Saved: Playwrights Horizons announces additional casting

Playwrights Horizons has announced additional casting for the sixth and final production of its 2007/2008 Season, the World Premiere of the new musical Saved.

In addition to previously-announced Tony Award nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), the cast of Saved will include Tony Award nominee John Dossett (Gypsy 2003 revival), Julia Murney (Elphaba in Wicked), Mary Faber, Josh Breckenridge, Juliana Ashley Hansen, Curtis Holbrook, Van Hughes, Jason Michael Snow, Aaron Tveit, Emily Walton and Daniel Zaitchik.

One final addition to the cast will be announced in the coming weeks.

Saved has music & lyrics by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman (The Civilians� Gone Missing) and book & lyrics by 2-time Olivier Award nominee John Dempsey (The Witches of Eastwick) & Obie Award winner Rinne Groff (The Ruby Sunrise), based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture written by Brian Dannelly & Michael Urban.

Directed by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys), the production will open on 3 Jun 2008, following previews from 9 May. The limited engagement will continue through to 22 Jun 2008 at Playwrights Horizons� Mainstage Theater.

In Saved, good girl Mary (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and her domineering best friend Hilary Faye (Mary Faber) are starting their senior year at the top of the social food chain at American Eagle Christian High School � that is, until Mary�s boyfriend (Aaron Tveit) tells her he thinks he�s gay. When Jesus (Daniel Zaitchik) appears in a vision, and Mary heeds his message �to do everything she can to help him,� her good deeds are met with dire consequences, and Mary is forced to question everything she�s ever believed. Through it all, she finds faith in unexpected places and learns what it truly means to be saved.

The Saved design team features three Tony Award winners: scenic designer Scott Pask (The Coast of Utopia, The Pillowman), costume designer Jess Goldstein (The Rivals) and lighting designer Donald Holder (The Lion King), with sound design by Brian Ronan.

Saved is based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Saved!, written by Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban and directed by Dannelly. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. After appearing at several additional film festivals, it opened across the country in a limited release in May 2004, and would go on to play in over 30 countries around the world.

Notables in the movie cast include Jena Malone (Mary), Mary-Louise Parker (Lillian), Mandy Moore (Hilary Faye) and Macaulay Culkin (Roland) and Martin Donovan (Pastor Skip).