballet), Cinderella (Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet), and The Nutcracker (Joffrey Ballet). She is a Theatre Development Fund Wendy Wasserstein Project Mentor.

Peter Hylenski (Sound Design) is a Grammy, Olivier, seven-time Tony Award nominee. His select designs include Frozen, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Anastasia, Once on This Island, Beetlejuice, Something Rotten!, King Kong, Rock of Ages, After Midnight, Motown The Musical, The Scottsboro Boys, Side Show, Rocky, Bullets Over Broadway, Shrek The Musical, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Lend Me a Tenor, Elf, Wonderland, Cry-Baby, The Times They Are A-Changin’, The Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity, and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. He has designed for Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and The Kennedy Center.

Bryan Perri (Music Director) As music director: Broadway: Wicked, Chaplin, Jagged Little Pill (opening this winter). Off Broadway: Superhero, Dogfight, Vanities at 2nd Stage; Freaky Friday (Music Supervisor) at Signature. Jagged Little Pill at A.R.T. National tour: Next to Normal, Altar Boyz, Born to Dance (Arranger, Orchestrator & Music Director; premiering on Princess Cruises in association with Stephen Schwartz). Music director and arranger for Lindsay Mendez and Aaron Tveit- most recently performing at the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center and Webster Hall. Resident Musical Supervisor & Founding Member, ACT of Connecticut (a new equity theater in Ridgefield, CT).

Daniel Green (Associate Music Director) is a pianist, music director and composer. Broadway playing/conducting credits include In Transit (Associate MD), Rocky (Associate Conductor), An American in Paris, Big Fish, Matilda, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Addams Family, and Wicked. Other credits include Ever After (Alliance) The Wild Party (Encores!) Theory of Relativity (Goodspeed) and Between the Lines (Kansas City Rep). Composing credits include “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee;” The Museum of Broken Relationships, winner of the Holof Lyricist Award at the O’Neill National Music Theatre Conference; The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen, presented at the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop for Stephen Schwartz; and Window Treatment, produced off-Broadway at TBG Theatre. www.danielgreenmusic.com

AnnMarie Milazzo (Vocal Design) served as vocal designer for Broadway’s Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, If/Then, and Finding Neverland. Her Off Broadway credits include Carrie, Bright Lights Big City, and Superhero. Her regional credits include Dangerous Beauty, Prometheus Bound, Some Lovers, Dave, and A Walk on the Moon. Milazzo served as the Broadway orchestrator, with Michael Starobin, for Once on This Island, for which she was nominated for Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards.She is the composer and lyricist of Pretty Dead Girl, winner of the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and the lyricist of Le Rêve and Le Perle. Milazzo is the Grammy-nominated female vocalist for East Village Opera Company on Decca/Universal Records.

Campbell Young Associates (Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design) designed the Broadway productions of King Lear; Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Waverly Gallery; Head Over Heels; Carousel; Three Tall Women; Meteor Shower; Hello, Dolly!; 1984; Front Page; The Crucible; Misery; Sylvia; Betrayal; It’s Only a Play; Les Misérables; One Man, Two Guvnors; and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. For New York and the West End, they designed Ink, The Ferryman, Girl from the North Country, Farinelli and the King, Groundhog Day, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, American Psycho, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Matilda, Ghost, Billy Elliot: The Musical, La Bête, Private Lives, and Rock ’n’ Roll.Their further West End credits include Rosmersholm, All About Eve, Company, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Funny Girl, City of Angels, High Society, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, The Bodyguard, Present Laughter, A Christmas Carol, and Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax.They designed the operas Don Carlos and L’Enfant et les Sortileges (Bolshoi Opera) and Anna Nicole (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Their television credits include “Downton Abbey,” “The Americans,” and “Orange Is the New Black.”

Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager) has previously worked on The Old Globe’s world premiere musicals Clint Black’s Looking for Christmas, The Heart of Rock & Roll, Benny & Joon, October Sky, Bright Star, Dog and Pony, Allegiance, A Room with a View, and Kingdom. Some additional credits include Life After; The Tempest; The Wanderers; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Kiss Me, Kate; The Twenty-seventh Man; The Winter’s Tale; Be a Good Little Widow; and Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. Ms. Nero worked on the Broadway production of Bright Star and launched the first national tour. Her select La Jolla Playhouse credits include Sideways directed by Des McAnuff, Ruined directed by Liesl Tommy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Christopher Ashley, and Herringbone directed by Roger Rees and starring BD Wong. Ms. Nero has worked with several prominent regional theatres including The Kennedy Center, Center Theatre Group, Hartford Stage, SITI Company, Huntington Theatre Company, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, to name a few.

World premiere musical
Almost Famous
Book and lyrics by Cameron Crowe
Music and lyrics by Tom Kitt
Directed by Jeremy Herrin

RUNS: September 13 – October 20, 2019
Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Old Globe Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center

TICKETS: Ticket prices start at $50.00.

SYNOPSIS: It’s all happening… San Diego, 1973. Led Zeppelin is king, Richard Nixon is President, and idealistic 15-year-old William Miller is an aspiring music journalist. When Rolling Stone magazine hires him to go on the road with an up-and-coming band, William is thrust into the rock-and-roll circus, where his love of music, his longing for friendship, and his integrity as a writer collide. Written by Academy Award winner Cameron Crowe based on his iconic film, Almost Famous is about a young man finding his place in the world and the indelible characters he meets along the way. Directed by Tony Award nominee Jeremy Herrin, it features classic hits as well as new songs by Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt. This joyous world premiere is a celebration of community and the power of music.

CAST: Matt Bittner (Larry Fellows), Chad Burris (Vic Nunez), Gerard Canonico (Dick Roswell), Julia Cassandra (Estrella), Rob Colletti (Lester Bangs), Brandon Contreras (Silent Ed Vallencourt), Colin Donnell (Russell Hammond), Drew Gehling (Jeff Bebe), Sam Gravitte (Dennis Hope), Van Hughes (David Felton), Katie Ladner (Sapphire), Anika Larsen (Elaine Miller), Storm Lever (Polexia), Casey Likes (William Miller), Solea Pfeiffer (Penny Lane), Emily Schultheis (Anita Miller), Daniel Sovich (Darryl), Libby Winters (Leslie), Matthew C. Yee (Ben Fong-Torres); swings Danny Lindgren and Alisa Melendez.

CREATIVE TEAM: Lorin Latarro (Choreography), Derek McLane (Scenic Design), David Zinn (Costume Design), Natasha Katz (Lighting Design), Peter Hylenski (Sound Design), Tom Kitt (Orchestrations and Arrangements), Bryan Perri (Music Director), Daniel Green (Associate Music Director), AnnMarie Milazzo (Vocal Designer), Campbell Young Associates (Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design), Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager).

BOX OFFICE WINDOW HOURS: Noon to final curtain Tuesday through Sunday. American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and VISA accepted. (619) 23-GLOBE [234-5623].

LOCATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. Free parking is available throughout the park. Valet parking is also available ($14, advance reservation by calling the Box Office, evening performances only).

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:
Sept 13 FRI 8:00pm
Sept 14 SAT 8:00pm
Sept 15 SUN 7:00pm
Sept 17 TUE 7:00pm (Zeiger Insights Seminar)
Sept 18 WED 7:00pm
Sept 19 THURS 8:00pm
Sept 20 FRI 8:00pm 
Sept 22 SUN 2:00pm
Sept 22 SUN 7:00pm
Sept 24 TUE 7:00pm 
Sept 25 WED 7:00pm
Sept 26 THURS 8:00pm
OPENING NIGHT: Sept 27 FRI 8:00pm
REGULAR PERFORMANCES:
Sept 28 SAT 2:00pm
Sept 28 SAT 8:00pm
Sept 29 SUN 2:00pm
Sept 29 SUN 7:00pm
Oct 1 TUE 7:00pm (Post-Show Forum)
Oct 2 WED 7:00pm
Oct 3 THURS 8:00pm
Oct 4 FRI 8:00pm
Oct 5 SAT 2:00pm (Subject Matters)
Oct 5 SAT 8:00pm
Oct 6 SUN 2:00pm
Oct 6 SUN 7:00pm
Oct 8 TUE 7:00pm (Post-Show Forum)
Oct 9 WED 2:00pm
Oct 9 WED 7:00pm (Post-Show Forum)
Oct 10 THURS 8:00pm
Oct 11 FRI 8:00pm
Oct 12 SAT 8:00pm
Oct 13 SUN 2:00pm
Oct 13 SUN 7:00pm
Oct 15 TUE 7:00pm
Oct 16 WED 7:00pm
Oct 17 THURS 8:00pm
Oct 18 FRI 8:00pm
Oct 19 SAT 2:00pm
Oct 19 SAT 8:00pm
Oct 20 SUN 2:00pm
Oct 20 SUN 7:00pm

PHOTOS: Digital images of Globe productions are available at TheOldGlobe.org/press-room.

PRESS CONTACTS:
Susan Chicoine
schicoine@TheOldGlobe.org
(619) 238-0043 x2152 / 325-9416

Alejandra Enciso-Dardashti
aenciso@TheOldGlobe.org
(619) 238-0043 x2356