'The Ark:' David Hess and Jenelle Lynn Randall join the cast

David Hess and Jenelle Lynn Randall have joined the cast of The Ark, a new musical opening at 37 ARTS Theatre on the 14 Nov 2005, following previews from the 14 Oct. They replace the previously announced Paul Harmon and Carla Hargrove, who have left the production due to scheduling conflicts.

David Hess will play Noah in this musical retelling of the infamous floating community. His previous credits include: Annie Get Your Gun (Broadway company), Ragtime (National Tour and Papermill Playhouse), Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center, and Prodigal at The York Theatre.

Jenelle Lynn Randall portrays Egyptus, the wife of Noah's prodigal son, Ham. She previously starred in The Joys of Sex at The Variety Arts and All Shook Up on Broadway

Directed and choreographed by Ray Roderick, the musical features Annie Golden (The Full Monty, Hair) as Eliza, Marie-France Arcilla, D.B Bonds (The Last Five Years, Les Miserables), Justin Brill (All Shook Up, Mamma Mia!), Julie Foldesi (Little Women), Jacquelyn Piro (Under The Bridge, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), Chuck Ragsdale, and Rob Sutton (We Will Rock You).

The Ark is a new musical that takes a fresh, contemporary look at the classic story of Noah by showing us the backstory of his family. Living inside the now infamous floating community to escape a drowning world, we see that when facing the challenges of life, we�re all in the same boat.

Michael McLean says of the musical "Our goal in writing The Ark was to explore the story of Noah in a unique and entertaining way. With music that ranges from pop to gospel, audiences will certainly relate to how Noah and his family overcome challenges. Living in the craziness of today�s world, we see that this ancient story is now more relevant than ever."

The design team for The Ark is Beowulf Boritt (Scenic Design), Lisa Zinni (Costume Design), Eric Haugan (Lighting Design) and Ryan Powers (Sound Design).

The musical is being produced by Erik Orton and Karen Walter Goodwin