Casting Announced for Crazy For You in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

SEAN PALMER, CLARE FOSTER, KIM MEDCALF, HARRIET THORPE, DAVID BURT, AND MICHAEL McKELL LEAD THE CAST OF CRAZY FOR YOU AT REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATREREHEARSALS BEGIN ON MONDAY 20 JUNEArtistic director Timothy Sheader will direct the hit musical comedy, Crazy for You with book by Ken Ludwig and music by George and Ira Gershwin as the final show in the 2011 season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 28 July – 10 September. The creative team from the multi-award winning production of Hello, Dolly! reunite as Stephen Mear choreographs and Peter McKintosh designs. Gareth Valentine returns as the musical director after joining the Open Air Theatre last season for Sondheim’s Into the Woods.The roles of Bobby Child and Polly Baker will be played by Sean Palmer and Clare Foster. Sean Palmer has worked on both stage and screen, performing in the original casts of Saturday Night Fever and Fosse and most recently playing Prince Eric in the stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid on Broadway. Sean has also appeared as Standford Blatche’s boyfriend, Marcus, in the HBO series Sex and the City. As well as playing PC Millie Brown in The Bill, Clare has performed in numerous West End productions including Avenue Q, Chicago and We Will Rock You.Best-known for her role as Sam Mitchell in Eastenders, Kim Medcalf will play the role of Irene Roth and the highly acclaimed stage and screen actress Harriet Thorpe will take the roles of the Mother and Patricia. Harriet has recently appeared in the West End productions of Mamma Mia and Wicked as well as on screen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Having recently played corrupt detective DS Nick Henshall in Emmerdale, Michael McKell takes the role of Lank.West End veteran David Burt will play the role of Bela Zangler. David has appeared in countless productions at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and the West End including The Beggar’s Opera (Olivier Nomination), Merchant of Venice, Troilus and Cressida, Evita, Cats, Les Miserables, Chess, La Traviata (Olivier Nomination), Jesus Christ Superstar and The Woman in White.Further casting includes: Rachel Stanley (Tess), Alexis Owen Hobbs (Patsy), Samuel Holmes (Eugene), Peter Martin (Everett), Lucy Anderson, Jessica Buckby, Cara Elston, Charlene Ford, Jo Goodwin, Amy Griffiths (Follies Girls), Harry Morrison, James O’Connell, Carl Sanderson, Phil Snowden, Stephen Whitson (Cowboys), Richard Jones, Josh Lacey and Jo Morris (Swings).With book by Ken Ludwig and packed full of Gershwin classics including “I Got Rhythm”, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, “Embraceable You” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It”, the original 1992 production won both the Tony® and Olivier Award for Best New Musical.The 2010 season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre became the most successful in the theatre’s history with more than 142,000 visitors across its sixteen-week run. This year, Timothy Sheader’s production of Lord of the Flies has become the highest grossing non-Shakespeare production to be performed at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, with audiences exceeding 36,000.Members of the public can call the Box Office on 0844 826 4242 or book online at www.openairtheatre.com