Ride Cast and Creatives Announcement

The Old Globe
announces the full cast and creative team of
the American premiere of
Ride,
book, music, and lyrics by Freya Catrin Smith,
music and lyrics by Jack Williams,
directed by Sarah Meadows

Performances begin March 30 and run to April 28, 2024,
with the opening on Friday, April 5

Tickets are available at www.TheOldGlobe.org

PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of the Globe’s production of Ride can be found here.

SAN DIEGO (February 29, 2024) The Old Globe is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for the American premiere of Ride. Rehearsals are currently underway for the smash-hit London musical featuring book, music, and lyrics by Freya Catrin Smith (London’s Network Theatre’s The Limit,Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Part A), music and lyrics by Jack Williams (London’s Network Theatre’s The Limit,Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Part A), and direction by Sarah Meadows (U.K. premiere of Marie Curie, U.K. tour of The Good Enough Mums Club). Ride is produced by The Old Globe by special arrangement with DEM Productions and Wagner Johnson Productions. The five-week limited engagement plays on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, from March 30 toApril 28, 2024, with the official opening night on Friday, April 5. Tickets are available at www.TheOldGlobe.org.

It’s 1895, and Annie Londonderry wants to discover if a woman can ride a bicycle around the world. The problem? She’s only ridden one twice! As Annie and her unwitting secretary Martha share unbelievable adventures across four continents, they learn that no matter how far we ride, our past is always right behind us. With a high-energy score and a wildly versatile cast, this fresh and funny show is what Theatre Weekly called “an amazing piece of theatre and a must-watch for everyone.”

“When Ride makes its U.S. premiere at The Old Globe, American audiences are going to make a series of wonderful discoveries,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “First, they’re going to meet the Fred Ebb Award–winning writer/composer team, whose talents are breathtaking. Second, they’re going to meet Annie Londonderry, a real person who did something amazing and inspiring. And third, they’re going to meet Ride’s version of Annie, a thrilling musical theatre character whose energy, charm, guile, and vulnerability are unforgettable. Spending time with her, and with this exciting new show, is magical. I can’t wait for San Diego audiences to enjoy it.”

The cast for Ride features Alex Finke as Annie (Broadway’s revival of Les Misérables; Broadway’s Come From Away as Janice) and Livvy Marcus as Martha (The Old Globe’s Life After; Berkshire Theatre Festival’s Hair). Cover for Annie and Martha is Aubrey Matalon (Broadway’s Six the Musical; Off-Broadway’s Between the Lines, A New Musical).

Also joining Smith, Williams, and Meadows as part of the creative team for the Globe’s production of Ride are Jennifer Jancuska (Choreography), Amy Jane Cook (Scenic and Costume Design), Jamie Platt (Lighting Design), Andrew Johnson (Sound Design), Matt Powell (Video Design), John Bulleid (Illusions), Macy Schmidt (Orchestrations), Sam Young (Music Supervisor and Additional Arrangements), Daniel Green (Music Director), Katharine Quinn (Associate Director), Natasha Harrison (Original Choreography), Jim Carnahan, CSA and Jason Thinger, CSA (Casting), and Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager).

Ride had its first full production at Charing Cross Theatre in London in August 2022 for a limited engagement. The musical featured book, music, and lyrics by Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams, was directed by Sarah Meadows, and starred Liv Andrusier (Annie) and Yuki Sutton (Martha).

Tickets for Ride are available now and start at $29. Performances for the five-week limited engagement run March 30 – April 28, 2024, with the official press opening on Friday, April 5 at 8:00 p.m. The Vicki and Carl Zeiger Insights Seminar, scheduled for Tuesday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m., will provide patrons an exploration of the themes and background of Ride from select artistic company members. Post-Show Forum events will be held on Tuesday, April 9; Wednesday, April 10; and Wednesday, April 24 (evening performance). An open-caption performance will be held on Saturday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m. This production includes strong language. Visit www.TheOldGlobe.org for a full schedule and additional information.

Opening night post-show receptions for the cast and donors are held in Hattox Hall, located in the Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

Rideis supported by Production Sponsor The Joseph Cohen and Martha Farish New Play Development Fund; and Artist Sponsors Alicia and Jonathan Atun (for director Sarah Meadows), Sandy and Arthur* Levinson, Sue and Edward “Duff” Sanderson (for Alex Finke as Annie), and Richard and Shari Sapp (for Livvy Marcus as Martha). *In memoriam.

Financial support of The Old Globe is provided by The City of San Diego. The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe’s year-round activities.

Bios and photos of all participants can be found at www.TheOldGlobe.org/Press-Room.

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional nonprofit regional theatres. Now in its 89th 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 the Audrey S. Geisel 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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