Rock Musical to make its world premiere at Signature Theatre.
By Jill A. Norris
Dana Rowe, Gabriel Mangiante, Erin Driscoll, and John Dempsey rehearsing for "Brother Russia" at the Signature Theatre. (Photo: Christopher Mueller)
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin is one of history’s famous villains and has even appeared in the children’s Disney movie “Anastasia.” While this performance is designed for a more adult audience, since “Brother Russia” focuses in depth on the life of the well know coaxing ruler of the Tsar of Imperial Russia. The play’s world premiere will take place on March 6th and continue running through April 15th under the direction of Eric Schaeffer and include book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana Rowe.
“We are thrilled to present [Dempsey and Rowe’s] newest world premiere of Brother Russia with their distinct, infectious sound. Signature has assembled a remarkable cast and design team to bring this original musical to life. Only John and Dana could create an exciting, new telling of the famous Rasputin story in their own original way,” said Schaeffer.
In addition to an award-winning creative team, “Brother Russia” will also star Natascia Diaz, John Lescault, Doug Kreeger, Erin Driscoll, and Amy McWilliams, as well as many other prominent actors and actresses. Although rehearsals have only recently begun, The Signature Theatre’s record of hosting 37 world premier productions and it’s receiving of the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2009 can surely lead us to believe that the audience will be in for a great show by the time the curtain draws.
“Brother Russia” is sponsored by Shugoll Research and is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation Award for New American Plays and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Tony Garro, MD.
Performances will be held Tuesdays through Sunday evenings with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets for the show are now on sale starting at $63 and single tickets are available at the Signature Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster. Student tickets are offered at a discounted price of $30 and must be purchased the week of the performance. The Signature Theatre is also offering “$22 Tuesdays” which offers tickets for only $22 to performances held on March 6th and 13th.
