Rob McClure, Jennifer Bowles
Encores! will present its first musical not written on American soil – Irma La Douce – May 7 thru 11th for seven performances at New York City Center. Director John Doyle describes it as “a little confection.”
The choreography is by Chase Brock, who says there’s a dream ballet and also Penguins! The cast features Jennifer Bowles as Irma (currently The Acrobat in Matilda on Broadway) with Rob McClure as Nestor (Tony, OCC Award nominations and other, for his performance as Chaplin last season in Chaplin: The Musical), says it’s a lot of mad-cap farce. Malcolm Gets, as Bob, is the storyteller, who recently appeared on Broadway in Macbeth with Ethan Hawke.
Irma La Douce tells the story of a Parisian lady of the evening and a law student who falls in love with her. Jennifer Bowles describes it as having passion. The music is by Marguerite Monnot; English book and lyrics by Julian More, David Heneker and Monty Norman, original book and lyrics by Alexandre Breffort.
Irma had a 3 year run in Paris, the English language version directed by Peter Brook, enjoying great success in London and then on Broadway running in 1960 at the Plymouth Theatre for 524 performances. You’ll thrill to the love song “Our Language of Love” and laugh at the antics of the four ‘criminals.’
The complete cast includes Sam Bolen, Ben Crawford, Stephen DeRosa, Zachary James, Ken Krugman, Chris Sullivan with Joseph Medeiros, Joseph Simeone, Manuel Stark and Caleb Teicher.
The Encores! production is musically directed by Rob Berman. Jack Viertel is Artistic Director.
New York City Center, West 55th St. (bet. 6/7 Aves). 212 581-1212 www.NYCityCenter.org
*photos/video: Sandi Durell
