Jeffry Denman to join cast of Cagney at Westside Theatre

The off-Broadway production of Cagney will welcome Broadway alum Jeffry Denman to the cast at the Westside Theatre from 14 October 2016 to take on the roles of Bob Hope and others. He replaces current company member Jeremy Benton, who takes a leave of absence through to the end of the year.

Jeffry Denman released the following statement:

"I'm incredibly honored and excited to be joining the company of Cagney. It's been a passion project for Robert Creighton for as long as I've known him and the success the show is enjoying is so encouraging. I've got talented, Jeremy Benton-sized shoes to try and fill but I'm excited to get onstage with this stellar cast."

The open-ended off-Broadway engagement of Cagney began previews at Westside Theatre (Upstairs) on 16 March 2016 and officially opened on 3 April. It is currently booking through to 8 January 2017.

Directed by Bill Castellino, Cagney features a book by Peter Colley, with music and lyrics by Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern.

Synopsis: "Cagney, a dramatic new musical, follows the life of the legendary James Cagney from the streets of New York to his rise from a vaudeville song-and-dance man to one of the brightest stars of Hollywood as the original tough guy. Robert Creighton leads a cast of six who tap dance through a score that blends original music with classic George M. Cohan favorites: 'Give My Regards To Broadway,' 'You're A Grand Old Flag,' and 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'."

The creative team behind Cagney features choreography by Joshua Bergasse, scenic design by James Morgan, costume design by Chip Schoonmaker, lighting design by Michael Gilliam, sound design by Janie Bullard and projections design by Mark Pirolo.

Cagney is produced off-Broadway by Riki Kane Larimer.

Jeffry Denman's Broadway credits include 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas,' 'The Producers,' 'Dream,' 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,' and 'Cats.' He has also appeared off-Broadway in 'Passion', 'Yank! A WWII Love Story,' and 'If Love Were All.'

- by Tom Millward