Scandalous: Andrew Samonsky joins cast

Andrew Samonsky has joined the cast of the up-coming Broadway musical Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson.

Samonsky has been cast in the dual roles of 'Harold McPherson,' Aimee's second husband; and 'Kenneth Ormiston,' the sound engineer hired by Aimee to produce her radio show during the height of her nationwide evangelic superstardom.

Samonsky made his Broadway debut in the Lincoln Center's 2008 revival of 'South Pacific.' Off-BRoadway he starred in the musical 'Queen of the Mist.' Earlier this year he starred as 'Tyler' in City Center's Encores! production of 'Merrily We Roll Along.' Last year he originated roles in James Lapine and William Finn's 'Little Miss Sunshine' as 'Joshua Rose' at La Jolla Playhouse, and in the 'Scissor Sisters' Tales of the City' as 'Beauchamp Day' at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

He joins the previously announced leading lady and two-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello (Parade, Lestat) as 'Aimee Semple McPherson,' two-time Tony Award winner George Hearn ('Sunset Boulevard,' 'La Cage aux Folles') in the dual roles of 'James Kennedy' and 'Brother Bob.'

The principal cast will also feature Edward Watts the dual roles of 'Robert Semple,' the firey Irish evangelist from the early twentieth century who becomes Aimee's first husband; and 'David Hutton,' a charming Los Angeles actor who becomes Aimee's third husband during the height of her nationwide celebrity, and Roz Ryan as'Emma Jo Schaeffer,' the tough talking, no nonsense madame of a brothel who befriends Aimee early in her ministry and becomes a constant fixture in her life for years to come.

The ensemble will feature Nick Cartell, Hannah Chin, Joseph Dellger, Erica Dorfler, Carlos L. Encinias, Corey Greenan, Benjamin J. Howes, Karen Hyland, Alison Luff, Jesse Nager, Sam Strasfeld, Betsy Struxness, Elizabeth Ward Land, Billie Wildrick, Dan'yelle Williamson and Matt Wolfe.

With book and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford and music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman, Scandalous will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on 15 Nov 2012, following previews from 13 Oct 2012.

Directed by David Armstrong, scandalous is based on the life of Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944), the world's first media superstar evangelist - a woman whose passion for saving souls equaled her passion for making sensational headlines and attracting overflow crowds of thousands throughout the world. Time Magazine named Aimee Semple McPherson one the most influential people of the twentieth century.

Set in 1920's Los Angeles, holiness collides with Hollywood in this extraordinary tale of one remarkable woman's charismatic rise to fame amidst scandalous love affairs and growing controversy, inevitably ending in her much-publicized fall from grace.

With choreography by Lorin Latarro and musical direction by Joel Fram, Scandalous features scenic design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Gregory A. Poplyk, lighting design by Natasha Katz and sound design by Ken Travis.

Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson is produced by Dick and Betsy DeVos, Foursquare Foundation and Jeffrey Finn, Executive Producer, in association with The 5th Avenue Theatre (David Armstrong, Executive Producer and Artistic Director; Bernadine Griffin, Managing Director; Bill Berry, Producing Director).