NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville Repertory Theatre announced recently that two stars from Broadway and London’s West End will be leading its production of Sunday in the Park with George, which will be presented April 4 – 13, 2025, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center as the final production of the theatre’s 40th anniversary season.
Leading the cast in the role of George will be David Shannon. Shannon is an Irish actor often called “Ireland’s Greatest Showman.” He has performed many iconic stage roles in London’s West End and beyond, including The Phantom of the Opera, Valjean in Les Miserables, Miss Trunchbull in Matilda, and Sweeney in Sweeney Todd. He played Kevin T in the original London company and North American tour of Come From Away, and he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance in The Beautiful Game. Critics throughout the UK have heralded Mr. Shannon, calling him “…compellingly intense and beautifully voiced,” and “truly one of West End’s finest.” In addition to his theatrical work, he sings with some of the world’s leading orchestras.
In the role of George’s lover Dot will be Olivier Award-winning actress Laura Michelle Kelly. Kelly is best known as the original Mary Poppins in the world premiere of Disney’s Mary Poppins, a role she played both on Broadway and the West End, a performance the London Evening Standard said was, “nothing short of magical.” Her other critically lauded roles include Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady on the West End, which was described as a “tour de force” by the Evening Standard; and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies in Finding Neverland on Broadway, where New York critics said she brought “a radiant presence and a voice of pure enchantment. Ms. Kelly has played a host of other well-known roles in London, including Eponine in Les Miserables, Sophie in Mamma Mia, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Her other Broadway/NY shows include Fiddler on the Roof and the Encore’s production of Me and My Girl. She also was seen in the film version of Sweeney Todd as The Beggar Woman.
“We are thrilled to have Laura and David join our cast,” said Micah-Shane Brewer, artistic director of Nashville Repertory Theatre. “This show has always held a special place in my heart. When planning our 40th anniversary season, Sunday in the Park spoke to us as an excellent piece to produce to honor 40 years of creating art. Both Laura and David bring extraordinary talent and heart to these complicated roles, and I look forward to telling this story with them and the other talented cast members in this production.”
Joining Kelly and Shannon in the cast will be Nancy Allen as Old Lady, Sejal Mehta as Nurse, James Crawford as Jules, Carrie Brewer as Yvonne, James Rudolph as Boatman, Ian Frazier as Franz, Maria Logan as Frieda, Eric Sorrels as Soldier, Scott Rice as Mr., Christine Toole as Celeste #1, Mariah Parris as Celeste #2, and Brynn Pray as Louise. Sunday in the Park with George will be directed by Artistic Director Micah-Shane Brewer and music directed by Steve Kummer.
Nashville Repertory Theatre’s 40th anniversary season includes the smash hit Sara Bareilles musical Waitress; the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town; Nashville Rep’s original adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol; the drama The Mountaintop by Tennessee native Katori Hall; and Sunday in the Park with George, one of the few musicals to win the Pulitzer Prize.
For tickets and information, visit www.nashvillerep.org.
