To Wong Foo The Musical officially opens its world premiere at Hope Mill Theatre in the U.K. October 26 after beginning previews October 21. The run continues through December 17. Douglas Carter Beane has adapted his 1995 screenplay writing the musical's book, with music and lyrics by Lewis Flinn (Lysistrata Jones). Beane is also directing.
Get a first look at the production with newly released production shots below.
The story centers on three drag queens in the midst of a cross country road trip. The film was one of the first mainstream positive depictions of drag as an art, rather than as the butt of a joke.
The cast is led by Peter Caulfield (Tammy Faye) as Vida Boheme, Gregory Haney (Tina) as Noxeema Jackson, and Pablo Gómez Jones (In Dreams) as Chichi Rodríguez, along with Carolyn Maitland (Next to Normal) as Carol Ann, Duncan Burt (Friendsical) as Sheriff Dollard, Alexander Kranz as Bobby Ray, Arthur Boan (Oklahoma!) as Tommy Paul, Ayesha Maynard (Hairspray) as Beulah June, Emily Ooi (Miss Saigon) as Bobby Lee, Jermaine Woods (Sister Act) as Willie Joe/John Jacob, Lee Harris (Les Misérables) as Ed Earl/Crazy Elijah, Natalie Day (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) as Mary Lou, Scott Hunter (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Billy Budd, Susie Fenwick (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Clara Pearl, Samantha Bingley (Beauty and the Beast) as Rose of Sharon, and Theo Maddix (Cabaret) as Rachel Tensions/Jimmy Jack.
Rounding out the company are Jamil Abbasi (Great British Bake-Off Musical) and Megan Davies-Truin (Jerry Springer the Opera).
The production features choreography by Jane McMurtrie, musical supervision by Brad Simmons, set design by Katie Lias, costume design by Gregory Gale, wig design by Bobbie Zlotnik, make-up design by Andrew Sotomayor, sound design by Sam Glossop, lighting design by Jack Weir, video design by Dan Light, musical direction by Andrew Hilton, associate direction by Joseph Houston, intimacy coordination and fight direction by Haruka Kurado, associate costume design by Rachel Tansey, and casting by Sarah Leung.
Visit HopeMillTheatre.co.uk.