February House: casting announced

The Public have announced that their production of February House, a new musical with music and lyrics by Gabriel Kahane, book by Seth Bockley, will extend its run by one week and will now play through to 17 Jun 2012.

The musical opened at the Public Theater's Martinson Hall on 22 May 2012, following previews from 8 May 2012, and was originally scheduled to close on 10 Jun 2012.

The musical opened to mostly poor reviews: Tepid piece at best (newyorktheatreguide); Well-meaning but wimpy (NY Daily News); Dreary (Back Stage); Shockingly trivial (Newsroom Jersey). Though Ben Brantley of the New York Times said of the show, "It's the music that makes the magic in February House."

February House: Visionary and flamboyant editor George Davis transforms a dilapidated Brooklyn boarding house into a bohemian commune for the leading lights of 1940s New York. Residents include novelist Carson McCullers, composer Benjamin Britten, poet W.H. Auden, and the infamous Gypsy Rose Lee. The luminaries of 7 Middagh Street form a tumultuous and remarkable makeshift family, and search for love, inspiration, and refuge from the looming war in Europe.

Directed by Davis McCallum, the cast features Julian Fleisher (George Davis), Stanley Bahorek (Benjamin Britton), Kacie Sheik (Gypsy Rose Lee), Erik Lochtefeld (W.H. Auden), Kristen Sieh (Carson McCullers), Ken Barnett (Peter Pears), Ken Clark (Reeves McCullers), Stephanie Hayes (Erika Mann) and A.J. Shively (Chester Kallman).

The entire cast is reprising their roles from a recent engagement at the Long Wharf Theatre.

The creative team features sets by Riccardo Hernandez, lighting by Mark Barton, costumes by Jess Goldstein and sound by Leon Rothenberg