MOUNT CARROLL – Timber Lake Playhouse, the professional summer theatre of northwest Illinois, has announced casting for the opening production of its 55th summer season. Television and New York theatre star, Saundra Santiago, will play legendary stage mother Mama Rose in Gypsy, which opens a season that also includes Having Our Say, Rock of Ages, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Titanic and Gaslight.
Ms. Santiago’s career includes the long-running television series ‘Miami Vice,’ ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Guiding Light,’ ‘One Life To Live,’ ‘Damages,’ and more. She began her career as a resident company member at TLP playing Anita in West Side Story, before moving on to Broadway roles in A View From The Bridge, Chronicle Of A Death Foretold and Nine.
“I am thrilled and delighted to perform at Timber Lake again—particularly to perform a role I've dreamt about doing and have been studying for my entire life, Mama Rose. I will never forget performing Anita in West Side Story back in 1980, and meeting such wonderful talented people, many I am still in contact with today,” she said.
After starring on ‘Miami Vice,’ Ms. Santiago headlined a national tour of Evita. She has also starred Off Broadway in productions including Spike Heels opposite Kevin Bacon, Hello Again, Bernarda Alba and The Glass Menagerie.
Directed by Artistic Director James Beaudry, Gypsy will also star John B. Boss as Herbie and Olivia Kaufmann as Gypsy Rose Lee. Caroline Kasay will play Dainty June, and Liam Johnson is Tulsa. A resident company of 15 rounds out the cast. Choreography is by Zachary L. Gray (last summer’s Peter Pan and Hairspray).
Mr. Boss is a Chicago based actor who recently completed a stint in the national tour of The Producers. He has appeared in numerous independent films, commercials and TV shows. Ms. Kaufmann and Ms. Kasay are students at Baldwin Wallace University’s music theatre conservatory in Cleveland, and Mr. Johnson is currently enrolled at Webster University in St. Louis.
“Mama Rose is one of the greatest roles ever written for the stage, and it’s been played by legends like Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Better Midler, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. Saundra brings incredible acting chops to the role, and while most people know her for her more serious television work, her musical theatre comedy skills made my jaw drop at a recent rehearsal in New York,” Beaudry said.
“This production is going to be something very special for our audiences, and I’m grateful that Saundra has been so enthusiastic to take on the part.”
Gypsy runs from June 2 – 12, 2016 at the playhouse in rural Mount Carroll. Subscriptions to see all six mainstage summer shows at TLP are only $119 and may be purchased now. Timber Lake donors and subscribers for the 55th Summer Season already have access to the best tickets, and additional tickets are available for purchase on the company’s website at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org.
For group sales information, please call the TLP office at 815-244-2035.
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