Encores! Directors for 20th anniversary season announced

The directors and choreographers have been announced for Encores! 20th Anniversary season, opening on 30 Jan 2013. The Tony Award-winning series welcomes back directors Gary Griffin, John Rando and Warren Carlyle, choreographers Alex Sanchez and Joshua Bergasse, and Guest Music Director Rob Fisher.

The anniversary season opens with Bock and Harnick's Fiorello! (30 Jan - 03 Feb 2013), the story of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, the man singularly responsible for saving City Center from the wrecking ball and transforming it into Manhattan's first performing arts center.

The show features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Jerome Weidman and George Abbott.

Fiorello! will be directed by Gary Griffin with choreography by Alex Sanchez and music direction by Rob Berman.

Gary Griffin directed the Encores! productions of 'The New Moon,' 'Pardon My English,' 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' 'The Apple Tree,' 'Music in the Air' and 'Lost in the Stars.' Griffin directed the Broadway productions of 'The Color Purple' and 'The Apple Tree' as well as 'Pacific Overtures' at London's Donmar Warehouse.

Alex Sanchez choreographed the Encores! production of 'Where's Charley?' and appeared in 'Li'l Abner.' He choreographed Michael John LaChiusa's 'Giant' at The Public Theatre, 'Far From Heaven' at Williamstown Theatre, and 'Follies' at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, among others.

The season will continue with Strouse and Adams's It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (20 - 24 Mar 2013), based on the comic strip "Superman."

The show features a book by David Newman and Robert Benton, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams.

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman will be directed by John Rando with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Rob Berman.

John Rando directed the Encores! productions of 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,' 'On the Town,' 'Damn Yankees,' 'Face the Music,' 'Strike Up the Band,' 'Do Re Mi,' 'The Pajama Game' and 'Of Thee I Sing.'Rando's Broadway credits include, 'A Christmas Story,' 'The Wedding Singer,' 'Urinetown' (Tony Award for Best Director), 'A Thousand Clowns' and Neil Simon's 'The Dinner Party.' Off-Broadway credits include 'All In The Timing' (revival) and 'The Toxic Avenger Musical' among many others.

Joshua Bergasse is the 2012 Emmy Award-winning choreographer for NBC's musical drama "Smash," now in its second season. Joshua has choreographed Fox-TV's "So You Think You Can Dance" as well as 'The Sound of Music' at Carnegie Hall. His choreography credits include the off-Broadway productions of 'Bomb-Itty of Errors' and 'Captain Louie,' as well as many national and international tours.

The concluding producion of the 2012 Encores! season will be On Your Toes (08 - 12 May 2013) which tells the story of Phil "Junior" Dolan III, music teacher at Knickerbocker University, who tries to persuade Sergei Alexandrovich, the director of the Russian Ballet, to stage the jazz ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," with alarming results.

The show features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, book by George Abbott, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

On Your Toes will be directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle.

Warren Carlyle directed and choreographed the world premiere of 'Cotton Club Parade' as well as the Encores! productions of 'On the Town,' 'Juno,' 'Stairway to Paradise' and 'Finian's Rainbow,' along with its subsequent Broadway production. He directed and choreographed the Broadway productions of 'Chaplin,' 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway,' and choreographed the recent Broadway productions of 'Follies,' 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' and 'A Christmas Story.'

Gary GriffinJohn RandoWarren Carlyle