Asolo Rep Announces Casting for Hood

May 23, 2022 – Sarasota

Asolo Repertory Theatre proudly announces full casting for the new musical HOOD. Five-time Tony^®-nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane – who re-invented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella so deliciously – reunites with composer and lyricist Lewis Flinn, his Give it Up/Lysistrata Jones collaborator, to bring to life this hilarious and stirring new theatrical adventure. Directed by Mark Brokaw, HOOD begins previews on June 3, opens on June 11, and runs through June 26, in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

“I feel very lucky at this point in time to have the opportunity to work on this piece of material with this gifted group of people,” Brokaw said. “The piece touches on so many of the issues we’re all currently struggling with and that threaten to consume us, but it does it through laughter, generosity and kindness – all things the world desperately needs right now. This musical offers a road map to joy.”

The world’s sexiest thief. A pair of history’s greatest lovers. The Merry Band that made redistributing wealth cool. Here, finally, is the real story of the nobleman forced out of his home and into the wilderness, who seeks revenge not only for himself but against an unjust system. And as he sets out on a mission to rescue the damsel he left behind, he discovers that this particular damsel doesn’t need any rescuing.

“The legend of Robin Hood has been passed down for more than 800 years, revisited and adapted by hundreds of troubadours, storytellers, writers in theatre, and recently in TV and film,” said Flinn. “Not only is it a David versus Goliath tale, but it is about individuals – everyday people – making choices to stand up rather than be complacent, to not accept the status quo, and to fight for what they believe in. But also, and perhaps more importantly, it’s larger than life and fun, with adventure and love and a big heart.  

“Musically, I wanted the score to have strong melodies and songs that could be sung by anyone, while also being catchy, uplifting and inspiring,” Flinn added. “HOOD has a contemporary folk/pop score with some Celtic twang and Kurt Weill spices thrown in the mix.”

HOOD offers audiences an opportunity to see a new musical from a talented and well-established creative team. Dallas Theater Center staged the show’s world premiere in 2017, and workshops in Sarasota (2019) and New York (2020) furthered the development of the piece. A new production was set to premiere at Asolo Rep in May of 2020 but was delayed because of the pandemic.

“I’m so excited to at last have this show come to life!” Beane said, noting the delay from the pandemic. “Its message that everyone has a hero deep within seems particularly meaningful today. And it’s great to be working again with old collaborators, including Mark Brokaw (As Bees in Honey Drown, Cinderella, Music From a Sparkling Planet) and cast members Billie, Luke, and Jamen (Fairycakes) and Imani (To Wong Foo…). Oh, and my husband, Lewis (eight shows, two kids).”

A prolific playwright, Douglas Carter Beane’s Broadway writing credits include the musicals Cinderella, Lysistrata Jones, Sister Act and Xanadu, along with several plays, including The Little Dog Laughed, The Nance, As Bees in Honey Drown, Music From a Sparkling Planet, Fairycakes, Shows for Days and The Closet, among others. His film and television credits include To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Advice from a Caterpillar and Tracey Ullman’s Show.

In addition to writing the music and lyrics for HOOD, Lewis Flinn serves as arranger and composer. He has written musicals for Broadway and off-Broadway and scored over 50 plays on Broadway, off-Broadway and at regional theatres across the country. He’s also scored films and national commercials and written songs for many recording artists. His favorite and frequent collaborator is his husband, Beane. 

A busy and in-demand director, Mark Brokaw’s revival of How I Learned to Drive just opened on Broadway.  His other New York credits include the premieres of Heisenberg, The Long Christmas Ride Home, As Bees in Honey Drown, Lobby Hero, and This Is Our Youth. He has directed for regional theatres around the country, including the Guthrie Theater, Center Theatre Group, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Sundance Theatre Lab and the O’Neill Theatre Conference.Internationally, his work has been seen at London’s Donmar Warehouse and Menier Chocolate Factory, Dublin’s Gate Theatre and the Sydney Opera House. 

The team is joined by choreographer Ellenore Scott, whosework can currently be seen on Broadway in Funny Girl and Mr. Saturday Night and off-Broadway in Little Shop of Horrors. She also served as associate choreographer for Head Over Heels and King Kong on Broadway and assistant choreographer for Cats and Falsettos.

Leading the cast of HOOD are Anthony Chatmon II and Savy Jackson as Robin and Marian, respectively.

Anthony Chatmon II previously appeared on Broadway in Hadestown and Be More Chill and in the national tours of Fiasco’s Into the Woods and The Book of Mormon. His television and film credits include Kenny in A Jenkins Family Christmas, Reasonable Doubt, Invasion, Law & Order, Blue Bloods, The Other Two and Bull. Savy Jackson recently earned her BFA in musical theatre at Pace University after being on the road with the first national tour of Once on This Island as aStoryteller and the understudy for Ti Moune. 

The cast also includes Billie Aken-Tyers (Much), Caitlin Humphreys (Lady Anne), Erin Kei (Lady Jane), Aury Krebs (Meg), Daniel Lopez (Alan A’Dale), Jamen Nanthakumar (Tuck), Luke Antony Neville (Scarlet), Nick Rehberger (Sheriff), Zachary Francis Stewart (Little John) and Imani Youngblood (Gamble). The understudies are Jordan Sam Rich, Mikhail Roberts, Michelle Tsai, Darius Vines, Danielle Vivcharenko, Taylor Erin Wade and Nick Yáñez-Atkins.

“We have a powerhouse creative team and cast working on HOOD, and it’s such a pleasure and honor to be working with Hunter Arnold and Tom Kirdahy as enhancing producers,” said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. “It’s exciting for our audience to have the opportunity to see a show of this caliber before it potentially goes on to be staged elsewhere. The uplifting message and dynamic adventure of HOODare going to appeal to families in our community in a big way.”

HOOD contains some mature language, light sexual innuendo and brief moments of stage fighting.

HOOD runs June 3-26, 2022. Previews are June 3-10. Visit asolorep.org for a full performance schedule. Orchestra and Mezzanine seats start at $57 and Balcony seats start at $33. Tickets are available now in person at Asolo Rep’s Box Office at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, by phone at 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388, or online at asolorep.org.