Broadway's NERDS Announces its Gates & Jobs: Rory O'Malley & Bryan Fenkart, Complete Cast Announcement
TONY AWARD NOMINEE RORY O’MALLEY
AND BRYAN FENKART ARE
BILL GATES AND STEVE JOBS
ALONGSIDE
PATTI MURIN, LINDSAY MENDEZ,
BENNY ELLEDGE, ROB MORRISON, AND KEVIN PARISEAU
AS BROADWAY’S VERY OWN
nerds
THE MUSICAL DOT COMEDY
The producers of NERDS, a new musical dot-comedy about the rise and rivalry of tech trailblazers Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, is thrilled to announce that Tony Award Nominee Rory O’Malley (Book of Mormon - @RoryOMalley) will play Bill Gates and Bryan Fenkart (Memphis - @BryanFenkart) will play Steve Jobs. The cast will also star many musical theater nerds’ favorite performers including Patti Murin (Lysistrata Jones, Holiday Inn - @PattiMurin) as Sally, Lindsay Mendez (Dogfight, Wicked - @LindsayMendez) as Myrtle, Benny Elledge (Chicago National Tour) as Steve Wozniak, Rob Morrison (Avenue Q - @digitalshrub) as Paul Allen, and Kevin Pariseau (Legally Blonde) as Tom Watson. NERDS will open on Broadway Thursday, April 21, 2016 at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street), following preview performances from Friday, April 1.
NERDS is the new musical dot comedy that plugs into the epic rivalry between two of our culture’s biggest icons, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Our story begins long before we all had computers in our pockets and Al Gore “invented” the Internet, when the founding fathers of technology were tinkering in garages with the beginnings of the computer revolution. Steve, the clairvoyant rock star with swagger, and Bill, the brilliant underdog with a computer chip on his shoulder, competed to change the world, and in the process reprogrammed the way we communicate, create, listen to music, follow our exes, watch videos of kittens, and share photos of the burger we had for lunch.
Compatible for audiences of all generations, this user-friendly show features technology never before seen on Broadway, including: on-stage holograms; projection mapping; and an enhanced theatergoing experience through app integrations, accessible pre- & post-show and during intermission, that allow users to interact with the set and other audience members, choose the show’s ending, and more soon to be announced.
The cast will also feature Tracee Beazer (Honeymoon in Vegas - @TraBeaz81), Pierce Cassedy (Kinky Boots - @PierceCassedy), Luther Creek (Spiderman), Joshua Franklin (Ghost the Musical - @theJoshFranklin), Katie Lee Hill (Film Chinois - @KatieLeeHill), Raymond J. Lee (Anything Goes - @RaymondJLee) and Bethany Moore (Pippin).
NERDS features book & lyrics by multiple Emmy Award nominees Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner (Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken”, Bomb-itty of Errors), music by Hal Goldberg (The Children), direction by Casey Hushion (Aladdin - Associate Resident Director) and choreography by Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Joshua Bergasse (On The Town, “Smash”) with additional choreography by Denis Jones (Honeymoon in Vegas).
NERDS features scenic design by Lee Savage (Ordinary Boys), costume design by Jennifer Caprio (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), lighting design by Jason Lyons (Rock of Ages, Hand to God), sound design by Nevin Steinberg (Hamilton, Bright Star) and projection design by Daniel Brodie (Aladdin). Orchestrations and Additional Arrangements are by Adam Blau (“Funny or Die’s Billy on the Street”), Music Direction and Additional Arrangements are by Matt Doebler and Nadia DiGiallonardo (Waitress, Pippin) is the Music Supervisor and Arranger. Casting is by Bethany Knox (Hamilton, Something Rotten!), CSA of Telsey + Co.
NERDS was first presented in the New York Musical Theatre Festival and later at Philadelphia Theatre Company, where it received Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Original Music and Outstanding New Play. In 2013, the show played limited engagements at North Carolina Theatre and again at Philadelphia Theatre Company where it received seven Barrymore Award Nominations. The Philadelphia Inquirer called NERDS "generation defining,” “visually hot and musically adept filled with one knockout, high-velocity number after another” and “with surgical precision [like] How to Succeed meets Urinetown, NERDS nails such themes as the cost of dreams and the emptiness of revenge. And, is full of class, insight and wit.”
NERDS is produced on Broadway by Carl Levin, Vicki Halmos, Elizabeth Williams, Greenleaf Productions and Clear Channel Spectacolor.
RORY O’MALLEY (Bill Gates) is best known for starring in the original company of The Book of Mormon on Broadway. He received both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for creating the openly closeted Mormon Elder McKinley and performing the show stopper “Turn It Off.” His other New York stage credits include in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway and Second Stage Theatre’s Nobody Loves You (Drama Desk nomination) and Little Miss Sunshine, both Off Broadway. Recently he played both Dromios for The Old Globe's production of The Comedy Of Errors. He also created the role of Richie Cunningham in Garry Marshall’s Happy Days – A New Musical. Rory's TV credits include starring alongside Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence in FX’s “Partners", episodes of “Nurse Jackie,” “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “1600 Penn.” He can also be seen on film as the nerdy white dude stealing the song "Cadillac Car" from Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls. Last year, Rory debuted his autobiographical show Pub Crawl in New York City. RoryOMalley.com.
BRYAN FENKART (Steve Jobs) is thrilled to be returning to Broadway. He is coming off a run at the Atlantic Theatre Company, starring in Billie Joe Armstrong's These Paper Bullets, a show he also originated in the world premiere at Yale Rep. He has also lately starred in both Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson's Diner: The Musical, as well as Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story, both with the Signature Theatre. He starred on both Broadway and the 1st national tour of 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Memphis, as well as the new musical, Nobody Loves You (Second Stage). He has been seen on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” as well as the films You Tell Me and Red Hook. Bryan is a singer/songwriter. His albums “Simple & Grey” and “Imperfect Man” are available on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. He has his own Pandora station: Bryan Fenkart Radio. Follow him on Facebook at Bryan Fenkart, Twitter @BryanFenkart, or bryanfenkart.com. BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
PATTI MURIN (Sally) made her Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated musical Xanadu. She originated the role of Lysistrata in the musical Give It Up during its Dallas run and followed the show to New York, where it was renamed Lysistrata Jones for its 2011 off-Broadway and Broadway run. She also originated the role of “Princess” in the Public Theater’s Love’s Labour’s Lost and the role of Linda Mason in Holiday Inn (Goodspeed & Muny). National Tour: Wicked (1st National – Glinda). TV: “Chicago Med” and “Royal Pains.” BFA from Syracuse University.
LINDSAY MENDEZ (Myrtle) recently starred as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, during their 10th Anniversary year, and appeared on The Today Show and The Katie Couric Show as part of the celebration. She received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Award Nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance as Rose Fenny in the off-Broadway musical Dogfight. She made her Broadway debut in Grease, directed by Kathleen Marshall, and went on to star in the revival of Godspell, as well as in Sherie Renee Scott’s Everyday Rapture. Additional off-Broadway credits include The Marvelous Wonderettes and Everyday Rapture.
BENNY ELLEDGE (Steve Wozniak) Broadway debut. In addition to two national tours as "Amos" in Chicago the Musical, he has appeared in numerous TV pilots and commercial spots for companies such as Bing.com, Blue Shield, and MediaCom.
ROB MORRISON (Paul Allen) recently appeared in the acclaimed Broadway-bound Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical at Dallas Theater Center. Rob's voice can be heard every day on your local PBS station in the Emmy-winning animated series “Peg + Cat.” He voices over 25 characters on the series, including Beethoven, the Pirates (and their Parrot!), Big Mouth, Singing Goat, 99 chickens, and Zebra Guy. On the off-Broadway stage, Rob has appeared in Avenue Q as Nicky/Trekkie Monster, Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, and Pinkalicious. Film/TV: Freedom (with Cuba Gooding, Jr), “Alpha House,” and “Unforgettable.” He has appeared in numerous television and radio commercials. Rob composed the original score for the new feature film Sun Belt Express, directed by Evan Buxbaum and starring Tate Donovan.
KEVIN PARISEAU (Tom Watson) Broadway: Legally Blonde. National: Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Off-Broadway: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Slut; Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh. Regional: All in the Timing; Lend Me a Tenor; Shear Madness; Prelude to a Kiss; The Tempest; Drood. Recordings: Sondheim at the Movies. Radio: “Studio 360” with Kurt Anderson. Education: Brown University.
TRACEE BEAZER Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Memphis, The Wedding Singer, Good Vibrations, Hairspray. Tour: All Shook Up. Off-Broadway: Radiant Baby (Public Theater), The Two Gentleman of Verona (Shakespeare in the Park). Regional: Fly, Dreamgirls (Starring Jennifer Holliday). Film and TV: “Law & Order: SVU,” Camp.
PIERCE CASSEDY just concluded his run as Elder McKinley in the national tour of The Book of Mormon. Broadway: Kinky Boots.
LUTHER CREEK. Broadway: Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, Urinetown The Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, Footloose, Rent. West End: Hair (revival). National Tour: Hair. Off-Broadway: A Man of No Importance, Shockheaded Peter, Two Gentlemen of Verona. Film/TV: Across the Universe, “Law & Order: SVU,” “Law & Order: CI.”
JOSHUA FRANKLIN. Broadway: Ghost the Musical, Anything Goes, Legally Blonde, Grease. 1st national tours: Jersey Boys (Bob Gaudio), Grease (Danny), All Shook Up, Disney’s On the Record. Josh is a graduate of the Conservatory at Webster University. Film/TV: “Gossip Girl,” Forming a Guise. He is a singer/songwriter, and more information can be found at www.joshfranklin.net.
KATIE LEE HILL. Broadway debut. Off-Broadway: Film Chinois (Theatre Row), The Anthem (Lynn Redgrave).
RAYMOND J. LEE. Broadway: Anything Goes (John), Mamma Mia! (Eddie). Off-Broadway: Applause (Encores!), Two Gentlemen of Verona (the Public/NYSF), Victor Woo (NY Fringe). Regional: … Spelling Bee, The Fantasticks, The King and I. Film: Ghost Town, The Mikado Project. TV: “Fame.” Co-creator of thankyounextseries.com. Check out www.raymondjlee.com for additional credits.
BETHANY MOORE. Broadway: Pippin, Spider-Man. Public Theater’s Into the Woods (Florinda, u/s Witch). Tours: A Chorus Line (Judy), Cats (Bombalurina). Regional: Pippin. A.R.T.; The Producers (Ulla); Urinetown (Hope), The Drowsy Chaperone. BFA in musical theatre from SUNY Buffalo.
JORDAN ALLEN-DUTTON and ERIK WEINER (Book & Lyrics) are long-time friends and writing partners whose collaboration began at NYU where they co-created and starred in The Bomb-itty of Errors, a hip-hop musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy, which went on to Off-Broadway (1999), the West End (2002), and continues to play around the world. From the success of Bomb-itty, Jordan and Erik were invited to the Sundance Screenwriting Lab and co-created and starred in the MTV sketch comedy series, Scratch & Burn. Together, they’ve written on 5 seasons of the Emmy-winning series, Robot Chicken, including the Star Wars Special, and have been nominated for three Emmys for their writing. JORDAN graduated from Tisch at NYU in '99 as a recipient of the Artist Scholar Award. He has also created original pilots for FOX, Comedy Central, Sony and Disney. He lives in Los Angeles with his lovely wife Mesha and amazing daughter, Lavinia. ERIK won a Peabody Award for his writing on CNN Heroes. As an actor, he won a SAG Award playing Agent Sebso on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire”. Other roles include “Unscripted”, “Brown Sugar”, “The New Normal”, and he had one line on “The Sopranos”. He lives in LA with his wonderful wife, Kerry, and delightful daughter, Roxy.
HAL GOLDBERG (Composer) received Barrymore Awards for Outstanding New Play (with book/lyric writers Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner) and Outstanding Original Music for his work on the 2007 Philadelphia Theatre Company production of "NERDS". "NERDS" has also received productions at the Experimental Theater Wing at NYU, the New York Stage & Film Festival at Vassar, the New York Music Theatre Festival, North Carolina Theatre, and a return engagement at the Philadelphia Theatre Company (2013). Hal was also the composer of the musical "THE CHILDREN" (with book/lyric writer Stan Richardson), which was presented as part of the New York Music Theatre Festival, NYMF, in 2006. Hal lives in New York City with his husband, Tim, and proudly serves as Vice President of Theatre Operations for Jujamcyn Theaters. www.halgoldberg.nyc
CASEY HUSHION (Director) Broadway: Associate Resident Director of Disney’s Aladdin, Associate/Assistant Director of Elf (2014, 2010), In The Heights (Broadway, Nat’l Tour), The Drowsy Chaperone (Broadway, Nat’l Tour, West End), To Be or Not to Be, Good Vibrations. Casey is the Artistic Director of North Carolina Theatre (2009-present) where she has directed 19 productions. Off Broadway, Casey directed Fat Camp at the ATA Theatre. She was also Associate Director of Anyone Can Whistle at Encores and Minsky’s at the Ahmanson. Many regional productions, workshops, readings, festivals and concerts. NYU Graduate. Proud mom of Lincoln, Violet and Jane, all impossible without Marc. TYMS.
JOSHUA BERGASSE (Choreographer) won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for NBC's "Smash." Theatre credits include: On The Town (Broadway Tony nom ) and GIGI on Broadway; Little Me and It's A Bird..It's a Plane..It's Superman! (City Center Encores!); Guys and Dolls and the Sound of Music (Carnegie Hall); The Bomb-itty of Errors and Captain Louie and Cagney (Off-Broadway); Fame the Musical (tour); Bull Durham (Alliance Theatre Suzi Bass Nom); Nerds (Philadephia Theatre Company, Barrymore nomination); Secondhand Lions (Fifth Avenue Theatre); West Side Story (Stratford Festival); On The Town, Guys and Dolls, Carousel, and The World Goes 'Round (Barrington Stage). Also for television, Bergasse choreographed for FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance." Most recently, Josh choreographed the Sinatra Television Special.
DENIS JONES (Additional Choreography) Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Legally Blonde (Associate) and the upcoming Holiday Inn. Off-Broadway: Piece of My Heart (Signature), Coraline (MCC), Disaster!, The Tempest. Regional: Moonshine: The Hee Haw Musical. Other recent credits include The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric Opera), … Forum (Williamstown), Chicago (the MUNY), Damn Yankees (Paper Mill/5th Ave.), Pirates!, She Loves Me (Huntington) and “The Kennedy Center Honors.”
LEE SAVAGE (Scenic Design) New York credits include The Dream of the Burning Boy and Ordinary Days at Roundabout; Oohrah! at the Atlantic Theater Company; Muscles In Our Toes, Sunset Baby, and Thinner Than Water at Labyrinth; Collapse at the Women’s Project; All-American at LCT3. Regionally, his work has been seen at Asolo Rep, Chautauqua Theater Company, Dallas Theater Center, Ford’s Theatre, Glimmerglass, Goodman, Guthrie, Long Wharf, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington National Opera, Westport Playhouse, and Yale Rep among others. Mr. Savage received a Helen Hayes Award for his work on Much Ado About Nothing and nominations for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard III at Shakespeare Theatre Company, as well as a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow at Yale Rep. He is a Member of Wingspace Theatrical Design and a contributing editor for Chance Magazine. He received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where he is currently on faculty.
JENNIFER CAPRIO (Costume Designer). Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (also original, Nat’l Tour, Chicago, San Fran, Boston). Off Broadway: In Transit (Primary Stages), Modern Living and Post Modern Living (LaMama ETC), Signs of Life: A Tale of Terezin and Wanda's World (Amas), Fugitive Songs (Dreamlight Productions), Two Rooms (Theatre Row), Masked (DR2 Theatre), Striking 12 (The Daryl Roth Theatre), Girl’s Room starring Donna McKechnie & Carol Lawrence (Queens Theatre in the Park also LA), Serendib (Ensemble Studio Theater), The Atheist (Center Stages, starring Star Trek's Chris Pine), Broadway Bares 17 & 19 (BC/EFA), The Blowin’ of Baile Gall (Gabriel Byrne), International: The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Edinburgh Festival). Regional: Minnesota Opera (La Boheme, Salome, & Romeo et Juliette), Utah Shakespearean Festival (3 seasons), Williamstown Theater Festival (5 Seasons), among others. Graduate of Ithaca College and Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.
JASON LYONS (Lighting Design). Broadway: Hand to God, On The Town, Bronx Bombers, Let It Be, Bring It On, Rock of Ages (Vegas, Toronto, Australia, London and Nat'l tours), The Threepenny Opera, Barefoot in the Park, Good Vibrations. Recent: Poor Behavior (Primary); Heathers; Hand to God (MCC); The Commons of Pensacola (MTC); Murder for Two, Nerds (PTC); Venice (Public); Hello, Dolly! (Goodspeed); All in the Timing (Primary); Medieval Play (Signature); Uncle Vanya (CSC); White Noise (Chicago); Broke-ology, Clay (LCT); Happy Hour, Two Plays by Harold Pinter, Scarcity (Atlantic); ten years with the New Group, including The Good Mother, Marie and Bruce, Abigail's Party, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Hurlyburly. Faculty: Purchase College. www.jasonlyonsdesign.com
NEVIN STEINBERG (Sound Design). Recent Broadway: Hamilton, It Shoulda Been You, Mothers and Sons, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Tony nom.), The Performers, Magic/Bird. Off-Broadway: The Landing (Vineyard Theatre), Far From Heaven (Playwright's Horizons). Nevin is the audio consultant for Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium.
DANIEL BRODIE (Projection Design) was born in Las Vegas and now lives in Brooklyn. He graduated with a degree in theatre and media design from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. He designed the projections for Christopher Wheeldon's Winter’s Tale (Royal Ballet) and Cinderella (Dutch National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet) and has worked regularly with puppeteer Basil Twist, both on The Winter's Tale and Cinderella and on Twist’s Behind the Lid, Arias with a Twist and The Rite of Spring. Brodie’s Broadway credits have included Motown the Musical, Jekyll & Hyde and Disney’s Aladdin. He has also created large-scale video designs for Kanye West, Mariah Carey and for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Brodie's awards include the United States Institute of Theatre Technology’s Rising Star Award (2011). He has also worked as a guest lecturer at Yale University and New York University. He is an artist in residence at the New York City IFP Media Center. http://brodiegraphics.com
ADAM BLAU (Orchestrations & Additional Arrangements). Film credits include: Spy, License to Wed, The Overbrook Brothers, Phoebe in Wonderland, and Fuzz Track City, School for Scoundrels, and Smother among others. Television: “Funny or Die’s Billy on the Street” on TruTV/TBS and “You’re the Worst” on FX. In addition to music directing and arranging for numerous stage productions, Adam composed the cult favorite Monica! the Musical, a full-length musical comedy that satirically retold the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Adam has played piano and keyboards with rock bands in venues ranging from Irving Plaza in New York to the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Adam is a graduate of Yale University and former musical director of the Yale Whiffenpoofs.
NADIA DIGIALLONARDO (Music Supervisor & Arranger) Broadway: Pippin, Hair, Waitress (upcoming). Additional theatre credits: Waitress (American Repertory Theatre), Hair (The Public), Monica! The Musical, and Laugh Whore. TV: “The Tony Danza Show,” “Temptation” and music for commercials. Nadia and her siblings – Daniela and Christine – sing together as the DiGiallonardo Sisters. Their debut album, Shout Sister Shout, was recorded with Rob Fisher live at the Virginia Arts Festival. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar with a degree in urban planning.
MATT DOEBLER (Music Director & Additional Arrangements) Matt has played keyboards and conducted for Wicked and Book of Mormon on Broadway, as well as their respective national tours, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’s Off-Broadway run and recent a.r.t production. Recent Broadway and Off-Broadway shows include: Les Miserables, Gigi, Annie, Leap of Faith and Heathers. BA: Penn State School of Music.