Casting has been announced for Center Theatre Group's upcoming world premiere of A Transparent Musical. Based on the Amazon Prime series, the stage work will play Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum May 20–June 25, with opening night set for May 31. As previously announced, the work features a book by MJ Kaufman (Jagged Little Pill) and series creator Joey Soloway and a score by Faith Soloway. Tina Landau (SpongeBob SquarePants) is directing with choreography by James Alsop.
Leading the cast as Maura Pfefferman will be Daya Curley, starring alongside Adina Verson (Only Murders in the Building) as Ali Pfefferman, Liz Larsen (Beautiful) as Shelley Pfefferman, Zachary Prince (Honeymoon in Vegas) as Josh Pfefferman, Sarah Stiles (Tootsie) as Sarah Pfefferman, Kasper (Amina) as Ezra, Peppermint (RuPaul's Drag Race, Head Over Heels) as Davina, and Murphy Taylor Smith (Love in Hate Nation) as Rabbi Raquel. Also in the cast are Samora la Perdida, Justin Rivers, Futaba Shioda, Natalie Weiss, Robert Pieranunzi, Jimmy Ray Bennett, Pat Towne, and Dahlya Glick.
The four-season series following the Pfeffermans, a Jewish family living in Los Angeles, and their lives following Maura's self discovery of being a Trans woman, concluded with a musical film titled Transparent: Musicale Finale. The stage musical will tell a new story from the perspective of the youngest Pfefferman, Ali.
The production will feature scenic design by Adam Rigg, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound design by Kai Harada, projection design by Yee Eun Nam, and wig design by Matthew Armentrout. The score will feature orchestrations by John Clancy, and Julie McBride serves as arranger, music director, and conductor. Casting is by The Telsey Company's Patrick Goodwin and Charlie Hano with additional casting by Michael Donovan Casting's Michael Donovan and Richie Ferris. David S. Franklin will be production stage manager.
“When we planned the 2022-2023 season, we knew that A Transparent Musical was an important story to be shared on the Mark Taper Forum stage," says CTG Associate Artistic Director Kelley Kirkpatrick in a statement. "Coupled with this stellar cast, under the helm of Tina Landau and James Alsop, and current events, this musical is something that we all need. A Transparent Musical marks the first time that a story written by [openly] transgender and nonbinary artists—Joey Soloway, MJ Kaufman, and Faith Soloway—will be at the Taper reflecting a community and a moment that has never been told on our stages."
A Transparent Musical joins just a handful of musicals to be adapted from TV shows, a list that includes Happy Days - A New Musical, Gilligan's Island: The Musical, the forthcoming Rogers: The Musical, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, The SpongeBob Musical, and The Great British Bake Off Musical.
Tickets are currently on sale at CenterTheatreGroup.org.
