Aneesa Folds, Bryce Pinkham, Marc Kudisch and more lead TRADING PLACES
The Alliance Theater has announced the cast and creative team for its world premiere musical, TRADING PLACES. Inspired by the iconic and beloved 1983 Paramount Pictures film, TRADING PLACES is a hilarious, contemporary musical reimagining of the fable of the prince and the pauper. Billie Rae Valentine, a savvy hustler, and Louis Winthorpe III, director of a commodities trading company, have their lives deliberately altered by the devious Duke brothers to settle a small bet in a scandalous debate between nature and nurture. Capturing the joyful charm and belly laughs of the original film while invigorating the story for 21st century audiences, TRADING PLACES will enjoy its world premiere on the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theater from May 25 to June 26, 2022.
The TRADING PLACES cast is led by Broadway actors Aneesa Folds (Freestyle Love Supreme) as Billie Rae and Tony Award nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder) as Louis, with the Tony Award-nominated Marc Kudisch (Girl From the North Country) and Lenny Wolpe (Bullets Over Broadway) as Mortimer and Randolph Duke, and starring McKenzie Kurtz (Frozen) as Penelope, Josh Lamon (Alliance & Broadway productions of THE PROM) as Beeks, Joe Montoya as Phil and Don Stephenson (Trouble in Mind) as Coleman. The ensemble cast includes Benjamin Howes, Raymond J. Lee, Michael McCorry Rose and Nyla Watson. The other members of the ensemble have not yet been announced.
TRADING PLACES is led by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon (A Soldier’s Play, A Raisin in the Sun) and an exciting writing and directing team including TV and film writer Thomas Lennon (Book), the music writing team Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. (Music and Lyrics), acclaimed film, TV and music video choreographer Fatima Robinson (choreography), Associate Artistic Director of Alliance Theater BOLD, Tinashe Kajese-Bolden (Associate Director), Orchestrator August Eriksmoen, nominee at the Tony Awards, and music director Rick Edinger. The creative team includes Tony Award-winning scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, lighting designer Adam Honoré, Tony Award-winning sound designer John Shivers and Tony Award-nominated costume designer Emilio Sosa.
The production is also supported by intimacy consultant Sasha Nicolle Smith, fight choreographer Rick Sordelet and stage manager Ralph Stan Lee.
“I’m so excited to come home to this world-class cast and creative team and a new musical that I know will resonate with and be embraced by the Atlanta community,” said director Kenny Leon. . “With TRADING PLACES, we explore the idea of what would happen if we all traded our places with someone else, even for a day, literally putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. “It’s relevant; it’s uplifting; everyone will feel heard and represented. And you’re going to have a lot of laughs! It’s the perfect piece for the moment.”
TICKET INFORMATION:
TRADING PLACES will have its world premiere on the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theater from May 25 to June 26, 2022. Opening night is Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets for TRADING PLACES are available now at www.alliancetheatre. org/tradingplaces.
LOCATION INFORMATION:
The Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theater
Woodruff Center for the Arts, Arts Memorial Building
1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309