Cast set for The King and I

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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The Sault Symphony Orchestra announces the cast for The King and I

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON (September 2011) - The Sault Symphony Orchestra is proud to present another spectacular full-stage production as part of its 39th season.

From December 7 to 11, the Kiwanis Community Theatre Centre will be transformed into the royal court of Siam as the curtain rises on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical masterpiece, The King and I.

Producers Valerie Pluss and John Stephens were very impressed with the breadth of talent and with the distance which some people travelled to audition for this show.

Approximately 90 people of all ages auditioned at the Station Mall this summer to try to earn a lead role or ensemble part.

Timothy Murphy is the director of The King and I.

The musical director is John Wilkinson, and special choreography is by Richard Kim and Tania Castellani.

Sara Boileau is the stage manager, assisted by Trudy Degraw and Betty Currie.

The cast includes more than 60 singers and actors, and also features approximately 40 dancers from Studio Dance Arts who will perform the famous Small House of Uncle Thomas ballet.

The production team is pleased to announce the cast for the upcoming musical.

The lead characters will be portrayed by two talented people who are not strangers to their roles.

Jay Españo joins us all the way from Chicago in the role of The King of Siam, and the Sault’s own Louise Griffith Stephens will reprise her role as the widowed tutor Anna Leonowens.

Lady Thiang, the King’s head wife, is played by Christine Aceti.

Tuptim, the slave brought from Burma to be one of the King’s junior wives, is performed by Maggie Anderson and Cameron Aitken will play Lun Tha, a Burmese scholar in love with Tuptim.

Winston Sullivan is Prince Chulalongkorn, the King’s eldest son and heir; the King’s prime minister, The Kralahome, is played by Kirk Mauldin, and William Denninghoff will portray Anna’s son, Louis Leonowens.

Rounding out the cast are Steve Bodnar as Sir Edward Ramsay, Richard Bujold-Vallée as the Interpreter, Maurice Dugas as Phra Alack and Andy Manttari as Captain Orton.

They are joined by supporting cast which includes Heather Bodnar, Avery Bodnar, Keith Bowser, Maria Burgess, Arwen Cooke, Brayden Corbett-Lewis, Emily Coutu, Danielle Day, Gavin DiCorpo, Derrick Duguay, Art Fink, Colin Gasparelli, Shelley Gold, Leith Harris, Jerritt Infanti, Maria Kahtava, Tee Komsa, Carly Luukkonen, Adriane Mallinger, Kaisa Manttari, DestineyMatte, Samantha McCormick, Caitlin McMaster, Olivia Melisek, Elizabeth Neish, Jadyn Nelson, Hilda Odom, Jasmine Ogletree, Lizzie Pearson, Heather Pearson, Emma Pearson, Tomas Pochtaruk, Michel Rathbone, Sean Reed, Karen Reid, Hannah Shuttleworth, Deven Stasiuk, John Stephens, Matthew Stephens, Wayne Thompson, and Rebekah Verdone.

Rehearsals began earlier this month at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church.

Tickets are on sale now at the Station Mall Community Centre box office, or by visiting here or here.

The curtain rises December 7, 8, 9, 10 at 8 p.m., with a special matinée performance on December 11 at 2 p.m.

The production team would like to thank Maureen Webb and the Station Mall for the use of the space to hold the auditions, and the Sault Symphony Orchestra would like to thank its generous Platinum Sponsors, including Dawson & Keenan, Community First Credit Union, Redmnky, RBC Royal Bank, CTV, Local2.ca, EZ Rock, and The Sault Star.

Visit here for complete details.

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