“ D I A N A ”
A NEW MUSICAL
WILL OPEN ON BROADWAY IN SPRING
BOOK AND LYRICS BY JOE DIPIETRO MUSIC AND LYRICS BY DAVID BRYAN
MUSIC SUPERVISION AND ARRANGEMENTS BY IAN EISENDRATH CHOREOGRAPHY BY KELLY DEVINE
DIRECTION BY CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY
STARRING JEANNA DE WAAL AS “DIANA”
PERFORMANCES BEGIN MONDAY, MARCH 2 OPENING NIGHT SET FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 31 AT THE LONGACRE THEATRE
New York, NY (August 12, 2019) – The new musical based on the incredible real life story of an icon to end all icons, Diana, will open on Broadway in the spring of 2020, producers Grove Entertainment (Beth Williams), Frank Marshall and The Araca Group announced today. Performances will begin on Monday, March 2, 2020 at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th St.), with an official Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
Tony Award®-winning director Christopher Ashley (Come From Away) and the wrtiers behind the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis (Joe DiPietro and David Bryan) bring us face-to-face with one of the 20th century’s most compelling figures in this landmark musical event, featuring an epic and sweeping contemporary score, with music supervision and arrangements by Olivier Award®-winner Ian Eisendrath, choreography by Olivier Award-winner & Tony Award-nominee Kelly Devine, and Diana’s iconic style as reimagined by six-time Tony Award-winning costume designer William Ivey Long.
Diana had its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse earlier this year and was an instant sold-out hit, extending its run into the spring.
Jeanna de Waal, acclaimed for her performance in the title role in the world premiere, will lead the cast on Broadway. She will be joined by Roe Hartrampf as “Prince Charles”, Erin Davie as “Camilla Parker Bowles” and two-time Tony Award- winner Judy Kaye as “Queen Elizabeth”, all of whom will be reprising their roles for Broadway.
This is the story of the most famous woman of the modern age: Diana, Princess of Wales. Thrust into a spotlight brighter than any the world had ever known, Diana soon finds herself at odds with her husband, an unrelenting news media, and the monarchy itself. Leading fiercely with her heart, Princess Diana stands up for her family, her country and herself, while managing to capture the hearts of the
world. She defied expectations, she rocked the royals and she created a legacy that will endure forever.
The full creative team includes scenic design by Tony Award-winner David Zinn, costume design by Tony Award-winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award-winner Natasha Katz, sound design by Tony Award-nominee Gareth Owen, orchestrations by Tony Award-nominee John Clancy, and casting by Telsey + Company.
B I O G R A P H I E S
Jeanna de Waal (Diana) originated the title role of Diana, Princess of Wales at La Jolla Playhouse and at New York Stage and Film Powerhouse Theatre reading at Vassar College, directed by Christopher Ashley. On Broadway, de Waal starred as Lauren in Kinky Boots and as Heather in American Idiot. de Waal originated the role of Dawn in the A.R.T. production of Waitress by Sara Bareilles and the role of Mary Barrie in the A.R.T. production of Finding Neverland, both directed by Diane Paulus. Off Broadway, de Waal co-starred in the two-hander play, Orwell in America, at 59E59 Theatre and played Chris Hargensen in MCC Theatre’s reimagined production of Broadway’s Carrie. She is featured on the Carrie cast album released by Sh-K- Boom and Ghostlight Records. de Waal made her West End debut in the Queen musical We Will Rock You. Other notable credits include Glinda in the National Tour of Wicked and Janet in The Rocky Horror Show at The Old Globe. de Waal can be seen in the recurring role of Sophia in the Netflix/Marvel series “Iron Fist.” She was also a guest star on “The Jim Gaffigan Show” for TV Land. de Waal wrote, produced, directed and starred in Swept, a short film which won The Audience Choice Award at The New Filmmakers Festival, NY. She is the founder of Broadway Weekends, the first theater camp for adults led by Broadway performers. de Waal trained at the Arts Educational School,Tring Park and has a B.A. (Hons) degree from the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts.
Roe Hartrampf (Prince Charles) is set to make his Broadway debut this spring in Diana, starring as “Prince Charles” under the direction of Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley. He is reprising his role from La Jolla Playhouse’s pre-Broadway production. He previously appeared Off-Broadway in Second Stage’s production of The Bad Guys and Nobody Loves You opposite Rory O’Malley and Leslie Kritzer. His other theater credits include Classic Stage Company’s Unnatural Acts, Golden Age at The Kennedy Center (dir. Walter Bobbie) and at the PA Theater (dir. Austin
Pendelton), as most recently as “Morrow McCarthy” in American Daughter directed by Evan Cabnet, at the Williamstown Theater Festival. Roe can currently be seen in a recurring arc on CBS’s “Madam Secretary”. His other television credits include
Amazon’s “Red Oaks”, HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”, Netflix’s “The Get Down”, Hulu’s “Deadbeat”, and Starz’s “Power”. On screen, he previously appeared opposite Anna Gunn in the Sony feature film, Equity, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival and in the Netflix comedy Game Over Man!, produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, starring alongside Adam Devine as well as Anders Holm and Blake Anderson of Workaholics and also can be seen in Stephen King’s A Good Marriage (Reno Productions). Hartrampf studied at Stella Adler Studio and New York University, Tisch School ofthe Arts.
Erin Davie (Camilla Parker Bowles) Broadway: Yvonne/Naomi in Sunday in the Park with George, Violet Hilton in Side Show, Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Countess Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music, Young Little Edie in Grey Gardens (Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut), Niki Harris in Curtains. Off-Broadway: The Glorious Ones (Lincoln Center Theatre); Eve Harrington in Applause (Encores). La Jolla Playhouse: Camilla Parker Bowles in the world premiere of Diana, Violet Hilton in Side Show. Tours: Swing!, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Guys and Dolls. She can be heard on cast albums: Sunday in the Park with George 2017 revival, Side Show revival, Grey Gardens, A Little Night Music revival, The Glorious Ones. TV: “Tales of the City”, “Orange Is the New Black”,”Law & Order”, “The Good Wife”. Film: Angelfish, King Jack, Easter Mysteries.
Judy Kaye (Queen Elizabeth) received the 2012 Tony Award, her second, (the first in 1988 as Carlotta in Phantom) as well as the Drama Desk, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for her work as the high flying Duchess Estonia Dulworth in Nice Work If You Can Get It. She was also nominated for Mamma Mia! and Souvenir. Ms. Kaye came to prominence playing Lily Garland in the original production of On the 20th Century. She twice received the Theater LA Ovation Award for her work in Ragtime and as the melodically challenged Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir. In a career spanning 5 decades, she has played theaters and concert halls across America and Europe in roles as diverse as Lucy Van Pelt, Rizzo, Maria Von Trapp, Emma Goldman, Mrs.
Lovett, and Grandma Kurnitz in Lost in Yonkers. Her recent Broadway appearances include roles in Cinderella, Wicked and Anastasia. She played Eurydice in Orpheus In The Underworld, Musetta in La Boheme, and Lucy Lockett in The Beggars Opera at The Santa Fe Opera. She has sung with symphony orchestras throughout the US and Europe, and twice at the White House. Ms. Kaye has many recordings and is the voice of Kinsey Millhone in the Sue Grafton Alphabet Mystery Series for Random House Audio. For more information, see Judykaye.com.
Joe DiPietro (Book & Lyrics) and David Bryan (Music & Lyrics). The writing team of DiPietro & Bryan won 2 Tony Awards each for Memphis, which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle
Awards. Their much-produced rock 'n roll comedy The Toxic Avenger (Best off- Broadway musical, 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award) recently finished a hit run in London, and the production can be seen on BroadwayHD. Joe's most recent play, Conscience will premiere at George Street Playhouse in 2020. His most recent Broadway musical, Nice Work If You Can Get It received 10 Tony nominations and DiPietro won the Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical. His plays and musicals have had thousands of productions across the country and around the world. Grammy winner David Bryan is the keyboardist and a founding member of Bon Jovi. David and BonJovi are still touring the world and were recently inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. DiPietro & Bryan's next musical, Chasing the Song had a workshop production at LaJolla Playhouse and will premiere in 2020.
Christopher Ashley (Direction) has served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director since October, 2007. During his tenure, he has helmed the Playhouse’s productions of The Squirrels, Hollywood, The Darrell Hammond Project, Chasing the Song, His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Dram of Drummhicit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Restoration, as well as the musicals Escape to Margaritaville, Xanadu, Memphis, which won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and Come From Away, for which he won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical. He also spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls (WOW) series, the DNA New Work Series and the Resident Theatre program. Prior to joining the Playhouse, he directed the Broadway productions of Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), All Shook Up and
The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), as well as the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along. Other New York credits include: Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards),The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla, Regrets Only, Communicating Doors, Wonder of the World, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley also directed the feature films Jeffrey and Lucky Stiff, as well as the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. Mr. Ashley is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship.
Ian Eisendrath (Music Supervisor, Arranger & Conductor) is currently the Music Supervisor, Arranger and Conductor for Come From Away (Broadway, Toronto, London, Australia and the North American Tour). He received the 2019 Olivier Award for his work on Come From Away, and was nominated for a 2018 Grammy for producing the Broadway cast album of Come From Away. Other credits include: A Christmas Story (Broadway & National Tour), A Christmas Story Live! (TV and Soundtrack), Music Supervisor and Director of New Work at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre from 2004-2016, and multiple seasons of The Nutcracker at Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet. 5th Avenue Theatre credits include: Disney’s Aladdin (world premiere), A Room With a View (world premiere), Secondhand Lions (world premiere) Sunday in the Park With George (2008 revival production, directed by Sam, Buntrock),On the Town, Cabaret, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Company, Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Titanic and Miss Saigon. Other regional: La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Symphony, ACT, TUTS, Ordway, Casa Mañana, Ford’s Theatre, American Theatre San
Jose. Ian is most passionate about supporting the development of new work, and has thoroughly enjoyed his time developing new musicals at the Banff Center for the Arts, New York Stage & Film, the O’Neill Center and NAMT. Education: University of Michigan.
Kelly Devine (Choreography) is a leading director and choreographer and recently won the 2019 Olivier Award for Best Choreography for Come From Away.
Choreography: Broadway: Come From Away (2017 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle nominations; 2019 Olivier Award Winner: Best Choreography); Rocky (2014 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations); Rock of Ages (West End, UK Tour, Toronto, and Australia); Dr. Zhivago; Escape to Margaritaville. Off-Broadway: Rock of Ages, Fat Camp, Toxic Avenger, Frankenstein, Anne Wrecksick. International: Rocky (Germany), Dr. Zhivago (Australia, Korea), Cabaret, Romeo and Juliet (Stratford Shakespeare Festival). Opera: Faust (directed by Des McAnuff, NY Met & London ENO), Wozzeck (San Diego Opera). Regional: Diana (world premiere La Jolla Playhouse), Come From Away, Peter and the Starcatcher (La Jolla production for Disney Theatricals), A Christmas Story (Seattle’s 5th Avenue and Kansas City Rep), Private Fittings, Toxic Avenger, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. TV: “Katy Keene,” “Modern Love,” "Mozart in the Jungle," "Wormwood," “Dear Dumb Diary”. Film: Detroit (directed by Kathryn Bigelow), The Upside (Kevin Hart, Nicole Kidman, Bryan Cranston), Happy Texas. Kelly has several projects in development as director and choreographer including a new musical with David Foster.