On Your Toes: Encores! announces cast

New York City Center Encores! have announced the full cast for On Your Toes, the final Encores! presentation of the 2012-13 New York City Center season.

The cast will star Christine Baranski, Kelli Barrett, Walter Bobbie, Jeremy Cohen, the New York City Ballet Principal dancerJoaquin De Luz, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko, Dalton Harrod, Randy Skinner, Shonn Wiley and Karen Ziemba.

Also featured in the cast: Adam Bashian, Brandon Bieber, Justin Bowen, Abby Church, Rachel Coloff, Steve Czarnecki, Christine DiGiallonardo, Deanna Doyle, Ashlee Dupre, Sara Edwards, Jason Michael Evans, Kurt Froman, Luke Hawkins, Jessy Hendrickson, Beth Johnson-Nicely, Drew King, Mark Mackillop, Sean McGibbon, Mara Newberry, David Scott Purdy, Ariel Shepley, Nicholas Sipes, Kathy Voytko and Alex Wong.

On Your Toes will play at New York City Center for seven performances from 08 - 12 May 2013.

On Your Toes has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, book by George Abbott, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

An improbable mix of gangsters, vaudeville and classical ballet, On Your Toes was the first musical to successfully integrate classical dance into the Broadway musical format.It tells the story of Junior, a vaudeville hoofer (Shonn Wiley) who gets mixed up with a classical Russian Ballet troupe, and Vera, the troupe's fiery prima ballerina (Irina Dvorovenko). When the ballet's leading dancer cannot go on, Junior steps in to save the day. But Vera's jealous boyfriend (Joaquin De Luz) tries to have him killed during the performance, and he must literally dance for his life.

The original production starred Ray Bolger, Tamara Geva and Monty Woolley. Choreographed by George Balanchine, it was the first Broadway musical to credit a choreographer (as opposed to "dance maker"). It opened on 11 Apr 1936 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 315 performances. Songs include "Glad to be Unhappy," "There's A Small Hotel" and the ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue."

Bios:

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's collaboration produced some of the musical theater's greatest shows and songs, including Pal Joey, Connecticut Yankee, Jumbo, Babes in Arms, I Married an Angel and Boys from Syracuse. Their songs include "Mountain Greenery," "Manhattan,": "My Funny Valentine" and "You Took Advantage of Me."

Christine Baranski (Peggy Porterfield) won Tony Awards for her roles in 'Rumors' and 'The Real Thing.' Her Broadway credits include 'Boeing Boeing,' 'Nick and Nora,' 'Hurlybury' and 'The House of Blue Leaves.' Baranski stars as "Diane Lockhart" on "The Good Wife," a role that has garnered her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Her Encores! credits include 'Promises, Promises' and 'Follies.'

Kelli Barrett (Frankie Frayne) was seen on Broadway in 'Baby It's You!' and 'The Royal Family,' and Off-Broadway in 'Rock of Ages.'

Walter Bobbie (Sergei Alexandrovitch) is a Tony Award-winning director and actor. Bobbie directed 'Fiorello!,' the inaugural production of the Encores! series, and served as artistic director from 1995-1996. He directed the Encores!, Broadway and international productions of 'Chicago,' winning Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Other directing credits include 'Venus in Fur,' 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas,' 'High Fidelity,' 'Sweet Charity,' 'Twentieth Century' and 'A Grand Night for Singing,' for which he also co-authored the book. He has also directed the Encores! productions of 'No, No Nanette,' 'Tenderloin' and 'Golden Boy,' and as an actor he starred in 'Bye Bye Birdie' and 'Face the Music.'

Jeremy Cohen (Sidney Cohn) made his Broadway and London debuts opposite Tyne Daly in 'Master Class.' He has been seen at Manhattan Theatre Club, La MaMa, NYMF and Roundabout Theatre Company.

Joaquin De Luz (Konstantine Morrosine) was born in Madrid and received his training at the Victor Ullate School of Ballet. In 1996, he joined the Pennsylvania Ballet as a soloist and the following year joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to soloist in 1998. De Luz joined New York City Ballet as a soloist in 2003, and in January 2005, he was promoted to the rank of principal dancer. His repertoire includes leading roles in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' 'Prodigal Son,' and 'Fancy Free,' among many others.

Irina Dvorovenko (Vera Baronova) began her ballet training at the age of 10 at the Kiev Ballet School. She joined the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Kiev in 1990 as a soloist, rising to the rank of principal dancer in 1992. Dvorovenko joined American Ballet Theatre in 1996, was promoted to Soloist in 1997 and Principal Dancer in August 2000. Her repertoire includes leading roles in 'Don Quixote,' 'Cinderella,' 'The Nutcracker,' 'Swan Lake,' 'Prodigal Son' and 'Romeo and Juliet, 'among many others.

Dalton Harrod (Young Junior) has appeared Off-Broadway in 'The Widowing of Mrs. Holyoyd,' 'Ace: The New Musical Adventure,' 'A Christmas Story' (as Ralphie), and 'Finding Neverland.'

Randy Skinner's (Phil Dolan II) many credits include the Broadway productions of 'State Fair,' 'Ain't Broadway Grand,' 'After the Night' and 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas,' and the Encores! productions of 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,' 'Do Re Mi,' 'Of Thee I Sing,' 'Face the Music' and 'No, No Nanette.'

Shonn Wiley (Junior) made his Broadway debut in the revival of '42nd Street' and was seen on Broadway as 'Dr. Jack Seward' in 'Dracula: The Musical.' His Off-Broadway credits include 'My Vaudeville Man,' 'The View From Here' and 'Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story.' His previous Encores! credits include 'No, No Nanette,' 'Stairway to Paradise' and 'On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.'

Karen Ziemba (Lil Dolan) won the Tony Award for her performance in 'Contact.' Her other Broadway credits include 'Curtains,' 'Never Gonna Dance,' 'A Chorus Line,' '42nd Street,' 'Teddy & Alice,' 'Crazy For You,' 'Steel Pier' and 'Chicago.' Her Encores! credits include 'Bye Bye Birdie,' 'The Pajama Game,' 'Ziegfeld Follies of 1936' and 'Allegro.'

Warren Carlyle (Director and Choreographer) directed and choreographed the world premiere of 'Cotton Club Parade' and 'Finian's Rainbow,' along with its subsequent Broadway production, and choreographed the Encores! productions of 'On the Town,' 'Juno,' 'Stairway to Paradise' and 'Girl Crazy.' 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.'