The Kennedy Center, no doubt inspired by Lyric’s recent outstanding production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (that’s Amanda Dancsok as the showgirl in the photo), is mounting its own version of the show, and casting has just been announced.

 T-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters will take on Diane Burrows’s role of Sally Durant Plummer, multiple Tony nominee Jan Maxwell will attempt to live up to Donna Trainor’s outstanding performance as Phyllis Rogers Stone, two-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein will do his best to outshine Edward Willett as Buddy Plummer, Ron Raines will try to fill Jeff Tonita’s shoes as Benjamin Stone, and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige will play Norma Lemmerick’s role of Carlotta Campion. Playbill continues:

The production will also star Terrence Currier as Theodore Whitman, Christian Delcroix as Young Buddy, Rosalind Elias as Heidi Schiller, Colleen Fitzpatrick as Dee Dee West, Lora Lee Gayer as Young Sally, Michael Hayes as Roscoe, Florence Lacey as Sandra Crane, Linda Lavin as Hattie Walker, Régine as Solange LaFitte, David Sabin as Dimitri Weismann, Kirsten Scott as Young Phyllis, Frederick Strother as Max Deems, Nick Verina as Young Ben, Susan Watson as Emily Whitman and Terri White as Stella Deems.

Rounding out the ensemble will be Lawrence Alexander, Brandon Bieber, John Carroll, Sara Edwards, Leslie Flesner (Young Dee Dee), Jenifer Foote (Young Hattie), Leah Horowitz (Young Heidi), Suzanne Hylenski (Young Solange), Danielle Jordan, Joe Kolinski, Amanda Larsen, Brittany Marcin, Edrie Means, Erin Moore (Young Stella), Pamela Otterson (Young Carlotta), Clifton Samuels, Kiira Schmidt (Young Sandra), Brian Shepard, Sam Strasfeld, Amos Wolff and Ashley Yeater.

 The production will run May 7-June 19 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

Auditions for Regina Lyric Musical Theatre’s spring production of the funny and poignant musical Baby, about three couples anticipating/hoping for the arrival of a baby, will be held this Thursday, February 17, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Lakeview United Church, 3200 McCallum Ave. Use the west front entrance.

Bring a song that shows off your voice; an accompanist will be provided.

Auditions are open to anyone interested from older teens on up.  The production runs May 25 to June 1 in the Shu-Box Theatre, Riddell Centre, University of Regina. It’s being directed by Robert Ursan.

Here’s a brief description of the show:

Is there anything more exciting, frightening and utterly transformational than impending parenthood?

“Baby” tells the story of three couples on a university campus as they deal with the painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of this universal experience. There are the college students, barely at the beginning of their adult lives; the thirty-somethings, having trouble conceiving but determined to try; and the middle aged parents, looking forward to seeing their last child graduate from college when a night of unexpected passion lands them back where they started.

You can read more about the show, its music and the available roles here .

Hope to see you at auditions!

Lyric’s musical fundraising brunch, From Camelot to Cabaret: The 1960s Broadway Revolution, was a great success again, as always. If you missed it, you missed a great line-up of songs from the 1960s sung by a terrific cast: Andrea Armstrong, Rob Armstrong, Janelle Bennett, Norris Bjorndahl, Lyndon Bray, Patrick Cherneski, Zachary Flis, John Johnston, Norma Lemmerick, Jamie Lemmerick, Graeme Mitchell, Julie Mombourquette, Dwight Muller, Elizabeth Popowich, Celia Ricker, Owen Ricker, Emily Schaming, Jessica Scheuer, Nathan Sgrazzutti, Carolyn Speirs, Amanda Trapp, Edward Willett, Margaret Anne Hodges, Thomas Williams and Sophi Yannitsos.

The songs included “Big Spender” and “The Rhythm of Life” from Sweet Charity, “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, “Lusty Month of May” from Camelot, “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly!, “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” from the musical of the same name, “As Long as He Needs Me” from Oliver!, “Bosom Buddies” from Mame, “I Believe in You” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” from Promises, Promises, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, “Is it Really Me?” from 110 in the Shade, “Make Someone Happy” from Do Re Mi, “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof, “On a Wonderful Day Like Today” from Roar of the Greasepaint (The Smell of the Crowd), “People” from Funny Girl, “Put on a Happy Face” from Bye, Bye Birdie, “Two Ladies” from Cabaret, “What Kind of Fool Am I” from Stop the World, I Want to Get Off, “Where are the Snows?” from I Do, I Do, and a medley from Hair that includes “Good Morning, Starshine” and, of course, “Age of Aquarius.”

Jane Ursan directed and the wonderful three-piece band featured Bill Sgrazutti on piano, Mark Limerick on bass and guitar, and Ryan Bennett on percussion.

Here’s a Flickr set of photos taken at the final rehearsal, and here’s the program!